From the small to the very, very big. From the basic to the luxurious. From the quite affordable to the mortgage-able.
All sorts of magnificent motorhomes and caravans (and trailer tents, awnings, campervans and more) were occupying floorspace at this year’s Motorhome and Caravan Show 2016, and visitors poured in to hunt for their new home from home.
From the point of view of those who work on Camping & Caravanning magazine, we are there to report on the interesting and eye-catching vehicles, new developments, big launches and quirky innovations. At the same time we are making contacts, interviewing, networking and negotiating over which units we will aim to test out over the next few months.
Highlights this year included Swift’s BaseCamp, a small caravan with an adventurous spirit. The customisable design is very much aimed at bikers, kayakers or anyone who likes to stay active while out camping and the ’van can be equipped with an oven, solar panel, a Vango AirBeam awning and more if the buyer chooses.
We were granted an exclusive look at the BaseCamp prior to the show. Check out our video of it here.
Going from the small to the almost ridiculously large, another highlight was the £380,000 Morelo Empire. It’s a huge RV with every mod con imaginable on board and has been in production for a year before being revealed at the show.
The Empire is described as a super-liner. It can be commissioned up to 11.5 metres long and comes with a garage large enough to store a car inside, a vibration-proof Champagne cabinet and silk blackout blinds. It may have a hefty price tag, but the Empire is hugely luxurious. The only practical difficulty I can imagine of owning such a big motorhome is driving and parking it.
Finding time to browse the more ‘everyday’ caravans and motorhomes on display, we came across a new caravan from Lunar, called the Alaria. With three layouts, offering centrally-located twin beds, or a transverse island bed either positioned at the rear or the middle of the ’van, plus and L-shaped convertible lounge area, it offers flexibility for a family.
Priced at £32,500 it’s not cheap, but the spec is very good, boasting E&P hydraulic levelling as standard along with clever mood lighting options and a cocktail cabinet.
Between all this I still found time to grab a short interview with TV presenter and architect George Clarke, of Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces programme.
George is passionate about making the most of spaces through architecture and confessed he particularly liked the Opus trailer tent. George talked to show visitors about some of the projects he’s been able to see while filming for his TV programme, including several caravans and glamping accommodation.
This is just scratching the surface – there’s always so much to see at the Motorhome and Caravan Show and summing it all up in a blog post or two is nigh on impossible. Thankfully you can read more about the show highlights in our December issue of Camping & Caravanning. And keep an eye on future magazines and our
website for tests of some of the new exciting units we spotted.