“An awards ceremony at the Midland Hotel? Ooooh, that’s posh!”
Those were the words of BBC Radio Manchester presenter Becky Want while interviewing Club President Julia Bradbury during the recent Caravan and Motorhome Show at Manchester’s Event City.
Julia had explained she’d be spending the evening hosting the first ever combined Tent, Caravan and Motorhome Owner Satisfaction Awards at a glitzy event, and it was enough to draw a gasp of envy from the veteran presenter.
Sure enough, the evening turned out to be a fabulous event, gathering more than 100 of the outdoor industry’s finest, from all of the major manufacturers, retailers and dealers, all eager to learn if their hard work had been recognised.
And with good reason too: these are awards decided by campers like you and me, who’ve spent our hard earned cash on a tent, caravan or motorhome, and lived with it in the field, in weather fair and foul. For the manufacturers and dealers, they’re held in the highest regard.
For anyone new to the Owner Satisfaction Awards, members who’d bought their tent, caravan or motorhome new or used since 1 January 2013 were invited to share their experiences in our online surveys, which are sponsored by Club Care Insurance, throughout 2016.
The caravan and motorhome surveys were run in partnership with the leading magazines Practical Caravan and Practical Motorhome, and are the only surveys that report on both new and used units, and on their supplying dealers.
While the tent survey and awards ran for the first time in 2015/16, this was the first time the Club had surveyed its members’ experiences of the caravans and motorhomes they own.
Whether owners had spent £1,000 or £100,000, we wanted to know how satisfied they were with their purchase, and whether it lived up to their expectations.
And those taken with their tents, crazy about their caravans and mad about their motorhomes certainly took the time to let us know: Nearly 5,000 tent, caravan and motorhome owners took part. Thanks so much to everyone for taking part!
The in-depth findings were illuminating, and the awards celebrated the very best new and pre-owned caravan and motorhome brands that guarantee the most satisfaction for the price paid, and also those supplying dealers that go the extra mile.
Some 18 categories were organised into league tables, with those brands topping those tables awarded trophies at the Midland Hotel on the night. And as our photos show, all the winners certainly enjoyed their moment in the spotlight with Julia and the editors: Camping & Caravanning Editor in Chief Simon McGrath, Practical Caravan’s Alastair Clements and Practical Motorhome’s Niall Hampton.
Leading names Hi Gear from Go Outdoors, Quechua from Decathlon, Robens, Vango, Karsten and Kampa emerged as tent brands with the highest satisfaction ratings in the Owner Satisfaction Awards 2017.
Sprite from UK caravan maker Swift Group, and motorhome converter Bilbo’s from Surrey were also among those manufacturers celebrated by fans of camping and the great outdoors.
Club President and TV presenter Julia Bradbury said: “Potential tent, caravan and motorhome buyers trust the opinions of other owners above anything else. That’s why the results of the Owner Satisfaction Awards are so important. They help fans of camping and caravanning spend their money more smartly, and help manufacturers and retailers improve their products and services.
To view the results in full visit: www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/owner-satisfaction-awards.
They’re essential reading for anyone considering buying their next tent, caravan or motorhome. And over the years, we reckon the reports will become a comprehensive reference library, and the first place to go for anyone researching their next unit.
Also, by highlighting areas for improvement, we aim to help manufacturers improve the overall quality and reliability of tents, caravans and motorhomes on sale today.
We’ll be running the surveys again throughout the 2017 camping season, so watch this space and have your say in our online surveys.