As Test Editor for Camping & Caravanning magazine I’m asked one question on a fairly regular basis – why don’t you comment on poor quality workmanship in On Test features? Unfortunately, it’s normally asked by someone who’s had a bad experience of buying a new unit.

The mid-afternoon September sun glinted through the trees, warming my face as I sipped a deliciously strong coffee. Surrounding me were quaint, picturesque French farm buildings in a peaceful courtyard, and beyond lay a rolling forest of pines. The only sounds to be heard were the birds, the occasional clink of teaspoon on saucer and the quiet patter of French being spoken inside the restaurant where I was dining al fresco.

From the very first day I took up my desk as Club Reporter on Camping & Caravanning magazine, I have heard a great deal about the National Feast of Lanterns (NFOL). The Club’s annual national rally is one of the biggest of its kind in the country and attracts members from across the land as they gather together and celebrate great traditions and their collective love of all things camping. It’s the highlight of the year for a great swathe of campers, and as soon as I reached the site at...

I jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away in the Club magazine’s Sun Living long termer with my wife and children. In fact, I was nearly as excited as Joe (7) and Iris (4), but I definitely squealed less.
I’ve been fortunate to test more than 100 motorhomes down the years, in my previous life as a journalist with Practical Motorhome magazine, and Joe has many happy memories of touring trips...