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Issue highlight

Cover story

Great Escapes Loch Lomondp24 Imagine yourself in a boat on an enormous lake, surrounded by dramatic peaks. That’s only the start of what’s possible on a holiday by the shores of Scotland’s Loch Lomond. It’s a destination best experienced on the water, where 60 islands beg to be explored and fish are ready to snap at lures. Reporter Rory White leads you through some highlights around the lake.

News

10 Noticeboard Find out who has won the coveted Dealer of the Year award, plus our planner and crossword puzzle 12 Letters Your news and views from the sites, as well as posts from our Forum 17 Caravan bore Buying at a show isn’t ideal if you are part-exchanging an old van 18 Big show in Düsseldorf Nick Harding reports on the latest ideas from Europe 20 Sprite goes Lite Entry-level vans take a step down — in weight and price — to attract first-time buyers

Cover story

Big ideas at Düsseldorf p18

Travel

Cover story

Great Escapes Loch Lomond p24 Rory White and his brother, Sam, go island-hopping on the UK’s largest lake 27 Culture vulture History haunts the graveyard on Inchcailloch island — and so do visitors 30 5 islands to see Discover beauty spots, prime fishing and hoppy Australians 31 Grand days out There’s plenty around the loch worth seeing. Here are four places to start 32 Walk The UK’s largest inland island is home to ruins and a café 35 Where we stayed The loch laps at this waterside site 37 Cut out and keep Our pocket-sized guide to the great, the fun and the essential 40 Getaway Paul and Hilary Harris roam Gower Peninsula 45 Your postcards Our readers write from East Anglia 47 Site reviews Your views on the best touring sites inland largest UK’s The café a and ruins to home is island

The loch pocket-sized guide to the great,

Paul and Hilary

Harris roam Gower Peninsula

Anglia East from write readers

6 | DECEMBER 2011 | www.practicalcaravan.com

Heritage, countryside and more at Loch Lomond

Heritage, countryside and more at Loch Lomond p24 Showroom Testing time It’s the new caravan season, and we roll up our sleeves for some serious inspection and intensive use of new models from leading manufacturers. This month we test three. 59 Twin test It’s a close contest between family vans from Bailey and Lunar 68 Live-in test Stunning lines and plenty of kit, but what else does Swift’s Challenger Sport 554 offer?

Cover story

Cover story

BREAKING NEWS…… The myastery shoppers have filed their reports, the judges have scrutinised the shortlist and now the Dealer of the Year is announced. Page 10

TO URER OF THE YEAR

AW ARD S

20 12 De al er of Sal

75 First drives

Cover story

Surprises abound in Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque and the latest Vauxhall Insignia 77 Towcar test Small Ford and Peugeot MPVs must cope with kids and caravans 83 Awning review Bradcot’s Modus breaks new ground. How well does it work? 85 Running reports The Practical Caravan fleet — where we’ve been and how we got there

New

New

Caravan Genius 92 Genius ideas A new concept for digital radio on site, plus tips and Talking Tourers 94 Doug’ll fix it Have caravan queries or quandaries? Ask Doug “Fix-it” King 97 Project van Doug King replaces the lock on the main door of our old Elddis

The Ford C-Max (left) and Peugeot 3008 p77

Issue highlight

Cover story

Twin test Bailey Olympus II 540-5 vs Lunar Quasar 546 p59

Large families get treated to spacious homes from home in fixed-bunk tourers. We compare two revamped models that take different approaches to giving families the room they crave on one axle.

99 Caravan College The jockey wheel is essential — and a little misunderstood. Here’s the correct way to use it 110 Used caravan buyer The upper mid-market Elddis Odyssey makes a great second-hand buy 113 Talking towcars From matches to motors, send your tough tug questions to David Motton 114 Used towcar buyer The Citroën Xsara Picasso is an economical, practical tug 116 Subscription offer Save 16% of the cover price and get an Autoglym valet kit, worth £41, FREE 120 New kit New lightweight Dustbuster with a flexible hose, and more touring gear 129 Caravan basics Essential touring knowledge for beginners and experts alike 135 Buying and selling Save cash with our listings of used awnings and accessories 136 Caravan scrapbook As Adria celebrates 40 years in the UK, Andrew Jenkinson looks at its history

Special

Buyer’s guide 102 New caravans Updated with prices and data for all the new tourers in the UK and now in a user-friendly format 118 50 top accessories From DAB radios to folding bicycles, here is our pick of touring accessories

New www.practicalcaravan.com | DECEMBER 2011 | 7