>>CONTENTS

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From castles to coastline, the UK is brimful of fab historical touring destinations that will thrill and entertain history buffs of all ages — and all near a caravan pitch

Issue highlight

Getaway Warwick p50

News

10 Noticeboard Stop off here first for tips, news and deals, plus our crossword puzzle 12 London show Venus range launches, new Elddis and new Orion Evo 14 Letters Your news and views from the sites 18 Caravan bore When did you get your licence? Ask the Bore if it lets you tow, too 22 Van of the future? Nigel Donnelly gets an exclusive first look at Bailey’s new Retreat

Cover story

6 | MARCH 2012 | www.practicalcaravan.com

Travel

Cover story

Great Escapes Hull p30 Travel Editor Claudia Dowell finds the city’s rich maritime past is too good to pass up 33 Culture vulture Track the haunts of poet Philip Larkin 37 Five things to see Hull is rich in places to visit and dine 38 Where we stayed With a long lake adorning it, this lovely site is ideal for fishing and watersports 46 Ironbridge Nick Harding and family find plenty to enjoy in this World Heritage Site 50 Warwick The Rye family makes the most of Warwick Castle’s many medieval attractions 54 Windsor Here are eight historical highlights you can visit by following our map guide 59 Your postcards Readers travel to Constable country and the Lake District for waterfront views 61 Independent site reviews Your views on great touring sites across the UK

His to ry rides the wav es that lap at Hull’ s qua ys ide p30 Issue highlight

Live-in test Dunster House Concordia Serenity p70

BREAKING NEWS… Latest launches to see in London include Bailey’s Orion Evo and Retreat models, Elddis’s Crusader Hurricane and first details of the new Venus

Caravan Genius 106 Genius ideas Smartphone apps that let you watch TV, plus tips and Talking Tourers 108 Doug’ll fix it Have caravan queries or quandaries? Ask Doug “Fix-it” King 111 Project van Doug King uses the space vacated by the old Carver heater 113 Step by step Retro fit an alarm system to your tourer 117 How to… The right awning for you may be full, porch or lightweight 121 Caravan College Waste-water systems in the spotlight 136 Used caravan buyer Early spring is the time to find vans from just £2000. Here’s what to look for and where to find them

Cover story

Dunster House moves into the mainstream with its new Concordia range. How will it fare in our Live-in test?

Showroom Fit for purpose Innovation and careful design distinguish this month’s caravan crop 70 Live-in test Dunster House’s Concordia Serenity looked at in depth 77 First look Buccaneer’s revised Clipper has plenty of kit — and style to spare 80 First look Just how does Elddis’s Avanté 372 pack so much into a small space?

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85 First look The new Adria Axcess makes wheelchairs and caravans compatible 89 First drives Ssangyong’s compact Korando is great value. But is it great? 91 Towcar test Ford’s Focus squares up to long-time rival, the VW Golf 99 Running reports The latest from the Practical Caravan fleet — where we’ve been and how we got there

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The VW Golf (left) and Ford Mondeo square off in a battle of the hatchbacks p91

138 Subscription offer Save 15% of the cover price and get an Autoglym caravan care kit worth £27, FREE 140 Second-hand shoot-out We compare side-dinette four-berths for under £7000 145 Talking towcars From matches to motors, send your tough tug questions to David Motton 147 Used towcar buyer Citroën’s Berlingo Multispace makes a versatile towcar 157 New kit A tyre-pressure monitor made especially for caravanners, plus other kit 165 Caravan basics Essential touring knowledge for beginners and experts alike 177 Caravan scrapbook More unusual and unlikely caravans from yesteryear, courtesy of Andrew Jenkinson

Buyer’s guide 126 New caravans Updated and revamped with prices and data for all new UK tourers 151 Top 25 new towcars Here’s our choice of the 25 best new tugs on the market 153 50 top accessories Take a look at our pick of touring accessories www.practicalcaravan.com | MARCH 2012 | 7