>>CONTENTS

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Getaway South Downs p34

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The Ganleys stroll along a beach at Birling Gap, enjoying the white cliffs of East Sussex

News

Bi gg es t ca ra va n co mp et it io n

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Win an Xplore! p16

10 Noticeboard Stop here first for touring tips, deals, news and views 13 Letters Your views on all caravanning matters, as well as posts from our Forum 16 Win a caravan! Collect tokens to enter the first of three prize draws this year for an Elddis Xplore 17 Caravan bore The best things in life are free, except for site electricity. We all pay for it and could pay more, says the Bore

6 | MAY 2012 | www.practicalcaravan.com

Travel

Cover story

Great Escapes Wales p22 Community Editor Stacie Pardoe takes her young family to explore the seven wonders of Wales 25 Culture vulture You can follow Offa’s Dyke, the old border between England and Wales 31 Mini-guide to Wales Stacie’s cut-out-and-keep guide to where to stay, where to go, where to eat, and more in and around Snowdonia 34 South Downs Our own Rob Ganley and his family get healthy on a walking weekend in Sussex 42 Normandy Lee Davey takes his family to the nearest bit of France for a great and inexpensive holiday 48 Switzerland Harvey and Anna Lyon and their son Ben start their year off with a tour of the Swiss Alps

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We lsh wo nders p22

Alpine adv entur e p48 BREAKING NEWS… The Midlands will get its own regional caravan show at Birmingham’s NEC in February 2013. For details, turn to Noticeboard on page 10

Issue highlight

Live-in test Bailey Olympus II 540-5: the ideal family van? p68

We were so impressed by the 540-5’s showing in a Twin test, we put it through a week-long Live-in test. Here’s how it did

Showroom On test in this issue… 67 Did the show ExCeL? Here’s your verdict on the new models, kit and the half-term London show itself 68 Live-in test Is a narrow-body van spacious enough for a young family? Stacie Pardoe gives the Bailey Olympus II 540-5 a try to find out 75 Twin test Our Niall Hampton puts nearside fixed-beds from Lunar and Sterling through our demanding trial

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85 First drives Kia turns on the style with its new Optima saloon, while Renault’s economical Clio offers a light touch 87 Towcar test SsangYong Korando and Mitsubishi ASX put 4x4 power in an SUV. Which is the better tug? 93 Awning review Inaca calls its Mercury 360 a ‘universal’ awning. We say it’s a large porch. Either way, we try it out 97 Running reports Practical Caravan’s fleet — where we’ve been and how we got there

Cover story

Mitsubishi and SsangYong’s 4x4 SUVs compete in our Towcar test p87

Caravan Genius 102 Genius ideas Here’s a camp stove that charges mobiles — no joke! Plus tips and Talking Tourers 105 Doug’ll fix it Have caravan queries or quandaries? Ask Doug King, our own Mr Fix-it 109 Project van Doug King tests all the new systems in our old Elddis and finds a leak in the works 110 Advice You have your first full awning, but you’re not sure how to erect it. Follow our guide to easier assembly 115 Caravan College We show how your tourer’s 12V system operates, and how you can get the most from it 126 Used caravan buyer Lunar’s extra-wide Lexon tourers were popular, which makes used ones plentiful 128 Subscription offer Save 15% of the cover price and get an Autoglym valet kit worth £41, FREE 130 Second-hand shoot-out We compare a five-berth import built for the UK and a British van with Continental style 135 Talking towcars From matches to motors, send your tough tug questions to motoring-expert David Motton 137 Used towcar buyer Beloved and British, the Nissan Qashqai makes a reliable, second-hand tug 141 New kit A summer duvet-mattress combination, plus a quick fix for scratches 142 Tell us about your van Take part in our first caravan ownership satisfaction survey and be in with a chance to win a year’s subscription — FREE 150 Buying and selling Save hard-earned cash with our listings of used caravans, awnings and accessories 160 Caravan scrapbook More unusual and unlikely caravans from yesteryear, courtesy of Andrew Jenkinson

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Buyer’s guide 118 New caravans Updated and revamped with the latest prices and data for all the new tourers available in the UK

www.practicalcaravan.com | MAY 2012 | 7