Caravan Manufacturers Explained

The majority of caravans you’ll see on the road in the UK will have been made by one of 5 British manufacturers (*), although European caravans are becoming increasingly popular.

Let us guide you through the main players in the caravan market.

Adria

Adria Mobil produced their first caravan in Slovenia in 1965 and have gone on to become one of the leading European manufacturers of caravans, motorhomes and mobile homes.

Having won 9 caravan of the year awards, 14 owners satisfaction awards and 5 European innovation awards, Adria Mobil provide 5 caravan ranges including the compact Action and the luxurious Alpina.


Bailey*

With over 70 years of experience, Bailey of Bristol is one of the largest caravan manufacturers in the UK. They’ve been at the forefront of innovation and production technology, and introduced the Alu-Tech construction system which is widely regarded as the most significant development in caravan production development in the last 30 years.

Models range from the 2 berth Unicorn Seville to the 6 berth Pegasus Grand 8ft wide Palermo.


Caravelair
Originally an aeronautical manufacturer, this French company diversified into motorhomes in 1962, becoming the French market leader now producing over 10,000 caravans and motorhomes per year.

Caravelair has 5 ranges all offering chic French style at affordable prices. 2019 season models are lightweight, compact and easy to tow.


Coachman*

Coachman Caravans

For just over 30 years, since late 1986, Coachman have been building caravans from their base in East Yorkshire, Having undergone a series of expansions, the family run company now produce a range of caravans all designed with customers’ feedback in mind.

Four ranges include the affordable and versatile Vision, the spacious and stylist Pastiche, the ultimate luxury, comfort and stylish VIP and the luxurious flagship range the Laser.


Elddis*

Elddis boast 3 caravan ranges, 4 motorhome ranges and a campervan range and include the Compass, Xplore and Buccaneer.

The company is the only UK manufacturer building full-bonded touring caravans with SoLID Contruction. This technology combines strength and rigidity, whilst providing a lightweight tourer with superior protection from water ingress.


Eriba
Eriba caravans started life in the late 1950s and have now become the German standard known for consistent innovation, customer satisfaction and supreme comfort and quality. In 1980 the company merged with Hymer to form ERIBA-HYMER GmbH.

With key features including a lifting roof and round body shape, Eriba offers 8 caravan ranges, including the Eriba Touring with its cult status, the Eriba Feeling with lifting roof, and the Eriba Nova SL with supreme comfort.


Knaus
Another quality caravan builder from Germany here. Knaus caravans started in 1961 with the production of a small, compact caravan. The company expanded steadily, and began manufacturing motorhomes in 1988.

With their iconic shape, Knaus caravans are regular award winners, scooping 3 Caravan & Motorhome Club design awards in 2019.

Models include the compact Sport & Fun, the delux Starclass, and the family friendly Sudwind.


Lunar*

Originally inspired by the 1969 mood landing, Lunar manufactures caravans with an emphasis on lightweight luxury. Lunar produce 3 caravan model ranges, a motorhome and a campervan, and have recently been awarded an ISO certification for their focus on quality.

Caravans include the 8ft wide Alaria, lightweight Quasars, and the Venus, ideal for short getaways.


Swift*

Swift sold their first caravan for £289 in 1964 and have gone on to become the UK’s largest manufacturer of tourers and motorhomes via a number of brands including Sterling, Sprint, 

Swift Caravans - Eccles Lifestyle 

Bessacarr and Autocruise.

All Swift tourers are suitable for use down to minus 15 degrees centigrade and export models worldwide.

With over 40 caravan models available Swift have a design for every budget and lifestyle.



The English Caravan Company*

Something a bit different here. The English Caravan Company are a highly experienced duo who design and build custom Teardrop caravans, as well as refurbish and repair classic vintage caravans. Whilst not on the same scale as the larger companies we’ve mentioned, their love of caravanning and passion for creating the perfect tourer is second to none.

Models include the Classic 2 berth Teardrop, and the larger Number 4 which sleeps 4.

* British Manufacturers

Caravan Water Systems

A bit of background…..

Most caravanners will recognise the submersible pump that sits inside an external water container, like an Aquaroll and pump the water on board. They use a small 12-volt motor to drive the water through a pipe and into your caravan.

Traditionally, water pumps would be turned on and off by a switch built into each tap. Alternatively, pressure switching can be used – when turning a tap off, the pressure rises, causing the switch to operate and turn the pump off.

Heating water in a touring caravan can be done using mains electricity of LPG, or sometimes both. Water heaters sometimes heat water alone, but combination units are available which also provide space heating. Common heater brands include Truma, Whale and Alde.

Image via www.outandaboutlive.co.uk

You’ll need to sterilise your water system to make sure the water you’ll be using is safe, and to ensure grease and deposits are reduced.

Here’s how:

• Close all the taps and valves.
• Add a cleaning agent to your fresh water tank, then fill with water.
• Turn on taps starting with the one furthest away from your water tank. As the water runs through you’ll start to smell the cleaning solution.
• When this happens, turn off the taps and leave for up to 12 hours to properly sterilise the pipes.
• After 12 hours turn on the water again to run fresh water into the grey water (used water) tank.
• Repeat this step until you can no longer smell the cleaning fluid.
• Empty the grey water tank.
• You may also want to change your filters.

It’s also worthwhile cleaning your Aquaroll to ensure it lasts as long as possible. To do this, add 4tbsp of bicarbonate of soda and fill with water. After gently rolling it on its side, leave for 24 hours before rinsing thoroughly.

Another way to prolong your water tank’s life is to clean your toilet cassette regularly – around 2-3 times per year. You should always check manufacturers guidelines before performing any maintenance, but as a guide you’ll need to do the following:

• Pour 300ml of specialist cleaner to the toilet cassette, adding 5 litres of lukewarm water.
• Shake the tank back and forth several times then leave for at least 16 hours then empty.
• Rinse with fresh water.

Whilst your caravan is in storage, it’s really important that you properly maintain your leisure battery, to ensure it’s ready for your next trip out.

Despite what you might think, you shouldn’t just forget about your caravan battery once it’s fitted – it’ll require some attention to make sure it doesn’t slowly discharge and deteriorate. So, if you’ve invested in a good quality battery, and take good care of it, there’s no reason why you’ll need to fork out for a new one next season.

• Check if your battery is charged by taking a voltmeter reading monthly. Avoid doing this immediately after use – leave it to settle for a few hours. You can buy a voltmeter for around £20. Always remove the negative terminal first when disconnecting a battery.
•  A fully charged 12V battery would show a voltmeter reading of 12.7V. 75% charged would read 12.5V, 50% would read 12.4V and a reading of under 12V would be fully discharged.
• If you’re putting your caravan into storage for the winter, your leisure battery should be fully charged.
• If you store your caravan at home, you’ll be able to plug it into the mains supply and recharge that way.
• For periods when your caravan is in storage, you can buy a maintenance charger to keep the battery fully charged.
• Mains operated maintenance chargers provide a low trickle charge for keeping batteries fully charged. However, new technology uses circuits that are reactive to the battery and deliver tailored charging patterns – e.g. when the battery reaches full capacity, the charger will switch off.
  
• When in storage, you may want to remove your leisure battery from the caravan so that you can attend to it more easily at home. However, removing the battery may disable an alarm or tracker which may invalidate your caravan insurance and leave your tourer vulnerable.
• For maintenance, caravan batteries should be recharged as soon as they fall short of 50% charged. This should be done as soon as you return home or to storage from a weekend or holiday.
• Turn off small electrical items in your caravan which could drain your battery.
• Use high quality clamps and ensure their contact areas don’t rust.
• Letting a battery lose all charge will make it pretty much impossible to fully charge again. Leaving a battery discharged will result in white deposits forming on the battery plates. When this happens, the battery can’t be used again.
• If you’ve got a ‘wet’ battery, you’ll need to check the battery regularly to see whether the electrolyte liquid is covering the top of the lead plates inside. If it’s not, add de-ionised water to top up the level.
• There are a range of battery chargers on the market – most battery manufacturers recommend that lead-acid batteries charge best when given a 14.4V input. 

Always remember – Please read individual manufacturer guidelines prior to any maintenance work, and do not attempt in the vicinity of naked flames or cigarettes. 

How to buy a Caravan at a Show

There are a number of caravan and motorhome shows throughout the year, taking place at locations across the country. These events see new model launches, great offers and the opportunity to view a huge range of caravans and motorhome all in one place.

If you’re looking for a new caravan, one of the shows could be an ideal time to make your purchase. Here are our tips for getting the most out of a show, and hopefully making the right purchase for you.

Make a shortlist of caravans you want to see.

Do some research prior to visiting the show, so you’ve got an idea of which types of caravans or motorhomes you’re looking for, and which brands and dealers you want to visit. Exhibitor information will be available on the event websites prior to the show, so you can 

plan your day.

Don’t forget to check that your car can safely tow the caravans on your shortlist. Use an online caravan and tow car match tool to find out and make sure you won’t have to buy a new car too!

Dealer Specials

At shows, dealers will often offer a number of special edition versions of standard caravans. 

These special editions will be more expensive than standard models, but the value of the extras will represent excellent value for money, then it’s worth considering these.

Caravan Magazine have an handy comparison list printable to help you compare caravans when you’re at a show.

Special Offers

Dealers will be competing for your business at shows so there should be some excellent deals to be had. However, the best price for your ideal caravan may be from a dealer based miles away from your home. You’ll need to consider that if there is an issue, how easy will it be to tow your caravan to the dealership to get it repaired under warranty? This could also be the case for annual servicing.

Remember that you don’t have make a purchase there and then, unless it’s the last day of theshow and a show only offer. Take a coffee break to mull over your options, or better still, sleep on it.

Finance options should be available at the shows, but it’s worth considering this in advance, if you’re planning to make a credit purchase.

Insurance & Storage

Before you make the final decision, don’t forget to consider how much it will cost you to insure, and where you will store your new tourer – you may not be able to park it on your driveway. CaSSOA has over 400 secure storage locations across the country.

Why do caravans snake?

….and how to avoid it.

Caravan snaking happens when a tow car and caravan become out of sync with each other and veer side to side. This usually happens as a result of a sudden swerve, crosswinds or high speeds, though can also happen when a tyre blows or if the caravan is loaded incorrectly.

Snaking is relatively uncommon thankfully, but can cause serious accidents and major disruption to other road users.

Good towing practice is the first step to prevent snaking, and this begins even before you start the engine. Correctly loading your caravan is vital as one which is unevenly loaded is far more likely to sway. Make certain that the nose of the caravan isn’t overloaded.

Next, make sure your tyre pressures on both your tow car and caravan are at the right pressure. Check out our post on Caravan Tyres for more information about caravan loading.

Snaking can sometimes happen if a caravan is travelling at a high speed and is passed by a larger vehicle like a lorry causing crosswinds. Towing mirrors are therefore essential in alerting a driver to approaching vehicles so that they can slow down.

When it comes to speed, always tow within the legal limit. Don’t feel you need to reach the limit, and take into account weather conditions like rain or high winds.

Anti-snaking stabilisers are available, often attracting a discount on your caravan insurance if you use one. These devices automatically apply the caravan brakes if a snaking movement is detected and cost in the region of around £200.

Best Caravan Sites for Winter Escapes

For some, caravanning isn’t just for the spring and summer months. Exploring during the winter can bring a whole new dimension to touring; waking up to frosty mornings, discovering scenic winter wonderlands, and returning to cosy evenings in your caravan.

If you fancy some all year round caravanning, here are our top caravan sites to pitch up in.

Cornwall

Woodview Campsite in Cornwall is open all year and is located near Bude on the North Cornwall / Devon border.

The site features both hardstanding and grass pitches and have a newly refurbished shower block with under floor heating!

Explore the neighbouring National Trust beach of Sandymouth, or head over to the nearby South West coast path for a windswept walk.

Yorkshire

If golf and spa facilities tickle your fancy, Rudding Holiday Park near Harrogate in Yorkshire offers winter pitches with some added benefits.

Set in the grounds of Rudding Park Hotel with beautiful gardens and woodland, this award winning caravan site features an on-site pub and access to the hotel’s spa facilities and 18-hole golf course.

Grass and hardstanding pitches available throughout the year, including Christmas and New Year.

East Sussex

For a rural winter retreat, book some time at the adults-only quite site Idle Hours Owlsbury Park. Perfectly situated in Crowborough, this site is perfect for exploring the South Downs, and whilst shops, pubs and eateries are all within a mile, the site still maintains a secluded atmosphere.

Wales

Explore North Wales and stay at Islawrffordd Caravan Park, located at the southern end of Snowdonia National Park coastline in the village of Talybont.  

Islawrffordd boasts 75 fully serviced touring pitches, an indoor swimming pool, bar and restaurant, luxury shower blocks and direct access to the adjacent beach. And if that’s not enough, each pitch has its own TV connection the site’s own digital free-view network, so you can while away those long winter evenings.

Cumbria

Riverside Tourer Park in Millhouse, between Keswick and Carlisle, is an adult only caravan site, perfect for exploring the northern Lakes. The CL site is popular with Caravan Club members but also open to non-members.

Riverside is the perfect escape from it all, offering secluded hardstanding pitches, heated shower and toilet facilities, 4G and WiFi. What’s more, Riverside Touring Park is dog friendly.

Scotland

For spectacular highland scenery, try Castle Cary Holiday Park, just a short drive from Newton Stuart and Galloway Forest Park in South West Scotland.

This all year round site is located around a 16th-century baronial castle and features both hardstanding regular and super pitches. The on-site Lairds Inn offers a welcome retreat at the end of a cold winter’s day, and the heated pool is ideal if you fancy sheltering from the weather.

CaSSOA Member Spotlight - The Dorset Hideaway

We’d like to introduce you to one of our members, The Dorset Hideaway.

Based in West Dorset, near to Charmouth, Bridport and Broadchurch, Esther and Mike run their Gold award caravan storage site alongside a camping and glamping site.

Here’s our interview with The Dorset Hideaway, giving you an insight into the running of a caravan storage business.

How long have you been in operation: We opened in the summer of 2015, so will be coming up to our 4^th year this summer.

Have you always been in caravan storage: No. We became storage owners as a result of diversifying our former dairy farm into a campsite and glamping site.

What has been the biggest change in the caravan storage industry since you started?

The biggest change I’ve seen in caravanning in the last few years has been the number of people preferring not to tow anymore - young and old alike. They prefer to stay in an area for a season or two with someone else towing the van to & from storage or seasonal pitch sites and then the van being sited each time for them. They see the cost savings in downsizing their car and running costs and they tend to use their vans more as a result. 

Having an organisation like CaSSOA is helping to consolidate and regulate storage and make it more viable for both customer and business provider with more secure and better insured sites.

What do you find most challenging about caravan storage?

The most challenging thing is getting caravan owners to maintain their units. Once stored, they tend to forget they still need as much maintenance as when they’re in use. They need to be kept roadworthy for us to tow them in and out. Vans sitting up tend to get seized brakes and high spots on tyres like all things they are best used regularly! Thefts are a big issue for the industry but investing in CCTV and security are the best deterrents.

What do you like most about caravan storage?

For us, caravan storage means seeing lots of new faces on site, so getting to know a new family group is nice. It also uses an area on the farmyard to earn extra income from. 

We are a former dairy farming couple of 30 years. My husband’s family have farmed the Marshwood Vale for nearly 150 years! Diversifying has allowed us to keep our land but use it in a different way to earn an income. It has allowed us to stay and live out our later years in the area where we were born and have lived in for decades. It’s great to be able to share this stunning location with many thousands of people every year. With panoramic hills and fields as our backdrop, and the Jurassic coast less than 3 miles away, it’s no wonder people return year after year. 

We provide indoor and outdoor storage, caravan cleaning services, water, EHU in the storage areas, toilets, a site to stay on with fab award winning facilities, a spa with hot tub & sauna, and a fishing pond on site. We put up awnings for customers and we offer to fully set up the caravan for arrival so the only thing our customers have to do is take the beer/wine from the fridge and sit down in their warm caravan! We can even provide pet and babysitting services too! In addition, we have a petting farm and luxury glamping in 6m domes this year. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

We love the great outdoors, so anything countryside or rural or animal related. We own a menagerie of animals, dogs, 6 cats, 2 miniature Shetland ponies, pigs, goats and chickens. We love gardening and visiting gardens. We have a shared love of history and music and try to go to the cinema and concerts as often as possible. That’s us!

For more information about The Dorset Hideaway, visit the CaSSOA site listing, or head direct to The Dorset Hideaway website.