The Jackery Explorer 500
If you live under a rock or have been absent from the internet for a couple of months you may have escaped the mass reviews of the Jackery portable power station from a selection of bloggers and vloggers. As a part of the UK launch of Jackery, we received a Jackery Explorer 240 and solar panel for our thoughts and review. We were upfront and honest about our review status and in the video I stated that I wouldn’t buy the 240, instead for me a Jackery Explorer 500 would suit my needs better. If you missed our video review of the 240, here it is as a reminder. So, to naturally follow on...
Read MoreThe last getaway of 2020
At the end of October last year, we spent a long weekend away in Burford. Staying at the Caravan & Motorhome club site we said farewell to our favourite wardens, Ray and Penny, who were leaving the site at the beginning of November. The site itself is just on the outskirts of Burford, opposite the Cotswold Wildlife Park, which is a fantastic day out. The site is one of our favourites and gives us a quick break away without travelling too far. We have stayed here countless times before and it really is a gem in the Cotswolds and is highly recommended from us. We decided that I would take...
Read MoreMeasuring caravan awnings
An awning can be the 2nd biggest investment after the purchase of the caravan. So, making sure you have purchased the correct size is obviously quite important. Years ago, awnings came in 2 flavours: full and porch. But with the introduction of lightweight and air awning styles, the marketplace for awnings and their various sizes is now vast. Caravan manufactures also have their part to play, with placement of windows, lockers and access to power and BBQ points. It can be quite difficult to select the correct awning size. Separate awning manufacturers measure their products in slightly...
Read MoreShip shape and Bristol fashion
One of the big selling points of caravanning for us was the ability to leave work on a Friday evening, pick up the caravan and have a weekend away somewhere other than home. Within 60 minutes of travelling (for us) we are outside of our home county and in a new location. This was exactly the arrangement on a September weekend in Bristol. We arranged out of pure coincidence that we would go away with our friends to a Certificated Location on the outskirts of Bristol. We visited Hortham Farm – Wood View CL for 2 nights, the cost for the weekend was just £15 per pitch per night. For that...
Read MoreWhat a year, but now what?
12 months ago, to the day, we were sat in our awning at Bladdon Chains. We were surrounded by our friends, left over Christmas food and festive drinks. Back then we didn’t worry about social distancing or the wearing of face masks. In fact, we were all huddled together to keep warm and to share the food and drinks. Fast forward to today and its quite a different story. I’m sat at home, in front of my Mac, with no one around me. It’s amazing how different the world is just 12 months later. In-fact thinking of our circle of friends sat in that awning, it’s now a completely different dynamic....
Read MoreThe great escape
To be honest, I never thought we would be out in our caravan this summer. Lockdown has persisted since March and I was comfortable in the knowledge that we should aim for an autumn or “Indian Summer” holiday. But here we are, in July and after having a couple of days away at the beginning of the month we are once again happy to go on our travels. But our new “great escape” will be slightly different to recent trips. We are planning to maximise the time in the caravan, minimise excursions to attractions and take advantage of some wonderful landscapes to enjoy all on our own terms. However, we...
Read MoreFridge Vent Fan – Mk2
Back in 2018 I added some cooling fans to the back of our Thetford fridge on our Lunar caravan. The idea was to help it work better in hot weather. The cooling fans worked well and in the very last holiday in our Lunar, I shared how it was working, and it really did do an excellent job at keeping the fridge working perfectly, the issue was the installation was a bit of a bodge. In between that original video, and this article we changed caravans. Our Bailey now has a Dometic fridge and I want to be able to add some cooling to the fridge to help it in the warmer months. There were a number of...
Read MoreOn test – Dry Sparkle
We get sent a lot of products for review, consideration and promotion, and while the vast amount of the products we are sent do not really fit with us, some products really do resonate with caravanning. One such product range is Waterless wash and Wax. In the post this week I was sent Dry Sparkle for my thoughts and opinions, but what makes this one stand-out from the crowd? After all there are so many on the market at various price points, why is this one any different from the rest? The Sales pitch First up, what is included in the pack. 2x 300ml bottles of cleaner, 2 micro fibre cloths...
Read MoreLockdown Q&A
I feel like I’m 17 all over again. Fuel is cheap, I can’t get a drink from the pub and I’m grounded at home. Of course I’m not alone, being contained in a brick building while mother nature flexes her wicked sense of humour showing me what the world would be like if I were allowed outside, but no. I’m inside feeling guilty, while the key workers gallantly carry on into battle. At home, we have everything we need, I have work to complete (quite a bit actually) I have ways of generating an income, we have food, water, shelter and Disney Plus. To be honest, my working week has differed...
Read MoreUsed caravan checklist
And here it is, the long awaited 11-point list for purchasing a used caravan. It’s taken me nearly 2 years to compile this document and I really do hope it helps or goes some way towards helping those who are purchasing a used caravan. This list is aimed at those who are buying privately, however it is also useful to use the list when purchasing from a dealership. It could be used on that 1st night away to check that everything is working as it should. I’ve shared it with industry representatives, mobile engineers and keen caravaners and asked if there are any elements that are missed off. I...
Read MoreA new year, a new decade
It’s cold, it’s dark and it’s just before 8am. The house looks like it has been burgled with all the Christmas decorations now removed and the fridge still has a glut of cheese and other “essential” Christmas nibbles waiting to be used up. Welcome to January, possibly the most depressing month on the calendar. You may have noticed that we have been very quiet on YouTube, Twitter and for me personally on Facebook too. It has been a time of reflection and a cathartic process of being “less on line”. It wasn’t by choice to begin with though, since the end of November the family had been hit...
Read MoreNew Caravan podcast
Podcasts have been around for quite some time, they are a great way of being able to listen to highlights of broadcast shows, episodes of continuous drama, or documentaries scheduled on a weekly basis. I must admit, I do love a podcast. I listen to way too many apparently. I listen when driving, when I’m in the bath or sat at my desk. In fact, I’m listening to the Chris Moyles podcast on Radio X as I type this article. So, where are the caravanning podcasts? Well that’s a great question. In theory the podcast is a great platform to connect with those who are driving to their chosen campsite...
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