Expert Q&A Caravanning problem? Our panel can help!
‘Cote Ghyll is a great place for cyclists of all abilities, with some 150 miles of cycling routes to explore’
WHICH SITES ARE BEST FOR CYCLISTS?
QMy partner and I are keen cyclists. Could you please recommend campsites or areas that would be suitable for two-wheel enthusiasts? Angela Dyson
Paul Critcher replies… What excellent timing! Our Top 100 Sites Guide 2021 has recently been published and features a special award for Best Site for Cycling, in association with Raleigh.
Cote Ghyll Caravan Park, on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, took the title in its inaugural year.
This is a great place for cyclists of all abilities, with some 150 miles of cycling routes to explore through the park, and easy access to the nearby
Moor to Sea Cycle Network.
The site was also Regional Winner for the North-east, so it’s well worth considering. Download a copy of our guide at www.practicalcaravan.com/ top100-archive. Happy cycling!
SHOULD WE JOIN A CARAVAN CLUB?
QWe recently bought our first caravan – a 2015 Lunar Clubman – and look forward to the freedom of touring in our home on wheels! We are considering joining a club, but could you tell us the advantages of doing so, please? David Pearce
Claudia Dowell replies…
The Camping and Caravanning Club (www.campingandcaravan ningclub.co.uk) and the Caravan
and Motorhome Club (www. caravanclub.co.uk) both have websites and handbooks that advertise a wide network of Club sites, certificated locations/sites and affiliated sites throughout the UK.
Club sites are managed by the Clubs and are of a consistently high standard.
CLS and CSS are privately owned, but exclusive to Club members, and only take five units at a time. They are often on working farms, or adjacent to pubs, fishing lakes or beaches; the facilities available at each site or location does vary.
Affiliated sites are privately owned and recommended by the Clubs as high-standard.
Both Clubs have affiliated sites abroad, which they can book for you, and by booking through them, you can make savings on ferry crossings and pitch fees. Think of them as travel agents for tourers.
The Caravan and Motorhome Club offers low-cost Overseas Night Site Vouchers, while The Camping and Caravanning Club gives access to the low-season ACSI Camping Card system.
You can also book insurance and breakdown recovery for your vehicles, and manoeuvring courses for you. Just one of the Clubs has more than 700,000 members, and some people join both to have the widest possible selection of sites.
WHY NO ONBOARD WATER TANKS?
QWe are new to caravanning and are already jealous of the motorcaravanning friends we have made whose vehicles have onboard water tanks. Why don’t caravans have them?
Is it a weight issue?
Melanie Carson
Peter Baber replies…
It is indeed a weight issue. A large water tank in a small caravan would seriously eat into its payload, even when empty, and towing such a caravan with water sloshing around in a tank could potentially adversely affect your towing.
There are some modern caravans that have small onboard water tanks, but they tend to be more luxury (and therefore expensive) models, usually with twin axles for extra stability, and with the placement of the water tank very carefully considered by the designer to ensure the safest possible tow.
Even with all this, it is still recommended that the tanks are emptied prior to towing.
WHAT’S THE ISSUE WITH WOOD?
QWhy are so many caravan manufacturers so keen to tell you that their construction process is timber-free?
Ben Jameson
Peter Baber replies…
This is because wood has been found to be one of the chief causes of damp coming into your caravan. Water can get into wood and remain there in a way that it simply can’t with synthetic surfaces.
This is why Swift, for example, can now offer a lifetime water ingress guarantee on the Elegance range, which is built using the latest generation of its timberfree SMART technology.
The same is true of screws exposed to the outside surface of the caravan – they can also conduct damp in. That is why modern vans are built using as few exposed screws as possible.
WHICH IS THE BEST FUEL FOR A JAGUAR?
QI tow my caravan with a 2020 Jaguar XF 3.0litre petrol. I’ve always used standard fuel in my tow cars, but the Jaguar has higher performance than any car I’ve previously owned. Would it benefit from being run on premium fuel?
R Jennings
David Motton replies...
I’ve checked with Jaguar, and there’s no requirement to run your car on premium unleaded fuel. Standard 95 RON petrol will be fine.
That doesn’t mean there are no advantages to running the car on premium fuel.
One of the benefits of premium fuels is their higher octane rating, usually 97-99 RON.
Higher-octane fuels work better in engines with high compression ratios, which applies to highperformance engines like the 3.0-litre in your Jaguar. This can lead to a boost in power. For example,
Shell claims that V-power petrol can improve power by up to 4%.
Many premium fuels also contain cleaning additives that are said to protect the engine.
The downside is the extra cost: about 10p per litre. I doubt the additional expense would balance out through improved fuel economy. So a premium fuel may have some benefits, but it’s certainly not essential.
‘Both Clubs have affiliated sites abroad, which they can book for you. Think of them as travel agents for tourers’