welcome
sarah wakely
Editor-in-chief
TALK 4 Where in the world Dramatic Slieve League, Co Donegal 6 Connect Readers share their news, views and photos 11 New gear Essential equipment for your next tour 12 Nightstops Stay at our motorhome-friendly stopovers 14 Ask the experts Pressing problem? We can help! 16 Strike up the band! Meet the touring musicians who make up the Caravan and Motorhome Club Concert Band
I love this time of year, as the sun starts to set ever earlier in the day, and the cool mornings
and evenings betray autumn’s imminent arrival. There’s something really wonderful about seeing the British countryside in all its orange, brown and gold glory, especially on a walk through crisp fallen leaves. If you’re stuck for inspiration on where to go, be sure to turn to p46 – there you’ll find 10 beautiful destinations to head for this season, allowing you to enjoy your own autumnal adventure.
But we’re not just focusing on 2021 at the moment – behind the scenes we’re busy pulling together details of all the runners and
riders for our upcoming Awards 2022, the winners of which will be announced online
during a very special week, starting 27 September. Do be sure to join us at www.practicalmotorhome.com/awards
– we’d love to see you there!
sarah@practicalmotorhome.com
touring 22 This month All of the latest travel and touring news 24 Your tour: Scotland Using the NC500 as a starting point, Ian Beharrell spent a month exploring the wilds of Scotland 28 Your tour: Donegal Janette Sykes discovers the rugged beauty of the cliffs and coves of Ireland’s north-west coast 34 Your tour: Welsh borders Andria Massey tours the historic and scenic area of Chepstow, Monmouth and the Wye Valley 38 Your tour: Bourton-on-the-Water A trip to RAF Fairford Air Tattoo gave Sue Taylor a chance to visit this lovely village 42 Your tour: Derbyshire Nigel and Kay Hutson find hidden gems to explore in a beautiful area that they know well 46 Top sites for autumn walks We select 10 great places to stay for admiring seasonal changes in the landscape 48 Your tour: Yorkshire and Northumberland Marcus Leach and family enjoy scenery and shore in these dramatic regions 54 Road sense: A14 Route linking Suffolk and Leicestershire
tested 59 New-model news Peter Baber has the latest updates 62 Big test: Auto-Trail F68 We take an in-depth look at the latest smart two-berth from the Grimsby manufacturer 70 New models for 2022 Continuing our round-up of the fantastic new-model launches for the coming season 74 Practical Motorhome Awards 2022 Recognising the best of the best in motorhomes, accessories and more 76 Motorhome brands pt 4 Our series on motorhome brand lineages looks at the independent manufacturers 78 ’Van Live! preview Our fantastic online event is back!
Special supplement 83 Your guide to buying used Everything you need to know! 84 Before you buy Plans and checklists are essential 88 Interior checks How to spot potential problems 92 Taking a test drive What to look out for while on the road 94 Top used buys We round up some of the top bargain buys 98 Know your rights Consumer rights and protections
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On the cover 1 Autumn is ideal for touring, especially if you like to get away from it all! Enjoy peaceful landscapes in the Highlands, Ireland and the Peak District (from p24)
2 Our experts take an in-depth look at the fabulous new F68 from Auto-Trail (p62)
3 We reveal more of the brilliant new launches for the 2022 season (p70)
pre-owned 100 Pre-owned news Nick Harding reports from the forecourts 102 Used ’van buyer Auto-Trail Apache (2007-2015)
TEchnical 106 Diamond Dave Check under the ’van before you buy! 108 Changing a wheel safely Peter Rosenthal shows you how 112 Campervan conversion: pt 6 Andy McCandlish rounds off the series by taking his brilliant new camper on its first trip 114 Going off-grid John Sootheran offers expert advice about making the most of motorcaravanning without hook-up 120 Buyer’s guide Comprehensive data on new models 138 Blast from the past Touring life of yesteryear
www.practicalmotorhome.com | November 2021 3
