Category: News

All the news articles from Leisure Plus Direct Camping and Caravan blog

Tips For Spending Christmas In Your Camper Van

Tips For Spending Christmas In Your Camper Van

Posted on by Kevin

If you’re hoping to escape from the usual rigmarole of a house full of people for Christmas dinner this year, your motorhome could be the perfect choice.

Heading off for a few days of peace and quiet later in December is a wonderful way to spend 25 December slightly differently. Flux Magazine recently shared some tips on how to prepare for a festive break, as well as offering some ideas of where to go.

Advice centred around driving – and being prepared for adverse conditions. Sticking to well-used roads, planning your route well in advance and keeping an eye on the weather once you’re on the road are all top tips.

Making sure your camper van is ready for the journey is important too, so top up things like screenwash and oil before you set off, as well as checking tyre pressures, heating and lighting.

Of course, these points apply at any time of the year, but it’s especially important if you’re going to be staying in your camper van in colder weather. Earlier this year we offered a number of safety tips for motorhomes, including regularly testing your smoke alarm and making sure you always turn your gas bottle off when you’re on the move.

If you’re planning a trip for a few days or even a week, you should also make sure you pick up plenty of motorhome supplies in Kent – maybe even grab a few extra bits just in case you do get stuck somewhere.

In terms of where to go, top spots for a festive camper van holiday include the Lake District, York and the Cotswolds.

New Sponsorship – Leisure Plus Direct Sponsors University of York Opera Society (UoYOS)

New Sponsorship – Leisure Plus Direct Sponsors University of York Opera Society (UoYOS)

Posted on by Kevin

As our website is starting to grow we have just assisted some students at York University.

The University of York opera Society produced an Opera, A Little Night Music. 

A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples, we all enjoyed this great musical.

When the option came along and we stepped up to the mark and assisted by sponsoring this group for 3 evenings.

A truly awesome group who performed extremely well.  Leisure Plus Direct were very proud to have sponsored you for your Christmas opera 

Exmouth Launching Campervan Parking Scheme

Exmouth Launching Campervan Parking Scheme

Posted on by Kevin

Exmouth has decided to trial a scheme allowing motorhomes to park overnight in specific car parks around the town.

The Exmouth Journal reported on the initiative, which will see dedicated pitches for campervans set up in three car parks around the town, welcoming motorhome owners for stays of up to three nights.

In total, up to 70 spaces could be allocated to these types of vehicles across the Queen’s Drive Echelon, Imperial Recreation Ground and Maer Road car parks. The aim of the scheme is to discourage campervan owners from parking in seafront spaces for days on end.

East Devon District Council’s (EDDC’s) service lead for environmental health and car parks Andrew Ennis told the newspaper that this isn’t about discouraging motorhome owners from visiting Exmouth, but about tackling a very specific parking problem.

He added that campervans will still be allowed to park along the seafront during the day, but that overnight stays will be prohibited and the rules more stringently enforced.

Councillor Bill Nash commented: “Residents of Exmouth welcome this pilot scheme. We’re not turning car parks into a campsite.”

The scheme is expected to be in place by Easter 2018, and could run for two summer seasons to assess the impact it has. Other towns in Devon, including Seaton and Budleigh, have said they are also interested in seeing how the pilot scheme works.

Earlier this year, a survey of visitors to Exmouth conducted by EDDC found that 75 per cent are repeat visitors to the town, and that those who come to Exmouth tend to be older, with 31 per cent of those surveyed aged 65 and over.

If you’re looking for motorhome equipment in the UK ahead of your next adventure, take a look at what we have to offer.

For A ‘Fabulously Interesting Staycation’, All Aboard The Motorhome

For A ‘Fabulously Interesting Staycation’, All Aboard The Motorhome

Posted on by Kevin

Staycationing has been fashionable for lots of reasons in recent years – squeezed finances have boosted the popularity of staying in the UK for a holiday, for example – but one enthusiast says that there is so much to do at home, the staycation shouldn’t be seen as second best.

So dust off your motorhome awnings for a UK-based break, because Simon Elson in the Huffington Post makes a convincing argument for the British countryside.

“I believe that the UK has plenty of amazing places to visit and the millions of overseas visitors back this up,” he said. “If this country was dull and uninteresting, they wouldn’t bother visiting it would they?”

Elson is a big fan of Orkney, where the dramatic landscape and the Neolithic Skara Brae village offer a fantastic opportunity to delve into ancient history without having to foot the bill for a flight to Athens.

He also believes the views of the Whinlatter Pass in Cumbria are as wild and alpine as a vista of the Canadian Rockies, while a day at Stone Henge is sure to delight holidaymakers of all ages – but children in particular.

“Please don’t dismiss my fabulously interesting UK holidays as boring because we don’t board an aeroplane,” he stated. “Our country is an amazing place if you stop and look around at what’s right under your nose.”

If you are planning an adventure to a British beauty spot in your motorhome then remember to follow our top safety tips. Always check your smoke alarms, tyre pressure, tread depth and gas appliances – and remember to turn off the gas bottle before you leave.

5 Top Safety Tips For Motorhome Holidays

5 Top Safety Tips For Motorhome Holidays

Posted on by Kevin

Is there anything more enjoyable than packing up all your motorhome equipment and heading off on your jollies on a staycation or somewhere further afield? The freedom of being out on the open road can’t be matched – but you do need to make sure you stay safe as you go. Here’s a checklist of some of the most important jobs you should do before travelling anywhere.

Check the smoke alarms

Modern motorhomes should come with a smoke alarm pre-fitted, but if yours doesn’t make sure you retrofit one yourself. Once it’s in, always check that it’s in good working order before going on holiday.

Check your tyre pressure

You should always ensure that tyres are inflated to the recommended pressure and check them on a regular basis so you know they’re safe to drive on. Tyron safety bands can also help in this regard, helping you to maintain steering, braking, cornering and traction control if your tyres deflate.

Turn your gas bottle off

When driving anywhere in your motorhome, make sure your gas bottle is turned off so you know it’s safe and can’t cause any problems.

Check your tread depth

Your motorhome tyres should be treated the same as the tyres on your car and have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm to stay on the right side of the law.

Check your gas appliances

See if there are any warning signs like soot on the appliance, or yellow and brown staining as this is a sign that it might be faulty. You should also ensure you have a good working carbon monoxide alarm in your motorhome.

Camper Outs ‘Absurd’ Staged Camping Pics

Camper Outs ‘Absurd’ Staged Camping Pics

Posted on by Kevin

Camping is a joy – the great outdoors, cooking and eating al fresco, the fun of bundling up under canvas – but social media has bred a competitive photography trend to post scenes that may be less epic than they appear to be.

My Modern Met reported that keen yet realistic camper Luisa Jeffrey has set up an Instagram account called @youdidnotsleepthere outing the most ridiculous scenarios and bringing us all back down to earth, after all, with top camping accessories for your UK adventure, who wants to pretend they slept in the open air on a cliff edge?

While Jeffrey’s posts are amusing, they are not meant to sound superior.

“It’s not about being wrong or right at all, it’s just about calling out clichés and making people laugh,” she said.

Among the allegedly staged clichés her posts have made infamous are images of people with their feet sticking out from under the covers (chilly!) under an improbably starry sky.

In addition, images of tents perched precariously and without any kind of anchor on rocky cliff edges (uncomfortable and unnerving) get the @youdidnotsleepthere treatment when they cross her path.

If you like to document your camping trips for social media then the backdrop of the countryside in winter sets an impressive scene – but campers need to remember to keep warm, so we recommend investing in a good sleeping bag liner for bedtime.

And for during the day, re-usable hand warmers are great to have in your backpack to keep paws feeling toasty when out taking snaps.

For the best camping accessories the UK has to offer, visit us here today!

Wholesaler days

Wholesaler days

Posted on by Kevin

Found a photograph to put here. This was me (Kevin) in or around 1998.. We (Burdens) had just brought out the “Royal” brand..This was us in Las Vegas at a trade show promoting the brand

How To Stay Warm In Your Camping Tent In Winter

How To Stay Warm In Your Camping Tent In Winter

Posted on by Kevin

Just because the temperature drops doesn’t mean you can’t pack up your camping supplies and head off into the wilderness as you would if it were summertime… but you do need to be prepared so you can stay nice and snug in your tent and sleeping bag during winter camping trips.

Even in summer it can get awfully chilly once the sun’s gone down so it’s worth making sure you have the appropriate equipment so you get a good night’s sleep and wake up ready to attack the day.

Investing in a good sleeping bag liner is certainly advisable as this will help make your actual sleeping bag a lot warmer. And don’t forget that a lot of cold comes in through the ground so if it’s just you in your sleeping bag on the tent floor, you’ll probably find yourself shivering a lot more. Get yourself a foam sleeping mat and you’ll certainly notice the difference.

Another top tip from us here at Leisure Plus Direct is to take a little hand warmer with you on your camping trip. You can wrap this up and put it in the bottom of your sleeping bag before you’re ready to go to bed so it’s lovely and warm already when you get in there.

You can also buy heaters that have been specifically made to be used inside tents – although make sure you don’t keep this on all night when you’re asleep. Thermal blankets, dry socks and hats are also a must! You could even heat up a few big rocks in your campfire, let them cool so you can handle them, then wrap them in a towel and put them at the bottom of your sleeping bag..

For the best camping equipment the UK has to offer, visit us today!

7 Tips For Better Family Camping

7 Tips For Better Family Camping

Posted on by Kevin

If you’re planning on getting out the tent for a family trip away then you might be interested in finding the best camping supplies Kent has to offer. Once you’re stocked up, take note of these top tips from The Good Men Project to make sure your camping getaway runs as smooth as possible.

Before you embark on your trip make sure you do some research on potential locations you would like to visit, and seek out the best possible camp site for your needs. Check that what you do choose is open for the month you’re planning to visit as you don’t want to turn up and have to find somewhere else last minute due to seasonal opening times.

Once you know exactly where you’re staying look into what the campsite has to offer. Are you allowed to BBQ or are there food establishments on the site, and are pets allowed? Look at what the check in and check out times are so you give yourself the time to pack up at the end of the holiday, putting up the tent isn’t as time consuming as getting it back in the bag!

Not to put a (quite literal) dampener on your holiday but it’s always best to prepare for the worst – you can never know exactly what adverse weather conditions you may face and the impact that could have on your planned campsite, check out local hotels so you have a backup plan to fall on.

You won’t have to leave all technology at home, many campsites now offer free Wi-Fi included in your campsite fee. Your smartphone is also great to use for navigating your way out of vast woodland areas and countryside. They’re also great for getting up to date weather forecasts so you can plan out day to day activities.