The Scottish Caravan, Motorhome and Holiday Home Show took over four halls at the SECC Glasgow between 2 and 5 February – and it seems there’s a great appetite for touring in 2017.
Indeed, we understand that within hours of the show opening, several large, £100,000-plus A-classes were sold!
Major Scottish dealers Perthshire Caravans and BC Motorhomes were in attendance, as well as retailers from south of the border, including Kimberley Caravans and Preston Caravans & Motorhomes.
Home-grown talent was joined by overseas big names including Globecar and Hymer, so showgoers had plenty to get stuck into.
Rocking it!
One ’van turning heads in Glasgow was the latest VW T6 LWB-based model by Rockin Vans, a bespoke conversions and camper van hire firm based in Kilmarnock.
This two-tone, matt-black-and-white camper’s contemporary finish inside and out made it stand out from the crowd. And with a sat-nav and reversing camera on top of the usual camper van spec, this £53,250 four-berth was clearly giving many people food for thought.
Over on the Jöbl stand, another four-berth T6 VW camper van conversion was making its debut. For your £48,689, this model gives you swivelling cab seats, high-gloss-trimmed furniture, diesel-fuelled heating, and on-board fresh and waste water tanks.
Home-grown talent on show
For smaller parties, how about the new Nissan-based Cub from East Neuk Campervans, which was also on display at the Scottish Caravan, Motorhome and Holiday Home Show.
Standing just over 4.4m long and priced at £28,750, the one/two-berth Cub packs a lot in. Buyers get swivelling cab seats, fresh and waste water tanks, a Porta Potti, a solar panel, and three mains and two 12V sockets. Storage was impressive, too.
A pair of VW camper vans from Caledonian Campers also caught our eye at the Glasgow show.
First was the £32,995 Explorer, based on the Caddy Maxi LWB. Its cleverly angled kitchen optimises food prep and storage space. It can sleep three and features the traditional rock ‘n’ roll bed.
For something retro, the company’s Classic could be the camper for you. This red and white, T6-based, four-berth ’van has black alloys as well as neat red and white ambient lighting. We look forward to finding out more about this model when details are confirmed.
Clean camping
There was something refreshingly different over on the Eco Campers stand, where high-efficiency, low-emissions ’vans are the order of the day for this firm from near Falkirk.
It launched its latest range at the Glasgow show, on imported base vehicles. The firm claims these are the world’s first hybrid and tribrid four-wheel drive camper vans.
What does this mean? It means there’s no need for gas or 240V hook-up. Food can be cooked on a sliding induction hob permitting the chef to work inside or outside, as the Great British weather allows.
It’s packed full of clever touches and, amazingly, some of these models can go up to 1000 miles before needing to be refuelled! The tri-power camper van combines petrol, electric power and LPG to return the equivalent of 80mpg.
Unearthing such gems is part of the joy of poking around leisure vehicle shows. And now I can’t wait for the NEC’s Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show later this month!
The world’s first hybrid and tribrid four-wheel drive camper vans were on show!