*Story from Motorhome Monthly
May was quite a miserable month for most of us weather-wise; it was just as if it was pay-back time for the extraordinarily warm weather that we enjoyed in April. Most of us travelling to Stratford for the Motorhome and US RV Show were probably expecting the worse - and it may have deterred several people from even leaving home. Then, as if by magic, Madame Sun decided to show her shining head; she not only warmed the air but she also brought a smile to a lot of faces.
People come to the Stratford show for a variety of reasons. Of course, looking at the new and used motorhomes on display is a big draw, as is looking at the array of accessory stands. In fact, judging from the campers that we talked to (as well as from a personal point of view), the latter has to be the biggest attraction. However, the Motorhome and US RV Shows also lend themselves as a place to meet up with old (not aged) friends, or as a starting point for that well-deserved holiday. No matter what reason attracts campers and, indeed, day visitors to any of the shows at Shepton and Stratford, they inevitably end up spending some money or going home with brochures pertaining to their next motorhome (if they haven’t already committed themselves during the weekend). That fact was supported by the number of campers returning to their motorhomes/caravans with large bags tucked under their arms.
There was a selection of European motorhomes being exhibited, and you’ll be able to read about them in another issue. US fifth wheelers were on display, notably the Cougar and the Prowler, but don’t forget the British Fifth Wheel Company who produce these unique ‘trailers’ conforming to all of the British standards and laws.
Although there were not a great amount of American RVs on display at Stratford, there were enough to titivate the taste buds should anyone have been interested. Of particular interest was the 2007 Challenger 355 on the Destination RV stand. It was actually the winner of the RV class in the annual competition that takes place at Stratford so you undoubtedly learn more about it in another report. Westcroft had a good selection, although it was the Mandalay Valencia 38C with its quadruple slide-out that we particularly liked. It’s not cheap at £164,995 but it had a lot of interesting features. Freedom were presenting four or five models, the one that we noticed in particular being the Town and Country Sports B-class priced at £45,995 fully loaded. It’s a natty little motorhome that could be driven on any of the small country roads in the UK.
There were also used RVs, B-class, C-class, and coaches on stands around the showground, so visitors had a choice of new or used RVs, albeit not such a large one as at the September show in Shepton.
If you want loads of accessories, then you’ll have to join us at the Motorhome and US
RV Show at Shepton Mallet in September, meanwhile, the exhibition at Stratford had a good variety of accessories on offer. There were most of the old favourites, as well as a good range of new ideas. We’ll be reviewing some of the products next month, so we’ll just take a brief tour of some of the exciting new or less known products that may be of interest.
Surprisingly, because of the hot weather, ‘funky boots’ were selling well; it seems that many people don’t trust the British weather so were ensuring that they were well prepared for the inevitable rain with a trendy pair of welly boots.
With mucky weather in mind, we saw ‘Grip-track’ with a show price of £40.00 for a pair of tracks, mallet, gloves, and bag. The principal is that the ‘grip-track is placed in front of the driving wheels and attached to the vehicle using the 27ft rope provided. Once the vehicle is rolling, the driver continues until he/she reaches solid ground, the tracks being dragged along so that they can be retrieved as soon as it’s safe to do so. The pack weighs about 3kg, and the tracks work on snow and sand, as well as in muddy conditions. The Internet price is £49.99 plus £10.00 p&p, however the good news is that if any Motorhome Monthly reader would like a set they can buy them at the show price of £40.00 (plus £10.00 p&p) if they order them within the next three months, stating that they saw them in Motorhome Monthly.
Enjo (pronounced Enyo) has been seen in Austria since 1990, but the products have been available in the UK since 2003. The company produces cleaning cloths for around the home, and the only other requirement is water. Each cleaning cloth uses a fibre technology that lasts for two to three years and we are told they eliminate up to 90 per cent of the usual cleaning products that are normally used. Special packs are available for the kitchen, bathroom, outdoors, and general areas. Costs vary, but a kitchen or bathroom pack costs around £39.00, while a car pack costs between £45 and £75 depending on what’s in it. Visitors couldn’t actually buy the packs at the show, rather they had to contact the Enjo UK office by emailing office@enjo.co.uk for details and the products would be sent directly to them.
We featured Jormax windbreaks in an earlier issue, so we thought it appropriate to update you all on the latest from them. The windbreaks were on display at Stratford, along with the latest tensioning bars that fit along the top so that the windbreak is more stable. Tensioning bars cost £3.95 each and they are available from Jormax by emailing them at jormaxwindbreaks.co.uk.
If you want to keep insects out of your motorhome, then JM Goods were promoting Décor curtains in a variety of colours. They looked extremely attractive and were priced at £39.99 each.
For the cooks among us, Grill-It has introduced another component to their popular cooking system. A new base pan enables the top grill to be used in a normal oven, either at home or in the motorhome, enlarging the scope of your cooking.
Many visitors remarked that there weren’t as many accessory stands as they would have liked, nevertheless, the quality and dedication of those exhibitors that did attend is second to none and it’s a great pity that we don’t have the space to mention them all. If you just wanted a refreshing drink of water, then Harald and Linda on the Nature Pure stand were only too pleased to give you one – now that’s service.
Madame Sun remained bright at least until we departed at around 2pm, and it was pleasing to see that visitors were continuing to enter the showground even at that late stage. Most of the visitors seemed happy (at least everyone that we met was smiling), the beautiful sunshine obviously adding to the overall enjoyment of the weekend. Those that decided to stay away because of the possible bad weather missed a great weekend of sun, showground exhibits, and evening entertainment.