Couldn’t join the 108,000 visitors to the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show? Not to worry, here’s a selection of some of the highlights, spotted by our team
AUTO-SLEEPERS ADDS MERCEDES BASE VEHICLE
A Mercedes-based rear-lounge van conversion that includes Alde heating was launched by Auto-Sleepers at the show. The two-berth M-Star has Alde Flow central heating and features six radiators and two more fan-assisted examples, as well as a range of Mercedes features fitted as standard. But you’ll need a C1 licence to drive it, because the 7.15m-long vehicle has an MTPLM of 3880kg. Thanks to that, it also has a generous payload for two of 480kg.
auto-sleepers.com
ADRIA GETS ACTIVE
Adria was at last able to display its Renault Trafic-based Active camper, which the firm launched in Europe several years ago. In the UK, it will only be available as the Duo, with sliding doors on both sides.
So you get a foldaway table that tucks in over a drawer under the two-person rear bench seat. The side unit includes a one-burner hob and a fridge at the front. The Active Duo has an initial starting price of £62,795.
adria-mobil.com
NEW AWNINGS BY ESTABLISHED FACES
Although awning company Telta was new at the NEC show, the people who are behind it are certainly not.
The firm was launched last year by a British/Danish partnership including Max Lawless, who is the son of Kampa founder Mark Lawless.
Max also worked at Kampa, staying on after his father sold it to Dometic in 2018, but he left in 2020, because, he explains, he wanted to work on his own ideas for improving awnings.
The Telta range initially consists of seven awnings with adjustable heights, designed to work as non-driveaway motorhome awnings, and for caravans.
The company will also be producing one driveaway model.
All of the awnings are single-point inflation into tubes that are, unusually, made of nylon. Max says that nylon has considerably better elasticity than the polyethylene used by rival brands. As a result, the company is able to recommend inflating its tubes up to 9psi (although they are tested to 25psi). This ensures a stronger support (thus lowering the number of support beams an awning might need) and a smoother appearance, reducing the number of creases, which can attract unwelcome condensation.
Stronger beams also mean that the firm can design in more headroom, particularly at the edges.
Believing that too many existing leisure vehicle awnings have first been designed as tents, Mark says the company will be focused purely on designing awnings only.
It has already established a wide network of retail
