ISSUE 10

The Peterborough Show weekend was very successful. The weather was not too bad, in fact the best for Peterborough for some years, although it did rain a little during the Sunday Barbecue. The AGM went very smoothly and in style. We hired the Huntingdon Suite which proved to be an ideal venue.

As you will see below we now have 2 new committee members and I welcome Jane and Chris on board. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Celia Rustom for the time and effort that she put in during the first 2 years and playing no small part in getting the Club established.

The few comments that I received regarding the use of colour in the last issue of the Mag were all positive. Now that the cost aspect is not a problem (thanks Steve) I shall be continuing with colour on the outer and centre pages. You will notice a distinctively new style of cover this issue (thanks to Julia Tinsley for the Spanish Montage.) What do you think of it? Should we continue along those lines?

I am re-issuing the Club Handbook to reflect the AGM changes and also issuing he latest list of members and reg nos. As usual, if there are any errors please let me know. You will see on page 18 an ad for a small site in Spain where Club members can enjoy an exclusive 10% discount. The site is adjacent to where Tim and Honor Hewitt now live.
Hope to see some of you at the Lincoln Meet, till then - Happy Benimaring

PS - FERRY ODD
On returning from 3 weeks in France, during which we saw no Benimars, we arrived at Cherbourg and there were 2 RHD unregistered Benimars on the quay side. Funny I thought that RDH transported all theirs over by truck via Calais. On inspection, they turned out to be for Southern Ireland. Once aboard, I picked up P&O's magazine and there was an article of someone taking a Benimar to the Alps for a skiing holiday. Driving off the ferry in Portsmouth, there was a Benimar at the head of the queue waiting to embark. We
exchanged waves but I did not recognise the registration number.

Eden Camp
David & Veronica Sprason
Veronica and I attended our first Benimar Owners' Club Rally at the Eden Camp last weekend. We would like to thank Paul and Carol for their wonderful organisation and all the other club members for making us so welcome. We enjoyed our stay from the minute we arrived on Friday afternoon until our departure on Sunday to fit in a visit to Castle Howard. We have a very busy schedule over the next few months including our extended holiday in Poland, therefore it is doubtful if we shall be able to attend future Club meetings until later in the season. We intend to try and move things around to fit in a visit to Cotswold Water Park over Easter. Please pass our thanks to Paul and Carol Smeaton for their efficient marshalling of Eden Camp.
Best Wishes
___________________

Safeguard
Tim Hall
As you will read below I had a bad start to the year, but Safeguard and the AA commercial Vehicle cover that comes with it was excellent. I do not live near to a dealer that can handle the height of the van, but this was no problem. They recovered the vehicle to my home and then on Monday morning when we had found the dealer to do the job, they came and got it and relayed it away for us. A very big thanks to Rod and Richard at RDH for their support and I hope they see the funny side of my ditty.
See page 9 for Tim's ditty

Wheeled Storage Boxes
Graham Baines
A certain amount of interest has been shown in our wheeled storage boxes, which fit exactly under the 6000STL rear lounge floor and exactly between the uprights (so no wasted space). They are in clear plastic and have a securely clipped down clear plastic lid. The lids have 4 indents for another box when stacking vertically. They measure 600mm x 415mm x 340mm high and are good for 50kg/100 lb ! Our supplier ceased stocking them but we have now found a new a source. B&Q (Warehouse branches as opposed to Superstores). They are called Roll'n Store Box with lid and built in wheels and made by ZAG Industries Ltd. Bar Code label reads 15001 CLEAR/CLEAR (presumably meaning clear box and clear lid)

A Cautionary Tale
Keith & Gloria House

We were making our way back home after 21 days touring around Spain, on reaching the area of Miranda de Ebro in the Pyrenees we decided to make our way to a camp site near the village of Frias. The approach to Frias was stunning the road twisting and turning through mountain passes , tunnels, over hanging rocks, etc. also running alongside the river Ebro. During this time on a couple of occasions, Gloria said to me "I hope we are not going to be any were near the river". I could understand her concerns however, the river Ebro was in full flood and running like an express train, whole trees and other unidentifiable things were passing by in the by now ever decreasing daylight. I replied confidently "Don't worry we will not be near the river", ( as you do ) . Right, you guessed it, when we got to the site it was right beside the river. On speaking to the very nice lady owner about our concerns regarding the state of the river ,she said she would put us in a safe spot.

I must add here that the site was very well looked after with very good facilities , and I would think a very nice place to stay during the summer months. Anyway, back to our concerns, I parked up the slope facing away from the river for a quick getaway if the need arose and after making soothing noises to Gloria we opened a nice bottle of Rioja and settled down for the night. About an hour later we received a knock on the door, the nice lady was standing outside, "Come, you must move outside now the Rio Ebro is rising very fast", so as instructed, moved to the out side of the camp site fence. I must add that at this point we were still hooked up to the electric. Once again we settled down, more soothing noises to Gloria more Rioja for me. At this point Gloria has stopped drinking and eating. About half an hour later we heard noises outside on looking out we noticed the nice lady and her husband and others were removing stock and equipment from the basement below the main office buildings the basement was flooding, we both went and assisted them. A lot of stuff was saved, but unfortunately a lot was not. We finally went back to the van around midnight. I settled down and went to sleep, sometime later Gloria woke me to say the electric had gone off, at this point we received a knock on the door the nice lady told us to come quickly, we must follow her to high ground. The river had burst its banks, though. next morning we were able to continue on our way. Incidentally, we understand from the nice lady that they lost several mobile homes that night to the river, so folks the moral of this story is in winter do not park near a river.

Surfing Invite
Tim Hall

Deborah and I are keen windsurfers we regularly go to Portland Harbour near Weymouth to sail. If there are any windsurfers out there who want to meet up with their vans then feel free to email me at thall@ra.rockwell.com. If the committee wants to make this an official weekend rally I would be glad to help . I know the area like the back of my hand and all the camp sites etc for miles around. Be warned if its windy I will be on the water from 8am!

A few quick Benimar ideas.
Tim Hall
A waste tank disposal hose. Go to Wickes and buy a 3m long air pvc duct plus 100mm adaptor ring. Push the ring onto hose and tape it up . Now you hold the hose to the waste tank discharge spout and the water goes down the pipe and into the drain. Cost £2.99. This has lasted 2 seasons so far. Very cheap and useful.
Bathroom Hangup Does your van have no hooks in the Bathroom.........then use Betterware assorted sucker /lever hooks for less than a fiver ( for a box full of them) and, trust me they do not come off unless you want them to. You see, the weight of the towel pulls the hook away from the glass and increases the vacuum. Clever stuff. We also use them on the mirror in the kitchen area for tea cloths, towels, children and drunken adults etc. A warning. On the Europe ST6000 Never enclose your wardrobe mounted Heater vent hose and leave the heater on. The exhaust tube may be double lined, but the stored energy resulting from the clothes insulating the pipe WILL melt PVC. In our case a dress in a dry cleaning bag had the pvc bag melted on to it.

FOR SALE

Europe 6000ST March 1999, T reg. LHD 9 months MOT and road tax. 90,000 miles, serviced at FIAT garages with full service history. All usual features plus 150 watt inverter, additional leisure battery, awning with tie down straps, new seat cushions at dinette, double bike rack, extra roof bars, Kenwood CD-radio cassette with 4 new Sony speakers and 10cd autochanger. Non smoker with no dogs. Last 60,000 miles done in 9 months European tour. End of single touring forces sale. Parked off-road in Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland Offers around £17,499 considered - Dave Amende 01642 603022

STEVE'S TIP'S No 3
Gas in the Motorhome . I have included Steve's latest tip in the Handbook as it is more relevant there, and I am short of space in this issue of the Mag.

Pirelli Tyres
Ian Tilley tells me he has a problem with a Pirelli tyre, again on the rear. On close inspection Ian found that the inner wall was separating just up from the rim. He is contacting Pirelli - watch this space.
News from RDH
Mel Worton has been promoted to Operations Manager, in charge of the workshop and still helps out on the sales side when needed. Jim Dodds has joined the workshop team. Ian has come straight from school and has already been on lots of training courses to learn the trade. He will be the next generation of Benimar engineers - how's that for forward planning.
New Benimar Dealers
RDH have appointed a new dealer in Northern Ireland (or "Norn Iron" as they say over there). They are :-
MBS Motorhomes, 17 Bally-Rashane Road, Coleraine, County Londonderry, BT52 2NL. It is run by Mitchell and Barbara Smyth (hence MBS).

They have also appointed a new dealer in Welsh Border area:-
Moran Motorhomes, Orleton Road, Ludlow Business Park, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1XF. Run by Roger Moran. They already stock Lunar and Bessacar, and are now going up-market.

Firestone Update
My last remaining of the original tyres has gone back to Firestone and they have agreed 95% off the cost of a new one. It was showing the same cracking as the front ones. I'll let you know when I get he money.

The second Club AGM was held on Saturday 26th of April in the Huntingdon Suite, at the East of England Showground, at Peterborough during our rally at the National Motorhome Show. There was a good attendance of 55 members plus our President, Steve Reynolds. The main points :-

Our Secretary is now Chris Baines and our Membership Secretary is Jane Perry. Thanks were expressed for Celia Rustom for her endeavours over the last 2 years combining both these positions.

The Club had a small excess of income over expenditure over the year, allowing us to purchase another marquee.

The high cost of producing the magazine with some colour pages was discussed, and Steve Reynolds stated that RDH would pick up the bill for the additional expense.

Some of the rallies held recently have had disappointing turnouts, which led to a discussion on what the members really want.

The 2 resolutions were passed unanimously, so owners in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are now eligible for membership, and previous members who now live abroad or have sold their Benimar can remain in the Club if they wish as Associate Members. Following the AGM members enjoyed the Club's Birthday Cake and some bubbly.

Ron Smith

Ron Smith

Judy and I had visited many sites in October and had made arrangements with 3 of them for the Spanish Rally in March - or so we thought . Sat Feb 1 Packing going well for an early start tomorrow to catch the midday ferry. Still no replies to my emails from the 3 Spanish sites we are using confirming the rally dates/numbers. The phone rings - Its P&O - the ferry is cancelled (Technical problems) and they offer an overnight crossing in the Pride of Bilbao with a free cabin - we agree.

Sun Feb 2 Just got back from Tesco with something for lunch, having run down our food stocks, when the phone rang. P&O again - sorry but the Pride of Bilbao is still in refit and can we take the overnight to Le Havre instead, including a club class cabin with breakfast and £30 fuel money - again say OK. After an uneventful journey to Portsmouth, the cabin turns out to have a double bed, settee, armchair desk etc.Complimentary champagne, tea, coffee, biscuits and newspapers in the Club lounge.

Mon Feb 3 Wakened at 5:00 am (British Time) with breakfast and off the boat at 6:00. Stayed the night at a France Passion vineyard near Nantes, bought some Muscadet and eggs.

Tue/Wed Feb 4/5 Stayed with some friends east of Bordeaux.

Thur Feb 6 There was warning of much snow and high winds in the Pyrenees so we abandoned out favourite over the Col du Somport and decided to head towards the med. Tried to find a site near Carcasonne - seems to have disappeared, so drive on to Narbonne to a site we had stayed at previously - now a new urbanisation, so on to La Bacares near Perpignan arriving about 8:30pm. Somewhere north of Toulouse we saw the Denby Transporter parked up with RDH bound Benimars onboard.

Fri Feb 7 Arrived at Tamarit Park (one of the rally sites) to find Mary & George Pennington already there, as were a couple who are full timing in their Hobby who we had met a couple of years earlier. The site was being ripped up for a new electrical installation. The head guy at reception, who I had spoken to in October was on holiday and no-one else knew the rally was coming! "But I sent you 2 emails" - shrug of the shoulders. I left them with a list of ralliers and a promise that they would reserve an area for us - we will see.

Mon Feb 10 After 3 gloriously sunny days we left for the Benimar Factory. I had made all the arrangements for the Factory visit with Esther Geensen, but she was off ill. Fortunately Maurits knew all about us and everything is in hand. On to Camping Eden in Peniscola. (another rally site). They had no recollection of our visit (the girl I had spoken to was not there) on trying to get into a pitch on the site I damaged the rear of the 'van, finally giving up and abandoning all hope of using it for the rally. Big rethink needed, meanwhIle up the road to Vinaros for the night. While at the Benimar Factory a German couple arrived in a Hymer and wanted a water tank cap. They were told that it was a Factory and did not have Hymer spares. When I got back to the 'van Judy told me that she had caught the German trying to unlock our cap with his key! When challenged he made some unintelligible reply and drove off.

Tue Feb 11 Arrived at Eurocamping Oliva after a good jouney. Eve (the guy I had made arrangements for the rally with) has left! and the site is quite full - where are we going to squeeze in 15 Benimars?

Wed Feb 12 The Spanish receptionist is no use, but with the help of the owner's wife we manage to reserve 15 pitches most of which are together. I also negotiate a discount things are looking up at last.

Thur Feb 13 On to our favourite site at Denia for a bit of a holiday. The site is nearly full, it is raining and we meet Nichol!

Sun Feb 16 Nichol and Lorna leave to fly to UK - peace at last.

Sun Feb 23 Peace is shattered - Nichol and Lorna return, and Ian & Sylvia Tilley, Graham & Chris Baines and Alex Waugh & Julia Tinsley arrive in convoy.

Wed Feb 26 Weather has been cold, wet and windy for over 2 weeks now.

Thur Feb 27 Arrive at Eurocamping Oliva and set up camp - raining again. Michael and Dawn Bottle already on site.

Sat Mar 1 Weather is sunny and warmer, thank goodness. 11 'vans arrive and we manage to park everyone among the trees. Now the real work starts !

Sat Mar 15 The rally is over, now for a bit of rest. Someone else had booked our pitch from tomorrow so it is all go to wash and dry the marquee, then pack it away and move to an adjacent pitch. All settled at last when a sudden squall arrives, so it is in with the awning. What's that? the first rain for 16 days so its out again and stow things undercover -
so much for a bit of a rest.

This is the tail of a Benimar that would not get better!
Tim Hall

This is a tail of a Benimar
That broke down in Southampton
And was fixed a far

It went by AA,
Recovered to Notts
Where Fiat sent it to Derby.
But was if forgot?

"No" they said "
We have your van still"
"But we must tell you
Benny's quite ill!"

So, ill in fact
we've fixed him thrice
Each time he starts
So that's kind of nice.

In the morning , However,
we when he awoke
All Fiat could say is 'Benny's still broke'.

Eight weeks went by!
No sign of him still
Till they fixed an electronic thingy
And SENT ME THE BILL!!!!!!!!!!!

Its not in warranty
It 's just twelve month you know
As you can believe
I told them were to go!

I complained quite hard ...
Which strained our relations
As a final attack
I used legislation..

So................. the Supply of Goods and Services act seemed to be on my side

Out of warrant my hat!
They'd better beware
I'll have them in this case
On duty of care

The fault had been fixed
SEVEN time before
Yet out side of warranty
It appeared once more.

If they 'd fixed it right
From the very first day .......
I would not have a bill
Of £154 to pay.

And then I said......

Sale of Goods Act.
That will be useful to me
Never forget
Reasonable quality

It could not have been present
When it was sold
Should still be fine
Its less than two years old

An electronic thingy
Lasts just a year and a half
My response was to him
You're having a laugh.

I said......

Commercial vans are used
Much more each day
So if that's what its designed for
I just wont pay!

Its not fit for purpose!
If it breaks so quick
As you might guess by now
Of Fiat I'm sick.

Your quite well informed
Was the last thing he said
Education in law
Saved me a lot of bread.

But I'm no lawyer
Just the customer from hell
Who does not take the bluffs
With the a cow dung smell
I've managed to write this
With no profanity
But dealing with Fiat
Has strained my sanity.

In all of this
RDH were right there.
In fairness to Fiat Derby
They really did care

It was Fiat UK
With their slack attitude
That has annoyed so much
To let these words exude

As a closing note
When you are not satisfied
The small claims court
Makes the most aggressive subside

Mary Pennington
Denis and Beryl pulled out all the stops for a second Easter Meet, at one of the 133 lakes in the area. It's a pity that only 4 'vans were there for 3 nights, plus new members George and Lind Murcroft who came for one night. We still had time to visit each other's vans and exchange a few ideas. Friday night we ate our papers of fish and chips round a roaring bonfire then retired to our vans smelling of smoke. The weather on Sat and Sun could have been better, but we were still able to get out and walk round a few of the lakes in the area - plenty of wildlife to watch - really it is an interesting area to visit. Dare we suggest that Denis & Beryl arrange another "do" next Easter, hopefully it will be better attended. The weak was rounded off with a meal at a local hostelry. PS Tip from Lind Murcroft - she purchased a plastic board/crumb catcher from Lakeland Plastics - it fits neatly across the 'van sink (glass lid can be closed) and is useful as a cutting board, dish drainer, tray - very versatile and all for £4.99. I've now got one.

P.J.ADAMS

COACHWORKS and CARAVAN REPAIRS

Car & Commercial Body Repairs, Spraying, Welding, Accident and Insurance Repairs

Approved repairer for

Benimar Motorhomes

and RDH

Goods Yard, Station Road,

Beeston, Nottingham.

Tel: 0115 922 2799

Fax: 0115 967 8008

CLUB STICKERS Vinyl stickers of the club logo suitable for adorning the front and rear of your Benimar. They are 230mm x 170mm (9” x 7” in old money) and are priced at £1 each plus 40p postage and packing per order - from Ron Smith (cheques made payable to Benimar Owners Club).

Vinyl stickers of the club logo suitable for adorning the front and rear of your Benimar. They are 230mm x 170mm (9" x 7" in old money) and are priced at £1 each plus 40p postage and packing per order - from Ron Smith (cheques made payable to Benimar Owners Club).

On Tuesday March 11th, 18 Club members undertook a visit round the Benimar Factory guided by Maurits Geensen who is the son of the previous owner Peter Geensen. We all met in the car park of the factory to be faced by a collection of current and new model Benimar Motorhomes and Mobile Homes (sometimes known as Statics). Much 'viewing' was done, with good (and any minus) points being noted for future discussion. There was a general air of approval.
We began the tour outside the factory in an area where the chassis/cabs are stored. They aim to keep one months supply in hand. Last summer, before Trigano took over they were out of stock; FIAT had introduced the new cab and were not interested in supplying such a small customer. This is one advantage of now being part of Trigano, who have much more clout.
We then went indoors, to our left were stored stocks of spares clearly labelled with year and model. To our right was a fascinating machine for bending the profiled surround frames for the doors and ockers, a locker door took about 10 seconds. On then to look at a FIAT and a Mercedes Chassis/Cab. It was noticeable that the FIAT chassis looked much stronger and stiffer than the Mercedes and Maurits confirmed that that was so. The first tasks entail extending the chassis, adding the corner steadies and air suspension.
We next saw a floor which was upside down to facilitate adding wiring, the waste water tank, wheel arches, external temperature sensor etc. The floor is marine ply bonded either side to insulation. The next floor we saw was the correct way up and had its floor covering in place, covered with protective polythene and included a substantial frame for the seat belt mountings.
Next came the walls. Pieces of marine ply are cut and have strengthening battens attached, all precision marked out by a computer controlled laser mounted on the factory roofing girder. Panels of insulation are also cut to shape and bonded to the plywood, then a roll of GRP is laid out and glued before the whole lot goes through a press. Another computer controlled machine (a massive router, capable of taking sides of up to 8 metres and being the largest in Europe) then cuts out all the apertures. The cut outs for the various lockers are used to make the corresponding doors. The 2 corresponding sides are then fitted to the floor and supported at the top by two bars. Now the fitting of the inside commences. There is much electrical cabling and plumbing and one of the first things to be installed is the shower/toilet floor. Bit by bit the inside takes shape before the rear wall and the roof are attached. The individual units of furniture are all made in the factory (with the exception of the cupboard doors). Plywood is veneered and then the sheets are cut to provide all the necessary pieces for a particular unit (again the process is computer controlled). The men assembling the furniture were just working at a bench which looked too high for comfort to me.
We passed the pod of an Aereo which is bought in from a supplier in Spain. It was sitting on a pallet, upside down, with sand bags weighing down the insulation while the glue set. We were lucky to see a Europe model having its aluminium top fitted to the roof. The roof consisting of the insulation sandwiched between plywood with lots of electric cabling in trunking was already in place.The top was glued ready and a sheet of aluminium rolled out and stapled in place along the two sides. A man at the front marked and drilled two holes for the high level lights, and pulled the wires through. The front of the aluminium was about 6 inches too long and this was cut to size leaving 5 tabs. These tabs were then wrapped round a long steel bar and riveted into place. Webbing straps were attached between both ends of the bar and the ground and tensioned with a ratchet. When tightened enough, the front and sides along the curve were stapled into place (galvanised staples RDH confirm), the straps were then released and the tabs cut off. All this took just about 5 minutes and was all done by eye.
This last stage was carried out over a pit, where another worker was spraying the body underside with underseal. The remaining bits; skirts, decals, roof fittings etc., are now fitted. We did not see the soft furnishings or work-tops being made or fitted (perhaps next time). A couple of young girls were giving the finished motorhome a final polish.
The various components for a particular motorhome are built about 2 to 3 weeks prior to the actual build. This ensures that there are no hold-ups due to late parts. The build itself takes 4 to 5 days once the chassis-cab enters the building. The overall impression was one of a strange blend of high tech and low tech, no apparent supervision, just individuals or small groups of workers getting on with their job. There seemed to be a distinct lack of "Health and Safety" restrictions (no guards, gloves and masks).
Benimar also make Mobile Homes and these are built alongside the motorhomes using similar techniques and materials. Benimar make about 450 to 650 motorhomes a year. According to Maurits, they have the capacity to increase this to 2000 a year, but to do this they would have to change to more of a production line, building runs of similar models and would not be able to offer the variety and flexibility that they do at present. I hope that their present method will continue, as I think that this is a great asset, let's hope that Trigano feel the same. I noticed in a review of the Trigano Factory in Tournon in France where they produce Chausson and Challenger motorhomes, that they build the inside first and then put the sides on. The next development is a low profile range for 2004. This wll be built using a low Alko chassis, bolted onto a FIAT cab. The model will be 5 to 6 metres long and based on a Pilote layout. In response to my question about whether they were considering an A class, there was a "Maybe but not for at least 2 years"
Ron Smith (with help from Graham Baines)

BENIMAR SCOOP MORE AWARDS
The Caravan Club recently held their Design and Drive Competition for Motorcaravans, where all UK manufacturers and importers are invited to submit their products for test. Their are 4 categories, 2 for van conversions and 2 for coachbuilt. An Aereo 6000CC won it's class and an Anthus 6000ST won it's class and was also voted best overall.

Julia Tinsley

As we all headed for Peterborough 2003 the burning question was, as it had been so dry and sunny since we came back from the Spanish Rally, would we have fine weather for the first time at Peterborough? We didn't have long to wait. As we turned off the A1 for the Showground the tell tale spots arrived on the Benimar windscreen.

Despite the typical on and off April showers we were able to dodge the worst and a good time was had by all.

Ron and Judith were there on Thursday with awning up and Club Gazebo already erected, signs in place for BOC members. We found the direction signs invaluable as the huge site filled up with staggering numbers of motor homes of all makes and sizes, they saved some of us spending the whole show searching for our motorhome.

If you have attended a rally with rows of Benimar motor homes all looking exactly alike you may sympathise with Ian, (usually the man who knows where everything is and how it works). We all laughed as we watched him trying to unlock the storage compartment of someone else's van, much to the actual owner's surprise. I found this highly amusing until next day I walked back from the show to the end van only to find my key wouldn't open the van door. While I had been at the show another Benimar had arrived and become the end of row van. So, sorry Ian, a case of he who laughs last I think.

The accessories at the show are incredible, but if we all bought everything we fancied we would have problems getting off our drive, let alone passing muster on the weighbridge. Camping on a site with no electric hook-up or shower facilities certainly concentrates the mind and the Honda Generator salesman was running short of machines by the end of the show. Several of us bought small metal toast racks with handles to sit on the gas burner. As toast is a major part of my motorhome culinary repertoire I found mine a useful addition and it fitted, folded flat, perfectly in the grill space.

Ron and Pip managed to acquire a second matching gazebo to the one we had used so successfully on the Spanish Rally. The versatility of using it with or without sides means that these two, and perhaps a future third, could be zipped together to make a very usable space. There were various suggestions for its use, not all repeatable, but I am sure Ron will oversee the respectability with his usual aplomb.

Apparently a minor hick-up on the gazebo front was that it came without its' roof which Pip quickly acquired, and Geoff was heard to comment, "You have to watch these suppliers, some of them are quite roofless."

There was a great family atmosphere at the Rally as some members used the occasion to meet up with children and grand children. We enjoyed a good meal at the Harvester across the road with a refreshingly younger average age than usual.

On Saturday afternoon we had our AGM which was very well attended with 55 members present. Thanks to Steve Reynolds from RDH it was a much more civilised affair than the gale torn outdoor event last year. Steve had generously financed the use of the hexagonal plenary building at the showground and we were all warm and comfortably seated.Ron had been careful to make mention in BOC magazine that members should bring their copy of the minutes to save time and expense of producing more. Of course, we all left them at home or in our vans so we lost lots of brownie points and all had to promise to do as we are told next year, except for Nichol who Lorna tells us never does as he is told.

Ron is still in hot pursuit of the wiring diagrams that were promised last year and is receiving encouraging noises from Benimar so we may see them yet. As it is likely they will be all in black their usefulness may be limited to all but the professional electricians amongst us.

There was good news from Vic Paine that the website is up and running and we hope that everyone will participate in the gossip page (It's a Discussion Forum, if you don't mind! Webmaster). Ron told us that we now have 267 members with 136 motor homes. We have lost a few but increased the overall number. There are always some people who don't know a good thing when they see it.

Ron was congratulated on the excellent BOC magazine complete with colour pictures. He pointed out that the colour is great but expensive and Steve Reynolds very kindly offered to cover the extra cost in future. The next magazine could be 200 pages long with 150 full plate colour photos, (only joking Steve), and I bet they still forget their minutes next year Ron.
We were sorry that Celia Rustom, who had done such a good job as our secretary and Membership Secretary and would be a hard act to follow, was not able to continue.

Chris Baines had agreed to take the minutes in Celia's absence and was subsequently elected as Club Secretary. Fortunately the tablecloth covered the ball and chain that Ron had affixed, so most members were under the impression she was a volunteer.

Jane Perry has agreed to be Membership Secretary and we are all very grateful to them and the other Club Officials who give up their time and expertise to make it the organisation we have come to know and love.

Colin Varley agreed to take on the position of Chief Marshall for the whole country and Gerald Dickinson took Honor's place as auditor, because Honor is now residing mainly in Spain and it's a bit of a journey for Ron to go for signatures.

However, the passing of amendments to the constitution meant that our old colleagues and ex-Benimar owners will still be able to join in our events but will not be able to vote on policy decisions.

You will probably have gathered from the magazine that the Spanish Rally was an enormous success and we are hoping to hear shortly from Barry and Shirley Morton about a French Rally in September. A vote of thanks was moved, and unanimously supported, to Steve Irvine for all his help at the show and at RDH during the year.

Pip came up with a great bargain of Fruit of the Loom jackets with Benimar logos. By bulk ordering they would only be £11 including postage and packing.

On Sunday lunchtime we had a great barbecue thanks to Judith's expertise on the shopping and the hard work of many members with the cooking and preparation. All for the incredible price of £2 per head. Judith even managed to arrange for it not to rain until after we had finished eating. We congregated under the gazebo for the raffle, which raised £56 towards the club funds.RDH had record sales with their two new models on show, and some of us enjoyed ourselves so much we stayed over until Monday and had a great social evening thanks to Chris and Graham Baines, who will be stewarding the Lincoln Show.

Many hands made light work as we took down all the awnings and gazebos and said our goodbyes, most of us looking forward to Lincoln when we will all meet again.

A very big "Thank you" to everyone who helped with the barbecue, especially to Mary for her mammoth shopping spree (so that's what was in those burgers - Ed) in Peterborough. She commandeered everyone on the bus to help carry the bread rolls and burgers!, to Julia for the use of car and herself for even more shopping, to the Chefs who did a brilliant job and everyone who helped with the preparation. We couldn't have done it without you.
Judy Smith

There has been much discussion recently about safety when you are in your motorhome. This has been highlighted by the fact that 2 of our members (out of the 12 who travelled down to Spain for the Spanish Rally) were robbed en-route (one of them being gassed ).

There is certainly seems to be an increased risk when travelling and stopping on the French and Spanish Motorways and National Roads, particularly on the holiday routes in the south of France and along the Spanish Costas.

For what they are worth here are my views on the subject. Most of it is just plain common sense.

Firstly there are certain dos and don'ts.

+ Do not park overnight on a Motorway Service area or Motorway Aire, even if there are other motorhomes, caravans or lorries already there. It has been known that a whole group of vehicles are gassed and their owners robbed. Even if you have a vehicle alarm operative, you won't hear it if you have been gassed. If you can't find a campsite try a village and park by the Marie, Village Square (beware of markets the next day !), Sports Stadium, or better still Gendarmerie.
+ Do lock your cab doors whenever you stop whatever the reason (fuel station, service area, picnic area, even at traffic lights in built up areas)
+ Do not leave anything of value in the cab (wallet, purse, handbag, phone, camera, etc. )

+ Do not stop if you are flagged down by someone indicating something wrong with the back of your vehicle (very occasionally there may be but try and find somewhere safe to investigate).

+ Be suspicious of all strangers until you are satisfied that they are OK
+ Be wary at fuel stations of people acting suspiciously round your vehicle (it has been known for your tyres to be spiked so that you will have to stop shortly after continuing your journey, and guess who will be there to "help".

+ If you are flagged down by someone in Police or other official uniform, be wary that they may not be genuine. Wind your window down a little until you are convinced they are genuine.

+ Fit a safe and hide the key.
+ Keep a wallet or purse containing a few Euros, some out of date credit cards and other worthless items. Keep it handy in case you are threatened and hand it over.

Secondly, precautions that you can take

Cab Doors (my experience is with the old style cab but probably applies to the new one) The standard Fiat door lock is easily picked and the button is easily flipped up via the quarter light, which is easily removed or broken.

1. Tie the doors together using a chain or strong strap Stops the door being opened if the lock is forced Cost is negligible
A good tug could pull off the door handle

2. Feed the seat belt through the door handle and into the anchorage point Stops the door being opened if lock is forced
Cost is nil.
A good tug could pull off the door handle(s)

3. Drill the locking button (3 mm drill) and inset a 3 mm pin through so that it goes into the door frame in the locked position.
Stops the door being opened if the lock is forced
Cost is negligible
A hand through a broken or removed quarter light could remove the pins.

4. Fit a deadlock in addition to the standard lock (easier to fit in the doorpillar rather than the door itself).To enter a cab door you have to force 2 locks, the deadlock being much more difficult to force.
Cost is around £25. (Safeways D125 - Tel: 0151 653 7848)
Neat looking on outside

Caravan Door

The standard lock is pretty feeble and easily forced.

1. When inside at night, fit a piece of wood (or a plastic clothes peg just fits) into the gap below (or above if you have a RHS door) the handle within the surround.
Prevents the door being opened if the lock is forced
Cost is nil
Door catch itself could still be forced and door opened

2. Fit a deadlock in addition to the standard lock
To enter the Caravan door 2 locks have to be forced, the deadlock being much more difficult to force.
Cost is around £35 (Safeways D160) Neat looking on outside
Tricky to fit as the fly screen gets in the way and some plastic has to be cut away

3. Fit a device to the caravan side that is a pivoting chunk of metal that swivels across the edge of the door when locked. To enter the caravan door 2 locks have to be forced, the additional lock being much more difficult to force.
Cost is about £35 (Fiamma) to £55 (Defendor)
Looks a bit clumsy on the outside

Alarm System Fit a good alarm system (Vanbitz are the best) covering all entry points, bonnet and lockers. If you carry bikes or a scooter on the back include a loop that feeds through them as well as securely locking them.
Don't be put off by all the above. . Many people have been doing these trips for years with no trouble. While there is a definite higher risk on French and Spanish Motorways, if you follow the above advice you should be all right

Having done all the above, a determined thief, who doesn't care about causing damage, can still get in through any caravan window, heki light or underbed locker. So unless you want to put bars up at all windows so decide for yourself the extent to which you make your motorhome secure.
Ron Smith

14th - 17th August Black Robin Farm, Beachy Head, Eastbourne.
Details in the last magazine.
Only 1 place left - book now to avoid disappointment
Pip Rowe & Vic Paine

A warm welcome to the following new members :-

Toby & Bridget Crampton of of Great Bedwyn Wilts
Tony Westwell of Gateshead
David & Jane Rooksby of Nottingham
Joseph & Wendy Curland of Herne Bay
Bob & Roberta Lenham of South Heighton
Jim & Pauline Longuet of Whitsable
Jamie & Fiona Blair of Gillingham
Iain Henderson & Tanya Hardy of Chichester
John & Helen Pearson of Alfreton
Stephen Read & Penny Sharman of Canterbury
Ray & June Chambers of Sheerness
Alan & Jo Williams of Herne Bay
Philip & Greta Roberts of Chesterfield
David & Carol Taylor of Wigan
David & Pauline Pickersgill of Harrrogate
Bill Madill & Eve Needham of Taunton
Peter & Vi Jennings of Whitstable
Vernon & Suzanne Dillon of Bournemouth
Brian & Pauline Marsh of Ipswich
David & Joan Reader of Cambridge
John & Elaine Peters of Nottingham
Rger & Dianne Gooding of Rainham
Anthony & Anne Sparnon of Deal

Sunday 7th to 21st September 2003.

After such an excellent rally in Spain earlier this year we have volunteered for our sins to arrange one in southern France with two centres one being in the Pyrenees and the other around 2 hours away on the coast. If any of you haven't explored this region of France it has an amazing diversity of scenery and interest to offer - the area we are looking at for the first week is high up in the mountains close to Font-Romeu famous for once hosting the winter Olympics and also for building a system of harnessing the suns rays on reflective panels! The scenery around here is spectacular and a small mountain railway can take you off to other parts including old fortified towns and ski resorts. You are of course very close to Spain and national parks.
In contrast Argeles-sur-mer overlooks a long sandy beach, loads of sea food restaurants and a view of the mountains from below! Close by are the well known resorts such as Collioure - a must to visit and the whole area is surrounded by vineyards! If you feel this rally is for you would you please fill in the enclosed application form and a deposit of £5 made out to S.Morton and we will be able to reserve plots on the camp sites. We would need to know final numbers by the 10th August so you have plenty of time to decide whether to join us. We look forward to perhaps meeting old friends and some new ones.
Barry and Shirley Morton.