What a nice change to have good weather at one of our Outdoor Show meets. The Midsummer Music Festival at Lincoln enjoyed the sort of weather we should have in July, unlike other years. The meet was well attended and excellently marshalled - you can read Honor’s report elsewhere.
The arrival of the new Benimar Perseo low profile has come just right for this issue. My first impressions of it can be found elsewhere. It certainly looks different to its brothers, but looking through MMM I see that there are lots of other continental manufacturers producing models on very similar lines so it will be up against Pilote, Rapido, Euromobile etc.
The report on the Perseo will be the first in the UK - another scoop for the BOC Magazine - remember you read about it here first.
The 2004 Benimar brochure shows that the Anthus,Europe and Top continue with cosmetic changes.
The Anthus comes in 2 lengths, 5000 and 6000.
The Europe and Top lose the "setting sun" graphics, which is a shame as it is the one sure way of recognition from afar (all the more reason for having a club sticker on your van).
The Europe Aereo version is dropped, but still available on the Top.
A few new layouts, black window surrounds and a more extensive range of fabrics seem to be it.
Judy and I have just returned from a fantastic weekend at the Eastbourne Airshow Meet, organised by Pip and Vic. The setting was superb - on the South Downs less than a mile from Beachy head with just sheep for company. And the weather was great again !
The Club Website is attracting much interest and Vic is doing a great job keeping it up to date. - he even had pictures of the Eastbourne Meet on before it had finished!
I am surprised that more of you are not using the Chat page. It s a great way of getting answers to queries and sharing problems/solutions. If you are on the internet I hope you pay a visit now and again. Sometimes you will get news before the magazine reaches you.
I am enclosing, with this issue, a copy of the Club’s Membership Application Form. It is intended that you keep it in your Benimar and if you encounter another Benimar owner, who isn’t a member, you can give them one (if you will excuse the expression).

The next issue is due out at the end of December, so input to me by 15th December at the latest please.

OPS !

Inevitably a few errors crept in to the last bumper issue.
In the handbook, Chris Baines phone no. should be 01423 864297.
Graham Baines email address should have a .uk on the end.
Tim and Meryl Clark of Leics were missing from the list of members - (tel: 01162 792368)
Betts’s reg no. is T799BNN not T759BNN

Sorry for any confusion caused.

RonSmith

Pip Rowe

When we bought the Pollyvan the kitchen seemed very well equipped with a full oven, grill, 4 rings, a fridge and a sink. It only took me 2 or 3 trips to realise that the lack of a draining board was very annoying. It didn’t seem to matter what I tried - an all-in-one draining rack and tray, a draining rack standing on a rubber mat or several other ideas - water was always going to dribble where it shouldn’t!
Every time we attended a show we looked for our ideal sink and drainer but the drainers were all too shallow until we went to Peterborough this year. In one of the trade tents I found a stainless steel sink and drainer unit complete with a hinged glass lid.
Vic was persuaded (after completing the new aviary block in the garden) to install the new sink and drainer in the Pollyvan. He found it to be a remarkably simple DIY job and I am now a Happy Camper with ample work top space and a "Dribble Free Drainer"

Après Lincoln (tenner for a site?)

In the Lincoln Welcome Pack there was again an offer to stay at Don Amott’s Lakeside Caravan Park for £6 per night (up to 4 nights) instead of the normal £15. This included full services. As it is within easy distance and on the coast several BOC members asked us to report back, so here goes:
Lakeside has a good touring field with hard standing, individual bins, water, electricity and waste and although well attended was spread out and security was excellent. It has well manicured grounds and a lake more for the benefit of the many static homes but very pleasant.There is a clubhouse, restaurant and hotel type indoor pool with sauna, jacuzzi and steam room. The pool is charged at £3 per person per entry. There is also tennis, bowls, fishing and good play areas for the children. Also a 9-hole golf course for which there is a charge.
Loo/showers inspection - ok but maintenance should be better for £15 a night!
There is also a supermarket and take-away (fish n’ chips) on site. We discovered a good farm shop via the back door of the touring field. North Somercotes is a pleasant walk with a fair range of village shops, mini-markets, butcher, pubs, restaurants, etc.
The area is ideal for country walks and chilling out after the Music Festival. There was a local Air Show and at times low flying sorties over the beach.
George, an elderly local character, took us on a cycle tour of the village and directed us to the beach. He told us of a local delicacy much favoured by Prince Charles, which would be ready for harvesting. We wandered the beach scooping out little green plants from the sand but with an eye on the RAF flagpole, as when the red flag is raised you will be dodging bombs and bullets, for the beach is a serious target range. In fact there is one officer as look-out on this vast expanse of beach who helped us gather a bundle of ‘samphire’ and then we duly returned to the van and cleaned and boiled the plants as instructed - it was quite pleasant and apparently full of iron!

Dave Hill We are very grateful for all the help and advice about Firestone Tyres, which only came our way through membership of the BOC.
After Geoff Follows showed us the telltale cracks we listened to the experiences and read all the articles in the BOC magazine, we checked our documentation and saw the specific mention of ‘Camping Tyres’ in the Fiat handbook. Knowing we would not pass an MOT, we took a deep breath and ‘robbed the bank’ to replace all five with the Michelin Camping Tyre. The dealer showed us the severe damage at only 12,000 miles and we felt quite relieved to have got that far.
However, the big benefit, apart from safety, has been the amazing improvement in performance and handling of our Benimar. We drove away from the dealer and felt we were flying; the frequent buffeting from wind and large vehicles is now virtually non-existent. We have no regrets given the situation we were in but it was an expensive lesson. We hope to recoup some of it from improved efficiency. Now a littler wiser - Michelin Camping Tyres are the first thing we would look for on a van and it seems Benimar have come to the same conclusion.

Officially launched at the Lincoln Show Meet was the

Worst Post Card Competition 2003

For many years up until I retired from work, I ran a "Worst Postcard Competition" for my department, and I thought that I would resurrect it.
The idea is that while you are enjoying life in your Benimars, instead of looking for a nice card to send home, look for the worst one you can find and send it to me.
The criterion for what is worst, I will leave up to you !
The closing date is Dec 31 2003
All entries will be displayed at the AGM rally at Peterborough. There will be a prize for the worst, judged by me (bribes accepted).

Ron Smth

PS I have already received 2 entries

Calor has recently won the contract to refill and distribute Camping Gaz cylinders in the UK.

Texol and Calor Gas are launching a new device called Midgeaterclaiming that it will eventually rid Scotland of midges. I’ll eat my Tam O’ Shanter if that happens.

Further to the item on Ian Tilley’s problem with a Pirelli tyre, Ian tells me that he has had a letter that they will give him 90% off a replacement.
I have just heard that Ian has actually got the money!.

I saw another Pirelli tyre belonging to a member at the Lincoln meet with two large splits in it just like Ian’s. The saga goes on.

Apple Motorhome Ferry Discounts

Mike Rondel has used Apple to get discounts on the Portsmouth route. He tells me that the phone number for Apple quoted in he Handbook has changed. It should be: 02392 571153. Apple’s account number is 81799. You need to quote this when phoning P&O.

One of the several phone calls I had the other day re membership of the Club was from someone who is taking delivery of heir new Benimar in November and exporting it to Australia in December. He intimated that he would keep me in touch with his experiences Down Under.

Swedish Correspondent ?

Vic has forwarded me an email from someone called Borje who lives in Sweden. He is very complementary (rightly so) about the website and suggests that he may contribute. He imported a 97 Europe 6000 from Germany early this year, and seems to be enjoying it. A good contact if you are thinking of a Scandinavian trip.

Do you get too much junk mail? I thought so. Well you can drastically reduce the amount by contacting the Mailing Preference Service and requesting them to prevent unsolicited mail. Either via their website www.wpsonline.org.uk or by phoning 0845 703 4599.

After 12 years of trying RDH have managed to persuade their neighbour to sell them the house next door.
Plans are well advanced to knock through to enlarge the office area and they are intending to build a new conservatory style entrance at the front.
The extra land will be concreted or tarmaced and that will more than double the available display / parking area. A cantilevered roofed area at the back may well follow giving a covered area for viewing.
Steve has his eye on the adjacent field, but it belongs to Severn Trent who are a law unto themselves and not the most helpful people to deal with.

Ron Smith

This is an exclusive report on the new Perseo range from Benimar.  I was privileged to drive the new Benimar, just one day after it arrived in the UK, thanks to Rod at RDH.  
My first impression as I pulled in to the RDH premises and saw the Perseo for the first time was something between Monty Python and Star Trek . "And now for something completely different" and "This is Benimar, Jim, but not as we know it" .
The Perseo is a range of low profile motorhomes, coming in three lengths - 6.45m, 6.80m and 7.15m.
The shorter one is built on a Fiat Placher base (a van with the walls and roof removed), the longer one is built on a Fiat cab and Alko low level chassis, and the middle one is available on either.
The subject model, is the 710 CRK , which is a 7.15m long version with fixed bed, shower round the corner behind the bed, L shaped kitchen and front half dinette and settee with and extending table .
The Perseo range totals 10 layouts, all with fixed beds.

The front is very aerodynamic and curvy, with a new small Benimar badge. I think it has lost its identity and I prefer the larger Benimar lettering.
The roof front moulding stretches as far back as the fridge vents, the rear stretches as far forward as the centre of the tall locker door and in between the top edge is all blended in. The roof slopes down gradually from front to rear.
The rear section is all very curvy and modern embodying the lights and number plate, surrounding a flat rear wall.
The sections behind the cab doors blend nicely into the caravan sides and incorporate a step below the cab doors. Looks very nice, but I wonder about the practicality of smooth white plastic as a step surface - perhaps a rubber surface would be better, (or perhaps it is not meant for stepping on).
As expected, the graphics are all new and are red and grey - quite attractive.
There is a large, tall locker at the rear near side corner with a shower tray floor (with drain hole and plug) and two straps to hold skis or other wet gear. A tap in here might be useful to wash down a dog or dirty wet gear.
The spare wheel is located further to the rear than on the Fiat chassis and looks to be slightly more accessible.
Access to the manual corner steadies is through a hole in the skirt.
The gas bottle locker is located amidships at the back of the kitchen. The brochure says that it holds 2 x 13kg bottles but it looked a little small to me.
There is no step, because it is not needed. The height to the interior step is 390mm (15 1/2") (on the Europe it is 520mm (21 1/2"))
There is no ladder nor roof bars although I assume that the roof is strong enough to walk on.

Entering the Perseo, things look much more familiar.
The interior was quite like the Europe CC, with a settee behind the passenger seat and half a dinette behind the drivers seat. Both cab seats swivel and the table extends so that 4 can eat.
Above the cab are 4 small lockers with wood doors. Cab air conditioning is standard.
Moving rearwards, behind the dinette is an L shaped kitchen, with a fridge and freezer opposite. Above the freezer is the microwave and above that a shelf.
The fore and aft permanent bed has an attractively radius corner and what looks like a comfortable thick mattress. Below the bed is access to a large locker which is also accessible from the outside.
Now we get to the new design, opposite the bed is the wardrobe, and after that is a small cupboard and shelf unit with a large mirror over.
Then comes the door to the toilet room with the now familiar wood trimmed cupboards, and eventually, if you look round the corner, behind the head of the bed you will find the shower.
The headroom inside is lower than the other model ranges but still a generous 2050mm (6’ 6") as opposed to 2060mm (6’ 10"). This means that the roof lockers are a little bit easier to reach by our vertically challenged members.
There is one of the new roof lights similar to the one in the Top, but this is manually operated and tilts and slides.
Heating is by Combi Boiler blown air with the Alde water system as an option.

I am comparing it with our own 3 ½ year old Europe on the old Fiat cab.
I was very impressed with the engine it was quieter, smoother and felt far more responsive. It held 75mph with ease on the short blast down the A52 and seemed to have quite a bit in reserve. The swivel seats, as in some versions of the Top are very good with more than enough adjustment for me.
The ride is much improved, even the front suspension seems to deal with speed humps much better (whether all the new cab models with the camping car tyres, are like this I am not sure) but the Alko back end, with its wider track and independent torsion suspension gives a most impressive ride. The low roof line (11 " lower ) and aerodynamic front must help, and fuel economy should be improved.. Corners can be taken with an assured feeling and buffeting from trucks is hardly noticeable.
The feel is far more car like than a motorhome.

There’s no better place to see all the new launch 2004 models of caravans, motorhomes, mobile holiday homes, camping gear and accessories than at The Caravan and Outdoor Leisure Show, at Earls Court from 4 - 9 November 2003.
Visitors can view an unrivaled choice of new products and services from Europe’s leading companies showcasing their top brands in the equivalent space occupied by eight premiership football pitches! Plus there’s expert advice, prize draws and special show deals. Log on to www.caravanshows.com for a full list of exhibitors.
The great new Towsure Accessory Superstore boasts all the essentials visitors will need for their holidays in the great outdoors. Visitors can benefit from an online ordering service, making shopping at the show easier than ever!
An important aim of the event is to provide an enjoyable day out so there will be lots of show attractions aimed to inspire, educate and entertain. What’s more Kids go Free and there’s a creche for the under 8’s so why not make it a great family day out?
What’s more, the layout of the show is spacious with lots of seating areas and when visitors need to stop for refueling there’s a good choice of restaurants from Pizza Express to Pret a Manger and Costa Coffee.
Due to popular demand the World Tent Pitching Championships, sponsored by well- known outdoor brand Aztec, will be running again this year, in association with The Camping and Caravanning Club and Camping Magazine. Teams of two will race against the clock to see who is the fastest and most skilled at tent pitching. To register for one of the heats taking place prior to the finals at the show, visit www.worldtentchamps.com

Benimar Owners Club has 5 pairs of tickets up for grabs to visit the Caravan and Outdoor Leisure Show. To win simply send your name and address on a postcard to: Pip Rowe (address on p2).

All entries must be received before the 1^st October. 5 winners will be drawn out of a hat.
For those who don’t win, you can save up to a 1/3 by booking in advance on 0870 1 288 288 (24hrs, 7 days a week) or online at www.caravanshows.com. Advance tickets are priced at £7.50 for adults and £7 for seniors (60 and over). A booking fee of 50p per transaction applies to all advance ticket bookings. Kids 15 and under go free. For more information on shows organised by Clarion Events, visit www.caravanshows.com.

THE WAY WE WERE

According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's probably shouldn't have survived.
Our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which was promptly chewed and licked.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.
When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip flops and fluorescent clackers' on our wheels. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the passenger seat was a treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle - tasted the same.
We ate dripping sandwiches, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no-one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us all day and no one minded.
We did not have Playstations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet chat rooms. We had friends - we went outside and found them.
We played elastics and street rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt.
We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits. They were accidents. We learnt not to do the same thing again.
We had fights, punched each other hard and got black and blue - we learned to get over it.
We walked to friend's homes.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate live stuff, and although we were told it would happen, we did not have very many eyes out, nor did the live stuff live inside us forever.
We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.
Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned to deal with it all.
And you're one of them, Congratulations! 

Pip Rowe

LINCOLN SHOW MEET

We arrived at Lincoln on Thursday afternoon to a warm welcome from Chris & Graham and Brian & Ann. Mary put the kettle on (very important) and Ron & Judy had kept a large space for us as we are rather long.

Friday Most vans arrived so we decided to have a BBQ. 26 Benimars, 2 visiting vans and our Burstner. The BBQ was attended by all but 4 people, so a very good turn out. Plenty to eat, plenty of Sangria, in fact bucket loads. Thanks go to Mary, Chris, Ann and Judy for their help in Safeways.I couldn’t do it without them. It was an excellent do and no hangovers (not that I know of) .Saturday Welcome meeting attended by most. 2 new members, one with no ‘van yet. Ken & Anne Mitchell and Roger & Helen Foster - a huge welcome from us to you. Anne and Chris supplied the cakes - excellent. The evening show was great. Most of us were up there dancing - well worth a visit. Also, many members sang, hand in hand, "You’ll never walk alone". As far as we know , only one person had a bad hangover (and a bad leg next day, say no more Nichol Well he is Scottish!. He couldn’t even make coffee at 11pm in the marquee on Saturday night after the show. There were a few worse for wear, but Nichol was the star. Sunday Nichol’s leg was throbbing - hence the walking stick. We had a coffee morning and again a lovely cake, thanks to Helen our new member. Sunday evening was quiz night. It was such a lovely evening we sat outside instead of in the marquee as planned. Most attended and the winners were Nichol & Lorna and their friends Sandra and her husband (shame on me I forget his name) (It was Tony. The prize was having their photo in the magazine - see overleaf. I wonder if the reaction was something to do with the fact that we all entered individually, but they joined forces into a foursome! Ed)

Monday Some of us were still there, until we all go our separate ways. Till we meet again.

I would like to thank Graham and Chris for a lovely weekend. For once the weather shone on us. They did a great job and put in a great deal to making the weekend a success. Also their friends who helped them, Brian and Chris, thank you. Congratulations to Colin and Frances Varley on their wedding anniversary on the Monday following the show. Also to Mike and Dawn Bottle on their anniversary the same day. And last, but not least, to Judy who, although when this magazine comes out, she’ll be older great big
Happy 60th Birthday from us all. xxx
Thank you to all who attended, as without so many coming it would not have been such a success. I hope to see some of you in France / Spain. Best Wishes, and a safe journey where ever you go. ----------------------------- Thank you
The flowers for my **th birthday were a fantastic surprise and I would like to thank everyone at the Lincoln Rally who clubbed together to send the biggest and most exotic bouquet that I have ever seen. I am enjoying them very much. Thank you all. Judy Smith

Thursday Initially four vans arrived on site to be greeted by Pip and Vic and a welcoming cup of tea or coffee. Then at about 11pm and in the pitch dark and I mean dark dark, Ray & Carol and Francis & Colin along with their two grandchildren arrived and parked up with the aid of flashlights. No problem (ha ha). There has got to be some excitement on each of our rallies and this time it was Ray and Carol who provided it. Ray got out of his van leaving Carol inside and his Benny decided that it did not like the pitch that he had chosen and took off on it’s own to find a better place. Can you imagine it; Carol jumped out of the van and left Ray to apprehend the self-parking van. Could RDH let us know when these vans are on general sale it would make pitching so much easier. The fact that we were parked on a steep hill above Beachy Head didn’t seem to matter at all to the wayward machine.

Friday Unfortunately Mike Rondell had to cancel but Mary and George arrived hot off the ferry at Dover and Chris and Richard from a trip to Cornwall. Sadly they missed the coffee morning, but were treated to a slice of the delicious tea loaf kindly made by Pip .In the afternoon we had our very own display by the Red Arrows who flew over the camp site (how did you manage to arrange that Pip). In the evening we had a film show kindly put on for us by Ron and saw shots taken at the Lincoln rally and the newest vans in the Benimar Range after which there was the inevitable few drinks and swapping of information.

Saturday Another lovely day and a few of the more athletic members had a walk to Beachy Head and called in at the local pub to partake of refreshment. Honor and Mary kindly offered to do some shopping for us and went off with Vic to the store. Thank you Ladies it was much appreciated. At four o’clock we met in the gazebo and once again were treated by Pip to a lovely cream tea .At about seven in the evening it was to the gazebo again for an American supper to which all contributed. Pip was a hero and tackled the main course a delicious Shepherd pie and even came up with a gorgeous Black Forest trifle. (Can we all have the recipe Pip)? After copious amounts of wine and Sangria once again the stories began, and I don’t think that anyone will be able to look at a grow bag or a tomato without smiling and thinking about Honor who is a real star without realising it. Sunday Alas it was time to pack up and go our different ways and say our goodbyes .I can’t close however before thanking Pip and Vic for a great rally, lovely camping, and the peace and quiet broken only by the sheep and cattle. Everyone truly enjoyed it including our canine and bird friends. Thanks also to Kyri and Lucy for their help, they were a joy to have around. Great hunting Pip and thanks once again from all of us.

FRANCE PASSION

If you want a change from the hustle and bustle of campsites and don’t fancy wild camping, then why not try France Passion?
For an annual fee of 26 euro you can join an association that lets you park overnight in one of over 400 vineyards and farms spread across all areas of France. This is only available to motorcaravans (or camping cars as the French refer to them) and you have to be self sufficient.
You are provided with a guide book and map detailing each property. Parking is available for 1 to 5 ‘vans. Fresh water is usually available, and sometimes a bin to dump your rubbish. Very occasionally there maybe a toilet or shower - the book details what facilities are on site.
You are offered a secure place to stay overnight with no obligation, although you may wish to try and buy some wine, cheese, vegetables, honey or whatever is on offer.
Try to arrive around midday or late afternoon. You will be welcomed by the owners and shown where to park. Don’t forget to say "Good bye" when you leave.
We have visited several now, you never know what to expect as each one is different, which is part of the charm.
Our first visit was to a vineyard in Sancerre (Judy’s favourite wine). This was in the middle of the vendage , but we were found a place among the tractors and trailers full of grapes. A "degustation" turned out to be much ham, cheese and bread to accompany their various vintages. We eventually finished and after buying some wine and staggered off to the local auberge for a super meal - the cost of our first "free" night about £50 !
We have sampled other vineyards in the Muscadet, Chinon and Rousillion areas - with some excellent purchases
We have stayed at 4 Ferme Auberges. One, near to Le Havre, where we enjoyed a super meal with the farmer and his wife (all their own produce - lamb, potatoes, apples, cider and calvados). Another was in Brittany where we sampled Pot Breton, an enormous cauldron of vegetables and pork boiling over a log fire (again all their own produce). We had Sunday lunch at one in Normandy (near Cherbourg) which proved to be a hectic affair with lots of children running about - not quite what we expected. Another night we sampled a Pate de Foire Gras Farm where we were surprised that the geese did not keep us awake - perhaps they were already in the pate !
An Apiculturist (bee keeper to you) was in a small hamlet at the end of a lane. We were invited into the house for aperitifs and tuna mousse around he kitchen table by a log fire. They spoke no English and were thrilled with an ink sketch of their farmhouse that I gave them - "Mon Chapeau" was the farmers expression.
At a vegetable farm in southern Brittany, madame told us that it would be very noisy early the next morning with lots of tractors, so she took us onto a field at the end of a sandy track. "You will be quiet here" she said and how right she was. We were next to dunes with about 15 km of undeveloped coast on our doorstep. Later, looking at the map, I saw that the dunes were a military firing range !
Other locations have been a cheese farm in the Auverne and the "Magic Cauldron" in an area I can’t recall.

Reading through the France Passion guide I see that there are Ostrich Farms, Snail Farms, Cider Farms and Lavender Growers - all tempting us to make further visits.
If you are interested in joining France Passion they can be contacted at BP 57, 84202, Carpentras, Cedex, France

info@france-passion.com

www.france-passion.com

Annual subscription runs from Easter to Easter and costs 26 euro, payable by cheque or credit card on-line
Ron Smith

Since the introduction of Route Planning cum Navigation Systems with an accuracy down to street and house number level, we had been eyeing these systems with interest for some time. The problem was, we wanted one which we could move between our motorhome and car without too much hassle, most of those we had seen utilised a processor box mounted beneath or behind the passenger seat. It has to be said, you get what you pay for. The more complex and expensive units include such things as gyro compass and gearbox interface, to enable continuous use when the satellite signal is temporarily lost, due to terrain, high buildings or tunnels etc.
We had heard of small pocket computer versions, which worked solely from the satellite signal. These give similar street level accuracy but only when the signal is present. We decided to give one a try, and after some research we chose the ‘TOM TOM’ system and put it to the test on a recent trip to Scotland.
‘TOM TOM’ is a route planning and mapping system for miniature handheld computers (Personal Digital Assistants or PDA’s). As supplied, the system consists of a tiny GPS receiver. This receives the signals from a network of satellites and feeds them to your PDA. The GPS receiver fixes to your windscreen by an in-built sucker, and comes with the TomTom program and mapping software. It runs on your own choice of PDA, which is not included in the package.
The PDA is the tiny computer with screen which provides the complete route planning, visual display, and voice prompts if required, while traveling. Though small enough to be hand held, when used as an in-car navigation aid there are various accessories for dashboard/windscreen mounting. With the guidance of ‘Mobile Technology (UK) Ltd’ a very helpful supplier whom we found on the Internet and subsequently dealt with by phone, we chose a Hewlett Packard Compaq iPAQ 3970 PDA to run the system. We chose the 3970 because of its superior sound and ‘Bluetooth’ technology which enables it to communicate with other equipment such as mobile phones and computers. Cheaper models will run TomTom satisfactorily, but with slightly inferior audio quality we were told.
The iPAQ 3970 itself measures about 12cm x 6 cm x 1.5 cm deep, a little deeper with the compact flash jacket attached.
Extra memory is needed to hold all the maps we will require for our future travels. In our case, maps for the UK, France, Spain and Portugal. We were advised that a 512 meg. ‘Flash Card’ measuring a mere 3.5cm x 4.2cm x 5mm would hold all of these! This connects via a flash card jacket, which slides onto the PDA.
Connecting the parts together was quite simple. The GPS receiver has a twin lead, one for the power which plugs into the car’s 12-volt cigar lighter socket, the other carrying the signal, plugs into a similar lead connected to the PDA. As the internal battery of the PDA only lasts for about 8 hours, we chose to also run it from the cigar lighter socket, using a 2-socket adapter. (‘Mobile Technology’ should be able to supply all the parts you need).
The TomTom program and maps should only need to be loaded into the PDA once unless the batteries become completely discharged. In this case the program will have to be reloaded. The instruction manual recommends keeping the batteries fully charged. There is a wide choice of maps available. These come in the form of CD ROM’s, and are loaded into the PDA from a desk computer or laptop using the supplied sync lead. This plugs into the Serial or USB port.
Loading the software was simplicity itself and took only a few minutes from our laptop computer. It ran instantly without a hiccup. With the receiver and PDA in place, it was now just a case of inputting the departure and destination points. This can be done with the PDA operating on its internal battery, ‘hand held’ in the comfort of your armchair prior to the journey. You can plan the route, trying up to 10 alternatives, see the route displayed on screen, run a real time demo of the route including voice prompts if desired, though this would take some time if a long journey is being undertaken. The ‘summary’ function allows you to jump through each instruction along the route, with an arrow following them on the screen.
Prior to the journey I selected a few ‘favourite locations’ i.e. campsites and other stopping places and saved them to memory. This makes entering the details easier. You can look up an ‘address’ with street and number accuracy (though strangely enough not Post Codes), or a ‘point of interest’. A database of ‘points of interest’ is built in and you can select from Filling Stations, Car Repairs, Beaches, Cash Dispensers, Ferry Terminals, Hospitals, Mountain passes, Museums, Open parking, Parks and Recreation, Rest areas and Tourist attractions. These are just a few you can choose to appear on screen when within range. We chose to display Filling Stations, Rest Areas, Parking and Attractions to keep the screen uncluttered. You can set your own address and designate it as ‘Home’.
I Clicked on ‘Favourites’ ‘Home’ and chose ‘departure point’ then ‘Ledaig CC site’ and ‘destination’, then selected OK. The route was then planned, it took just 40 seconds for the system to plan the 294.7 miles route. The unit plots the ‘quickest route’ though this does not take into account congestion. There is also a choice of ‘shortest’ and ‘walking’ routes.
Because my dearest suffers from travel sickness if map reading while moving, I chose to select the voice prompt mode and off we set. All instructions were clear and precise and the unit guided us without fault to our first nights CL stop near Gretna on the Scottish border, here we met friends who were to join us on the trip.
Not only were all roads including B roads clearly visible on screen, even some farm tracks were included! Next day the verbal instructions guided us through the Glasgow motorway complex without a hitch. Voice prompts such as "in 200yds keep right" came up in perfect time to stop us drifting down slip roads as we changed lanes on the motorway. The only problem we experienced that day was at the top end of Loch Lomond near Tyndrum, here we lost the signals from the satellites for a good 15 minutes. This resulted in a loss of instructions and our correct position on the screen. After practice we soon learnt to memorise the ‘next instruction picture’ i.e. a bold turn left arrow, or a roundabout showing a 90 deg. exit. This small graphic is always present at the bottom left of the screen when in Navigation mode and a signal is present. Also the ‘distance to’ i.e. 3.6mls appears in a band across the bottom of the screen. This is present until the signal disappears! so don’t just follow the verbals blindly. After that the instructions took us right to the entrance of the caravan site without fault. Yes, the North Ledaig Caravan Club site was one of the ones listed, and believe it or not, most of the internal roads of the site were displayed as well!
All in all the system performed well throughout our trip. It can be a little disconcerting if you take the wrong turn and ignore the "TURN AROUND" instruction due to traffic or road layout. This will result in you being re routed from your present position, which is constantly being updated, sometimes along some pretty minor roads to get back on to your route. However, we were never directed along roads that were not suitable for our 22ft Motorhome, though I suppose that could be a matter of opinion.
Depending on the level of PDA you choose, the system should cost between a half and three quarters that of the top ‘built in’ navigation systems. These more sophisticated systems will ‘hold on’ to your location for much longer if satellite signals are lost, but hey, the little PDA (personal digital assistant) can double as an emailer (with mobile phone or landline connected), filofax, scheduler/diary, address book, music and digital photo store. So, it’s your choice. We are very happy with our little ‘Nora’ the navigator and will be loading the maps for France, Spain and Portugal as soon as funds allow.

Happy Motorhoming.

PDA’s from £200/£400
Tom Tom GPS receiver & software, inc. UK maps £170/£225
Compact flash jacket £70/£90
Compact flash memory card 512 meg £105/£130  (shop around, I bought same size for £80 on the web, WEBMASTER)
Tom Tom Europe maps £123
PDA charger cigar lighter lead £20-£46
* as you can see, prices vary between dealers.

NEW MEMBERS

Roger & Helen Foster of Leicester of Woodbridge, Suffolk
Sam & Lorraine Jameson of Co Antrim
Bob & Jo Crawley of Didcot
Duncan & Joyce Riddell of Waterlooville, Hants
Ken & Anne Mitchell of Plymouth
Derek & Anne Bennett of Whitstable
Raymond & Susan Welbourn of Holyhead
David & Jean James of Poole
Glyn & Anita Griffiths of Ceredigion
Denis & Rita Wells of Melton Mowbray
Jeffrey & Tricia Sapsford of Melton Mowbray

EDEN CAMP MEETING

The meet is Friday, Saturday, Sunday 2nd-4th April 2004.

Cost is £9 per unit per night, which includes admission to the museum throughout the rally.

Since we are not rallying on our DEFFRA certificate, guest units will be welcome, with the usual £2 guest fee pr unit per rally.

Please contact me up to 2 weeks before he start so that I can let Eden Camp know how many units to expect.

Paul Smeaton

SPANISH FOLLOW ON MEET

There is to be an informal gathering in Spain after the Rousillion Rally.
So, if you are attending the French Rally, or are in Spain around the time why not join Tim and Honor in Dolores which is between Allicante and Torrevieja.
The site we are using is the small Cabins & Camping Los Niguez which is very close to Tim and Honor’s villa (see advert on preceding page.) Members will be there from about Sept 23rd onwards.
You can email Lynda on LyndaBrettle@netscape.net
The charges per pitch per night are:-
13euro 3-6 days
9euro 7-30 days
plus 3euro for electric hook-up
Members get a 10% discount .
If you need any more info Honor can be contacted on 00 34 4670 376 798 after 10th September.

RDH SERVICE VAN

Unfortunately RDH will not be able to bring their service van to York and to Shepton Mallet. They apologize for this which is due to staff unavailability.

Rousillion Rally

One week in Estavar and one week in Argeles
Booking now closed.
Last minuters, if you want to join us, text Shirley, and she will see if she can squeeze you in

RDH will be there
No Service Van
Marshals- Brian & Mavis Baldwin
Helpers - required

RDH will be there
No Service Van
Marshals - Colin & Frances Varley
Helpers - required
Raffle Prizes appreciated
Oct - follow-on Spain
There will be an informal meet to follow-on after the Rousillion Rally - see note on previous page.

Marshals - Paul & Carol Smeaton
See write up on previous page.