Issue 7

Leave to go to Spain on 6th June with Jessie the Rottweiller, all present and correct, vaccination documents, export certificates for France and Spain. Took her to the vet 5 days before the off and got a clean bill of health. Jessie loved Spain and France.

The return - by this time no one except the vet in England had looked at her paperwork.

10am on the day we set off back to England Jessie attends the vet got frontline put on the back of her neck, 3 tablets for worms, ticks etc and certificate post dated by 3 days and off we go.

Stayed at a nice campsite in Cambrills (Oasis Mar S A Mont Roig Tarragonna) met Paul and lan Reynolds in their Benimar (no. R 8 ALB) who are moving to Spain. They were on their way to Puerto Benois to their new apartment. Although we had had 4 weeks we felt really envious. We all had a meal together and said our goodbyes. Next day we head for France staying in a friendly site (Moulin de Campech) at Villefranche du Queyran just in time for tea - cod and chips - great, lovely fruit cake - only takes 60 vans - very clean.

The next site was what they call a municipal - cheap, clean and friendly, called Eureloir in Chartres. There is a lovely riverside walk from the site to the town and cathedral.

We then head for Calais expecting to be checked as we had Jessie, but straight on the boat and straight off the other side (I hope it had crossed the channel in between - Ed). No one looked at Jessie or the paperwork from when she was at the vets in England, so what has happened to all our laws?

The 24 - 48 hour rule for having animals wormed and sprayed before returning to UK can cause a few logistical problems, We have found that by using a vet some distance from the port, we save money and avoid having to hang around Cherbourg for the day.

Dr Stanislas de Brek
Vetinaire Associe
105 Avenue Henry-Cheron
1400 CAEN
Tel: 02 31 75 20 97

Very pleasant man with some English. Ave Henry-Cheron is one of the main roads out of Caen to the south west - I think it goes through Bretteville. Travelling south the surgery Is on the left indicated by a blue cross. There is room to park a Motorhome in the private car park.

Also pleasant with a little English. Park your van in the coach park behind the Tourist Office, which is near the big bridge and close to the river. You have to go through the car park and up a ramp, but there is plenty of room when you reach the coach park. The vet is within walking distance, but get directions from the tourist office as it is situated down a narrow street, about 5 minutes walk. Arnboise is a lovely town and is worth spending some time exploring.

Clinique Vetinaire du Puits au-Verrier
J Souchard, C Louche, T Cadudal
1 Boulevard du ler Chasseurs
61000 Alencon
Tel: 02 33 27 60 29

Good English but most expensive. Not far from the centre of town. You should be able to park in the street nearby, but I can't remember exactly how we got there! Another interesting town.

It is best to phone ahead, as most vets seem to work on a 'Consultations sur Rendezvous' system, except in emergencies.

Also allow plenty of time, because they all want to chat and practice their English. If possible take your own copies of the various forms with you. You can get these off the web. Sorry I can't find the web address but ? Pet Passports will probably find it for you. Many people, not only vets, still work in their old currencies and convert to Euros. Check their rate of exchange and make sure it is somewhere near the official rate, as it is very easy to round everything up!

If your animal is at all delicate, use boiled or bottled water not the water from your tank as this varies enormously in quality. A couple of spoons of plain yoghurt settles dogs stomachs quite quickly. If it is very hot, dip your animals paws in cold water (difficult to do with goldfish, parrots and stick insects - Ed) to lower it's temperature. Even cats appreciate this in soaring temperatures.

We prefer our dogs to have injections for tapeworm; sometimes the pills make them sick. We also take our own supply of Frontline tick spray - you can buy this in any pharmacy displaying a blue and green sign. Spray regularly in France and Spain, slightly shorter intervals than recommended for the UK, especially if you are wild camping on farms where there are goats or sheep. Around the Med the ticks are ferocious. If you are walking through the countryside it is quite a goos idea to spray your own socks and anklles.

A warning about rabies jabs. My vet has alerted me to the fact that, although the rabies vaccine is valid for 3 years in the UK, France requires animals to be vaccinated annually. Check before travelling as the regulations are continually being revised.

A big thank you to Graham and Chris Baines for fitting me into the Club site at the Lincoln Show.

A problem with my caravan door made me abandon plans for a tour of the South West of England and return the 'van to RDH. The timing was such that RDH could inspect Kit before the show, but could not fix it until after the show. As I had not planned to be in the area at the time of the show I had not booked, so it was extremely pleasant to be welcomed by Graham and Chris, meet many other Benimar owners and to be treated as a bona fide rallyer.

This was my first rally in the 'van, but trepidation dissipated rapidly on arrival. A bonus was finding out at the Hollies concert that Lorna Thomson and I have at least one mutual acquaintance. The Benimar site seemed to be the most organised of the Show, well signposted from the entrance, spacious pitches and 'vans neatly lined up. Graham and Chris achieved everything calmly and diligently without being in any way officious.

The previous issue of the magazine indicating discounts with Safeguard arrived 2 days after I had renewed my insurance. A 'phone call to Safeguard produced a cheque sufficient to pay my Club subscription for a couple of years. Good service from Safeguard and a big Thank You to whoever negotiated the Club Discount.

Having knocked the roof mounted aerial off at its base I decided to fit a directional type. The one I have fitted is a Status 530/5 and it gives a lot better picture than the original multi-directional one. It is mounted on a pole which comes through the roof and into the wardrobe, which means it can be turned from inside the 'van. Cost is £10,9 plus any fitting.

All it took was a phone call to one of the many sites on the island, in our case The Orchards near Yarmouth and they do all the rest; ferry both ways, times of departure etc, giving you a total price.

We travelled with Red Funnel from Southampton to East Cowes - a nice crossing with no hassle and our 2 dogs could travel with us on the passenger deck.

The roads are all well sign-posted and easy to follow, but just be aware of the speed limits, some as low as 20 mph. A good buy for us was a map of the island with the places of interest all marked and listed, and there are a lot of them.

The campsite we stayed at was nice. clean with plenty of amen~ but we found a bit of trouble emptying the waste tank, good old lay-bys score again. The Benimar went well apart from the diesel pipe splitting but the local garage soon had us running again.

There is something on the island to suit most tastes, energetic or relaxed, and h is very Motorhome friendly well worth a visit.

Dave's notes on full timing were interesting. However, I would not recommend using bleach to cure smells it may corrode your pipes. Vinegar works much better. When you have finished washing up etc. flush sink, basin, shower and cooker drain with small amount of clean water. Pour one dessert spoon of vinegar down each hole. As you drive along the motion of the 'van will slosh this around and remove any build-up of smelly gunge. Another tip, from Judy Smith, put all the plugs in.

Having seen how much extra space Honor and Tim have made in their .van by reducing the size of the dinette table, we went home and looked at ours (Aereo 6000ST). We need to keep the full size table as we occasionally use the bed (it was essential when I was hit with the Spanish Tummy late one night!) However, by moving the leg and clips from the short sides to the long sides, not only do we find it more comfortable to eat at, there is now space immediately by the door to welcome visitors (especially those bearing bottles) and to remove wet coats

We have already replaced the heavy lounge table with slats to form the rear bed - our lounge is u-shaped . By re-arranging the cushions and cutting the slats in half it is very easy to roll the bed halfway back, lift up one of the smaller cushions, stow it on one side, stow one half of the slats under the side cushions and, hey presto, a sitting area, without having to remake the bed, and it is also much easier to reach the overhead lockers. If you only remove the cushion, the slats can be used as extra work space when cooking one of those elaborate meals that requires every saucepan in the cupboard and the dinette area has been turned into an art studio !

Those of you who own older vehicles, will be pleased to hear that Mari-Ben passed her first MOT with flying colours. As the vehicle is left hand drive, we had to fit a second rear fog light and stick tapes over our headlights. As she is plated at 3850 kgs she is classed as a Private Light Goods Vehicle and had to go to a Commercial garage to be tested. In case any member in the South West is having difficulty finding a garage with a high enough entrance, I will happily supply the address of one we use near Honiton.

Thank you to Tim and Honor. The rally at your home was one of the best rally that we have been to. You and your family made us very welcome, thanks for the evening entertainment in the pub and the smashing barbecue. Not to forget the trip to the Kent Show and all the work that you put into the rally. I must not forget Tim's help on van maintenance - thank you both very much.

Please show the enclosed photo of Tim (see below (unfortunately I do not have the photo and the pictures in the magazine do not scan well. Webmaster)) in charge of cooking at his son's home; it was his birthday and we were all invited to the barbecue.

Their younger son gave Beryl and myself a lift into Faversham. Beryl was trying to lose weight, but after the Lloyd Grossman samples of the food in the pub and the barbecue it was a losing battle and she regained the 1 kg she had lost earlier.

After the rally 1 had 4 new tyres fitted free from Firestone. The old ones were cracking around the tread and 1 contacted Firestone who sent an engineer to inspect them. They agreed to replace them with newly developed Bridgestone tyres. I hope that these tyres will last. If you have a problem or any doubts about your Firestone tyres try contacting Firestone - after a few calls they did respond. Sorry about the delay in sending this letter, I only type with one finger and it's taken me a long time.

Having just returned from a most enjoyable time at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, I felt we should recommend the site we stayed at during our visit.. Finding an acceptable site within reasonable access of a city centre in this country is not always easy. but we came up trumps with this one. It is Gelder Wood Country Park, Ashworth Road, Rochdale OL11 5UP. It is near Heywood and only a few minutes off the M66 motorway which links nearby with the M60. It Is a very pleasant site, well laid out and very quiet. It has a good shower block and it Is owned and run by exceptionally friendly people (Mr and Mrs P Chadwick). They have run the site for 10 years.

On the modifications theme, we have added several touches to our Europe 6000 (T reg). One of the most successful has been replacing the awkward square table In the lounge with a circular one. We picked up this idea from John and June Harris at Peterborough and it has made a big difference, being much easier to got in and out of the seats. For the bed base we use wooden slats joined together by webbing which store very easily.

Three brass coat hooks fitted to the side of the wardrobe (on the left as you enter) have proved useful - for umbrellas as well as other things. Next to these we have fitted an attractive brass clock which we bought at Peterborough. This is a handy place and it looks good.

We would be interested in comments from members on how they have overcome the waste bin problem. We have tried several things and presumably a permanent fitting on the inside of the side door is the answer - but where are these available? We haven't found one that is reasonably priced.

Finally, thanks Ron for your comments regarding your visit to Ireland. We were thinking seriously about a similar trip, but we had several doubts most of which you had confirmed.

Thank you for your excellent no. 6 magazine. I was sorry to hear of your Irish experience - here's mine.

On our third visit to Eirenns Green Isle recently (8 hr sailing Fleetwood to Lame £170 return with 2 meals included each way) we visited the Antrim coast, all Donegall, Connemarra, Sligo and some of Mayo.

We met again a white witch In the poisoned glen who Invited us in to her tiny cottage for tea and biscuits and the most enjoyable 2 hour chat with too many fantastic stories to repeat here!

We gave 7 German teenage hitchhikers a lift - they were from Hamburg and gave us a photo of the group. They sang German and Irish songs to us with the accompaniment of a guitar. I wish I'd had my tape recorder.

We bartered with fisherman on the beach for wild salmon (2ft for 20 euro). A German lady got hers for 7 euro. We stayed on some of the most beautiful locations - with or without other campers for company. Some brilliant sunrises and sunsets.

We were entertained on the return ferry journey by a Spanish wagon driver, immaculately dressed who could get by in 11 languages and write 6 languages. He had been shot 7 times in the leg by the IRA some years ago for giving cheek! after he refused to hand over his vehicle and got away with it.

We met Australian, German and fantastic Irish people everywhere who came to me for a chat - my little luxury, a real pleasure in life.

I thought that I would pass on to all, a problem I overcame regarding the lack of a shelf in the rear lounge area. We removed our table from the rear lounge as we found it too large and took up too much space. We then had the problem of nowhere to put the cup of tea (or stronger).

We felt that the bathroom wall was too flimsy to fix a shelf to so we looked for another solution.

The idea we came up with was to use the metal frame at the rear of the seat backs. This has a series of holes already drilled at approx 14" apart (355mm). The holes are 13mm and I opened them up using a 15mrn bit, drilling was simple.

Then using 15mm tubing (I found stainless steel to be the strongest) I fashioned a support. I then mounted a piece of plywood to the top. This sits proud of the front and skies by 2Omm see diagram below. The tubing was drilled to accommodate screws to hold the top to the support, and finished off by drilling holes. one in each leg for a pin to stop the shelf at the required height.

We were very interested in Ron's comments on Ireland as we were over there at more or less the same time, and must have taken a similar route. We only saw one other Benimar during our entire trip and that was at Doolin It was an Anthus, so I don't expect it was you (correct - Ed), but it was the only morning that we had any rain.

We agree with most points made, however there are quite a few differences of opinion. We found the Flesk site last year with the caravan and decided to give it a miss this year for the same reasons that you found. We could name a few more iffy sites as well, but there are a few very good ones (send me an email if you want a list of both types of site. I don't want to be done for libel for some of our comments! ).

Parking we found to be reasonable as we tend not to stop at the so called Kodac points. We prefer to pull over at less popular places where we get a completely different perspective. The house decor, as Ron describes is a bit garish and we think we may have found the winner. The walls were pale blue, the windows pink and the boundary fence bright yellow - the proverbial sky blue pink with yellow border.

We cannot agree on the price of food. We found that vegetables were only slightly more expensive over there, but meat was generally much cheaper. We came home with a fridge stocked with pork and beef. Sirloin, T-bone and rib-eye steak were all about £1.60 per lb, pork steaks about £1 per lb, all very much cheaper that the UK.

Out of interest the cheapest place we found was the supermarket in Rosslare harbour. It even had some wines cheaper that they are in the UK, though in general all alcohol is dearer over there.

We have now toured Ireland both with a caravan and motorhome and though we can't say Ireland is motorhome unfriendly, we think that it is easier to tour by caravan. Do not plan too long a trip between sites, stopping for a couple of nights before moving on.

We enjoyed the Irish election on TV. If you think that our politicians can bulls ... then listen to the Irish talk for 2 hours and say nothing.

Travelling down the A10 south of Poitiers a rear tyre (Dunlop) blew a few yards from an Aires slip road, tossed up whether to stay put or limp into it. Thinking that more damage may be caused by moving we put out our warning triangles and called on our mobile to AA assistance numbers on our Safeguard/AA card.

Each attempt resulted in a recording not recognising the number try again - Panic. I then rang Safeguard who gave me an alternative number, made contact and was told someone would be there within the hour. Some 10 minutes later the Gendarmes arrived, they were not pleased, seems we should have rung the police not the AA.

They made us move onto the Aire with a van behind us with blue lights flashing and a motorcycle alongside. They said that they had sent for assistance - 45 minutes - I asked about paying. 'No pay" they said. OK, I then rang the AA and cancelled them and waited. Eventually a garageman came with his heavyweight jack (the ones supplied with the 'van are useless (I have used mine several times and found it satisfactory - Ed), changed the wheel, then presented his bill. Gendarmes say "No pay", he say "Pay" and so it went on.

I could see it was a no-win situation and offered a credit card. Ah! garage, indicating in the distance, then tried the AA logo and said "Assistance" which he recognised but still "garage'. Thinking the garage was not too far we decided to go to sort it out. I had to get into the breakdown truck with him (so we couldn't abscond down the motorway without paying - though I reckon might have been tempted as he followed!

The vague distance turned out to be 15 - 20 miles. We arrived at the garage and the owner rang the AA control and it was sorted out without us having to pay. Another 15 - 20 miles back to the motorway, we were really cheesed off.

If any members are in the Safeguard/AA scheme please check the Euro Assist numbers. They should be 00 44 870 574 6725 or 00 44 121 585 2034. We had been with them for 6 years and still had the old numbers.

Is everyone aware that they must telephone the police for assistance in the event of a breakdown on French Motorways? In which case you have to pay the breakdown man. If you don't have enough euros then you may have a run round the countryside to the "garage".

Until this happened we took comfort in the fad that help would be at hand to fix or tow us off the motorway free of charge, not so, we should have read the small print.

We bought a new Dunlop tyre in France for £105.Back home, we booked the 'van in for a service at the local commercial vehicle garage. Everything was OK, front tyres fine, but the rear one (23,000 miles) had a badly twisted carcass and he wouldn't have passed it for the MOT. The other put on in France and had done about 2,000 miles was beginning to twist He advised going to a tyre place for them to be changed.

We decided to have two 10 ply Michelins (£208 the pair) fitted to the rear and have kept the borderline one as a spare for the front (A new Dunlop was £127).

Could this twisting be cause of blow-outs? Is it all connected to the weight on the back?

As you may have read in the last Magazine, Benimar is now using a Mercedes chassis/cab for RHD versions of the Top models. This is partly because Fiat will not supply them with the extra long wheelbase chassis/cab in RHD form (previously they have had the normal long wheelbase extended in Spain, but this costs about £2,500.) and also because Benimar want to offer Mercedes as well as Fiat models (particularly for the German market).

RDH have just received the first one and Rod readily agreed to my request for a test drive (he was probably hoping for a sale!). So what did I make of it. My comparisons on driving are with the old Fiat (F1). The comparisons of features etc are with the latest Fiat (F2).

Initial impressions of the cab are very favourable; it is pleasing to the eye, uncluttered and quite car like. The gear lever is dash mounted, and the handbrake is mounted conventionally on the left of the driver's seat.

There is cab air-conditioning but no airbag (as with the F2). There is a central locking switch operating on both cab doors.

The windows and mirrors are electrically operated. There are 6 air vents (as opposed to 10 on F2). There appears to be a position to allow the fan to operate when the ignition is off - presumably handy if you leave pets in the 'van. There is a small lockable glovebox, which sports 2 cup holders in the lid, but little other storage spaces. The door pockets (in both doors) are very slim and nowhere near as handy the large F2 ones.

There is the same Panasonic radio/CD player as on F2 with the speakers sited at either end of the dash (as F2, and much better place than by your feet as on F1).

The cab floor is flat sloping up from rear to front. Under the passenger's feet is the cover for the tool storage, in the passenger door space for warning triangle and torch and in the driver's door is a first aid kit (nice Merc touches).

The seats look impressive and are the pilot seats made by Sportscraft that are an option on the Europe range. They feel quite hard (typically German), have a centre panel to match the 'van upholstery and have nicely padded armrests which felt more comfortable than the F2. There is quite a bit more space behind the seat than F2 which could be put to good use.

And so to driving it. The model I drove was the 313 (which has the 2.2 litre 127 bhp engine) but the future models will be on the 316 (5 cylinder 2.7 litre 156 bhp). The Mercedes is rear wheel drive, while the Fiat front wheel drive.

Engine noise is well suppressed and it pulls eagerly. The big difference to the Fiat, immediately noticeable is that it is much more softly sprung which irons out bumps, such as speed humps much better, but does sway much more on change of direction. I am not sure how it would handle in a strong cross wind or when fully laden, particularly with a scooter on the back.. The lack of air suspension on the rear (Mercedes don't allow it) accentuates this. I would imagine that you would need to put the corner steadies down if you use the rear lounge area, and particularly if you sleep at the back and are still sexually active!.

The brakes have ABS which I didn't have the opportunity to test, but I found the pedal travel alarmingly long and with a spongy feel. Either it was missed on the Merc PDI or that's how they are. I didn't like it. The handbrake was a long stretch to reach.

The seats felt comfortable enough on this short drive, only a days driving will tell. There is plenty of fore/aft movement and they are located a little lower (relative to the top of the screen) so could suit taller drivers better. The seat belts are height adjustable, but at their lower setting fouled the plastic surround which prevented them retracting - this seemed to be standard Mercedes fitting which was surprising.

Both seats swivel but foul the seat belt anchorage and the driver's one could not be turned unless the handbrake was released!

Since my exploding tyres escape I am always looking at tyres. Benimars, for some time now, have been coming on the larger, stronger Michelin Camping Car Tyre. The Fiat LHD Top was 215175 x 16 With a max pressure of 80psi. The Mercedes was supplied with ordinary Michelin XC Tyres, 225170 x 16 with a max pressure of 65psi.

There is certainly a difference in ride/handling. The Mercedes rides bumps much better but wallows a lot. If you are thinking of buying a Mercedes model, do have a good test drive with the 'van fully laden. The F2 scores on ventilation, storage place, door pockets. I am told that the latest common rail Fiat is smoother, quieter and more economical than the Fl that I own. The Top on the Merc 316 chassis could be quite a flyer though. On reflection I think that the Mercedes would make an ideal panel van conversion, but I have doubts about its suitability as the base for a long, high coachbuilt motorhome, particularly with a scooter on the back.

The price of the Mercedes 316 RHD or LHD Europe Top ST is £43,800.
The price of the Fiat 2.8 RHD Europe Top ST is £41,300.
The price of the Fiat 2.8 LHD Europe Top ST is £38,509

Just after I had penned the above I received an email from David Gue (who is also member of the Compass and Herald Club) which made very interesting reading.

Some of our members have recently bought Autotrail Cheyennes, 6 on the Mercedes chassis and 3 on the Fiat.

The Fiat owners seem to be pleased with their units excepting a few quality problems such as excessive noise and plastic cab steps that break up. One with the JTD engine tells me that the noise problem is now somewhat less than the earlier TDi.

The Mercedes owners also had a few minor quality problems (electric windows and immobiliser that failed) Out were all shocked to find that their 'vans were very unstable unless carefully loaded. One couple reported that the husband was white knuckled clinging to the steering wheel to try and keep the beast straight on their winter trip to Spain. When they got back John modified his 'van to try and overcome the problem.

It seems that the basic van, lightly loaded is reasonable, but when carrying water in the (rear mounted) tank and a scooter, the back end has a mind of its own.

A second club member lost his scooter on a highway in France due to the excessive rear end waggle, and the poor machine was run over and destroyed by a truck. They realised their loss after a few minutes and retraced their journey to find a truck driver searching the ditch for a scooter rider he thought he had just run over. This Mercedes owner has removed his scooter rack and uses bicycles, and the problem is greatly reduced.

It would be interesting to know if this instability is inherent in the Mercedes base vehicle or if it is the design of the Cheyenne, or if our Herald Club members are loading the back end excessively.

BARGAIN

PROTEC COVER to fit Europe Top with right hand door - brand now, still boxed (new price £480).

Offers over £100.

The Club has been given the above cover to try to find a good home for it, proceeds going to Club funds.

The generous donor is Judy Povey. Judy and her husband Doug ordered a Europe Top in May last year to fulfil their dreams of motorhoming round Europe. 3 days later Doug died of a heart attack.

Judy cancelled the order for the Top but, not surprisingly, forgot all about the cover they had ordered. A few weeks later it arrived on the doorstep!

The covers are made to fit and therefore only suitable for a Europe Top with RH door. I suppose it would fit an Aereo Top, but with a bit of spare fabric over the cab. Also a Europe would would have 16" of spare material at the back.

If you would like to make an offer lot me know and it will go to the highest bidder (reserve of £100).

Ron Smith

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

Benimar 6000 ST TDi

V reg Sept 1999 11,000 miles One careful lady owner - £28,500 Full English spec Green interior, microwave, grill, carpets in cab and rear Extras: Bike/ Motorscooter rack Reversing camera, Safari Room, Deadlocks and alarm, Safe, Solar panels Extra 12v battery, Hoover

Tel: 017955222391 / 07767484292 and ask for Honor or Tim

CLUB STICKERS

Vinyl stickers of the club logo suitable for adorning the front and rear of your Benimar.

They are 230mm x 17Omm (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).

ALTERNATIVE POWER

THE FORGEN WIND GENERATOR

PROVIDING A TRICKLE CHARGE 24 HRS A DAY,
PROVIDING THERE IS A BREEZE. VERY QUIET IN RUNNING, NO NEED FOR ELECTRIC HOOK UP, KEEPS BATTERY TOPPED UP WHILE NOT IN USE, CAN BE FIXED ANYWHERE ON VEHICLE, BOAT OR CAN BE USED FOR POWER IN A GREENHOUSE, SHED,ETC.

Bracket supplied for easy fixing to Side, Back, Ladder, Roof Box, Masts Rails or wherever required. No maintenance required, Sealed Bearings, Non Blade Design, Corrosion Resistant External Components, Electric Circuit Fully Protected, Solid State Rectifier.

10% DISCOUNT FOR BENIMAR OWNERS' CLUB MEMBERS

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PRICES etc. Contact

CHRIS@DUNSTABLE KITES

or Phone 01582 662779
07977 572293

Warners tell me that the Music and Leisure Show in July was a huge success. Over 1600 units camped on site and there were over 3500 day visitors. The show will be On 18th to 20th July next year.

I had an email from Freda Pilz which included "just returned from a few days in Cornwall and Devon looking at the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan in the van" No wonder they are lost if you have got them in your van!

I am hoping to organise a rally in early March 2003 in Spain if there is enough interest.

Judy and I willi be in Spain during October and November and I hope to sort out one or more suitable sites. My current thoughts are a site in the Costa Brava (say around Tarragona area) for a week, or more with maybe another site further south. You make you own way over, do your own thing and meet up for a week or so.

If you are interested drop me a letter or an email so that I can see what response there is on my return.

Honor and Tim Hewitt have told me that they are happy for any member to spend a night on their patch at Sittingbourne. This is particularly handy if you are on your way to or from the Dover Ferry as they are only 30 minutes drive away. Their telephone no. is 01795 522239. If they are away their son knows all about it.

I am sad to report that a few members are changing their 'vans and not going for another Benimar. Mike and Angle Waterfield have now got a Mirage as they needed something smaller to fit in the garden of their Spanish abode, Chris and Sue Apperley have bought a Euromobile and Tim and Honor Hewitt have ordered a Burstner

Just a reminder to anyone who drives wearing glasses that in Spain you must have a spare pair on board. Apparently the Spanish police have been doing spot checks and issuing fines !

Having appointed VanBitz as the Benimar agency for the South West, Rick tells me that RDH are looking for another agency this time in the North of England or Scotland.

The Sport range has been discontinued.
The Anthus range revamped - new windows and graphics outside and 3 new layouts including 2 new Anthus 6000 models.
The Aereo and Europe ranges have even more layout options 5 and 13 respectively and of course 10 new Mercedes Tops.

The main change to the Europe and Aereo is the new door with double locking and a window, which I think is a great improvement. Unfortunately this new door is only available with hinges on the right (for the continental left hand side door). I don't see why it can't be fitted to some of the UK layouts although it may mean a sliding window where the door opens across it. The microwave is a mains version which makes much more sense to me.

if you are a frequent user of P&O Ferries you might be interested in becoming a shareholder and taking advantage of their discounts. To be eligible you need 600 P&O 5 1/2 % Preference Shares (Not P&O Ordinary Stock). These are nominal £1 shares and pay 5 1/2 % interest in June. The current price is about 170p. The discounts are 50% on Dover-Calais and 40% on Portsmouth sailings. You have to be a shareholder the calendar year before the discounts apply. So buy some before the year end and start benefiting from Jan lst onward.

One of our members (I'll call him lan for the purpose of this article and because that's his name) bought a new super-duper automatic satellite dish - you know the ones that unfold themselves then swivel round an lock onto all the satellites ever launched.

Having established the only position for it he was up on the roof checking that it did not foul anything. Sylvia was operation the various buttons inside the 'van. All was fine up reared the dish, out came the arm, round and round it went. "OK said lan you can switch it off now".

The unit obediently folded up and came to rest and Sylvia went in the house to watch London's Burning. lan then came to get down from the roof and discovered that the dish had come to rest over the top of the ladder. Not being over-endowed in the leg department, he could not get down, and Sylvia was out of earshot. It was starting to get dark but luckily, in what seemed an eternity, an old dear of about 85 came along the pavement walking her dog.

'Hello" shouted lan from the roof of his 'van. The old dear nearly jumped out of her skin looking skywards thinking that it was the voice of God calling. 'I'm up here" called lan on the roof and she finally saw him.

"Could you tell my wife that I am stuck on the roof please". She did and eventually Sylvia tore herself away from the TV and came out to effect the rescue.

I feel that I must apologise to Dave Amende. He won the Currency Competition in a previous issue of the magazine. I thought long and hard about a suitable prize and as he always has his cat with him I thought a "Cat Lovers Companion Diary would be perfect. This, I duly presented to Dave at the coffee morning of the York Show.

I know its a bit early but at the Peterborough Show Rally we are intending to hold a raffle. All donations will be gratefully accepted. So if you are coming to the rally have a look for something valuable but that you don't really want, bring it with you and give it to a good cause. You never know you may win it back!

Simon & Wendy Davies from Gedling, Notts
Kelth & June Austin from Penzance, Cornwall
Carol Driver from Modbury, Devon
Richard & Penny Lloyd from Goring by Sea, Sussex
Leslie & Helen Elliott from Bottesford, Notts
Chris & Anne Wright from Allestree, Derby
David & Marnle Bradbury from Belper, Derby
Ronald & Philomena Payne from Wickford, Essex
David & Veronica Sprason from Upton-upon-Severn

The next magazine will be issued at the end of the year . Those of you wintering abroad may not receive it until well into the new year so this is a reminder that Membership subscriptions are due at the end of December So if you are off to Spain or where-ever why not pay before you go?

The club is allowed one delegate and one other (non-speaking member) to attend. As I shall not be able to attend, Bruce Lawson has volunteered to attend . I am not sure if Janet is accompanying him though.

When Freda Ciesla returned her membership form she enclosed details of the Netley Marsh Steam Fair at which she and her husband Andy: have been marshals for many years. The fair began when a couple of enthusiastic owners got together in a field 7 years ago to let off steam. It has grown into a really big event with over 40 steam engines, old tractors, vintage cars, heavy homes, live music, craft and a fun fair.

The sun shone for most of the weekend on the 7 Benimars at the rally. There were 14 adults and 2 children, Gamma and Alex Hall, a 1954 Citroen Light Fifteen, a trailer full of wind surfing gear, several dogs and Merlin. Everyone was enjoying themselves so much at the fair that we only had time for a brief get-together on Sunday morning for a cup of coffee and a biscuit.

The parades in the main ring gave us all the opportunities to see the wonderful engines and vintage vehicles working. The chorus of steam whistles was very loud, if not exactly tuneful! Keen photographers were allowed into the ring to take close up pictures, and I met Rocky, a 19 hand Belgium horse, and believe me, he looked big even when standing next to a steam engine.

In the small ring, dogs gave a very amusing agility display, a conjurer entertained the crowd and a strong man lifted gravity defying weights. In the fair ground the brave could ride the Wall of Death, the Octopus and the relatively sedate Big Wheel.

Everywhere there was line dancing, country music, a steel band, Bob the Builder and Wendy, the craft tent, a falconry display, a parachute jump and lots more.

Rows of stalls offered everything from apple juice to zebra rugs. Anoraks to a complete zoo made of wood. Many of the food stalls offered local produce - the Dexter burgers wore delicious and the jumbo pork sausages were huge. In the evening there was live entertainment and a fireworks display.

it was a great weekend. I wonder If anyone would be Interested in combining it with a few days exploring in the New Forest next year. There are several good sites In the area, but we would have to book early as it is the beginning of the school holidays.

Well, one stone heavier (that's me not Jessie thanks to Pip's cream teas - lovely.

Tim and I would like to thank Pip and Vic for the effort that they put in to make our weekend enjoyable The weather was pretty good, bonfires were smelly and everyone but us collected wood for the fires, as we were too busy stopping Jessie eating Judy's scarecrow - well it did how a runner been for a mouth, carrot nose, pea eyes sausage (chipolata - well I'll leave that to your Imagination). (No need see the next page for a picture of the prizewinner - ed)

We all went to the pub on Friday evening and had a lovely meal, shame about the apple crumble though, which seemed more like apple mash not cooked - yuk!

We took a look at Marquis Motorcaravans opposite the pub, which was a load of rubbish.

Saturday we had more cream teas then drinks round the campfire followed by an evening barbecue which was great as usual.

On Sunday Ron and Judy took their leave as did 2 others, leaving 5 'vans till Monday. So on Sunday night after more cream teas Pip. Vic, Colin, Frances, Bruce, Janet, Dennis, Beryl, Tim and I gathered round the campfire where Dennis was giving out lovely home grown runner beans. Pip's Mum and Dad also came on Sunday. Thanks to Mum for the scones.

Hope everyone is well.
PS I bet you thought I forgot about the new navy club gazebo. It served its purpose and is much sturdier than the other one.

No report received - which is a shame. I understand that there were about a dozen Benimars at the club rally.

We arrived on Friday evening at about 6pm to find that most ralliers had already arrived and settled in, some having arrived on Thursday.

The weather treated us rather kindly all weekend apart from turning a bit blustery on Sunday.

The coffee morning/meeting on Saturday was a lively affair brightened no doubt by tales of lan's satellite dish escapade. Present and previous rally marshals were presented with 'limited edition' coasters as mementoes. Dave Amende was presented with the prize for winning the Currency Competition in a previous mag. Jeff and Barbara (Paul & Carols caravanning friends who accompany them on most rallies) were absolutely gobsmacked' when presented with a special "boc" (bloody old caravan) sticker.

Ron welcomed two couples who were on their first rally with us, John & Heather Watson and Richard Hall & Christine Anderson - I add my welcome.

Finally the food arrived in the form of a carrot cake baked by Marshal Ann and some fairy cakes from Louise (Dave Amende's partner) - Thank you both.

Our new gazebo looked very impressive and professional and certainly stood up to Sundays wind.

We had about 20 Benimars , a guest Pilote, and of course the alternative boc (b- o- c-)

For some unfathomable reason George didn't bring his wonderful, new, free-standing awning; can't for the life of me think why! Perhaps someone will enlighten me sometime. I must admit that everyone was taken with their lifelike effigies (George and the Dragon) knitted for them by Mary's sister.

I think everyone who went to the Saturday Night Show agreed that it was a great evening. I would be grateful if someone who did go, would explain Barry Cryers *Chicken and Egg" joke to Barbara (the alternative boc) because I gave up!

Many thanks - we look forward to seeing everyone soon.
PS: A final point - would everyone who is going to the Eden Camp Rally give me a ring anytime up to the end of February (on 01709 583432) just so that I can let them know how many units will be arriving.

Just a few words of apology to Honor and Tim. We attended their Dettling Show Rally and went away for several weeks afterwards and so didn't send a letter in to Ron.

We had a great weekend and we both believe it was due to the efforts of Honor and Tim planning things for us. They had organised a taxi for anyone who wanted to go to the show, they invited all of us "bennies" to join them in celebrating their son's birthday on the Saturday evening and then we were invited to an all day barbecue at their son's house on the Sunday!

We had the usual helpful engineering services from fellow ralliers. Tim had a swivel seat fitted and Mary had her microwave mended.

If someone doesn't offer to marshal this rally It will have to be cancelled. Contact Roy Gill for more details

A woman was sitting in a bar, enjoying an after work drink with her girl friends, when an exceptionally tall, handsome, extremely sexy young man entered. He was so striking that the woman could not take her eyes off him. The young man noticed her overly attentive stare and walked directly over to her. Before she could offer her apologies for staring so rudely, he leaned over and whispered to her 'I'll do anything, absolutely anything that you want me to do, no matter how kinky, for £20 - on one condition". Flabbergasted, the woman asked what the condition was. The young man replied "You have to tell me what you want me to do in just three words'. The woman considered his proposition for a moment, then slowly removed from her purse a £20 note, which she pressed into the young man's hand, together with her address. She looked deeply into his eyes and slowly, meaningfully whispered "clean my house".