benimar owners' club
HANDBOOK
Issue 6 - June 2007
| Objectives | Membership | Management | Accounts | Club Events |
| Newsletter | Benefits | Subscription | Cessation | ACCEO |
| Discounts Offers | Rally Guidelines | Rally Rules | Dealers Distributers | Safety in your Motorhome |
1. Name
The club shall be known as the Benimar Owners' Club
2. Objectives
The aim of the club is to promote recreational activities that are of interest to, and for the benefit of its members.
3. Membership
(a) Membership shall be open to any owner, or potential owner of
a Benimar Motorhome, residing in the UK, the Channel Isles and the Isle of Man
and the Republic of Ireland. Membership shall cover 1 or 2 adults
per motorhome.
(b) Every person wishing to become a member shall complete an application form
and together with the annual subscription and joining fee submit it to the Membership
Secretary.
(c) The annual subscription shall become due on the 1st of January each year.
Members are encouraged to pay his/her subscription from the 30th of September. Any member not paying his/her subscription by the
31st of December shall
be considered to have resigned from the Club and shall forfeit all rights and
privileges.
(d) Each member will automatically become a family/personal member of The
Association of Camping and Caravanning Exempted Organisations (ACCEO). The cost
of membership will be included in the Club annual subscription. It will not be
possible for an individual member to opt out.
(e) Associate Membership is available to any former member who no longer is the owner of a Benimar Motorhome and/or no longer lives in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or the Republic of Ireland and wishes to continue his/her association with the Club.
Associate members will enjoy voting rights.
4. Management
(a) Management of the Club shall be by a General Committee, to
be elected annually and to be eligible for renewal at the Annual General
Meeting.
(b) The Annual General Meeting shall take place each April, or as close as is
practical.
(c) The committee shall comprise of the following posts:
Chairman
Secretary
Membership Secretary
Treasurer
Events Co-ordinator
Newsletter Editor
Press Officer
Chief Marshal
(d) A member may take more than one of the positions available for office.
(e) Two auditors shall also be elected
(f) There shall be a position of Honorary President which the Club may award.
This position will be voted for at the AGM and will be for a term of 3 years.
5. Accounts
The club financial year shall commence on the 1st of January and end on the 31st of December, after which date the treasurer shall prepare a balance sheet and statement of accounts. These accounts shall be audited and presented to the Annual General Meeting.
6. Club Events
(a) The club will promote meetings and rallies for the benefit
of members.
(b) There will be a fee for attending these events as appropriate.
(c) Members will be able to invite one unit/motorhome as a guest. Preference
will be given to club members and there will be an additional charge for
visiting outfits.
7. Newsletter
(a) The newsletter, containing a diary of forthcoming events,
review of past events and any other material thought to be of interest to
members will be published at least once a quarter.
(b) The newsletter will be posted to members unless collected at a conveniently
timed event.
(c) Members' adverts will be included for a nominal charge of 4 first class
postage stamps.
8. Benefits
The club will attempt to obtain for members, benefits (such as discounted insurance, ferry fares, etc) and these will be advertised in the newsletter.
9. Subscription
(a) The subscription is to cover the cost of the newsletter,
marshalling, signs, advertising and any other sundry items.
(b) The subscription will be reviewed as required or at the AGM
10. Cessation
In the event of the cessation of the club, any assets at the time shall be donated to a suitable charity, selected by the committee.
ACCEO
From Jan 1st 2004 all BOC members will automatically become family/personal members of ACCEO (Association of Camping and (Caravanning Exempted Organisations). This will entitle you to certain privileges, discounts and invites to rallies. You will receive details and a magazine 3 or 4 times a year.
Link to ACCEO http://www.acceo.org.uk/
Club Discounts/Offers
(see magazine for further offers or Discounts link ) Be prepared to state your membership number
Rvtex. 10% discount on labour charges for all work done. Free maintenance contract on Van Bitz alarms. Tel: 01623 722477 www.rvtex.co.uk
Foxwells (Bags for all sorts of things) - offer a discount for orders of 3 or more, and are at most shows.
Anderton Spairline - a device to enable you to check your spare tyre pressure (and pump it up) remotely. Retails at £9.95. Discounts on 5 or more
Securi-Mark - Etch your reg no. on all the windows (glass and plastic) on your Motorhome. Normally £12, Club price £10, at Peterborough and York Shows.
Safeguard - will give 10% discount for motorcaravan insurance. You must provide them with your membership number, continue to own a Benimar, and do not obtain discount through another club. Tel: 0800 068 7132
Rally Guidelines
Finding a suitable site
If you think that you know of a suitable site for a club rally and are willing to marshal the following checklist will help ascertain its suitability and collect the information we need.
Site Name and address
Contact name
Telephone Number
Opening dates
Maximum number of motorhomes
Fee/unit/night
Drinking Water available ?
Elsan emptying point ?
Waste water disposal ?
Toilets available ?
Showers available ?
Electric Hookups available ?
Fires and/or barbecues allowed?
Dogs allowed ?
The items underlined are essential information
Marshal's Duties
Find a suitable site
Agree a date with the site owner and Club Events Co-ordinator
Supply details to Club Event Co-ordinator for entry into Club Newsletter
Arrive in good time to mark out pitches and put up direction signs as necessary
Check out the facilities and advise members
Set up a fire point (at least a bucket of water)
Greet arrivals and direct them to an allocated pitch
Ensure that the code of conduct is adhered to and club rules are adhered to
Any other activities (coffee mornings, quizzes,
competitions etc) are at the marshals discretion
Unless prepaid, collect site fees and settle up with the site owner.
Rally Rules
Note: The use of a rally site is a privilege and it is the responsibility of the rally marshal to see that this privilege is not abused, and that the good name of the club is upheld.
Rallies held on unlicenced sites (not at Shows and Caravan Sites) are held under DEFRA rules. The club holds an Exemption Certificate and we must comply with the following Code of Conduct
i Introduction
1. One named person, who is a member of the organisation, is to be responsible for the conduct of each meeting and for ensuring that members attending the meeting comply with the code.
ii Venue
2. The responsible person should take reasonable
steps to satisfy himself or herself that the site proposed for a meeting is not
one which is the subject of an order under paragraph 13 of Schedule 1, or an
Article 4 direction, nor one for which planning permission has been refused or
where enforcement action has been taken. Organisations should also seek the
agreement of the local authority before meeting on sites adjacent to sites for
which planning permission has been granted.
3. Organisations should not meet on sites operating under paragraph 5 of
Schedule 1 to the 1960 Act (certificated locations or certificated sites) or on
sites adjacent to them, unless the proposed site is clearly differentiated and
the risk of interference with local people and other users is minimal.
4. Organisations should take care that the siting of caravans does not
unduly interfere with the activities of local people, their privacy or the
enjoyment of their property. They should also take care that the siting of
caravans does not interfere with the enjoyment by others of the landscape or
natural beauty of the area, and the nature conservation value of areas. This is
especially important in areas designated for their qualities of landscape or
wildlife.
5. Organisations should avoid the over-use of any venue and consider
carefully before holding successive meetings at the same venue.
iii Nuisance
6. Local people should be able to carry on their normal
activities where meetings are in progress and disturbance to them should be
minimised. Complaints should be treated seriously and steps taken to investigate
and deal with the causes of complaints.
7. Care should be taken not to damage the site or surrounding locality.
Trees, fences, buildings, equipment and stock should be respected.
8. Domestic animals belonging to members of the organisation should be
kept on a lead, under close control. They should not be allowed to run loose on
the site or cause disturbance to local people or animals. They should be
exercised away from caravans and parts of the site used for communal activities
and any mess should be picked up.
9. The responsible person should identify open space suitable for games
which might otherwise intrude on or constitute a danger or annoyance to
caravanners or others on or around the site.
10. Noise should be kept to a minimum for the comfort of other
caravanners on the site as well as people who live and work nearby.
iv Road safety and access
11. The responsible person should take reasonable steps
to ensure that travel from major roads to a proposed site is not likely to cause
undue disruption to or difficulties for local people and other road users. He
should also take reasonable steps to ensure that access to the proposed site is
suitable for the number and likely size of units attending the meeting.
Organisations should spread the arrival and departure of caravans to minimise
disruption to local people and other road users.
12. The speed of vehicles on the site should be restricted to 5 mph.
v Spacing and density
13. Units should be well spaced. Units should be sited so that they do not restrict access to or exit from the unit or the area in case of emergencies. Emergency vehicles should be able to secure access to each unit on site.
vi Fire precautions
14. Open fires and barbecues should not be held except
with the permission of the responsible person. Where permission is given for
open fires or barbecues, they should be sited in open ground, away from vans,
vehicles, awnings and any other structures.
15. Caravans should carry a fire extinguisher approved to British
Standards Institute and/or Fire Officers Certificate standards.
vii Chemical toilets, waste water disposal
16. Organisations should act responsibly with respect to
the disposal of the contents of chemical toilets and waste water disposal and
take full account of the need to safeguard water supplies and prevent the
pollution of rivers and streams.
17. On-site disposal of the contents of chemical toilets and waste water
should be in accordance with arrangements agreed with the site owner or manager.
Neither should be allowed to foul the ground except at designated disposal
points.
viii Refuse disposal
18. Organisations should ensure that refuse is either
taken home or disposed of in accordance with on-site arrangements. The
responsible person should be satisfied that appropriate arrangements are in
place.
19. The responsible person should ensure that the site is clear of litter
after the m eating.
ix Other information
20. The responsible person should also be aware of the terms of the Caravan Code, the Country Code and the Coastal Code.
Exemption Certificate
The club has been granted an Exemption Certificate from DEFRA (the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). This permits the dub to organise rallies on non-licensed sites, in the UK. It is valid until 12th Dec 2011.
Benimar Dealers/Distributers
UK
BCS Herne Bay, Kent 01227 374544
Mendip Caravan Centre Weston-Super-Mare 01934 876633
RVTex ` Newstead (Notts) 01623 722477
RDH ?? Kirkby-in-Ashfield 08707 585050
Belgium
VSG - Nubri Lanaken 89 73 16 26
Frappart Quaregnon 65 78 48 88
France
24 JLB Auto Loisirs Coulounieix- Chamiers 05 53 04 40 01
30 Cevennes Caravanes Cardet 04 66 83 00 35
37 Relais Caravanair Veretz 02 47 50 31 70
44 AAB Loisirs La Montagne 02 40 65 64 66
47 Ets Farfal Villeneuve-sur-Lot 05 5349 20 10
71 Garage Dom. Perroux St Marcel 03 85 96 60 32
73 Alpes Evasion. Voglans 04 79 61 23 83
76 Plein Air CC Yvetot 02 35 56 15 15
95 Paris RV Le Plesis Bouchard 01 34 15 04 37
Germany
Carbotec Konigs Wusterhausen 33 75 21 780
Koch Freizeit-Fahrzeuge Itzehoe 48 21 68 050
Mobile & Freizeit Greubenheim 93 69 98 02 84
Ferber Reisenmobile Schwartzenbek 41 51 87 08 85
Holland
Benica BV Enschede 53 43 49 494
Iceland
Vikurverk Tangarhofol 04 56 72 357
Ireland
Anchor Point Limerick 061 37 99 03
Italy
Meglioli Spezzano (Modena) 05 98 22 720
Easy Camper Biella 01 57 02 333
Autocaravan SRL Cavenano (Milan) 02 95 01 677
Happy Car Castigliona Olona 03 31 86 11 23
Guglielmi Alonte (Vicenza) 04 44 83 15 98
Autoinindustriali Sica Srl Imola (Bologna) 05 24 66 16 11
Cesarini Camper Osimo (Ancona) 07 17 23 25 84
Overland Srl Nocera Inferiore (Salerno) 08 15 17 19 16
Gruppo Holiday Camper Misilmeri (Palermo) 09 18 72 26 73
New Zealand
Aukland Motorhomes Aukland 95 37 06 27
Portugal
J Sousa Mesquita Pinheiro 12 29 28 98 90
Spain
Benimar Factory Benicarlo 964 471566
Carav Costa Verde Tremanes-Gijon 985 314131
Carav Cruz Elche(Alicante) 965 422659
Carav Santander Muriendas 942 254161
Carav Sondika Lujua(Vizcaya) 944 711468
Carav Penedes Vilafranca del Penedes (Barcelona) 938 182500
Carav Itsas-Mendi Andoain (Guipuzcoa) 943 593290
O.R.M.A. Les Palmeres (Sueca) Valencia 961777112
Turisco Viladecans - Barcelona 936 581240
Carav Navarro Murcia 968 254554
Carav Montano Sevilla 955 666040
Aero Caravan Park Zaragoza 976 342853
Roulot Alcorcon (Madrid) 916 111003
Galitur Samil Vigo 986 241224
Lopez Ruesgas Vitoria 945 174783
Caravanas Bermar El Palmar 968 884746
Hernandez Melian Las Palmas 928 229051
Caravanas Puerto Cadiz 902 506095
Sweden
CTR Backstoms husbilar Ullevivagen 004687608021
Club Members
A separate list of club members will be issued periodically.
New members will be introduced in the Newsletter
Safety in your Motorhome abroad by Ron 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
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 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.
Gas in Motorhomes and Gaz in Europe by Steve Irvine
Butane versus Propane. (Red or blue?)
Both Butane (Blue Cylinders) and Propane (Red Cylinders) are available
for use in Motorhomes. The choice
is yours but whilst Butane is the cleanest burning and is kinder to your gas
burning appliances, it must be remembered that as the temperature drops there is
a distinct possibility that butane will begin to freeze in the regulator and
stop the flow of gas. This begins to occur at around 6 degrees centigrade which
in our British climate can mean a lowering of gas pressure at almost any time of
year although it may not be noticeable until temperatures fall much lower. Even
so, appliance efficiency will be affected. On the other hand, propane remains
unaffected by the range of temperatures any motorhome owner is likely to
encounter, either here or abroad and so would appear the better option. However, unlike butane (sold as Camping Gaz), there is no European
standard for propane. Most European countries have their own bottle and
regulator type making straightforward refills/exchanges out of the question. You
will normally have to buy a new bottle and then buy and fit the matching
regulator, leaving you with the added problem of your now surplus British
bottle. This may be repeated for each country where you happen to run out of
propane gas. The ideal solution for European travellers at the moment is to fit
both propane and Camping Gaz regulators along with a changeover valve thus
allowing the use of either. Camping Gaz and
Camping Gaz regulators are available both here and in most European countries.
There is a new European LPG standard aimed at all manufacturers of motorhomes, caravans, boats etc.. It is intended to simplify LPG use and dispose of all the different standards, gas pressures regulators etc.. Unfortunately, manufacturers are being very slow in the implementation of this new standard which should have been in place by last September. A new date of this September has been agreed, so maybe this time.
The new standard will require all new motorhomes to be fitted with a fixed regulator, said regulator to be fitted to the gas locker wall/bulkhead and fed by a fixed solid gas pipe. This regulator will be suitable for both Propane and Butane gases and a new standard LPG pressure of 30 millibars will apply to both. This will mean that there will be one standard regulator across the whole of Europe. So that’s one end taken care of! There will still be a whole range of different gas bottles in circulation, one type for each country at least. So to deal with this, a range of flexy pipes will be available and stocking up on the types you are likely to need will be a whole lot simpler and cheaper than buying a bottle and regulator every time you run out of gas.
Use and transport in an upright
position......
Gas cylinders must always be
used and transported in the upright position so make sure that they are securely
strapped. It is not a legal requirement to turn gas cylinders off whilst in
transit in this country. Indeed Truma gas fires as fitted to most Benimars are
designed to be and capable of being
used on the move. So, no need to freeze just because you happen to be moving.
N.B. Propane gas fittings have reverse threads to prevent the mixing of butane and propane fittings so remember this when disconnecting and reconnecting the regulator. Try not to overtighten Propane regulators. They have a soft brass seat in order to form a gas tight seal. Overtightening, rather than sealing the regulator, damages the brass seat and can cause the leak you are trying to prevent! As gas bottles get used over and over it’s good practice to check for leaks around the regulator seat whenever you change the bottle.
Check for leaks......
When you have made any alteration to the gas installation such as
changing a hose or gas bottle always check for leaks. Check using a special leak
detection spray or a soapy solution brushed onto the part to be tested. Leaks
can be very dangerous so take great care and never cover vents in gas lockers
(Gas escape vents)or anywhere else for that matter. They are all there for your
safety and to supply the correct amount of fresh air to your gas appliances. A
lack of fresh air can result in the production of Carbon Monoxide Gas!!
Inspect hoses and clips
regularly......
Hoses and connections should be regularly inspected and changed if there
is any doubt about them (annual replacement could be worthwhile). Look for signs
that the rubber has perished or been damaged by other items stored in the gas
locker (we all do it). don't forget to check clips for tightness and once again
check for leaks. Hoses have a date
printed on them and should be changed every five years. The date normally being
the month of manufacture and is there as a guide to replacement.
Switch gas off on board ferries....
During Ferry crossings you must make sure that the gas is switched off at
the cylinder and you have a fire extinguisher on board your vehicle.
Happy travels.