Fire Department issue safety tips after caravan fire kills father and son
A 58-year-old grandfather and his 26-year-old son have died in a caravan fire during the early hours of the morning on Saturday 11th June.
The pair were on holiday with the older man’s wife and granddaughter at the Sunny Sands Caravan Park, near Barmouth.
Other holidaymakers rescued the 50-year-old woman and granddaughter, aged two, who were then airlifted to hospital.
A white tent and screens have been erected around the caravan and an investigation has been launched by the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Wales Police.
In a statement made on the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service website; Gareth Griffiths, Senior Fire Safety Manager, said: “The devastating caravan fire which claimed two lives at the weekend is a reminder of just how destructive fire can be.
“My deepest condolences go out to the family and my thoughts are with the little girl who is currently receiving treatment.”
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have issued safety advice to caravanners and campers following the tragedy this weekend.
Here is a list of things to keep in mind:
- Ensure tents or caravans are kept at least six metres apart.
- Find out what the fire-fighting arrangements are on the campsite and where the nearest telephone is.
- Fit an optical smoke alarm in your caravan
- Keep a torch handy for emergencies. Do not use a candle.
- Do not leave children alone in a caravan.
- Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children.
- Do not overload electric sockets or extension leads if you have access to a power supply and make sure electrical appliances are working correctly
- Keep flammable liquids and gas cylinders away from tents.
- Do not cook inside your tent.
- Be prepared to cut your way out of your tent in the event of a fire.
- If your clothing catches fire, STOP, DROP AND ROLL.
- Oil burning appliances should not be used in or around tents.
- Cooking appliances should not be used in small tents.
- Do not smoke inside tents.
Caravan owners urged to look out for thieves
Police in Northumberland are urging caravan owners to keep a look out for criminals operating in the area after a series of break-ins.
Last week in the Longframlington area, two caravans were broken into witch TVs and DVD players being stolen.
Caravan owners are being asked to sign up to Caravan Watch schemes and to be extra vigilant as they try to catch the thieves.
Alnwick Neighbourhood Sergeant Graham Vickers said: “Recent crimes have seen thieves break into caravans and steal items they can carry off quite easily like TVs and DVD players. Remove them where you can, ensure that your caravan is secure as possible and make sure you carry out regular checks on it.
“We’ve introduced a number of Caravan Watch schemes in the north Northumberland area where Community Support Officers carry out regular patrols and hold regular meetings which give the caravan owners the chance to receive crime prevention advice and the opportunity to meet other owners on their sites.
“If the owners all work together and form a watch scheme, similar to a Neighbourhood Watch system, then there is more chance of someone spotting any unusual people or behaviour on a caravan site.
“If anyone sees anything suspicious on or around a caravan site then contact police straight away and officers will happily come and check it out”.
Woman cut out from caravan floor
A woman had to have her leg cut free by firefighters when it became trapped in the floor of a caravan.
The incident occurred early yesterday morning (2 May ’11) in Ponsanooth, Cornwall.
It is unclear how the woman ended up in this position but she is believed to have fallen through the caravan’s floor and got stuck.
Firefighters from Falmouth Fire Station arrived at 2am to rescue the lady.
Using small tools they successfully cut her out of the caravan and left her in the care of paramedics.
World’s smallest caravan
Caravan sales increase
After a slump in 2009, the UK’s caravan manufacturers and retailers are reporting growth in sales in 2010 and the start of 2011.
According to figures released by the leading caravan manufacturers and transporters, 2010 saw a resurgence in both new and second hand caravan sales.
The Explorer Group, who builds the Elddis and Buccaneer ranges of touring caravans, posted pre-tax profits of £3million in 2010, following a 40% rise in sales from £35 million in 2009 to a healthy £49 million in 2010.
Baileys, currently one of the largest caravan companies in the country today, showed a 27% increase in turnover last year, reaching £95 million. This marks a return to pre-recession levels for the Bristol-based caravan builder.
Meanwhile The Swift Leisure Group who constructs, amongst others, the classic Sprite range of caravans, has had an excellent start to the 2011 caravanning and camping season with £2.5millon taken in orders at January’s Manchester Caravan Show alone. Sales at the Scottish Caravan and Mobile Home show in early February were double those of last year.
Sales of pre-owned caravans are also increasing. In the past 12 months Salop Leisure, a caravan servicing a repair specialist has more than doubled its workforce, seen the number of workshop bays increase from five to 12 and work seven days a week to meet demand from owners wanting to get their caravans ready for transporting.
Sourced from News Broadcast 8 Mar ‘11
Top 5 Smartphone Apps for Touring Caravans
Here’s our run down of the top 5 iPhone and Android apps available on your smart phone for all your touring caravans…
1. AA Camping & Caravanning Guide
This app allows you to search AA recommended caravan and camping sites in England, Wales and Scotland.
Free
2. Dishpointer Augmented Reality
An app that searches for your nearest TV satellite in relation to your caravan pitch. Perfect if you are struggling for television signal in a new place.
£5.99
3. Motorway Services UK
A handy app for those who are taking long touring caravan trips across the country and need to know about all the service stations along the way. Details of facilities and shops too.
59p
4. iCampsites
Allows access to a huge database of caravan and campsites throughout the UK and Europe. Search for sites by name or tags like “hook ups available”.
£2.39
5. iBBQ
Hunt down your nearest butcher and check the weather forecast for the perfect bbq. This great app also had recipe ideas and gives handy tips on how to cook the perfect steak.
Free
Touring caravan turns into boat
With the Boat and Caravan Show 2011 show upon us, this story definitely seems apt.
Some stock footage has been found showing a caravan that turns into a boat, known as the ‘caraboat’.
The British Pathe footage shows this amphibian caravan being towed in Henley-on-Thames then being launched in the river.
Swift caravans group sells £2.5m in 4 days
Touring caravans manufacturer Swift Group have recorded sales of £2.5 million in only 4 days at the Manchester Central Caravan and Motorhome Show.
The Commercial Director of Swift Caravans Group, Nick Page was delighted with the increase in sales: “The Manchester Show provided a very encouraging start to 2011. The number of people attending the show was well up on last year and provided a clear demonstration that people are still thinking about buying one of our products. With record sales in October and the threat of the VAT increase, we were concerned that this could have a significant impact on early season sales this year.
“With £1.5 million worth of touring caravan sales and £750,000 worth of motorhome sales, figures were very similar to last year indicating that the market for this year will remain positive.”
The Swift Group debuted the new Escape motorhomes range at the touring caravans show, which will be officially launched at the Swift Caravans stand at the Birmingham NEC later this month.
Should older caravan towers need to take tests again?
It has been recommended that older motorists attend regular health checks to make sure their driving abilities are not impaired as they age.
Campaign group RoadSafe pointed out that older drivers are more prone to simple errors that could cause them to crash.
Clare Simpson, communications executive at the group, explained that overall, older people are safer on the road than their younger counterparts.
However, she said age-related decline in mental and physical abilities can become a problem behind the wheel.
Road safety is particularly important for those towing caravans, so older caravan enthusiasts may wish to heed RoadSafe’s advice.
Ms Simpson also said that modern cars can reduce the risks for older drivers on the road.
“Many models are available with raised seats for easy access and systems to improve blind spot awareness,” she explained.
“These features are not designed to take responsibility away from the driver, but they can be a useful investment.”
Sourced from Caravan Times
New Hobby Excellent 560 CFE Video
Take a look at the new Hobby Excellent 560 CFE caravans for sale in this video.