Fire and Fumes

At the risk of appearing to jump onto the band wagon, I want to remind everyone to check that their gas and electricity systems are safe.

Too many accidents have happened in the past few days, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17980441 and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-17981586, and it is vital that we prevent recurrences.  How safe are you?

Do you have a working smoke alarm in your caravan?  OK it is a nuisance when it does not recognise toast or crisping bacon, but it is very simple to press the 'silence' button when you are cooking, and it might save your life at other times.

Do you have a carbon monoxide (gas) sniffer in your caravan?  They are not yet fitted as standard, and perhaps the caravanning community should start to petition the manufacturers.  CO is colourless and odourless and kills.  It can be detected and you can be warned before its too late.

How about preventing disaster?  Simple precautions:-

1. Unwind your electric cable before connecting up to the EHU.  Always connect the caravan/tent end first and EHU post end last - the cable is live as soon as it is connected to the EHU.
2. Don't travel with the gas switched on - it goes without saying, but . . . 
3. Have your caravan serviced regularly.  A service will include a full gas check.
4. Keep the BBQ outside.  No matter how cold the night, never be tempted to use any form of BBQ inside the tent, awning or caravan.
5. Don't be tempted to turn on the gas rings/grill to provide heat.  Only used heaters as fitted by the manufacturers within the caravan.
6. Check the colour of the flame whenever you use any gas appliance.

Think safety at all times - and enjoy your meals from the BBQ.  Cook outside and eat inside if its chilly.

Genetics - or food faddies

The Daily Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/9241088/Vegetarians-may-be-genetically-disposed-to-avoid-meat.html suggests that people who 'don't like the smell of meat' may be genetically programmed that way.  Fine, wonderful, but they should not be allowed to insist that everyone should become vegetarian, or imply that a vegetarian diet is in some way superior for the health of the nation.

Personally, I am allergic to nickel.  Nickel is found in a huge range of vegetables, and so if I and many other people with a similar problem were to eat those foods, the result is an extremely unpleasant and persistent eczema.  How healthy is that?

Why do we never see any articles about the negative effects of a vegan diet, or the need, especially for small children to have a good intake of first class protein - animal rather than vegetable?

The human food processing system is designed for a little of everything, a mixed diet containing meat, vegetables, fruit and dairy products.  Start with the teeth - we have teeth designed for stripping meat from the bone, and teeth designed for grinding.  We only have one stomach, so cannot digest vegetables in the way that true herbivores do.  However, we need roughage found in abundance in the vegetable world to keep our intestines working efficiently and healthily.

The countryside needs meat eaters.  If we all rejected the wholesome and tasty meat from our local producers, there would be no cows, sheep, pigs or game animals in the fields.  Is this what we really want to see?  As for the laboratory produced meat - NO THANK YOU.  How can anyone talk about a "healthy" diet when they are including bacteria and other chemicals by choice?  If you need artificial meat to make a meal, try replacing it with the real thing.

Perhaps our grannies were right when they used the old cliches - "One man's meat is another man's poison" and "a little of what you fancy does you good."

For me, every meal should start life in a field.  Think about it - naturally produced meat, fresh caught fish with fresh local vegetables and fruit.  Delicious.

Insuring your caravan- a guide

Rachael Miller from moneysupermarket.com has offered this advice to everyone who owns or is thinking of buying a caravan.  It is timely advice coming at the beginning of the summer holiday season.  No one wants to think about the worst happening to them, but with proper insurance the blow can be softened.

If you are looking to buy a caravan or already have one then it is vital to ensure that you have the right insurance in place.  The type of caravan insurance that you need depends on the type of caravan that you have and what you will be using it for. Here are the three main types of insurance caravan owners should be familiar with:-

Static Caravan Insurance

While you do not need to have insurance for static caravans, it is a good idea as it gives you financial protection if your holiday home is damaged. Standard static caravan policies usually provide cover for damage arising from a number of different circumstances such as fire, storm, lightning, flood, theft and falling trees. However, some policies may not cover you for damage caused by the elements, so always read the small print before you sign along the dotted line.

Cover is generally on a 'new for old' basis. In the event that your caravan cannot be repaired, market value is paid. Public-liability insurance is also usually included. This provides you with cover if a third party suffer damage or injury as a result of your use of your caravan. It is also possible to purchase additional cover for your contents and personal belongings.

Touring-Caravan Insurance

It’s highly recommended that you take out insurance on your touring caravan to make sure you’re covered in case the worst happens. It’s not essential that you do, but it will put your mind at rest. Your caravan should be covered under your car insurance policy when you’re towing it on the road, but your insurer must be informed as soon as you buy a caravan in case a claim needs to be made, or the premium is affected.

Touring-caravan insurance usually covers the cost of repairs or replacement, up to the market value, if your caravan if it is damaged or stolen. The better policies will give new for old cover for the caravan itself and all equipment and contents of the caravan.  European insurance cover is generally provided, although you should check the policy details as there can be limits on the length of time you can be away or the level of cover that you will be provided with while abroad.

Check carefully that both your personal possessions and the caravan equipment is covered.  Not all policies will cover clothes, crockery etc, and some do not cover expensive specialist items such as awnings.  Specialists will offer a policy covering the theft of or from the caravan and damage to the caravan.

Don’t forget to check with your breakdown cover as it may or may not include the caravan if the car breaks down.  The very best, usually specialists, will include ‘double journey’ cover taking the car for repair and the caravan on to your holiday destination and back home if the car is not fixed in time.

Motorhome Insurance

If you have a motorhome then you must have third-party liability insurance to meet the minimum legal requirement, although a fully compressive policy is best to insure against theft or any damage to your motorhome.

Windscreen, personal-accident and personal-belongings cover are commonly included under motorhome policies. European insurance cover is generally provided, although you should check the policy details as there may be limitations. You may also be able to extend your motorhome insurance policy to include legal-expenses cover, key cover and breakdown cover.

When it comes to the inside of your motor home, make sure your insurer makes it clear whether they insure your contents. Most home insurance policies will not cover equipment that is exclusively used in the motor home, so by going for a policy from a specialist in motorhome insurance, this should cover all ‘extras’, like your motorhome’s contents.

Other Considerations

·         While your caravan insurance will provide cover for damage and theft arising out of your use of the caravan, it will not meet any costs that you incur if you need to cut short or cancel your holiday. It could, therefore, be advisable to consider taking out European or UK travel insurance. This would provide you with financial protection if, for example, you were made redundant and could no longer afford to go away or if a close family member was taken ill.

·         If you are travelling to the EU then travel insurance will also provide cover if you require medical assistance or are taken ill while away. Although a European Health Insurance Card (the replacement for the E111 card) will provide you with the same level of cover as the locals in state-run hospitals, this could be a significantly lower level than that provided by a travel insurance policy.

·         Make sure your contents are covered. Most caravan insurance policies will cover your things, however if you bring something expensive in from the house, including electronic technology like tablet computers, e-readers and laptops, these may not be covered. Specialist insurance companies may include these items if you declare them when first taking out the policy. This will mean that you’ll have to give an accurate value of personal property carried in the caravan.  

·         Always read the small print before you commit to a policy. Some insurance companies will sell policies to caravan owners which will only cover them for the spring/summer months, which isn’t suitable for everyone as there is still a chance your caravan could be stolen or be damaged while static in the winter months. Make sure you’re covered all year round.

No matter what the age of your caravan, mobile home or motorhome,  it is important to check what insurance you are legally obliged to take out and also consider the benefits of taking out additional cover that provides you with further protection. Your caravan is a substantial investment and the right insurance will give you peace of mind as you enjoy your holidays.

Safety Tips for New Caravanners

Do you believe in co-incidence?  Try this. Early last week,  I was asked to prepare a guest blog for moneysupermarket.com which you can read here suggesting ways of getting started without breaking the bank.  Out of the blue, last Saturday, my son asked me to go with him to look at a caravan as his first buy.  Result - information exactly as required for the blog based on helping my lad and his lady to buy and equip their first caravan - an elderly Elddis.

My son was once Chairman of the Centre's Teenage Committee so I did not have to give him my usual safety lecture - he was well aware of potential dangers, but here are the points we both agreed that everyone should think about:

1. Make sure your car is able to tow the caravan of your dreams - and revise your ideas if it is not gutsy enough for the job.  The simple rule is the caravan, when loaded, should not exceed 85% of the kerb weight of the car.
2. Check your licence - if you passed your driving test after 1997 you are limited in what you are allowed to tow.  There are training centres (usually the people who teach lorry and coach driving) and test centres around if your licence does not cover you.
3. Fit a stabiliser, and use it every trip.  No matter how well you think you have loaded your caravan, gusty conditions or the 'envelope' from an HGV can and will cause the caravan to 'wobble' and a 'wobble' can soon become a full blown 'snake' if not damped by the stabiliser.  There are plenty for sale secondhand, just check out the on-line auction sites.
4. Never, never, never ever carry a gas bottle inside the caravan, and never travel with the gas bottle on its site - no matter if you think you have got it safely in some sort of frame.  See information from Calor Gas on using and transporting gas.  Essentially the valve is designed for gas, not liquid.  Laying on its side the liquid gas can leak from the cylinder and lay on the floor.  You work out what happens next.  It is not pretty.
5. Don't overload the caravan when travelling.  The manufacturer's payload is there for a reason.  You do not need to weigh every item, just be sensible.  If there are four of you, you need four plates, not forty four.  
6. Pack the caravan carefully.  You will need some noseweight, but once you have put your gas cylinders in the gas locker that is it - don't be tempted to create a mobile garden shed in the locker.  Put heavy objects low down near the axle(s) and lighter ones in the overhead lockers.  Take care when you open the lockers - the contents may move during the journey.

OK moan over, but please, stay safe and enjoy your caravan.  It will give you the freedom to take off at the weekend as well as providing a base for longer summer holidays.

Can you live without electricity?

Helping a new to caravanning couple equip their first ever caravan this weekend lead me to thinking how things have changed over the years - especially the priority equipment.  Their number one must have??? A mains hook up lead, of course.

So started an interesting debate.  On my left, the diehard traditionalists who believe that mains power to a caravan is a sacrilege and on my right the new caravanners and those of us who have the latest models that really are not designed to run on gas and 12V alone for more than a couple of nights in an emergency.

Which side of the fence do I sit on?  Problem here, I love rallying, but at this time of the year, I really do not relish pitching up without power, as the battery just won't stay up for the whole weekend, and you can't read in the dark.  We understand the issues of power consumption and have been caravanning for over 20 years, but still can't eake out the power in the winter months.  Once the days are a couple of hours longer than the nights and the solar panel can keep the battery topped up successfully, things change and mains power is no longer a priority.

The problem with the latest caravans is that so much power consumption is hidden - the loo flush needs the battery, the cooker will only ignite if your battery  is supplying power, the water heater and fridge both rely on battery for their electronic circuits, add the gas fire (electronic controls again) any lighting you may need and all those telltale lights in various hues and you can almost hear the power being sucked out of that battery.

So purchase number one - a new 110 amp hour leisure battery, rapidly followed by the mains hook up cable, after all the battery will need charging even if they are not using 240V all the time.  Don't make the mistake of buying a vehicle battery, they are not designed to take the long slow drain. 

Next came the lecture on Ohms law - volts times amps is watts, and Wardens' Law - patience diminishes in direct proportion to the number of callouts to reset the trip, exponentially rising in the rain, cold and hours of darkness.

The point is that you have to consider all that 'hidden' power usage before working out what is left from your 10amp supply on site.  The first piece of equipment to be switched on is the fridge.  Once the water has been connected, on goes the water heater.  If it is chilly, or the caravan has been standing for a while, the heater will go on, possibly with the fan to blow warm air into the washroom.  

You have an absolute maximum of 2400 watts, assuming a full 240 volt supply.  The heater alone can consume 2000 of those volts leaving just 400 for the fridge and water heater.  No wonder the trips are tripped so often.

The solution is simple - just keep doing the maths.  Turn the room heater down to 500 watts.  Do you need to leave the water heater on?  With the room heater down to 500 watts and the fridge still running, you have somewhere between 1800 and 2000 watts left.  That domestic kettle needs 3000 watts - oops tripped again.

Suitably chastised, the domestic electric kettle was consigned to the boot, and a shopping trip for a low wattage kettle was scheduled.  Other power saving ideas then started to surface.

Caravan dealers often have low wattage toasters in their accessory shops.  You don't need a domestic sized vacuum cleaner for a caravan, try one of the battery operated types (G-Tech do a fantastic powered sweeper which is charged from the mains then works for weeks in the caravan).

We got around to cooking, where the two sides polarised once again.  Electric slow cooker -v- casserole in the gas oven.  The slow cooker is very low wattage and can safely be left on whilst away from the caravan.  At this time of year though, a casserole in the oven will keep the caravan warm without needing the heater.

Then of course we started on the comparative costs of running on bottled gas or the electric hook up.  Another can of worms opened.

Thankfully we all agreed that the discussion needed another glass of wine, or possibly a beer. 

Improving mealsinfields

The major overhaul of mealsinfields is now in progress.  On Friday last week we agreed some major changes with the website designers, Devmac of Burton on Trent, which will make the website easier to use for everyone.  The changes need some serious programming so please bear with us for a couple of months whilst we make sure that everything is ready and that all the recipes and all the information on where to stop, shop and dine are properly migrated to the new system.

What can you expect?  Here is a short list of the most important changes - many of which are in response to your requests.

1. As soon as you recommend a business to be included in the Where to pages, brief details will be added automatically.
2. Businesses will be able to access and amend their own personal pages as often as they like.
3. You will be able to search for a business in a particular county, matching your criteria. No more trolling through a long, long list to get what you want.
4. You will be able to add recipes yourself straight from the website - no more e-mails to me and a delay whilst I add the recipe for you.
5. You will be able to add photos of the finished dishes when submitting your recipe.
6. We are adding a printer friendly version of the recipes so you will be able to print without copying and pasting.

In the meantime, we still want your recipes and your recommendations of new businesses to add to the website.  We will add all the businesses, but may hold some of the recipes over for the launch of the new look meals in fields.

Please bear with us.  This is a massive project as there is so much data to move.  Don't worry, you will not lose the website - we will simply replace the old with the new.  The old version will keep working until we have everything in place ready to make the switch.

We will keep you posted on progress, but expect to see a new and exciting website in the early Summer.

A Big Thank you to Kelly from Food Matters

Kelly has kindly added five recipes this month, suitable for cooking on a BBQ.  They are all low fat recipes with loads of taste.  She has used Tabasco sauce and Dijon mustard, both of which come in small sizes suitable for storing in the caravan.  These meals look so tempting, I think they will be on my menu at home, especially when the weather improves and we can eat in the garden in the evening.  Once again, thank you Kelly.  A new recipe is published each month on http://www.foodmatters.co.uk/