Beaten Track Leisure will assist you in making the most of your leisure time. We offer advice to beginners on the motorhome and campervan lifestyle and offer technical insight in an easy to understand way for new owners of motorhomes and campervans.
we started the channel sheet we purchased our first campervan and realised how much there was to learn and wanted to help others navigate their way through all of the decisions you make to make three most of your vehicle and enjoy your touring and camping site trips and holidays.
We visit touring sites across the UK, giving you insights into where to visit on your own adventures and the surrounding towns and villages.
We also visit various places of interest to give you a taste of scenic places to go hiking,walking or to chill out with your leisure vehicle.
please subscribe to Beaten Track Leisure to be notified of new uploads and thank you for visiting our channel. Maybe we will bump into you on some of our travels.
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We have stayed a few time and don’t agree with the £5 per night for dogs and they are not allowed in the bar/cafe and find it’s very expensive at peak times. Also there are not many nice walks directly from the site and it’s to far from towns, villages and pubs to walk anywhere
Hi, thank you for your valuable input regarding Clippesby Hall. We did notice that the poor dogs were left outside the sliding doors in the restaurant, looking very sad. It is certainly an expensive site, but taking into account everything, probably on a par with some club sites, give or take the limitations you have stated. It's certainly popular despite the shortcomings
@@beatentrackleisure yeah we do like the site but normally stay out of peak season when it’s cheaper and quieter
Great videos, we use caravan and motorhome, great sites, great value and we can nearly always get our swift kontiki black 669 on them.
Hi Nick, thanks very much for the kind words and your input. The quality of these sites is without a doubt... Fantastic!! You know exactly what you're going to get and you really don't need to use your onboard resources if you choose not to..... Nice rig by the way, hope you're having a lovely summer with it.
I’m glad to hear they now ask for a deposit when you book a pitch 👍🏼
Yes, it's certainly given everyone a chance of booking the most popular sites.
Did well out of this quiz, 5 out of 5. Only thing I’d add is a power pack, just got hold of an EcoFlow Delta Max, 1600Watts of pure 240v pleasure. Great if your off gridding it. You can even plug the van into it and charge on solar. Not cheap but quality. Oh yeah subbed too.
Congratulations on getting a full house Kevin 🍾👏 on to the next quiz.... Top 500 motorhome gadgets!! 😉 Thank you for your input! That's a great shout and a great bit of kit. I've actually bought something very similar in power and spec and I can't wait to use it. I was planning to do exactly what you say, plug it into the van as if you're on an electric hook up!! I'd like to do a video about these power stations, but I noticed most of these video creators get theirs for free in return for putting out a video review and I paid four figures for mine, like I'm sure you have! Ouch!! Thanks for the sub, enjoy your kit.
Do you know if any of the pubs are dog friendly? What's the access like for an 8ft wide caravan? Thanks
If I remember correctly, most of the pubs were pet friendly that we visited, which is nearly all of them! Access wise, There's no problem at the CAMC with that size of caravan, but I'll caveat that by saying that the windy roads in the dales may be challenging in some parts, but I don't believe it will be an issue bearing in mind our van is not quite as wide.
Why buy it when you could buyback nice German van
I love the German vans, but i like the habitation door on the correct side of the van ☺️
I’ve just started in my micro camper and so far it feels like I’ve bought all the wrong things 😅😅😅
☺️ We've all been there! It doesn't take long to learn what's most important to you in limited space, in a micro camper even more so. Enjoy 👍
My Mam was evacuated in Hawes during the second world war for almost seven years. I’ve been there almost every year of my adult life. We had a static caravan behind Brown Moor Farm (it’s currently the reception building where you stayed) for a number of years and the area where you stayed was a camping site. Our static was condemned as too old when the caravan club took over and unfortunately couldn’t afford to replace. The only thing that has really changed over the years is extra safety measures in the play park at the start of the village. There was a slide that was about 25 foot high which obviously had to go! Thanks for the memories.
Hi there, thank you so much for your comment and lovely memories of your past in what is one of our favourite stays available. We would have loved to experience the pre health and safety experience in Hawes as you did. The lovely thing is that although it's obviously changed in the area, there is still plenty of nostalgia for someone like yourself.
Thanks for replying. Another great memory was walking behind Hardraw Waterfall as a child, and into my twenties. The noise of the water hitting the bottom of the scar was almost deafening after a heavy rainfall. A few people slipped though, and fences were erected to prevent people from gaining access. Nowadays there is a gate, but access is strongly forbidden by a sign. I don’t condone it, but I have witnessed people ignoring the signs!!
I didn’t know any of this, so I had a switch fitted to the engine battery to disconnect it when the van was parked and nothing could drain it.🌷
That's a great tip, thanks Penny! I think that many people fall foul of this issue and it would be so easy for the manufacturers to sort it in the factory
Hi there. If you have the truma sdc12 there is a spare port you can run a cable from specifically for the main battery. #cv40
Yes, this is a great tip, thanks for the information!
What solution do you have to keep your cab battery charged up?
I've got a Swift 185 and we chat it as a motorhome, although it's a panel van
Nice motor 👍
Elddis CV40 Campervan V Motorhome Space or convenience
That's were my freind lives
We have stayed twice we like it the only downside is dogs not allowed in the pub restaurant only seats outside so when it’s wet and cold you have to eat and drink outside also it’s £5 per night for dogs and when we stayed there is not one dog (poo) bin on site sorry just don’t get why you pay so much per night for a pet but no pet facilities thanks
Yes, that's a good point! We did notice a few sad looking canine friends outside the electric sliding doors, it could certainly put people off.
When i was a beginner these clubs are great.. But now im seasoned campervanner i dont see the point in being a member.. Pub stopovers/brit stops and search for sites is more us.. Ive found so many campsites and CLs that i dont need a membership fee for.. As i said before when i was new to all this the clubs were great and saved alot of worry.
Hi, Thank you for your comment and useful information. I think in hindsight of the video, we would tend to agree with you that it is not essential to be members of the clubs, but they are useful to beginners to be able to experience decent quality sites in good locations. When you have experience such as yourself, you tend to learn the best locations and great value sites, we have stayed at many that are not affiliated this year.
Bought a Dealer special on a september 2020 plate..(magnum Gtv20) Guy before went to town on extra solar and lithium and Air suspension.. Weve had to compromise on space moving back to a van..But i missed the inside outside feeling of having doors open..Motorhome was like living in a box. Ive agreed with you about the microwave to the point it could be used as more storage.So ive removed ours and us now a cupboard with shelves..As like the elddis motorhome it would of only been used a s a bread bin. Great video and agreed with you on 99%
Thank you for your kind comment I love the idea of the specification on your CV20 with extra power and lithium, which gives you flexibility for off-grid. Once I know that we are keeping the van long term, I believe we will follow your example.
recently bought a CV60 - very much agree with your summary, other brands (as seen at the NEC this week) are often much better built & feel better quality wise .(whilst costing more) .....however, we love the van & the layout so happy with our choice & so far everything working fine !
Hi there 😊 thank you for your message. I'm glad to hear that you are happy with your van even when we consider the small amount of bad points. It's all about value really and these Elddis (although increased much recently, like every other vehicle) still represent value in the class. We also prefer the British layout with the door on the left, when compared to some of the more impressively built German brands. Hope you enjoyed the show at the NEC. I've seen the CV group had a stand there!
First holiday in Hawes 1982....magical place thankfully not much changed
Hi, thank you for your message! It is so reassuring to know that some places do not change, Hawes being one of them. Can't wait to get back there, I wish I had discovered this magical place in 1982 too 😊
@@beatentrackleisure best time of year is 3rd or 4th week in May before the first hay, silage cut. The meadows will be full of flowers. Head over to Mukar and do the circular river walk through the flowers... Then if its still there, there is a small T room.
Hi 👋 new subscriber here. We have just taken the plunge and bought a new CV40. It will be our first Motorhome. I’ve had many moments since putting the deposit down asking myself whether or not we have made the right choice and spent many hours watching videos from CV owners such as yourselves. Found this one particularly helpful and I am now a bit more confident we have made a good choice as many of the things you mentioned in your video are the same things that are important for us. What you have said about the prices going through the roof is very true. Ours is a dealer spec with the 9 speed auto gearbox and it’s £73,000. However, similar vans from Auto Trail and Swift are pushing the £80,000 mark. Thanks again for a cracking video 🤙
Hi Michael. Thank you very much for the kind words and glad that the video proved useful to you in some way. Also, congratulations on your purchase. The specification you have got is spot on and regardless of the prices having elevated over the last few years, the CV range as you rightly point out are still good value when compared to other brands offering similar specification. We would love the automatic gearbox to be honest, but none were avaialable when we were looking, but they are an easy and comfortable drive. If you haven't already, make sure you joint the two CV groups on Facebook, there is a wealth of information that covers every topic in those. We still feel exactly the same about the CV40 as we did when making the video and we have used it extensively this year. Enjoy your travels and thanks again :)
Thank you and yes I definitely will join those groups. We hired a Motorhome last month which was a Toleno S at 6.36m long. The layout was perfect for us (front dinette, rear transverse bed) but the only issue we had with it was getting into car parks with it, so we feel the shorter CV40 might be a perfect compromise. Also we plan on visiting the Scottish islands so your point about cheaper ferry fares is very pertinent to us. The only thing is we have a dog that has a habit of muscling in on bed space so that extra 37cm on the Toleno may have been a god send 😂
Have you been to Cakes and Ale Holiday Park? Please let us know if you agree with our review in the comments below.
Hello! Welcome back great vlog. Will defo add it to the list. Thanks again.
Hello David! Thanks again :) Clippesby is definitely worth a visit when wanting to explore the area. Not the quietest campsite as it is primarily families, but plenty of peace and quiet after 10pm
Have you been to Clippesby Hall Campsite, if so what did you think of it?
You guys still have the van? Missed your vlogs
Hi David, thanks for the kind words. Apologies for the lack of content. We still have the van but unfortunately couldn't get away for the last few months. We have actually been at a couple of sites this past week, so hopefully we can put something together soon from the footage. Hope you are keeping well 🙏
What came first are u serious 😂
I just want to make it clear that it was only Sarah that was pondering on that and I did point out the error of her ways 😁 she was keen to point out that her actual point came out wrong! 🤔
Thanks for this - we've yet to do a DA so it was really helpful. Chris.
Thanks Chris 👍 The D.A's are really great value and we will be staying at as many as possible moving forward as they are also great fun. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do, make sure to join your local one. Have fun
Please let us know in the comments below if you are members of a District Association and what do you think about what they offer?
Hey there, nice vlog! thats food for thought, i'll have to do a list 👍🏼..... have a new sub 😎 JP
Hey there JP The Motorhome Moocher! Thanks very much for the kind words and comment. I am sure this list of "must haves" could be expanded, now that we have had some more experience, but these 5 are certainly good starter points, Thanks again :)
@@beatentrackleisure Very good points indeed! Happy travels! Maybe see you on the road sometime 😉👍🏼
🙂 Happy travels to you also 😎 Here's to our paths crossing sometime 🥂 👍
Just make sure you don’t put those plates/dishes in the microwave.
Hey there 👍 thank you for that pertinent warning regarding melamine crockery and not placing it in the microwave, great information which we didn't elaborate on in the video. Melamine is not microwave safe and can melt in the microwave, so airways cook with microwave safe vessels and serve on melamine. 👍
Dash solar panel, deffo over 20W !! All 4 of my vehicles have one BUT all my cars are parked facing south. For my camper i have a 2 way BtoB with solar on the house battery 👍 but i built the system from scratch, for an existing system the battery master is a simple effective fix if you have solar 😁
Hi, thank you for sharing your experiences with cab battery charging. I wish a dashboard solar panel would work for us, but we have limited sunshine in locked storage 😪 but they certainly can work in perfect circumstances as you rightly points out. I've been looking at the Vanbitz battery master, I can't really see much difference between a battery master and battery maintainer in real terms usage. I wish I had your DIY skills for sure 😁.
Nice one guys, loved the robe/jacket bit at the end esp the enthusiasm. I will def be having a look at one of those. 😀
Hi Robert, thanks very much! We are certainly enthusiastic about the changing robes, can't believe we ever had a life without them 😉 it's sometimes difficult to find stock, the bigger stores seem to keep them in bigger quantities. Good luck 👍
Ooh the Primark dry robe 😍 Did you get that recently? Just wondering if they are in stock currently.
Hi Ashley, it looks as though Primark may be running stocks down as their online stock checker shows low stock in most sizes. Larger stores such as Lakeside or shopping centres usually have more stocks. Hopefully they don't discontinue them as they are great value and a must have for us. Good luck 👍
Thanks for some great ideas...we just got a Knuas for trying out in Spain. Will defo get that washing/drying bowl...its awesome!! My essential so far has been loads of boxes and holders to store stuff in camper cupboards and stop stuff rattling about 😀
Hi ☺️ Thank you for your comment and kind words. Congratulations on your new vehicle, exciting times! I wish we could get across and try our van out in Spain. The foldable equipment is great, game changer for space and you are certainly right to invest in storage solutions, we are still working out the best solutions for that, the rattling can be jarring especially when doing the mileage that you are. We joined the Facebook group for our make and model of vehicle and got some storage advice from people that had already done all the testing, very useful. Best wishes for your upcoming travels.
Great information, thanks for sharing!
Hi Ken, thanks very much for the feedback, much appreciated 👍
Nice video, even harder in winter! Thanks for the video 😀
Cheers mate 👍I can't imagine how difficult it is for you wild campers 😉
Please let us know in the comments below as to how you find and research your campsites and touring sites? If you found this video helpful, we recommend you see this video that gives you the pros and cons of the camping and motorhome clubs in the UK kzread.info/dash/bejne/f6ygqKSnlNmXZLw.html
Used Battery Master on the last two vans without any problem, especially during long lockdown periods during the pandemic, batteries stayed fully charged. Fitting it to the new van this weekend. Fitted myself but the leisure batteries on all three vans were only about a metre from the cab battery so minimal cable runs.
Hi Michael, thanks for sharing your experiences of using battery master. I understand many people had issues during the pandemic and these devices are almost a necessity in these circumstances. You are certainly very lucky to have such a short run from the leisure batteries, plus with your fitting experience over 3 vehicles now, you could fit one blindfolded! ☺️ Good luck with the latest fitment and enjoy your new van.
Thanks for sharing such an informative video of our park. We are glad you enjoyed your stay and we would love to welcome you back in the summer :)
Thanks very much! We can't wait to come back in the summer months and enjoy all the fabulous activities and entertainment☺️
Great video mate !
Thanks very much indeed ☺️
good video thanks
Thank you very much ☺️
Excellent. I have an MPPT with another output that Elddis decided not to run the wire! I just need to spend some time to figure it out. I think I need to run the live and the earth the length of the van and connect it up - much to learn.
There is some good advice on the CV40 Facebook group about running wires to the cab battery from the solar controller. You obviously have a later can if Elddis are now supplying MPPT controllers, that will serve you well. It would be nice if these manufacturers give the customers a choice about these things prior to collecting their vans, it's a pain to sort this stuff retrospectively 😡
@@beatentrackleisure Agreed. Actually, some ducting and a threaded string would be good enough on both sides of the van! A start at least...
😆This is so true
Yes I had an issue with battery drain it was becoming a pain going down every 3 weeks or so to turn the engine over and give it a run. Went for expensive option and got Solar panel installed and dual controller fitted and it’s been ok since even during winter. I had to get a motorhome place to install it as I am not electrically minded. 😂
You and me both Alan! There would be an electrical catastrophe if I started making with electricals 😁 you definitely went the best route with solar and controller fitted, no more wasted fuel and Henning to be mindful of how long you've left the vehicle and extra time off grid. Thanks for your input on this topic 👍
Please let us know in the comments below if you've experienced this issue and how you overcome it?
Hi Just came across your channel , subscribed of course immediately! We’re fairly new too , bought our first caravan Sept 21. We will be watching from now on x
Hi Gillian! Thank you for the sub, lovely to have you on board. Congratulations on your new caravan purchase, I hope you're enjoying going out and about as much as we are!? You can to some extent enjoy the lifestyle all year round, but you'll be looking forward to a full season in 2023! Happy and safe travels 🚐
We have stayed here many times but now only early or late season. The staff are excellent, The bar and restaurant are good and the site very well maintained. BUT....absolutely awful at Bank Holidays and during the summer holiday period. We have never stayed anywhere where the campers have so little respect for your pitch space letting their children run riot all over the place.
Hi Michael, thanks for sharing your experience of Waldegraves. We have only stayed there twice and have had a similar experience to yourself on one of them which was over the bank holiday. It was a little rowdy in the club in the evening also. Agree with all your positives, good advice for others who may wish to visit at quieter periods.
We pitched Nat a lake and kids ran between the gap of the lake and our windbreaker and parents even did it
Another good video. Have you looked at Corelle crockery? Feels like porcelain but unbreakable. I can't stand rattles in the van so we use those felt star shaped things between the crockery and cookware and all the cupboards and shelves lined with that rubbery non slip mat stuff.
Thanks again Michael 🙏 we haven't seen Corelle crockery, but it sounds like just the ticket! We still have a rattle from the melamine, but is at a lot lower resonance and not so jarring, but we may just invest in the felt spacers to assist a little more. Yes, for sure! We had a roll of the grip mat left from the previous owner and it's been amazingly helpful, in fact now I'm thinking it should have made the top 5! 🤔 I can feel an update video moving forward. Many thanks again for your input.
We saw the Corelle at a camping show but Amazon sell various designs. Sometimes the simplest and most effective products work so well you forget about them. My No 1 would be exterior blinds for the windscreen and side windows. Our first set was from a lovely family company, Taylormade in northern parts. Very good quality and nice people to deal with.
Great recommendation for external blinds! That's on our list of priorities after witnessing the amount of moisture on the inside of the windscreen during winter months 😮 many thanks for the recommendation 👍
You are pretty spot on with your thoughts and experiences with both the main clubs. We are members of both too but the cost of membership is more than covered with the discount for one trip across the channel. Pre pandemic we were making up to six crossings by train or ferry a year and the club savings ran into hundreds of pounds. We also found as you have, the CL's are quite relaxing. During the pandemic we used one about thirty minutes from home, often being the only people there during the week and making great friends with the owners. Looking forward to more of your experiences as you travel.
Hi Michael, thank you very much for your lovely comment and your valuable input. We were hoping that people would add their experiences regarding traveling by ferry over the channel as we haven't had that opportunity as yet. Also, as you rightly say, the benefits of the CL sites cannot be underestimated as they open up almost every corner of the UK and beyond and represent great value. I understand that prices for the club stays have increased exponentially the last couple of years, but that can be said of everything currently and if you make use of the savings offered, the membership is a no brainer. 👍
The camping and caravan club should be renamed the unfriendly club. Rude arrogant staff and appalling facilities at expensive prices. Absolutely horrendous!
Hi, thank you for your input regarding the camping and caravan club. Your experience with this club is certainly in conflict with their tagline, which is "the friendly club" to help others who may be reading these comments, would you be kind enough to elaborate on your experience with them?
Nice honest appraisal guys , from a Moho owner who needs the extra space with kids ! 👍
Hi there 😁 thank you for the kind words. We may have the confidence one day to upgrade to a motorhome because of the extra dimensions, with children it's a much easier decision to go the coach built route for sure 👍