Transcript
Motorhome of the month
HEwhole world loves the Lake District, and sometimes it feels as though the whole world has arrived there en masse! But seek and ye shall find other - less busy - areas nearby, offering a choice of alternative attractions. The Furness Peninsula, part of south Cumbria culminating where Barrow and Walney Island face the Irish Sea, is a case in point. This month, we explore some Furness offerings in the new Encore 275, a big and roomy two-berth from Elddis. This Encore is one of two new models, the other being the award-winning 255. That version caters for four and hides two extra travel seats under the front lounge's parallel settees (which make one double bed), while at the rear is a fixed double.
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However, for two, the 275's more traditional layout may prove to be nearly as popular, despite its lack of today's de rigeur fixed bed. Instead, here, lounge settees convert to either twin singles or a transverse double. There's also a huge washroom across the rear, plus an impressive centrally located kitchen.
Crossing the Pennines in a gale, the Encore was reasonably stable, but a lot of wind noise came from the overcab skylight. However, the new
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to be equally rackety and some church-mouse quiet. And the cupboard catches may need adjusting. However, the chassis provided a supple, comfortable ride, and handling was good.
The Encore is large (7.4lm long by 2.35m wide, with a whopping 2.40m rear overhang) and is based on Peugeot's Boxer with a wide-and-low Tempo Libero chassis. Its 2.2-litre engine provides 130bhp through a six-speed manual gearbox with no other options offered, the combination provides adequate, if not sparkling, power.
Thetford Aspire cooker was far rowdier and there was a continuous chatter from overhead cupboard doors - perhaps the cooker hadn't been fitted correctly, as we've found some other Aspire ovens
SOLID BUT NOT HEAVY Like all its new motorhomes, Encores incorporate Elddis' patented, SoLiD bonding system, for which
Elddis Encore 275
the company confidently provides a 10-year water ingress warranty. Side walls are made of single GRP sheets; the roof (other than the GRP overcab) and rear panels are aluminium; and cappings are inferior ABS plastic, with the underfloor GRP-skinned for added weatherproofing. Despite its size, the Encore has a maximum gross weight of 3,SOOkg - and is therefore driveable on a standard licence - and it has a good quoted payload of 550kg. That's with water tanks empty, so in reality payload is 450kg. The nearside habitation door (part of the central locking system, but it wasn't operating properly) is rather narrow - and, though commendably low, its internal step is slightly
shallow. So care is required upon exit, particularly with arms full of bedding. Loading up, we were struck by the quantity of storage space - had we the time we could have stowed away sufficient clobber for a few months of European travel.
PARKING FOR PETROLHEADS Travelling west along the A590, through pleasant countryside of trees, limestone escarpments and tantalising glimpses of the Lakeland fells, we reached the wooded gorge at Backbarrow, where the River Leven rushes from Windermere towards the sea. Here, we stopped to visit the Lakeland Motor Museum, on the site of the old Dolly Blue works. A must for petrolheads, it houses a fascinating collection
of cars, motorbikes and memorabilia - with lots of parking, even for large 'vans like the Elddis. Moving on to Ulverston, heralded by the sight of Hoad Hill and its memorial 'lighthouse: we re-provisioned at the local Booths supermarket, whose car park was able to accommodate the Encore (though it looked like Gulliver in Lilliput). Alongside is the Cumbria Crystal factory, which supplied glassware for the banqueting tables in Downton Abbey. Open to the public, it's a visit we promised ourselves for another day. Choosing the scenic coast road route (AS087) to Barrow from Ulverston, we stopped at Conishead Priory for a bite to eat. Now owned by the Kadampa Buddists, who've built a new temple in the grounds,
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Elddis Encore 275
WHO IS ELDDIS?
II Elddis Siddle Cook started making touring caravans at his home in Consett, Co Durham, in 1963, going into business as Elddis !Siddle reversed) the following year. Since then, the company has expanded dramatically, now employing around 300 staff making both caravans and motorhomes. Although other companies, such as Compass, Autohomes and Buccaneer, were acquired, all motorhomes are now branded Elddis. Three ranges of motorhome are currently made IAutoquest, Accardo and the new Encore), all using the SoliD bonded construction system. They are sold by a multitude of dealers, often with enhanced specifications as 'dealer specials'. Wherever you are in the UK, you're never far from an Elddis dealer.
it's well worth a visit - and a spot of meditation (free each day from 12.30pm). Again, there was room for the Encore - on this occasion, alongside a coach, which made us feel quite small.
AN UNLIKELY ATTRACTION At first sight, Barrow-in-Furness, home of BEA Systems' submarine factory, is an unlikely tourist attraction, but there's plenty to see. En route, we could have visited Furness Abbey or Dalton Zoo (home to a host of endangered species and worthy of a full day's visit), but plumped instead for the Docks Museum - as the name implies, right by the docks. This houses a fascinating display of all matters nautical and Barrovian, and though we're still awaiting Council confirmation that motorhomes can lawfully park outside the museum,
we gather there is coach parking around the corner. The final stage of our tour was to South Walney Nature Reserve, reached by a narrow lane winding across the wild salt marshes. A superb area for waterfowl and waders. the views across Morecambe Bay to Piel Island are fabulous. On our return, we detoured to North Walney National Nature Reserve, accessible from the large car park at Earnsie Point. One incident on the single-track, and largely deserted, road gave us pause for thought. Religiously and frequently checking the mirrors on their extended arms, we stopped to reverse into a lay-by. Selecting reverse provoked a frantic hoot from a Renault tucked close behind - and invisible. Were convinced that a full-time, rear view camera is a vital safety feature in large motorhomes - particularly those, like the Encore, with no through vision.
BIG OUTSIDE, BIG INSIDE At the same time, big outside equates to big inside, and living in the Encore 275 is more like being in a large caravan - hardly surprising, with Elddis being a successful touring caravan manufacturer. Decor is pleasant and uncontroversial, the warm Reno Walnut furniture having cream highlighting on overhead lockers, with kitchen high-level cupboards being plain cream. Upholstery is in tweedy beige with plain panels; walls are finished in cream wallboard, textured in the lounge and washroom but sensibly smooth behind the kitchen; and mid-brown carpet sections overlie bamboo strip-effect vinyl. Window blinds are all concertina-type, but still allow a strip of daylight to infiltrate underneath. The Encore's lounge is both wide and long, with an overhead Heki and big (though tinted) windows,
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Motorhome of the month FACT FILE PRICE FROM £48,349 PRICE AS TESTED £48.628 EXTRAS FITTED Fiamma four-bike
rack (£279) OTHER EXTRAS AVAILABLE Leather
upholstery (£1,449), Tracker (£279). towbar (£420), reversing camera (£299) TYPE APPROVAL European Whole Vehicle BERTHS 2 TRAVEL SEATS (INC DRIVER) 2 DIMENSIONS 7.41m L. 2.35m W. 2.62m H INTERIOR HEIGHT 2.02m max (lounge 1.90m) MAXIMUM WEIGHT 3.500kg PAYLOAD 450kg BEDS Two lengthways singles 1.93m x 0.66m or transverse double 2.08m x 1.34m FRESH WATER 100 litres (inboard) WASTE WATER 100 litres (underslung, heated) GAS 2 x 1lkg LEISURE BATTERY 1OOAh (with room for a second battery) MAINS SOCKETS 7 BASE VEHICLE PEUGEOT BOXER TEMPO LIBERO LWB CHASSIS-CAB ENGINE 2.2-litre HDi. 130bhp, Euro V, front-wheel drive. six-speed manual gearbox MPG ON TEST 27.2 COOKING/ HEATING COOKING Thetford Aspire cooker with
three gas burners, one mains hotplate, separate oven and grill. Daewoo 800W microwave FRIDGE 189-litre Dometic 8-series threeway with AES and removable freezer compartment HEATING Aide gas/mains heater with radiators BOILER Aide gas/mains
and features the parallel settees so beloved by the British. Unlike on the Continent, where you'll probably relax outside under the awning, British weather frequently forces one indoors, so a lounge needs to be comfortable. Here, the Encore excels, with new Ozio foam upholstery providing soft and comfortable cushioning - there are knee rolls, but you'd hardly notice, they're so soft. And the settees are long enough for any longshanks to sprawl. The cab seats swivel and are fully adjustable, with twin armrests apiece. They are served by adjustable reading lights - with four more over the settees. A free-standing table stores in a cupboard alongside the fridge but the tabletop is relatively small, and with the lounge being so wide, it's quite a stretch to reach your food - from both sides. The lounge floor, a slight step up from the kitchen area, contains a
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large, removable section which conceals a slim hidey-hole and access to two leisure battery cubbies, though only one l OOAh battery is fitted as standard. This floor section didn't fit properly, standing proud, and the carpet didn't popper-down, so a nasty slide could (and did!) result for the clumsy. In the nearside rear of the lounge is a well-placed TV bracket, aerial point, 12V socket and two mains sockets. Behind each settee are grilles for the sophisticated, quiet Alde heating system. There are also heating grilles behind the cab seats and a pair of fans within the settee bases which blow hot air into the cab .,. having an automatic shut-off, the gas supply can safely be left on while travelling. The heater itself lives under the offside settee, alongside the internal, 100-litre fresh water tank. A cut above any other heater, the Alde system is
efficient, very quiet, and doesn't overly dry the air. Its control panel, by the habitation door, is simple to use and very bright - however, a large mirror opposite inadvertently reflects this brightness into the lounge/bedroom - very annoying at night!
BECAUSE WE'RE SHY On our Encore there was another nocturnal nuisance - someone had forgotten to fit the (standard issue) Remis cab blinds. However, we parked nose-in and, for the shy, there's room to change in the palatial rear washroom. Bed-making was simple. For longitudinal singles, simply use each settee - they're both l.90m (6ft 4in) long - removing the backrests to the cab or washroom. For the transverse double bed, the moveable sections of bed base slide easily to meet
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in the centre, to be overlain by the longer seat and back cushions - turned over, as Ozio's instructions printed on the underside say 'Sleep this side'. That's it... apart from the problem of a missing infill cushion to hold the bed together. We solved that conundrum by squishing the backrests from the smaller, non-moving sections of settee, into the gap. The resultant bed was still long enough, at l.90m (6ft 4in). With the pukka infill cushion, it would have measured a massive 2.08m (6ft lOin). A width of l.34m (4ft Sin), gave us a virtually domestic-sized bed. Interestingly, we didn't find the need to position the main seat cushions against the walls, despite the presence of knee-rolls which normally necessitate this. As always, we found sleeping transversely across cushion-joins a little lumpy, but that goes
with this bed design - and it's nothing a mattresstopper won't smooth away.
SHOPPING SWALLOWED The kitchen is truly impressive, with excellent storage. The Thetford Aspire cooker has three gas burners and an electric hotplate, with a separate oven and grill and a pan cupboard beneath. There's also a Daewoo 800W microwave at l.57m from the floor, and opposite, a huge, 189-litre auto-selection Dometic fridge with removable freezer compartment. This, plus three overhead cupboards (one racked for crocks), two drawers (one for cutlery) and a large shelved cupboard below the work surface, a hefty cupboard above the fridge, and a shelved cupboard under the sink (which disappears into the furthest corner - a perfect place for losing things), the Encore
swallowed our shopping expedition without noticing. There's ample work surface either side of the cooker, and four mains sockets - one pair helpfully accessible from the offside settee. The large, black enamelled sink with moveable mixer tap should have a plastic drainer tray, but this had gone AWOL. With all this space (and potential for masses of washing up from all the cooking facilities), maybe an integral sink and drainer would be more useful, and in more durable stainless-steel rather than enamel. But we're nitpicking here - and probably out of fashion - for this is an excellent kitchen.
THE STAR TURN Disappearing rearwards into the washroom you'll find a Thetford 263 swivel toilet sitting in solitary splendour beneath the nearside translucent window
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WHERE TO STAY BARDSEA LEISURE CARAVAN PARK Ulverston OPEN All year PITCHES 88 all-weather touring pitches WEB bardsealeisure.co.uk TEL 01229 584712
A five-pennant park. sheltered within a former quarry and with some privately owned static caravans. There's a large children's play area. a dog walk and a swimming pool and leisure complex close by. Ulverston is within walking distance and there's a nearby pub and convenience store. It's well-placed for accessing Coniston and the western Lake District and all of the Furness Peninsula.
Grange-over-Sands OPEN All year PITCHES 116 (102 hardstandings) WEB caravanclub.co.uk TEL 01539 532912 A peaceful rural location with separate pitching areas surrounded by trees and shrubs. There's on and off-site dog walking, as well as a golf course close by, and it's a pleasant bike ride to the pretty Victorian town of Grange-overSands. The site is convenient for the southern Lake District, the Furness Peninsula and has good links to the M6. MOTORHOME SUPPLIED BY
and double-doored cupboard. Amidships, the washbasin (with swivelling mixer tap) has a large mirror above and a shelved cupboard below. In the offside rear corner is the shower cubicle with clear, bi-fold door and smooth, white walls (though these felt flimsy and floppy). Practicalities include an Ecocamel Halo showerhead on a riser bar, a soap dish and a sensibly placed but single drain hole. Forward of the cubicle, the large wardrobe has two hanging rails - we'd probably remove the lower one, leaving a l.42m (4ft Sin) drop. There are also two small drawers. Good lighting encourages one to linger, with a small Heki, three ceiling LED clusters and another in the shower cubicle. The washroom may not be ultra-fancy - no blue LEDs in the mirror, no perched acrylic washbowl
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- but it's very practical and spacious. Niggles? Only a few - there's no loo-roll holder, the washbasin wasn't properly sealed to the wall and its lower front edge was rough, and it would be nice to have a removable rail in the shower for wet clothes/towels.
PLENTY OF SPACE Despite the lack of a fixed bed, storage throughout is a positive feature of this motorhome, the lounge being no exception. A huge, nearside under-settee area is accessible both internally and externally. There's a large cupboard below the TV point, a total of seven overhead cupboards and the overcab has side cubbies and a shelf above. As for equipment levels, for its price, the Encore is well appointed. Its heating system is upmarket
A new range-topper from Eld dis. offering excellent value for money in a big, traditional layout for two with a super end washroom.
Alde, the cab has the usual cruise control, airconditioning, twin airbags and a spare wheel, supplied as standard, is easily accessible under the rear. This Encore also carried a four-bike rack on its tail, but that's a £279 optional extra. The Elddis Encore 275 provided us with a very comfortable base for our short tour of the Furness Peninsula - which has more to offer than many folk rushing to the Lakes might imagine - and it gets better weather, too. As for the 275, wea like to see GRP used on the roof, rather than aluminium - in rainy weather it might give a quieter night's rest and it would offer more hailstone resistance. We'd certainly specify that rear view camera, too, but Elddis has produced a value-for-money contender with a highspec version of a traditional two-person layout.
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