01 Monday May 2017
Posted in Places
The amazing Bailey of Bristol Arctic Adventure involved a key moment when the two caravans and the one motorhome stopped for a memorable photo opportunity at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on their way to Finland.
Equally memorable for Emily, Faye and Anna (l to r) we are in Berlin this weekend but, sadly, Ryanair will not be taking us onwards and upwards to the Arctic…….
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
18 Saturday Mar 2017
Posted in Travel
Tags
arctic, articadventure, bailey of bristol, camc, caravan and motorhome club, Christopher Macgowan, finland, john rawlings, Lee Davey, Martin Dorey, millbrook, motorhome, motorhomenews, Nigel Hutson, simon howard
So the Arctic Adventure team has returned home. It was such fun following the group all the way from Millbrook to the Arctic Circle in Finland and back home again. Lee Davey, Martin Dorey, Nigel Hutson, John Rawlings and of course Bailey Mastermind Simon Howard (Marketing Director, Bailey of Bristol), together with a supporting cast. And all done in association with The Caravan and Motorhome Club
There were many high spots for us Groupies but watching the team drive across the Oresund Bridge from Sweden into Denmark was certainly one of them for me as a fan of the TV drama series The Bridge. Also memorable were Martin Dorey’s amazing skills at conjuring up meals under less than ideal circumstances. Artistic Creativity Award went to the photo of the Thetford toilet cassette in the foreground of a stupendous snowy arctic scene.
There was of course a very serious purpose to the venture which were the cold weather tests carried out by Millbrook’s operation in Finland; insulation materials and heating systems are getting ever more advanced and they are tested under rigorous climate conditions reproduced in test centres in the UK – but there is no substitute for a gruelling long haul run in the coldest possible conditions encountered in the Arctic.
It was fun following the trip; it must have been some experience to have been actually part of the trip.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
16 Thursday Feb 2017
Posted in Travel
Tags
arctic, Bailey, bailey of bristol, Christopher Macgowan, motorhomenews, Nick Lomas, simon howard
Bailey motorhome and caravans aim for the Arctic Circle.
Bailey will be heading off on its Artic Adventure in a motorhome and two caravans.
To demonstrate the strength and durability of its Alu-Tech construction, Bailey of Bristol is about to embark on another marathon product endurance test. This time the company, in association with The Caravan Club, will be taking an Autograph 75-2 motorhome and two caravans on an epic 5,000-mile journey to the Arctic Circle.
The Bailey Arctic Adventure will set off from the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, travel through Europe across the Arctic Circle to the Millbrook Winter Test Centre in Ivalo, Northern Finland and then back.
The journey will take 16 days and the team will visit 12 countries in the process taking in some of Europe’s most iconic locations including the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the official home town of Santa Claus at Rovaniemi in Finland, and the Oresund Bridge linking Sweden to Denmark on the way.
Road and weather conditions at this time of year in Scandinavia will be challenging. With temperatures possibly dropping as low as minus 30 degrees centigrade there will be plenty of snow and ice on an already harsh terrain, making driving potentially hazardous.
To combat this, the 2.0 Blue Hdi 160bhp engine of the Autograph 75-2 should be able to take this journey in its stride, said Bailey, especially as the motorhome has been fully winterised, are fitted with winter tyres and supplied with snow chains.
As with all Bailey leisure vehicles the ‘Arctic Adventure’ motorhome and caravans are built using the company’s patented Alu-Tech body shell construction system.
Bailey points out that this award-winning technology creates vehicles that are more robust, more durable and yet lighter than those manufactured using conventional methods and offer greater protection against the elements to keep owners comfortable, safe and secure all year round.
To date over 40,000 Bailey caravans and motorhomes have been built using this method.
The team will be posting daily blogs and social media updates as often as possible via the Bailey and The Caravan Club social media channels details.
Talking about the challenge ahead, Bailey Marketing Director and a member of the ‘Arctic Adventure’ team Simon Howard, said: “After completing the West2East challenge in Australia we wanted to show people the other side of the ‘extreme caravanning coin’. Whilst the road and weather conditions in Northern Finland will be the polar opposite to those we experienced in the Australian Outback, they will be no less challenging.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to show people that if you put your mind to it you really can go anywhere and do anything in a modern leisure vehicle” he added.
Commenting on The Caravan Club’s involvement Director General Nick Lomas said: “The Caravan Club is delighted to support the ‘Arctic Adventure’ as it highlights what fantastic adventures you can have in a caravan or a motorhome. Not everybody can travel to the Arctic Circle but we hope it inspires people to have their own adventures, whether it be travelling for 10 miles, 100 miles or a thousand miles.”
You can follow regular updates on the team’s progress on the Bailey of Bristol Twitter @BaileyofBristol (#ArcticAdventure) and as well as the new Bailey of Bristol Facebook page.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
