Blog
Well, its been a busy couple of months at the workshop. We have been up-loading our on-line shop to offer a wide range of DIY conversion components, as well as developing a few new designs that will hopefully prove popular for next season. Unfortunatly this has meant that I haven't managed to follow up on plugging North Devon as a holiday destination and detailing some of the activities available mentioned on my last post. - I hope to get back to this shortly.
Just a quick reminder we are getting a lot of initial enquiries from customers who are currently looking for suitable base vehicles to convert, once you have a suitable vehicle it will be in your interest to book in with us early and have your conversion completed through the winter months rather than wait for the spring as we can get heavily booked. Generally you should find base vehicles a bit cheaper through autumn and winter but you have to be quick off the mark to get the bargins! If you are looking for suitable vehicle, especially the VW than Pistonheads is often a good site also VWCamper Crazy - when working is worth a look.
Ok, So you've decided to come to Devon for a break or holiday. Sounds great, getting away from it all enjoying the scenery and relaxing. That's ok for the first day or two but what can you actually do in Devon? After all, although a beautiful backdrop, once you've seen a few hills and beaches you've seen them all!.... Alright, that not entirely true, but all to often visitors haven't given much thought as to what they'll do once they've got here.
So you've tackled the M5 summer traffic, tracked down the campsite and pitched your slightly wonky tent. Trouble is you've brought no regional maps, it's a bit chilly to sit on the beach and at 10.30 am it's a bit early to hit the pub......hummmm, what to do. Usually this leads to the old "Grockle meander" in tourist hot spots like Braunton and Woolacombe, slightly sun burnt individuals wondering from surf shop to surf shop looking at Quicksilver tops that they could pick up back home and admiring the "cool" surfboards while wondering which end goes forward, and whether it would make a nice coffee table.
As far as I'm concerned Devon is all about the opportunities it can offer, there is certainly loads to see down here, but more importantly there is loads to do. Whether young or old, couples, families or stag parties spend your time fullfilingly. Save the window shopping (lets be honest - that's what it usually is) til you're too hungover to do any thing else.
Over the next couple of months I hope to bring to your attention some of the more active, obscure and down right fun things you can get up to on your holiday which will hopefully have you coming back next year with some of your buddies.
It seems the tourist info centres around here all have the imagination of campfire mashmallows. According to them you are all visiting Devon go on a nice walk, to go to a nice B&B, have a nice meal in the evening and pick up some nice trinkets to take home and put on the shelf. All well and good, but not every day and certainly nothing to write home about.....God.....I can imagine the post card now......"Having a lovely time....."
So, here are a few of the things I hope to cover and pass on information about. Some of these activities will cost you money, others will be.... I love this word....Free!
Powerkiting, Kitesurfing, Kite boarding and buggying, Mountain boarding, Surfing, Kayaking, Sailing, Windsurfing, Coasteering, Rock climbing, Mountain biking and cycle paths, Crabbing (oh yes!) Fishing, Sea Kayaking and Kayak fishing. Nature watching (there's all sorts round 'ere)
If that doesn't keep you busy I'll also try to detail some of the places and attractions that are worth a visit....maybe..if you're lucky, even the Gnome Reserve and Barometer World!!
Look back soon
Rich
So you're heading down to North Devon for a trip or holiday, what can you do? We'll the list goes on and on. One of the reasons I moved here is because I love to surf. The guys who know what they're doing will head to Croyde and Woolacombe but avoid summer, instead coming down in the autumn will more likely give you good conditions. For everyone else who likes getting wet and having a splash around Saunton is always a good bet, a nice safe wave with plenty of space, and good surf hire and facilities. Saunton car park will be be full by 11.00am on a summer weekend so watch out and plan ahead, it aslo gets very busy in front of the flagged areas often with 50 newbies taking taking of on the same wave.
One alternative is Westward Ho! at the opposite end to Saunton you can get there quicker than the congested journey through Braunton and the beach is as big and as well life-guarded as Saunton. The wave is shallow, safe and excellent to learn on. The is a good hire shop and cafe right next to the beach at the entrance to Northam burrows. There is a slightly bigger wave about half way along the beach and this is where the second lifeguard station is situated, you can drive through Northam Burrows to this or you can stay at Westward Ho! end. You will need to be aware of the tide times, however, as the sea comes right up to the pebble ridge at high tide with no beach left. I can highly recommend Westward Ho! beach as a safe family beach, with plenty of rock pools and crabs to keep the kids amused. The main attraction are the lack of crowds, this especially the case for wanna be surfers and you'll be able to get the hang of it without the worry of mowing down innocent by-standers, or indeed being taken out yourself.
If you are interested in campervan conversions why not pop over to us at Bideford for a chat about how we can help, you are always welcome to view the conversions we currently have in progress, or any vehicles we have for sale.
We can now offer a variety of combi-van conversions enabling your panel van to be transformed into an 8 seater, or just have a couple of extra seats fitted to the rear. Combi-van conversions can include full lining and insulation of the vehicle along with windows, seats and flooring fitted. Most combivan conversions can also have a variety of conversion or storage units fitted to complement the customers use of the vehicle. We will try to include as many pics of the various options available, if you have specific design or layout requirements please get in touch to discuss. In short, whether you require a campervan conversion, combivan conversion, windows or roofs fitted we will be more than happy to discuss and fulfill your requirements.
We now have a very nice white T4 campervan for sale and ready to go. Considering almost all the convertors are now booked up for this season, then this is a nice easy way to get straight in to enjoying the summer, without spending months looking for a suitable base vehicle to convert. It is priced to sell at £12,750, inc a new MOT. To be honest I would be surprised if you could buy a base vehicle of this quality and spec and convert it to this spec within the selling price - the main reason many people buy vans and convert separately. Unlike larger dealers who often commission conversions on their own vehicles and sell on at a premium , we only look to make our profit from the conversion cost rather than adding a hefty premium to the vehicle as well. This means that the vans we occasionally sell will be cheaper than buying through a dealership. Pics of this can be viewed on the home page - click on the images for larger pics. The van is in excellent condition through out, has colour-coded bumpers and 17" alloys. Both side windows fitted are half-sliders - ideal for ventilation, it also has rear tail gate windows fitted, all windows are privacy tinted. It has out Tourer conversion fitted with a few extras such as twin swivel front seats, DVD player and Tambour door to corner closet. All in all this conversion will suit you whether you do short weekend trips away or if you want some thing to tour Europe in. The vehicle is a 2.5tdi so has good pull and speed I guess the MPG is around 35 ave.
For more info please call or e-mail.
Well the camping season is in full swing, it seems the sun is reminding people we have some fantastic scenery here in Devon and Cornwall. I've been out in my own van quite a lot and have been to some great camping sites. I can highly recommend the Doone Valley, just north of Lynmouth, in Exmoor. There are some really beautiful places to stay and loads to keep the family happy - lets just hope the weather is here to stay for the summer.
On a Campervan conversion note we are pretty much booked up for the summer now and are taking bookings for September onwards. The nice thing about a campervan is that it greatly extends the viable camping season. A few of our customers happily take trips all year around, for the less hardy it is still comfortable to have weekend trips in late Oct and as early as the beginning of March. - Something you wouldn't really consider if you only had a tent.
In regards to our on-line shop, I'm afraid we have had to temporarily suspend it. At the moment we just haven't got the time to develop it further. We plan to re-open the shop in the autumn with new lines of products. If you require any conversion or camping components or accessories please feel free to e-mail or call and we will be happy to advise you on what we currently have in stock.
For those of you who have yet to purchase a van - converted or not, we will shortly have two VWt4 Transporters for sale, both with full side conversions fitted and ready to go. Both vehicles have under 90,000 on the clock and are in excellent condition with colour-coded bumpers and alloys. One is a Black 1.9tdi 2001 with blended arches and skirts, sunroof and spoiler - a real head turner. The other is a white '02 plate, 2.5tdi. They will be advertised under the "On-line Shop" section of the website shortly, under "Vehicle Sales", with full spec list and pics.
Just a reminder - Once Easter has passed we get booked up very quickily, to avoid disappointment or a longer lead times please get in touch to discuss requirements etc as early as you can. We are always happy for you to visit - whether you currently have a van or not - to have a chat about conversion designs that may suit you best.
Richard
The aim of this Blog is to keep customers informed of new products and campervan conversion designs as well as any available campervans we have for sale. I'll let you know when the next available slots are for vans you want to book in for a campervan conversion and also any special offers we are currently running. On a day to day basis I'll try to be informative on general camping and motorhome info and write about some of the places and activities that can be found in North Devon and the surrounding area - these is loads to do and see., and hopefully you'll keep coming back.