It’s been 3 years since the last October Motorhome and Caravan show at the NEC. 3 long years since our favourite show of the season.
The timing couldn’t have been more perfect either. The show took place from 18th-23rd October, just after we had returned from our 6 week European road trip!
It was the perfect way to end our latest adventure, easing us in to our return.
Travel blogs will return soon
If you’ve been following our travel blogs, they haven’t stopped! They will return, we are merely interrupting them for this show blog.
Since we got back, it’s been hectic and I’m a little behind. On the plus side, reminiscing about our trip as I (Tash) write the blogs will be a pleasant experience through the winter months.
Why do we love the October Motorhome and Caravan show so much?
I don’t think I could give just one reason, there are many!
But if I was to summarise, I would say new vehicle launches, the latest accessories, awesome talks from people across the industry, the chance to chat to manufacturers and companies, and catching up with friends and colleagues.
Sounds like that could be any show, right?
Trust me, this one is different. There is such a buzz about it! It’s the biggest leisure vehicle show in the UK, the only place you can see so many different models under one roof.
Plus, it’s usually this show where manufacturers exclusively launch new models to the UK market.
I won’t keep you in suspense any longer, here’s our highlights from the October motorhome and caravan show!
A Motorhome with an elevating roof?
No seriously, a motorhome with a pop top! Jon and I had seen pictures of the Burstner Lyseo Gallery prototype floating around on the internet for a while so we were excited to see the production version in person!
The Burstner Lyseo Gallery T649G was the model on display at the show and it was definitely one of the more popular stands.
When we think of pop tops, we think of the canvas style, like my Danbury Campervan. The roof on the gallery range, however, is inflatable. It is raised by an on board compressor and is fully inflated in around 1.5-2 minutes.
Probably not the first question most people think to ask, but I was curious, what happens if you got a puncture? The Burstner rep explained the roof is divided in to 3 separate air chambers. If one chamber develops a puncture or fault, the other 2 can still fully support the roof!
Inside the motorhome is cool too, there is a set of built in stairs on the right hand side leading up to the inflatable overcab. A set of stairs in a Motorhome? Now they’re just showing off.
It’s not the size, it’s what you do with it
Stands that always garner attention at any show are ones with RVs on them. The Empire RV stand was no exception at the NEC.
We were fortunate enough to be shown around the luxury models on display (thanks to our friend James!). We are no stranger to slightly larger motorhomes than most but these ones were on another level.
The one that particularly caught Jon’s eye was the STX, based on a Mercedes Actros. I can’t lie, it was beautiful. Inside was like a hotel and I’m pretty sure the bathroom was bigger than the one in our old house.
I see you baby, shaking that a**
A motorhome with an elevating roof doesn’t sound like something that can be topped.
Enter the Hymer Venture S.
Before you even delve in to the features of this motorhome, the exterior lets you know you are in for a treat.
Not just the obvious features such as the gorgeous colour and decal design, the BFG tyres or the slim body.
It’s the clear attention to detail like the angled rear bumper, great for ground clearance, the triple rear windows, giving you an uninterrupted vista and the all round protection plate, as striking as it is functional.
Venture S, same but different
A bit of deja-vu here with the inflatable roof, as seen on the Burstner. This is a two chamber version though. We also see the innovative stairs built in to the van, leading up to the ‘loft’.
Thats where the similarities end though. This motorhome is insane, with a rear tailgate that opens down in to a sun deck, customisable storage in the kitchen plus a desk built in to the wall behind the cab!
Supersonic. Saving the best ’till last
Ok, the Hymer was mental and everything you could want in an ‘out of the box’ adventure vehicle. But let’s be honest, it would never suit our set up.
For starters, where would the cats lounge all day without their beloved A Class dash?
It’s no secret we’re suckers for a well crafted A Class. Since photos of the new Adria Supersonic were revealed, we’d been eager to see it in person on its first UK outing at the October Motorhome and Caravan Show.
You know as soon you see the metallic silver paintwork and the 3 star badge on the exclusive grill, that you are in the presence of greatness.
Style and Substance, you can have it all
Adria’s many years of experience have been poured in to the supersonic. Features like the wide habitation door, optimally placed water tank and wide angled external mirrors are all standard.
As is the single level floor throughout with internal storage.
The furnishings inside are stunning, one of our favourite high end touches was the shower. Never seen black decor in a motorhome shower before!
Honourable mention
Not a new model but one that we’ve always liked is the Dethleffs Alpa. Specifically the A 6820-2. We had a good look around while at the show.
I know what you’re thinking, it’s not an A Class! *insert shocked face*
However, it has many attributes that tick many boxes. These include, but are not limited to, the living area being completely separate from the cab, a huge U-shaped lounge, fixed single beds above the cab and a heated double floor. All in a unit under 7.5m.
Accessorise your life
Choosing the right motorhome or campervan for your needs is important. So is choosing the right accessories! We’ve been full-time for nearly 4 years now but our needs are always adapting.
This is why the shows are great, you can get hands on with products to make sure they suit your needs before buying (as we have to be mindful of both budget and space)
One thing I’ve been looking at for a while is a poncho to replace my beloved Giso towelling robe. The robe has been amazing but after our European trip, I’ve been wanting something I can chuck on for the showers or for activities like swimming (as we did in Lake Bled!)
What do you know, Giso were launching their new quick dry poncho at the October motorhome and caravan show!
We always love catching up with Georgina and Ivor anyway, we have been building a wonderful relationship with them since the Feb 2020 show. And all of our Giso products, some purchased, some gifted, are still going strong 2.5 years later.
Just call me Ponch’
It was lovely because they were as excited to show me the new ponchos as I was to try them. Needless to say, I left with one (gifted, they wouldn’t let me buy one!) and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since.
Fire Safety Stick
Another company we’ve been working with for a while and alway enjoy seeing are the guys from Fire Safety Stick. They are passionate about what they do and so easy to chat to. We now have a 10% discount code for our followers too! Click here to go to their direct shop and use code ‘LBB’.
It’s not just the place, it’s the people
As mentioned above, one of our favourite things about the show is actually the people. We get to catch up with people we haven’t seen in ages; fellow bloggers, people we’ve met at other shows, companies that we’ve been building relationships with and new people that follow our travels (that one we still find weird and we’re super grateful for every single one).
A huge highlight for us was meeting the team behind Park4Night. We use it all the time, it’s a staple of ours but we’ve never known who was behind it.
Marie and the team we met were lovely and it was so cool we were able to give them some valuable user feedback too! We really enjoyed chatting to them through the week. We are also proud to now say we are ambassadors for Park4Night.
Thank you for reading!
We were at the show all week so there was a lot to cram in to this but we thoroughly enjoyed it. If you’ve not been to the October motorhome and caravan and show before, we highly recommend going! Just wear comfortable shoes and stay hydrated.
The February edition might be smaller but is also a fantastic show. Tickets for that are now on sale > grab them here.