Motorhome and Caravan Show 2014

It’s that time of year again when we nip over to the NEC for The Motorhome and Caravan Show. This year I visited on behalf of a Derby based client, Hillside Leisure who create beautiful bespoke micro campers. After we built them a new Hillside Leisure website where they can upload details of the vans, I’ve been writing the campervan news blog and have introduced social channels with a large emphasis on Hillside launching the World’s first Electric Campervan! So far the campaign has been a success with the Press picking up on the tweets and publishing articles related to this World first event.

Out And About Live – NEC Motorhome Show news: see the world's first all-electric campervan http://t.co/tWvbrljZ9y

— MHome & Caravan Show (@NECCaravanShow) October 7, 2014

The whole concept of an electric campervan is really exciting and I’m intrigued to see how the industry will pick up on offering fully electric leisure vehicles and if it will be possible for campsite owners to allow recharging while on site. I’ve got a lot more to say about the electric campervan, so stay tuned for some future blog posts and a road test.

@HillsideCampers We've a 16 amp supply for every pitch & some pitches have 32 amp. We've been working towards this for years. Keep in touch!

— Long Hazel Park (@longhazelpark) October 10, 2014

This year I decided to take an SLR and a compact WiFi camera rather than just rely on an iPhone. This allowed me to shoot with onboard flash and then transfer the images (using the MiFi as a router) to my iPhone for live sharing to the Hillside Twitter and Facebook accounts during the show. The light at these indoor events can be tricky so a monopod allowed for slightly slower shutter speeds without having to carry a bulky tripod around all day.

Even when I wasn’t involved directly with Hillside Leisure I was always attracted to their stand. This year the stand is even bigger with a lovely selection of colourful VW Transporters as well as their new Renault Trafic conversion. The campervan interiors built by these British craftsmen are always superb with very high quality materials and finishes, as well as top-end equipment.

To be fair, all of the manufacturers and converters put on a very good event and it’s often that you’ll find my jaw hitting the floor or drooling over the machines on show. The Motorhome and Caravan show at the NEC in October has got to be THE place to come if you are ever thinking about touring and exploring in something a little more luxurious than a tent. It’s on from the 14th to 19th October 2014, so if you’re reading this tonight (Wednesday) you’ve still got four days left to visit.