First Trip..................

Just returned from our first trip in the new Cadiz,four nights at Beechwood Grange CC site just outside York.

Beechwood has always been one of our favourite sites and is only about 45mins from our storage.

The site was as cared for as it always is with friendly helpful wardens but it has to be said that it is looking a little tired in places and could do with a bit of a makeover especially in the washblock and on the roads,which after rain ( and boy was there some ) present with some very large and deep puddles.

Anyway onto the Cadiz and I am pleased to say there is virtually nothing to report.

Had a scare when we first arrived as the mover wouldn't work,fortunately just a change of handset batteries needed.

Nothing broke,well nearly nothing as I shall document shortly.

The problems that people had highlighted on Caravan Talk didn't materialise.

No water ingress into lockers ( and we had plenty of driving rain ).

No problem with the EHU socket.

No leaks into the van.

SWMBO commented that the fridge was uber efficient,in the Orion we were used to turning it onto Max,we did it on this and everything froze,milk,pop,mushrooms,everything ( sorry Malcolm ).

It towed behind the Alltrack like a dream with little influence from a blustery wind,a 90Kg noseweight was easy to achieve.

As for the layout,few problems there.

It has to be said that the bathroom is a little compact to say the least but you can't have twin fixed beds,a decent size kitchen and lounge and also a large bathroom,the box is only a certain size.

The shower worked OK and appeared well sealed but a bi-fold door might have made better use of space.

The location of the table in the wardrobe is not the best thought out.

It is a pity that it couldn't have been situated in some sort of slide in cupboard in the kitchen like the Orion,it always seemed to be in the way somehow.

The concertina divider between front and rear seems to be a bit of a rickety affair,not really up to the quality of a prestige van,it is like it was an afterthought.

The TV point adjacent to the fridge worked fine with our television and it folded away nicely into its cubby hole.

Beds were superb,no problems there.

The Alde heating/water was excellent but the ambient temperature displayed on the control panel didn't seem to match what we felt in the van ( didn't have a thermometer to check it ).

It showed 25C at times but it didn't feel like it.

Rang Alde who said to check the van temp.with a thermometer then offset the temperature reading on the panel which I will do before our next trip.

Outside,some guide tubes for the rear steadies wouldn't have gone amiss.

The breakage was the extending flap adjacent to the kitchen work top.

Don't lean on this too heavily as it collapses and pulls the screws out.

Don't ask me how I know this fact.

Also,don't drop a mobile phone down between the kitchen unit and the front seat as it takes some getting out.

Kitchen sink wise,someone commented that the tap mixer lever hit the window surround,ours fortunately didn't,just.

It never ceases to amaze me how caravan manufacturers get away with placing 230v sockets adjacent to a sink,I'm sure it wouldn't be allowed in a domestic setting.

Oven/hob/microwave,no problem.

There is plenty of storage space,so much in fact the we had some empty lockers left over.

We have brought the ridiculously large square bulbous cushions home to replace them with some smaller ones,much too big for the van.

All in all,very pleased with the Cadiz which appeared to have been well made and well prepared.

I hope it lasts.

Just a final word of praise for Bailey Parts.

Put on our new Bailey/Pro Tec towing cover this morning for only the second time and one of the straps became detached.

Rang Bailey Parts when we got home and a complete new cover will be delivered tomorrow morning.

I call that good service.

Ian