Happy Customer

Nothing beats the feeling of supplying one of our customers with a top of the range conversion, and our latest customer is over the moon with his.

A few weeks ago we began plans to convert Mr Fisher’s 4Motion DSG; already a great standard van, we jumped at the chance to provide our customer with a premium conversion with all the luxury features a Leisure Hubs conversion is famed for.

The completed van includes: a pop up 17” swivel mounted TV set into a stylish iced blue Corian work surface, plenty of storage with cabinets with a curved tambour door and soft closing drawers, a 39 litre slide out fridge freezer, Our rainforest shower built into the tailgate with 18 minutes worth of hot running water, TUV rated swivel seats, Reimo pop top roof and roof bed, and a top of the range Webasto diesel heater with automatic timers, to name a few.

The completed conversion cost just £17,000 and provided the van with a complete luxury conversion that sleeps 4 people, the perfect design for family camping holidays and road trips.

We’re very proud of our latest design and we think the pictures speak for themselves. You can also check out our ever growing portfolio of designs on our website.   

Nespresso Pixie

The drop down coffee maker appears from furniture with the flick of a switch

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that at Leisure Hubs we love coffee. With conversion deadlines to meet, we’re no stranger to working well into the night, and the perky brown bean manages to maintain our sanity, as well as our decomposing tolerance of each other.

We love each other really! A deep brown puddle of steamy hot coffee can be the perfect morning pick me up when a day filled with adventure is ahead; that’s why we like to install coffee makers in just about everything!

The motorised drop down Nespresso Pixie coffee maker in our Brown T5 Transporter is cleverly placed just inches from the bed, allowing you to wipe the sleep from your eyes, take a shot of espresso and begin heating the frying pan for several rounds of bacon followed by a day in picturesque scenery. 

The Nespresso Pixie is a luxury addition to any conversion, whether it’s recessed into furniture with a motorised mechanism or sitting with the rest of your kitchen utensils.

The Colina Kitchen Pod

Providing fresh coffee with just 25 seconds heating time, the coffee maker is fast and efficient as well as stylish, with a steel handle, aluminium side panels and a choice of six colours and two finishes.

We love the Nespresso Pixie so much that we’ve even added it to our Colina kitchen pod as an option. 

The Colina provides a simple slide out cupboard which plays home to the compact proportions of the coffee maker, allowing the handy utensil to be neatly tucked away after use.

We may have a harmless obsession with the Nespresso Pixie but so far it’s paid off. The more late nights we have working on the vans though, the more we may begin cramming a coffee maker into every nook and cranny!

www.leisurehubs.com

Where to Camp? Part 3

It’s easy to get into a routine, year in year out, visiting the same ‘safe’ campsite which you know and love.

Of course, this may not necessarily be your fault, campsite horror stories can be some of the worst, and nobody wants to be part of a campsite’s Nazi regime, being made to have cold showers in public, eat gruel or be harassed by noisy campers.

It’s safe to say that once you’ve experienced one bad campsite it can put you off spreading your wings, but when a campsite becomes your second home, lovely as it is, it takes away the freedom a campervan offers.

If you’ve not already upped and left the comfort of your own home for one of the amazing locations we’ve featured so far then maybe it’s time to give somewhere new a try, as there are plenty of locations across the UK desperate accommodate you.

Our latest guide covers sites which offer a more commercial setting, guaranteed to please the whole family, so you can visit safe in the knowledge that none of the sites will see you running in terror in some sort of Wickerman-esque situation.

Trewan Hall Campsite

Located in Cornwall, near Newquay, Trewan Hall Campsite is a family run business, rich with 36 acres of lustrous countryside, woodland and buildings, perfect for exploring.

The stunning scenery plays home to a huge array of activities and beautiful visuals, including a 25m heated swimming pool, live entertainment and local musicians, library and writing room with WiFi, camp shop, pool table, table tennis, computer games (ideal for rainy days) and just ten minutes from a beach, makes the site a fully comprehensive experience which has something for everyone.

Providing a modern camping service, perfect for the whole family, Trewan Hall is an amazing social experience, with organised BBQs, football matches and entertainment for adults and children a like, plenty of places to walk and explore, and facilities to entertain.

Balgair Castle Holiday Park

The outdoor swimming pool at Belgair Castle Holiday Park

Situated in the picturesque scenery of Stirlingshire, Scotland, Balgair Castle Holiday Park is a quiet getaway, perfect for those looking for a relaxing escape.

With firm site rules in place, the campsite offers a tranquil stay, best suited to families and couples looking to unwind.

The site offers a great restaurant and amenities but is a short drive away from a shop which can cause problems if you are not full stocked with essentials. 

Sandford Holiday Park

Sandford Holiday Park is the ultimate base if beach holidaying is your main focus, as it is located equidistant from plenty of great beaches.

With easy access to Bournemouth, Poole, Studland and Sandbanks, the beautiful woodland setting of the campsite leaves you spoilt for choice, and that’s before you even see what the site itself has to offer.

Yes, the site is home to a vast amount of facilities and entertainment, with everything from swimming pools and tennis courts to crazy golf and DJ workshops, perfect for kids and grown ups to enjoy.

Stay tuned for more blogs detailing Britain’s countryside, this week we’ve covered sites that are slightly more commercial, with plenty of entertainment and essentials at hand. Next week we’ll check out some wilder sites for you to enjoy your camper. 

www.leisurehubs.com

Camping Recipes

As the sun rises over the rich British countryside, the once shaded grass is gradually illuminated a vibrant green as each of the sun’s rays hits every blade, local wildlife harmonise and compliment the fresh breeze and as sleep eyed children rise from their beds, the smell of bacon and eggs cooked by mum and dad is never far behind throughout UK campsites.   

Nothing beats popping a runny yolk over white crusty bread as you tuck into the British classic each morning, stuffing yourself ready for another day of adventure in the countryside or beach but it’s no secret that touring the UK and Europe in a Campervan can often lead to a pretty poor diet. 

Being able to travel for weeks on end in a camper is an amazing experience but a diet of bacon baps, BBQs and eating out everyday is not only expensive but it can do serious damage to your body and energy levels.

Returning home from the trip of a lifetime is a rejuvenating experience, freshly enlightened by the wonders each location offered, your brain has taken a journey as well as your body and will feel healthy and content.

With the brain healthy and at peace, nothing can rapidly counteract that then looking down and noticing a severe increase in your waist line.

Don’t get us wrong, we love bacon and eggs, we would eat it for every meal if it was socially acceptable but when travelling for long periods it is important to maintain a well balanced diet, not just for the sake of your waist line but also so you can feel good while you enjoy all your planned activities.

The reason why most ‘resort’ to fatty fried foods when campervanning is that most campers only have one or two hob rings and rarely feature and oven; with a minimal kitchen to work in it’s no doubt campers run out of recipe ideas, so here’s a series of blogs to unleash your inner chef!

We understand that the standard campervan kitchen consists of just one hob so we’ll start with something highly nutritious, delicious and super easy to cook.

A stir fry is an ideal way of making use of the single ring but they’re not for everyone so why not try this versatile recipe which can be easily chopped and changed to suit your taste.

Caribbean Calalloo and Mackerel (Serves 3-4)

This recipe requires just one hob ring and minimal skill but is rich in goodness and you can optimize the ingredients to suit your taste. We love chilli and garlic so here’s our take on the recipe. 

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves (crushed)

1 red onion

2 large tomatoes

6 mackerel fillets (about 1 pack)

Chopped red chilies (to taste)

1 large tin of calalloo

Crush the garlic cloves, finally chop the onions, chilies and tomatoes and add to the frying pan with a splash of oil.

Fry until the tomatoes are soft and the flavours have infused, peel the skins from the mackerel and finally break up the fillets to bite size portions and add to the pan.

Gently stir so that the flavours combine and the mackerel takes plenty of the chilli and garlic, even add some dried chilli flakes if you like a little extra spice (we do).

Finally, drain the water from the calalloo and add to the pan. This will instantly settle the pan and you can begin slowly stirring until the calalloo has bound all the ingredients.

Simply heat and stir until the calaloo is hot (it doesn’t need to be cooked through from the tin) and season to taste.

The great thing about this recipe is that it requires next to no time, minimal preparation and can be altered to suit your taste. Don’t like mackerel? Try chicken. We like to add green vegetables such as tender-stem broccoli, trimmed beans and peas, for extra guilt free bulk.

…enjoy!

www.leisurehubs.com  

Where to Camp? Part 2

Our Rain Forest shower is perfect for camping

We hope you enjoyed our last brief tour of the UK covering Scotland, Wales and Norfolk. If you haven’t read it then go back and take a look, as it offers valuable insight into some of the UK’s most beautiful scenery.

Not all campsites permit campervans but fortunately for you we are separating the wheat from the chaff and discovering the perfect places for you to take your campers. 

Despite not being permitted in every campsite, campervan owners can revel in the fact that they can pull up the handbrake and stop anywhere, giving you that real freedom to explore.

Housedean Farm Campsite, Brighton Road, Lewes, East Sussex

With 900 acres of sumptuous campsite, picturesque British scenery, helpful staff and spacious pitches, the Housedean Farm sets a high bar for campsites across the UK with its laid back atmosphere and welcoming owners.

The campsite comprises of campfire pits, flushing toilets, 3 hot showers and 2 washing up sinks, not to mention the farm itself which plays a huge role creating the perfect countryside escape, with livestock basking in the lustrous scenery.

With so many homely features on offer, the campsite provides a place to stay for even the most basic campervans; all you need is a bed in the back and you’re away. 

Jubilee Caravan Park,Stixwould Road,Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire

If you are slightly put off by stepping in the occasional cow pat, being just out of reach from a supermarket or struggle to create your own adventure in the wild outdoors, then maybe Jubilee Caravan Park is the right campsite for you.

The campsite is situated in the grounds of the town’s park and is ran by the council which doesn’t sound hugely appealing. Amazingly though the campsite is such a hive of activity that you soon forget about your craving for picturesque landscapes and are too busy playing tennis, at the pitch and putt or relaxing in the heated swimming pool.

Yes, the Jubilee Caravan Park is filled with some great features which may seem a little cheesy to the hardened camper but appeal hugely to the masses. Fortunately, the site still has a subtle appeal, never overly loud and still picturesque, with the local town providing a place for further exploration.

Masons Campsite, Ainhams House, Appletreewick, Skipton

Masons Campsite provides the best of both worlds, a rural escape with a side order of convenience; quite literally, as staff from the local shop arrive each morning with fresh eggs, sausage and bacon, all made locally of course.

If the smell of freshly cooked bacon isn’t enough to sell this site to you then maybe the stunning location right in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales will. With two pubs located just up the road and plenty of space for activities, the campsite provides a taste of the good life with a dash of comfort and convenience.

Three more to check out, soon your weekends will be filled with camping adventures! Forget Ibiza and Magaluf when you can get back to basics and relax in the beautiful landscapes the UK has to offer. Stay tuned for part 3…

www.leisurehubs.com

  

Campervan Hire

Hiring a campervan leads to a world of exploration, nothing beats the convenience and excitement of being able to pull up the handbrake, spend a day at the beach or stunning British countryside, sleep all night in the safety and comfort of a luxury camper and do the say the next day in another great location.

This kind of freedom cannot be achieved through any other method of travel or accommodation, nothing else allows you to travel and live in comfort using the same vehicle.

Of course not everyone has the space or funds to make a lifetime purchase like a brand new camper, but still love the idea of taking a van away for weeks or even months at a time.

Campervan hire is a popular market, deterring from the social norms of purchasing hotels and transport, it rolls both into one and creates a totally new experience; adventure.

At Leisure Hubs we have some of the most luxurious campervans on the market sitting outside our workshop in Birmingham, so why not let people enjoy them?

We’re offering a brand new campervan hire service which promises a premium travelling experience and a unique service for customers flying in from aboard.

For UK customers hiring a campervan is simple, after a few easy steps you can be on your travels, enjoying our stunning conversion with friends and family.

For customers overseas, hiring a camper in the UK can be a daunting process but after the legalities of international driving licenses and insurance are resolved, we offer a service which allows you to relax as soon as you land.

Situated just a short drive from Birmingham International airport, if you choose Leisure Hubs Campervan Hire, we can pick you up from the airport, hand over the keys to your new home for the next few weeks and point you in the right direction of hundreds of the UK’s best locations.

The beauty of this service really lies in the location; based in Birmingham we are equidistant from the UK’s tourist hot spots. Travelling to London then Cornwall, then Norfolk and back to Birmingham poses no problem when your starting point is central.

With all this in mind, it’s up to you get your UK tour on the way! Maybe you just want luxury accommodation at a festival with friends, take a road trip across the whole of the UK or Europe or maybe fly in from abroad and experience Britain in all its glory; whatever you decide, contact us and take the first step on the road to adventure.   

Where to Camp?

Ok so we've spent the last few months concentrating on our vans and kitchen pods and thanks to your much appreciated comments we have established conversion designs and kitchen pods to the highest spec.

Now our workshop is filled with the hustle and bustle of customers vans ready for conversion along with our own campers for hire, we thought it time to reflect on the amazing places the UK and Europe has to offer; what use is a camper conversion if your not going to use it?

With premium comfort, a Leisure Hubs camper provides a service like no other as it allows a sturdy and safe environment which allows you to visit areas where traditional camping would be uncomfortable, such as the harsh weather conditions of the Scottish Highlands or Snowdonia.

Combining limitless camping opportunities and utmost comfort, over the next few blogs we’ll be taking a look at some of the best camping spots the UK and Europe has to offer…

Glendaruel, Argyll

Beautifully picturesque it is hard not to spend your entire camping trip standing in amazement at the lustrous scenery, which wouldn't look out of place in a fairytale.

Of course standing in awe of the scenery is not the only thing worth doing in Glendaruel, the campsite offers a sense of adventure, more than just an open space for tents and campers, the site offers beautiful woodland and surrounding hills, ideal for those who love to explore.

Also, the site is the perfect getaway for children during summer, as the village hall plays host to a range of activities spanning football and martial arts to film making and discovery days.

Pont-y-Pant, Dolwyddelan, Conwy

For a true representation of the amazing Welsh countryside, Pont-y-plant is rife with wildlife…the sheep variety mainly.

Perfectly kept by the wooly inhabitants means the campsite remains perfectly picturesque all year round and if you don’t mind the occasional bleet or baa, the site is a peaceful escape.

Not far from Snowdon, the campsite and its surrounding area is a hive of activity with fire pits for you to get back to basics, a river and local amenities just a couple of miles from the site.

Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk   

Situated near the north Norfolk coastline, the Deepdale Farm, in Burnham Deepdale is an amazing British getaway which is said to be best experienced during Autumn, a rarity for most campsites to even be open.

During Autumn it appears that Deepdale Farm is brimming with natural splendour and is close to two local pubs, a supermarket and a range of great places to eat, offering the adventure of the great outdoors as well as the convenience of home. 

Stay tuned for our next blog which will delve even deeper into the UK’s best campsites.