RANGER RIVRON RECEIVES A WHALE WINTER WARMER UPGRADE
Television presenter and celebrated caravanner Rowland Rivron recently returned his Bailey caravan to the factory for a Whale winter warmer upgrade.
Rowland and his family are the proud owners of the affectionately named “Ranger Rivron” – a bespoke model built for them as during the Company’s sixtieth anniversary year in 2008.
Initially their caravan was conceived as a summer-only vehicle for use solely in Southern Europe. However The Rivrons’ have enjoyed the time they have spent in their much-loved Bailey Ranger so much that they now also want to use it closer to home.
In order to facilitate full four-season usage the caravan would therefore require the retro-fitment of a new heating system – the logical choice of which was the Whale Underfloor Space Heater.
As currently fitted in the multi-award winning Orion caravan range this compact unit fits discreetly underneath the vehicle and also frees up valuable additional space inside the caravan at the same time. The lightweight blown air system can be powered by both gas and electricity for a powerful and rapid heat supply throughout the caravan.
Rowland’s first experience of caravanning was in 2002, ironically enough in a Bailey Ranger, when he was a presenting a feature for the BBC’s Holiday programme. The Rivron family enjoyed the experience so much that they have since become ardent caravanners and are now fully signed up members of The Caravan Club.
In 2008 they decided to take the plunge and purchase their first caravan. Of the variety of models that they have tested the Rivron’s felt that the Ranger 620/6 layout best fitted their requirements. Whilst in normal circumstances Bailey will not deviate from standard specification when manufacturing its touring caravan product range, it was clear from the outset that the family had very clear ideas on how they wanted the standard caravan tailored to suit their specific holidaying requirements.
Consequently, using the sort of expertise gained in producing The Caravan Club’s Caravan of the Future proto type (please see www.conceptcaravan.co.uk for more information), Bailey agreed to take the project on.
The result was the one of a kind Ranger Rivron built very much with the specific requirements of the family in mind and, as one might expect, the design featured many creative touches that distinguish it from a current production model.
Outside ‘sea foam’ aluminium panels combined with white plastic panels and trim to give the caravan a retro look. Whilst inside the family chose a brightly coloured striped fabric which combined with rubber flooring and wooden Venetian blinds to give a clean contemporary feel.
As the caravan was to be used primarily in the South of France it was specified to suit, including items such as the Dometic roof mounted air conditioning unit and an Omnistor retractable awning. There was also consideration given to practical issues, with a larger kitchen window and exterior clip on Thule table facilitating al-fresco dining and sand traps were installed at ground level to assist with sweeping the caravan floor.
