Less than 70 years ago, a movie was made about a princess who decided to take a break from royal life. The heroine played by Audrey Hepburn ran away from her duties straight to Rome. She had fun, enjoying the charms of the Eternal City. No wonder, because in summer it is fabulously beautiful. But Rome is also a great place to stay in winter. Perhaps a few years ago someone would be surprised, but today many people already know that it is a great idea. Hear why it is worth coming here in December!.

Rome - the perfect destination for the holidays

The Westfalia brand is certainly one of the world's most iconic recreational vehicle manufacturers. When the first VW T1 motorhome with the designation SO34 rolled off the assembly line 60 years ago, hardly anyone could have guessed that after such a long time these cars would become icons and objects of desire for many generations. The manufacturer from the German Wiedenbrück relies on the quality and flexibility of solutions from the very beginning of the production of recreational vehicles. The structures bearing the Westfalia logo that have survived to our times are a living proof that the above are not just empty advertising slogans.

Westfalia - a cult brand in a modern version

How to choose a caravan seat ? Or maybe the question should be: how to choose a motorhome for the car seats we have? Because most often we buy a motorhome as the next car in the family and we will not necessarily buy more motorhome seats . Either way, it is known that the choice of a motorhome involves many different variables, but if you are traveling with a child or with children - it is worth considering whether it will be comfortable for everyone to travel after installing the seats. We test several different motorhomes every year. In almost every motorhome we tested, we encountered some difficulties in assembling the seats and then storing them during the stoppage. We have been thinking for a long time to try to match car seats to different types and brands of motorhomes, to choose those in which this process is easy and pleasant;) Caravanning fairs were ideal for this, where we had a lot of different types and brands of motorhomes on hand.

How to choose a caravan seat? Motorhome guide and test

We have already got used to the galloping fuel prices. RV users traveling across Europe in camper vans or in a trailer caravan can already prepare for the next problem. The urea solution used in modern power units may soon turn out to be surprisingly expensive and, moreover, much more difficult to obtain. The main component of AdBlue is ammonia , the production of which requires a large amount of gas. As we know, this raw material is also becoming more expensive. Due to the market situation, one of the main suppliers to the European markets - BASF - has significantly reduced production. For many chemical concerns, the production of the additive is a side business, and when it becomes unprofitable, they prefer to withdraw from contracts, paying possible contractual penalties and stop production completely. The first of the large producers made such a decision in Italy, others are already announcing a reduction or end of deliveries.

AdBlue - are we in danger of a crisis?

From November 1, Austrian drivers driving cars with a GVM (passenger, delivery, special) not exceeding 3.5 t in conditions of reduced traction (rime, ice, snow) are required to have winter tires or chains in their vehicles on at least 2 driving wheels. It is worth noting that the use of chains is possible only when the surface is covered with ice or snow. The Austrian police are therefore given the power to impose non-compliance fines of up to EUR 5,000. Cars with a permissible weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes are subject to an unconditional obligation to have winter tires on at least one drive axle from November 1 - regardless of the weather conditions. According to the regulations, winter tires include tires marked with the symbols MS, M + S and M&S ( mud and snow ) with a minimum tread height of 4 mm.

Winter tires compulsory in Austria and Italy

The Rapido brand is known primarily for popular semi-integrated and integrated motorhomes. An important and interesting segment in the company's model portfolio, however, are also campervans, which we will look at in this material. The Rapido Group, as we know, includes a total of 13 brands (including Rapido, Itineo, Dreamer and Giottiline), of which Rapido aspires to be a top brand - this is evidenced by the degree of technological advancement and high quality, which we have already seen while testing the integrateds and half integrals. Value for money is great and the standard equipment is plentiful.

Campervany Rapido - compact and convenient

In 2021, Dethleffs celebrates its 90th birthday. Its creator - Arist Dethleff made a significant contribution to the development of the caravanning industry, and many technical solutions of this brand over the years have been milestones in the history of vehicle and technology development. Every year Dethleffs surprises us with new products, always trying to be one step ahead of the competition. Currently, the brand operates under the umbrella of the powerful and dynamically developing Erwin Hymer Goup production group, remaining one of the key brands in its portfolio.

Dethleffs - the leader

When looking for your dream pair of binoculars, it's easy to get lost in the jungle of offers. Individual models differ in parameters, construction and materials used. The price range is also huge. Therefore, to answer the question which binoculars are the best, you first need to know your own expectations. Theoretically, this question should be asked at the very end of a long discussion about optical parameters, the production process and an overview of models available on the market. However, at the beginning of the search for your dream model, it is worth defining a few basic requirements so that when browsing through the binoculars available for sale (a wide selection available on combat.pl: https://www.combat.pl/optyka/lornetki.html ) you know what to pay attention to.

Binoculars: a faithful companion for expeditions and more

Southern countries, including Croatia, dominate among holiday, foreign destinations, as every year. The recently published figures by the Croatian Ministry of Tourism confirm its unflagging popularity. Why do we choose this country? Friendly camping infrastructure, culture close to ours and safety are the main reasons why we choose vacation here. Of course, quite liberal pandemic regulations related to border crossing and transport are also important. Comparing two consecutive pandemic years (the period from 1 January to 30 September), the total number of tourists increased from 7.4 million to 12.6 million. However, when comparing the number of our countrymen in this period, the increase is also about 50% (663 thousand in 2020 to 985 thousand in 2021).

Croatia on top

Recently, I had the opportunity to directly compare 2 small campervans, which are practically no different in terms of functionality. However, something distinguishes them. We are talking about the already iconic Volkswagen California Coast and a new brand on the Polish and European market, i.e. the Panama P10 + model. Both campers are built on short chassis versions, which do not exceed 5m, while California is not available in the longer version. Panama can be ordered according to your needs - the P10 + model with a 497 cm long chassis or the P54 model with a length of 534 cm.

Volkswagen California vs Panama at Ford

Another month of our trip is passing. We are in Turkey in close proximity to Syria. We continue to the east as far as the border with Armenia and Georgia. Coming in a kind of circle in Turkey, we finally cover over 4,300 km in this country. Heading again towards Europe, we visit Bulgaria, Romania and enter Moldova and the independent Transnistria. When visiting both capitals, Chisinau and Tiraspol, we spend some time in these pro-Russian climates, the extraordinary Moldavian wines and Transnistrian Kvint - cognac help.

Project # PajeroCamper4x3 - travel reports - summary

We have already shown large campers from the Morelo and Frankia brands many times on our pages. Today it's time for Pilote. Fans know what makes the brand incredibly successful on European markets. Quality, reliability and... that's right... silence while driving. These cars are simply "neatly put together", regardless of the model line and equipment variant. The numbers of vehicles of this brand sold every year in our western neighbors clearly show that Pilote has nothing to be ashamed of, even in the segment of large, comfortable campers in demanding markets.

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Rome - the perfect destination for the holidays