Currently Caravans & Motorhomes can be viewed by appointment only, please give us a call on 01255 830229 to book.
Awnings & Accessories

The Homestead Caravans Kampa Awning Showroom was officially opened in 2016 to showcase Europe's most popular collection of Caravan Awnings. The new showroom gives our customers a unique opportunity to view the latest designs of Inflatable and Poled Awnings under one roof inside our 15,000 square foot showroom.

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Camping & Outdoor

We are proud of our association with Lafuma, as a UK Supplier of Lafuma Furniture for more than 20-years. It's not hyperbole to say, we cannot recommend Lafuma enough. We have carefully chosen our Lafuma range to best suit our customer requirements. Look out for new Taupe, Graphite and Lac colour options in 2019.

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Caravan & Motorhome

We have chosen 8 models across the Swift Select and Swift Escape ranges designed to give a wide range of model options and equipment. The Select van conversion range offers a greater level of customisation, while the Swift Escape continues to be one of the UKs best selling single motorhome ranges. As things progress we'll be offering a range of quality pre-owned motorhomes. Call 01255-830-229 for more information.

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Motoring & Travel

The nights are drawing in and the weather is cooling; whether you're a winter caravanner or put your vehicle into storage for winter, there are a few essential items available to help you get prepared and protect your investment. With this is mind, we put together a selection of our Winter Care products.

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Parts & Maintenance

If you're about to embrak on a caravan or motorhome DIY project and are in need of some supplies to help the job along, check out our Tools and Consumables category first. While your thinkg DIY, we'd like to remind you that our purpose built, 8 bay workshop is ready to help you resolve any issues you may have. Give us a call if we can help and to book your next carvan service.

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Towing & Trailer

Homestead Caravans holds in stock a wide range of essential electrical equipment for Towing and Trailers at very competitive prices. From basic 12N and 12S plugs to complete pre-wired wiring kits and an array of extension and adapter leads.

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Home Leisure

It comes as no surprise that many caravan and motorhome owners are also pet owners. Homestead Caravans is a pet friendly company - we offer pet friendly holidays at our Homestead Lake Touring Park and pets are permitted into our Accessory Superstore. Check out our brand new range of pet accessories in-store or online including exclusive products from the official Crufts range, all at very affordable prices.

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Platinum Batteries Starter Guide - Getting the most from your Leisure Battery

21/02/2016 IN Accessories - Electrical

Leisure Batteries

As a leisure enthusiast you will want to enjoy every minute you spend in the great outdoors. Whether you are on the trail of historic sites, touring National Parks, enjoying a festival or exploring the countries of Europe, you need to ensure you have a reliable portable power solution best suited to your type of leisure break.

Leisure battery ‘Cycling’

A Leisure battery is specifically designed to be continually ‘cycled.’ This means that energy is taken out (discharged) and then energy put back into a battery (recharge), via a battery charger or during ‘hook-up’ at a campsite.

Electrical Usage

Understanding your electrical usage is critical to selecting the right battery.

‘Standard Equipment’ is simply the electrical equipment supplied with the leisure vehicle. ‘Additional Equipment’ refers to those electrical items bought into the vehicle for use during your vacation (portable TV/DVD player, laptop/tablet, kitchen appliances plus...).

Having defined your electrical equipment, you can then determine the electrical usage during your leisure break. In simple terms, we classify this usage as either ‘Low, ‘medium’ or ‘high’. For example, if you spend very little time in your caravan preferring the ; back to nature’ type of leisure break, the Platinum Leisure or Leisure Plus range is the perfect choice.

If however, your group must have their homely creature comforts at all hours of the day and night, then the Platinum AGM is best suited.

Duration of Break

The duration of your leisure pursuit is another key consideration. The Platinum Leisure or Leisure Plus range is best suited to the leisure enthusiasts venturing out for weekend breaks or an annual 2 week holiday. The Platinum AGM, ranges are perfect for longer touring adventures around the UK or Europe.

Berth of Your Vehicle

The size of your caravan, motorhome or Winnebago ‘berth’ and standard on board electrical equipment determines what battery is best suited for your needs. For example, a 2 to 4 berth caravan will be best suited to the Platinum Leisure and Leisure Plus range, whereas a 6 berth Winnebago will require the Trojan AGM or Trojan GEL range.

Frequency of Use

Another variable to consider is how frequently the leisure battery is used in the leisure application.

For example, if you are using your caravan or motorhome on a daily basis you will put more demands on the battery compared to if you are simply using it for the occasional Leisure vacation.

Hook Up

Most campsites provide options to hook up to the site’s power supply, which can bypass the need to draw power directly from the leisure battery.

With this in mind you need to determine what percentage of your leisure breaks are off grid. For example, if you typically spend 50% to 60% ‘on grid’ we recommend the Platinum Leisure or Leisure Plus range.

Should your leisure breaks be 70% to 90% ‘off grid’ then we highly recommend the Trojan AGM or Trojan GEL range.

Battery Charging

A leisure battery being connected to a battery chargerLeisure batteries are specifically designed to be cycled and therefore it’s critical that the battery is recharged immediately following your return from vacation. Leaving a leisure battery in a discharged state for any length of time will cause damage to the battery, which in turn will result in premature failure or greatly reduced product life.

READ MORE: Caravan 12V Leisure Battery Independent Test - Very Revealing!

NCC Verified Leisure Battery Scheme

When you choose your leisure battery look for the National Caravan Council Product registered and Verified logo and check the category to be sure you are choosing one suitable for your caravan and motorhomes needs. The NCC have verified the performance of the labelled batteries through performance testing carried out in suitable laboratories to ensure that you can buy with peace of mind.

READ MORE: NCC Verified Leisure Battery (Consumer Protection) Scheme Now in Place

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