Nissan Blogger Making Plans
scarletsfan
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In my last blog I mentioned that I had won a prize offered by the Caravan Club and Nissan in one of their competitions.
This week has been spent exchanging e mails with the Caravan Club trying to organise the prize to slot in with work commitments.
First things first was to establish which towing vehicle would be loaned to us by Nissan for the 10 days. The CC have checked the respective weights and we are to be loaned a Nissan X-TRAIL 2.0D TEKNA (173) S-SH BOSE MANUAL for the holiday. Very nice it looks too, and it has a list of options as long as my arm! But then so it should with a list price of over £32k.
Next was to decide where to go on holiday. We will not be taking the dogs, and therefore at this time of year we will not require the awning. Without that to have to erect and take down it leaves us the option of doing some genuine touring, as it only takes 15mins to set up on site without it.
As part of the terms and conditions of the prize I have to write a blog for the Caravan Club and review the performance of the X Trail, and I figured the best way to do that would be to do a lot of towing in it.
The master plan is therefore to tour the North of England for 7 nights taking in some Christmas markets and events as we go.
Site number 1 is Chatsworth Park CC site in the Peak District of Derbyshire for 3 nights. This is a tow of 231 miles from home. Here we intend to visit Chatsworth House for their Christmas events and Matlock for their Christmas market. I've not told herself yet, but I also plan to take a spin over to Glossop via The Snake Pass, well, with the X Trail it would be a shame not to!
The plan is then to move onto Beechwood Grange CC site in York for another 3 nights. This is a tow of 76 miles from Chatsworth. The intention is to spend time at York's Winter Wonderland, The Dickensian Christmas Festival at Lightwater Valley as well as to put the X trail through it's paces going up onto the North Yorkshire moors to visit the village of Goathland (more famously known as Aidensfield in the TV series Heartbeat) and Whitby where The Royal is filmed.
After staying here it will be time to turn and head for home. The journey Will be broken at Chester Fairoaks CC site where we will stay for 1 night. This is a tow of 115 miles from York. Chester is reputed to have a superb Christmas Market which will; be taken in during the evening.
From Chetser the tow home is 148 miles through mid Wales, and will take in some challenging roads, particularly at the start of December.
Even though we will not be taking the awning with us, it would still be nice to give the caravan door a little shelter from the elements.
Some internet browsing has thrown up a small door canopy from Firwood that can be put up over the door in 2 mins.
So there we have a planned tour of 7 nights towing with the X trail for some 570 miles. Wish me luck, and here's hoping that there will be no snow. 4x4 or not, I do not fancy towing through the snow!
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