Coachman Caravans - News

Coachman recognised for luxury design and build quality by industry magazine

Jackie Shipley — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:44:43 +0000

This achievement comes just 10 months after the Hull-based manufacturer's Laser 590/4 model was recognised by the same magazine as the "best built caravan they had ever tested", achieving a 100% mark for build quality. This is testament to Coachman's ethos - building caravans that have lasting quality and stand the test of time, as Jim Hibbs, Managing Director of Coachman Caravans explains:

"We are delighted that Which Caravan has recognised our build quality for the second time this year. We believe the quality of our manufacturing sets us apart from the rest and you can really notice this when you step into a Coachman. We work hard to produce caravans that are of the highest quality - from door handles and cabinets to upholstery and electrics. In fact, we have so much confidence in the quality of our vans, that we have recently extended our warranty period to five years."

Which Caravan is a monthly publication which helps people choose and buy caravans. The 2009 Awards are designed to identify the best caravans from the new 2009 season models. Award categories include Caravan of the Year, Dealer of the Year, Best Family Caravan and Best Interior Design.

The winning Laser 640/4 comprises a fixed double bed, a full width rear washroom, air conditioning and an 'L' shaped lounge. In the report, Coachman was praised for knowing its customers intimately and playing to its strengths. In addition, it said that the winning van focuses on traditional craftsmanship and subtle understatement.

Coachman crowned the Hull Daily Mail's Business of the Year 2008

Jackie Shipley — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:50:50 +0000

In addition to winning this prestigious accolade, Coachman was also awarded the Design Excellence Award for its Laser range of caravans, and was shortlisted in the Workforce Development Category.

"This is the perfect way to end a memorable year at Coachman", said Jim Hibbs, Managing Director of Coachman Caravans. "We are over the moon with our awards and feel it is a fantastic achievement for a small company in the caravan industry."

Jim continues: "However, business is tough at the moment but we've got to go forward and be positive because it will get better in the end. The caravan industry will come back and employ a lot of people again. We are continuing to take on new apprentices this year, to ensure we have highly experienced caravan professionals working in the industry for years to come. We employ a fantastic workforce and have some very skilled people."

"Our plan for the future is simple - to keep improving our products. We have recently launched our new 2009 season range of vans and are optimistic about the future."

Coachman and Crossburn Caravans compete to win the 'Kelso Cup'

Jackie Shipley — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:14:11 +0000

The winner of the cup is based on a points system and is decided by the team who picks the most first, second and third placed horses in each race. The Coachman team (representing Yorkshire) is made up of Marketing Manager Verle Hibbs, Sales Executive Martin Winfield and his wife, Gwen Winfield. Crossburn's team is made up of owners Colin and Loraine Chisholm and Coachman's Managing Director Jim Hibbs (who was an honorary Scotsman for the day - the Yorkshire team refusing to have him as his origins are West Bromwich).

Crossburn Caravans, based in Peebles, is Coachman's number one Scottish dealer and last month's full day of racing gave the two companies the opportunity to catch up over some friendly rivalry, as Jim Hibbs explains:

"We always enjoy meeting up with our dealers and especially look forward to our racing days with the team from Crossburn Caravans. We alternate the racing meets between our local racecourse in Beverley and Kelso racecourse in Scotland."

Jim continues: "Crossburn Caravans are very pleased at winning the cup this time round, and Colin and Loraine are even displaying it on top of their TV. The Yorkshire team are treating this as a minor set back and are confident they will be back on top form soon and look forward to winning the cup for the third time next year, on their home turf!"

Day in the life of Coachman Caravan's Despatch Inspector, Chris Cone

Jackie Shipley — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:02:14 +0000

In fact, unlike other manufacturers, Coachman has a dedicated team of quality checkers, who work tirelessly to ensure every Coachman caravan is absolutely perfect. The team includes Chris Cone (Despatch Inspector), Vic West (Caravan Tester), Paul Bennett (Snagger), Andy Chambers (Sprayer) and Gavin Cone (Tractor Driver and Caravan Cleaner).

From light bulbs and electrical systems, to door handles and hinges, every part of a Coachman caravan is checked, tested then checked again before it is allowed to leave the factory.

Coachman's Quality Checking Team is headed up by Chris Cone, who has been with the company for over 21 years, having originally joined as a Watchman. Once Coachman's caravans leave the production line, they are moved to 'test row' - a dedicated testing area which has space for up to 24 caravans to be tested overnight. Test row is Chris's responsibility, as he explains in a run down of his typical working day:

I start my working day at 6am - luckily I only have a 5 minute walk to work so I don't have to get up too early!
My first job in the morning is to make a start on the day's paperwork, and to get all of the keys ready for the vans which are to be despatched that day. I get ready for up to four caravan hauliers to arrive, and by 7am, I have usually despatched eight caravans. Hauliers arrive throughout the day, and on a good day I can despatch up to twelve caravans.
I then collate all of the information from the previous day's despatches and vans moved off 'test row'. I produce testing sheets for each caravan that leaves the factory and pass any electrical problems from the day before to our Operations Director, Alan Roberts, for actioning.
I usually work on the vans 2 days before they are due to be despatched, to give Vic West, our Tester, enough time to thoroughly check each caravan and then give the rest of the team enough time to fix any problems. The vans are initially quality checked before they leave the factory, but because we pride ourselves on the quality of our caravans, we want to ensure each Coachman caravan is perfect before it leaves us. We do this by leaving the vans on test row overnight, where we have a mains hook up, taps and a portable gas bottle to check the gas, electricity and water systems. We also check the battery, road lights, fire and fridge, to make sure all are in good working order.
Every morning, I spend some time with Paul Bennett, our Snagger who fixes the vans, to discuss any problems Paul has, I start to check the exterior of the vans for blemishes or sealing issues. If I find any problems, I report them to our Spraying Specialist, Andy Chambers, who gets to work at perfecting the exterior of the van.
Once I have inspected the exterior, it's time for me to get inside each caravan and re-inspect them before they leave test row. I check the specification, bedding, furniture, hinges and all of the lights and fittings. I also check for aesthetic issues such as scratches - we do not want a less than perfect van leaving test row!
Any snags I find are written on a 'snag' sheet, which is passed to Paul for fixing. By mid afternoon, all the interiors should be checked.
It's then time to make sure all of the 'loose' items are fitted correctly and in full working order. Loose items include DVD players, MP3 players and microwaves. The specification of each caravan is different, so we must be on the ball to ensure each van has the right equipment.
Once the checks are complete and the caravan passes our testing criteria, Gavin Cone (my son!) moves it from test row to our park ready for despatch. Before the caravan leaves us, Gavin spends some time washing down the outside of the van, so it's as clean as possible for when we send it on its way the next day.
By 4.30pm my day is finished, unless we have a late despatch, It's really satisfying to see each caravan leave the factory, because we know how much hard work we have put into ensuring that each van is perfect. We are very focused upon quality and I believe our testing procedures set us apart from the competition.

Coachman wins the Whale Award for Innovation

Jackie Shipley — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:45:10 +0000

Coachman was placed first in the Whale Award Tourer Section, for the introduction of two independent 12 volt systems that have been fitted to Coachman's Pastiche, VIP and Laser models. One is for running the 12 volt systems and lights in the caravan whilst connected to a mains hook-up and the other is for conditioning (fully charging) the battery, which needs to be a slightly higher voltage. The judges described this addition as a genuine and helpful innovation, as users will find it of great benefit in keeping their battery charged up whilst getting the best out of electrical appliances and lights inside the caravan.

Paul Gallagher, Technical Director of Coachman Caravans comments on Coachman's most recent award: "We are delighted to have been given the Whale Award for Innovation. It's great to be recognised for the hard work we put in to ensure our vans are the best that money can buy. We have a real focus upon quality here at Coachman, and every improvement we make to our vans, whether small or large, is done with our customers' needs in mind."

"We enjoyed meeting with the Whale team at October's Caravan & Motorhome Show. The show went well and was busy considering the current economic climate. In fact, we saw many families at the show this year, which suggests people are considering holidaying in the UK next year, as opposed to travelling abroad which is currently very expensive."

"We sold 235 vans in 6 days and received a lot of interest in our 2009 models. This is the only show where we exhibit our full range, and based upon the feedback received we are looking forward to the 2009 caravan season!"