A Day In The Life Of Elddis

Event Date: 28th to 29th June 2004 (24hours)

Imagine where you could end up if you had 24 hours to get there?

Elddis in conjunction with their supply partners BPW and Peugeot decided to find out.

Two teams, stopping only to refuel and change drivers decided to test the 24 hour endurance capabilities of an unmodified, Elddis made, Elddis touring caravan and motorhome around the demanding purpose built oval of the Rockingham Raceway in Corby, Northants.

So why attempt the 24 hour endurance? Michael Hold of Elddis explains; "The endurance is not just an excuse to race a motorhome against a car towing a caravan to see who can travel the furthest or the fastest. It is a means of testing both high speed stability and vehicle reliability in a way that far exceeds normal conditions experienced by our customers.”

"Unlike previous endurance trials, no-one has ever tested the diesel engine capabilities of a tow car or motorhome at the same time and accurately recorded the event.”

So, just how far did they travel?

Including pit stops, refuelling and driver changeovers, the Elddis Autostratus motorhome team led by Stuart Hicks of Elddis, clocked up an amazing 1535.19miles (2350km) or 1046 laps of the Rockingham circuit, averaging 63.96miles (98km) every hour over the 24hour period. This is the equivalent of driving, one-way, from London to Gibraltar or London to Milan and back. The fastest speed recorded was 86.6mph (139.36kmh).

The Elddis Avanté team led by Michael Hold of Elddis recorded an even more impressive 1640.28miles (2639.32km) and averaged 68.34miles (109.97km) per hour. The winning team driving the equivalent distance of Stockholm to Rome. The fastest speed recorded was 101.1mph (162.7kmh), breaking the previous diesel tow car record set by Michael Hold in 2003.

Despite the drivers being exhausted by setting the gruelling 24hour records, the Elddis touring caravan and motorhome were just getting started.

The Teams:
Elddis Avanté 362 Touring Caravan & BMW 530D Diesel Tow Car:
Michael Hold of Elddis, Adrian French, Freelance Caravan Journalist, and Nigel Stephens of Chassis manufacturer BPW.

Elddis Autostratus Motorhome On A Peugeot 2.8ltr Boxer Chassis:
Stuart Hicks and John Davison from Elddis, and Derek Munro of Peugeot.

Both teams were supported by, Paul Playale from BPW, Michael Elliott of Elddis and Mark Packham from Eiger International.

Datron Technology independently measured the 24hr endurance using the latest microsat GPS system used by motor manufacturers to measure speed and distance in vehicle development. The system records speed accurately to 0.1mph and distance to 50cm per km.

Published: 30/06/2004