Our final visit on the Behind the Scenes Live Tour was to Thetford BV who are located in Etten-Leur in the Netherlands.  Thetford’s European HQ is here at Etten-Leur in the Netherlands and the main business is toilets, but they also make fridges for leisure vehicles all over the world. We met with Product Manager at Thetford BV, Pascal Kuijten.

We continue the European leg of our tour with a visit to AL-KO who are located in Kötz, Bavaria in Germany. AL-KO supply Bailey with all of our caravan chassis and most of our motorhome chassis. AL-KO is a giant not only in the leisure vehicle industry, but also in commercial trailers. In Kötz, they have capacity to produce over 2,500 axles a day and more recently, the company has diversify to other related products like air suspension, levelling systems for caravans and trailers or security devices like the AL-KO wheel locks you see in some of our ranges. We met with Michael Nebel, Vice President of Caravan Sales , who gave us an inside of AL-KO headquarters in Germany. 

On Day 1 - Week 2 of our Behind the Scenes tour, we visited Truma in the German state of Bavaria. Truma are experts in heating systems, motor movers and air conditioning units. Well known for their heating systems, for the past few years, Truma has also expanded their business to motorhomes and caravan accessories. During this visit, Simon and Lee met with Head of Intercompany Management, Angela Von Schenk and Director of Supply Chain, Norbert Kreitmeir who gave us an insight of what goes on at Truma headquarters in Putzbrunn.

The final supplier visit for the first week of our Behind the Scenes Live Tour 2022 was Belfield Home & Leisure in Derbyshire, who make most soft furnishing sets in Bailey caravans and motorhomes. Belfield products are one of the most familiar products in a caravan or motorhome because if you’re not sitting on them you’re sleeping on them.  A lot goes on at Belfield, with the group not only making soft furnishings for caravans and motorhomes but also items like sofas and curtains for high street brands.  In this podcast, Simon and Lee speak to John, Commercial Director at Belfield Home & Leisure, and got an insight of their site at Ilkeston that specialises in soft furnishing for the leisure vehicle industry.

On the third day of our Behind the Scenes Tour, we visited Thetford UK in South Yorkshire. Thetford supply all Bailey caravans and motorhomes ovens and cookers. Having your own cooking facilities on the road has to be one of the greatest advantages of caravanning. From the complexity of a Sunday roast to the simplicity of grilled cheese on toast. All comes courtesy of Thetford, who have supplied Bailey caravans and motorhomes ovens and cookers for as long as we can remember. In this visit, Simon and Lee talk to Paul Martin, Account Manager for Thetford UK, and get to know Thetford’s huge site in Rotherham, where they make up to 2,000 ovens a week, plus most of their components from scratch at their factory.

The second supplier on our Behind the Scenes Tour was QK Honeycomb Products in Brigg, North Lincolnshire who make worktops, table tops, locker doors and feature panels for Bailey caravans and motorhomes. Locker doors, worktops… These are items in your caravan or motorhome that you see and use daily. What you might not realise is that these panels are all produced in the UK and all the technology behind to make them lightweight but still strong for every day use. In this visit, Simon and Lee discover all the processes and technology involved in making your leisure vehicle panels up to 50% than traditional solid ones.

The first supplier on our Behind the Scenes Tour was BCA Leisure in West Yorkshire. BCA Leisure supply Bailey's electrical wiring harnesses, control panels and fixtures. Simon and Lee met with Wayne Boyd, Sales & Marketing Director of BCA Group, who showed us in detail the process BCA go through to ensure that we’re able to build our Bailey caravans and motorhomes to the modern standards we are so used to.  When it’s buried in a caravan or motorhome, you have no idea how much work, effort and design goes into a wiring loom. You might get in and turn on the lights, or boil the kettle… This visit gave us the chance to see the outstanding process involved into making all elements of a modern Bailey work.