Pemberton has been a major manufacturer of holiday homes for over 60 years, so they must be doing something right. The company’s latest range includes the two bedroom Brompton, a 42ft x 13ft single unit static caravan built on a pre-galvanised, twin axle chassis. Customers have a choice of external cladding in Canexel, vinyl, aluminium and timber, all with a pitched roof clad in pantile-effect Plastisol coated galvanised steel. Other standard features include PVC-U double glazing, gas combi central heating with thermostatic radiator valves, and low energy lighting.
There are three entrances into the home: via the front door which leads into a hallway; via French doors in the end wall of the lounge; or via a sliding patio door in the dining area. On entering the hallway via the front door you turn left through a doorway into the kitchen and dining area.
Beyond them, and separated from them by a pair of sliding doors, is the lounge. This comes complete with a sofa bed and two armchairs, plus a number of attractive display cabinets. The fireplace with a remote controlled flame effect electric fire is situated on the home’s front wall. Above the fireplace is a TV point.
We felt that the fact that the lounge was separated from the kitchen and dining area by the pair of sliding doors helped create a real feeling of cosiness whilst at the same time the room is bright and airy thanks to the vaulted ceiling, French doors and window units in the end, front and rear walls.
The kitchen is L shaped with the sink unit running along the home’s back wall. In the base of the sink unit, customers have the option of a compact dishwasher, washer dryer or a washing machine in preference to cupboard storage.
Turning through 90 degrees brings you to more base units and a built-in oven and four burner hob, above which is a curved glass fume extractor. Somewhat disappointingly in our opinion, the wall between the hob and extractor has not been tiled, there being only a low height splashback. What concerned us was the textured wall paper which we felt could be affected by the cooking fumes and steam.
We were impressed however, by the inclusion of an under counter fridge, an integrated microwave, and a large Velux style rooflight in the ceiling, all as standard features. Adjacent to the kitchen area is the dining area which has a glass topped table with cross timber legs and four padded back chairs.
Walking though the door from the kitchen back into the hallway brings you to the home’s night time accommodation. The first door on the left is the second bedroom which has two divan beds – a sofa bed is an option – each with a padded headboard. Below the window between the beds is a bedside cabinet whilst above each bed is a wall cupboard with a reading light in its base.
Opposite the foot of the bed on the left-hand side of the doorway is a wardrobe unit comprising two single wardrobes separated by three drawers and three shelves, whilst on the other side of the doorway is a dressing table and padded seats. On the wall above the dressing table is a large framed mirror and above that, a cupboard unit with two downlights mounted on its underside. It isn’t often that we consider the second bedroom in a home as a main feature but the Brompton is the exception which proves the rule.
The main bedroom is next to the second bedroom further down the hallway. It has a 5ft divan bed with a huge padded headboard. Either side of the bed is a bedside cabinet and a very attractive reading light. On the left, opposite the foot of the bed, is a double wardrobe unit with four framed mirror doors. Next is the door to the en suite, and then a dressing table and chair. In the dressing table are two drawers, and above it, a large mirror, whilst above the mirror is a unit comprising two cupboards and shelves with two downlights mounted on its underside.
In the en suite is a large rectangular shower cubicle, a circular washbasin on top of an open vanity unit and a low level toilet. Above the washbasin is a cabinet and mirror. Basically, the en suite configuration is repeated in the home’s shower room which is situated next to the main bedroom at the end of the hallway, the exception being that the vanity unit here has doors.
The Brompton comes with Pemberton’s three year warranty as standard – subject of course, to certain terms and conditions. But it is a holiday home which we believe will give its owners many years of comfortable living.
Ex works price: £53,993
Please note: Additional charges will be made by Park Operators and/or Distributors for transportation, commissioning, siting and annual maintenance. These charges will vary dependent on a number of factors including geographical location of your chosen park. Please confirm total costs with your chosen park before completing your order.
For further information:
Pemberton Leisure Homes, Woodhouse Lane, Wigan, Lancs., WN6 7NF.
Tel: 01942 321221. Fax: 01942 234150.
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.pembertonlh.co.uk/
The shower room looks very small in a van costing tis much.
When providing a review of this nature, it would be helpfull if you included the dimensions of the second bedroom and bed widths
Beautiful but it would be nice to see a little colour in caravans now, some lovely pale pastels, after all caravans are used mainly in summer, I am fed up with brown and beige.
It would be very useful to have a plan view-with dimensions included.
Very nice. Any way we can see a floor plan?
Hi Janette+Jim and Allen
I’ve added the floorplan above.
I would just be happy if my “brand new” Pemberton Serena (£55k all in) had not arrived with an already badly rusting chassis, a cupboard door which fell off, scuff marks, and a boiler component which the repair engineer said had perished through wear and tear after less than six months, and no paperwork to speak of. Pemberton are completely indifferent to the problems. This firm charges a premium over other caravans at every level, and their vans are modern and thoughtfully designed, but poor quality and unprofessional after-sales service lets them down.
Re.Eileen Armstrong,comments.Believe me it could have been worse,you could have landed up with a “top of the range” Willerby Sherbourne like me,flimsily thrown together,structurally unsound,faults everywhere,non existent aftersales,in a nutshell,rubbish.I will swap you any day.
Hi John, sorry to hear of your troubles. I didn’t mean to start a conversation about duff carvans, though one is clearly needed, if only to help prevent other people from shelling out serious money for substandard goods. Thank goodness for the internet; it gives caravan owners some opportunity to combat the nonsense in glossy brochures from firms who don’t want to know once they have the cash. If ever an industry needed tighter regulation it is this one. Good job we are all hopeless optimists and romantics, and love caravan living despite its drawbacks! All the best.
Dont .get a pemberton as the morco boilers fitted are rubbish had to replace mine after 18 months as i was sick of all the problems with it pemberton dont want to know. no wonder the caravan industry are laying off workers.
Re.Trevor Bleasby,comment3-5-2012,yes I totally agree with you,the whole caravan industry is a con.Total crap.There are no laws to regulate them,I think our corrupt,bent politicians,are in league with them.personally I would never ever recommend anyone to go near a “willerby”or”bk.bluebird”as they are the same concern.Mine is total CRAP.Lets here more from disgruntled,conned owners.Speek up.
Bought a brand new pemberton in May 2007 and had nothing but problems. Constantly ringing Pemberton with everything leaking. The last time an engineer came he actually said I’ll be glad when this runs out of warranty!! Their attitude stinks. Still have leaks in 5 windows, carpets are getting wrecked because of it now. This our 6th caravan and the most expensive, but the worst for problems with manufacturing and to top it all they really dont want to know. Would never recommend a Pemberton..
Hi all I’m thinking of buying a static home to live in which product would you advice for about £50.000 as I need it to last .
Hi Jon, I really could not recommend a Pemberton model, attractive though they are in their brochure, for one simple reason. Their aftersales / customer service is astonishingly poor, chippy and unprofessional. If you want to live in your caravan, as opposed to just using it as a holiday home, then you need to be extra careful. Pemberton’s paperwork is non-existent, and there seems to be no inventory system that can prove that your £55K “brand-new” model has not been standing on a display ground with 300 people tramping through it. Mine was delivered with too many marks, scuffs and scratches, not to mention bolts falling out of doors and windows, to believe that it was the factory fresh model I was promised. I’ve spoken to them on the phone in a rather unpleasant, confrontational conversation,but have had nothing in writing, so the conversation was worthless. You’d think they could prove where their caravans have actually been stored. I’ve had boiler problems, and even the microwave, hardly used, shorted after 13 months.
Another purchaser on this site reported leakages around the windows of their Pemberton model. Damp will destroy a caravan almost sooner than anything else. The real problem with mine is the chassis though – it was delivered rusty, God knows how old it is and of course, if the chassis goes, the caravan on top of it is useless. I’ve sent photos of the rusty joints to Pemberton via my dealer and not even had an acknowledgement. My dealer is embarrassed by them.
I don’t know if other caravan manufacturers are any better, but as Pemberton are more expensive in every class, at least buying from elsewhere means you may lose less money if anything does go wrong. There may be an equivalent to the AA car-inspection service for static caravans, but I’m unaware of it. Perhaps someone out there has used one and can advise you, or can recommend a make and model.
It isn’t the caravan itself, so much as the after-sales service, that determines whether a purchase has been a good one, and unfortunately, you don’t discover that until the thing is yours. I think Pemberton simply rely on the fact that as caravans are so big, they are nearly impossible to return as faulty, so they don’t care. Whatever make you go for, get a good solicitor, and make sure your caravan insurance covers you for legal fees. Best of luck!
Ellie
The more a small business can do to show customers they are ready, willing and able to assist, the more successful that business will be in today’s challenging business environment.
Hi Jon,My advice to you is dont go near a Willerby”BK Bluebird caravan at any cost.I also have a rusted chasis,windows falling out,had the whole side of the crap caravan replaced,by there top fitter,before it fell apart,cheap nasty fittings,the window fitter came,but could do nothing,but suggested setting fire to it,as its a load of crap.Buy a cheap shed in B&Q it will be far better,and last a lot longer.Also aftersales non existant. do not go by what you see in the showroom,you wont get one anything like it.Mine was made up from spare parts.Rubbish to say the least.All you get from them,is lies and bull***t.Good luck,youll need it.
Message for John…Every review I have read I have had to deal with you moaning. No offence but you purchased a Willerby. You only need to have a look around the caravan to see how cheap the fittings are. My family own a BK Bluebird and its been fine for over 4 years. If you have a serious problem with them take things further.
Dear Tom,After spending £40,000 on a load of crap,I have a right to moan,I think.Good on you.You seem to be a non moaner,put up with anything,thats fine,If you purchased the rubbish I got,I suspect you to would moan.Incidentally I have tried to take it further,Its in one of my moaning letters.I will carry on moaning,about my crap van,until another member of staff,from Willerby or BK Bluebird,can find some guts to ring me,and sort it out.But I wont hold my breath.Sorry for offending you Tom.
Well just spent easter weekend fixing problems on a new pemberton and its not my own.
shower taps leaking, pipes freezing up when only jus below freezing.
Well I at least had the comforts of my Swift
fully working and trouble free not to mention the 20k better off in my pocket.