Lowdhams Since 1966

1966 was a great year (not just for football) but also for the world of caravans as this saw the launch of Lowdham Caravans by George Crafts (father of current Chairman, Roger Crafts). Initially, selling residential and static caravans the business then took advantage of the franchise opportunity for tourers with Willerby, Astral, Mardon (egg shaped), Knowsley, Abbey, Swift, Ace (Terry Reid) and Buccaneer. The site was a small, but perfectly formed, three quarters of an acre with customer parking was on the street. As you can imagine there was a lot of pressure for space!

Moving into the 70s and 80s, 1978 saw the first ABI Solus commitment and the addition of the Ace and Elddis franchises. Expansion followed in 1986 with the purchase of Midland Counties Caravans. 1989 saw ABI becoming Solus again and we relocated the brand to the Midland Counties Site.

The 90s saw a huge investment in the company with our move to a 26-acre, brand new sales centre at Gunthorpe. No more street parking for our customers! Steve Sharpe joined the company in 1996 and oversaw the further expansion of the business with an extension to our showroom and the addition of a storage compound.

Finishing the 90s on a high note with the arrival in 1996 of the first motorhome (Buccaneer) at Gunthorpe. Mr John Smith was the proud owner of the first Buccaneer motorhome built. Lowdhams went on to display the new four berth and six berth models at the NEC Show in February 1997. Our first European import (Laika) swiftly followed in 1998 and the addition of the prestigious Hymer brand of motorhomes and caravans in 1999.

Moving into the 00s, 2002 saw the further expansion of the business with our second branch at Huddersfield being purchased. Steve Sharpe added additional motorhome franchises with Carthago, Dethleffs and Knaus motorhomes coming on board. Aftersales on motorhomes was our next focus with a new workshop being acquired at Bingham.

*Please note, Lowdhams no longer have a Huddersfield location.

We finished the decade by adding Autocruise and Swift motorhomes to our already impressive portfolio in 2007, then Chausson motorhomes also came on board in 2009.

Auto-Sleepers motorhomes come to Lowdhams. Auto-Sleepers are choosy about their dealers and we were delighted to meet their requirements, launching our Auto-Sleepers motorhomes selection at our Huddersfield branch in the summer of 2010.

Knaus motorhomes entered the UK market again in 2011 after a period of restructuring and immediately found favour, winning customers and press awards. Lowdhams were a natural dealer choice, having imported new Knaus motorhomes from 2001.

2012 saw the re-organisation of the Hymer dealer network in the UK and Lowdhams were appointed as a dealer for these prestigious new motorhomes and caravans, from probably the best known manufacturer in Europe.

As the champagne flowed following England’s win in the 1966 World Cup, a modest caravan dealership opened up in the Nottinghamshire village of Lowdham. Is it really 50 years since George Crafts opened our first caravan dealership? How time flies! It’s incredible to look back at all the many black and white photos from our past.

In April 2017, at the Peterborough Show, we launched our brand new members’ club – My Lowdhams. The club entitles its members to an exclusive range of benefits and discounts, including money off in our accessories shops, free stays on our Nottingham rally field, special rates on GB Motorhomes Tours and much more!

In October 2017, Lowdhams proudly became an appointed dealer for the iconic Airstream – one of only six in the UK. Encapsulating both design and freedom, the Airstream is built for adventure and excitement, allowing you to discover whatever you desire.

McRent is the smart way to rent motorhomes, offering luxury motorhomes and value for money. Customers can hire new motorhomes (none of our models are older than 2 years old!) from either our Nottingham or Huddersfield branch, and get a taste for motorhoming before committing to their own vehicle.

*Please note, Lowdhams no longer offer the McRent service.

Debuted at the 2018 Motorhome & Caravan show at Birmingham’s NEC, the Summit is Lowdhams’ exclusive van conversion based on the Ford Transit custom. The vehicle is built for the spontaneous traveller and offers a high specification and ample new technology at an affordable price.

*Please note, Lowdhams no longer offer the Summit camper.

Our showroom at Nottingham has undergone improvements for 2023, with more space, being fully heated and including a brand-new Beanies coffee shop. These improvements were introduced to provide a more enjoyable browsing experience for our customers!

For the 2025 season, Lowdhams were the only dealership within the UK to offer a special edition from Swift! This Xtra special edition selection included two ranges, the Hi-Style Xtra and Voyager Xtra, with packs of extras included within the price.