Hi all , a friend of mine has just bought a motorhome and i'm trying to advise him on what he needs to get up and running , being a caravaner myself they do seem a little different on whats needed , so far he has a hookup lead , i can think of wheel wedges ( levelers ) . Could you tell me what else is needed to get him going .
We always run with quarter of a tank of fresh water so if we get held up we can always make a cuppa rather than pay motorway prices. Filling up on site is easy using any available tap and a hose
We always run with a few gallons in the tank in case we arrive late or some pillock has taken up residence on the motorhome point etc. Empting and filling is not as quick and easy as with a caravan, generally there is only one M/H station on a site and everyone wants it at the same time.
Also you need a longer fill hose than people with aquarolls as some taps aren't that conveniently placed for motorhomes.
You also need some way of fetching water if you cannot get near the water tap - happened twice on us. We carry a water container for drinking water so use this to fill tank when needed. We also carry 4 rubber mesh doormats - £1.99 from Wilkos, park the drive wheels on these when on grass incase it rains. If ground becomes wet the theory is that we put the other two mats infront of the mats under the wheels and move onto them, take the mats now released and repeat. Long process I know but better than being stuck in the mud - done it once and not wanting to repeat the experience. We cary the mats on the front passenger floor and between the cab seats so take up no room.
Jean
------------- Jean
Sometimes a little rain must fall before you reach a rainbow.
The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you finish the work.
we have 2 lengths of the blue grade hose that when combined are about 15 metres long with various tap connectors and also take a 10litre watering can with us just in case the tap is in an out of the way place, like bob i alway have a couple of gallons for the journey and for when arriving on site.
On the whole 'water' issue... we usually go with a full tank (100ltrs) as we usually wild-camp and that means no taps to fill up with on arrival.
Even when we do stay on a site we will still fill up before setting off, you see the holiday fever doesn't really hit us while the MH is on the driveway so I don't mind messing around with hoses and stuff then. After arriving at a site I like to put the handbrake on, then put the kettle on, then relax for a while. The last thing I want to do on arrival at a site is start messing about filling up with water.
------------- Our motorhome loves Rock'n'Roll... it rolls all day and rocks all night ;0)
We too tend to fill up with water before we set off and that way you are totally free to come and go as you please! If we are embarking on a long journey, we can stop halfway and park up for the night somewhere and have sufficient water onboard for showering etc or like sixwheels says, we can arrive on a campsite and not have to do anything other than connect to the EHU! Can't see the point of arriving on site and then having to start faffing about setting up etc when you can do all the preperation before you set off! Doesn't matter then if you arrive in the dark does it?
One of the most essential items for any motor home in my opinion, is an exterior, thermally insulated silver screen. A MUST HAVE item for all seasons but especially in the winter months when the weather is very cold and the difference it makes regarding interior heat loss and cab windscreen condensation is incredible.
Sue
------------- The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.
Hi, I've recently been through this myself! I've bought sleeping bag, water fill up hose, tiny trolly wheels (for transporting water carrier back to van when full & emptying waste water).
Pots, pans, mugs, plates, cutlery and a three pan steamer which runs on one gas ring and cooks a full meal etc... A luggable loo...
Bungee straps (always come in useful) and I bought a shoe holder which hangs from a hook and is useful for putting things in when you want them to hand, from Lidl's. Also some small travel bottles from a cheapie shop which I can fill with small quantities of shampoo, washing up liquid, etc, so I don't have to take large bottles of stuff everywhere.
A tip: I always save jam jars, and plastic containers. I now have an excellent soap dish - a cheese spread container - and a sugar container - which in a previous life was a baby wipes container. You could buy for England with the amount of gadgets there are out there, but I'm on a tight budget, so I like to re-use things or adapt them if I can.
Oh - and some car/house tools - spanner, screwdriver, hammer, etc, b/c you never know if you might need them - oh and an AA/other breakdown card!!!
On the food side, I generally plan meals in advance of going, so I know what I'll be eating and how I'm going to cook it for at least two days.
Space is really a premium in my van, it's a really small demountable romahome on a Bedford Rascal - just 12 ft long!
Levelling ramps, basic toolkit & can WD40, 25L waste water container, hose, 10L fresh water container, silver screens (Exterior are more effective, but interior are better if you wildcamp), storm strap for if you have a roll out canopy, small spirit level, hook up lead.
Non essential that i keep permanantly in my van.....
240 appliances.. Kettle, toaster, small halogen heater. crockery, pots & pans, cutlery, cups, bedding, towels, disposable BBQs & wire stand, flat camping stove, TV ariel & pole, jump leads, heavy duty tow rope, canvas chairs, fold up plastic table, outdoor mat, windbreak, clothes line & pegs.
Absolutely essential (because if it goes wrong it can be a disaster) is the right recovery cover. Depending on size of van some of them won't recover you !
Quote: Originally posted by sasquatch on 21/10/2007
Rember a litre of water weighs 1Kilo if you have a 50 litre tank =50Kilos. Think of your fuel economy.
We usually take a cople of litres in a bottle(s) few brews en route and fill up when at the site
Mmmm, 50kgs, so if I leave the wife at home I will get better fuel economy To be honest we run with around 1/4 tank, and it doesn't seem to make any differance to fuel economy, we usually don't put much in from home as we are on a water meter, so cheaper to fill at the site, basics for us are hookup lead, hose, watering can and levellers.
We fill up the water before we go, as I've got a bit of a delicate tum. Drinking our own home water is better and less hassle for me than drinking water that is likely to upset my tum (poor delicate wee soul that I am
We have all the usual pots, pans, cutlery, bungees, games, books, TV, DVD player & DVD's, food, tea/sugar etc, kettle, toaster, enough gas (don't want to run out if you have no EHU), bedding, towels, toiletries (we keep a seperate set in the van so we don't forget them), dog food if you have a dog, spare carrier bags (for wet shoes/rubbish etc), small tool kit, first aid kit.
Every so often we go through and take out anything we haven't used for ages. I was still carrying my kids buckets & spades - they are 13 & 15 now .
Sara
------------- Why live for tomorrow, when you can live for today and tomorrow is yet to come?
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Topic: Whats needed to use a motorhome
To be honest we run with around 1/4 tank, and it doesn't seem to make any differance to fuel economy, we usually don't put much in from home as we are on a water meter, so cheaper to fill at the site, basics for us are hookup lead, hose, watering can and levellers.
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