So, you are about to order your first-ever motorhome.
Ideally, you will have fully researched the vehicle and are confident you’ve made the right choice. All you now need to do is complete a few formalities and await delivery. This means making sure the safe space for your new motorhome is ready, such as looking into rv storage Colorado way or wherever you might be based. This way, you won’t have to panic to sort this out once your new vehicle arrives!
There are though, a few things you need to be thinking about in addition to the business of choosing your vehicle. Some of these may be relatively obvious, others perhaps less so, which is why this basic beginners’ guide to motorhomes has been put together.
Driving licences
The majority of typical motorhomes on the UK’s roads can be driven on a standard driving licence. Hopefully, you have fully researched your eligibility on the government’s site but if you haven’t, now is the time to do so.
Insurance
Theoretically, you may be able to choose between third-party or fully comprehensive variants as per normal. If you have any sort of loan finance forming part of your motorhome purchase deal, the provider may remove that choice from you and insist upon fully comprehensive cover.
Even if you don’t have a loan to consider, given the relatively high values of motorhomes, it might be risky to think about economising on your insurance through third-party only options.
Things you might wish to keep in mind within this subject area include:
- some policies may have constraints in terms of annual mileages. They may also have stated maximums for the number of days you can spend with your motorhome outside of the UK or the number of such trips;
- the policy may oblige you to store your motorhome at a secure location when it is not in use over the wintertime (or may offer discounts if you do);
- parking your motorhome overnight on a public road near your place of residence when the vehicle is not in use, might be prohibited;
- check carefully to look for exclusions relating to the types of goods you can have in your motorhome under insurance cover;
- likewise, you may find the policy’s provider has special requirements relating to security devices such as immobilisers, wheel clamps and enhanced door/window locks;
- just like car policies, there may be restrictions on drivers – including by virtue of minimum ages. Remember that including drivers with serious driving convictions on their licence may significantly increase your premium.
Accessories
There is now a vast range of motorhome accessories available in the marketplace.
It’s worth checking these out sooner rather than later because although many will be just nice-to-haves, others may be virtually essential in your particular circumstances.
Maintenance
Your motorhome will typically come with a list of the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance steps. To make sure your motorhome/RV is protected, you may want to look into RV Storage Buildings to keep it in when not in use, mitigating any issues that may come up when stored out in the elements, which could stunt maintenance results.
Some of these will be technical and relate to things like the engine’s service intervals. They’re usually a job for professionals.
However, a number of basic maintenance steps are typically at a DIY level and you should be disciplined about undertaking them.
A driving course
A motorhome is hardly an HGV but even so, some of the larger ones can be a little different to drive than the typical family car you are probably already familiar with.
If you’d like to spare your blushes in situations such as busy car parks or when reversing onto pitches, it might be sensible to take a half or full day’s motorhome manoeuvring course in advance of taking delivery.
Plan a shakedown cruise
Almost inevitably, there will be things you will discover about your motorhome only when you take it for your first real-life trip.
It’s therefore always a good idea to try and make your first such trip something that is fairly local and of short-duration. It might be better to discover that you really need an XYZ to make your overnight stays that bit more comfortable when you’re fairly local than to find out the same thing when you are on a vast Euro-tour abroad.
Think about external furniture
Strictly speaking, this is included under the heading of accessories above but it’s worth mentioning it specifically.
When you reach that scenic destination and the sun is shining down, you’ll want somewhere to sit outside including for eating and drinking. Sitting on the grass or a stone wall because you don’t have external furniture, might make for a good photo but it’s unlikely to be comfortable after a few minutes!
Don’t skimp here. Buy good quality and above all comfortable external furniture.
Read up on the rules of the road
There are rules and regulations covering motorhomes as well as a much larger volume of good common-sense advice. For example:
- typically, you can’t just pull up in any lay-by and stay overnight. Local bylaws may specifically prohibit that;
- occupying the outside lane of busy dual carriageways when going uphill slowly is not only inconsiderate for other road users but it might also catch the attention of the police, even if it’s not technically an offence.
There are a lot of these things to keep in mind when you are new to motorhome driving and it’s better to research them in advance rather than to discover them for the first time when you are out and about on the roads. Remember also that the rules and conventions may change depending upon which European country you are driving in.
Research your motorhome overnight sites in advance
Perhaps the most important consideration here is to make sure that it is actually open and with available space, for the date and time you plan to arrive. Other top tips include:
- book in advance. Some sites can be very busy over weekends, even outside of the main holiday seasons;
- pay attention to any maximum height or other motorhome size restrictions the site may have in place;
- be cautious about sites that are located close to rivers, lakes or the coast, in situations where heavy rain or storms are forecast;
- make sure you understand any specific site requirements contained within your motorhome insurance policy. Some policies may, for example, specify that only sites with permanent supervision and attendance may be used.
Plan your pet accommodation
No beginners’ guide to motorhomes should avoid this one!
Some manufacturers may offer dog securing harnesses to stop your dogs bounding around in what they will see as the acres of space open to them. That might be sensible in almost all situations.
Remember that it may be an offence to drive a vehicle on the road if animals inside are behaving in such a way as to constitute a danger for the vehicle and other vehicles on the road.
Even if you have extremely well-behaved dogs, don’t forget to plan for their tendency to bring external mess back with them and into your pristine motorhome! Keep plenty of towels and washing water available.
Summary
We hope these pointers have helped you get prepared for the arrival of your motorhome – happy camping!
