Keith Gooden
Welcome back to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
He’s the expert and I’m the person who asks the stupid questions.
Matt Sims
Oh, so true.
Keith Gooden
We’ve got a lot to get through today. We’re talking damp – water getting in, keeping water out and who to call when it does start to drip.
Matt Sims
Or even before then – how to spot it.
Keith Gooden
In your motorhome, by the way. Nowhere else.
Matt Sims
Damp – the enemy of motorhomes and caravans.
Keith Gooden
More about that a little bit later on.
Get a discount on tickets to The Motorhome and Caravan Show 2022
Keith Gooden
First, let’s get you a discount at the big show at the NEC this October. Go onto the website for the show. Not the Motorhome Matt website, the website for the show which, Matt, is…
Matt Sims
Keith Gooden
www.mcshow.co.uk. When you book your tickets, there’ll be a little box which says, ‘Enter discount code here,’ and you put the discount code in, don’t you, Matt?
Matt Sims
You do. It’s EX1 – easy as that. EX1 and we’ll save you a few quid.
Keith Gooden
Echo, X-ray and the number one, okay.
Mrs. S’ winning motorhome story
Keith Gooden
You can do that and save a bit of money, but if you’re just listening to this first podcast, boy, have you missed out big time because we’ve been giving away tickets to that big show which we’re going to be at incidentally, podcasting and filming and saying hello and making sandwiches and carrying people’s bags, all sorts of wonderful things to make a bit of extra money.
Matt Sims
Is that what you’re doing during the week?
Keith Gooden
Parking cars… We’ve got another winner to announce. Okay, this is Mrs Starkers.
Matt Sims
There’s a clue! No, she actually concludes this with, ‘I have not used my full name to further spare my blushes.’ What a lovely turn of phrase.
Keith Gooden
Her blushes in the bushes.
Matt Sims
So we’ve gone with Mrs Starkers.
Keith Gooden
Mrs S!
Matt Sims
You know who you are. You’ve already been informed you’ve won. Congratulations. This made us chuckle.
Keith Gooden
‘We were once on a rally with our motorhome club and we were all parked around a rectory. That’s a vicarage sort of thing somewhere in Lincolnshire.’
Matt Sims
The vicar’s home.
Keith Gooden
We had spent the day looking around the area and then night fell. We made the bed up and had a wash and brushed our teeth.
Matt Sims
That’s a good detail.
Keith Gooden
I tell you what, a few years of marriage, the magic doesn’t go, does it? ‘Then we got into bed. I sleep at the end nearest to the windscreen and sleep au naturale.’
Matt Sims
Where is this story going?
Keith Gooden
She’s one of those Russian twins, the Kitoff sisters. Do you know what I mean? Okay, Matt, what happened next?
Matt Sims
I don’t want to know!
Keith Gooden
There it is!
Matt Sims
‘I’d been laid in bed starkers for about 10 minutes, and I realised that I could see stars through the windscreen. We had forgotten to put the blinds on the side and front windows and for the rest of the rally I had to sneak past the rectory just in case I bumped into the vicar. Embarrassing or what? I still blush now when I remember it.’
Keith Gooden
And she goes on to say, ‘I have not used my full name to further spare my blushes.’ Well Mrs Starkers, thank you so much for your entry. You have won yourself two tickets to the big show at the NEC. Come along and see us and we will point and laugh.
Matt Sims
Clothes on, please.
Keith Gooden
We could always do a nudie podcast. People have done that.
Matt Sims
Hey?! Get away.
Keith Gooden
Yes, nudie rudy podcast.
Matt Sims
No.
Keith Gooden
That’d be quite good.
Matt Sims
No!
Keith Gooden
I’ll get my birthday suit out. I’ve got to iron it first.
Matt Sims
No, Keith, we’re not doing that.
Keith Gooden
All those old jokes.
Matt Sims
You know we’re on YouTube?
Save on motorhome essentials at That Leisure Shop
Keith Gooden
Okay then – things have been tough for everybody. Electricity prices are going up, fuel prices are putting your car up and down and sideways and all the rest of it. But how do we save some money, Matt?
Matt Sims
Yes, well round here we’ve got loads of ways of saving money. It’s been a month of special offers and sales discounts. So the shop www.thatleisureshop.com has a big sale on at the moment. We’ve got not only a saving for you, if you go and buy stuff on the shop – please do – we’ve got a code! If you use the code at the checkout, ‘Motorhome Matt,’ you’ll get £10 off when you spend £100 on everything that isn’t in the sale.
Some things have got 70% off. Not everything’s in the sale. But on those items you can get £10 off when you use the code, ‘Motorhome Matt.’ All we say is we ask you to spend £100 and we’ll give you £10 off all the non-sale items.
Keith Gooden
Got that? Because I have! Save some money with Motorhome Matt. And what’s the early bird offer?
Matt Sims
Yes, in the Motorhome Holiday Company, which is the motorhome hire business we own, if you book for next year and pay now we will give you a weekend for free. We just ask you to book a week, pay for it now and confirm the booking. We offer insurance as well. So if you can’t go you would get your money refunded, but we’ll give you a weekend for free.
Keith Gooden
That’s pretty good.
Matt Sims
It’s cool!
Keith Gooden
But don’t think you’re going to turn up and just hire it for a weekend and get that for nothing. There are conditions!
Matt Sims
Of course, yeah. If you take the weekend and then bail, we’re going to charge you for the weekend, obviously!
Keith Gooden
But it’s a great one. And we were talking in an earlier podcast to Jason, who runs a dealership up north, doesn’t he? And he was saying, ‘Actually, with the delays in delivery for new motorhomes, hire businesses are really taking off, because people can get a taste for motorhoming after they’ve placed an order for their motorhome, but have to wait 18 months to two years for the pesky thing to be delivered.’ So hiring is the thing, isn’t it?
Matt Sims
It is an option, definitely. And we realise how important that week away that you book-, or even longer, how important that is. That’s a precious time. Many people are booking a motorhome holiday with us for the first time. So we thought, ‘Well, why don’t you have a weekend where you can just practise and maybe not go very far and just get used to it? And so when it comes to that big week, you know what to pack and you’re confident and maybe you’ve been away in the motorhome you’re going to go away again in and so everything’s familiar.’
We just want to make sure that people have the best week they possibly can. I’ll tell you what’s been really interesting with this offer. We launched six of these free weekends. They sold out in moments, so the team has added nine more with my blessing. And there are still some left if you’re listening to this. But what was interesting is how people have got creative with it. They said, ‘Can we have the free weekend when we go away on our week so our friends can come?’ I thought, ‘What a lovely idea.’
Keith Gooden
What a great idea.
Matt Sims
Yes. ‘Can we have the free weekend before, immediately before we go for the week so we get 10 days?’ I thought, ‘That’s a good idea.’ So yes, it’s not just as simple as going for a week in April and then having a week in July. You can get creative. So talk to us about your plans and how your motorhome holiday might look for you.
And if you can take advantage of this special offer – there are some left as we record this, I think it’s four or five left – go for it. Go and book now. We just ask you to pay for it now and then we can give you that free weekend when you want to go away.
Why motorhomes suffer from damp issues so often
Keith Gooden
Okay, it’s the Motorhome Matt podcast with www.thatleisureshop.com! We’ve been asking you for your questions. And Cliff says, ‘Why do motorhomes suffer from damp issues so much?’ And that’s the theme of this week’s podcast.
Matt Sims
So yes, Cliff, why do they suffer from damp issues so much? Well, many motorhomes and caravans do, especially the older ones. In a minute, you’re going to hear from a friend of mine who explained some of the reasons why. So keep listening. But really it’s about seams and seals giving up – age, really. And then they start letting water in. Windows can work loose and let the rain in. Pressure washing can be a real enemy of a motorhome or caravan as well. So it’s being really mindful of that.
Buying a motorhome with a full history of damp checks is a very sensible thing to do. I remember someone telling me a story that their motorhome looked amazing. It was really shiny, it was really clean inside. It had absolutely no service history, versus one that was really quite tired, needed a spruce, had higher mileage but had an impeccable service history. Guess which one they bought?
Keith Gooden
Tell me.
Matt Sims
They bought the one with no service history. It was the whole shiny penny thing. And it was actually damp. But there was no evidence that it had ever been damp checked. And there’s something really to consider. You can fix upholstery and you can clean a motorhome. If it’s got higher mileage, that doesn’t matter if it’s had a really good service history.
So always go for a vehicle with a strong service history. Ask to see it. If you’re buying it privately, get it checked. But in terms of your question, Cliff, as to, ‘Why do they get damp?’ Keep listening. There are lots of reasons why and there are things you can do to help prevent it happening as well.
Keith Gooden
You’ve been talking to somebody, haven’t you, who is an expert in this?
Matt Sims
Indeed. Yes, I went and caught up with an old friend of mine, Miles Bray from MJB Tourer services. They’re right next door to Bristol airport. Not far from here. Miles has been in the motorhome and caravan repair industry for years and services many local dealers, customers, and customers from all over the country. And I started by asking Miles, ‘What is it that causes damp in a motorhome?’
The damage of damp in motorhomes with Miles Bray from MJB Tourer Services
Miles Bray
So the biggest issue is seals leaking, which can let water in – basically anywhere where there’s a join in the motorhome or the caravan or where there’s been a cut out made for a window or a roof light.
Matt Sims
Seals – this is where the walls meet the roof or the walls meet in the corners. Is that what you mean?
Miles Bray
Yes, exactly. Yes, so where walls meet the floor, where walls meet the ceiling and where walls meet front and end panels.
Matt Sims
And this is true on caravans and motorhomes, isn’t it?
Miles Bray
It is, yes.
Matt Sims
So we’re here by a caravan that we know has a little damp problem that you’re going to show us in a minute. But what are the signs that people can look for to show that they might have damp present in a motorhome or caravan?
Miles Bray
Well, unfortunately, damp or water ingress is very difficult to determine or to identify by the naked eye, which is why we use damp testing equipment. If you do notice any markings, and it could be some stain in the wallboard or some pimpling, that kind of effect, normally that means that you’ve had an issue for some while and that’s actually a sign of decay of the timbers behind pushing through the wallboard.
Matt Sims
So the damp starts inside the wall and comes out with a visible sign.
Miles Bray
Yes, exactly. The wallboard is designed with a waterproof layer on it so it can be used in bathrooms and kitchen areas, so that makes it waterproof to water going from the inside out. But obviously, if you’ve got water coming in from the outside in, it’s going to hold that water inside the wall cavity.
Matt Sims
I see what you mean. So the inside of the wallboard, i.e., inside the wall, has not got this waterproof membrane.
Miles Bray
Yes, exactly.
Matt Sims
So you say pimpling. Explain what that means.
Miles Bray
Pimpling almost looks like little blisters coming out on the surface of the wallboard, and that is a sign of the wallboard decaying from the inside out.
Matt Sims
But walls can crack as well, can’t they? Tell me a bit about that.
Miles Bray
Yes, you can get signs of cracking, especially if there are any stresses there, particularly in corners of the motorhome and the caravan, where the wall can be getting wet and then drying out in the summer months, then getting wet again. And the board expands and contracts, let’s say, and that can cause cracking in the wall boards as well.
Matt Sims
And then fixing it is like opening a can of worms, isn’t it, taking a vehicle like this apart and discovering what’s under the wall. Explain why it can be such a major job.
Miles Bray
Well, the problem is that we can’t repair from the outside. It’s either an aluminium skin or a composite skin. So we have to repair from the inside, which means we’ve got to remove all the furniture, all the cupboards and all the bed boxes to be able to get to the wallboard, and then we’ve got to remove that and quite often it’s just the tip of the iceberg. You might have a small foot square area showing through the wallboard, but once you remove it, it could be three, four or five times the size of the area that actually needs repairing.
Matt Sims
You can end up taking a whole back end of a motorhome apart, can’t you?
Miles Bray
Very easily.
Matt Sims
And of course where the stain is is just where the wood’s decayed. It could be that water comes in metres away and that can be an issue for a long way down through the chassis of the unit, can’t it?
Miles Bray
Yes, exactly. Wood in its very nature has a grain, and the water will want to soak along that grain. Yes, the further along it goes, the more it will rot. So yes, we need to cut out all of that affected timber to decent, solid timber before we can then scarf in our new timbers.
Matt Sims
And is it a myth that you can dry the wood out and it will all be fine?
Miles Bray
It’s not a myth if you catch it early enough, which is why we recommend the habitation report or even a damp report. Most timbers will soak in water, and it can dry out again. But the problem is it’s trapped in the walls because you’ve got a waterproof vapour barrier in the vinyl itself on the inside. So once water is in there, it’s very difficult for it to dry out.
Matt Sims
I’m with you. So we’re by this caravan. Shall we go inside and you can show me where the damp is. And we’ll have a look at the signs that the damp is there. It’s not very obvious, is it?
Miles Bray
No, it’s not at all on this one. This one was highlighted by an annual caravan service which included a damage report. It wasn’t done by us, but the engineer that does it doesn’t carry out damp repairs because he’s mobile. So it’s been recommended to us and he’s brought it in and we’re hopefully going to be starting it next week.
Matt Sims
Let’s go and have a look. So we’re here. The caravan has got no soft furnishings in it anymore, which is good if it’s been stored through the winter. But in the corner, I can see a small crack below the window. Tell me what’s happening there.
Miles Bray
Right, then. So according to the damp report that we’ve had, this window seal, the rubber around the window seal, has been letting moisture in. And that’s caused the timbers behind to decay. And as they’ve been drying out in the summer months and then expanding when it gets wet in the winter months, it’s actually caused the wallboard to crack. Yes, as you can see, it doesn’t look particularly bad. But I would imagine once we strip it all out, the timbers behind will probably be quite decayed.
Matt Sims
And I bet that’s gone down into the front wet locker as well, hasn’t it?
Miles Bray
More than likely, yes. On the damp report that we’ve got, there are readings quite low down as well. Yes, so I don’t think it’s just in this one area.
Matt Sims
And what kind of damp readings are you getting on a damp report in terms of the number between one and a hundred?
Miles Bray
Well generally as a rule, 1% to 15% is okay and nothing to worry about. 15% to 30% is indicating that there are signs of water ingress and it needs to be monitored. We usually recommend bringing it back in three months’ time for a recheck. Anything over 30% is pretty much guaranteeing you’ve got moisture coming into the vehicle and it will be deteriorating the timbers behind and it needs rectifying as soon as possible.
Matt Sims
And with this particular damage, that curtain could be-, if it was in the right place, you wouldn’t see it, would you?
Miles Bray
No, exactly. If we move the curtain across, it’s almost impossible to see. The secret with any kind of damp repair is catching it early. The longer that damp’s in there, the worse it will get and the more costly it will be to replace.
Matt Sims
So what can people do to prevent getting damp in their caravan or motorhome?
Miles Bray
Well firstly, we recommend having an annual inspection yearly. So we can either have a full habitation service or even just a damp report. That way, in the worst case scenario your vehicle’s only been leaking for twelve months. Alternatively, keeping it under cover in the winter months when you’re not using it is a good idea. But again, it’s very costly to keep it in under cover storage. And in the summer months, you’re going to be out in it and it’s going to be open to the weather. So the best thing we recommend is a yearly habitation report.
Matt Sims
You were talking to me about the effect of an articulated lorry as it drives down the road. You can see the effect the driving of a leisure vehicle down the road is having on that lorry, and that will explain what’s happening to your caravan or motorhome as you drive along.
Miles Bray
The motorhome or caravan, basically it’s just a wooden box. Some of the newer ones have got an aluminium frame, but generally the older ones are a wooden box. And if you’ve ever followed an articulated lorry with the two back doors, you can visibly watch the two back doors moving upwards and downwards caused by the camber in the road, going around roundabouts, etc., etc.
And that’s exactly what’s happening to your motorhome or your caravan. As it’s going over the bumps and potholes and curbs in the road, the chassis is twisting, and that’s causing all the panels to twist. All that’s holding those together really is the sealants, and the sealants will start to let go after time. And water can start getting in, particularly in the winter months.
Obviously, in this country we live in, it’s quite wet in the winter. Once water gets into those joints, it can freeze in cold conditions, and that can cause the water to expand and open that joint up even more. So next time it rains, more water’s getting in. When it freezes again, it expands even more. And it’s constantly opening these gaps up. So quite often just by having an annual report done we can highlight areas where water ingress can be happening. And we can just reseal those areas before any damage is done.
Matt Sims
And of course, the water can be caused by condensation, rain, but pressure washing as well. You need to be so careful with a pressure washer, don’t you?
Miles Bray
Yes, exactly. In the corners where you get a bit of algae growing, it’s very tempting just to blast it out with a jet wash. But unfortunately, they’re very high pressure jet washes nowadays, and that will force water into the soft mastics in the joints, creating the path again for water to get in.
Matt Sims
So if somebody thinks they might have damp in their leisure vehicle, what course of action do you suggest they take?
Miles Bray
The best course of action is to get it independently inspected. Contact a mobile engineer. There are plenty of them around, if you search on the internet. Places like ours, as well! Get it booked in and get a habitation or a damp report done on the vehicle so you can see the extent of the problem that you may have.
Matt Sims
And you charge for a damp report, don’t you, but you can get that reclaimed back, I understand.
Miles Bray
Yes. What we do is we charge £80 for a damp report. But if we find damp and you go ahead and have the repairs done with us, we will refund you back that £80.
Matt Sims
Brilliant! So how do people find you, Miles?
Miles Bray
Right, so we’re based just outside Bristol by Bristol airport on the A38. We’re also on the internet. We’ve got a website address and we’re also on Facebook.
Matt Sims
And what is that web address?
Miles Bray
It’s www.mjbtourerservices.co.uk.
Matt Sims
So that was Miles! Thank you, Miles, for coming on the podcast. We really appreciate it. I know you were out of your comfort zone when we did that, so it’s very kind of you. And Cliff, back to your question, hopefully that’s given you a very, very comprehensive answer. And as Miles says, make sure you get a motorhome damp check regularly. And if you’re buying one, look for that service history.
Keith Gooden
As things get older, they start to leak. Don’t we all?
Matt Sims
Speak for yourself!
Preventing damp issues in your motorhome
Keith Gooden
Even if you’ve got a fairly new motorhome, you’re saying to get it damp checked. Is that the only thing you should be doing or every time you take it out should there be a little checklist that you do for yourself just to make sure?
Matt Sims
Yes, it’s a sensible idea. It’s not the reserve of older motorhomes, this. We’ve had motorhomes that are almost brand new, and they’ve suffered some of those signs that you heard Miles referring to, the pimpling, the staining, and water has got in and started to take effect and damage the motorhome a year into its age. Through the winter, there are lots of things you can do to help prevent damp in your motorhome and the damage it can cause.
We’ve got some Kontrol products here, the moisture trap, the moisture absorber stuff. People say, ‘Just put a bowl of salt in.’ Yes, that’s going to help. This stuff is specialist stuff and designed, fit for purpose, to really absorb moisture that’s in the air and help keep it a drier environment. Make sure you’re flipping the cushions.
The key is to get air moving around inside. If you’ve got cushions left in the motorhome through the winter in storage and you can get to it, then turn them over. For customers of ours who are storing with us – and they’re paying for this service – we will go and turn the heating on just briefly for 10 minutes to heat the inside up and then open the windows and let that air move around.
You want convection, which forces that stale wet air to move away and come away from the cushions which stops those black spores forming on the cushions and the walls and the curtains.
Keith Gooden
Yes, and there are lots of other things actually that we buy for the home that are useful especially for the soft furnishings, aren’t there? Those vacuum cleaner bags – have you come across them? Those big bags that you put the soft stuff like the cushions inside and you can suck all the air out with a vacuum cleaner so it’s vacuum sealed. And before you put the motorhome to bed for winter, maybe, if that’s what you do, maybe that’s something you should consider.
Matt Sims
If you can take all that soft stuff out and vacuum bag it and pack it at home, even better. Leave the motorhome with no soft furnishings in it. You really want everything that can absorb moisture to be taken out of it. And for goodness’ sake, take food away as well because another issue is rodents. If you have left food in there, they’re going to get in there and have a field day.
So when you’re emptying it out, brush out all the cupboards. Even crumbs can absorb moisture, and they can leave a stain as they dissolve. So just brush it all out, give it a good clean and if you can, store away all the cushions, the mattress, the duvet and the pillows. Curtains – take them down, take them out and pack them away. Put them somewhere dry.
Keith Gooden
There are plenty of products to buy – Kontrol products, I believe they’re called. You stock them at your shop, I know.
Matt Sims
We do.
Keith Gooden
Should people just buy them as a matter of course, or is it something to clean up after the disaster has happened?
Matt Sims
No, do it on a brand new motorhome. These things stop damp. If it’s a brand new caravan or brand new motorhome, put them in there. If it’s 20 years old, put them in. The great thing with the Kontrol range-, Kontrol is a brand, of course. And there are other brands available too, obviously. But you buy the box and then you can buy the refills to refill it. So it’s quite an eco-friendly way of doing it. And you just keep topping up the salts, essentially, inside.
And then you empty them out when they’re damp. So you just buy the refill packs. We sell them at www.thatleisureshop.com. Remember the code – spend £100 and get £10 off! Just use the code, ‘Motorhome Matt,’ at the checkout and we’ll save you £10.
Keith Gooden
Yes, and also some of the older motorhomes are largely made of wood, aren’t they? And water is the enemy of wood, like it is in your house. So be extra vigilant.
Matt Sims
As you heard Miles say, yes. Newer ones are a mix. They’re not made of wood, they’re made of metal or aluminium. But often the floors are wood. And so the water then just runs down into the floor. And that’s an expensive repair, as Miles says.
Michael: Any suggestions on what to look at ourselves with a second-hand motorhome?
Keith Gooden
Okay, then let’s move on, shall we? We’ve talked about dampness. Let’s move away from that slightly. Michael got in touch with us.
Michael
Well, this is interesting. This is the first time I’ve ever seen an option to record a question on a podcast. My question is that my partner and I are at the point of buying our first motorhome. It’s second-hand and it will be quite old.
And I was wondering if there were any suggestions on what kind of things we would need to look at in specs to check that we could do ourselves, then obviously get a mechanic to do a proper inspection. My main concern really is the electrics, because I’ve seen a few with cables running everywhere. And I have no idea if they are installed safely or not. So what would I need to look for?
Keith Gooden
There you go, Matt. So there’s Michael on our SpeakPipe. How do people get in touch, by the way?
Matt Sims
Just go to the website! It’s really easy. www.motorhomematt.co.uk/askmatt and you can hit the orange button and record your message.
Keith Gooden
Fab! So, Michael – what do we do for him?
Matt Sims
Yes, I’m intrigued to know what type of motorhomes he’s looking at. They’ve got cables running everywhere – that doesn’t sound good. I suppose lots of owners tamper with them, accessorise them and add bits. Yes, that’s not uncommon. I would say, as you’re asking what things you can do yourself to check them over, I definitely would get an engineer to do a full inspection.
I would focus on choosing the right layout and the motorhome that fits your budget. And have a gut feel that it’s the right one for you, then get a survey done on it. If you’re buying from a dealer, they would have done it for you, of course, and it will come with a warranty. If you’re buying privately, then that’s different. You’d have to do that yourself. And we have loads of previous episodes that are going to help you, Michael, as you go on this journey. It’s really important you listen to them, especially if this is your first motorhome.
So we’ve got an episode on the difference between buying privately and from a dealer. And there are several episodes on choosing a motorhome and the best layout for you. So go and check those out and have a good listen.
Keith Gooden
But it occurred to you that maybe that motorhome that Michael came across could have had some DIY customization. What’s your advice for people who come across that?
Matt Sims
It could be dangerous. It depends what kind of voltage we’re talking about, really. If it’s 12 volt it is probably going to be less dangerous than if it’s mains electricity. I would definitely get it checked out, though, even if you need to get an auto electrician to inspect certain features that have been fitted.
We sold a motorhome recently that had had a reversing camera fitted to it. And the reversing camera was playing up. So we got our auto electrician in to come and have a look. And he rewired it and fitted it professionally, shall we say? That’s how he put it.
Keith Gooden
Buyer beware.
Matt Sims
Buyer beware, yes. Trust your gut feeling. It’s really important you do that. You’ll know when you know, if you know what I mean.
Keith Gooden
Yes, just because something is cheap doesn’t mean to say it’s a good deal.
Matt Sims
No, definitely not. Again, it’s all about getting a professional and expert opinion on it and getting it inspected. And if you’re buying from a reputable dealer, they will have done that for you.
Lawrence: Can a sat nav be programmed specifically for my caravan?
Keith Gooden
Lawrence has got in touch. He says, ‘Matt, can a sat nav be programmed to say that you’re towing a caravan so you can avoid unsuitable roads, both here and also abroad?’
Matt Sims
They can, yes. There are specialist satnavs. Garmin, Snooper and Avtex – they all make sat nav devices specifically for motorhomes and caravans where you can actually type in your dimensions and the weight of the entire vehicle including the caravan or the whole motorhome and it will then take you on roads that are suitable for your size.
Tolls as well – if you want to avoid tolls, or if you want to avoid expensive tolls, if you’re over a certain height on the continent, you’re going to be charged more money so you can programme the sat nav but you have to buy a motorhome caravan specific sat nav to get that feature.
Keith Gooden
And are there other apps you can download if you’re using your phone as a sat nav which are specific for motorhomes?
Matt Sims
There’s CoPilot. We’ve talked about apps before, haven’t we? And there are some chargeable apps as well, but a dedicated sat nav which you can update regularly is a great addition to any rig of motorhome or caravan.
Keith Gooden
Yes, it’s not just motorhomes it affects. It’s heavy goods vehicles as well. We’ve all come across a huge lorry on a country road!
Matt Sims
Yes, that’s right, which is where the sat navs started from. It’s that software for the HGV drivers – some use them – that’s then been adapted to motorhomes and caravans.
Keith Gooden
Thanks for your question there, Lawrence. Now, how do people get in touch again? One more time, Matt.
Matt Sims
It’s easy. You can visit us at the website, www.motorhomematt.co.uk/askmatt, and you can record your question or you can submit your question via a form.
Keith Gooden
Okay, and if people want to save some money, Matt, even though we’ve been talking about damp things today, don’t be wet behind the ears. What do they need to do to save some money?
Matt Sims
What a pro! Just use the code at our shop, ‘MotorhomeMatt.’ So head to www.thatleisureshop.com and enter the discount code, ‘MotorhomeMatt,’ just one word, and we’ll give you £10 off when you spend £100.
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. And our socials?
Matt Sims
You can find us on Facebook where we’re Motorhome Matt. We’re on Instagram as @motorhomematt.co.uk, and that’s the website as well. And if you want to engage with us, then you can do so at www.motorhomematt.co.uk/askmatt.
