Etrusco motorhomes: A brand on the rise in the UK

Keith Gooden

In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt podcast…

Matt Sims

There’s a new brand sweeping into the UK.

Keith Gooden

And we answer your questions on getting safe water, transferring lifetime subscriptions and the ability to drive vehicles up to 4,250 kilogrammes. Welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims

And I’m Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden

We’ve got industry insights and expert advice from the world of motorhomes, caravans and camper vans. And it’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com.

Matt Sims

Make sure you follow on your favourite podcast app and subscribe too on YouTube, which is sponsored by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.

How to prepare your motorhome for winter

Keith Gooden

Straight into it then, Matt. It’s a brand new year. 2024 is here. I’m so excited – one more day towards my old age pension.

Matt Sims

How many years away is that, in the past?

Keith Gooden

Two.

Matt Sims

You’ve already retired.

Keith Gooden

Retiring early. Yeah, I’m only 25, you have to understand. It’s not too late to prep for winter, is it? And our product of the week, for the brand new year, is a free guide to winterize your motorhome. How do people get hold of that, Matt?

Matt Sims

Really easily. Go to www.thatleisureshop.com/winter, where all we ask for is your first name and your email address. And we will email you the free guide. It’s like an ebook. And it has a checklist at the back which you can print off and tick off as you get your motorhome or caravan winter ready. And there’s a video as well of me doing the whole process so you can sit and indulge yourself in that. And I’ll talk you through how to prepare it for winter.

Keith Gooden

Here are my winter eyes.

Matt Sims

Don’t ever do that again.

Keith Gooden

Let’s see your winter eyes.

Matt Sims

No, I’m not doing it.

Keith Gooden

Oh, go on!

Matt Sims

I’m not doing it. I can’t. No, no. I save that for the special people in my life.

Etrusco motorhomes: a brand on the rise in the UK

Keith Gooden

God help them. Let’s talk about a European brand growing in the UK. They see an opportunity and the great thing is, they’re delivering new motorhomes at a lower price point. Can you explain, Matt?

Matt Sims

Yeah, so this brand is called Etrusco. It’s spelt with a V in their branding. So E-T-R-V-S-C-O, a bit like Bvlgari. Do you know that brand, the jewellery brand?

Keith Gooden

I do. You know if you go to New York and you want to pass as somebody from Brooklyn, you just replace all the Rs with a V. So you come from Bvooklyn. It’s true.

Matt Sims

I did not know that.

Keith Gooden

It’s true.

Matt Sims

Okay. Well, I will make a note of that next time I’m in New York. Why would I want to pretend I’m from Brooklyn?

Keith Gooden

Well, you never know. You might have to stay over there. There’s cheaper hotels.

A more affordable motorhome option in the market

Matt Sims

Oh, I see. They’ll let you in. Okay, I’ll put bear that in mind. Thank you very much. Anyway, Etrusco… they are not from Brooklyn. They are actually a German company owned by the Hymer group.

And they are built in Tuscany at a factory that Hymer now own, where Laika are built, another favourite motorhome brand of mine. I went to the original Laika factory. And it is incredible. There’s a Roman well in reception. There’s a recreated Roman ruin outside of the factory.

Keith Gooden

I hope you didn’t stand still for too long.

Matt Sims

Why?

Keith Gooden

Talking of ruins…

Matt Sims

No, I didn’t. But they found this underground when they were building the factory. They actually excavated this Roman ruin. And then they’re in Tuscany, so of course they found some Roman ruins. And they lifted it brick by brick and recreated it at the side the factory. How cool is that?

Keith Gooden

Fantastic.

Matt Sims

So anyway, this is where the Etrusco brand is built, and where their motorhomes and campervans are assembled. And they’re here in the UK. Now, they’ve been here for a few years.

And they’ve had a pretty small representation in the UK. But I’ve seen them grow and I know more and more people who’ve bought them and have been very taken with them. And I have to say, I was very impressed too. And the pricing is the key thing. What’s interesting is they’ve launched a range of motorhomes which are in the current landscape are very reasonable £60,000 odd.

Keith Gooden

Only £60,000 odd. Only a few years ago, that was £50,000 wasn’t it, Matt?

Matt Sims

Well, probably. Yeah, that’s true. But the landscape has changed, the market’s changed. Things have gone up by 20%, 30%, and Etrusco are building what I think is a really good quality motorhome. And they’ve priced it at a very low entry point in the market.

Keith Gooden

So it’s a premium style motorhome, so the fixtures and fittings… it’s not orange crates, it’s the proper stuff.

Matt Sims

It’s not orange crates? What kind of motorhome have you got?

Keith Gooden

Well, it’s built in Tuscany!

Matt Sims

Oh, I see. No, it’s beautiful. And they are incredibly well made and at a really good price point. And what’s interesting, though, is the dealer network is growing. So it’s all very well and good buying a motorhome where there’s one or two dealers in the UK. But if they’re not close to home and you’ve got a problem, that’s a real inconvenience. You’ve got to take it back.

So what’s interesting is we’re seeing their dealer network grow, and they’re very focused on growing and scaling their representation in the UK. I went out to Germany to Caravan Salon, which is a huge show in Europe in Düsseldorf, and we went on to the Etrusco stand because I was genuinely interested and I bumped into a guy called Christian Striebel, who I’ve known for 10 years.

He was very senior at Dethleffs, which is another German motorhome and caravan manufacturer. And Christian is now the MD of Etrusco. So we were chatting and we arranged to meet up in Birmingham at last year’s motorhome and… last year! I said that. Blimey.

Keith Gooden

It was last year.

Matt Sims

It was last October. Last year, blimey. Anyway, Christian agreed to meet up and have a chat and have a wander around the Etrusco product range that they had there. And I was intrigued to find out some more.

The history of Etrusco motorhomes

Matt Sims

I’m here on the Etrusco stand, which is a brand that’s relatively new to the UK with its MD, an old friend of mine, Christian Striebel. Christian, how are you?

Christian Striebel

I’m fine, thank you, Matt. Thank you for the invitation.

Matt Sims

You’re very, very welcome. Now, we last met when you were in the Hymer Group at Dethleffs. That was some years ago, wasn’t it?

Christian Striebel

Yes, that must have been, like, 10 years ago.

Matt Sims

Yeah, it probably was. So Christian, tell us a bit about the name Etrusco. Where does it come from?

Christian Striebel

The Etrusco brand is owned by the Hymer Group and formed by the Hymer Group, and is based on the Etruscans. They were living 2,000 years ago in Tuscany where we produce all our motorhomes. And yeah, that’s where we get our brand from.

Matt Sims

So the Etruscan people. Now, they were 2,000 years ago, you say?

Christian Striebel

Yes, absolutely. And it’s very, very interesting, because they travelled a lot. They were very innovative and proud of their houses and so on. And this is quite a good match to our motorhome brand.

Matt Sims

So this brand is built in Tuscany at the Erwin Hymer factory, where Laika is built as well. That’s right, isn’t it?

Christian Striebel

Yes, absolutely. That’s one of the brand new factories from the Hymer Group in the middle of beautiful Tuscany or in the middle of Chianti. Maybe you know the famous wine. And yeah, this is our base.

Matt Sims

I was privileged to go to the Laika factory when it was the Laika factory. And it is a stunning part of the world, I have to say. Now, how long has Etrusco been in the UK?

Christian Striebel

We have been here for three or four years, more or less, but because of COVID, we had some… how can I say, troubles? But now we are here. We are very happy. It’s our second NEC in Birmingham.

Matt Sims

It’s a very, very nice product, I have to say. And the big thing is the price. It’s really keenly priced, it’s incredible. And the build quality I know is superb. Coming out of the factory in Tuscany, it will be very good. But tell me – your dealer network is growing in the UK. You have… is it currently five dealerships in the UK?

Christian Striebel

Yes, absolutely. We have one in Ireland. And then we have four more in the UK. And we are looking for further increases. We have had some good discussions. A lot of dealers were in our booth today and we are looking forward to some more cooperation.

Matt Sims

I’m not surprised. Christian, thank you for taking the time out from your meetings to speak to me. It’s great to see you again. And I love the product. Well done.

Christian Striebel

Thank you, Matt!

The Etrusco T 5900 FB motorhome

Matt Sims

I’m joined by Sandra, who’s the product manager for Etrusco. She has real in depth knowledge of the whole product range that Etrusco build. And we’re here in front of what is a new model for this year with some new decors and some new features. It’s the T 5900 FB. Sandra, tell us a little bit more about it. What’s special about this motorhome?

Sandra Marinaro

So what is very nice with this motorhome is that it’s semi-integrated. So we have a total width of 2.32 metres, and we have only a total length of six metres. So that is why we have the 5900. And with the French bed in the rear, it’s a very unique layout for our product range.

Matt Sims

Yeah, so a French bed is a double bed with the corner cut off. And it is 2.32 metres wide. Is that right?

Sandra Marinaro

Yes, that’s right.

Matt Sims

So it’s coachbuilt. Two berth is an option with a single drop down bed as well?

Sandra Marinaro

Yes, as well, so that you get three berth.

Matt Sims

And what’s new about it for this year?

Sandra Marinaro

So we have the new external graphics, so all black with the new black alloy wheels as optional, and also with the black awning as optional. We have created a complete selection for this layout, yes. In the last season we had a complete selection we could offer. So it’s like a chocolate box! You get a lot of options and packs already included with a very nice price advantage.

Matt Sims

So what’s in the chocolate box? What is the complete selection?

Sandra Marinaro

So you have the chassis design pack. You have the comfort pack. You have the multimedia pack, you have the type X option so you get then the bright upholstery so called Emelia together with the high gloss magnolia overhead lockers. And you get a lot of further options like the framed windows. Outside you get also the insulated wastewater tank.

Matt Sims

So without the chocolate box, this is under £60,000. With all the options here. It’s just over £71,000. That’s really good, isn’t it?

Sandra Marinaro

Yeah, that’s really good.

Matt Sims

By current standards, that’s a very affordable price.

Sandra Marinaro

Yes, definitely.

Matt Sims

And what interest have you had in it?

Sandra Marinaro

A lot here. A lot of people are asking about the layout, especially – a lot of visitors inside.

Matt Sims

It’s unusual to see a French bed in a motorhome this short, isn’t it, I would say.

Sandra Marinaro

Yes, it is.

Matt Sims

That’s brilliant. And if I order one with a manual gearbox, when would I get it?

Sandra Marinaro

About summer.

Matt Sims

July ’24?

Sandra Marinaro

Yes.

Matt Sims

And the automatic gearbox would come when?

Sandra Marinaro

It’s as longer lead time, so it’s more difficult to say when it will come.

Matt Sims

Yes. Are you able to give any indication at all?

Sandra Marinaro

When we order them, then we get the order confirmation and then can have more detailed information about the lead time. However, all our dealers in the UK can give further detailed information, because some have them already on preorder.

Matt Sims

Okay, brilliant. Sandra, thank you very much for giving us a bit of an unpack of your box of chocolates in this really lovely motorhome. It’s a great layout. I love a French bed, and the fact you’ve got a single bed option as well, I love that too. So yes, thank you. Have a good show.

Sandra Marinaro

Thank you! You too.

Etrusco panel campervans

Matt Sims

If you are looking at the Etrusco range of motorhomes, you’ll discover their panel van conversions as well. The CV range – they have a 640 and a 600, which very handily means 6.4 metres or six metres as the SB and the DB models. The SB I particularly like.

Come and check out the bed. You can fold up this side of the bed, meaning you can leave a single bed and keep your mountain bike securely next to you. Plus, you can take this divider out and go shopping at IKEA! It’s a really practical layout. One of the highlights of the CV range is the pop top roof and the price. With the pop roof it’s only just – only! – over £66,000.

Keith Gooden

That’s Christian Striebel, the MD at Etrusco. And also Sandra Marinaro – she is the product manager at Etrusco. So there you go, Matt. If you can knock £10,000 or £15,000 off an equivalent motorhome, they’re going to pick up the business, aren’t they?

Matt Sims

They may well do. And it will be interesting to see how other manufacturers respond to their apparent growth here in the UK, and across Europe, actually. Whether we see other brands launching a product range like this… I mean, the van conversion they have with the pop roof was really good.

And the coachbuilts are great as well. And while I was on the stand, I was talking to a number of visitors to the show. And it was interesting to see a lot of hire companies looking at them as well. There were people there.

I recognised a couple from a motorhome hire operator, and they were considering putting a Etrusco motorhomes on their fleet simply because of the quality and the price. So it’ll be interesting to see how other manufacturers react to that, and whether they will start competing in the price range that Etrusco are sitting in.

Are European motorhome manufacturers investing in the UK?

Keith Gooden

I suppose we put off a lot of European manufacturers, what with the whole Brexit thing. Are they coming back into the UK?

Matt Sims

The B word. Yeah, of course they are. Yes, absolutely. We’re a golden opportunity here. We’ve got money to spend. And we’ve seen European manufacturers actually buying British business. European manufacturers have actually been buying British motorhome dealers.

So there’s a number now that have sold to a European host. Trigano Group are massive in Europe, and have been buying up British manufacturers and British dealers. Etrusco are part of Erwin Hymer group, the German beast, and they are increasingly having a presence here in Britain.

So yes, it’s interesting to see how things are evolving here. There is a lot of money floating around in Europe. And Britain increasingly is a very cost effective option for a European manufacturer looking to scale.

Keith Gooden

Particularly if they’re delivering at lower prices. You say the price is affordable, but still, £66,000 or £71,000, that is a lot of money.

Matt Sims

It is a lot of money. Yes. And we have spoken with finance companies about how they’re helping the consumer make that more affordable. So they’re extending their repayment term. Because when you’re financing, it’s all about the monthly payment, isn’t it? So trying to keep that down.

But it’s interesting. I think I mentioned this before. Friends of ours came to the show last year in October, and they were sitting in a van conversion, a campervan conversion. It was £77,000 pounds. And they said, “Oh, look – this one’s only £77,000!” And then they burst out laughing, realising what they’d just said.

And it was interesting how they had normalised this kind of new price. And we’re seeing it here, people coming in saying, “Well, I’ve only got £40,000 £50,000 to spend.” And you think, “Only?” So it’s interesting how things have evolved.

And of course, that’s happened over time, hasn’t it? You know, we hark back to the 1960s when our three bed semi cost us £2,000. That was before I was born. And now they’re half a million quid. So it’s just economics, I guess.

Motorhome lead times

Keith Gooden

I suppose so, yes. What about the lead times, though? Because it doesn’t matter how much much cheaper they are – if you place the order and you don’t see the motorhome for a couple of years, then it doesn’t matter, really, how much money you are spending, because you’re not going to be able to go out on any holidays, are you?

Matt Sims

That’s very true. So if you ordered back in October, you would get it in summer ’24. That’s the expected lead time now.

Keith Gooden

Nine months, ish.

Matt Sims

Yes. Now, that’s longer than it used to be. Now, the reason the show was historically in October is because that’s where the savvy would order the new models that would then come in and arrive in February or March. And that’s why there was another show in February or March, because it’s the beginning of the season when all the part exchanges arrive.

So there’s an uplift in footfall in all the dealerships as the new models come in, and that generates the part exchanges. So those are the two peaks in motorhome sales, typically, in our year. That’s changed over the last few years. It’s levelled out a little bit. But typically if you ordered in October, it would be that you’d get it in March. But no, not now.

It’s going to be nine plus months if you want a manual gearbox. If you want an automatic gearbox, no one could tell me. Now, I actually saw at the show an Etrusco – funnily enough, right hand drive, automatic Fiat Ducato. I took a picture of it. “I found one! There’s one here!” It is in a video we’ve done as well.

And automatic, no one could tell me. No one would commit. So Stellantis Group, particularly if it’s on a Fiat or Peugeot or Citroen, there seems to be a lot of vagary around when that will come or if it will even come. With Ford, it’s a slightly different story. You know, they’ve got much better supply.

But Etrusco aren’t building on Ford at this point in time, anyway. We’ll see if they start doing it. I’m sure they will. I don’t know that they will, but they I’m sure that will have to happen if they want to continue to supply the vehicles.

Keith Gooden

But the key is, if you order it today, having heard this podcast, you’re not going to get it until October at the earliest.

Matt Sims

At the earliest, yes. And of course, that then depends on what the dealer, what chassis is they’ve ordered, and how they’ve been allocated. So they may not get another delivery until next March or April. So if you order it now, it could be over a year.

Keith Gooden

And that’s where a great hire company comes in, isn’t it? You can have your holiday.

Matt Sims

Well, that’s very true, actually. That’s been an interesting observation that we’ve had – we’re seeing people hiring a motorhome for next year because they want to go. They don’t want to wait.

So they are hiring something whilst they wait for theirs to arrive. And I just hope that they don’t have a change of heart on the one they bought and think, “I wish we’d bought one like this. This is better.” But that’s their risk, I suppose.

Keith Gooden

So we’ll keep an eye on Etrusco for you here on the Motorhome Matt podcast. And of course, your views are always required, if you’ve got one! Even better, give us a review.

Matt Sims

Yes, I’ve spoken to a number of Etrusco owners, and they’re all really, really happy, it seems. I’ve not been away in one. If you’re listening and you’ve got one and you’re a dealer, I’d be happy to get a genuine insight into what it’s like to go away in one.

I’ve only spent time sitting in them at the shows, but I was impressed. And the thing that impressed me most as well is the fact that a European brand, as we say, is investing in the UK market. They see us as a very viable audience for their product, and I love that.

And the more choice that comes here, the better. If you ever get a chance to go to the Germany show, Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, the product range is immense. And it’s incredible to see how many motorhomes there are in manufacturers that exist here. But they have tens of models that we don’t see in the UK. So having a greater variety and a greater choice has to be a good thing and has to be a good thing for the price as well.

Audience Q&A

Keith Gooden

It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims

And I’m Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden

And it’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com. It’s time for our Q&A, our questions and answers, in this particular episode. And first of all, Richard Mason has been in touch.

How can I get safe water to drink in Europe?

Richard

Hi Matt. I’m Richard and I’m new to motorhoming. What are the basic requirements of getting safe water for us to drink in Europe? Thank you.

Keith Gooden

Short and sweet, unlike his water by the sounds of it. I think we can go abroad these days and not have to worry about the toilets and the water, can’t we, Matt>

Matt Sims

Probably, yes! It depends where you’re coming from. That’s the thing. If it says, “Non potable,” then don’t drink it. It’s not drinking water. And there are regularly taps on the continent, particularly on aires, where they are not for drinking water, they are for other purposes, washing the dog or whatever.

So always be mindful of that sign. I’d always look at it as well. And if it looks green, don’t drink it! But usually the water that you can drink, the tap is labelled potable, or potable, as we would say.

Keith Gooden

As we would say.

Matt Sims

Give it your best French.

Keith Gooden

Potable. So a lot of Europeans do buy bottled water for home use. And then they use the water from the tap for, say, cooking. But if you are nervous about it, you can get some little tablets, can’t you?

Matt Sims

Yes, so there are products like Puriclean, which will clean your fresh water. I know loads of Brits that will only drink bottled water. They won’t drink it out of the meantime. People say it tastes funny.

They don’t want water that’s come into contact with plastic for health reasons. So that may be a choice you’ve made not to drink from your motorhome. But in terms of Europeans sourcing it, then if it says it’s drinkable, then obviously by human standards, it would be! If you’re not sure, then bottled water is so cheap to buy, isn’t it?

Keith Gooden

There you go, Richard.

Why can’t I transfer my tracker to a new motorhome?

Keith Gooden

Andy Lumley has been in touch. “How can a lifetime subscription that is with you not be transferred to your next motorhome?” What is he talking about?

Matt Sims

Okay, so Andy is talking about a tracker subscription, specifically with Global Telemetrics. Now, we use this company on our hire fleet. We have the Smartrack trackers on our motorhomes. And it’s managed by Global Telemetrics.

Keith Gooden

So just for people who don’t know what this is, a tracker is a device which is inside the vehicle. And it can be tracked by satellite.

Matt Sims

Yeah, they’re hidden in the vehicle. And they’re tracked using either satellite or the cellular network. And then we can tell where it is. And there’s a whole load of what are called telemetrics.

So it reports its speed, how long it’s been driving, and we have a calendar of where it’s been. So we can track where a vehicle is. So if it’s due back at two o’clock and it’s still in Scotland at 11 o’clock, it’s going to be late. And that has happened. And we’ve rang the customer and said, “You’re running a bit behind time.”

And they’ve gone, “No, we’re due back tomorrow!” “No, you’re due back today!” That’s a true story. And bless them, they drove through the night and were with us at half seven in the morning so we could get the next family on their holiday. I’ll never forget that!

But specifically what Andy is talking about is Global Telemetrics. Now, they offer a one year subscription, a two year subscription, a three year subscription and a lifetime subscription. And they advertise the fact you can take the tracker off a vehicle and move it. But I checked with them, and it would seem that you can’t do that if you have a lifetime subscription. So you can’t move the tracker from the vehicle to another vehicle.

Keith Gooden

But can you sell it then to somebody else with the lifetime subscription?

Matt Sims

No. So it’s lifetime ownership.

Keith Gooden

The lifetime of your ownership, not of the vehicle.

Matt Sims

The lifetime of your ownership of the vehicle.

Keith Gooden

Yeah, but yours personally.

Matt Sims

Yes, quite.

Keith Gooden

If you sell it to somebody else, the vehicle might go for another 10 years. But that lifetime…

Matt Sims

They have to take the subscription. Now, in a hire business, we take yearly subscriptions, which cost more money. It’s £299 pounds a year, I think. Something of that order. And we just pay that every year, because we get all the flexibility then of turning them off.

And if a piece of hardware… you know, some of the hardware we’re running is eight or 10 years old. If it starts to play up or it doesn’t always report, we can just send it back and get a replacement. And then the long term of subscription isn’t being wasted.

But when you sell the vehicle, you can sell it with the tracker on, and then the new buyer has to take out their own subscription. Or you can take the tracker off and put it on your next motorhome. That’s a big benefit of these tracking companies. But with Global Telemetric specifically, which is Andy’s tracker, he has a lifetime subscription. He can’t transfer it. That’s why.

Keith Gooden

So the answer to his question, “How can a lifetime subscription that is with you not be transferred to your next motorhome?” is because that’s what the company decides. That’s what it is.

Matt Sims

And it’s a condition of lifetime subscription. So really, Andy, you’d be better off taking an annual subscription or a short term subscription up to three years and then you can transfer the tracker.

Will the derogation of vehicles include diesel motorhomes?

Keith Gooden

Ian Johnston’s in Alfreton. “Very interesting listening about the future of electric powered motorhomes,” he says. “Especially interested to hear that the derogation for vehicles up to 4,250 kilos to be driven on a B licence was being extended to AFV motorhomes.” AFV? What does that mean?

Matt Sims

Alternative fuel vehicles.

Keith Gooden

Ah. “Should we take it that the idea that all motorhomes up to 4,250 kilos including diesel might be included in such a derogation? Is that dead in the water? If so, we must surely assume that the limit of 4,250 has nothing at all to do with competence or safety, but it’s merely another facet of the green agenda.” Ian’s sounding so cynical.

Matt Sims

Love it.

Keith Gooden

Unravel that for me, please, Matt.

Matt Sims

Okay, so last October – last year – the decision was taken by Parliament that if your vehicle is non-fossil fuel, so zero emissions, right, so electric, let’s go with that, or hydrogen or nitrogen. Doesn’t matter what it is.

Keith Gooden

Rubber band.

Matt Sims

It could be blue tack! Then it can be driven on a B licence weighing up to 4,250. So at the moment, with a B licence, you can drive 3.5 tonnes. That was being extended by 750 kilos to allow for battery weight, and thus payload, so the ability to carry something.

Keith Gooden

Because batteries weigh a lot.

Matt Sims

Exactly. Now, what’s interesting is, as sodium batteries come online and other types of fuel come online, hydrogen specifically, they weigh less. So suddenly this derogation – which is the word for reclassification, if you like – suddenly that vehicle has a massive payload. But Ian is right, it does not apply to diesel vehicles.

And it is not about safety or competence. When it was first introduced, there was a bit of training that you had to do, driving around a car park. And you had to sort of tick some boxes. And it was classroom based. And, you know, there was some sort of training. I don’t know the detail of the training, but it was a bit pointless. And it was written off as a waste of time.

And it was just a case of, “You can drive up to 4,250 because this is an EV powered engine.” Will it go to diesels? Honestly, why would it? I don’t think it will, because ultimately we are going to be encouraged to get out of our fossil fuel burning, emission generating vehicle and into something else.

And that will be done by making the something else more attractive. And a higher payload is one of the many ways they’ll do that. Diesel will go up in price. We heard from Paul Kirby, didn’t we, a few weeks ago, recorded back at the show last October, that diesel purchase prices are going to go up.

So diesel vans are going up in price. And he talked about price parity, so the matching the price of EVs, and increasing the ULEZ. So Euro seven is coming. Low emission zones, we won’t be permitted into those zones without paying a premium to do it. All these reasons will be in play to get us out of our diesel vehicles and into something else.

Keith Gooden

But not yet.

Matt Sims

Well, it’s started, hasn’t it? I mean, look at diesel now versus unleaded. It’s about a 20p per litre difference. I paid 163.9 the other day, and unleaded was 141. So it wasn’t that long ago that diesel was a lot cheaper, wasn’t it, than unleaded.

Keith Gooden

Well, it wasn’t that long ago, 25 years, when the government was saying, “Buy diesel,” and they were making sure the fuel companies charged us less for it. And then all of a sudden, they’re the dirtiest things in the world. So Ian, in answer to your question, yes, it is part of “The green agenda,” but that green agenda isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Ask Matt your questions

Keith Gooden

Thanks for all your questions. How do people get in touch then, Matt?

Matt Sims

Really easily. Just go to mhmp.info/askmatt, where you can ask us a question. And I guarantee it isn’t a daft question. If you’re asking it, there will be 20 or 30 other people having the same question. So please ask it. Go to mhmp.info/askmatt.

Keith Gooden

You can leave us a review at mhmp.info/review.

Matt Sims

You say that every week. I think we’ve got that now.

Keith Gooden

Well, you might have, but there might be somebody out there who hasn’t. First time listeners are welcome, by the way!

Matt Sims

You’re very welcome. And make sure if you’re watching on YouTube – or if you’re not, then go and check it out, because often the content is longer and there’s different content on YouTube as well. You can find us there at Motorhome Matt. Click the bell and click subscribe. And our video content is sponsored by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.

Keith Gooden

And don’t forget to share, Matt.

Matt Sims

Share with a friend! Have you made any more friends lately?

Keith Gooden

Me? No. Too much trouble.

Matt Sims

And it costs too much. Well, if you can share the podcasts with at least one person, we’d be ever so grateful. Maybe they will learn something and be entertained just a little bit too.