Keith Gooden
In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt podcast…
Matt Sims
We’re at the big show looking for innovation and new products.We discover what Bailey are up to with their range.
Keith Gooden
And we answer your questions on planning EU routes, towing with a C1 licence and dealer customer service. Welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
Industry insights and expert advice for the world of motorhomes, caravans and campervans, and it’s brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com.
Matt Sims
Now, please do remember to follow on your favourite podcast app and make sure you click subscribe if you watch on YouTube. Brought to you by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.
Matt’s product of the week
Keith Gooden
Straight in with our product of the week then, Matt – winter products. As I said before, winter draws on. Drawers. Get it?
Matt Sims
Back to your pants again…
Keith Gooden
What have we got?Oh, hang on! Speaking of winter drawers, he’s got something stuffed down them!
Matt Sims
If you’re listening, there’s a big box that’s just come out from under the table. This is a Maypole motorhome top cover. Maypole have made this innovative range of caravan, motorhome and campervan top covers.
So you literally just cover the roof, which, of course, is the part of the motorhome or caravan that goes green, particularly in the winter and much easier to fit the full cover. You can actually fit one of these on your own. And they’ve got long straps that go down the sides of the vehicle and clip underneath and hold it down. They’re brilliant at keeping your roof clean.
Keith Gooden
They’re £74.99, aren’t they? From.
Matt Sims
Yeah, that’s the caravan ones, to be fair. They go up to double that, really, for a big one. But the important thing is to measure your motorhome. The instructions are on the box or on the description at www.thatleisureshop.com, where you’ll find a range of these. And you buy the right size for your vehicle, and then go and pop it on the roof. Easy.
Keith Gooden
And if you want to buy them, you get a discount as well. They use the code MOTORHOMEMATT, all one word in caps, and you’ll save 10% if you buy the big one. That’s a big saving, isn’t it?
Matt Sims
It is. It adds up. There we are – the perfect winter product. I think they’re great. We’ve tried one of these on our own van, and it worked an absolute treat. And we’ve got a metal van. People say these scratch them. It absolutely didn’t. It’s not true.
Keith Gooden
It’s like a wig, a toupee for your… I know all about that.
Save on your motorhome insurance with Ripe
Matt Sims
This episode is brought to you by Ripe. One of the things I love about Ripe, and I’ve noticed, is they don’t complicate things. If you’ve got a campervan conversion that is not classified as a motor caravan by the DVLA, they will still cover you.
Keith Gooden
And lots of people are doing conversions, aren’t they? And that’s a relief for people making those changes to their vehicles, getting insurance they can depend on.
Matt Sims
Definitely. And you just need to run through your conversion with Ripe, make sure it meets their criteria, and they will offer you cover.
Keith Gooden
And that’s a solid deal for anybody who just wants to get on with it.
Matt Sims
Absolutely. If you’re sorting out your insurance, then check them out the links in the episode description, or give them a call and say, “Motorhome Matt,” to get 15% off your premium.
Tour Bailey’s new campervan range
Keith Gooden
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast, brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
Okay, let’s get into the main meat of this week’s podcast. We take a tour around Bailey of Bristol. Now, they are what you would call one of those big names, one of the biggest names in the hobby and the industry, and they have been around for a long time.
Matt Sims
Yes, they have been around a very long time. We went to see some of their new products, which they launched at the recent NEC Motorhome and Caravan show. And there was lots of innovation at the show, lots of off road type innovation. Bailey, however, is far more on road. We’re here. We made it. We’re at the big show, and we’re on the Bailey stand just a minutes before opening. Keith, what do you think?
Keith Gooden
It’s just magnificent, isn’t it? I didn’t realize they made so much product – and all so clean as well!
Matt Sims
They are very shiny, that’s right. In fact, they get cleaned every day before the show. They’re setting up in the background here, so forgive any background noise. But Keith, we talk a lot about Bailey, and I’ve seen a lot of their products. We’ve done quite a bit of work with them, but you’ve never really been in one.
Keith Gooden
I never have, no. And yes, they’re very much a local company from where we’re based, aren’t they, and have a great tradition of building caravans and motorhomes. I was talking earlier to one of the Bailey people, and they said it’s a family company.
And they set great store by that family ethos. And they even regard the customers, once they buy the product, as part of that family. So I really am looking forward to having a look around and giving you my view as a non-expert about what I’ve seen today.
Matt Sims
Well, you have a wander round. I’d love to get your thoughts. I’m going to try and catch up with one of the brothers thatown the company, so I’ll catch up with you in a minute.
Keith Gooden
Looking forward to it.
Matt Sims
I’m delighted to be joined once again by Simon Howard, one of the brothers behind the Bailey brand, and one of the owners of the business. It’s great to have you with us. How are you?
Simon Howard
Good to see you again, Matt. I’m great. It’s great to be here. It’s the busiest week of the year for us, and I love being here. As a manufacturer, it’s one of the real opportunities to get to meet the public and find out what they think about your products.
Matt Sims
One of the things I love is that you and Nick are both very visible on the stand throughout the week. You’re stood around and you are engaging with the public, with your consumers, with your prospects. That’s quite unusual, isn’t it, for a motorhome manufacturer?
Simon Howard
I don’t know about other manufacturers, but we’re a family business. We always have been. And Nick and I, you know, we love our company. We love being seen representing Bailey. I think it’s important that we do, because I think our customers like the fact we’re a family business, and they join our family when they become our owners. They like to talk to us, and it’s good for us as owners of the business to find out what they’re thinking about us and about our products.
Bailey’s Endeavour Campervans
Matt Sims
Of course. Well, I’d love to be a fly on the wall for some of those conversations, I’m sure! But let’s talk about what’s new at Bailey, because this is an exciting week for you. As you say, you’re launching… blimey, loads of new products! Behind us we’ve got the campervan range. Two of the models, the 62 and 64, were launched this time last year. But you’ve got two new models. You’ve gone odd numbers. Tell me more.
Simon Howard
Indeed, yes. It’s not a very innovative naming sequence, is it? We’ve gone 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Matt Sims
You could have put in a bit more effort!
Simon Howard
No, campervans is the biggest growth sector in the market at the moment, and we dipped our toe in the water with the first two models this time last year. They’ve gone down very well. And clearly it’s time to expand the range now and improve our offering in that sector. So we have two new models, the 3 and the 5.
Oh, sorry, I should say that they’re all built on the Ford Transit, six meters long, three and a half tonnes, so they’re driveable for anybody with a standard licence. The 63 is a two berth. It’s a variation of the 64, but it doesn’t have a pop top or travel seat.
So it’s got a front bench seat which can convert into a double bed, and then it’s got a really nice rear kitchen and rear washroom, very spacious at the end. So it’s a very practical layout for two people. And then the B65 is a little bit busier. That’s got a poptop, it’s got permanent travel seats, and it’s got a fixed bed across the back. So that’s that can cater for up to four people. So those are the two layouts we’ve got to double our range for the show.
Matt Sims
And the people coming on the stand who are interested in this product – what demographic are they? Are they a younger audience?
Simon Howard
It’s a bit of a mix. Certainly, I’d say they’re very active people who are after the campervans. They want to get out and about. They want to use their vehicle little and often. So they’re generally buying it for use in a pastime.
We probably don’t get quite so many pet owners for the campervans. They tend to go for the motorhomes for a little bit more space inside. So it tends to be couples. Sometimes with families, but I’d say active people, people like cyclists, walkers, climbers. You know, they’re using their vehicle as an enabler to enjoy their hobby.
New Bailey Adamo motorhomes
Matt Sims
Talk to me about Adamo, because this is not just a new model. This is a whole refresh of the entire range, and some new models! Tell us more.
Simon Howard
Yes, we’ve totally revamped the range. We launched it in 2021, but Ford brought out a fantastic new platform. So it’s time to upgrade the range. So is they’re all built on the new Ford. They come with an eight speed automatic gearbox, 165 bhp engine as standard.
We’ve refreshed the looks inside and out. And also, we’ve introduced a couple of key specification enhancements to the vehicle. We’ve upgraded the heating from a Truma four to a Truma six, because we know our motorhomers like to use their vehicles all year round. So the heating is really important.
We’ve got the most powerful Truma heating system available. We’ve put compressor fridges in all the vehicles, and again, we’ve looked at the research we get back from our customer warranty feedback surveys.
70% of our owners take their vehicles abroad, quite often to sunnier climes, sunnier even than Birmingham in October, where it can get quite warm, and we know the compressor fridges perform very well in high temperatures. So that’s why we’ve taken the decision to put those in as standard. We’ve also upgraded the solar panel to 200 watts, and we’ve upgraded the battery to 105 ampere to improvethose off grid capabilities for the vehicle.
Matt Sims
And you’re using Banner lead acid batteries in them all, aren’t you?
Simon Howard
We are indeed, yes. A good established brand. It’s a premium brand. It’s a known performer. So we’ve stuck with them.
Matt Sims
Behind us is the 60-4. Now, I had a sneak peek of this motorhome at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, where you kind of launched it early to the general public. It was great to see you at a consumer show like that.
Simon Howard
It’s the Bristol show, isn’t it? It’s our big event!
Matt Sims
It is, yeah, and we were there in our shorts. Boy, it was hot! Shorts and T shirt weather, that was, unlike this week… but that’s quite a continental influence, is it not?
Simon Howard
Yes, the Adamo does have that layout. It’s got a lot of continental style features. They all have garages. A lot of them have drop down beds and also convertible lounges. It’s quite a practical layout for people who like to use their motorhome in a variety of different ways, but it’s always been sort of continentally inspired in terms of the layout.
We stuck with the same five layouts for this range. The only one we’ve modified slightly is the 60-4 which now becomes a 60-2. That’s a dedicated two berth so it doesn’t have the convertible travel seats in the lounge, which gives you a bit more storage space under the beds and also increases the payload.
Matt Sims
Just talk us through the range, then. So it’s a 60-2 – that’s how you describe them – which is a two berth motorhome, two belts. And then what’s next?
Simon Howard
69-4, the one we saw at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, that’d be the next one. That’s a seven meter van. That’s four belt seats, drop down bed at the front, and you can convert the lounge underneath into a double bed. The next one up from that, you’ve got a pair.
Seven and a half meters long, the 75-4I and the 75-4T. And as the the name suggests, the I has an island bed at the back and the T has fixed singles at the back. They’re both raised, and you’ve got garage storage underneath.
Matt Sims
So T for twin.
Simon Howard
T for twin, I for island bed.
Matt Sims
There you go. Nice to see some logic to the naming.
Simon Howard
It’s better than 2, 3, 4, 5, isn’t it? But our most popular model by far in the range is the DL, the 75-4DL.
Matt Sims
Which I’m guessing is the lounge.
Simon Howard
Double lounge. It has a centre washroom, centre kitchen, front and rear lounge, but with two drop down beds at the front and rear. Very, very popular, very, very spacious.
Matt Sims
And a massive garage as well.
Simon Howard
A massive garage as well. It really does pack a lot in. And again, three and a half tonnes, seven and a half meters long. So it really has got an awful lot going for it. And that’s certainly been our best selling model at the show.
Matt Sims
Interesting. So one of the things I love here, Simon, is you’ve got on the infographics all the payloads for each model. Love that. And 340 kilos on the DL, with two electric beds and a garage. That’s actually quite usable.
Simon Howard
I mean, I suppose the thing is there’s a fair bit of space. So you’ve got the front and rear quite open. There’s not a huge amount of furniture, so it’s surprisingly light for what you get in the vehicle. And as you say, 340, four people, it is usable. You can still pack a decent amount of kit into your vehicle and go away for extended periods.
Matt Sims
Now, we’re talking about the continental influence, and I love that we’ve got a British brand becoming a little bit more continental in design. As a continental van owner myself, it’s not lost on me. I love it, and the Alora has some continental influence too, by virtue of being narrow bodied. Would you agree?
Simon Howard
Absolutely. It’s a sector that’s very popular in Europe at the moment, as people who are perhaps a little bit more cautious about driving, a little bit intimidated by the wider body models. So they like perhaps the benefits and mobility of a campervan, but with the comfort of a coachbuilt.
So the Alora gives you that. So it’s a narrow bodied vehicle, still seven and a half meters long, but you get all the benefits of a coachbuilt. So you get the garage, you get a fixed bed, you get a bigger washroom, bigger kitchen, etc., but you still have the mobility that you get in the campervan.
Matt Sims
Yeah, closer to the campervan in width, isn’t it? Now, you’ve got… it must be, what, 12 models in the range?
Simon Howard
12 models now, yes, but we do have plans to expand it still. I mean, motorhomes for our business we see very much as the future. Caravan sales are very steady, very solid. But in order to grow the business, we are going to need to expand both our campervan and motorhome sectors, and we’ve got another big year next year with new products coming out.
Matt Sims
I had a sneak peek earlier, and we’re not allowed to review any detail! But if you come to this show in February, Bailey are launching a number of new models next year, which is very exciting. Is there anything you can add to that?
Simon Howard
Not too much more at the moment, but there will be a new coachbuilt motorhome range, and another new campervan range on the Bailey stand at the NEC show in February.
Matt Sims
One to watch. Definitely. Interesting. Lastly, you were giving me some stats earlier about how your sales are evolving and how you’re reacting to a changing market and innovating in doing so. Caravan sales used to be four to one to motorhomes.
A couple of years ago, it was becoming two to one by virtue of the fact that motorhome sales, or motorised as you call them, were growing and scaling. What’s the future trajectory, do you think, for Bailey?
Simon Howard
When we’re talking about Bailey production figures, the market today, the motorhome and campervan market added together is about 1,000 units larger than the caravan now. And that really is following a trend that’s been going on in Europe for some time.
Bailey is traditionally a caravan manufacturer. We’ve been making caravans for 75 years. We’ve only been making motorhomes since 2011. But increasingly, we’re seeing demand for motorhomes increase faster than that for caravans, and a lot of our retailers are now changing their product portfolio.
They’re moving from caravan only retailers to caravan and motorhome retailers, and they want the full suite of Bailey products. So in response to that, we are increasing our motorhome production. And as you mentioned, this year, motorhomes and campervans will be 50% of that of caravans. It’s the closest it’s ever been for Bailey.
Matt Sims
How long do you think it’ll be before you’re building more motorisedthan caravans?
Simon Howard
It’s difficult to project, but it could be as soon as a couple of years’ time.
Matt Sims
Wow. It’s definitely a big shift in the market for Bailey, certainly. Listen, thanks so much for your insight. It’s really great, as always, to get your view at the top of the business, and it’s lovely to see you and Nick on the stand mingling. We’re very excited to see how the February show evolves and the new product you’re bringing to the market.
Simon Howard
Good to see you as always, Matt. Cheers.
Matt Sims
Right. Let’s go and find Keith and see what trouble he’s got himself into. I found you. We’re back together.
Keith Gooden
Long time no see after all these beers!
Matt Sims
Beers?! It’s a bit early for that. So you’ve had a good look around.
Keith Gooden
By the way, I’d give it 10 minutes in there.
Matt Sims
You haven’t…!
Keith Gooden
It’s early. I have had a look around the Bailey stand. Such a lot of vehicles here, such a lot of product. And you can reallysee that the heritage from all those years, decades of building caravans, and how they’re transferring it into the motorhomes, the little wrinkles, the twists, the space saving. And you know, this industry is brilliant for that anyway, but I think Bailey have just taken it that bit further.
Matt Sims
What was a highlight, then, do you think of it in terms of design?
Keith Gooden
Space. The impression of space. And now we know that the space is the same, isn’t it, whichever designer gets hold of whichever vehicle, or roughly the same. But you do get an impression of space, particularly I found with the showers andthe toilet area. I’m a big guy. You don’t feel as if, you know, both shoulders are touching the walls at the same time.
And I was really impressed with that, and the little things as well. I know I bored you yesterday, when I was looking around other products from other manufacturers, and I was talking about, wasn’t I, the little screw caps not being on the screws.You can see the head of the screws. With Bailey, you don’t get any of that. Everything is finished to a really high standard. Very impressive.
Matt Sims
So have you used a shower as well as a toilet?
Keith Gooden
No. You know me. It’s not my birthday.
Matt Sims
It’s not time for the annual shower. And what about the design? So the finishes – I mean, this one’s very contemporary. It’s very grey. It’s very clean and very modern in here. What do you think?
Keith Gooden
I think it’s fantastic. It’s not chintz and Fablon, is it? Is that a registered trademark? Well, anyway, sorry, Fablon, but you know, it is more modern. Dare I say it – I don’t want to insult anybody – but it’s much more IKEA-like.
You know, an eye on design and the colour scheme. It’s not just putting things which are small in. It’s not just finishing things off, you know,with a bit of laminate, or as I say, a bit of vinyl-backed stuff. There’s a lot of thought and particularly with storage under benches and overhead.
And the great thing about the storage, I find, is it’s all lockable cabinets, and you don’t really notice it when you’re using the area, you know, to leisure around in, as I am now. But there’s plenty of storage all the way around me. And I just think it’s fantastic. I’m a great admirer of the people who designed these, and Bailey have really got it 100%.
Another thing that might seem small to you – you know, you go on holiday to Spain or France, you stay in a holiday home and you get a two or three ring hob, don’t you, to cook on. Everywhere I’ve seen here on the Bailey stand, there’s four rings. And I just thought, you know, if they can get that in, then they’re doing something right!
Matt Sims
Very true. I love this stepped kind of design here. You’ve got the cutlery drawer in the cupboard, then the oven and thenunder the sink stuff. But it’s not just a slab side of cabinetry. Someone’s thought about it.
And that’s one of the things that I’ve always found with Bailey, getting to know the team a bit, is their passion and drive for what they do. And that comes through. It’s a silly little thing to notice, perhaps, but that’s not lost on me.
Keith Gooden
No, and proper hinges as well, not just the adjustable hinges, which we’ve all got in our kitchens anyway. But you know, if you look at the cabinetry, a lot of it has got proper fixed hinges on it. And you know, you need good joiners to be able to do that.
I’ve been around and looked at the caravans, looked at the motorhomes, and I’ve slammed the drawers and I’ve opened and closed them and moved the beds and sat on the sofas and really given them a good seeing to.
Matt Sims
What have you done?
Keith Gooden
I don’t want to make a big thing of it like that, but… hide that for me, could you…?
Matt Sims
Just before we head back to the studio, I’d like to say a massive thank you to another supporter of the Motorhome Matt podcast, and that’s Fiamma – a household name I’m sure you are very familiar with.
I love their range and quality of products, and their after sales is always top notch. Find out more about Fiamma on the Motorhome Matt Approved directory. Just head to mhmp.info/fiamma.
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 with www.thatleisureshop.com. Good to have you here. It’s time for our audience Q&A, the questions and answers, where you ask the questions of Motorhome Matt, and he’ll give you the answer.
And if he doesn’t know, he will go around to his band of expert friends who all live in a house, like The Monkees. Remember The Monkees TV series? They all lived in a house together, and they had a fireman’s pole. Well, he’ll go around to them and he’ll say, “Hey, I’ve got a difficult one.” First of all, Jenna Witney’s in Yorkshire.
Jenna Witney
Hi, Matt and Keith. Jenna from South Yorkshire here. I have had my first ever motorhome for around a year now, and I’m starting to look into taking it into Europe, but struggling to know where to go to start planning routes and what have you.
So any hints and tips you can give will be much appreciated. It will be me – I’m 40 – and my sister who’s 37 traveling, just us two. As well, any kind of security or safety advice that you could give us would be much appreciated.Thank you for doing the podcast. They’re fab, and I’ve learned so much already. Thank you.
Keith Gooden
Cheers. Jenna, what a nice person.
Matt Sims
What a lovely question.
Keith Gooden
She wants some tints and hips.
Matt Sims
Does she really?
Keith Gooden
Yeah! Can you answer them?
Matt Sims
I will give her some hints and tips. I’m leaving your tips out of this. So there are so many resources online, Jenna. Google really is going to be your friend here. I would suggest you look at the regions you want to visit and start researching the campsites or places you want to stop over in those areas.
And then you can plan your route accordingly. Now, to help you do that, I can highly recommend the range of Alan Rogers books. Their books are superb trying to find campsites across Europe. Also ACSI. I’d register for ACSI. If you’re going off peak, you’re going to save the cost of that in one night stay probably.
Keith Gooden
How do I spell ACSI?
Matt Sims
A-C-S-I. And don’t ask me what it stands for, because I can’t remember! We do know. We did do an episode with them at the NEC show last year. And the guys are always there from… they’re from Holland, I think.
And they’re there selling the membership. It is brilliant, because you get at least 50% off the campsite. We once stayed on a campsite with a swimming pool. It had lots of restaurants, bars, and I think it was 15 euros a night, and it was absolutely amazing. Five star campsite. It was brilliant.
So Alan Rogers and ACSI would be where I would start. Campercontact is great for finding aires. So these are places you can stay. They’re often owned by a local council, and there are some route planners on their website from memory as well.
So that might help you, too. Park4night with a number four in the middle is a great resource for finding places to stop whilst you’re on the continent, too. In terms of security, I’d say it’s very easy to get caught up in some urban myths about people being attacked. It has happened.
And I’ve spoken to a few people who have been robbed and they’ve had stuff stolen out of their van. It can happen. I would strongly recommend you don’t park on any main road services and try and spend the night there. I would definitely head off into a village or town, and if it feels unsafe, it probably is.
So trust your gut. There’s loads of hints and tips online about putting security belts through, or safety belts, sorry, seat belts through the doors, holding them shut, parking so you can drive off in a hurry if you need to. So not using the leveling ramps, not closing up the blinds. Lots of advice online about that. Don’t be scared, but definitely be sensible and enjoy the journey.
Keith Gooden
Cheers. Jenna, thanks for the question. Actually, the ACSI blokes are Dutch, were they? Schil de aardappelen. I learned that on pirate radio. “Peel the potatoes.” Schil de aardappelen. They were a lazy bunch.
Matt Sims
I know some Dutch. I’m not allowed to repeat it.
Keith Gooden
Ben je gek? Are you mad? Those are the two phrases.
Matt Sims
The only two.
Keith Gooden
Bradley’s in Swansea. “Hi. Can I drive a motorhome weighing eight tonnes with a two tonne trailer for commercial use to and from events if there isn’t a tachograph fitted to the motorhome?” A tachograph, if you don’t know, is something which records the amount of hours that you drive, it’s in the cab.
Matt Sims
And speed.
Keith Gooden
“I have an HGV 1 licence,” Bradley says. “Thanks in advance.”
Matt Sims
You’re welcome. Now, this could be a bit of a grey area, but the bit that for me that isn’t grey is the fact you are an eight tonne motorhome with a two tonne trailer, so 10 tonne trainweight. And you’re doing it commercially, so you’re doing it for hire and reward, and that means two things are required – a tachograph in the cab and an operator’s licence for where you’re storing the motorhome and trailer.
I spoke to a retired traffic cop about this at length, and he said, “What makes it grey is because the towing vehicle is a motorhome. And the question is, is the driver being paid for this job to be done commercially?” It sounds like you are, so under the eyes of the law, if you have a very strict VOSA officer pull you over and you don’t have a tachograph or an OL, you could be in trouble.
So I would certainly be considering researching this a bit more. My advice, though, is definitely to look into a tachograph and an operator’s licence. And of course, the other issue is you’re going to have to restrict the motorhome to 56 miles an hour, which is annoying.
Keith Gooden
It might be annoying, but hey… thanks, Bradley – much appreciated – in Swansea!
Keith Gooden
Now, this is a long one. You might want to put the kettle on for this one. It’s a big question. All right? We’re doing it because it’s relevant, but if you’re goingto ask a question, keep it shorter, would you? Kevin – not Keith.
That’s the only reason we’re doing it. He got me nameright. He’s in an Edinburgh. He says, “Hi, Matt. Earlier this year, I bought some outdoor chairs and tables from That Leisure Shop, and despite a minor hiccough, I was really impressed by the customer service from your team that identified the problem and resolved it before I was even aware there was an issue.” A big shout out to Dave.
Matt Sims
Well done, Dave. Top team. “I would like to hear your opinion on a problem I recently had with the dealer who supplied my brand new motorhome, which I think is at the complete opposite end of the customer service spectrum.”
Keith Gooden
“The motorhome was supplied with a four and a half meter wind out awning. Unfortunately, as the weather hasn’t been great, on only the second occasion I used the awning there was a very heavy rain shower, damaging the entire awning mechanism.”
“I’m fairly experienced in motorhoming, and know how to put up an awning correctly to drain heavy rain, so I don’t believe I did anything wrong. Also, there are at least a dozen other wind out awnings on the same campsite that survived the brief shower. So I’m convinced that there was a structural flaw in the awning.”
Matt Sims
“However, the dealer did not want to know and said that the awning was not covered by any warranty. As I wanted to ensure that the vehicle and awning were both operational for the summer season, my only option was to pay the dealer £1,370 for a replacement awning.”
Keith Gooden
Kevin goes on to say, “I feel I was treated unfairly. I believe that the dealer should have pursued the warranty claim on my behalf with either the vehicle manufacturer or the awning manufacturer. As someone with considerable experience as both a motorhome owner and supplier, I’d be interested to hear if you agree that I’ve been unfairly treated.” That’s Kevin in Edinburgh.
Matt Sims
Well, as you know, Kevin, the advice is always to put the awning away in wind and rain, or any time you’re away from the vehicle, which I happen to know you were when this happened. I say treat awnings like young children. Don’t let them play outside unattended.
So if you are wandering off, it takes seconds to wind one in, because you never know. But without seeing the awning damage, seeing pictures of it, which we don’t have, and the weather conditions at the time, it is impossible for me really to comment on this. I wonder, though, could the awning be repaired?
We’ve actually had this happen to us. We’ve just fitted a four and a half meter awning to an Auto-Trail motorhome. It’s a Fiamma awning, and it was on our hire fleet, and it’s come back, and the hirer reported that the leg gave out and it dropped.
It hit him on the head, unfortunately. He was fine, and we’ve investigated, and it would seem it’s been caused by weather damage. Now, we’ve not charged the hirer, as we just put it down to experience, but it is so easy to damage these awnings because the legs really are lightweight, they are thin, and they are not designed to put up with any sort of sudden gust of wind, or indeed, heavy rain. We are able to repair it, though.
We’re going to replace the leg and the knuckle that it’s attached to. So I wonder, why did you have to buy a new awning? Did the canopy rip? Did the frame bend? There’s obviously something else going on.
So I’m sorry to hear you have to replace the whole thing, but I think you’ll probably find that Fiamma, or Thule, whoever made the awning – it might be a Dometic. You haven’t said. They would probably all say that it would be down to bad weather. And it’d be very, very difficult to pin on them a claim, I would say.
Keith Gooden
And the key is, if you look at the weather forecast, as you should be doing, and it looks like there’s rain around, then wind the awning in. I’m not saying that you have been lazy, Kevin. I’m just saying to others, don’t be lazy. As Matt says, if you’re going out, wind it in, and then these things can’t happen.
Matt Sims
There are a few really good accessories you can buy. The Fiamma range features a rafter, which is a middle bar that goes in and that really gives the awning some stability and strength and stops it flapping about.
Tie down straps are areally sensible addition, and pegs. Just peg the legs down. The problem with those few things is that putting it away quickly is off the table, because you’ve got to start disassembling straps and taking pegs out of the ground.
And if the weather kicks off quickly, as it increasingly is, isn’t it? It has been around here. Sudden gusts of wind – we had a tornado through the middle of Bristol the other day. So the weather can change very quickly all over the country. So you want tobe in a position where you can put it away quickly.
Keith Gooden
I use Met Office rain radar. We put that in. They have 15 minute updates of storms and clouds and expected rainfall in your area.
Matt Sims
We relied on every weather app we could find on the Outer Hebrides when we were in the van. The weather there changes so quickly. Incredible. What an experience.
Keith Gooden
So check it, store it.
Ask Matt
Keith Gooden
Matt, if people want to ask a question, what should they do?
Matt Sims
We’d love it if you did. Yeah, please. Because I always say, if you’ve got a question, I guarantee thousands of others have too. So go to mhmp.info/askmatt. You can click the little orange button and record your question. You can listen back to it as well before you submit it. Or you can fill in the form and we’ll read it out for you.
Keith Gooden
You don’t have to be word perfect, because I can use my fantastic editing skills to make you sound zingo. You can leave us a review as well.
Matt Sims
We love it if you did that too – mhmp.info/review.
Keith Gooden
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Matt Sims
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