[00:00:00] Keith Gooden: In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt podcast.
[00:00:03] Matt Sims: I have found a new supplier to the industry that you really do need to know about.
[00:00:08] Keith Gooden: In the news, it’s our bicentennial. We’re 200 today, yay!
[00:00:14] Matt Sims: And Wales is set to introduce a new tourism tax.
[00:00:18] Keith Gooden: And we answer your questions on Ford plug issues and compressor fridges versus three-way fridges. Welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
[00:00:30] Matt Sims: And I’m Motorhome Matt.
[00:00:31] Keith Gooden: Industry insights and expert advice for the world of motorhomes, caravans and campervans. And it’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com
and sponsored by Ripe.
[00:00:40] Matt Sims: Now remember I always ask you to do this, but please follow on your favourite podcast app and if you’re watching on YouTube, click subscribe and the little bell.
[00:00:48] Keith Gooden: In America, there might be 250 next year, but we’re 200 today. 200 episodes of the Motorhome Matt podcast. And who’d have thought we’d ever get there?
[00:00:58] Matt Sims: Well, I didn’t, I’ll be honest. I mean, that’s a lot, isn’t it? We’ve been talking some for quite a long time.
[00:01:04] Keith Gooden: Yeah, we have for ages and ages.
[00:01:06] Matt Sims: Do you remember the first one we recorded?
[00:01:08] Keith Gooden: I do.
[00:01:09] Matt Sims: I remember sat in the shop at That Leisure Shop. We were decorating it. We hadn’t really opened it, had we? It was all draped in black drapes to cover all the product because we were painting. And we used that as a soundproof booth before we had this studio. And we sat there, you holding a mic, and I joked that you were grooming me into how to do a podcast.
[00:01:27] Keith Gooden: Hilariously funny.
[00:01:31] Matt Sims: I don’t think we ever used any of it, did we?
[00:01:33] Keith Gooden: Yeah, of course we did. We did. It’s all available online. And there you are. Most podcasts don’t make it past 12 episodes. We have got 200.
[00:01:40] Matt Sims: That is incredible. So thank you for listening and for watching. You keep us going. Your questions are what make this gold. And of course, thank you to Maddy, Motorhome Matt, who’s waving like mad. Don’t forget me, don’t forget me. Who has suffered this for 200 episodes. Well done.
[00:01:56] Keith Gooden: Well, about 195. She suffered him.
[00:01:58] Matt Sims: Has.
[00:01:58] Keith Gooden: She? Yeah. She wasn’t there at the very beginning.
[00:02:00] Matt Sims: The very beginning? No, that’s true. It was just you and me, going it alone.
[00:02:04] Keith Gooden: Yeah. In front of a black curtain.
[00:02:06] Matt Sims: We would have been better off behind it.
[00:02:08] Keith Gooden: With holes in it. Yeah. So let’s move on to Wales. The Visitor Accommodation Bill gives local authorities the choice to introduce a levy on overnight stays in visitor accommodation. It looks like the Welsh are going to be doing it. They’re going to decide whether to introduce that. They must consult with their communities before doing so. Seems like a good idea to me. If you’re going to Wales, why shouldn’t you pay a little bit extra?
[00:02:31] Matt Sims: Well, I guess not. It will be a per person per night charge, so I’ll be hiding the kids in the back of the motorhome. The levy would apply to all visitors regardless of where they have travelled from. Here we are.
[00:02:44] Keith Gooden: So if you’re travelling around inside Wales, does it apply to you?
[00:02:47] Matt Sims: I don’t know. Well, you can find out more. Go and read it at [unclear website from transcript].
[00:02:54] Keith Gooden: Yeah, let’s hope it’s more successful than the optional Scottish one we were talking about just about a week or two ago.
[00:03:00] Matt Sims: In the Highlands. One was a complete disaster.
[00:03:02] Keith Gooden: 98%.
[00:03:03] Matt Sims: Well, to be fair to them though, that was a disaster because their marketing was a disaster. I think the product had merit. And whether this does too. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
[00:03:13] Keith Gooden: Our product feature of the week, a speaker light. It was £19.99 and now it’s £14.99. That’s 25% off at www.thatleisureshop.com
. Doesn’t look like a speaker. It looks like a robot.
[00:03:26] Matt Sims: Look. It does. It has its own tripod. So it’s a little lantern with a tripod that unscrews so you can get it back in the box so it stands up on its own. It’s a really cool lantern. Let me turn it on. There you go. It’s really a really lovely light. First press, it comes on bright. Second press goes dim. Third press, it pulsates.
[00:03:44] Keith Gooden: Just what you need. It’s the last time I said to the missus, do we need a pulsating light? She said pardon?
[00:03:50] Matt Sims: Now you can have one for £14.99. And not only is it a lantern, you can leave the lantern. I’m going to turn it off.
[00:03:56] Keith Gooden: Yeah.
[00:04:00] Matt Sims: That’s the Bluetooth turning off. Hang on a minute. Let me turn it back on.
[00:04:03] Keith Gooden: Hang on a second. It’s very easy to use.
[00:04:09] Matt Sims: Here we go. It’s connected now.
[00:04:12] Keith Gooden: Welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
[00:04:15] Matt Sims: And I’m Motorhome Matt. Here we are. Bluetooth speaker. It lasts some hours, most of an evening. We’ve had one on, and with the light on obviously it lasts slightly less, but it’s a really neat little speaker. It’s only a tiny speaker, but enough. A bit of background music, £14.99, perfect on your campsite. We’ve got one.
[00:04:33] Keith Gooden: It had the romantic music and the pulsating light.
[00:04:36] Matt Sims: After you can have the podcast on in the background.
[00:04:38] Keith Gooden: After your dinner.
[00:04:39] Matt Sims: And you throbbing in the background.
[00:04:40] Keith Gooden: Just £14.99, 25% off. Okay, this weekend it’s the Western Motorhome and Campervan Show, 15th to the 17th of August at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern. And you can save with a code, can’t you, Matt?
[00:04:53] Matt Sims: Yes. So if you’re going for the day, use the code MOTORHOMEMATT. Get 20% off your ticket. The day tickets are only £7.50, but with our code, they’re just £6, a bargain. And the whole weekend, four nights’ camping with live music every night for £85 and three country and western stages every day. They are amazing value. A Shania Twain tribute, Luke Combs is headlining as well. Big country and western acts. They are brilliant value, I reckon. Around 200 exhibitors trading all accessories and all the stuff you didn’t know you needed for your motorhome, and around 500 vehicles expected to be there for sale, ranging no doubt in price from £20K up to £120K plus. But one of the things that’s always impressed me is the amount of discounts available at the shows. Dealers go to these shows to make sales and it means you can save money. They are brilliant value. Even if you’re not there to buy, go along. It’s a great weekend. Meet up with old friends or make new ones. Brilliant value, just £85. So find out more, head to mhmp.info/warners.
[00:05:56] Keith Gooden: It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
[00:06:01] Matt Sims: And I’m Motorhome Matt.
[00:06:03] Keith Gooden: It’s brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com
and sponsored by Ripe. We’re talking about warranties again, Matt. Why?
[00:06:09] Matt Sims: Well, you know how much I love innovation. I go around all the shows trying to search it out, and I love when an established business steps into this marketplace with an agenda to shake it up by offering brilliant customer service. Well, Warranty Solutions Group are a company doing exactly this. I have been really impressed with what they’re up to.
[00:06:32] Keith Gooden: And I hear you recently got an invite to visit their office.
[00:06:35] Matt Sims: I did and it was fascinating. I got to see how their claims process works. I got to meet all their senior team and really got under the skin of their business. And they let me dig a little deeper on their determination to offer great customer service and a fantastic after-sales customer experience. Dave Rogers, welcome, and Stuart Whiting. Dave, you’re responsible for the motorhome product. In fact, you’re head of motorhome product. And Stuart, you’re the regional account manager. You’re the guy we see locally here in the South West. And you are going to love the South West accents that are coming back to come across the airwaves. So guys, we’re talking warranty again. And this is kind of a follow-on from a recent warranty episode we did with your competitor. That’s fair to say. But why are we talking about warranty again? I know it matters. It really does matter. But just tell us a little bit about Warranty Solutions. Where have you come from?
[00:07:34] Stuart Whiting: So in 2021, WSG was set up by two directors, Steph Newbury and Peter Jacob. Between them, you would say they’ve probably got about 60 years between them of background in warranty, and they saw plenty of pain points in their history, things like inadequate cover and poor claims handling. And from that they took what needs to happen, what would work. You know, you turn these bad things that happen into good, and that was their platform.
[00:08:03] Matt Sims: So was their background in the motorhome world or was it motor trade?
[00:08:06] Stuart Whiting: Motor trade. Motor trade sector, yeah.
[00:08:08] Matt Sims: And that’s important for listeners to understand, isn’t it? You are huge in the motor trade, covering cars, lorries, vans. And you’ve been doing that as Warranty Solutions Group for four years and for a long time before that under a different incumbent. Yeah. But warranties frankly aren’t the most glamorous topic, but they really are important because when it goes wrong, it’s kind of all you’ve got. And we need to know it works. And I think it’s fair to say all of us listening to this are cynical about warranty providers because your agenda is seen as not wanting to pay out, and you’ll do anything you can to wriggle out of paying for the warranty. But I was reading a stat recently that in the last four years you’ve actually paid out £15 million worth of claims. Is that true?
[00:08:57] Keith Gooden: That’s correct.
[00:08:57] Matt Sims: Yes. That is remarkable. That’s a lot of money. It is. And that comes from your own pot. So the cynical view is you’re there just to sell the warranty and keep the money. And the answer is always computer says no. That’s not true, is it?
[00:09:13] Stuart Whiting: No, it’s not, not for us at all. We’re opposite to that, to be honest with you. There’s a customer at the end of this. There’s an end user. And our job is to get them on the road as quickly as possible. You know, it’s probably one of the most stressful times of their life at that point, you know, and can be. Yeah, yeah. And our job is to get them back on the road. And that’s what our aim is to do, and that’s what we do.
[00:09:35] Matt Sims: Now, as I said earlier, chatting with Keith, I was invited, a very kind invitation, to go to your office and get under the bonnet, if I can say, of the business and rediscover a bit more about it and about the people behind it. It’s an amazing team that you’ve got. And we were joking earlier that I’ve been in a WhatsApp group chat with some of your board and staff. Steph is the driving force behind this business, without a doubt. She’s not human. She is a machine. She’s a force and she is absolutely on it. And I’ll explain why in a minute because of some first-hand experiences I’ve had. But this is not just about words. And I say this personally because I’ve seen it. Your evidence of being true to a customer is backed by your growth, which is phenomenal in just four years. I mean, I was very impressed with the building. You’re in a huge office block. You’ve got another building up north in Leeds, is that right?
[00:10:26] Stuart Whiting: That’s correct.
[00:10:27] Matt Sims: And you’ve won multiple awards for customer service, customer experience, and you’ve got some brilliant partnerships. Euro Car Parts, we all see their vans driving around delivering parts. Yeah. Autoglym, another sponsor you work closely with. Ben Collins, the Stig?
[00:10:43] Stuart Whiting: Yeah.
[00:10:43] Matt Sims: We do? Yeah. As your brand ambassador in the motor trade. So why are you expanding into the motorhome and caravan market? Why have you picked us?
[00:10:51] Dave Rogers: Purely and simply is because at the end of the day, there is a customer that needs to be looked after. We want to evolve what we have done within the motor sector as regarding cars and lorries and vans etc. within the motorhome sector itself. Because personally, if we’ve got the flexibility and the creativity to do what we’ve done previously with other manufacturers or other products, we can do this with a motorhome.
[00:11:17] Matt Sims: Isn’t it a very high-risk market for you? Because there’s a lot that goes wrong on a motorhome compared to a van?
[00:11:23] Dave Rogers: Yes, there is, but we’ve proven what we can do the job in the correct manner, working closely with motor dealers, motorcycles and vans. So now we can replicate that for motorhomes. Yes, the risk is greater, but we’ve got the flexibility to do what we need to do to make it class-leading.
[00:11:43] Matt Sims: Okay, now another stat that fascinated me was your complaints rate. Yeah. It is just 0.2%. It is? Yeah. Is that real?
[00:11:52] Stuart Whiting: It’s real, yeah. We’re not looking to hold on to the money, as you say. That goes into the pot. We want to work with the customer to pay out the claim. So whether that be a full claim or a contribution towards the claim, at the end of the call we want to be helpful.
[00:12:08] Matt Sims: Well, I had the privilege of chatting with one of your team, Dennis, who is a superhero. Warranty Solutions Dennis is ex-Bentley and has this incredible ability to calm someone down on the end of the phone. And he’s your senior claims handler, isn’t he?
[00:12:21] Stuart Whiting: He is.
[00:12:21] Matt Sims: And I sat with him for about 10, 15 minutes, and I kept you guys waiting because we were waiting to go home. And I wouldn’t leave because I was fascinated by what he was doing. And he was about to pay out for a £15,000 claim, I think it was, for a new engine on a very expensive Mercedes car. And the claim had taken a few days to handle, much longer than you normally do. And we’ll come back to that in a minute, because that’s impressive too. And he was about to pay out and I said, well, surely it’s a blown engine. You’re not going to pay for this, are you? He said, no, I’ve spent three days trying to work out a way we can. And he was trying to find a reconditioned engine and he was struggling. And he said, it looks like we’re going to have to buy a brand new engine for this customer from Germany. My concern is it’s going to take several months to come, and I want to make sure the customer is happy with that before we authorise the claim. Yeah. I have never heard language like that from a warranty claims handler ever. Yeah. I mean, I’ve not spoken to many. Yeah. But it just seemed alien. It’s like, this guy’s odd. He’s trying to pay the claim. Yeah. And that seems to be your motivation. And Steph, the group director we were chatting to, she was saying, well, we exist with a motivation to try and find a way to pay the claim, which is not the cynical belief your audience have. No. So you’ve got a job to do then. We have to change that.
[00:13:41] Stuart Whiting: Yeah, yeah. We’re in the risk game, and we appreciate there is risk. And you know historically for Dave and I, that’s probably not been that way. No. You know, unfortunately we work with a company and as you correctly say, over the four years our complaints rate is 0.2%. You know, Dave and I are out on the road all the time as well. So we get a feel for what the dealers are feeling, and we’ll listen to them and we’ll adapt to them as well.
[00:14:07] Matt Sims: So I mentioned time scale for paying out a claim. That particular Mercedes claim had taken a while. It was a big claim. Yeah. And you have some stats on how quickly you want to handle a claim. Hit that green accept button that I was desperate to click on Dennis’s computer. He wouldn’t let me do it. He said, hang on a minute, I’m not quite ready to authorise this. But how long is it normally from the person calling in and you answering the phone to actually authorising a claim?
[00:14:33] Dave Rogers: Well, there’s two different ways that the claim can be, or that customers can call in. They can call in via phone or the claim can be administered online, which is what you saw itself. Provided that the repairer has got the correct information as regarding the claim, what’s gone wrong, diagnosis, et cetera, et cetera, nine times out of ten we can authorise the claim there and then when they make their first call.
[00:14:55] Matt Sims: And how long is that in minutes?
[00:14:57] Dave Rogers: That’s normally 5 to 10 minutes.
[00:14:59] Matt Sims: So it’s really quick.
[00:15:00] Dave Rogers: Yeah.
[00:15:00] Matt Sims: Now you’re using Autodata, which is a massive database of the cost of parts and hourly rates or our time to repair, make a repair. I mentioned hourly rate. Let’s talk about your Freedom product because this is the product that consumers can buy. So your scenario listening to this is you’ve had a motorhome, it’s five years old, it’s now out of manufacturer warranty. You can buy this warranty to cover your vehicle, your motorhome, and it’s called the Freedom Warranty. It covers 6,000 mechanical, electrical parts and all sorts. I mean, to say comprehensive is an understatement. Yeah. I mean, I was really impressed. In fact, I’m going to give you a first-hand experience. In the last year, our own Adria Twin, which is now probably six or seven years old, the fridge board has failed. The bathroom tap failed. It just stopped working. It has a switch in it that failed. The thermocouple on the hob, one of the rings stopped working. The oven stopped working. The habitation door flyscreen broke. So all these things have gone wrong on our van in the last year. Now I’m fortunate, I can repair stuff myself and I get stuff in the trade. If I was a consumer having to pay for all of that, I reckon I would have spent nearly £2,000. A Freedom Warranty I could have bought—
[00:16:16] Dave Rogers: Yeah.
[00:16:17] Matt Sims: Had I known about it, is £499. You’d have paid out on all of those items apart from the bathroom tap. Yeah. But bear with us. You’d have saved me £1,500. Yeah. Because you’d have paid. You said to me, yeah, we’d have covered all of those. So I’d have been £1,500 better off. It’s a no-brainer.
[00:16:37] Stuart Whiting: Absolutely.
[00:16:38] Matt Sims: So I now have one of these warranties on my van. There’s nothing left to go wrong on it now, sadly.
[00:16:42] Stuart Whiting: Good for you.
[00:16:43] Matt Sims: But on the tap, you said, oh no, we wouldn’t have covered the bathroom tap. And I said, well, why not? They said, we don’t cover taps. They don’t really go wrong. I said, well, they do. Motorhome taps have a microswitch in them that triggers the pump. Many do. They have a cartridge in them that cracks in the winter. If you leave water in it, they can split. And Steph came back and said, oh, well, okay. Well, in the next issue of the booklet we will cover motorhome taps. Yeah. And I assume that meant next year. The next booklet was launched the following day. And you now cover motorhome taps. Literally the next day. And for me, this has been one of the most impressive things about working with you guys, is the feedback that we’ve had in this group chat around cover, what is covered, what isn’t covered. And you’ve got a list there, Dave, of the things you’ve recently introduced as a result of having conversations with me. Just tell us what you’ve added.
[00:17:35] Dave Rogers: We’ve added electric sidestep motor assembly, tracker systems, roof satellite dish excluding damage, reversing camera, anti-theft alarm system, electric bed assembly, active lane departure assist system, electric rear supports, gas barbecue point and drop-down bed mechanism.
[00:17:58] Matt Sims: So these are all things that are pretty unique from the lane assist, isn’t it, but that’s only prevalent on newer motorhomes. They’re pretty unique to the motorhome product. And these guys have said, yeah, we’ll cover all of that. And not just, oh yeah, in the next edition next year. Literally, as we record this, the following day, all covered. And I take my hat off. That’s impressive. But there’s another huge one as well. So water ingress, we know, is the motorhome’s enemy. And your original product, the Freedom product, was seven years and then you would stop covering water ingress damage.
[00:18:33] Dave Rogers: That’s correct.
[00:18:33] Matt Sims: Yes. You’ve increased that to 10 years. Is that right?
[00:18:36] Dave Rogers: That’s correct.
[00:18:37] Matt Sims: That is incredible. And what’s the claim limit? Because this is the other cynical bit. Oh, you’re going to cap the payout at £500. What’s the claim limit on water ingress? Because this is incredible. And I assume it’s all in the booklet.
[00:18:47] Dave Rogers: It’s all in the booklet. It’s a max of £5,000.
[00:18:50] Matt Sims: That’s amazing. So most of your competitors cap a water ingress claim at £500. Yeah. I mean, that doesn’t get the mechanic out of bed to fix it. And damp repairs cost thousands. That could be the entire water ingress claim paid for. Yeah. Very impressive. The other thing that impressed me as well about your team, where we went near Oxford, the amount of customer care that was literally in the room. So, you know, we talk about customer care, but there was a genuine passion, isn’t there, in the team to answer the phone quickly. And the room is flooded with these mechanics that are answering the phone, the claims handlers and the whole team, the finance team, the marketing team, everybody just did seem to care. Now I know you’re going to say, yeah, yeah, we do. But honestly, I was impressed. Yeah. And you guys do too. And you’re on the road all the time.
[00:19:35] Stuart Whiting: Absolutely.
[00:19:35] Matt Sims: Looking after dealers.
[00:19:36] Stuart Whiting: Yeah.
[00:19:36] Matt Sims: And their warranty, which is a new product as well. But we’re talking today about the consumer warranty. Yeah. The other big concern people have is wear and tear. So you’re just going to say, well, yeah, that’s wear and tear. That’s not covered. Is that the case?
[00:19:50] Dave Rogers: No, it’s not wear and tear. Providing it’s not a serviceable item, we will cover it up to 85,000 miles.
[00:19:55] Matt Sims: So by serviceable item you mean brake pads, I assume?
[00:19:58] Dave Rogers: Yes.
[00:19:58] Matt Sims: So what about something that’s a diesel injector, for example. Motorhomes do low miles, 20,000 miles, five years old and injector fails. It’s a big issue with the Ford Transit. Is that covered? Yes. And what about the fact the diesel injector is stuck in the head? Is the removal covered?
[00:20:19] Dave Rogers: It is, but it depends on the time to remove that injector. So from that point of view what we would look at is the diagnosis time and the labour time. We would be flexible in working on the labour time with the repairer, so that there is time left to extract that injector out.
[00:20:37] Matt Sims: Okay. So try and maximise the payout as far as you can. Yeah. And then if something snaps off, I assume that’s not covered. I mean, that’s unreasonable to expect that to be covered. I speak from first-hand experience where we’ve just had this happen and the warranty company covering it have refused to pay out and said, no, we’ll only pay for the injector. And the bill was a lot of money, thousands of pounds. So I’m in the chair for that because I’ve chosen as the supplying dealer to pay for that. But that was my choice. But you mention you’re covering all the electronics in the van. What about a DPF? So a diesel particulate filter. We mentioned the Ford Transit issue. Commonly failing on Fiat Ducato is the diesel particulate filter because they’re just not driven enough, not driven hard enough. Do you cover that? That’s wear and tear, isn’t it? We do? Yeah. This is a no-brainer. And what about consequential damage? So something fails, goes wrong, and something else breaks as a result of the original fault. Where do you stand with consequential damage?
[00:21:37] Dave Rogers: Consequential damage is covered if something fails and that consequential damage is onto another component which is broken due to that, then we will cover that.
[00:21:48] Matt Sims: Now that’s pretty unique, isn’t it?
[00:21:50] Dave Rogers: I think so, yeah.
[00:21:50] Stuart Whiting: I think the level that we will go to is more unique. And that’s what we’re trying to be.
[00:21:55] Matt Sims: Yeah. So we’ve mentioned a £5,000 claim limit on water ingress and damp repairs. What’s the claim limit on mechanical repairs? So say, you know, my engine blows. Yeah. You know, the DPF goes and then I blow the turbo and something else goes wrong and blah blah blah. And I need a new engine. How much are you going to pay toward that?
[00:22:13] Stuart Whiting: That would be your claim limit of £5,000.
[00:22:15] Matt Sims: So that’s £5,000 as well.
[00:22:16] Dave Rogers: Yeah.
[00:22:17] Matt Sims: Yeah, I’m trying to catch them out. I’m really struggling. So at the moment the Freedom policy, as we record this, has a 12-month duration. But you can buy in the future, and we’ll let you know when this is launched, the 24-month product and a 36-month product. And the 36-month product is basically double the cost of the one-year, isn’t it? That’s the plan, thereabouts.
[00:22:40] Stuart Whiting: Thereabouts, yeah.
[00:22:41] Matt Sims: Yeah, I think that’s a no-brainer.
[00:22:42] Stuart Whiting: Yeah.
[00:22:43] Matt Sims: If you’re planning to own a motorhome, you just bought it and it hasn’t come with a warranty, or maybe it’s come with a dealer warranty. I mean, what guarantee is there that a dealer is going to do anything? Is there any guarantee? It’s not regulated at all, is it?
[00:22:57] Stuart Whiting: No.
[00:22:58] Matt Sims: So you are at the mercy of the dealer, aren’t you?
[00:22:59] Stuart Whiting: Yeah. Basically, you’re at the mercy of their goodwill, basically, yeah. Whereas we’re more, if you like, black and white. We will call the customer. When the customer sets up their warranty with us, we will speak with that customer. We will go through what is covered, what to do in case of a claim needing to be raised. So they are completely in the picture all the time.
[00:23:18] Matt Sims: And that’s key. And your document is really clear. Yeah. The booklet, as you call it, spells out everything that’s covered. I mean, the list, it is 6,000 probably plus items. Yeah. Of what is covered. What would your advice be, Stuart, to someone looking to buy an aftermarket warranty from you, or maybe one other? Yeah. What should they consider? What would be your top tips?
[00:23:41] Stuart Whiting: Yeah, I think they definitely need to look through the coverage. So they need to be clear what the coverage is for. And where you’ve quite rightly said, you know, from the experience you’ve had, the one repair alone, you know, would have covered that. So it’s paid for. And understanding your cover, make sure you’re clear of what is covered, because it doesn’t cover everything. And you need to know that. You know, it could be a contribution towards the repair and not completely covering the whole cost, but we will liaise with that customer to try and put them in the best place possible.
[00:24:15] Matt Sims: My top tip would be make sure you’ve got the phone number saved in your phone.
[00:24:18] Stuart Whiting: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:24:20] Matt Sims: Because when it goes wrong, that booklet is probably at home. And you’re in the Cairngorms.
[00:24:24] Stuart Whiting: Yeah.
[00:24:25] Matt Sims: Absolutely. And you need to know who to call.
[00:24:27] Stuart Whiting: Yeah.
[00:24:27] Matt Sims: Or which website to go to to make a claim.
[00:24:29] Stuart Whiting: Yeah.
[00:24:29] Dave Rogers: And our goal is not to flog warranties. It is to help customers to protect their investment going forward.
[00:24:40] Matt Sims: A warranty isn’t about fear of it breaking down, is it? It’s all about the peace of mind. But it’s so important it’s done right. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And I salute you and all of your team for doing exactly that. I thoroughly have been impressed. I really have, because I am one of those cynical people when it comes to warranty cover. I have had bad experience, calls not being handled well. I’ve had good experience as well in the past, I have to say. But I do crave innovation in this market. I think there’s a lot of complacency in the motorhome market, and it’s time that was kicked out because complacency breeds contempt. And I do warn you, you are facing an audience who are contempt with some of the suppliers, with manufacturers, with the product they’ve spent a lot of money buying.
[00:25:29] Stuart Whiting: Absolutely.
[00:25:29] Matt Sims: And sadly, it does go wrong. And it will because it’s a house that’s been driven down the road. So of course it goes wrong. But that’s when you guys come in to help make our lives on the road a slightly happier place and easier to deal with. So you can find out more about Warranty Solutions on the Motorhome Matt website because they are, I’m delighted to say, Motorhome Matt Approved, and I hope you can see why. My first-hand experience has been totally first-hand, literally sat in their office. We were there for most of the day. We were there and I asked a lot of searching questions, which did make a few people shift in their seat, but you were able to answer all of them. So I’m proud to announce that these guys are Motorhome Matt Approved and you can find out more about them and all the products they offer at mhmp.info/warrantysolutions. So Stuart Whiting, Dave Rogers, thank you both so much for coming in.
[00:26:25] Stuart Whiting: Yeah. Thank you for having us.
[00:26:27] Matt Sims: Thank you. We’ve loved your South West twang. Thank you so much. We will release you back down to Plymouth where you’re based. Thank you. Thank you. And no doubt we will be hearing from you again as you, I’m sure, continue to sharpen this offer so it’s even better for the consumer. And we’re in constant conversation about this, aren’t we?
[00:26:47] Stuart Whiting: Yeah.
[00:26:47] Matt Sims: And do let us know when this 24-month and 36-month—
[00:26:49] Stuart Whiting: Of course. Yeah, of course.
[00:26:49] Matt Sims: Yeah, guys, thank you.
[00:26:50] Stuart Whiting: Thanks, Matt.
[00:26:50] Dave Rogers: Thank you.
[00:26:51] Keith Gooden: That’s the nice people at Warranty Solutions Group, Matt. And we’re very excited to announce a partnership with them on the podcast.
[00:26:59] Matt Sims: Excited and proud, yeah. They are indeed Motorhome Matt Approved. And they are now a new sponsor of the podcast as they really want to reach you, our audience. So stay tuned. They are definitely one not to ignore.
[00:27:13] Keith Gooden: And you can find out more at mhmp.info/warrantysolutions. That’s mhmp.info/warrantysolutions.
[00:27:25] Matt Sims: And me, Motorhome Matt.
[00:27:26] Keith Gooden: It’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com
and sponsored by Ripe.
[00:27:29] Matt Sims: Get 15% off your insurance premium. Just use the code MOTORHOMEMATT over the phone, or simply click the link in the description.
[00:27:38] Keith Gooden: It’s time for the questions and answers where you ask the questions. And Matt, he’s the expert. He will give you the answers and if he doesn’t know, he’ll jolly well find somebody who does. We’ve been talking about country music earlier on in the podcast. Now let’s go to the South Western United States and Arizona. Robert Ward.
[00:27:57] Robert Ward: I’ve been watching you and about the Ford ECM plug. Why not put some dielectric grease in there as well when you put it back together? And also I’ve just ordered my GasStop off Amazon and I got it for $35. Thank you. Great show. Bye for now.
[00:28:21] Keith Gooden: That’s not an Arizona accent, is it?
[00:28:23] Matt Sims: It’s definitely not Arizonan. Arizonian?
[00:28:25] Keith Gooden: Cheers. Or should I call you Bob? Bob Ward. Anyway, he’s got his dielectric grease out.
[00:28:32] Matt Sims: He has got. Yeah, lucky for him. Yeah, it’s a very good idea. Yeah. You could, or some kind of water dispersant spray that’s electrical component-friendly. You can buy lots of them online. And GasStop is a brilliant device designed to keep you safe. And of course, they are cheaper in the US. They are different to the ones that we use in the UK and Europe. They have a different fitting on them to the UK ones and they are cheaper. So don’t go buying an American one thinking you’re saving money because it isn’t going to fit your propane bottle.
[00:29:00] Keith Gooden: Yeah, WD, as in WD, water dispersant.
[00:29:03] Matt Sims: That’s right. Why is it 40?
[00:29:05] Keith Gooden: I don’t know.
[00:29:06] Matt Sims: It was the 40th recipe that worked. Yeah. The first 39 were rubbish.
[00:29:11] Keith Gooden: Danny’s in Devon.
[00:29:13] Danny: Hi Matt and Keith, and we can’t forget Darren. My wife and I decided to drive up on Monday to That Leisure Shop, and I just wanted to say what a lovely place you have there. It’s an Aladdin’s cave for motorhome and camping and anything in between, really. Yes, you can buy most things online, but you don’t get that advice and that lovely warm interaction and welcome that you get from That Leisure Shop. And by the way, the Pathway 4G is amazing. So simple and the instructions are spot on. Had it set up in minutes. See you soon mate. Keep up the good work.
[00:29:45] Keith Gooden: Cheers, Danny. Are you sure he’s not your brother or something?
[00:29:48] Matt Sims: Thanks, Danny. I’ll pay you later. Who’s Darren?
[00:29:51] Keith Gooden: That’s somewhat effusive. I hope he didn’t stub his toe. He’d have something negative to say.
[00:29:56] Matt Sims: So Darren works in the shop and did the instruction manual. So Darren is our designer in-house that did all of the branding of the Pathway 4G and all the That Leisure Shop products we sell, and helped design and create all the user instructions. He’s a fantastic guy, very talented and did a brilliant job. And of course, Danny, we have a new shop opening near you in North Devon at Chelston that is becoming a That Leisure Shop this summer 2025, so you’ll be able to not travel as far to get to us. Thank you for visiting and if you’re passing through, then do pop in either to our shop in North Somerset or soon in North Devon.
[00:30:31] Keith Gooden: Cheers, Danny. Lindsay’s in Sheffield. Hi Matt, I’d like to know your opinion and the pros and cons regarding compressor fridges and three-way fridges. We have currently got a compressor fridge which costs nothing to run but does make noises, compared to our previous motorhome which contained a three-way fridge. Costs money to run but silent. Looking forward to your thoughts, says Lindsay. So can you just explain the difference between a three-way fridge and compressor?
[00:30:55] Matt Sims: Yeah, sure. So a three-way fridge runs on three power sources. Either the engine, it will only run when the engine is running, it’ll run on gas, and it will run on mains electric. So when you’re hooked up, and many of them are automatic, and they’ll flick between the three power sources. A compressor fridge only runs on 12 volt, so it runs on your leisure battery and it’s a 12-volt compressor. And they work at much higher temperatures than a three-way fridge can work. The other downside with a three-way fridge is they won’t work unless they’re on the level. In fact, this morning I had a customer message me to say we’ve just discovered our fridge doesn’t work if we’re not flat. And that’s right. They don’t vent. They have a little flue, and those carbon monoxide gases need to go straight up out the roof. And if they can’t escape, the fridge won’t work. So this is the benefit of a compressor fridge. They will get colder in hotter temperatures. They are cheaper than a three-way fridge and they only need to run on a 12-volt battery.
[00:31:48] Matt Sims: There’s a big downside to them. Lindsay’s found one. They are noisier. There is a moon symbol you can press on them which lasts for eight hours. Press the button and eight hours later it will come out of night mode. So in night mode they’re a lot quieter. And the other big downside with a compressor fridge is they drain your leisure battery really fast. So you need to have a good leisure battery setup, or maybe solar panels. If you’re in the sun, you may be able to offset the power used by the compressor fridge during the day. If you’re not, then you’ll need to consider upping the capability of your leisure battery system. So those are the considerations. Which would I prefer? Well, for us, we holiday all year and we have a three-way fridge in our van. For us that works well because I’m quite happy running on gas, or we go to a campsite and hook up and run on electric. If I were though going to Morocco or close to the equator, I would definitely be favouring a compressor fridge because it works better.
[00:32:46] Keith Gooden: I was just wondering, you know, not being a motorhomer and not being up on these sort of things, but it occurred to me, in order to get your fridge maybe a bit colder sooner, you know those little flat freezer blocks? Yeah, freezer blocks. I mean, if you did do them in your freezer at home before you travel and just put them in the fridge, it would take the temperature down, wouldn’t it? And use less battery power.
[00:33:05] Matt Sims: So I tell you what we do is we always put the fridge on before we go, the night before. And then the other thing we do is we freeze milk.
[00:33:13] Keith Gooden: That’s a good idea.
[00:33:14] Matt Sims: So rather than just freezer blocks, we use those.
[00:33:16] Keith Gooden: Take a little bit at the top because—
[00:33:17] Matt Sims: It—yeah, absolutely right. I was going to say take some out the top so it can expand. And we put that in the fridge and that keeps it colder. And the other thing to do is make sure you fill the fridge. An empty fridge is harder to cool because there’s more air that has to be chilled. So the more you put in the fridge, the less hard the fridge has to work. There are lots of other shortcuts. People on a three-way fridge fit little 12-volt fans in the top external vent to blow the air away from the fridge because they work by convection. But the challenge is, if the air outside is the same temperature as the air in the fridge, it doesn’t convect. And that’s where three-way fridges have a challenge in hot weather. So yeah, cool stuff down or freeze it and put it in your fridge and put frozen stuff already frozen in your freezer. And that gives the fridge a fighting chance.
[00:34:04] Keith Gooden: Yeah. And you save some power as well.
[00:34:06] Matt Sims: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
[00:34:07] Keith Gooden: If you want to ask a question, it’s very easy. What do you do then, Matt?
[00:34:11] Matt Sims: Please, we’d love it if you did. And we always say this, if you have that question, I’m sure there are hundreds listening who have the same question as well. Head to Ask Matt. You can record your question with the orange button or fill out the form and we’ll read it for you.
[00:34:26] Keith Gooden: And if you’re looking for trusted brands and services, then make sure that you head over to the Motorhome Matt Approved directory. It’s at mhmp.info.
[00:34:35] Matt Sims: And remember, please do follow on your favourite podcast app. Or if you’re watching on YouTube, click subscribe and the little bell.
[00:34:42] Keith Gooden: And if you want to be aware of a share—
[00:34:45] Matt Sims: If you want—
[00:34:46] Keith Gooden: Want to be aware of a share.
[00:34:49] Matt Sims: If you know someone—that’s a bizarre statement—if you know someone you think might find this podcast amusing, interesting, or even beneficial for their motorhome life, please do share it with them. We’d be very grateful.
[00:35:01] Keith Gooden: 200.
[00:35:02] Matt Sims: 200. I know. Two times 100.
[00:35:05] Keith Gooden: 200.
[00:35:06] Matt Sims: Here’s to the next 200.
[00:35:10] Keith Gooden: Thanks for listening to the Motorhome Matt podcast. Remember to check back here for more episodes full of hints and tips and helpful advice. We’ll see you soon for another Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com.
