Keith Gooden: [00:00:00] In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt podcast…
Matt Sims: [00:00:03] We’re back with another full Q&A with questions on fitting lithium, spare wheels, using an EV for a camper conversion, and the return of pet passports.
Keith Gooden: [00:00:13] Plus, there’s still time to save on your 2026 motorhome essentials. Welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast! I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims: [00:00:30] And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden: [00:00:32] Industry insights and expert advice for the world of motorhomes, caravans and camper vans. And it’s brought to you by That Leisure Shop and sponsored by Ripe.
Matt Sims: [00:00:41] Now, If you’re listening on your favourite podcast app, please click follow. And if you’re watching on TV or your computer, make sure you click subscribe and the bell on YouTube.
Keith Gooden: [00:00:51] The Spend and Save sale is still on at www.thatleisureshop.com. The more you spend, the more you save. How does it work then, Matt?
Matt Sims: [00:00:59] You can buy what you actually need. And the more you spend, the more you save. It’s valid on sale items too. So if you spend £50, you can save £5. Spend £145, you save £15, spend £240 and save £30. All the codes to get these savings are on the website home page. So the more you spend, the more you save.
Keith Gooden: [00:01:19] Go to www.thatleisureshop.com. New year, fresh start. You’ve probably promised yourself you’re going to drink less, walk more, and finally, fix that dodgy drawer in the kitchen.
Matt Sims: [00:01:30] Exactly. And more than that. But while you’re in the mood for getting things sorted, here’s one actually worth doing your motorhome or campervan – insurance.
Keith Gooden: [00:01:39] If you’re shopping around, now is the time to get your ducks in a row.
Matt Sims: [00:01:43] Yeah, well, make sure your policy covers what you actually need. Not just last year’s plans, but all the trips you’re probably already dreaming up for 2026.
Keith Gooden: [00:01:54] It could be that you find better cover, you’re looking to do new things, or you’re just hoping to save a few pounds by switching.
Matt Sims: [00:02:00] Yep, that’s the perfect moment to bring in Ripe. They do motorhome insurance that’s flexible, great value and easy to sort.
Keith Gooden: [00:02:09] And you get 15% off your annual premium just for being a Motorhome Matt listener.
Matt Sims: [00:02:15] There you go. So just click the link in the episode description and the discount will automatically apply.
Keith Gooden: [00:02:22] Go on. It’s more useful than the gym membership you’ll forget about by February.
Matt Sims: [00:02:27] That late?
Keith Gooden: [00:02:28] It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast with me, Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims: [00:02:31] And me, Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden: [00:02:32] As promised, this is one of our Q&As – our Questions and Answers episode. We’ve got so many questions that you’ve submitted to Matt over the last few months. We have to do an episode once in every 4 or 5 just to get through them, haven’t we? So, as I always say, you ask the questions. Matt – he is the expert – he answers them. And if he doesn’t know, he’ll ask somebody who jolly well does. First of all, Dave is in Nottingham.
Dave: [00:02:58] Hello Motorhome Matt and Keith. I have been looking at new motorhomes, and I’ve taken a fancy to the Bendimar Mileo 282. I asked the salesman about fitting lithium batteries to it, and he said I can’t because the system won’t take it. Is this the case across all manufacturers?
Keith Gooden: [00:03:23] It’s Disco Dave.
Matt Sims: [00:03:24] Dave The Rave.
Keith Gooden: [00:03:25] There was a party going on there in the background, wasn’t there?
Matt Sims: [00:03:28] It certainly sounded like it.
Keith Gooden: [00:03:29] Cheers, Dave from Nottingham. What’s the answer then, Matt?
Matt Sims: [00:03:32] Well, interesting – Bendimar is a brand I’ve never owned, for no reason. But I would say the issue that the salesman presented to you, which you can’t do, it may be correct, because the charging system on the benchmark may not be compatible with a lithium battery’s BMS, the battery management system. So that may be true, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fit a lithium battery. You would have to fit a different charger, an aftermarket charger. So you’re going to spend more money to achieve a lithium battery setup. We were able to put a lithium battery straight into our motorhome. It doesn’t have a lithium profile on the charger, and I was told it would not charge more than 95%, and it would take longer to charge. It still charges really fast and it does seem to charge up to 100%. My advice would be seek professional advice on this. Locally in Bristol, Bristol Caravans are experts on this. And nationally, BlueFix are also my go-to experts. Mark and the team are proper nerds when it comes to lithium batteries. Don’t mess about with this. If it goes wrong, it could go very wrong. So it’s really important you get an expert opinion on how you might be able to get a lithium battery on your motorhome.
Keith Gooden: [00:04:42] Hope that helps, disco Dave from Nottingham. Jane Hirst is in Devon and we must apologise for the delay in using this question, but it was scheduled ahead of Matt’s surgery. He had a triple heart bypass and we had to record loads of episodes in advance through September and October. So, Jane, I know you asked this a while back. We’re doing it now.
Jane Hirst: [00:05:02] Hi Matt and Keith, it’s Jane from Chagford in Devon. I don’t have a question, but Matt asked us for a message when we met him at the NEC. We were looking to change up from a 6.36m Fiat Ducato van conversion to something more comfortable for longer trips to Europe. Top of our shortlist was the Dethleffs Globus Performance 4×4, a compact motorhome on a VW Crafter chassis. So at 10 a.m. on Tuesday when the show opened, we went straight to the Dethleffs stand. Despite having a checklist of things to go through, things to look at, we fell in love with the motorhome as soon as we stepped inside and realised that the quality was good, so we immediately sought out our local dealers in Highbridge, in Somerset. We found a lovely guy called Will and within a couple of hours we’d agreed a configuration and paid a deposit. Our new motorhome should be arriving next March. We then had to decide what to do for the other two and a half days that we had booked at the show, thinking we would have lots of vans to check through before we find our ideal one. Thank you.
Keith Gooden: [00:05:59] There you go. Matt. Jane in Devon.
Matt Sims: [00:06:02] Thank you, Jane. What was interesting there is it was five months from order to delivery. That’s quite new, isn’t it, compared to not very long ago? But congratulations, Jane.
Keith Gooden: [00:06:11] Is it shorter or longer?
Matt Sims: [00:06:12] It was longer. Two years. So that’s great. Hopefully, it does arrive in March. And congratulations on choosing a lovely motorhome. This is a motorhome we did feature in our NEC episode, and I threw the challenge about the 4×4 bit. Jane, I’m intrigued as to why you bought a 4×4 motorhome. Are you planning on going really off-road, or is it just the look that appeals? I do wonder if it’s a fad, you know. And we’ve got Chelsea campers.
Keith Gooden: [00:06:39] Do the four-by-fours not give you more control when you’re driving?
Matt Sims: [00:06:41] Chatting to the chap that I was talking to from Southwest Motorhomes – I’ve forgotten his name now – he was saying he did a test drive. He did two in Germany, where dDethleffs are based, and he was talking about driving experience. So you have to check the episode out. And he was really impressed. So potentially, yeah. But you’re paying a premium for four-by-four. How capable is a motorhome at going off-road? That’s the question.
Keith Gooden: [00:07:05] Is it about off-road? You’ve talked about, you know, parking on a grassy site and getting stuck in the mud. It’s going to be useful for getting out of situations like that.
Matt Sims: [00:07:14] Yeah, it probably will be. So if you’re on a wet grass field, you’ve more chance of getting off. But nonetheless, I wonder if that was the motivator or was it the layout and the Dethleffs build quality? I’m intrigued. Jane, let me know. I’d love to know – and hopefully see you at a future show and see you in the van sometime. If you’re heading to one of the That Leisure Shops, there’s one near you in Wellington, so do pop in if you’re passing or come north to Hewish.
Keith Gooden: [00:07:38] Andy Dennahy’s in Bognor Regis. Hi Matt, just come across your company and podcast. I am just moving from a caravan to a motorhome. I really like the one on up plating. He’s talking about the podcasts on up plating and payload. Is there a podcast covering spare wheels, whether you need one and the impact on payload?
Matt Sims: [00:07:59] Gosh, I’m not sure there is a podcast specifically based on that. I’m looking at Maddie. She’s shaking her head, but it has come up in the audience Q&A – where, I have no idea.
Keith Gooden: [00:08:08] We have discussed it in the past.
Matt Sims: [00:08:09] Colin from Harrow asked a great question about this. He didn’t have a spare wheel, but he was carrying the jack. Do you remember this? And he said, well, do I need to carry the jack? He said, well, no, not really. And payload is a big one with spare wheels. And you’ll find increasingly that motorhomes have the gel that goes in the tyre. If you have a puncture, if the tyre blows, then you have a problem. Yes. One thing I’ve seen lots of people do is carrying a spare tyre. So not the wheel and not the jack.
Keith Gooden: [00:08:38] How do you get it off the rim?
Matt Sims: [00:08:39] You can’t. You have to call a tyre service out, but you know then you’ve got the right tyre because the tyre company are going to just come out with a van tyre. It’s not going to match. So you’re going to fail an MOT, and it’s not safe. So then at least you know you’re putting the right tyres straight on, and that’s far lighter than carrying a steel wheel and the jack. Yeah, there isn’t a topic on this, but it’s certainly a big consideration payload, and you’re right to focus on it.
Keith Gooden: [00:09:04] Something in the dark recesses of my mind says we’ve talked about being in Italy and the rules being different there.
Matt Sims: [00:09:11] Yeah, I recall that you need to not only have the means of having the tyre and the wheel, but also the means to change it. So that means you’ve got to carry a jack and a wheel brace. But I pushed back and said, if you Google this, that’s what it says. But there are loads of cars travelling around Italy, many of them Italian-made, that don’t have a spare wheel at all. So they’re flaunting that rule. So I’m not sure it’s true. But anyway, you’re right to focus on the payload.
Keith Gooden: [00:09:35] Thanks very much, Andy, in beautiful Bognor Regis. Now Ivo van der Werff is in Houston, in Texas.
Ivo van der Werff: [00:09:43] Hi, Matt. My name’s Ivo van der Werff. I live in Houston, in Texas. My wife and I are retiring back home to England next year. We were at the NEC and very excitedly put a deposit down on a brand-new motorhome. We’re very excited. I’ve been looking into security and into safety and thinking about a dash cam. Now, I was looking online and dash cams often come with a rear camera as well. But of course on a motorhome, where do you put it? How do you power it? Is the lead long enough to get to the cigarette lighter at the front of the motorhome? This is something totally new to us, so any advice or information you have would be really helpful and useful. Thanks very much! We love your podcast. We watch all of them. It’s very entertaining and very informative. So thanks to both of you.
Keith Gooden: [00:10:34] Cheers, Ivo. I mispronounced it earlier on and I apologise for that.
Matt Sims: [00:10:40] I’m sure it’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.
Keith Gooden: [00:10:42] Okay. Answer?
Matt Sims: [00:10:44] Congratulations and welcome home. Can I just say that? Firstly, my advice would be hardwire the camera. Don’t use your cigarette socket or accessory socket, as Keith always corrects me, because it’s going to be far more secure and you’re not going to have any problems. And you can use that for something else if you want to. In terms of power at the back, you are going to need to run power from the cab because you want it fused properly. And I would run a dedicated wire from the front all the way underneath to the camera. I would consider maybe putting it by the number plate so it’s down low, looking back. That’s going to work if you want to put it at the top of the wall, because I’m assuming you’ve got no rear window and that’s the issue. Then you could, and that of course then means drilling the wall, which is going to put the cable into the cupboards at the back of the van or whatever the layout is at the back of the van. It might be a bathroom. I’m not sure. I would definitely get an auto electrician to do this. And someone who is used to working on motorhomes. Most would be used to fitting dash cams and rear cameras, but I would also consider not worrying about the rear camera unless you really want to record what’s going on behind you. A reversing camera is very useful to have, and it might be that it comes with one. But in terms of how to do this, I would be getting an auto electrician. I’m actually looking into this myself. I’m just going to put one in the windscreen, but I am still going to get it professionally fitted and wired in.
Keith Gooden: [00:12:08] Cheers, Ivo. Much appreciated. Andrew Bryant is in Butterley in Derbyshire. Hi Matt. We love the podcast and we have learned so much since we found it a year ago. Thank you to both of you. You make us smile and laugh. My question is can you comment – is this correct -the AHC will cease? What’s he talking about?
Matt Sims: [00:12:31] The animal health certificate.
Keith Gooden: [00:12:33] Right. He says April 2026 EU regulations will come into force regarding the non-commercial movement of pet animals. This will replace the current EU regulation, which includes a derogation, Article 27, permitting pets to enter the EU from third countries – which we are now since Brexit – using a pet passport instead of an animal health certificate. It’s technical, but if you’ve got a dog, you need to know.
Matt Sims: [00:13:03] It’s very true. Yeah, and this is being bandied around all over social media at the moment saying the pet passport’s coming back. And of course, Keir Starmer shook hands with EU Parliament to try and get the pet passport brought back in. The EU Parliament are indeed bringing in a new regulation. 576/2013 is going to be replaced, which was written pre-Brexit. The new one is 2016/429 if you want to research it. And it’s changing in Europe for us, bringing pets in for non-commercial reasons. But it’s important to point out, as we record this in January ’26, the rule is still being written, so there still may be some variables to this. I’ve been researching this for a talk I’m giving at the Manchester show, and maybe giving as well throughout the year. It is not the abolishment of the animal health certificate. That’s the first thing to point out. It is known as the Animal Health Law. And the current rule, as I say, was written pre-Brexit with pet passports being abolished post-Brexit. It doesn’t bring dramatic new pet rules but does bring tighter enforcement. So the authorities are going to be able to be clearer on defining the law, and there’s going to be far less room for error. It’s not, again, the abolishment of the pet passport or the animal health certificate, sorry, and the pet passport being reintroduced. The animal health certificate remains the core document for pet travel to the EU, and the April ’26 law update is a broader legal change that may tighten how documentation works for non-EU travellers, is what I’ve written here. So British pet owners should continue to rely on the animal health certificate and not a GP pet passport. Europeans can get a pet passport, which may be valid within Europe, and that is where some of this confusion is coming from. It doesn’t affect us in the UK as a third country, so I would continue with the animal health certificate. I will update this as the rule gets finished and the law gets written up. And once it comes into life in April ’26. So we will follow this closely.
Keith Gooden: [00:15:12] If it changes, it changes. But what Matt’s saying is it hasn’t changed at the moment. And so you need that animal health certificate. That’s the one you were talking about. And it’s not going to go back to the way it was before Brexit. So if you’re living thinking that, you are living in a complete dream world. It’s not ever going to go back to the way it was when we were part of the club and had free movement, and, you know, we all stuck to the same rules. It might be similar, but it’s not going to be the same.
Matt Sims: [00:15:40] It’s interesting that the EU Parliament are tightening up lots of rules. The trailer rule has been introduced as well. So there’s lots of enforcement being introduced, making it far easier for authorities there to nick you coming from Britain. And I think there’s all this vagary around lots of these rules. And the EU Parliament are working to tighten these all up.
Keith Gooden: [00:16:01] Well, thanks very much, Andrew, for that question. And as soon as we’ve got something definite to tell you, you’ll hear it and see it here. Clare Maxted got in touch with us.
Claire Maxted: [00:16:12] Hi, Matt. Love the podcast. I’m really keen to know which EV van you think I should buy that would make a good conversion for a campervan. I did listen with great glee to your episode on EV campervans, but it seemed to come to the conclusion that things weren’t quite there yet and the payload was too heavy. Now, all I want really in the back of mine is a bed and a cupboard. I tend to take a stove if I’m going to cook and I want space for bikes just to wheel them in there. I don’t want the normal setup with the whole kitchen and the bed across the back. So I used to own a T4 transporter. And I put that design in the back. I’m really keen to do the same thing. Now that I’ve got solar panels, I really want to make use of them. I’m also in the Green Runners as well. So it just wouldn’t look good if I got a massive gas-guzzling diesel vehicle. So yeah, I’m keen to look into buying just a normal EV van and decking it out myself. Which one would you recommend? Thank you very much. Oh, it’s Claire by the way!
Keith Gooden: [00:17:15] By cheers, Claire. Much appreciated. So she wants an EV van. She wants to convert it herself. Is it possible?
Matt Sims: [00:17:25] Of course it is. Yeah. Don’t be drilling the floor. That’d be my first bit of advice.
Keith Gooden: [00:17:29] That’s where they keep the batteries.
Matt Sims: [00:17:30] That’s right. Yeah, and you’re right. Your payload’s an issue, but you can drive a non-ICE vehicle. So what does ICE stand for?
Keith Gooden: [00:17:38] I don’t know, you tell me.
Matt Sims: [00:17:39] Internal combustion engine.
Keith Gooden: [00:17:40] Why didn’t you just say?
Matt Sims: [00:17:42] All the drugs! So you can drive one of those on a B licence up to 4250kg. So four and a quarter tons. That of course offsets the weight of the batteries, giving you more payload. That’s already been derogated into UK law – only, though, if it’s non-internal combustion, so electric. In this scenario, the big hero of the electric campervan has to be the ID. Buzz. But let’s face it, it’s too small.
Keith Gooden: [00:18:06] It’s a lot of money, isn’t it?
Matt Sims: [00:18:07] They are a load of money. Yeah, 80 grand, I think.
Keith Gooden: [00:18:10] That’s before you’ve done anything.
Matt Sims: [00:18:11] This is the big thing. If you’ve got the cash, then that may be an option. There’s a much cheaper option, which I’ll tell you about in a minute, but they are really small. But for one person with a pop roof or even without, it could work. And Claire’s expectations are pretty low in terms of what she wants in it. So that may be a consideration. We have exposed in the past the Farizon SV from China – an amazing van with no B-pillar. So you open the front passenger door and the side door and there’s no post.
Keith Gooden: [00:18:38] No, it’s all space.
Matt Sims: [00:18:39] It’s amazing. And the entrance is low on the side door. That’s a caveat. The back doors are full height. It is a bigger van, but I drove it, and it’s really lovely to drive. That might be too big. And again, you’re going to spend £50,000 on that van. But a range of 200 miles. So realistic. The other one that is really interesting is made by KIA and it’s called the PV5. It’s a people carrier. And I was watching a review of this on YouTube only a few weeks ago. It looks amazing. It is £35,000 brand new, fully kitted. And they are a very good-looking people carrier.
Keith Gooden: [00:19:14] So what was that again?
Matt Sims: [00:19:15] The KIA PV5.
Keith Gooden: [00:19:17] KIA PV5.
Matt Sims: [00:19:18] Are you going to buy one? What’s also interesting is I spoke to Paul Kirby, the electric van man, and you should definitely check him out, Claire, if you’ve not discovered him already. Paul has a YouTube channel and runs the EV cafe. Definitely need to go and check that out. And Paul’s passionate about electric vans, funnily enough. And Paul agreed with my suggestions, and he told me that KIA are making a campervan on the PV5, and I think it’s this year they are going to be bringing into the UK for the very first time a camper conversion on this brilliant electric chassis. And I said a long time ago, I think we’re going to see new brands on the front grilles of motorhomes and campervans, and here we go. We got the Forizon. Very keen. They’re having one converted at the moment into a campervan. And we’re going to see KIA doing what VW have done and Ford have done with the Nugget, building a campervan in their factory and presenting it to us. So I think it’s an exciting time and we are going to see electric campervans starting to appear – only small, but they are going to start appearing over the course of next 18 months, I think, if not sooner.
Keith Gooden: [00:20:19] There you go, Claire. Keep us posted, by the way. Now, me and Kat Bird are taking over this podcast. Next question. This is a long question and there is a note in there. Keith will not be happy. He likes short questions. I don’t like long questions!
Matt Sims: [00:20:36] True. You’re always crossing stuff out.
Keith Gooden: [00:20:38] Yeah. If I run out of breath, you can jump in.
Matt Sims: [00:20:41] I’ll take over.
Keith Gooden: [00:20:41] Tony’s in Halesworth. Hi, Matt. Great podcast. I have a 3.7 tonne motorhome and intend to travel to Slovenia through Austria. Does this mean a go box and deposit on entry to Austria? What’s a go box?
Matt Sims: [00:20:57] So it’s like a toll. It goes in your windscreen to pay for the toll automatically.
Keith Gooden: [00:21:00] Yeah, automatically. So you can just drive through it then. So on entry to Austria then hand it back on exit. A Slovenian go box and deposit at their border, hand back on exit from Slovenia. Then another Austrian go box and deposit for a return journey. So he’s saying one for driving through Slovenia. And that one back when I cross the border. Get an Austrian one when I go into Austria. Am I right there?
Matt Sims: [00:21:25] That’s right.
Keith Gooden: [00:21:25] But can I hang on to the Austrian go box for use on the return trip, assuming I will not get charged by Austria for mileage in Slovenia? Or is it practical to avoid the use of go boxes in both countries in a large 3.7 tonne motorhome by driving just minor roads? And that’s when he says, apologies for the length of the question. Keith will not be happy. He likes short questions.
Matt Sims: [00:21:50] We got to the end. Well done, Tony. You’ve achieved more than I often do with this script.
Keith Gooden: [00:21:55] Confused? You will be. So, Matt?
Matt Sims: [00:21:58] It is a great question. I have not driven in Slovenia or Austria for some years. In fact, I don’t remember having a go box when we were there, so maybe it was before. But a great friend of the podcast, Wandering Bird, aka Kat, has been there many times. So I sent your question to Kat, Tony, and this is what she had to say.
Kat Bird: [00:22:22] Hey Matt, it’s Kat from Wandering Bird. Let’s answer your question. So yes, you’ll need two go boxes, one for Austria and one for Slovenia. You don’t need to hand the Austrian one back whilst you’re in Slovenia. The cameras only pick up the go box for their own country, so it’s not done by mileage. It’s done when you pass under the gantries that have got the specific go box recognition system on them. There are plenty of people who travel back and forth between the countries with both boxes on board, so you don’t need to worry about that. Now, when you get the boxes, you may be able to register for postpaid, which is basically pay as you go, but I have heard that many tourists aren’t eligible for this, so you will need to pre-load them with credit. You can drop them back in on your way home, and you will get your credit back within a couple of weeks. Or you can choose to keep the boxes if you think you might head that way in the future. There is no need to hand them back in. I don’t recommend avoiding the main road entirely, especially with a larger vehicle. Some of the roads can be very narrow, and it will take you a lot longer to get anywhere. And there are also some sections of the road in Austria that charge additional tolls. Now, a go box will cover most of these, unlike a standard vignette, but if you choose to drive a specific mountain pass like the Grossglockner, then there will be an additional charge to pay at the tollbooth that isn’t covered on the go box. Hope that helps!
Keith Gooden: [00:23:40] And it got even more complicated.
Matt Sims: [00:23:45] Lots of tolls. This is the nature of driving in Europe. I remember some of the tolls in Austria and the route the cap mentions. Thanks ever so much for that, Kat. Dosed up with Sudafed at home, not feeling well at all. So thank you, Kat. Appreciate your insight.
Keith Gooden: [00:23:58] Get well soon.
Matt Sims: [00:23:59] Get well soon from all of us here.
Keith Gooden: [00:24:01] Daniel’s in Ruislip and he has asked a question of you, Matt, about cab windows. And he’s steaming.
Daniel: [00:24:09] I rent my motorhome Bessacarr E435 out as an Airbnb on my drive. It’s actually going rather well for tourists visiting London. Three quick questions to ask you, though. Sometimes if I have a longer rental, I notice that the cab windows are kind of steaming up Titanic moment style. I’m just wondering, are there any dehumidifiers, mechanical ones, rather than the little kind of drip trays you featured on your show before that you would recommend to keep the moisture levels down? Second question is the layout on the E435 is a bit weird. When you have the dinette double bed out, it takes away the walkway and you can’t have the ladder to the double overcab bed. So just wondered, are there any good half ladders available rather than foldable ones? And the third question is are there any wireless fresh water gauges? Because when I fill the water up, I just have to wait to hear it overflowing. And I’d love an app where I could you know, track the level. Anyway, thank you very, very much. Love the podcast. It’s really, really good. I’ve learned a lot already, and I’ll keep listening. And I’ll listen out to see if you answer my questions. Thanks, Matt.
Keith Gooden: [00:25:26] These young people, they want an app for everything, don’t they, Matt?
Matt Sims: [00:25:30] I’m sure Daniel’s very pleased that you called him young. He didn’t say how old he was.
Keith Gooden: [00:25:34] So steamy windows, half ladders and his wireless freshwater gauge.
Matt Sims: [00:25:38] Yeah, that’s a good idea. Let’s start with the steamy windows. So what a great idea renting out your motorhome as an Airbnb but keeping it on your drive.
Keith Gooden: [00:25:45] If you parked it in Kensington, you could flog it for £2.5 million as a flat.
Matt Sims: [00:25:49] He probably could. It’s cheaper than any other house. So I would suggest you start with fitting a silver screen to it on the outside, and that’s going to help stop the condensation build up on the on the windscreen. What’s interesting, and we’ve discussed this before, is that we generate about a litre of water in eight hours while we sleep. And you contest this.
Keith Gooden: [00:26:09] I didn’t contest it.
Matt Sims: [00:26:11] You said no, we don’t.
Keith Gooden: [00:26:12] I laughed, I didn’t contest it.
Matt Sims: [00:26:13] Anyway, I felt contested.
Keith Gooden: [00:26:17] Did you? I’m sorry. I’m sorry about that.
Matt Sims: [00:26:19] But we generate as humans about half to one litre of water in eight hours while we’re sleeping, which I find incredible. And that has to go somewhere and normally ends up on the windscreen. Given that you’re hooked up on the drive or on the drive, can you hook it up with a power cable and therefore put a mechanical dehumidifier in it, which will run quietly in the background through the night? Or blast it in the morning and get all that condensation out of the motorhome when people wake up. That may be the answer. In terms of the layout, this is a compromise. You’re right. The overcab bed becomes inaccessible when you make the dinette into a bed. There’s always a compromise with the layout in this particular one. That is it, a half ladder. You’ll probably have to make one. I’d be very careful about resting a ladder on the cushions, because when you stand on it, it’s going to sink. So make sure if you do make one, it’s long enough so that you’re not hanging on it like Tarzan swinging around in the motorhome and getting injured. So I’d be very cautious about that. I don’t know where you can buy one. Fiamma do make ladders aftermarket. There may be others as well. You’d probably get one on Temu, but it’d be about three inches long. Fiamma do make them, but whether they make one short enough – you’d have to look. And the world’s best first-world problem.
Keith Gooden: [00:27:34] I need an app, so I don’t overflow my water tank.
Matt Sims: [00:27:38] A wireless water level app.
Keith Gooden: [00:27:39] Yeah.
Matt Sims: [00:27:40] What a great idea.
Keith Gooden: [00:27:41] It is a great idea.
Matt Sims: [00:27:42] For something I never knew I needed. Yeah, but no is the answer. I don’t know, but you know what? With AI, I reckon someone can make one very easily.
Keith Gooden: [00:27:53] Well, I’m thinking about people who make wine, you know? And you have those things which measure specific – is there not something that you can pop in when you’re pouring the water in that’s got a float in it so that comes to the top?
Matt Sims: [00:28:05] I’m sure there is. I’m sure there is, yes. But I don’t know of one.
Keith Gooden: [00:28:09] But not an app.
Matt Sims: [00:28:09] Sorry, Daniel. I reckon speak to an AI person and they’ll write you an app. And it would be a really simple little circuit board.
Keith Gooden: [00:28:18] I mean, you came up with the Pathway 4G, didn’t you?
Matt Sims: [00:28:21] I mean, that wasn’t me. That was the whole team. But yes, you could definitely get something made, I’m sure. But like the Pathway 4G, it’s probably going to cost a fortune to R&D because a lot of money went into that at the beginning. That’s the challenge. And you probably have to buy a thousand of them if you’re going to bring them in from Asia. So yeah, what a what a brilliant non-question that is.
Keith Gooden: [00:28:43] Thanks for listening, Daniel. Thanks for watching. We much appreciate it. I’m sorry for taking the mickey a bit. By the way, what sort of motorhome did Tarzan have?
Matt Sims: [00:28:51] I’ve no idea.
Keith Gooden: [00:28:51] Oh right. Because you did mention him there.
Matt Sims: [00:28:54] I’ve no idea. A T and J?
Keith Gooden: [00:28:56] Thanks for all your questions. Now, Matt, you’ve mentioned this NordVPN thing a few times. What’s the deal with it? Why do you have to have it in a motorhome?
Matt Sims: [00:29:06] Well, imagine this – I’m parked up on a site in Italy with a beautiful view, slow public Wi-Fi, and I’m trying to sort a booking and I suddenly think anyone could be snooping on this connection. And that’s where NordVPN comes in. I use it every time I’m online in the van, right?
Keith Gooden: [00:29:24] But for us non-techie types, what is a VPN actually doing?
Matt Sims: [00:29:30] Okay, so it’s like a secure tunnel for your internet traffic. So whether you’re on a sketchy campsite network or a coffee shop hotspot, it keeps your data encrypted. No one can see what you’re doing, not even the Wi-Fi provider.
Keith Gooden: [00:29:44] It sounds like the sort of thing you don’t realise you need until it’s too late.
Matt Sims: [00:29:49] Exactly. Yeah, and NordVPN also lets you access UK websites when you’re abroad, so I can still watch normal TV and get into my accounts like I’m back at home.
Keith Gooden: [00:30:00] And how about setting one up?
Matt Sims: [00:30:02] Tap on the app. Easy. That’s it. It runs in the background. You don’t even notice.
Keith Gooden: [00:30:06] It sounds great. So where do people find it?
Matt Sims: [00:30:09] Just go to www.nordvpn.com/motorhomematt. You get four extra months free on the two-year plan, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Keith Gooden: [00:30:21] The link is in the episode description.
Matt Sims: [00:30:23] It is. Don’t wait until your data has been pinched. Just go and get it sorted.
Keith Gooden: [00:30:29] So, Matt, how do people get in touch?
Matt Sims: [00:30:31] We’d love it if you did, whatever the question is, head to mhmp.info/askmatt. You can record it by hitting the orange button. Please remember to tell us where you are. We’d love to know where you’re listening or watching. Or you can fill in the form and we’ll read it for you.
Keith Gooden: [00:30:45] And if you’re looking for trusted brands and services, then make sure you visit the Motorhome Matt Approved directory. It’s at mhmp.info/approved.
Matt Sims: [00:30:55] And if you’re listening, remember to follow on your favourite podcast app. Or if you’re watching, click subscribe and that little bell.
Keith Gooden: [00:31:05] 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.
