<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt podcast…
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
We level up with air suspension from Airide.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Plus we bring you more Christmas gift ideas.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
We answer your questions on addresses when living full time in a motorhome, using grey water to flush and insecure loads whilst driving.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Industry insights and expert advice for the world of motorhomes, caravans and campervans, and it’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Now remember, please do follow on your favourite podcast app. And if you’re watching on YouTube, please, would you hit subscribe? It really helps the algorithm. Brought to you by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.
<h2>Product of the week</h2>
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
First of all, it’s our Christmas gift ideas – every week, up until the big day!
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Just before that – you’ve kind of got half of my shirt.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
You mean your BBC shirt? Small checks?
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Well, you’d know!
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Yeah, I’ve got the stripes and you’ve got the checks.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
We’re nearly matching. I love it.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
We are two table cloths.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Right. Come on. I’m reaching for my sack.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Oh yes! If you’re listening… Christmas gift ideas. And first of all, we’ve got…
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
This is a new range of product from Solbio. Now, we talk a lot about toilet chemical here on the Motorhome Matt podcast, and we love Solbio toilet chemical. If you’ve not tried it, go and check it out. There’s lots of content from us on it. And they have launched, finally, these new products, and they’re here. And we have got all of the UK stock of this product here at www.thatleisureshop.com.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Those three?
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Well, it’s three products! We’ve got boxes of each of them, not one of each. Now, the big one that’s been long awaited is the fresh water tank cleaner. It’s one shot. So whatever size water tank you’ve got, just pour that in. The instructions are on the bottle.
It cleans and sterilises your fresh water system. Really good. We’ve been using this at home to test it. This is their surface cleaner, and it says on the bottle, made with love. I wonder what went in there. It’s kitchen and bathroom cleaner, and it does clean and sanitise.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Put it over here.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
I’ll tell you what, it’s really, really good. In fact, I’ve got to take that one home, because Mrs. Motorhome Matt has run out. Obviously she doesn’t do all the cleaning. And this new one from them as well is their version of black streak remover.
All environmentally friendly, super products. Really good and great to see Solbio innovating and bringing some new products to the market. All of them will be released across Europe in the new year, but we’ve got them here in the UK right now.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Now, the range starts at £9.99 depending on what you buy. We’ll give you details of how you can save some more money. But first of all, Ddipp!
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Here it is. I’ve got a Ddipp rope.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
It’s spelled D-d-i-p-p, by the way.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
I’m not going to put it all the way on. This is a bright orange beach robe with removable sleeves made entirely of recycled plastic. 90 plastic bottles went into making this Ddipp rope. Even the zips are recycled. They are incredible, tested to 10,000 millimeters of waterproofness. I’m going to hold it up for you.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
You can hear it!
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
It’s so soft inside. We love sitting out by the van of an evening. They’re great for trudging to the shower blocks in the morning or late at night. Jude goes walking the dog in hers. I’ve not gone as far as going shopping in the supermarket inmine, but they are wonderful. They’re a UK company, Mark and Melissa. Lovely couple behind it. We love ours.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
When you go into the shower block in it, are you nudie underneath?
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Only when I walk back to the van, but don’t tell anyone. Do you know what? There’s something really liberating about that.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
I don’t want to know.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Honestly! Anyway, I’m going to put everything back in my sack.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Ddipp robes are from £120. Here’s a good one. This applies to the Solbio and the Ddipp – you can get 10% off with the code MOTORHOMEMATT, all one word. Go to www.thatleisureshop.com/gifts, and if you buy the Ddipp robe, that’s £12 off immediately.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
That’s the junior size. There’s no VAT on kids’ clothes, you see, so they’re cheaper.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Absolutely. Get on, get those Christmas presents, and we’ll see you on the other side.
<h2>What is air suspension on a motorhome?</h2>
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. I’m Keith Gooden.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Our main topic of conversation this week is air suspension, Matt.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Indeed. We’re delighted to welcome onto the Motorhome Matt Approved directory Airide. Now, many of you will be familiar with Gary and his team, and they are specialists at fitting air suspension to the rear of your motorhome. And Gary pointed out to me that on our motorhome, its leaf springs were horizontal, and of course, they should have a smile shape going up at either end to give them some spring.
Now, we talk a lot about payload here on the Motorhome Matt podcast, and often a way to up plate your motorhome – giving it more payload – is to fit airbags. This is one of the businesses that do that. I’m delighted to have Airide on the Motorhome Matt Approved directory, because we absolutely love ours.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Those are the goods and services that Matt puts his name behind. He stands by them. More details on how you can see the full list a little bit later on.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Indeed. So we fitted them to our Adria Twin. And people say, “Why have you bothered doing that, Matt? It’s only a six meter van.” What a game changer. We have a tow bar on our Adria Twin. It’s a six meter little van, and we tow a big box trailer with it. I’ve towed a car with it in the past, and all sorts. And the Airide suspension has put the smile back in my suspension.
And by that, I mean it’s made the ends curl back up, giving it some spring. And what a game changer. It’s amazing. I can adjust the pressure of it while I’m driving along with a little button. I can inflate it, or I can let the air out of them, and it’s totally transformed the ride. Absolutely brilliant.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
You spoke to Gary Huckin from Airide.
<h2>Why do motorhomes need air suspension?</h2>
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
I want to talk about Airide with you, because you are the expert on this. It seems like a daft question, but tell us, what is it? What is air suspension?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
So air suspension is air bags that we put on the rear of the vehicle. You can have them on the front, but we’ll just talk about the rear where you’ve got leaf springs and you’ve got a bump stop. Very often on motorhomes, leaf springs are low and nearly flat.
Okay? So they’re really close to the bump stop. So as you go along, they’re hitting the bump stop. So we remove the bump stop and we put the airbag in it to lift the back of your van up and make it more comfortable, more stable when you’re driving.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
They are essentially inflatable black rubber bags, one inside each bit of the suspension at the back. Can you put them on the front as well?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
You can put them on front. There are systems for the front, but then you’ve got to change all the actual shock absorbers and springs and everything.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Your system at Airide is just the bags for the back. As you always say to me, it’s Airide with one R. Noted. So the bags go in the back, and you’ve put it on our van. And you commented to me that our suspension was flat. The leaf springs were horizontal.
And of course, they shouldn’t be. They should be a smile, I say. And what you’ve actually managed to do there by putting the bag in is lift the van up and put the smile back into the suspension. You made it curve again like a smile.
Of course, that’s given us a load of spring back in our suspension, and it has transformed the ride, I have to say. And your system, it comes with a little compressor as well, and two little buttons you can control the bags with individually.
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
You can let the right side down or the left hand side, so you get an element of leveling from the bags.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
And there’s a deflation button too. And I have to say, it’s quite entertaining playing with it when you’re driving along. It’s it’s my new favourite thing to do. And you’re right. You can level it. Our drive is on a slope, and I’ve filled the bag so we’ve got them up to pretty much their max just to see what would happen.
It’s raised the back up, and the van is pretty much level without having to drive on any ramps. It’s brilliant. But why, other than leveling up then, making your suspension springy, why would I fit it? What’s the benefit of fitting it?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
In a van conversion like you have when you drive along, if they’re flat and you’re hitting bumps, you’ll hear it bounce and go all the way through the van. So you’ve got your fridge, you cooker, all your bits and pieces rattling and bouncing about, which isn’t very nice. In a normal van you’ve got, like, a plate behind you.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Like a delivery van?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
You’ve got something behind you.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
The bulkhead.
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
Exactly, yeah. So you’re not hearing all the noises of the van going on behind you. When you’re in a campervan, you can hear everything that’s going on behind you. When you’ve just got normal suspension it’s banging and clattering. It’s not very nice. With the air suspension it takes away all the noise and all the vibration that’s going on.
On top of that, you’ve got more stable control when you’re going around roundabouts. You’re not tipping in so much. When you’ve got the big campervans, the big motorhomes, they’re taller, so they’re actually catching the wind. So as you go along, you’re getting the swaying without the airbags on there. Once you’ve got your airbags in there, it’s not swaying so much. So it’s a lot more stable and controlled.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
So you kind of lose the roll.
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
Yeah, exactly.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
I have to say, going around roundabouts now with the bags full of air, our van is way more stable. In fact, many years ago, we had an Adria Matrix Supreme, it was called. It was a nearly eight meter long motorhome built on a Renault Master, and that had airbags in the back as well.
A very similar system, although it didn’t have the compressor in. We had to pump it with a foot pump, which was a bit annoying. But that transformed the ride. In terms of going around roundabouts and so on, it made it really, really stable.
So I get the benefit of doing that, then. So it improves the ride, helps you level it up. But is this a key part then to up plating as well? So I want to make my motorhome carry more payload, and I want to change its weight with the DVLA. Does your kit enable me to do that?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
It does. Ours is approved for that. In many cases, not every case, but in many cases, you do need air suspension on your vehicle to allow you to upgrade the weight. Again, I would go to other people to deal with that.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
I always recommend people like SvTech. And they recognise your system, do they?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
They recognise this system. It’s all type approved with them. It’s not a problem. The bags that we actually use are Sabo bags, and they supply the heavy goods industry. They’re number one for the aftermarket.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
So a proven product in the market.
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
That’s why we go with them. That’s why we use them. We try to use the best products out there that we can use at the time.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
So what do you say to people, then, who will go and buy this kit on eBay? I know somebody who did exactly this. I mean, it was £500 to buy the hardware, the bags, the pipes, and he fitted it himself. Can I do that?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
If you really want to do that, you can do that.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
I don’t want to do that! But there are people out there who say, “Well, I’ll fit it myself. How hard can it be?”
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
I would advise against that. How many people change their own air filters in their vehicle? You know, how many real mechanics are there out there? I’m always the person who says, if you want your electrics doing, you go to an electrician. If you want your plumbing doing, you go to a plumber. They know what they’re doing. There’s so much on the internet now where people say, “Oh, I can change this, and I can do that. It’s dead easy.” Yes, it is straightforward.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
The University of YouTube.
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
Exactly. It is straightforward, and yes, somebody with half a brain can fit their own. However, you don’t know the quality of the bags that you’re buying. Normally with the kits that you’re buying, you have to remove parts of the suspension that’s already fitted to the van. This begs questions – does that affect your warranty?
Taking parts out could keep the axel in line. You know, the U bolts we believe are a one time use, so you should be replacing them if you’re going to do that. There’s a lot more to it than just undoing a bolt, watching a YouTube channel and taking off a bump stop to fit all the bagging.
I’ve had many people come up to me when we’ve been at the outdoor shows saying to me, “Oh, yeah, I’ve got this system and it doesn’t work. It does this and does that.” “What system have you got? Who’s fitted it?” “Oh, well, I fitted it.” “Where’d you get it from?” “Off the internet.”
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
It’s when it goes wrong, isn’t it? That’s when the issues come. Okay, so I get it. So obviously you do fit them. So you’re always going to say, let me fit them! But word to the wise, it’s not as straightforward as you might think, and I can vouch for that. That’s true. Now, you’ve got two systems that you fit – Comfort and Comfort Plus, is that right? What’s the difference between the two?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
Basically, it’s only really the bags that are different. We have a standard bag, which is a smaller bag. It’s got less bearing, so it’s only point eight of a tonne per bag, the extra it can carry, whereas the bigger bags are 1.4 tonnes per bag. So it’s a good difference. The bigger bags have got a bump stop built into them. So if there is a need to run it as flat as possible, or if you want to get the height down for any reason…
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
I was going to ask you that. So you take the bump stop off. What’s the impact of leaving a bag completely empty or letting all the air out? What have I done to the van?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
In general, even with the standard bags, you’ve just reverted back to pretty much a bump stop, but you’ve got the bag in there, which would be your bump stop. With the bigger bags, you’ve actually got a bump stop built in there, so it’s much better.
The other benefit of the bigger bags is, because it’s a bigger bag, you’re running a lower pressure, but you’re getting more comfort, because the back is allowed to move. Whereas with the smaller bag, to get where it needs to be, it makes it a bit more stiff.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
So on that, I just want to ask you about this as well, because what people often ask me is, “Should you leave the bag for any length of time at zero pressure or full pressure?” What’s best practice in terms of looking after the bags? It’s rubber, so I presume it degrades over time. How can I make sure mine lasts longer?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
They’re designed to run with air in them, like a car tyre.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
So is it okay to totally deflate them?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
I would say yes, but preferably we’d just rather have you leave it where it needs to be, just with air in it.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
And what’s the optimum pressure, or does that vary from van to van?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
It varies from van to van, and it varies from bag to bag. With our standard bags, you can be running around about two and a half bar. With our comfort plus bags you can be running at two bar. So you’ve got a bit of a difference there. We always say to our customers, just leave what you’d normally run it at in there.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Leave it be. Now, one of the benefits for us of having this system on our van is hitching up our trailer. So we do all the shows with you, as we did together last year. Hitching up the trailer means we can raise and lower the tow hitch now, to make it easier to hitch the trailer up.
But also, though, with the weight on the back of the van, it’s a game changer for the suspension, because it’s got the airbags on. And I guess that’s the same whatever you’re towing, whether it’s a car on a trailer or a caravan. I guess the airbag makes a big difference there.
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
It makes a big difference, because the thing is, where the back of your van now is in line and true, and it’s not wobbling, it’s not moving about – in effect, if that’s moving, it’s like the ripple effect on whatever you’re towing.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Into the trailer. Yeah.
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
So it eliminates all that. When you’re hitting bumps in the van, it’s not so violent on the towbar, which, again, is going to go through the trailer or the caravan or car, whatever you’re towing.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
No, very true. So Gary, then – the big question is, what does it cost?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
My system costs for the Comfort Plus – that’s what we’re talking about, the Comfort Plus kit – it’s £1,495. That’s fully fitted. That’s us coming to your house and doing it. If you want us to come to you, we can come to you. You can come to us.
But we don’t mind coming and doing it on your driveway or at your storage compound. We even go to dealers’ places and do it before the customer picks that van up. So it’s already on there. That’s all in with the price of £1,495.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Is that national? Is that throughout the whole of the UK?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
Throughout the whole of the UK.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Amazing. Now, there is a special Motorhome Matt discount available. We’re delighted that Airide are Motorhome Matt Approved, and you can find out more about that at mhmp.info/airide. Remember, one R! But Gary, what is this special offer that people can get? There’s a big saving to be had.
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
A big saving – we offer it for £1,295.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
So £200 off! Just use the code MOTORHOMEMATT and save £200 on your air suspension. This is the man, the expert in bags. What do you have on the back of your T-shirts when you’re walking around the shows? Have you got it on today? If you’re listening, Gary’s now turning around. Here we go – “If your back end sags, fit our bags.” Now you know!
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
Can I also just add – we do offer a lifetime warranty with our system.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
And is that transferable if I sell my motorhome? Does the next owner get that warranty?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
The next customer, whoever you sell it to – from the time that we fit it for 24 months, you can offer whatever’s left of that 24 months to whoever buys a van off you. After the 24 months, there’s no transferring. But for you, it’s lifetime.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Brilliant. There we are. I did not know that. Well, Gary, thank you so much. It’s been great having your bags on the back of our van. Just to unpick a bit more about why you would bother with air suspension, I do have one last question.
If all these motorhomes have got this issue with the leaf spring, where it’s horizontal, because the motorhome’s permanently at weight – it’s not a van, is it, being emptied and going light and then being loaded and being heavy, it’s permanently at weight. Why aren’t manufacturers fitting this at the factory?
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
That’s a question for them.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Obviously, yeah!
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
I don’t know, really.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Well, thank goodness for you they’re not!
<h5>Gary Huckin</h5>
Thank goodness for me, they’re not. Yeah, because we would be out of a job, wouldn’t we? I think it comes down to extra weight, extra price, extra time on the builds. I think it’s just a lot of extras that manufacturers don’t want to do.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
There are some manufacturers that do offer it as a factory fit as optional, cost option, as an extra. Certainly I can commend getting Airide onto your motorhome or campervan. Ours is only an Adria Twin, and it’s small. It’s not terribly heavy. It’s three and a half tonnes, but it has absolutely made a complete difference to the van and the ride. So thank you very much!
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
So Matt, if your back end sags, get Gary’s bags!
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
They do actually walk around the shows with T-shirts on that say that on the back. I love it. So clever. But yeah, absolutely right. If you’re thinking you want to up plate your motorhome, then fitting airbags is a way to help you do that.
But if you just want to improve your ride, then fit them. Go and look at your leaf springs. If you’ve got a Peugeot, Fiat or Citroen van, I guarantee they’re probably horizontal. And now, all over the country, there are thousands of people on their knees under the back of their motorhome looking at their leaf springs. And by fitting airbags to it, you push the motorhome up and put that spring back into your leafs. Brilliant. Absolute game changer, as I say.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
And how do you save £200 as well?
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Gary is kindly offering listeners of the Motorhome Matt podcast a £200 discount when you contact them. Just say, “Motorhome Matt,” and Gary will give you £200 off your kit. Amazing.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
That sounds good to me. You can find Airide’s contact details and details of that big discount at mhmp.info/airide. Get your £200 discount – that is a great deal.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
It is brilliant. Thanks, Gary.
<h2>Audience Q&A</h2>
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast with me, Keith Gooden.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
And me, Motorhome Matt.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Time for the Q & A, the questions and answers. If Matt doesn’t know the answer, he’ll ask someone who jolly well does. First of all, Stephen’s in Devon.
<h5>Stephen</h5>
Just wondering, my lover, if you live all the time in your motorhome, do you have to register it with the DVLA at a certain address? I wouldn’t know where to start. Thank you.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Well, there you go. That’s a fruity little accent. I wonder if he puts his cream on first or his jam on first.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Are you sure he’s from Devon?
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Says he is.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Well, Stephen, my lover – love the accent, absolutely brilliant. I’m not sure if it’s a wind-up or it’s true.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
It’s a wind-up.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Do you think? Well, registering when you live full time in your van is really important, and the DVLA, they want you to register at a fixed address. So you can get virtual addresses, but the DVLA consider them to be unacceptable.
So my advice would be, start with family or friends. Get registered at their address and stay on the electoral roll, because this is going to have a positive impact on your credit rating. And keep a bank account as well. Banking needs a physical address.
So these official documents, things like your driving licence, a V5, banking and so on want and do prefer a physical address. So family and friends, they’re going to be the answer, or you may be able to pay a neighbour if you can use their address, and they’ll then collect up all your post and send it on to you wherever you are.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Cheers, Stephen in Devon. Why do pirates sound so happy? Because they arrr! Keith – don’t know where he is. Don’t know a surname, just Keith. That’s all we need.
<h5>Keith</h5>
Hello to Matt and Keith. My name is Keith as well. My wife calls me Campervan Keith. I’ve just taken part delivery of an Elddis CV40. It occurs to me that there is a lot of fresh water used in flushing the toilet. I was wondering, is there any modifications at all on any campervans that could be done so you can use the grey water to flush the toilet?
I realise you’d have to filter the water first, but it just occurs to me that it would make a better use of the grey water instead of just flushing it away first. Okay, if you can help me, thank you very much!
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
What do you reckon, then, Matt?
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
I’ve never heard of doing that before. That’s actually a very good idea. I think. I mean, it’s essentially spitting down the toilet, isn’t it, because you’ve brushed your teeth in it, and then it becomes grey water. I don’t know of any modification that’s sold that would do this officially, but I imagine it’s a modification you could do.
You would need to draw the wastewater out of the tank via its own pump into the flush, and as you say, via some kind of filtration system. That filter is going to get pretty blocked pretty quick, because the waste tank is carrying soap, which is really sticky, and waste food where you’ve washed up, toothpaste and so on. It’s co- a co-g- a cogaggulant? What’s the word I’m thinking of?
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
A coagulant.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
That’s the word. Can you spell it?
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Yes.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
So I don’t know of a solution for it. But yeah, it could be done. And why not? I’d say the simpler route, if you really were going to be wastewater conscious, is to put some sort of reciprocal under the exit of the waste tank, drain it off, and then just use that and pour that via a jug around your toilet, into the cassette. But no, it’s a good idea. Why not?
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Yeah, homes have sometimes used grey water, you know, rain water from water butts to fill their toilet cisterns with, to flush them. So it’s taking that sort of path.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
But I guess rainwater is a bit different, isn’t it, because rain water is just water, whereas grey water in your motorhome, as I say, it does contain stuff.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
But rain water is nonpotable, isn’t it? You can’t drink it. It’s not drinking water. It’s still dirty.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Is it?
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Yeah, yeah.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Have you never when it’s raining put your head in the air and looked up and opened your mouth?
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Have you ever drunk a pint of water out of a water butt?
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
No. True. I haven’t.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
I told you the story of when I did the windscreen washers in the car years ago, and I didn’t have much time. I just took some water off from the water butt and filled up the windscreen wipers in my car. And about two days later, the stink was unbelievable, as the bacteria started to grow.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Stagnant water. Are you sure it was that? It wasn’t just you in the car?
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
No, it wasn’t. It’s a different type of smell. All right. Kev’s in Newcastle upon Tyne. “Regarding the question of securing a table from a previous episode, certainly with campervans, surely they are classed as a van, and not only tables, but all items come under insecure load.”
“The majority of bulkheads have been removed, exposing people up front to all items in the van. I personally would always make sure all items are secure, especially after working with someone who drives an HGV, and after leaving the road, an unsecure microwave and kettle hit him, causing injury. Loving the podcast.” Cheers, Kev. Well, he’s right, but a table is very flat. It takes your nut off, doesn’t it?
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
Yes, very dangerous if it was to fly forward. There is a video on YouTube of a motorhome in a crash test. I can’t remember who did it. I think it might have been Bailey, but it’s a very frightening video.
I tell you what, I would not want to be in that motorhome when that thing hit the wall. It is scary. All the cameras set up inside – the stuff is just flying around everywhere. And I must admit, I saw it years ago when my kids were quite young, and they’re traveling along in our American motorhome.
And we had loads of stuff in it, loads of furniture in it, and I’m thinking, blimey… you know, it made me think twice about what we were doing, and certainly made me strap them in properly. So we travel at the moment with a portable power pack, which is a big, heavy block. It was loose in the back. Not anymore.
And your questions made me revisit this. And we do strap it down and secure it properly so that in an accident it doesn’t fly forward. It’s why dogs have to be clipped in, you know, because they can cause more injuries to you in an accident thannot. So, you know, making sure that loose objects are secure. That’s what it’s all about. The DVLA classification is irrelevant. It’s just about being sensible and safe.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Motorhome Matt’s fascinating facts made me drop my pen there. Did you see?
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
I heard it. You just threw it away. “I’ve had enough!”
<h2>Ask Matt</h2>
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Now, if somebody ask you a question, what should they do?
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
We’d love it if you did. I guarantee if you’ve got a question, there are thousands of people who also have the same question, so please ask it. Just go to mhmp.info/askmatt. You can record it, and we’d love it if you did, and if you told us where in the world you are when you do. So just hit the orange button. You can listen back before you press submit, so you make sure you’re happy with it, or fill in the form, and Keith and I will read it out for you.
<h5>Keith Gooden</h5>
Unlike Keith, who didn’t tell us anything apart from his name, even if it’s just the country you’re speaking from, that would be a help. Now, 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.
<h5>Matt Sims</h5>
And if you’re watching on YouTube, please hit subscribe and click that little bell. And our YouTube channel is sponsored by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.
