Keith Gooden
Welcome back to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden. And here’s the man who puts ‘Pert,’ in expert – it’s Motorhome Matt Sims!
Matt Sims
You’re the ‘Ex,’ in expert. It’s nice to see you. Welcome back.
Keith Gooden
Thank you very much. Good to see you as well. In today’s episode, we’re talking in depth about habitation checks on your motorhome and why you should have one.
The Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show 2023
Keith Gooden
First of all, let’s plunge into the news, shall we, Matt? The Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show starts tomorrow.
Matt Sims
I know. Yes, we’re on site tomorrow. It’s exciting. We’re there en masse as well. There’s about a dozen of us going. We have various stands for our shop, That Leisure Shop, plus the podcast team are there. I’m there with Maddie and Jordan and we’ll be doing a number of interviews throughout the week. Come and say hi on our stand as well in Hall Four. Jude’s on the stand all week, bless her. She’ll be holding the fort.
Keith Gooden
It will be fantastic to see you there. Are tickets still available?
Matt Sims
There are some tickets available. There’s a code as well. If you’ve not bought your ticket yet, use the code MATT at the ticket checkout. The website for tickets is www.ccmshow.co.uk.
Keith Gooden
You’re in the advice centre, aren’t you?
Matt Sims
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you’re coming to the show then, come to the advice centre in Hall Five. And if you’ve got a question, you can ask me face-to-face. Come and say hi anyway. There are people in the advice centre throughout the week and I’m there Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Keith Gooden
And it’s advice about motorhomes and camping and caravanning, not general advice.
Matt Sims
About that horrible rash!
Keith Gooden
Or your love life! And how should people get in touch?
Matt Sims
So you can do that at our website, www.motorhomematt.co.uk. In fact, you can submit a question there as well. Add /askmatt. If you’ve got a question for me while I’m at the show, then you can submit it there as well.
But can we ask a favour? Please, if you’re listening on Apple or Spotify, would you leave us a review? It takes only a few seconds to leave a five star review and a comment as well. We love reading those. It really helps spread the awareness of the podcast. And if you are watching on YouTube, then leave a comment there as well. We love to get them. Thank you.
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. And if, by the way, you’re recording a question for us to use on the podcast, tell us your name, please, and where you’re from. We do like to know where you’re from. That would be very handy, wouldn’t it?
Matt Sims
It’s really interesting to know where people live, and then we try and work out where they are as well.
Keith Gooden
That website, one more time for those tickets for the show which starts tomorrow at the NEC is www.ccmshow.co.uk. And the code that you put in to get your discount is…
Matt Sims
MATT.
Keith Gooden
MATT. And we will see you there.
Why does my motorhome need a habitation check?
Keith Gooden
Right, then – the meat of the podcast. The potatoes of the podcast! Habitation checks!
Matt Sims
I thought you were going to say the vegetables of the podcast.
Keith Gooden
That’s you and me.
Matt Sims
Yes! Habitation checks.
Keith Gooden
Why do I need one? Why should I do one? What possible advantage is there in it for me? It’s going to cost me money.
Matt Sims
I’m afraid often it does cost you money unless you’ve done a deal with the dealer whether you get them for free. The main benefit of one is really peace of mind. This is about safety checking your motorhome or caravan and making sure that it’s operating safely and as it should. Not only is stuff going to get noted that may be broken, but you’re going to maintain the warranty on the vehicle.
If it’s a new motorhome or caravan and it’s got a manufacturer warranty on it, then you have to have one every year to maintain that warranty, particularly around water ingress. Now, many manufacturers have a 10-year water ingress or damp warranty on the vehicle.
Keith Gooden
When you’re talking about water ingress, you mean leaks.
Matt Sims
Leaks. Yes, water getting in. And if it’s a motorhome that does contain wood – some still do, increasingly few, but some still do – then that wood absorbs that water. And it can get very expensive very quickly to repair. So having that habitation check done every year is a requirement of the manufacturer. You have to pay for it, but they require you to get it done.
It gets logged with their service centre, and they will then honour any repair that needs to happen. Now, most motorhomes and caravans have a two- or three-year warranty on all the appliances and the fixtures and fittings. With the damp warranty, increasingly they’ve gone from five years to ten. And an increasing number of manufacturers are offering longer warranty periods because the build quality is improved.
Keith Gooden
And the materials have changed.
Matt Sims
Yes, there’s less wood in them and a lot more plastics or composites being used. Of course, the water still gets in, but it doesn’t get absorbed and doesn’t therefore do the damage that it used to do years ago. And I actually went up to our local business called Bristol Caravans. Oakleigh who owns it is a very old friend of mine.
They are a registered service centre for motorhomes and caravans. And I think they’re a brilliant example of what great looks like. So Oakleigh and I have spent many hours discussing habitation checks and how we can change how they’re being done. We’re both advocates and very passionate about a habitation check really serving the consumer. Because people say, “Well, I can do this myself. You’re only checking the drawer runners are working, that the curtains are rolling and the doors are opening okay.”
Sure, that’s part of it. But actually, there’s a real technical level of expertise needed and inspection needed to make a habitation check really, really worthwhile. So what does good look like? Well, a service centre that’s part of the Approved Workshop Scheme, the AWS, or the MCEA, the Mobile Caravan Engineers Association – they are great badges of honour. Lots of mobile guys are part of these organisations.
And Bristol Caravans is a member of the AWS, the Approved Workshop Scheme, and manufacturers will need you to go to one of these places in order for that habitation check to be recognised by them. And they’re good. They’re really good. But my question of Oakleigh was, “What does great look like?
What does a great habitation check look like?
Oakleigh Wood
Well, great looks like us drilling into the detail of all of the areas of the AWS habitation service. But for me, why have a habitation? This is your holiday home. This is your home on wheels. And then you’re going to take it down the motorway or down a bumpy old track and it’s going to rattle around. So you’ve got all that movement of all those things inside. So how do you know everything is still good and working correctly?
If we’re thinking about gas, you know, gas can go bang, and CO can kill people. If we’re thinking about mains electricity, you can get a shock. So it’s really important that all of those safety critical elements are checked, as well as, ‘Does the furniture work correctly?’ The other issue that we talk about and is a high level discussion in this industry is water ingress.
So again, making sure that all of your water seals are correct, that everything’s working correctly and having that damp report so that you know that it’s dry inside.
Matt Sims
Damp, of course, is a big factor in any motorhome. It’s the enemy of a motorhome or caravan and it can get very expensive very quickly.
Keith Gooden
Yes, a leak in anything, your house or your motorhome or whatever. Small amounts of water do big amounts of damage.
Matt Sims
They do.
Keith Gooden
If you leave it, a £50 or £100 fix can become a £1,000 fix before you know it.
Matt Sims
Well, we did a whole episode on damp and water ingress in a motorhome with another local company, MJB. And they were showing us some of the damage that it can do, and really quickly as well.
Of course, a habitation check is a moment in time. At that point of the check, that’s the point that you’ve got that information. Things can change. So being aware of leaks and so on, don’t leave it. Go and get it to an expert as quickly as you can. I speak to people who say, “Well, I can do my own damp check.” In fact, I’ve seen on Facebook recently people going off and buying a kind of budget damp meter or a damp meter in a supermarket. To us in the trade they’re budget. They cost £10 or £15.
The reality is they are going to go off and do their own damp check on a motorhome they’re looking to buy. They don’t know what to check for or even where to check for it. And there is a skill to this. There’s a real knowledge. A certain make and model of motorhome will come in to us for a service or habitation check, and we know exactly where to look for the damp because we’ve done hundreds of them in the past. And different models have different issues.
Cheap damp meters are not the way to go and do your own damp check. A protimeter, which is the meter that we use, will tell us how much damp. So up to 15% – this is the industry standard – is fine. That’s normal.
And, of course, you want to be doing one at room temperature as well. You want to make sure the motorhome isn’t at minus two when you do the damp check, and you want to make sure it’s aired so you’re giving it a fair chance and you’re not doing on a really, really rainy wet day.
These are all factors that will affect the damp check. But 15% is fine. Anything over that needs further inspection. A supermarket damp meter will just tell you it’s damp. It’s probably too late by then. Companies like Bristol Caravans are using damp meters that are surface meters which don’t leave any mark on the vehicle. They cost £700. They’re really not cheap.
Incidentally, if you ever go and look for a used motorhome or caravan and you see pairs of holes about a fingernail apart all around the windows, that’s a sign that it’s had a damp check in the past. And as engineers, we try and use the same holes because they do impact the wallboard inside the motorhome or the caravan.
So look for holes. That’s a sign it’s had a damp check. But I asked Oakleigh his view on cheap superstore damp meters.
Damp meters
Oakleigh Wood
Oh, what would I say about them? I’d say it’s probably a bit like a computer – rubbish in, rubbish out. You need quality equipment if you’re going to do a quality job. If you’re looking at a motorhome that may be £50,000, I don’t know, secondhand, £30,000 or £50,000 or whatever. They’re expensive assets now. Are you going to rely on a £5 or £10 damp meter for that?
We have customers who come in and they think everything’s okay. It’s a very difficult conversation. You complete a damage report. You can’t smell damp in the early stages. You find damp. And the customer has bought the vehicle in good faith thinking, “Oh, this is good. I did the right thing. I bought a cheap damp meter.” It’s thousands of pounds.
Matt Sims
The big issue, though, is knowing where to look, isn’t it? That’s the key. And there are certain brands of motorhomes as you and I both know that will drive into your workshop and you’ll go, “Gosh, I’m going to be looking for the dry bits.” And there are other vehicles that are 10 or 15 years old and you think, “Well, I’d be hard pressed to find any damp in this.” That’s certainly been my experience. What’s your experience?
Oakleigh Wood
I think you’re right. There is a variety of vehicles out there. Some are more prone to water ingress than others. It’s all repairable. So the key to this conversation is have a damp check, which is part of your habitation service, every year.
If you can catch water ingress early, it could be a few hundred pounds to repair something or replace the seal. If you catch it late, it’s thousands of pounds. It is such a big difference in price point. Have the service done regularly and then take action on what the findings are.
Carbon monoxide checks
Keith Gooden
We’re talking about habitation checks today on the Motorhome Matt podcast. We’ve talked about leaks, Matt, and as you say, water ingress. But what about the big killer – carbon monoxide?
Matt Sims
Well, that’s a danger, isn’t it? Of course, every motorhome or campervan has appliances or flames that generate CO. Even the hub has a CO output. The boiler, the fridge – they all generate carbon monoxide. And it is of course the silent killer. We’ve talked about it before, haven’t we, about how dangerous it can be.
Keith Gooden
We have, and if you’re in an enclosed space and carbon monoxide is released into the atmosphere, you don’t notice. It doesn’t smell of anything and doesn’t taste anything. You just go to sleep and you never wake up. And I’m not overstating that.
Matt Sims
No, no. That’s right. As you say, it’s a silent killer. And how do you know you’ve got it? How do you know you’ve got unsafe amounts of it in the motorhome? This is a really, really key part of any habitation check. In fact, Oakleigh has a really interesting tool that I refer to as his CO sniffer. And he told me a little bit more about it.
Oakleigh Wood
When I came into this industry in 2012, I asked people what the test was for a gas range burning correctly. How do we know something’s burning correctly? And the reaction I got from the industry at that stage was, “Well, is the flame blue?” Well, my blue is going to be different to your blue. So which of us is correct? Is yours burning correctly?
So I turned the question around and I asked people that I was engaging with in the industry. And I said, “Well, okay, that’s what this industry does. What about a care home? How do they know that the appliances are burning correctly? What would you do in a children’s nursery?” We’re talking about the same type of situation with burning a carbon fuel. And we want to know if it is burning cleanly.
So I looked at those industries, and they were using the Sniffer, as you kindly call it. In this case, we’ve got a Kane meter. We can then use this and take a sample of the gas from the flue. So the flue is like the chimney on your fireplace. It’s going to take a sample and then that sample will allow us to say, “Okay, how is this appliance burning?”
It’s a bit more scientific than what colour the flame is. And in some modern appliances, you can’t see the flame. So how can you even do that test? So if you’re booking a service, maybe a good question is, “How are you going to test my carbon monoxide readings on my appliances?” See what the answer is.
If they talk about the colour of the flame being blue, I suggest that you thank them kindly and go and find somebody who’s invested in their equipment and can give you a printout of something that says, “This is how your appliance is burning at this particular stage.”
Matt Sims
But that is the industry requirement, isn’t it? This, “Is the flame blue?”
Oakleigh Wood
We’re talking about great, and this is the level that we’re at. We look to replace a view that is not scientific with something that is a bit more black and white.
Matt Sims
Presumably, this is something that other dealers are not doing. Is that fair to say? Or repair shops, I should say, and service centres.
Oakleigh Wood
I think it’s fair to say we see service sheets from other people in the industry when a vehicle has come in for a service with us. Not all of them would have a Kane meter reading that has got a CO report with it. So this is our standard, which I think is great.
Matt Sims
I do too. I think that’s fantastic. I think that’s a great innovation. There we are – a Kane meter. Do you know what? I’d never even heard of one.
Keith Gooden
No, I’d never heard of a Kane meter either.
Matt Sims
I mean, I take my hat off to Oakleigh. He really has done his research. I remember when he joined this industry and we had these conversations. He did ask a lot of questions, I have to say, and this is what’s manifested from it, this amazing level of inspection. He makes a really valid point about the water heater.
Now, inside furniture, the boiler, and inside a big plastic box, you can’t see the flame in there unless you start taking it apart. Believe me, you don’t want to be doing that. I spent a whole day learning how to do that and I don’t like doing it. Putting them back together as a challenge. But you can’t even see the flame, so the whole test around, “Is your flame blue?” I can’t see it. So how do you know if your boiler is generating carbon monoxide?
And yes, that will flue to the outside world. But what if it’s leaking? So this is a really, really sensible test. I find it fascinating. The other area is electrical safety as well. You can buy the three little LED lights that you plug in which tell you if your live and neutral are around the wrong way. That’s a really good test.
Electrical Installation Condition Reports
Matt Sims
But there’s another test which you should have done every three years, and I don’t know why but the industry just doesn’t really talk about it. It’s called the EICR, the Electrical Installation Condition Report. And this is something that you should have done every three years. Now, I’ve never encountered a motorhome dealership yet that’s doing this.
That doesn’t mean to say that they’re not doing it. But I don’t think this test is happening. And so what I wanted to do today in this podcast was really raise awareness to the listener of the EICR. This is an NCC, National Caravan Council, recommended test that is done and carried out on an NCC approved motorhome or caravan.
So these are vehicles that have come into the UK or are built in the UK that are recognised by the NCC as fit for purpose in the UK. That includes European built motorhomes or caravans. They are assessed by the NCC, and they have the little NCC badge on the side of them by the entrance door.
And this is a test that the NCC recommend you have done every three years. I’m intrigued as to how many workshops are doing this. And I’d love to know if any consumers listening to this have heard of the EICR. This was Oakleigh’s view on it.
Oakleigh Wood
It’s not new. I love your hesitation. It’s not new. So if you’ve got a caravan or motorhome, perhaps the best place to start is to open the wardrobe door and read the stickers that are inside. And if it’s an NCC approved vehicle, which most of the manufacturers are, especially the UK ones, there’s usually a sticker inside that says, “You have 230 volt mains electricity in this vehicle. And every three years we recommend that this is checked.”
It’s not a legal requirement. But hey, you’re driving your vehicle down the motorway. Wouldn’t you want the electrics checked properly? So in a service, we’ll look at the appliances. We’ll check they’re running okay and they’re all operating correctly. And we’ll check visually the cables that we can see. But hey, there are cables that run under the floor, in some vehicles up the walls, sometimes over the ceiling and they’re buried. You don’t see them. They’re inside.
How do you know they’re okay? How do you know somebody hasn’t put a screw through something? How do you know something hasn’t moved and now there’s furniture resting on it and the furniture is rubbing against some flex and the flex will eventually rub through? So the only way you can do that is by doing is a PIR or EICR check.
Matt Sims
We have one here. PIR or EICR?
Oakleigh Wood
Yes, I know. It’s a Periodic Inspection Reports or an Electrical Installation Condition Report. It depends who you speak to and how they’re going to describe it. But basically, this is the outcome, if you like, but the process is to go through the mains electric system to make sure it is safe, fit for purpose and still operating correctly.
Matt Sims
And this is about checking continuity of cables and insulation of cables where you can see them, but checking the cables with the right equipment where the cables are hidden. Is that right?
Oakleigh Wood
Yes. So we’ll be checking that insulation to make sure it works correctly, even if you can’t see the cable itself. So we’ll be putting a charge down there. And we’ll be making sure that the insulation is safe and it hasn’t broken down over time. It’s going to be plastic or rubber and materials fail after a period of time. So it’s really important that they’re still doing the insulation process.
Matt Sims
I remember we bought a house and it had rubberized cabling in the house, TRS, it was called. The live and neutrals were basically pretty much touching each other where the insulation around the cable have crumbled away with age. And I’m amazed that houses don’t have to have this test. And I admire the fact that you’re doing this. It’s currently for you an option, isn’t it, to offer the customers to have this test. Is that fair?
Oakleigh Wood
AWS are really keen that we educate consumers. So we have this conversation with every single customer that drops off and it takes some time, but we feel that the customer is then informed and the customer can make a choice whether it’s something they would like to buy or not buy. It’s about three hours’ work. So it’s not cheap.
But it’s then peace of mind that you know it’s okay. If you’re going to take your children in the vehicle, your grandparents or your grandchildren, don’t you want to know it’s really safe and it’s all up together? I think you should. So yes, it’s every three years and probably our take up on it is probably two in ten customers at the moment saying, “Yes, please.” But we’re offering it and then having a conversation about what it means. And I think a lot of people are not.
Matt Sims
So for you as a service centre, your staff have had to go through electrical training, haven’t they, to do this. That’s a hassle for any service centre where there’s more work to do and more costs. I can understand why lots of places are not offering this service at all. But I love that you’ve embraced it and that you’re offering it. Two in ten, though – that’s not very many, is it, at all?
Oakleigh Wood
It’s not very many, but it’s better than nothing.
Matt Sims
Well, it’s two more than there were!
Oakleigh Wood
Are there are two vehicles in every ten that are all okay. If you were buying a motorhome, wouldn’t you want this in there?
Matt Sims
Absolutely.
Oakleigh Wood
Surely you would, even if it was a private sale. It’s about education, isn’t it? It’s about whether people understand this and do they want to work on it themselves? Well, hopefully not. You wouldn’t fiddle around with your mains electric at home, would you? So get a professional to look at it. Get it checked out and make sure it’s okay.
Matt Sims
There we are – the EICR. Are you feeling educated, Keith?
Keith Gooden
PIR, EICR.
Matt Sims
You’ve got it. It’s all an acronym. It’s all an acronym. But it’s so important, isn’t it? Two in ten! That isn’t very many, is it?
Keith Gooden
It’s not, no. It’s 20%!
Matt Sims
You’re good at maths!
Keith Gooden
80% of people don’t have it done. Put it in those percentage terms, and it’s shocking.
Matt Sims
I think there’s a vast majority of people who have never even heard of it, including the service centres. That’s what I find remarkable.
Keith Gooden
It’s the same sort of thing that you have in your home when an electrician comes in with certificates for letting properties and stuff like that.
Matt Sims
For letting property, yes. But when did you last get your house electrics inspected?
Keith Gooden
Absolutely.
Matt Sims
It’s a true story. We bought this house and it had to have a rewire. And the estate agent said, “Every house in every street in this area needs a rewire, Matt,” and thought that was normal. But in a motorhome that’s so crucial. As we say, we’re driving down the road rattling stuff loose. Connections can break apart. Cables can be impacted. So it’s really important to get this stuff done.
So go and find out. When you’re going for a habitation check, there really is value in paying an expert to do one for you. And ask them how they are going to check your CO and how they are going to check your electrics. And if you’re buying a motorhome, then do ask for the habitation history. It matters. It matters for us as a dealership when we’re buying one in if we’re going to sell it. It matters to you as the consumer when you’re buying one.
Ask the question, “What habitation history does this vehicle have? What damp checks does this vehicle have? And has it had damp?” It’s not the end of the world if it has, but then how has it been repaired? And has it been repaired? That’s the really important part. So I would encourage you, please, don’t just assume you can do this habitation check thing yourself.
There definitely is expertise that goes into carrying out a great one. And that’s what this is all about, going to a great service centre, I believe, like Bristol Caravans, that will do a great job for you.
The cost of a habitation check
Keith Gooden
What’s this going to cost me then, Matt?
Matt Sims
Well, here’s Oakleigh to tell us more. I asked him.
Oakleigh Wood
So a habitation service is under £250. That’s it. Fairly standard. It’s under £250.
Matt Sims
And, of course, there are loads of other services you offer here as well. Just give us a quick rundown.
Oakleigh Wood
So we’re a one stop shop. We like to position ourselves as that. Whatever the problem is with your caravan or motorhome, we’d love to help you with it. For motorhomes in particular, we do engine chassis services, MOTs, the EICR that we talked about during the day, damp repairs, accessories, and all sorts of things from solar panels through to self levelling systems.
Whatever the problem, get in touch. The website is www.bristolcaravans.com, and it starts with a conversation. What’s the problem? How can we help?
Matt Sims
So there you have it. That’s a little insight into what’s involved in a habitation check, but more importantly, why you would bother having one. I think it’s about educating yourself on the equipment being used, the expertise being put into play and the knowledge that the engineer who’s going to do your habitation check has.
Sure, you could do one yourself. How comprehensive is it going to be? You could pay a mobile engineer to do one, and there are people out there doing them for £80. You could come to a place like Bristol Caravans, who I think are absolute gold performers, who charge more money – less than £250. But for the peace of mind, knowing that your gas, electricity and all of the systems in the motorhome are safe and performing correctly, surely, I think, that’s worth every penny.
Keith Gooden
And of course, not everybody is around the Bristol area. So check around your area for people who do habitation checks and don’t be afraid to ask for references.
Matt Sims
You now know hopefully what to ask. “How are you going to do these checks on my vehicle? What tools are you going to use to do my carbon monoxide check?” Have they heard of a Kane meter? It’s worth saying as well that Bristol Caravans has got a campsite. They’ve got two CLs there. So if you are travelling, you could stay over. They are great. They’re really good.
Keith Gooden
CL?
Matt Sims
Sorry, certified location.
Keith Gooden
There you go.
Matt Sims
A Caravan and Motorhome Club site. They will allow you to stay as well. They have a campsite, so you can stay. If you’re having work done, you can camp there.
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. Okay, so that’s habitation checks for you. I hope that has given you tonnes of information. Remember, you can always listen to the whole thing again if you missed anything.
Ask Matt Q&A
Scott: “Can you give me some insurance tips?”
Keith Gooden
Let’s delve into Matt’s questions.
Matt Sims
We’ve had a question from Scott at Ask Matt. Here he is.
Scott
Hi Matt. My name is Scott. We’re just buying our first motorhome and are in the process of trying to insure it. We’ve got a no claims bonus on a car, but it looks like with motorhomes we go back to zero again.
It’d be great in one of your podcasts if you could do a feature on insurance, especially for newbies like me, and let me know if it is best to go with a specialist insurer or if is is best to go through one of those companies who say they do motorhome insurance as well. It’d be good to know!
Keith Gooden
Now, we have covered this in the past haven’t we, Matt, but it’s always worth repeating.
Matt Sims
It is, definitely. In fact, we do have an episode planned with specialist motorhome and caravan insurer, Caravan Guard. We’re interviewing them at the show this week. So stay tuned for that. That will be coming very soon. But in terms of your specific question, Scott, thank you.
You’re right. A no claims bonus often can’t be transferred from a car or motorbike on to a motorhome. It seems daft, doesn’t it, because you’re driving. It would seem reasonable that you could, but the insurance industry generally doesn’t do it. They may take into consideration that you’ve got a full no claims bonus on a car, but often a motorhome is an additional vehicle to the family car. And so you often haven’t got any no claims bonus to transfer anyway.
But there are some people, an increasing number, who are selling the car and replacing it with a campervan. And that’s becoming that alternative, but that no claims bonus isn’t transferable. It seems to be a bit of a regulation from the insurance industry and a tack that they take. It doesn’t seem very fair to me. I will ask Caravan Guard why.
But you’re right about specialist insurers. I always recommend that people go for a motorhome-specific insurance policy rather than a generalist like a supermarket policy. Yes, you can cover the road risks, but the issue is that if the vehicle is written off, then it’s not a van. It’s a motorhome or it’s a campervan, so it’s not worth £8,000. It’s actually worth £40,000 because it’s recognised by the insurer as a campervan, and therefore it has that higher value.
You’re also insuring against loss from a hob fire. If it’s a van policy, they’re not going to recognise that it had a hob in it and it failed and caught fire. So back to habitation checks – get them checked! And interestingly, I’ve noticed that more insurance companies are asking for a habitation check to be done every year as part of the insurance policy. Never mind the motorhome manufacturer – the insurer is asking for it as well.
So I would say go to a specialist rather than a comparison site. I would do some research around motorhome and caravan insurance. There are lots advertising at the show, and Google will be your friend in terms of finding them.
Keith Gooden
And always remember that insurance companies are insuring risk as well as the nuts and bolts of the vehicle. So that all plays a part.
Christopher: “Have you done a podcast about buying your first podcast?”
Keith Gooden
Christopher Kates in Keighley has been in touch, Matt. He says, “I heard your excellent talk at the Manchester Caravan Show recently. I was wondering if you’d ever done a podcast about buying your first motorhome. If you have, can you point me to it? Many thanks,” says Chris.
Matt Sims
Thank you, Chris. Thanks for coming along to the Manchester show and for watching the talk. Yes, we’ve done several, actually. We’ve done one on choosing the right motorhome. We did one as well on buying a motorhome, dealership versus private and the pros and cons of both.
We also did one on the essentials to get for your first motorhome holiday, so that’s whether you’re buying one or hiring one. And we’ve also done one on the real costs of motorhome ownership, something I’m talking on at some of the shows this year. So yes, there’s lots there to get your teeth into. If you go to the www.motorhomematt.co.uk website, there you will find all the episodes and you can tune in to any of them really easily.
Keith Gooden
Yes, have a deep delve. We’ve done loads and loads and loads. So you’re going to be at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show. It starts tomorrow and you’re going to be there all week giving out advice, aren’t you?
Matt Sims
We are, yes. We have our own stand in Hall Four, so if you’ve got questions you want to come and ask then head on over. I’m on the stand throughout the week. And then on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I’m actually at the advice centre, which is an area dedicated to people who’ve got questions.
And there’s a series of people on that stand throughout the week. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday you’ll find me on there. So if you’ve got question then come and ask, and if not, just come and say hello.
Keith Gooden
And if there’s a ticket available, there’s still a discount to be had, isn’t there?
Matt Sims
There’s always a discount to be had!
Keith Gooden
Just because you’re listening to the podcast.
Matt Sims
If you go to www.ccmshow.co.uk and enter the discount code MATT, there’s a few pounds off a ticket.
Get in touch with Matt and Keith
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. So how do people see more of the Motorhome Matt podcast on YouTube and also get in touch?
Matt Sims
Yes, we’re on YouTube. There’s a whole load of different content on YouTube as well as the podcast itself. Just search Motorhome Matt, or you can go to our own website, www.motorhomematt.co.uk, where you’ll find details of all of the episodes and where you can listen to it. If you’ve got a question for us, we’d love to hear from you too at www.motorhomematt.co.uk/askmatt. And if you are listening on Spotify or Apple, please leave us a five star review and a comment. We love to get them. Thank you.
