How to prepare your motorhome for winter storage

Keith Gooden

Welcome back to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims

And I’m Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden

I ask the silly questions on your behalf. And Matt? Well, he answers them.

Matt Sims

I do my best.

Keith Gooden

It’s all brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com.

Matt Sims

And remember to like and subscribe on your favourite podcast app – and on YouTube which is sponsored by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.

Keith Gooden

In this week’s episode, you’re preparing your motorhome for winter – it’s not as obvious as it sounds – with Matt’s tips and twists. Do you like that one?

Matt Sims

Twists?

Keith Gooden

Tips and twists there…

Matt Sims

I can’t be twisting, not with my back.

Keith Gooden

… including motorhome covers, and we’ve also got a question and answer section with questions from you. And thanks so much for submitting them.

That Leisure Shop’s Cyber Monday Sale

Keith Gooden

So let’s get into it, shall we? www.thatleisureshop.com and our product of the week. Black Friday, Cyber Monday. What does it all mean, Matt?

Matt Sims

Well, if you missed our Black Friday deals, get on the website quick because they’re still there. As we release this, the Black Friday specials are there at www.thatleisureshop.com. Cyber Monday. You know what Cyber Monday is. That’s today.

Keith Gooden

Yeah, but what is it?

Matt Sims

It’s the Monday after Black Friday.

Keith Gooden

What’s it for?

Matt Sims

I think it’s a US derived thing, isn’t it? And it’s mainly IT and computer equipment. Tech.

Keith Gooden

I see. In America, Thanksgiving is the third Thursday in November. Black Friday is that Friday. And it’s called Black Friday because if you were making a loss, Black Friday’s when they put the discounts in and get their businesses into the black.

Matt Sims

Ah, I didn’t know that. So it’s about your bank balance?

Keith Gooden

It is about bank balance. Big sale times. Well, go to www.thatleisureshop.com for the deals for this year. They are stupendous. And your Cyber Monday deals as well. Are you going to have some of them as well?

Matt Sims

They are there today. Yes, they’ll be there this week, I think, until we’re sold out – unless we are already sold out! So go and check it out, www.thatleisureshop.com -as you say, some stupendous deals.

Keith Gooden

Yep. Matt is the cyberman.

Matt Sims

With a funny hat on. Cyberman. That was a Doctor Who thing.

Keith Gooden

It was, yeah.

Matt Sims

The man with a big head and big eyes.

Keith Gooden

Are you talking about me?

Matt Sims

They looked a bit like you…

Preparing your motorhome for winter storage

Keith Gooden

It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. I’m Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims

And I’m Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden

And I’ll tell you what – it’s brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. Now, what came up a lot at the Ask the Experts panel at the NEC Motorhome and Caravan Show 2023 just a couple of months ago was preparing your motorhome or caravan for winter. Matt, it’s perennial. We get a winter every year. And boy, this autumn has been wet, wet, wet.

Matt Sims

The whole year has.

Keith Gooden

Has anything changed? What’s the importance of your preparation?

Matt Sims

Well, as you say, it came up a lot in questions from the floor. I think pretty much every day. It was good as we went through the week because everyone added something else in, so by the end of the week, Sarah who was hosting it could sort of answer the whole thing herself. It was great.

But the big thing I’d say is preparing for it and getting informed. That would be the number one thing. So that’s what we’re going to try and help you with today.

Should you cover your motorhome?

Matt Sims

We get lots of questions about covers. So people put a cover on their motorhome or caravan, typically only in winter because they’re not using it.

And people say, “Are they a good idea? Are they a bad idea?” I think they’re a great idea. The number one reason is it keeps the caravan clean. So it protects it from UV damage from the sun. It stops it from getting covered in bird lime, tree sap and just general dirt. And then the other benefit is one of security. So it means people can’t see in. It blocks all the windows and a thief frankly is going to look at it and go, “That’s a hassle. I’ll go to the next one.”

Keith Gooden

I’ll decode some of that for you. UV is ultraviolet light. It’s the rays from the sun and bird lime is bird…

Matt Sims

I think we knew that.

Keith Gooden

Thank you. Now, at www.thatleisureshop.com, you do actually supply Maypole motorhome covers, don’t you?

Matt Sims

We do, and I’ve got one of these as well. This is a caravan top cover or a topper. And the top foot is covered with a… it’s almost like a hat, isn’t it? It’s a skin that goes over the roof of the caravan or the motorhome.

There’s a motorhome version and a campervan version as well. And you buy the right size for your leisure vehicle and it just covers the roof which of course is the bit that gets the dirtiest, and then the straps tie down around the perimeter, the bottom edge of the vehicle, and hold it on tight.

Keith Gooden

They cost a lot of money, do they? You can use them year after year.

Matt Sims

I think they start around £50, £60. Yeah, you use them every year. We’ve had customers using them for years. Certainly covers – I mean, a cover is hard work to put on. So my top tip for fitting a cover is to get someone to help you, rule number one, and use the wind to help you lift it over the vehicle. Because you can get the wind inside it and then lift it over – the wind can be a really good help in getting it over the vehicle.

And then find something like a washing line prop or a broom handle, attach the strap to it, and then feed that underneath. Because throwing them under, you’ll never get them underneath. And then you attach them and pull them tight, which pulls the cover down tight onto the vehicle. So two people and some kind of stick.

Keith Gooden

It’s as easy as that.

Matt Sims

And try not to get divorced!

Keith Gooden

Yeah. You’ll be entertainment for the neighbours.

Matt Sims

There is a video of John from Maypole and I fitting a caravan and a motorhome cover on That Leisure Shop’s website. And you can see us fitting them, and they aren’t easy to put on. It’s very true. But a topper, you could put one on yourself on your own. They are much easier to put on.

Keith Gooden

What’s the difference between the topper and the cover?

Matt Sims

So the cover covers everything. The first time you fit either is going to be harder work because all the straps need to be adjusted. And then the second time you come to it, it’s going to be a much quicker process because the straps are already at the right length.

But they are definitely worth considering, particularly if you’re parking under a tree or you just want added security and all the benefits that a cover gives you. So I think they’re worth looking at.

The other big question we got from the floor at the big show was, “Do they scratch the vehicle?” Now, my advice is to wash it before you put the cover on, and that will get rid of any loose dirt. Make sure you fit it as tight as you can, and then it’s not moving around on the vehicle, which could risk scratching the windows, particularly if there’s dirt there. But the covers – you mentioned the Maypole ones. We sell loads of them.

I mean, they’re so popular and they’re such a great price. They are four ply and they’re breathable, so they’re not waterproof, so water will permeate through the cover. And that’s to allow the vehicle to breathe. And the inside is really soft, so they don’t scratch the paint or the windows. We’ve had covers on motorhomes and caravans, even our own, in storage for many winters. None have been scratched, none at all.

Obviously, when you take it off, be really careful about not letting it drag on the ground or the grass picking up dirt. Because that is where you’re going to get into a problem. And I mentioned about being breathable, which means the vehicle will get wet.

Being breathable means it allows the vehicle to not get damp inside. So this is the other concern that people have. And frankly, it’s a bit of a myth that a cover will mean that you get damp inside the vehicle. If it’s breathable, you absolutely won’t. It’s really important to understand that.

Keith Gooden

It will still get wet.

Matt Sims

It’ll still get wet. Yeah. But being breathable means it can dry out.

Keith Gooden

And do you get any problem with condensation? Even in winter, it’s mostly cold, but if you get direct sun, it can heat up underneath. Is that damaging for your motorhome?

Matt Sims

No, because – well, it could be. But because you’re using a breathable cover, that condensation just evaporates. That’s the great thing about a breathable cover. If you’re using a bit of tarpaulin, it’s a different story. And I don’t recommend using tarpaulin. That definitely will scratch it.

Keith Gooden

Or plastic sheeting.

Matt Sims

Or plastic sheeting. Same thing, isn’t it? Yeah. And that will move around and flap and billow about. It’s not fit for purpose at all.

Where should you store your motorhome?

Keith Gooden

All right. So where should I store my wonderful motorhome or caravan over this winter? I could put it on the drive. The neighbours don’t really complain. It’s okay. And the mother-in-law has to visit for Christmas, so she can go in there for Christmas.

Matt Sims

Whether she likes it or not!

Keith Gooden

Put all that aside – what’s the best thing to do? Keep it at home or in storage?

Matt Sims

Yeah, that’s a very good question. So if you’ve got a secure storage facility, then that may be an option. For me personally, if I had a drive I could put it on and keep an eye on it – because a lot of maintaining a vehicle through the winter is about maintaining it – that would make it very convenient.

Update your motorhome insurance company

Speak to your insurance company as well, because they may have a preference on where you park it. They might prefer it to be in a storage site. They might prefer it on your drive. Caravan Guard – in a recent interview, we discussed this with them and they give a great tip, and I’ve mentioned it before. Drive nose in into the space and then turn the wheel on a full lock. It makes it very, very difficult to steal a motorhome.

You obviously can’t do that with a caravan very easily, because the wheels don’t turn! I suppose if you’ve got motor movers, you could drive it onto the drive nose in. And that would be a great deterrent as well because it then can’t be towed out very easily at all. Remember the security.

So the more security features you can fit to the motorhome that are visible, the better. So one of the things I always find odd is when people fit a steering wheel lock or a clutch lock or brake lock or handbrake lock, any of these things, or they’re turning the seats and padlock chains through the seat back in the steering wheel. And then they close all the blinds.

I just think it’s silly. A thief coming along has already done £1,000 worth of damage breaking the window, gets in, goes, “Oh,” and wanders off. So let them be visible. What do you call it, the wheel clamp?

Keith Gooden

The Denver boot!

Security products for your motorhome

Matt Sims

Yeah. So a wheel clamp’s a really good idea. Consider two of them. Why not? We have someone’s in storage who got massive motorbike chain threaded through the alloy wheel. What a great idea. You can’t drive off with that. And visible security is really, really key. And consider the most expensive security you can possibly afford.

So again, Maypole, they do a Stronghold range of wheel clamps, which means they take 20 minutes to cut through with an angle grinder. You would hope that within 20 minutes of an angle grinder going on your drive, somebody’s going to go, “What’s going on over there?” And call the police. So go for the highest rated piece of security that your budget will stretch to.

Keith Gooden

Good tips there. And remember, if you’re living in a fairly new build home, do check the covenants on your property and some of the older ones, because there are also council restrictions sometimes on how long you can keep a caravan or motorhome on your drive or hard standing. Sometimes it’s as little as six weeks per year.

So do check it. Some people might not have any restriction whatsoever. Other winter threats there, Matt? Well, you’ve talked about thieves a little bit. I’ve got somebody down the road from me who’s got a beautiful motorhome. And they park it nose out to the road, but park their car at right angles in front of it.

Matt Sims

Yes, good idea. And even a drop post in front of it’s a good idea. I would suggest they turn it around – see what they say. “What’s that got to do with you?!”

Keith Gooden

“Hello! Matt says…”

Matt Sims

“Bog off!”

Keith Gooden

So that’s the thieves. Always be wary of them. The thing with all thefts is, it’s only a very small amount of people who are actually doing the stealing, but they can cause such a lot of heartache and harm to you.

Matt Sims

It’s horrible having a motorhome or caravan stolen. And we’ve done previous episodes on this and insuring it and the security features that an insurance company might require of you. Just make sure you’re obliging with that so if the worst did happen, you’re going to get paid out.

Protecting your motorhome from damp

Matt Sims

Other threats, though, other than thieves, of course, is damp and water ingress. So water getting into your vehicle is its biggest threat. We’ve talked about that before. And really the only way to insure against that is to keep a very close eye on it. It’s worth getting a habitation check or damp check done before the winter.

And then if you can afford to, do another one after the winter and just see how things are progressing if they have at all, particularly if you think you’ve got a problem. But if you can get to it regularly, that’s the best thing you can do, to keep a close eye on it. Get the heating on. Just fire the heating up for 10 minutes, half an hour, and get the air moving.

What causes mould is air that’s gone stagnant. So all the soft furnishings, rotate them, tip them over. Better still, take them out and put them in the garage at home. Take the curtains down. Try and get as many soft furnishings out of it as you can, because they absorb all that moisture and hold the damp in the vehicle which can then penetrate into the walls.

And if you’ve got an external problem where the sealant has gone and water gets into the wall, it may be some time before you realise that has happened. It could be when you’re away in the summer and you think, “What’s wrong with this wall? It’s gone a bit spongy,” or you’ve got the little spikes on the wall where the wall’s dried out. That’s a sign that you’ve had damp. So it needs to be investigated as early as possible. Another threat is rodents.

Protecting your motorhome from rodents

Keith Gooden

Ah, rats and mice!

Matt Sims

I saw a picture on Facebook only this week of someone’s fuel pipe. They were inspecting their motorhome and they clocked the fuel pipe had been eaten by something. I suspect it was a squirrel. And I thought, “Blimey. I’m not sure I’ve ever inspected my fuel pipes before travelling.”

But they would have found out it was leaking pretty quickly, I guess, because it either wouldn’t start or there’d be diesel all over the floor. But something had a meal out courtesy of their diesel fuel pipe. So it’s definitely worth checking underneath. Mice seem to love seatbelts. I don’t know what it is about seatbelts. But they can get in and they just chew through the seatbelts.

So check the seatbelt. Check near the mount at the bottom, the bit you don’t look at, because if a mouse has chewed through that your seatbelt will cause the vehicle to fail the MOT. Check the air filter. It’s worth taking the air filter housing apart.

I’ve lost count of the number of motorhomes where we’ve changed the air filter and in it is a mouse nest. A mouse has their little family and they’ve made themselves a little home. I bet they were toasty warm in there. And we have to pick all the air filter remnants out. It’s worth definitely lifting that lid off and having a look inside.

And just have a good look around the bonnet space, up under the wheels – just check, because if they’ve to through a brake line you won’t know that until you try and stop and it all goes wrong. So yes, mice are another one.

Keith Gooden

What is it about rats and mice? They love the insulation, don’t they, on electrical wire. What is it?! My vacuum cleaner at home, one of those Henry ones, I bought a little clip so I can clip the long bit of the hoover to the body of the hoover. A little plastic thing which people have 3D printed.

I went there the other day – absolute truth – and it had been chewed by mice in the garage! Nothing else had been touched, just this certain sort of soft plastic. They love it. I don’t know what it is about it.

Matt Sims

It’s strange.

Keith Gooden

It is, isn’t it?

Matt Sims

It’s strange what they eat.

Keith Gooden

I mean, when we talk about putting it down for winter, is it worth going in and opening the doors and moving stuff around to keep the rodents out?

Matt Sims

Well, it would disturb them, certainly. I mean, even spiders can cause a problem if they nest in your boiler flue. We’ve had boilers not fire up in the spring in the hire fleet, and we blow it out with an airline and out comes a big spider’s nest and the spider’s body that they’ve shed. That can cause all sorts of problems with the boiler.

So I think going in as regularly as you can will disturb anything that’s trying to make a home in there. But food – for goodness’ sake, take all the dry foods out. Don’t leave anything exposed. That half eaten Pot Noodle – get it in the bin.

Keith Gooden

It’s true, because mice and even rats, they’re small creatures. They don’t need a lot of food. So you say, “Oh, well, it was only a little bit.” Well, that’s enough for them to live on for two weeks.

Matt Sims

It is, yeah. And you can buy deterrents as well, of course, and humane traps, sprung traps to try and catch them. But just do everything you can. I remember we had someone ask us a little while ago about storing their motorhome on grass. And I said, “One of the biggest concerns I have is not the slope but the grass it’s on,” because mice love grass.

Our storage facility is all stone. It’s called type two. And mice and squirrels hate running around on it because it hurts the pads on their feet. And that’s why we use that surface rather than a smooth tarmac or, of course, grass, because they don’t like it. And also being next door to a bird of prey centre helps! They’re flying falcons around. They see anything, they’re right down on it.

Keith Gooden

Another thing I have trouble with, actually, not in a motorhome but in my water butts, the pipes for them, the pipes that connect them to the down pipe…

Matt Sims

Your butt pipe?

Keith Gooden

Yes, my butt pipe – ocean going slugs. You know the biggies? They’ll shelter in them for winter. Ever seen them in a motorhome?

Matt Sims

Ocean going…? Are younear the sea?!

Keith Gooden

The big ones.

Matt Sims

We get them in the house. We get them on the kitchen floor. Yeah. There’s a long trail. “Where on Earth did you come from?”

Keith Gooden

Horrible things.

Storing your motorhome on your driveway?

Keith Gooden

Let’s go back to the beginning, because we didn’t really explain – driveway versus storage. We’ve talked about leaving it on your drive. What about a storage site?

Matt Sims

Yeah, so in a storage site, you want to make sure that the site you’re putting it on is secure. If it’s a CaSSOA registered site, that will always be my recommendation. And go for a silver, gold or even platinum site if you can. We’re a silver site for valid reasons. Our security is very good, but everyone has free rein access with the secure gate key, which means we lose points so we only score silver.

CCTV, lighting, regular inspections by the owner – if the owner lives on site, that’s even better because there’s somebody there most of the time. So if you’re going to be storing it on a storage site, make sure your insurance company know and they know the CaSSOA number and the postcode so they can keep you insured.

Keith Gooden

Going back to damp quickly, we didn’t mention your little maracas.

Matt Sims

My maracas. My Kontrol boxes. Yeah, these are really clever. So these are little plastic boxes that have an absorbent material in that absorbs the damp. And I was always very cynical about these, frankly, for years. And then I put them in one of my many cars, which you love to take the mick out of. But I put them in there last winter and no mould at all! I mean, the gear stick, steering wheel and seats were all covered in mould. Use these things, none at all.

Keith Gooden

Were you mouldless?

Matt Sims

I was mouldless! They fill with water and this stuff absorbs it. And then you just empty it out and it dissolves away and then you top them up, you buy a refill bag. But they’re really good – they actually work.

And the best bit is the tiny little boxes you can put in all the cupboards and all the nooks and crannies in the caravan or the motorhome, and it keeps the damp out of the cupboards. And my advice is always to leave all the cupboard doors open, but pop these things around the place and they really do work.

Keith Gooden

They’re only a few quid each.

Matt Sims

£2.50 or something.

Keith Gooden

Yeah, so buy 10 or 20 of them and keep everything nice and dry. And just to quickly mention, and we all know this, we learned this at school, but water when it freezes expands. So careful if it gets really cold.

Matt Sims

That’s the other big threat, leaving water in it. So if it’s going to get cold – water will expand when it freezes and it’s going to split taps and it’s going to split pipes. So it’s about getting all the water out of it, as much as you possibly can.

Drain down all the taps, drain down all the pipes, the boiler, and the water tank, waste and fresh if you’ve got one. Toilet cassette – make sure that’s empty as well. I’d consider taking it out and taking it home, putting it in the house or in the garage somewhere where it’s not going to freeze and get frost damage.

Keith Gooden

Good tip, that one. And don’t put it off because you might go, “It’s all right. It hasn’t been a very cold winter,” until you get two or three days of minus three, four, fives and tens. And that’s when the damage gets done, isn’t it, if you don’t drain it down.

Matt Sims

That’s right. Make sure you leave all the taps open as well so if there’s water in the tap, it can expand out of the tap. And I’ve gone into motorhomes and seen ice dripping out of the tap where the tap’s been left open. And my tip is to put it between hot and cold and open it then. Run it dry and then turn the pump off.

Keeping your motorhome charged during winter storage

Keith Gooden

Lots of electricity in modern motorhomes, specifically solar panels and batteries. I suppose that presents another problem for storage for winter.

Matt Sims

It does, yes. What do I do with my battery? Do I leave it on or take it off? Keeping them charged is the key, and keeping them well charged, which you can do by hooking up. Solar panels are just amazing these days. We’ve even got little booster panels called maintainers.

So you just hook them on the battery or plug them into the cigarette lighter, take a charge from the sun and put a trickle into your starter or leisure battery. And it’s enough just to keep it above 12.4 volts, which means it’s starting to go flat.

And if you can get into it and start the motorhome as often as possible – but remember, starting it means you probably need to run the engine for 20 minutes to compensate for the drain you’ve taken by starting it. The other thing to remember is on very new chassis, they have what’s called a smart alternator.

So the alternator won’t kick in and actually charge the battery unless the engine has been revved. Having it at tickover isn’t really doing anything. So my best advice, take it for a drive if it’s a motorhome and you can. It moves the tyres and the brakes and frees everything up.

And just get all the systems in it moving and working, the heating as well, as I mentioned earlier. But take it for a 40-minute drive. Better still, go away for the weekend. Go and use it. It’s a great time to go away.

Keith Gooden

Get the mother-in-law out to the country! We have got a little tip, which is… we’re not going to give the answer away here. You’ve got to do some work to get hold of it.

Matt Sims

You can go to www.thatleisureshop.com/winter and download a whole guide. There’s a video there as well, but there’s a whole ebook guide and a checklist which tells you what to do with your motorhome or caravan when getting ready for winter, and find out why I suggest leaving a piece of chocolate on the floor of the van. `

Keith Gooden

There you go. I think we’ve covered everything there, Matt.

Matt Sims

I’m sure there’s a lot more we could cover, but go and get the guide. Everything is in there. It’s really useful. It’s completely free. All we ask is your first name and email address. And you can download that as a checklist you can print and tick off as well.

Keith Gooden

And that’s at www.thatleisureshop.com/winter.

Audience Q&A

Keith Gooden

It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims

And I’m Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden

And it’s all brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. It is our Q&A, question and answer, where you pose the questions and our expert,

Matt Sims

, answers that first of all, we’ve got Lewis in Wigston.

Should I cover my caravan for winter?

Lewis Lee-Shield

Hi, boys. It’s Lewis the Lawn Care Daddy from Wigston, Leicester, again. I bet you’re fans of hearing my voice. Congratulations on the Caravan and Motorhome Show. It looks like you had a fantastic time. I was gutted I couldn’t come and say hello to you. My daughter had other ideas, and we only got to spend an hour there. She wasn’t very well, bless her. There’s always next year.

Basically, my question to you is, we’ve got a caravan which we’ve only owned for the past couple of months. So this is our first winter. And it’s currently in storage. It doesn’t have a cover over it. And I have drained it down and put damp traps inside. But the fact that it’s going to be sitting in the storage yard from now until roughly March time next year, kind of open to the elements and whatnot, something doesn’t sit right with me.

I’m thinking, you’ve got the rain and the wind howling against it. I know they’re built for it and watertight and everything, but I’m just thinking, is it worth buying a cover? Because we go away in it as and when we can, we will probably not use it during the season.

But on the offseason now for the next five months, it’s not going to be covered over. I don’t know whether it’s worth buying a cover or not. So I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether you think they’re worth it. Keep up the good work. Really enjoy the podcast. Cheers.

Keith Gooden

So that was Lewis in Wigston, a loyal and longtime listener. And that’s all the Ls, Matt.

Matt Sims

Lawncare Daddy, I think that’s his Instagram. I think that’s you, Lewis, isn’t it? I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you at the show. I hope your daughter’s better now as well. As you say, there’s always next year. We’ll be there in February. Come and visit us at the shop. We’d love to see you.

A cover – should you fit one? Well, as I said earlier, I love them. I think they’re a great idea. I think it would be worth it. It would be a shame if you couldn’t get to your caravan for the whole of the winter. I think you should make the effort to try and get there and check on it and keep an eye on it.

One of the things which I didn’t mention with the cover is solar panels. So they’re a great way, obviously, of keeping the battery charged. But once you put cover over the caravan, you’ve totally ruined the effectiveness of a solar panel. You’ve covered it.

And people often ask, “Can I buy a cover that has a hole in it with a clear patch or clear panel for my solar panel?” And yes, you can. You would need to go to Specialised Covers or Protec, and there are other companies as well that make them. They will bespoke tailor you one that has that clear panel in exactly the right place for your solar panel.

So if you need your solar panel to keep your batteries charged, then that will be a really good idea. And on that point, if you’ve got a tracker on the caravan or indeed on your motorhome or even an alarm, that’s going to rely on the battery staying charged.

And the alarm particularly is going to flatten the battery very quickly. So it might be worth considering either a solar panel outside of the cover, so a portable one laid on the roof or on the floor next to it, or have a hole cut in your cover so that you can give access for the solar power to the sun.

Keith Gooden

Fab. Thanks, Matt. And thanks, Lewis in Wigston, for your question.

Can you clarify towing restrictions and E tests?

Ron Bean

Hi, it’s Ron Bean. It’s to do with the towing at seven a half tonne category motorhome and the weight restriction of 750 kilogrammes subject to your licence and whether you’ve passed the test for an E. Could you please cover that? I’ll speak to you soon. Thanks.

Keith Gooden

That’s Ron Bean being in touch. Get it? Thanks, Ron.

Matt Sims

I’m sure he’s never heard any of that before.

Keith Gooden

No, he’s like me, Keith Gooden, Beef Pudding. Get it? This has come up so many times, hasn’t it?

Matt Sims

It has.

Keith Gooden

So just explain what the issue is and what Ron wants to know.

Matt Sims

Okay. You and I, Keith, are old and we passed our tests before 1997, which means we could get out of our Mini with our L plates on and go and drive a seven and a half tonne truck, so we can drive up to seven and a half tonnes.

However, if you passed your test after January 1st 1997, you were limited and could only drive up to three and a half tonnes. It was European directive. At this point, we were part of the EU. And actually, to be fair, it seemed a fairly sensible thing that you couldn’t go and drive a big green parcel machine, as lots of lorries say on the back.

And so you were restricted to three and a half tonnes and you had to do a test to drive more than that. And you could only tow up to 750 kilogrammes behind you. The law was changed recently – I think it was November ’21 – that the B plus E entitlement which is the ability to tow over 750 kilos was relaxed.

So now you could drive up to three and a half tonnes and if the vehicle can, you could tow up to three and a half tonnes, so a train weight of seven tonnes. Now, we have a whole podcast on this with Sharon Sparkes from Mendip Towing. And she unpacks this a bit more. Those with a C1 entitlement can only tow up to 750 kilogrammes, and that is still the case.

So right now if you’ve got a three and a half tonne motorhome, you can tow three and a half tonnes, provided the motorhome can do it. There aren’t many that can. But certainly, you can tow a significant weight.

However, if you up plate the motorhome, so raise the weight of the motorhome to, say, 3,800 kilogrammes because you want more payload, so more ability to carry weight, you can no longer tow over 750 kilogramme. So you can’t tow that three tonne trailer, because you’re suddenly in the realm of C1. I hope this makes sense. Does it make sense to you?

Keith Gooden

No…

Matt Sims

Are you falling asleep? So here’s a classic example. Jon Gooch, lovely Jon from Life Beyond Bricks, who helps us with the shop at the shows – and Jon and Tash will be at many of the shows with us next year, which we’re really excited about, thank you guys – Jon has updated their Adria Sonic from three and a half tonnes to four tonnes. I think it’s four tonnes he’s gone to.

We have a trailer that we put all the shop stuff in that probably weighs two and a half tonnes and we can tow that behind the motorhome. Jon’s motorhome can tow that, but Jon can’t because he’s up plated his motorhome to over three and a half tonnes.

And because he doesn’t have a towing licence to tow over 750 kilogrammes, because his motorhome is now C1, he can’t tow the trailer. If he down plated his motorhome back to three and a half tonnes he could tow the trailer! He wouldn’t have any payload in the motorhome, but it just seems daft. And I guess it’s just where the line has been drawn. There has to be a threshold. But now, frankly, the law’s become a bit of an arse.

Keith Gooden

That’s the expert’s opinion! There you go.

Matt Sims

Back to your butt pipe.

Keith Gooden

There you are, Ron Bean.

Matt Sims

Does that make sense? If it doesn’t, then get back in touch and have another ask Matt and I’ll try and explain it again!

How do I keep my motorhome alarms working during winter storage?

Keith Gooden

Timothy Long is in Bicester. He says, “I recently purchased, and this will be my first winter. My query is based on the fact that the motorhome is fitted with both a tracker and an alarm.” You mentioned this earlier.

“The tracker provides me with some remote data on battery charge. After two weeks the main battery has dropped to approximately 12.4 volts and so I am concerned about how this will survive if it’s left unchecked. I’m not sure I want to remove the batteries due to the alarm and tracking setup.” You’ll need the battery to power them! “We store the van off site and there is no external power. What are the best options?”

Matt Sims

Very good question. Yeah, I did mention this earlier. I would say a solar maintainer – here’s one I prepared earlier. This is one from the shop. I stole it from the shop before we started recording. You just lie this on the dashboard. It’s a tiny solar panel. It’s got crocodile clips you put onto the battery or a little cigarette plug that you plug in your cigarette lighter. I’m not allowed to call it that.

Keith Gooden

It’s the 12 volt supply.

Matt Sims

The 12 volt accessory socket. I want it to be a cigarette lighter. Not that I smoke. And this will make a massive difference to keeping the battery charged. And of course, you can use it on your leisure battery or your starter battery. Better still, get a solar panel with an MPPT controller.

Keith Gooden

A what?!

Matt Sims

Don’t ask me to explain that. But basically, it stores the power and regulates the power from the solar panel going into the battery. They’re much more expensive. We do sell them at www.thatleisureshop.com. There’s a brand called Photonic with a Ph, and they are superb. They fold out. And you can connect one of those to the battery. And that will keep it charged.

Or get a solar panel fixed to the roof – bond one to the roof and have a permanent feature of a solar panel. Bear in mind our comments earlier about covers. The other thing to do, and this is a really cost effective tip, is to buy a second battery. So you need the battery on there for your alarm and for your tracker.

And if your insurance company require both those features, this is really important. Take one battery home and charge it and then go and swap it, and then you’ve always got a battery on the vehicle. And you can go and maintain it by charging it at home.

Always best advice is to charge it. Don’t leave it unattended when you’re charging it, and put it on a metal tray and put it somewhere where you’re near there’s not going to be any problem if something goes wrong with the battery whilst you’re charging it.

Keith Gooden

Why does it have to be on a metal tray?

Matt Sims

That’s often an insurance requirement for house fires. Did you know that?

Keith Gooden

No, I didn’t.

Matt Sims

We have that restriction here. If we’re charging a battery, it has to be on a metal tray. Otherwise, if it blew up, then we wouldn’t be insured.

Keith Gooden

First I’ve heard of that. Well, Timothy in Bicester, I hope you got what you needed from that question.

How much does motorhome storage cost?

Keith Gooden

A very quick one before we finish. We mentioned parking on your driveway and also storage for overwintering your caravan or motorhome. How much does it cost to do the storage? What’s the typical price?

Matt Sims

Good question. There are many storage sites. It depends on the facilities there. And also there are some real vagaries around the country on this. But anything from a pound a day. We are £500 a year, £499 a year for basic storage. We do offer maintained storage as well.

So we have different plan levels where we will go and keep an eye on the vehicle for you every month. And in one of the plans, every week we’re hooking it up and keeping the batteries charged. We put the heating on, rotate all the cushions and move all the curtains about so that all the air is moving around. So typically, I reckon you’re looking at between £300 and £1,000 a year depending on the storage plan and where you are in the country.

Keith Gooden

Fabulous. Thanks very much, Matt.

Ask Matt your questions

Keith Gooden

If people want to get in touch or pose a question, what do they do?

Matt Sims

It’s really, really easy. We would love it if you did. Because as I’ve said before, I’m sure you’re not the only one wanting to ask that question. So please do ask them. No such thing as a daft question – only the one you don’t ask. And you can pose it at mhmp.info/askmatt. Just click the orange button and record your question. Please tell us where you are in the country. Or you can, if you’d rather not record your voice, fill out the form and we’ll read it for you.

Keith Gooden

Tell us where you are, absolutely. And that’s mhmp.info/askmatt. That’s Motorhome Matt podcast, get it? You can leave us a review at mhmp.info/review.

Matt Sims

Very clever – well done. And don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube as well, which is sponsored by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.

Keith Gooden

And share, share, share with your friend, friend, friend.

Matt Sims

Have you got a friend to share with?

Keith Gooden

No…