Is a motorhome warranty worth having?

Keith Gooden

In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt podcast…

Matt Sims

Is a motorhome warranty worth having?

Keith Gooden

Smart motorways are making the news again.

Matt Sims

And we answer your questions on using Solbio organic toilet chemical, and we also discuss fighting condensation.

Keith Gooden

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

Matt Sims

And I’m Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden

Industry insights and expert advice for the world of motorhomes, campervans and caravans. It’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com.

Matt Sims

Remember to follow on your favourite podcast app and subscribe to us on YouTube, sponsored by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.

Inquests into fatalities on smart motorways

Keith Gooden

Straight in, then, Matt! Smart motorways – we started this year 2023 with an interview with the President of the AA, Edmund King.

Edmund King

One of the things many people will know I’ve been quite critical of over the last decade is smart motorways. When they were introduced in 2006 on the M42. In the West Midlands, there was a pilot that worked quite well because they had emergency refuge areas every 450 metres. It had overhead gantries, etc.

And it kind of helped with congestion. What then happened, and this was the big scandal over smart motorways, they were then rolled out with cost cutting. So from 400 metres, the ERAs were stretched out, emergency refuge areas, to 2,500 metres, or every mile and a half. And, you know, we said at the time, if you break down, you can’t choose always where you break down. And a mile and a half is too far to gamble with people’s lives.

And unfortunately, lives have been lost. I’ve spoken to many parents, people who’ve lost sons, daughters, whatever, on these motorways. And also when they were rolled out, they didn’t have the radar technology that they said they would have. It’s a complete scandal. There were just 23 miles of smart motorway on the M25 that had this stopped vehicle detection. The rest of the network had none.

Now, we’ve embarrassed the government into taking some action, and now they have rolled out the stopped vehicle detection. It’s not perfect. There are various cars – I had to warn my sister who drives an MX5, because an MX5 is quite low. Radar doesn’t get you. So if you break down in an MX5 or a classic car, the radar won’t pick you up.

Keith Gooden

Since you did that interview with Edmund King, Matt, smart motorways have been scrapped. But the campaign group Smart Motorways Kill have estimated there have been over 100 deaths linked to smart motorways since 2016. And most recently coroners, eight of them, have written a letter to National Highways criticising their spending of over half a million pounds defending legal action, either by victims or the families of victims who were killed on smart motorways.

Matt Sims

Yeah, absolutely shocking. £525,549.

Keith Gooden

And the coroner was making the point that these people have been either injured or killed. There’s no dispute. They’re coroners. You know, they receive very sadly the body, and they have an inquest.

And the inquests have found that yes, they were killed on the motorway, and it was no fault as far as they were concerned. So they’re saying to National Highways, “Stop spending this money. You’re spending taxpayers money defending cases against taxpayers who have either been badly injured or killed.”

Matt Sims

I know. They are shocking. And the number of times that I’ve been on a smart motorway this year and seen somebody stopped on the inside lane, and the red X isn’t on… I saw somebody pull out really hard into lane two to avoid this young girl stuck in lane one. I wish I had a dashcam and I’d recorded it. I would have shared it on social because they are lethal. They really are dangerous. If I could avoid going on one, I would.

Keith Gooden

Edmund King in that interview – I remember being very shocked at the beginning of the year hearing him say that certain car models, and he named an MX5, so I’m happy naming it, can’t be seen by the radars on the smart motorways.

Matt Sims

Well, they’re too low.

Keith Gooden

So if you break down, actually, the intelligent system is blind.

Matt Sims

Yeah, quite. I took my daughter to Brighton University for an open day. I know you’ve been doing the university open days too! And we took a Z4, a little BMW Z4 of ours. It was a nice day, so we drove up with the roof down.

And I was very conscious that I would probably not be picked up by the cameras if we broke down in lane one. Knowing my cars, it was highly likely. It didn’t, thankfully, but if it had, I was constantly watching for an escape route. Do you know what I mean? Being mindful of that is horrible. Why do we have them?

Keith Gooden

National Highways have been criticised by politicians as well over this, spending over half a million pounds on these cases. So we’ll see how this progresses. We know there are not going to be any more smart motorways. But when the government’s cancelled them, the one down through the Reading junction on the M4 was partially built, and that’s since been instituted. So there are still those smart motorways there and they are still dangerous.

Matt Sims

They are still dangerous. And the question is – I know Rishi is not going to spend any more money on new ones, but is he going to spend any money on taking the current ones away? That’s the question.

Keith Gooden

There you go. We’d like to hear your views on this if possible, please. We’ll give you details of how you can get in touch a little bit later on.

Christmas gift ideas for motorhomers

Keith Gooden

Okay, then, let’s go into our product of the week, then Matt! It’s Christmas gifts.

Matt Sims

It’s that time of year!

Keith Gooden

I’m feeling so festive. I’ve got some mistletoe strapped to me. Where? I can’t say.

Matt Sims

I’m coming nowhere near you.

Keith Gooden

Yes, just where King Henry had his Hampton Court.

Matt Sims

Christmas gift ideas. Here’s an idea. Look at this. If you’ve got a VW campervan – if you’re on YouTube, you can see this – I’m holding up a foldable kid’s chair. Look at that!

Keith Gooden

Is that a child’s chair? I thought it was for you.

Matt Sims

I could get in it, but I wouldn’t get out! It’s even got a little safety catch as well so the kids can’t get their hands trapped. And for the VW lovers among us – I know we’re Motorhome Matt here – here’s a VW washbag. A little campervan wash bag. How cool is that?

Keith Gooden

I was out driving around the other day and I saw one of the original restored Combi vans. And actually, it reminds you of the good old days because you don’t see them anymore, the original ones!

Matt Sims

The bay window or the split screen?

Keith Gooden

The one with the tent on top.

Matt Sims

Okay, the original.

Keith Gooden

Yeah, it looked fantastic.

Matt Sims

They’re worth a lot of money now.

Keith Gooden

They are. Also, I’ve got this.

Matt Sims

A miniature car and caravan toy kit!

Keith Gooden

You can’t go on holiday with it, but you can push it around and go, “Brum, brum, brum!”

Matt Sims

Yeah, you can! You can take it on holiday. I tell you, the kids love those. We have rather cunningly got them on the till, and parents hate it.

Keith Gooden

This is a Volvo! The same car I’ve got.

Matt Sims

I know, exactly. That’s why it’s here. I told you, it’s one for you.

Keith Gooden

Thank you very much.

Matt Sims

Every caravan tower should have a Volvo.

Keith Gooden

I think this one is parked up at the site because I’m just looking in and somebody’s sitting on the loo. But anyway…

Matt Sims

I hope they’re using Solbio.

Keith Gooden

It’s amazing what they can do.

Matt Sims

And this for your loved one. This is a dog robe. So this is a present for your four-pawed friend. So we’ve got a little video on the shop website, That Leisure Shop, of Reggie our little Border Terrier wearing one of these.

We’ve got a bright orange one like this, and they’re brilliant robes for when your dog comes back off the walk. Tuck them in this. It’s like a doggy dressing gown. They are brilliant. Dries them off, cleans them and they come with – or you can buy – dog drying mitts!

Keith Gooden

Dog drying mutts.

Matt Sims

Mitts!

Keith Gooden

Mutts!

Matt Sims

Look at this. They’re literally a massive mitt, and you can dry the dog’s paws, dry their ears, and then put them in the washing machine when you’re done.

Keith Gooden

What, the dog?

Matt Sims

No, the mitt! You haven’t got a dog, have you?

Keith Gooden

No, I haven’t…

Matt Sims

There you are – just a few Christmas gift ideas for your loved ones.

Keith Gooden

He’s going to put that back in the shop and sell it, you know that?

Matt Sims

Of course I am! I’ve only put it on my hand.

50% off motorhome hire

Matt Sims

It’s our birthday coming up very soon. We’re eight! Did you know that? At the company behind us here, Motorhome Holiday Company, we’re eight years old this December. December the 15th.

Keith Gooden

How are you celebrating?

Matt Sims

We’ll probably buy a cake and give it to the team. Send them all home late.

Keith Gooden

But not a flash 50% off hire sales, then?

Matt Sims

We are going to do that. This is a cracking idea. So this is our birthday gift to you. If you know somebody who you think you would like to treat for Christmas for a five-day or more trip away, we are giving 50% off. Half off, yes, for one weekend only.

So Friday the 15th of December, at nine in the morning, the offer will kick in and it will run until Sunday night at 9pm. So it’s a flash sale. I’ll be honest, we’ve never done it before. It’s 50% off. You book and pay in full and you get half off!

So you could book it as a voucher. Or you can actually book the date and firm the date up and plan your trip away. So if you’ve got friends who want to come with you, or perhaps you’re listening to this and you don’t own a motorhome yet but you want to hire one, then this is a half price offer!

Keith Gooden

So what sort of money are we talking about, then?

Matt Sims

Probably £800 pounds off. Depends what you’re going to book!

Keith Gooden

That’s worth it.

Matt Sims

It depends when you go. So it could be you spend £1,000 on a week’s holiday. It’s going to cost you £500.

Keith Gooden

That is a deal! So how do people get in touch? Just pop into the shop or go to the website?

Matt Sims

Yeah, pop in or go to www.motorhomeholidaycompany.com, and there’ll be an icon on the website taking you to the offer.

Keith Gooden

And with Christmas on the way, other gifts – Motorhome Holiday Company gift vouchers for your loved ones.

Matt Sims

Yes, so maybe you don’t want to go that far and actually book a whole week away or five days away, but you want to buy them a voucher. Well, you can do that at www.motorhomeholidaycompany.com. They start at just £50.

Keith Gooden

They do. Brilliant. Fantastic. So what you need to do is look at the written stuff around this podcast, and you can click on it. Or we’re going to remind you again of where you should go…

Matt Sims

www.motorhomeholidaycompany.com. And we have a very special deal on our gift vouchers too. You can get a £300 voucher for just £250.

Keith Gooden

That’s Santa Claus Sims.

Matt Sims

Ho, ho, ho!

Keith Gooden

Holy, holy, holy, ho!. Okay, that’s enough of the hard sell for you. But they are great deals. They’re brilliant deals.

Matt Sims

They are great deals. And the team, I have to say, within the hire company are very excited about them. We’ve never done anything like this before. So I said yes, let’s do it. It’s our birthday. We’re eight years old. Who knows – we’re going to be 10 in a couple years. Let’s see what we do then.

Keith Gooden

So while you’re listening to this, you can go on to the website and buy your gift voucher. And it is again…

Matt Sims

www.motorhomeholidaycompany.com.

Keith Gooden

Fantastic.

Is a motorhome warranty worth having?

Keith Gooden

Let’s get into the meat, the main part of today’s podcast. Is a warranty worth the paper it’s written on?

Matt Sims

That is a phrase that has been bandied around for years, isn’t it? Particularly in the motor trade. So motorhomes, caravans, campervans, are a motor trade of a form. And I’ve had an increasing number of people recently say to me they’re trying to buy a motorhome. And they say, “Matt, don’t bother with the warranty, knock £500 off.” Or they say to the team here, “I want to save £500. Don’t bother with the warranty. I’ve had them for years and they’re not worth having.”

And I actually don’t agree. I have first-hand experience of making a warranty claim. And it was very, very positive. We work with a company called MB&G, so we choose here to buy a warranty when we sell a motorhome, which gives the customer peace of mind with a third party.

It also means if you’re in Scotland on holiday, you haven’t got bring it back here for us to fix it or negotiate with us on paying a garage to fix it. It means you’ve got that ring fence and safety net of a warranty company behind you. And those are the two types of warranty, really – one that’s outsourced and purchased as a policy, or the dealer will underwrite a warranty.

Keith Gooden

I suppose customers have got a bit cynical because it started off with electrical items, didn’t it? And it then sort of got into the motor trade. You’re being sold insurance. You buy a television, and for another £60, you get an extended guarantee.

And you think, “Well, if the thing’s any good, why do I need to buy an extended guarantee?” And it’s the same when you buy especially secondhand motor vehicles these days. They say, “How about a warranty?” And you sort of think, well, they’re just doing it because they’re getting the commission. Am I right or wrong?

Matt Sims

There’s an element of truth in that. There may well be a commission if the salesman has upgraded your warranty. And then of course, they try and sell you something called gap insurance as well, which is a different type of insurance policy. But the reality is, the motorhomes come new with a warranty from the manufacturer, which lasts typically two or three years on all the components inside.

And the water ingress warranty, they’re increasing. So this is a warranty against damp. They’re increasingly being extended to 10 years from new, so they’re getting longer and longer as manufacturers get more confident with the materials they’re using. But the reality is, motorhomes are becoming more complicated.

The amount of tech in them these days, electric up and down beds, the technology in the sound systems, the fridges, the cooking induction hobs – these things are all mechanical, electrical, they go wrong. They can fail at any point.

And basically, it’s a house, and you’re going to drive it down the road. You’re going to rattle something loose. So it’s peace of mind. I think that’s where a warranty is worth the paper it’s written on. And as I say, making a claim has for me been a very positive experience with MB&G.

How much should I pay for a warranty?

Keith Gooden

So how much of my budget, if I’m buying a motorhome, should I set aside for a warranty?

Matt Sims

So we include it for free. We pay for it. And that’s why people are saying to us buying a secondhand motorhome, “Knock the warranty off, Matt, and knock £500 off.” And they can cost… it depends what cover we’re putting on, but anything from £300 to £700, depending on the warranty.

We include that within the cost. You know, we’re not able to sell that. But then the customer could upgrade the warranty. They could make it go from a one-year warranty to a two-year warranty or upgrade the cover. But it’s about the customer having that peace of mind, I think.

Keith Gooden

And it is about the cover, isn’t it? Are you covered for all eventualities? Reading the small print, does it include my tyres? Or does it include scraping the wheels on a kerb? Does it include, I don’t know, little Johnny, the seven-year-old, sticking a potato on the exhaust pipe? All those sorts of things. And that’s where insurance companies have made us cynical, haven’t they?

Matt Sims

They have.

Keith Gooden

You ring them up and they say, “I’m sorry, that’s not actually covered.”

Matt Sims

Well, what’s great with MB&G certainly is their policy is very detailed about what they will cover and what they won’t cover, more importantly. And they also publish how much they are prepared to pay. So say an alternator fails, there is an amount of money pegged to an alternator replacement that they will pay.

And bear in mind, these guys are very experienced. If a reversing camera fails, it won’t be the first one they’ve paid out to replace. And they do fail. You know, they’re exposed to the elements. You’re driving along in the wet and all that water’s buffeting against the back of the van. They do fail, and they will have an amount of money that they will pay. So they are very experienced with what the repairs cost.

Keith Gooden

And a lot of insurers will also say that you’ve got to keep your maintenance up to date. I remember years ago, I was caught out by this. It was a car, not a motorhome. But my diesel pump failed in a Ford Mondeo.

And I had an insurance policy which covered breakdowns and failures. And when I rang the insurance company, they said, “Well, you know, when was it serviced?” And I said, “Well, it’s three months overdue, but it’s a diesel pump. That wouldn’t have been checked.” They said, “It doesn’t matter.” And they just returned my premium to me, and I had to spend £1,000 getting it mended.

Matt Sims

I guess this is where the cynicism comes from. Because that’s what it is, isn’t it? If there’s any way an insurance company can wriggle out of it, they will. That’s what I hear. And yes, there may be some truth in that. But you know, that’s about using a warranty company which is reputable.

And if they wriggle out of it, everyone’s just going to take to social media and throw them under the bus, aren’t they? They’ll never sell a policy ever. So it’s about having a warranty from the best provider. As I say, we’ve used MB&G for years, and I’ve had a very positive experience with Jeff, who looks after us, our account manager. He’s brilliant.

And I’ve asked him time and time and time again to come on the podcast to have this discussion. And it was a constant no! And then recently, we were at the Motorhome and Caravan Show in Birmingham this October. And Danny came up to me, Danny Robertson. He’s the head of field sales at MB&G and Jeff’s boss. He said, “I’d like to come on the podcast and have a chat with you.”

I said, “Okay. Well, I’ve been asking you for years. And it’s been a no!” And then the next thing that evening, I get a text from Jeff saying, “Oh, our MD, Paul Smith, wants to come on as well.” So we got their attention. And I actually managed to pin them down and get some time with them back at the show.

MB&G motorhome warranties

Paul Smith

We’ve been at it for 45 years. We’re getting quite good now. Quite good.

Matt Sims

So I’ve been seeing an increasing number of people just say, Matt, don’t bother with the warranty, you know, knock 500 quid off the purchase price. It’s not worth the paper it’s written on? Are they wrong?

Danny Robertson

I think that is definitely a silly statement.

Matt Sims

You would say that!

Danny Robertson

I would, you’re right. But I think the technology that’s now coming into motorhomes and caravans, you know, the equipment that these things have on board now… our products offer such a comprehensive range of cover up to the retail value of the product with all electrical and all mechanical cover. Given the cost of a refrigerator replacement being £2,500 now, it would be silly not to have a warranty, surely.

Matt Sims

I agree. But of course, there’s a cap on how much you will pay out. You say up to the retail price of the motorhome. My motorhome cost me £140,000. Is that what you’d pay out?

How much will a motorhome warranty provider pay out?

Danny Robertson

Yes, correct. That is what we’d pay out. It is back to retail value on a lot of our products. Obviously, there’s never going to be a claim for that value, if that makes any sense, because we’re only covering the electrical, mechanical part of the vehicle and also the components inside.

But it gives the customer and the policyholder peace of mind to let them know that if anything fails inside the vehicle in terms of an expensive item that it is covered, and they’re not going to be capped by a claims limit.

Paul Smith

That claims limit is over the course of the year. So you can have more than one claim that has a value of itself. We don’t expect lots of claims on any one vehicle. But if you’re unfortunate enough to have two or three, we treat the third one as kindly and respectfully as we treat the first. That’s what we’re there for.

Matt Sims

I get it. So that retail value, though, is only up to a certain age of a vehicle. Is it five years?

Paul Smith

It’s up to five years. And then we have policy claims limits thereafter.

Matt Sims

Which is typically £1,000.

Paul Smith

It’s £1,000 or £5,000. It depends on what the customer decides to buy. And it depends what the dealer offers. Because a lot of these products are offered by dealers at the point of purchase.

And the value there, and one of the interesting things about the, “Oh, I don’t use warranties, I find them a waste of time,” is how many dealers go down that route for two years. And then they come back to us and say, “Can you come back please? I’m really fed up with all these customers coming to me making claims and falling out with them.”

“I’ve had good customers. They’ve been with me for five years. They’ve bought three vehicles. And now we’ve fallen out. If you dealt with it, I know you’d have dealt with it fairly carefully. If there was a falling out, I could just say, ‘Those wretched motorhome people, I wouldn’t have any truck with them either.'”

That’s the way life works. So we get a bit of a cycle going where dealers run with us for a number of years, kid themselves that they could do it cheaper and better. And then a couple of years later, they come back and say, “Oh, please can we start again?” And I think there’s quite a powerful lesson in that.

Matt Sims

My own experience is that we had a fridge fail on a motorhome we sold after just six months. And the circuit board in it went. It was £230 for the board. And the board was no longer available. And I thought, “Well, we’ll have to replace the fridge,” which we chose to pay for and it was nearly £2,000 pounds. The claims limit was £1,000 pounds.

So we put the claim in to you guys. And I thought, well, we’ll only get the £230 quid for the board. And bless you, you paid out £1,000. I was stunned. So a really, really positive experience, and I was quite taken aback that you were prepared to do that. Why would you do that?

Danny Robertson

Well, obviously we’re insuring the customer’s product, and if the part on the board is no longer available, we have a responsibility to the policyholder to then replace that product or up to the value of their claims limit on that policy. So that’s why you got £1,000 pound for effectively what was a £230 pound board, because that board was no longer available. So we then gave you the maximum claim limit that we could for your policy, in order for you to be able to repair it.

Matt Sims

it was much appreciated. Are you finding that claims are going up? I mean, motorhome sales and caravan sales have increased. So no doubt there’s a proportionate increase in claims.

Paul Smith

But interestingly, claims frequency, e.g., for every 100 policies, the number of people who make a claim has gone up significantly over the last two or three years. We think it’s reflective a) of new entrants, new owners in the marketplace, who probably don’t understand how to look after caravan or motorhome as well.

And secondly, these things are getting more complex. They have multi-digital communication and stereocenters in them, all sorts of electronic equipment that five years ago would have seemed like a pipe dream, or you’d have only seen on a £100,000 motorhome. Now they’re becoming ubiquitous, and they inevitably generate problems.

Will motorhome insurance premiums rise?

Matt Sims

So inevitably, then, that’s going to push the premiums up, isn’t it?

Paul Smith

It is doing so, and it has done. We’re not as cheap as we used to be. We will probably become more expensive in the future, because we have to respond to the level of claims. So we pay our claims as quickly sensibly and as promptly as we can.

But if we’re paying out claims, somebody has to ultimately fund the cost. But at least you’re spreading the load amongst all the other owners. And you know that your insurance is there. And if you have a problem, one email or phone call and we’ll do our best to take your problem away.

Matt Sims

One interesting thing I found that you’ve got in your business portfolios – you’re actually supplying a warranty to the manufacturers. So they can offer an extended warranty as the manufacturer, but actually, you’re underpinning it. This is a new facet to your offering, isn’t it?

Paul Smith

This is a new facet that we’re encouraging, working with one particular major manufacturer at the moment. And we think it’s a way forward for manufacturers because it allows them to give cover up to 10 years from the point of purchase.

So it’s giving the customer reassurance that for a very long period of time from the point of sale of the caravan, there’s still a warranty on this that essentially says this piece of kit is good for a good number of years yet.

If you’re going to be really honest, the nature of caravans and to a lesser extent motorhomes – they rattle down the roads, they do develop leaks, they do develop problems as a result of the way they’re treated. And having a warranty just gives you that peace of mind that there’s an easy solution prepared.

What is the most common motorhome warranty claim?

Matt Sims

What’s the number one claim that you get submitted?

Danny Robertson

I would say probably water ingress is the number one claim. Yes, we do see a lot of them, as you’re aware. It has its peaks and troughs. It does happen. These things do leak, they’ve got moving parts on them. Like Paul said, they’re rattling down the road.

Again, we pay out successfully a lot of the time in terms of the claims on the water ingress, hence why we are working with the manufacturers to build their extended policy up to 10 years for water ingress on their products through the manufacturers.

The difference between dealer underwritten and insurance company underwritten

Keith Gooden

So that’s Danny Robertson, the head of Field Sales at MB&G Insurance, and Paul Smith, the MD at the same company. I’m just picking up different types of warranty provision – there’s dealer underwritten, or insurance company underwritten. And as far as the customer is concerned, what’s the difference?

Matt Sims

Well, as I said earlier, really, if you’re in Scotland and you break down, having a dealer underwritten policy might mean they say, “Yeah, bring it back, we’ll get it sorted for you.” Well, that’s no good, because I’m in Cornwall as a dealer, for example. Whereas if you’ve got an insurance policy underwriting it, they will allow you to go to any VAT registered garage as normal, and they will pay the garage.

We up the hourly rate to £60 per hour when we’re putting a warranty on a vehicle, which is a far more reasonable rate than many warranty providers will supply. And £60 covers most dealers four their hourly rate. And the other thing that MB&G will do is if you break down in France, they will still cover the cost of repair.

They will ask you to pay for it and get a copy of the invoice. And they’ll reimburse you less that company’s tax, which I think is a great service. So that’s the main difference, really – peace of mind wherever you are. You don’t have to go back to the dealer to get the repairs done.

Keith Gooden

So are you saying that actually, a dealer underwritten policy is not as good as an insurance company underwritten policy?

Matt Sims

Personally, and this is my own opinion, I think an insurance company underwritten policy is probably better, because I haven’t got to try and deal with a dealer who might be busy or might be on holiday. You know, I’m dealing with an insurance broker and an insurance company, and this is all they do.

Keith Gooden

Right. And insurance is going up hugely on cars. What’s it like for motorhomes and caravans?

Matt Sims

The insurance itself is going up, certainly, yeah. And premiums on warranties are going up as well, as Paul said. You know, they’re seeing an increased number of claims as vehicles get more complicated, and that is going to have a knock-on effect.

Keith Gooden

It’s electric vehicles, isn’t it? It’s because mending an electric vehicle is hugely expensive. And even those of us who haven’t got one are expected to pay the bills for the people who have. It’s true.

Matt Sims

Yeah, but EV motorhomes are years away. We know that. Well, these guys are only covering… this is their motorhome policy. Yeah, they are going up in price.

Keith Gooden

Right. So you’re not subsidising somebody in a car. Okay, then – the prices for warranties. Not just insurance. They’re on the rise as well. I suppose the two are linked, aren’t they?

Matt Sims

Yeah, absolutely. As I say, motorhomes are becoming more complicated. The componentry in them and the levels of it are going up. And there’s just more to go wrong, frankly. You know, even reversing cameras are becoming more complicated. It sounds like a simple bit of kit, but you know, there’s more tech in them. The head units in the dashboards, the satnavs, Bluetooth – you know, we want all this provision of kit. It can fail.

Keith Gooden

So claims are on the up, that’s a fact. And that will drive up premiums. It’s interesting that MB&G are a warranty underwriter for a motorhome or caravan manufacturer. So what does that say about the manufacturers’ confidence in their own products?

Matt Sims

Yeah, that’s an interesting question, isn’t it? So MB&G are starting to work with more and more manufacturers of motorhomes and caravan builders. So the manufacturer wants to extend the warranty. Increasingly, we’re seeing a 10-year water ingress warranty on the vehicle.

That’s a risk for the manufacturer, because if the build quality isn’t quite there and there’s a chance of water ingress, then if they’re offering a 10-year warranty, they’ve got to underwrite that and pay for the repair. And damp repairs are expensive. They really are. They can be easily £10,000, £12,000, £15,000 or more. That’s a big outlay.

And so what MB&G are doing is offering a service to the manufacturers where they will underwrite it, and therefore the manufacturer is not having that risk. So it’s an insurance policy for the manufacturer of the motorhome or caravan.

Keith Gooden

I hope that’s been of help to you, especially if you’re buying insurance or warranties. The thing to do is read the policies, but don’t dismiss them out of hand. I presume that’s your advice for people who are just trying to knock money off and say, “Forget the warranty.” You shouldn’t be doing that, should you?

Matt Sims

Well, the thing is that if you don’t have one, then you’re at risk that if something does go wrong, you are going to be in the chair for it. If a fridge fails, that could be £2,000. That’s a lot of money.

Audience Q&A

Keith Gooden

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

Matt Sims

And I’m Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden

I ask the silly questions, and Matt will you give the answers.

Matt Sims

I try!

Keith Gooden

Well, we’ve reached the stage in the podcast with the question and answers where I stop asking the stupid questions. I just leave that up to you. I’m only joking! I’m joking!

Matt Sims

No-one will ask a question ever again!

Keith Gooden

I am joking. Matt Furneaux is in Nailsea.

Can I use Solbio and Thetford pink fluid?

Matt Furneaux

I’m more Caravan Matt, less Motorhome Matt, I guess! I was interested hearing your podcast about the Solbio product. I’m looking to make the switch. It sounds like the right thing to do for the environment.

The thing is, to date, I’ve always been buying the twin packs from Thetford of the blue and the pink toilet chemicals. So pink for the flush, blue for the cassette. You use a lot less of the pink flush fluid than you do the blue stuff. I guess it’s because you dilute it a lot more than you do the blue stuff.

So my question is, if I make the switch now to Solbio, am I okay to use what I’ve got left over of the pink flush fluid with the Solbio in the toilet cassette? Or do you need to make sure you’re using Solbio both to flush and also in the toilet cassette itself?

Keith Gooden

So Matt, what’s the answer?

Matt Sims

Well, we checked with John Morley, who is the wholesaler of Solbio into the UK. And he said, as I thought, “No, they can’t be used together as pink flush kills bacteria and Solbio promotes good bacteria. You should add a half dose of Solbio,” that’s 20ml, “Each time you fill up your flush tank with water. It’ll also keep your flush tank clean and will stop the black bits flushing into your toilet bowl, which is what can happen with the pink flush.”

Keith Gooden

The black bits?

Matt Sims

The black bits. So when you take a motorhome or caravan out of storage and you flush the toilet for the first time, you get all these tiny little black fluffy bits coming around the bowl. It’s just bacterial buildup in the tank or in the pipe. And what Solbio does is it kills that off. Very good. So the answer, Matt, is no. Don’t mix it with your pink. But you can use it in your flush tank.

Keith Gooden

It’s one or the other.

Can you put Solbio in your water tank?

Keith Gooden

Chris is in Bristol.

Chris

I’ve just been watching your podcasts with your little mate there, Chris, which is my name as well, by the way. I was thinking, Solbio – can you put that in your water tank in your motorhome and clean it out and then flush it through later? Thanks a lot. Podcasts are great. Cheers. Bye.

Keith Gooden

Not so great that you remember my name! It’s Keith. Keith, Chris!

Matt Sims

All right, Chris?

Keith Gooden

Cheers, Chris.

Matt Sims

Anyway, we’ll get his name wrong. So no, Chris, don’t put it in your freshwater tank. I’m assuming you mean freshwater. You didn’t say if you meant freshwater grey water. Grey water definitely yes. It’s ideal for that – just pour it down your sink and it will work a treat in your grey water tank.

But in your freshwater, no. If you watch last week’s episode, or hear it, you’ll hear me drinking it. Whilst you can, I don’t recommend you do so! It does not taste nice. So no, I would not be recommending you use it in your freshwater tank.

Keith Gooden

There you go.

How can I stop condensation on the inside of my motorhome?

Keith Gooden

Colin Coulthard is in Harrow.

Colin Coulthard

We’ve just started using our new mobile home at the weekends. And we’re finding we’re having lots of condensation problems on the windscreen and side windows. We’re looking to invest in an external windscreen cover for the main front windscreen. But what about the side windows? Is something like your Kontrol products with crystals or an electric dehumidifier the best option? Great to hear the podcasts. Bye for now.

Keith Gooden

Cheers, Colin Coulthard in Harrow. So do the crystals clear the condensation?

Matt Sims

Well, they will. So Colin is busy enjoying his brand new Rimor. Congratulations, Colin, you finally got it. So there are two issues here, really. One is the Silver Screen cover. And I say Silver Screen – that’s a brand of cover. There are lots of makes of covers, but they usually are silver because they have an insulative property. Is that a word?

Keith Gooden

Insulative or property?

Matt Sims

Insulation.

Keith Gooden

I shall ask Chris.

Matt Sims

So normally when you buy a screen cover, Colin, they include the side windows. I’d recommend definitely covering all of the windows. So we sell the Maypole ones and we sell the Quest ones in the shop at That Leisure Shop, and they all cover the side windows and the front windscreen. Some of them have a pocket you can fold down so you can look out of the window in the morning.

But these are a game changer when it comes to condensation inside the glass. The cab is the coldest bit of the motorhome. And that’s why you get so much water forming on the glass, because it’s coming into contact with a cold surface. So the external screen covers make a massive difference. And I would definitely be covering the side windows.

You can also buy internal ones that are not as effective at all. But if it’s really cold, you can buy those that are thermal as well and really make the whole cab warm. You can also buy a cab cover so it covers your windscreen, the side windows and the bonnet. And that stops the draft that you might feel coming up through the footwell too. They are really good.

And you can go all out and spend a lot of money on these things. So do your research, as I know you will, Colin, and find the best one for you. I have found that the cheaper ones are just as good. They’re brilliant. And they do kill the condensation.

The Kontrol units that you mentioned, Kontrol with a K, are ideal when it’s in storage. I think if you’re in it and you would put Kontrol units in there, you would flood them really quickly because you are generating such a lot of water that the Kontrol unit is going to be fighting against the ambient moisture in the air and you and they just wouldn’t cope.

So that’s not what they’re for. And then you mentioned a dehumidifier – you could put one of those in when you’re in it, but again you’re going to be emptying it very often. They again are really for when the vehicle is empty and in storage.

Keith Gooden

There you go, Colin. I hope you’ve got something from that. By the way, those Kontrol crystals – they are dirt cheap, aren’t they?

Matt Sims

£2. I mean, you know, £2.99 or something. I’ve mentioned before, I put them in a car through the winter. I’ve previously gone back in the spring and it’s covered in green moss, mould, all over the steering wheel, the gear stick – and it’s just bacteria that’s living on there that moulds up over the winter.

I put the Kontrol units in last winter, came back and no green. Amazing. I thought, this is not going to work. They absolutely do. And they’re in different sizes. So the really tiny ones are literally £2 or £3, and you can tuck them in the cupboards, in the wardrobe and under the sofa. Really good.

Keith Gooden

And they’re refillable as well.

Matt Sims

Yeah, just top them up. Buy the refill bag. Keep the plastic thing, keep using that, and then every so often go back and just tip the water out, top them up and go again.

Keith Gooden

And Matt, you made a very good point there about how if you’re in the motorhome you are breathing out lots of vapour. You’re sucking in the oxygen, you’re processing it, getting up to the temperature of your body, 94 degrees or something, 84 degrees, and then breathing it out. And as you were saying, of course, you’re warming up the atmosphere around you.

Matt Sims

I can’t remember what the number is, but it’s a remarkable amount of moisture that we breathe and generate through the night. It’s an incredible amount. And in a motorhome or caravan, that is why you when you wake up, usually the windscreen is covered in water. And these screen products really do minimise it. Really good.

Otherwise, you spend the first hour of the day trying to wipe the windscreen or use a Karcher thing – other makes available, obviously – sucking the water off before you can drive anywhere, because you can’t blooming see!

Ask Matt your questions

Keith Gooden

If people want to get in touch and ask a question, Matt, what should they do?

Matt Sims

It’s really, really easy. Just go to mhmp.info/askmatt. Hit the little orange button and record your question. We’d love it if you did that. But please tell us where you are in the country. If you’d rather not do that, there is a form you can fill out and then Keith or I will read your question.

Keith Gooden

We always love to hear your voice. Just get my name right. Leave us a review – mhmp.info/review. It’s Motorhome Matt podcast, you see? MHMP. There is reason behind our madness. What about subscribing, Matt?

Matt Sims

You can do that on YouTube. Click the little bell and then we will tell you when new videos are released. And YouTube is sponsored by our video partners, www.arobasecreative.co.uk.

Keith Gooden

And if people have friends, what should they do?

Matt Sims

Yeah, if you’ve got a friend called Chris, then make sure you share it with them – or Keith! We would love it if you would share it with a friend and help grow the podcast. I’m sure if you found it entertaining or informative, then maybe somebody else will too.

Keith Gooden

Hey, Matt.

Matt Sims

Yes, Keith?

Keith Gooden

Give us a Chris.

Matt Sims

No! Put that mistletoe away!