Keith Gooden: In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt podcast…
Matt Sims: I bring you my top Christmas gift ideas for 2025.
Keith Gooden: Ho ho ho. And we answer your questions about trailer registration for the continent, easy-to-use SIM cards and the ideal payload. Welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims: I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden: Industry insights and expert advice for the world of motorhomes, caravans and campervans. And it’s all brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe.
Matt Sims: Remember to follow on your favourite podcast app, or if you’re watching on YouTube, click subscribe and the little bell. Welcome to our Alan Rogers Campsite of the month feature here on the Motorhome Matt podcast. And this month we are back on the wild coast of the Costa Brava, helping you plan for next year. And I’m joined by Rob from Alan Rogers. Rob, we’re back in northeastern Spain. Where are we this time?
Speaker3: So we’re very close to the other site that we’ve done. We’re in Las Dunas, which is in Sant-Pere Pescador. Bay of Roses again. Absolutely stunning area. We’ve talked a lot about this before.
Matt Sims: You’ve done this on purpose to tempt me there, haven’t you?
Speaker3: Absolutely. Yeah. It’s well worth a look.
Matt Sims: Because this is an area we’ve only ever talked about visiting. We’ve never done it.
Speaker3: Yeah, and that’s why I’m telling you about it again. So that you get it on your list!
Matt Sims: So what can we see there?
Speaker3: So you’ve got l’Emporda, which is a nature park. It’s an area of freshwater ponds and marshes. So there are over 100 bird species. Loads of walking, loads of cycling. They’ve got cycle trails that go from nine kilometres up to 30km. Yeah. They’ve got walking trails, from one and a half to eight kilometres long. And you can hire your bike on the campsite, so you don’t need to take your bike along with you.
Matt Sims: So this is a family-friendly site, then. So suitable for families with young children and without. And great if you love wildlife and being active.
Speaker3: Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. There’s lots to do, lots to see and do in the area. You’ve got the Greco-Roman remains of Ampurias, which is the only place on the Iberian Peninsula where the Greeks and Romans mixed. So it’s quite an interesting place to visit early in the morning or later in the evening, because it gets really hot.
Matt Sims: Is that why everything is white? Really white?
Speaker3: Yeah, yeah. The sun really reflects off that. And it can get pretty hot in the middle of the day, so avoid that time of day. But definitely worth a visit.
Matt Sims: And of course, this is a region made famous by Game of Thrones.
Speaker3: I mean, a lot of it was filmed over on the eastern side of the Med, but some of the city scenes. So if you’ve watched Game of Thrones, then the streets, the ports, the markets, the baths, that was all filmed in and around Girona.
Matt Sims: And Salvador Dali was born here, I understand.
Speaker3: Yeah. Figueras. It’s about 25km inland from this campsite. To get there, you don’t need to pack up. You could hire a car from the reception at the campsite. Yeah, Figueras is very worth a visit. You know what Dali’s like. It’s all absolutely crazy architecture. Wacky, wacky artworks. It’s well worth the day out.
Matt Sims: I bet it is. Yeah. And if you want to stay on site, what can you expect there?
Speaker3: So they’ve got a huge water park, five slides, rivers, separate toddlers’ pool. If you’re into your mini golf, then they’ve got a 12-hole mini golf course near reception, tennis courts, a fitness area, and obviously you can’t miss out on the food. They’ve got four restaurants, three bars, a couple of shops, a large supermarket. I mean, the star of the show is the restaurant. It’s in the original building from the history of the site. But when they opened the site in 1968, they renovated it. And it’s undergone renovation again since then. The food for me is the best food that I’ve ever had on a campsite.
Matt Sims: And you’ve actually been here, haven’t you?
Speaker3: Oh, yeah. I’ve been here a couple of times. They invited me to their 50th anniversary, which is going back quite a few years now, but the food is sort of Michelin quality. They lift the dome off and the smoke comes out and the drinks are on fire and all that sort of stuff. The star of the show for me was the arroz negra, which is a black paella. So squid ink infused. Okay, but yeah, fish and seafood is obviously key for the region. Yeah.
Matt Sims: Sounds amazing. So pitch sizes on this campsite?
Speaker3: So they are about 100 metres square, a sensible size. You’re not going to have any problems getting on there. They’ve all got water, hook-up electricity and cable internet.
Matt Sims: Yeah. And there are bungalows there as well.
Speaker3: Yeah. They have got some really nice, well-equipped, well-appointed bungalows, some of them with accessibility. So if you’ve got limited mobility, then getting into some of those bungalows is straightforward.
Matt Sims: So when is this site open?
Speaker3: Usually opens mid-May and then runs through till the middle of September.
Matt Sims: And price point?
Speaker3: You’re looking at about €43 per night. And as usual, that includes a couple of people, your electricity, and in this case, a couple of dogs as well.
Matt Sims: It sounds like one to visit. So if you’re heading to northeast Spain, Costa Brava – where are we again?
Speaker3: It’s Camping las Dunas in San Pere Pescador.
Matt Sims: You heard it here first! You can find out about all of Alan Rogers campsites. Just head to mhmp.info/alanrogers.
Keith Gooden: So this week there’s a big change on the Motorhome Matt podcast. We’re going out on location. You’re letting me out from under the stairs.
Matt Sims: Only this time – only once. So behave. So we are heading to our brand new shop, That Leisure Shop, based at Chelston Motorhomes, just off junction 26 of the M5. Do pop in if you’re passing. We are going to go round the store looking for our favourite Christmas gift ideas. This could well be chaos. Let’s go!
Keith Gooden: It’s Christmas gift time and here are five, 6 or 7 ideas. Great gifts which you can buy for yourself or for anybody else. And we’re here live and direct in Chelston at the www.thatleisureshop.com shop – the second one.
Matt Sims: This is our second shop. Yeah. And it’s open! That Leisure Shop Chelston Junction, 26 of the M5 in Wellington. Do pop in if you’re passing. So, Keith, you’ve got our first Christmas gift suggestion.
Keith Gooden: And luckily, I can carry it.
Matt Sims: Go and find it.
Keith Gooden: Okay. I’m off. I’m running.
Matt Sims: Now, don’t trip.
Keith Gooden: It’s a very long shop.
Matt Sims: He’s going right. He’s carrying on. Mind your step. Don’t trip over the chairs. He’s still going. He’s picked a gift in a different postcode. Where’s he going to go? He’s going left. He’s stopped. He has got a blue kettle and a green one. A pair of kettles. These are gas kettles. So, Keith, come on back. These are lovely, aren’t they? Lovely colour. £11.99. Why have you picked these?
Keith Gooden: Because I like the colours. They’ve got the blue, the green. There’s black and there’s a red one as well. And they’re very modern colours. I think they’re great. And for a gift idea, they’re not hugely expensive. So it’s something that you can get for somebody as like stocking filler. A bit big for a stocking!
Matt Sims: I was going to say, how big’s your stocking?!
Keith Gooden: You know what I mean.
Matt Sims: And what I love about these – they whistle. They whistle like going away with granny.
Keith Gooden: A good old-fashioned whistling kettle. So that’s my suggestion number one.
Matt Sims: And look at the pouring. Look at the spout. You haven’t got to touch it to lift it. You know, when you lift it, it’s really hot. You burn your finger. Very clever. So what’s next?
Keith Gooden: I don’t know what’s next, Matt. It’s your turn.
Matt Sims: I’ll pick one.
Keith Gooden: Off you go. Down the shop at Chelston. Off he goes. Oh, that was very quick. I think you’ve just planned this so you don’t have to walk very far.
Matt Sims: I chose a product close to the stand.
Keith Gooden: Don’t kick the kettles, will you?
Matt Sims: I won’t kick the kettle. Yeah, it’s like a bucket. This is a V16 beacon. I talk about these a lot in my talks at all the shows throughout the year. I am going to actually get one out. So these are now a legal requirement as of the 1st of January 2026, in Spain. We’ll see if this one’s charged. So the idea is if you’re in a metal vehicle, you can place this on the top of your car and it will illuminate – orange flashing beacon, you see. If you’re in a motorhome, you can manually turn it on. But the second time you turn it on, it becomes a torch. So on a magnetic surface, a ferrous surface like a bonnet, it becomes a torch. And then the second time you put it on, you can manually turn it on, it becomes an orange flashing beacon. And this is now a legal alternative, a replacement for the red warning triangle. I think they are a fantastic thing to have, even in the UK.
Keith Gooden: Now, if you look at the comments on some of our past podcasts, people do like to point out that the red warning triangle is still a legal requirement in this country. And Matt’s talking about Spain, but as Matt has said on many occasions, he prefers to use one of these, as well as keeping his red warning triangle because you’ve got to have it in the boot anyway. But he prefers one of these because they can be seen from a distance, can’t they?
Matt Sims: Absolutely, yeah. A kilometre away in fog. What’s next, Keith?
Keith Gooden: So it’s my turn again. I am sticking with something that can fit in your Christmas stocking. I’m off now.
Matt Sims: You said the kettles would fit in a Christmas stocking. So it’s more of a pillowcase. You’re cheating as well. Going really close. It’s an angles mortes sticker.
Keith Gooden: Now, I spotted this earlier on today. There you go. It’s in French. It’s for when you go to the continent and it’s “Attention, angles morts.” And the thing I like about it is the direct English translation is death angles. So there you go. On Christmas morning, you can just imagine you’ve got your Christmas card in there, you unwrap it and you give somebody death angles.
Matt Sims: It’s meant to mean blind spot.
Keith Gooden: It can mean whatever you want, but that means death angles.
Matt Sims: Okay. Literally. Okay.
Keith Gooden: Quite literally.
Matt Sims: So you only need one of these if you’re over three and a half tonnes. I often see tiny little campervans displaying them on the continent, so yeah, they are good to have – legally required if you’re over three and a half tonnes.
Keith Gooden: And the reason for it is the driver can’t necessarily see all the way around. There are a couple of blind spots around the vehicle. So you have to have it. So the serious side to this is if you’ve got a larger vehicle, then one of these is brill if you’re going on the continent. But as I say, death angles – another stocking filler and the price, just £8.99.
Matt Sims: There we are. So what’s up next? Martyn’s going to help me with this. Now, you’ve met Martyn before on the podcast.
Martyn Ibson: Hi.
Matt Sims: This is the ddipp robe. Come on and give us a demo. You have kept your clothes on underneath, haven’t you?
Martyn Ibson: You can place it into the pocket. All of the seams are taped. And the good thing is, it’s made from recyclable plastic products.
Matt Sims: Plastic bottles. So these are brilliant for going to the shower block, or sitting by the campfire, or just sitting outside of an evening. We love our ddipp robes. We’ve got another volunteer. This is Ben from That Leisure Shop. He is our e-commerce manager. What have you got there, Ben?
Ben Pluck: I have got a Pathway.
Matt Sims: You all know the Pathway. We’ve talked about this a lot. The 4G internet router. Just plug and play. Stick and lick. Love that.
Keith Gooden: Don’t lick and stick.
Matt Sims: Stick and lick, even. You can explain, ben. Go on.
Ben Pluck: You put a SIM card, a nano-SIM, and it connects you to the internet. But the beauty with this is that it can go outside so it does have an Ip66 rating.
Matt Sims: That means it’s waterproof.
Ben Pluck: And dustproof. So if you did need to lick and stick it on the outside of your motorhome, you can – and it will get you those hard-to-reach internet places where otherwise a phone can’t. So overall, really good for always staying connected.
Keith Gooden: The most important thing, isn’t it, is that you can stay connected, as you say. And it’s portable so you can use it in the motorhome. You can use it at home, you can transport it. It doesn’t have to go with the motorhome, does it?
Ben Pluck: It’s great for roaming as well. So if you’re going to any other countries, you can take it anywhere around the EU. We even had someone recently say that they were able to get this working in Kenya.
Matt Sims: In Kenya! I didn’t know that. And it runs on 12V. So the little accessory socket and three pin mains. 240v. Absolutely brilliant. We were recently on a campsite streaming YouTube using one of these, and the campsite owner came over and said, “Have you hacked my Starlink?” And we said, no. “How are you getting online? There’s no phone network at all.” We pointed at the Pathway and he said, “Oh, you’ve got a pathway. We have loads of people here with them. They love them.” So there we are. So we were very proud. So Ben is the guy who created this product and led the team that made the whole thing for us. So well done, Ben. You’re a hero. Who’s next?
Keith Gooden: Well, how many presents are we up to so far?
Matt Sims: Maddie’s thrown them on the floor.
Keith Gooden: I’ve done two. You’ve done two. That’s four.
Matt Sims: We’re good. So I’ve got Colin coming on next. So Colin runs the shop here, That Leisure Shop at Chelston. And Colin’s got something very luxurious. What have you got?
Colin: Luxury body shampoo.
Keith Gooden: Luxury body?
Colin: Yeah, well, for my luxury motorhome, actually!
Matt Sims: Now, you’ve been using this on your classic cars.
Colin: I’ve been using it on cars. Yeah. And I say classic. It’s an MX-5!
Matt Sims: Okay. I was being kind. A future classic.
Colin: It’s a future classic, of course.
Matt Sims: It’s an MX-5.
Colin: Yeah, I’ve also used it on the motorhome and it really gives a lovely shine. And I remember asking you a question up at Hewish. How do you get the motorhome so shiny? And you said, well, use the product out of the shop. I’ve done it and it’s done exactly the same. And it’s not the only one in the range. You’ve got glass cleaner, you’ve got black street cleaner and you’ve got lemon bug cleaner, isn’t it? That’s right. And it just eats the bugs.
Matt Sims: It is made of lemon zest. So if you come down and visit That Leisure Shop here at Chelston, you will probably see Colin! So come and say hello. Can I come and get another one?
Keith Gooden: Yeah. Go on, go for it. He’s off. He’s running. He’s moving down the shop here at Chelston. That Leisure Shop or www.thatleisureshop.com. Don’t forget, you can get all these products at www.thatleisureshop.com, or drop in to shop at Hewish or this one at Chelston, just down on the M5. So what have we got? It’s a box!
Matt Sims: It’s a box. So they are mirror covers that go over your wing mirrors. And these are very well secured in the bag. They’re the 2025 model. I’m going to leave it in the bag.
Keith Gooden: Going to leave it in the bag?
Matt Sims: Let’s get it out of the bag.
Keith Gooden: You can tell we’ve rehearsed this, can’t you?
Matt Sims: Perfectly. So these are the new 2025 model with the little lines on the back. So the new Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Citroen Relay all have these lines on the back and we’ve got them in stock.
Keith Gooden: And what benefit do the lines on the back give you, then?
Matt Sims: None at all. But they differentiate the fact that this is a 2025 model, whereas the other ones were plain, the ’24 or before. So we’ve got them all in stock here – as we record this, anyway, it’s true. And so if you’ve just bought a brand new motorhome or campervan, then these are the ones you need with the lines on.
Keith Gooden: And why do you need them? Just explain.
Matt Sims: Because it’s too easy to knock your mirror off and crack it. And then you’re into a £400 bill with a new wing mirror. So these are less than £150 and they’ll protect the mirror. So if you do clip a tree or a post hidden in the hedge, you’re going to protect your mirror and not need to replace it. Perfect.
Keith Gooden: So are there any more stocking fillers or suggestions for Christmas presents from That Leisure Shop?
Matt Sims: There’s an entire shop of ideas and suggestions here. So do pop in here at Chelston or to our other shop in Hewish, and you’ll find loads of innovative ideas. The guys are busy filling the shop with loads of ideas for Christmas, so pop in or you can shop with us online at www.thatleisureshop.com.
Keith Gooden: We’re back in the studio! Amongst all that chaos, you forgot a few products that you wanted to feature.
Matt Sims: I thought of some more, actually. I thought there’s some bigger gifts. Maybe a slightly more expensive one. Here’s one I prepared earlier.
Keith Gooden: Oh, hang on a second. He’s just unzipping it…
Matt Sims: I’m not! I always get asked, “Matt, what satnav do you use that you can put the dimensions of your motorhome into?” And this is the Avtex Tourer three. Now, I’ve been using Tourer two for years. This is the latest one from Avtex, and it contains the Garmin database. It also has databases of campsites all over Europe and the UK. You can put the dimensions of your motorhome in, the weight of it, so it will keep you on the straight and narrow, as it were. There’s a really handy separate screen so you’re not flattening the battery on your phone trying to use that as satnav, and you’re not battling with the main head unit that maybe you want to see the reversing camera on. I do when we’re driving on. I like having the reversing camera on the screen. So this is a brilliant device. I’ve started using one of these and they’re great.
Keith Gooden: So the benefits of being able to put the dimensions of your motorhome in there, or if you’re towing a caravan, is it keeps you away from those single-track roads, doesn’t it?
Matt Sims: The ones with grass up the middle? Yeah, I mean, I do brave those, I have to say. But in the van we’ve got, it’s small enough to do it. But this, if you’re in a bigger motorhome, is a must have and they’re under £400. Remember, you do get a discount on your first order with us in-store or online. Just use the code MOTORHOMEMATT.
Keith Gooden: And by the way, with this, do you know if they get updates or do you have to send off for SIM cards?
Matt Sims: No, no, no, you do it yourself. Just connect it to internet connection and away you go. Just update it. In fact, I think it’s updating live all the time. So they are brilliant. They are a must-have. Absolutely. www.thatleisureshop.com – you can browse them. We’ve got loads in stock as we record this. This podcast will probably put us out of stock.
Keith Gooden: So what else has Santa Matt got in his Christmas sack?
Matt Sims: I am a published author. Did you know that?
Keith Gooden: Really?
Matt Sims: Well, I say that.
Keith Gooden: I’ve heard a lot of things in my time.
Matt Sims: So I have a little section in this book. Look, there I am.
Keith Gooden: There I am, me, me, me.
Matt Sims: A picture of me. Yeah, this is actually how to wild camp in a motorhome. It’s written by the lovely Darran Mansfield, who you all know as the Urban Motorhome. Darran is a real character, and he’s been living in his motorhome. It’s a great big tag axle thing. He calls it the land yacht. He’s been living in it for nearly nine years, and he’s been camping out in rural locations and city locations and has never once had the knock, as we call it. And this is his book, his first ever book. He’s coloured in all the pictures himself as well. And he asked a few of us to contribute to it, me included, and I was very honoured to do it. So if you’re thinking of camping in a rural or urban location, this is a great guide on how to do it.
Keith Gooden: And as you say, Darran’s been doing it for years and years without trouble. He’s got some good tips for you there, as well as getting his mates, as Matt says, to contribute. What else, Matt?
Matt Sims: Some more books, a couple more suggestions. If you’ve been to any of the Warners shows this year, you may have encountered Highlands2Hammocks, the lovely Gemma and Campbell, and they have got an amazing array of books. You can buy all of these, by the way, at www.thatleisureshop.com or in store, and we’re proud to stock all of their books. This is one of my favourites they’ve written, NC 500. If you’re thinking of doing it, you have to get this book. It is all their own photography. It’s beautiful and so easy to understand and follow. They also did an amazing NC 500 map. They’ve also just done one on the NE 250. Have you heard of that?
Keith Gooden: I never have. What is it?
Matt Sims: It’s the North East 250. This is like Scotland’s best-kept secret. It’s a different route.
Keith Gooden: Not anymore.
Matt Sims: That’s true. But they’ve done this amazing… I am going to unfold it. There’s every campsite, place to empty your water, toilets, everything on the route around the north east of Scotland. So it’s a lesser-known route. It’s a fantastic talk they do, and a brilliant book. And they do a map to go with it as well. They also did an Outer Hebrides book now and this is the map for there. This is brilliant. So we did the Outer Hebrides. In fact, I did it before they did. And they’re Scottish and they’ve done this map as well. So these are really low-cost little accessories to go in your stocking. All the books. The books are beautiful, so I highly recommend them to you as well. And they’re all on the website. And then one more set of books from another friend of the podcast, the lovely Martin Dorey. Now, Martin has been on the podcast a few times. And look at the size of these books. Scotland. Ireland.
Keith Gooden: Look at the size of them!
Matt Sims: Famous for Take the Slow Road. They Did a whole series on Spain as well. They are stunning. I mean, the photography again, the photography in them and the content is just out of this world. They’re amazing. So Martin has written an amazing series of books, the whole Take the Slow Road series, and we sell all of his books in the shop.
Keith Gooden: So this is Scotland and Ireland that you’ve got.
Matt Sims: It is, but he’s also done Spain and Portugal. France. He’s done a few miles in his van and recently cycled a long way south with a surfboard.
Keith Gooden: So this is £22.
Matt Sims: This one is. Yeah. Retail. Yeah. Same with this one. So a bargain. And you get a discount on your first order at www.thatleisureshop.com. Use the code MOTORHOMEMATT.
Keith Gooden: I was just going to ask that. Do you get a discount?
Matt Sims: You do! So make sure you remember to do that. So some great gift ideas and they are beautiful on the coffee table and great to flick through before you plan your trip.
Keith Gooden: I’ve got a suggestion, Matt. Here it is. Harrison Ward, can you explain a bit about this one?
Matt Sims: Cookout! This is a lovely book as well. This is all cooking. So Harrison Ward is known as the Fell Foodie. Harrison’s story is amazing. We’ve had him on the podcast. All the photography is his. Most of it’s taken on an iPhone. And he is a mountain climber and takes a little stove with him and climbs in the fells and cooks. And this is all the food he’s been cooking. And he was quite significantly overweight, struggling with his mental health and just started walking.
Keith Gooden: Is this why you gave it to me?
Matt Sims: On you go! I’ll have a burger and chips. And Harrison just started walking and lost loads of weight and really found that fell walking was really, really good for his mental health. It’s a fantastic story. He was struggling with alcoholism, all sorts of challenges going on, and he found that walking the fells and food were a brilliant combination. He has now built a career as an inspirational speaker, inspiring us to get into the great outdoors and cook and enjoy great food in a beautiful environment. It’s a lovely book and a fantastic read.
Keith Gooden: And it’s not all fancy schmancy recipes, you know, fancy, fancy, fancy.
Matt Sims: Fancy schmancy.
Keith Gooden: First, catch your rabbit and all that. You know, onion bhaji, casseroles, Louisiana gumbo. I do like a gumbo, but also I’ve noticed here – Tiroler gröstl. I’ve read the instructions. It looks like it’s Swiss bacon, eggs and potatoes.
Matt Sims: That’s one of my favourite recipes in the book. It’s really good. Really simple to do as well.
Keith Gooden: So Mrs Motorhome Matt says to you on a Sunday morning, “Do you fancy some Tiroler gröstl for your breakfast then, Matt?”
Matt Sims: There are normally less syllables in what she says, to be honest. But if you’re really stuck and you really want a quick win for a gift idea, go for the gift vouchers. www.thatleisureshop.com – e have gift vouchers there. You can buy those and treat your loved one with some of those. And also at Motorhome Holiday Company. If you know someone who’s thinking of hiring a motorhome, maybe trying before they buy, www.motorhomeholidaycompany.com is another business in our little group. We do give vouchers too, so you don’t have to spend a fortune at all, but you can help contribute toward their holiday and getaway in a motorhome. So loads of ideas for Christmas. We’d love it as a small business if you would help support us. Christmas is always a challenging time to bring the till, so it really, really does help support a small family and friends business and we would be very grateful.
Keith Gooden: So those are our top gift ideas for 2025 and we hope you your loved ones love them as well. I’ll be thinking of you at the beginning of February when you’re reading that. Thumbing through the books – you know, when it’s dark at 4 p.m.
Matt Sims: Maybe running around a fell trying to catch a rabbit?
Keith Gooden: Matt, you’ve picked up a few gems from your conversations with Ripe about getting the right insurance for what you need, haven’t you?
Matt Sims: Yeah. Here’s one I love. Act as if you’re not insured. If you wouldn’t take your motorhome down a dodgy track with no cover, then don’t do it when you are.
Keith Gooden: Common sense, really.
Matt Sims: Yeah, exactly. And get your ducks in a row before you apply. So give correct and complete information. Declare every claim on any vehicle, even a little windscreen chip. They check with the DVLA and claims databases, so if it’s there, they’ll see it.
Keith Gooden: And what about trackers?
Matt Sims: Yeah, good point. If yours runs on 2G, check it’s still going to work where you travel. And for your contents keep your receipts and photos. If the worst happens, that proof can mean a payout.
Keith Gooden: So a straight talking alternative that could help save you money on your premium, or could help your claim.
Matt Sims: Exactly. Yeah. And if you want more info, just click the link in the description and check out Ripe.
Keith Gooden: It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast with me, Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims: And me, Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden: And it’s brought to you www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe. It’s the Q&A, the questions and answers, where you ask the questions and Motorhome Matt – for it is he – answers them. First of all, Rob Mullen is in Hertfordshire.
Rob Mullen: Hi, Matt from Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire. As a caravan owner, I understand there’s been a change to the legislation with regard to registering your trailer for travel on the continent. It’s either just come into or is now coming into effect. I wondered if you could give us an update on the situation with regard to registering trailers. Thank you.
Keith Gooden: So, Matt, what’s he talking about? Registering what?
Matt Sims: Registering a trailer. So this took everybody by surprise. The DVLA and UK government decided, in their own wisdom, to change the rules without any consultation, it would seem, and they require now people towing a caravan – if your trailer, the thing you’re towing, is over 750kg, it has to be registered. So it’s always been the case that if you’re towing a commercial trailer, so something with goods in that you’re buying and selling, it has to be registered. And that means you register it on the UK gov website. I think it’s £26 and you have a number plate made for it. It has a unique number plate, it’s white and it’s stuck on the back.
Keith Gooden: So not the one that you’d have normally stuck on a trailer.
Matt Sims: Not the one that matches your car, the yellow one.
Keith Gooden: It’s different?
Matt Sims: It’s a different one. So you’ll see commercial trailers have all got these white number plates on the back. And there’s letters and numbers. I can’t remember how many digits they are. And they suddenly decided that regardless of whether you’re travelling commercially, if it’s over 750kg, it has to be registered.
Keith Gooden: And is that 750kg unloaded?
Matt Sims: Unloaded. Yeah, absolutely. So if it’s capable of being over 750kg, you have to register it. And of course this then applied to caravans because they’re often over 750kg. But it was always the case that caravans are for leisure purposes and therefore exempt. And the rules changed. And so you now go and put your number plate of your car in and register the trailer. You say what the make and model of the trailer is or the caravan is, and the UK government website would say, you don’t need to register this. It’s a leisure vehicle, but there was a little link to say, or you can go ahead and register it. And a number of people… at the time we record this, there were a number of people caught in Germany and were fined. They were towing a caravan without the registration and they had to pay a fine. And the risk is the caravan could be seized. So there were lots of people giving an opinion on this. Eventually and very recently, to the point we recorded this, the Caravan and Motorhome Club issued a statement that said, “We have been able to speak to people at the DVLA and they have confirmed you need to register your caravan.” So the UK Gov website is wrong. When it tells you you don’t, you do. The DVLA have said they are going to update the website.
Keith Gooden: Don’t they need to update the website?
Matt Sims: Well, they’re busy. You know, they’re busy looking out the window. So it’s going to take a little while. So hopefully when this goes out in November, the civil servants have updated the website to say, yep, you’re over 750kg because you told us the weight of the caravan. You need to pay your £26. I’m sure that’s going to go up as well. And you need to register your caravan and then get your number plate made. And this is the next challenge is, well, where do I get my number plate made? Now, you can buy them at that big online shop that we all love to use. And there are high street retailers. You can Google for DVLA’s website where you can get a number plate made and they will make you this special white number plate. A code is given to you, a registration number that doesn’t look like your car registration. And the key is it’s white and it needs to be stuck somewhere on the back of the caravan. And I would suggest on the UK near side. So it’s on the off side when you’re on the near side.
Keith Gooden: What’s the near side again? Just remind us.
Matt Sims: The passenger side in the UK.
Keith Gooden: The nearest to the kerb.
Matt Sims: Yeah. And then it means it’s on the off side. Whether there are guidelines for this, I don’t actually know. But that would be my advice – just stick it on. And then when you come back from France, take it off. But this is something, as I say, as we record this, that’s the latest and it is shifting sands. And again, it’s one of those silly policies that’s been introduced with no thought.
Keith Gooden: And they are looking out for it in Germany. We know that for a fact. So you know, you’re listening to this and you say, “I saw on Facebook and I was in this chat room…” Opinions are like bottom holes. Everybody has one. Matt is telling you the truth. One more question on this.
Matt Sims: Some people talk out of theirs.
Keith Gooden: I’ve made a living out of it. So one question. If I’ve got a little trailer and it says 400 kilos unloaded, and when I load it up, you know, it goes up to 800kg, do I need one of these plates?
Matt Sims: Yeah. And it’s whether you’re travelling commercially or for leisure. So before, if you were travelling commercially, you had to have a plate. But now you have to have one when you’re going on holiday.
Keith Gooden: That’s why we do the Q and A. Jane is in lovely Devonshire.
Jane: Hi, Matt. We purchased some time ago a box for our motorhome for Wi-Fi, one that you insert a SIM into. We were travelling to France. We bought a Lebara SIM card, but it was a real hassle to actually activate the card. I’m just wondering if you are aware of a different card that you can simply buy and slot in to use straight away.
Keith Gooden: SIM cards rear their ugly heads once more, then. Matt, can you help Jane out?
Matt Sims: Yeah, sure. You haven’t said what the box was, so it could be that the SIM you bought required you to put in an address associated with it. We had this once before, and I always joke that the lady in the corner shop that sold us the SIM card said to use her address. So there are now about 20,000 people living at this little corner shop in Belgium where we bought the SIM card. So I suspect that might have been the problem. Hence you couldn’t activate it. And if you buy one in a big supermarket, the person on the checkout is unlikely to want to give you their home address. So I would consider a couple of things – either buying a Tesco SIM here in the UK. Tesco did confirm that this year they wouldn’t be capping the data you can use in Europe, so normally it’s the case you get 25% cap, you buy ten gig, you can only use two and a half gig of it.
Keith Gooden: That’s ridiculous, isn’t it?
Matt Sims: Oh, it’s Brexit. It’s because we’re not in the EU.
Keith Gooden: Just Tesco, is it?
Matt Sims: Tesco and IQGo as well. We’ve talked about them a lot in the past. They have a new product you can buy that isn’t capped for EU use. But my recommendation is to buy one when you get there. Also the box that you say you bought – I know we have thousands of customers who have bought the Pathway 4G, which is our own little router from Belmont Leisure, which is our business.
Keith Gooden: The lick and stick router.
Matt Sims: Lick and stick it to the window. I mean, I activated one last night ahead of a show we’re going on this week and literally just pushed the SIM in. And I waited about a minute and it just came to life. It was an EE SIM. Obviously, that’s for the UK. That would work in Europe, but I’d have a 25% cap. It’s 120 gig, so I’m only going to be able to use 25% of that, which is what, 25 gig? But that’s quite a lot of data. So I would definitely consider buying one locally. And maybe the box you’ve got is the problem. You didn’t say what it was, so hopefully that helps. It could be this issue with having an address to register it, and the only way you’ll know is to put it into an iPad or maybe a phone, and then bring up a web browser and the hardware is then telling you you need to register this in a router. It wouldn’t necessarily do that. And that might be the issue.
Keith Gooden: Let’s say somebody is using the Pathway and they’re having a bit of trouble. People can ring up, can’t they? Use old-fashioned technology to get the new technology to work.
Matt Sims: Yeah, www.belmontleisure.com has loads and loads of answers on it. And it was the case in the early ones that you had to change what’s called an APN setting. So you had to tell it you were in Europe, which is really easy to do. But if you’re not sure, just ring the team. You can speak to Dave, to Ben, to Darren, to me, and we’ll talk you through how to do it. It’s really straightforward. And sometimes if they need to spend half an hour on the phone with you because you’re not techy, they will. So it is a real human team behind the product, and we’ve taken great joy in getting people online. Just read the reviews or see for yourself. So if you are stuck, just give us a call.
Keith Gooden: Richard Saunders is in Crowborough. “Hi, Matt and Keith. We are at the beginning of our motorhome ownership journey and are still only at the research stage. We’ve watched many of your videos on YouTube and are trying to absorb all the useful information that they contain.”
Matt Sims: “Most of the motorhomes on display at the NEC listed their payload weight. These varied quite a bit, but the numbers themselves don’t really mean much to a newbie like me.”
Keith Gooden: Obviously, Richard goes on to say a higher payload is better, “But what would you consider to be the minimum realistic payload required for two people using a motorhome, say, on an extended trip, including a couple of bikes without running the risk of overloading?” He says he realises it’s probably difficult to answer, but rough guidance would be really helpful. So can you help Richard?
Matt Sims: It’s a really good question, Richard. Thank you ever so much for asking it. Because payload is a hot topic. That is true. So I would weigh yourselves. So normally it’s the case that the manufacturer has allocated a weight for a driver which is 75kg or 80kg. You might weigh less or more than that. And then you need to weigh the other party and then weigh the bikes and weigh the stuff you think you’re going to take. So you’re taking a different approach to the payload deduction. You’re kind of weighing what you want to put in the motorhome, rather than working out what the payload is and what the motorhome can carry. So understand how much your stuff weighs and then that will give you the answer. Now again, that’s really difficult because which pair of shoes are you taking and which tins of beans are you taking? But I would say roughly assuming the manufacturer has allowed 75 kilos for a driver, then 300 kilos is a workable minimum. Some motorhomes are going to have way more than that. But I would say typically 300 or so kilos is about right. So Jude and I, when we go away and we’ve got both of us and the dog – don’t forget that – the dog’s food and we’ve got our food. Then we’ve got all the stuff. I take tripods with me…
Keith Gooden: But hang on, haven’t you said in the past, don’t buy loads of food? Buy at the supermarket when you get to where you’re going.
Matt Sims: Yeah, absolutely. But there’s always staples that we take with us. So we’ll take milk. And we’ve talked before about freezing a large milk. You know, take some out of it first so it can expand in the bottle. And that helps keep the fridge cold. So we take that with us, we leave home with that. And the wine, of course. That’s normally bought before we go. It depends where we’re going. And so weigh all of that, and we are about 330 kilos for the two of us with our stuff. And I know that because I’ve weighed it and I’ve weighed the van with it all in, and we’re underweight by about 100 or 80 kilos, so we’ve got some headroom. The other thing, when you’re going around a show and you see a payload on the flyer for the motorhome is take a picture of it, take a picture of the outside. Take a picture of that little infographic and then take pictures of the inside so you can remember when you go home which one you’re looking at. But ask the salesman. They may not know. But somebody on the stand might know what was included in that kerb weight. Did they include a gas bottle, a water pipe? How much water in the tank? 20% or full? The fuel level. Was it 20%?
Keith Gooden: I was going to ask that. Does it include the fuel?
Matt Sims: Well, water is a kilo per litre. If you’ve got a 120-litre tank, that’s a person. So some manufacturers include the tank empty. Others 20 kilos. Now the National Caravan Council have some prescribed conditions that manufacturers should use. But they’re opt in. They’re not compulsory. So the sensible answer is 20% of water. So enough that you can wash your hands or wash up whilst you’re travelling. And most manufacturers will minimise the amount of stuff they have to include in that kerb weight to maximise the payload to make you more keen to buy it. So the payload looks better, but how much fuel was in it when they calculated that payload? The only way to really, really know is take it to a weighbridge and weigh it. Our local farm shop is £2 an axle. That’s all they charge. Now, I know some places are charging £70 an axle, people tell me. But even so, it’s worth weighing it to know. Can you take a motorhome out of the NEC, drive it out to the nearest weighbridge in Birmingham and weigh it? No, of course you can’t. So you really do need to do your research. And I would liaise with a dealer when you get back home after the show and ask them if they would weigh it for you. There are levelling systems. Al-Ko does weigh the van. You lift it off the ground and it will tell you what it weighs, which is a brilliant feature, and I hope other manufacturers of levelling systems will follow suit because that’s such a useful feature. Or you just take it to the local weighbridge from the dealership, but you need the dealer’s blessing to do that, because the amount of screws and sealant that went into it when it was built are going to impact the payload. They’re all different. They’re built by hand – even mass produced ones. They’re still all different. So the only true way to know the payload and capable payload is to go and get it weighed.
Keith Gooden: When you go and get it weighed at the weighbridge, can you fanny about a bit at the weighbridge?
Matt Sims: What do you want to do, do a dance? Take your clothes off?!
Keith Gooden: Well, put it on when it’s fully loaded. And then maybe go in and take a couple of bits of furniture out and get another reading. They don’t mind you doing that, do they?
Matt Sims: It depends. If there’s a queue… I think it depends how much fannying you want to do. But I mean, when I weigh ours, I get out because I want to know what the van weighs and it’s important to look at each axle. So the way to weigh a motorhome is drive the front on and just weigh the front axle, then drive the whole thing on, jump out on each measurement, then you know what you weigh, and then you’re weighing all the motorhome and then drive it so only the back axle is on. So you now know the weight of each axle, because on the plate under the bonnet, there is a maximum weight per axle. And you’ve now got that and you’ve got the gross weight all combined. And you don’t just add the two together because of course they’re shared weight over both axles. But you need to know the whole weight of the axle. And we’ve done this multiple times. And I have to say we are starting to do it in our sales business at Motorhome Holiday Company, where we’re taking the vans with a known amount of fuel in, so we’re noting how much fuel is in it, empty water tank, and we’re being honest about this and weighing it. And then that gives the prospective buyer a true payload capability of that motorhome.
Keith Gooden: Okay, Richard, we’ve tried to help you as much as possible. Thanks for that, Matt. Matt, you mentioned that NordVPN’s got more than just a VPN these days.
Matt Sims: Well, for starters, it can warn you if your email address pops up in a data leak. So you know to change your passwords before someone gets hold of it. It’s like having an early warning system for your personal info. It’s also got these extra privacy options where you can send your data through two different servers, making it even harder for anyone to track you. Most people won’t need it every day, but it’s there if you want that extra layer. And my favourite bit is threat protection. It blocks dodgy websites, annoying pop-ups and even scans downloads for malware. The best part? It works even when the VPN is not switched on.
Keith Gooden: So they’re covering all of your online travel needs?
Matt Sims: Exactly, yeah. All those features backed by a top-rated service. Easy to set up and great speeds. Plus, we have a special deal for you. Click the link in the description to get the two year plan with extra months free and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Keith Gooden: If people want to get in touch, what should they do?
Matt Sims: We’d love it if you did. Questions like Richard’s are gold, so please ask it because I guarantee you I know there are hundreds, if not more of other people with the same question. Just head to mhmp.info/askmatt. You can record it. Please tell us where you are. Hit the orange button. You can record it, listen to it back, check you’re happy with it, and then send it in and we’ll play it in. Or you can fill in the form and we’ll read it for you.
Keith Gooden: And don’t worry if you cough or if somebody drops something in the background, we can always snip it out. If you’re looking for trusted brands and services, make sure that you visit the Motorhome Matt Approved directory. It’s at mhmp.info/approved.
Matt Sims: And remember, if you’re listening, please press follow on your favourite podcast app. Or if you’re watching on YouTube, click subscribe and the little bell.
Keith Gooden: And if people feel it’s fair to share, what should they do?
Matt Sims: We would love it. Yeah, if you think somebody else you know would find this useful, entertaining or informative, will you send them a link to it? We would love that. We want to try and grow the audience for the podcast as much as we can. We know thousands of you are listening now every day, and we’d love to spread the popularity of it a little more. So if you can help us do that, we’d be very grateful.
Keith Gooden: Thanks for listening to the Motorhome Matt podcast. Remember to check back here for more episodes full of hints and tips and helpful advice. We’ll see you soon for another Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com.
