Keith Gooden
In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt podcast…
Matt Sims
We’re tackling one of the biggest decisions for motorhome buyers. Should you buy new or used?
Keith Gooden
In the news, we’re wishing good luck to a member of the industry who’s retiring.
Matt Sims
And we answer your questions on keeping your water from freezing, licence changes and parking on your drive.
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, caravans and campervans. It’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe.
Matt Sims
Now, please do remember to follow on your favourite podcast app, and if you’re watching on YouTube, click subscribe.
Adria UK’s Managing Director Retires
Keith Gooden
The managing director of Adria UK is retiring. That’s not my impression of her. She was a party woman.
Matt Sims
I’m not sure she was a party woman. Slavica Sterk is her name, and she’s been at Adria for a very long time. Used to live in Slovenia, moved to the UK 13 years ago, and I have to say, did a phenomenal and formidable job of turning the brand around. She really did. In 2007 when she took over, she’s quoted as saying the brand was invisible in the UK, and now it’s become one of the most prolific and reputable brands in the world.
So we wish you every success in your retirement, wherever the adventure, and I’ve no doubt the walk takes you. She’s a big walker. And congratulations too to Andrew Taczynski, who’s filling her shoes, not her high heels, but actually taking over the role. So congratulations, Andy. I wish you every success as well. And let’s get you on the podcast.
Alan Rogers’ Campsite of the Month
Matt Sims
It’s time for our Alan Rogers Campsite of the Month feature here on the Motorhome Matt podcast, and I’m delighted, as always, to be joined by Rob from Alan Rogers. Welcome.
Rob Fearn
Thanks, Matt. How are you?
Matt Sims
Good to see you. Very well, thank you. So this month, Rob, where are we?
Rob Fearn
We’re at Camping Le Fief, which is in Saint Brévin-les-Pins. For Philistines like you, that’s Saint Brevins le Pines, and that’s in the Loire-Atlantique region. Do you know where that is?
Matt Sims
South West France, south of Brittany, yeah. So it’s where the the Loire goes into the Bay of Biscay.
Rob Fearn
Yeah, about three hours if you’re heading from Saint-Malo. If you’re going from the Dover Calais crossings, then you’re looking at a good day’s drive, eight hours, something like that.
Matt Sims
So you would do Saint-Malo to get here, wouldn’t you?
Rob Fearn
Oh, ideally, yeah.
Matt Sims
Now, this is a big family campsite with a difference. Tell us more.
Rob Fearn
So it’s family-owned. It’s been around for 60-odd years. Think it was 1963 they opened the site. Jean and Georgette still have a hand in the site, but it’s operated by their son Thierry now. they’ve had constant improvements over those years.
Like many of the Alan Rogers sites, we’ve worked them for a really long time, so we’ve seen those improvements coming along. They joined the Sunêlia group. I don’t think we’ve talked about Sunêlia before. They’re a group of campsites that are all family-owned, and they’re four and five star campsites. And they joined them in 2009. In 2021, they they were awarded the Clef Verte. Do you know what that is?
Matt Sims
That’s a sustainable award, isn’t it?
Rob Fearn
Yeah, it’s their green accreditation. So you’d expect recycling, water reuse, eco products to be used on the site. So yeah, you can see that they’ve constantly invested and innovated. It’s about 100-ish pitches, and their standard pitches are pretty big, so 100 square meters.
There’s plenty of space on those pitches. But they’ve also got some slightly larger luxury pitches, which have got their own shower unit. So you’ve got a shower, you’ve got a toilet, washing up facilities, and a mini fridge.
Matt Sims
Per pitch?
Rob Fearn
Per pitch.
Matt Sims
So get your own shower?
Rob Fearn
Your own private shower. They’ve also got a load of rental units on there, so about 200 rental units, 15 different sorts. There’s one that I really wanted to tell you about. So if you’re traveling down in your motorhome, and you’ve got friends and family who are wanting to come out as well and spend some time with you, then they’ve got two units.
They have got a swim up pool, which I think is pretty unique for a campsite. You’d expect that in a high end resort hotel, but not on the campsite. So yeah, pretty special units, and everything’s immaculate on the site!
Matt Sims
So tell me, then, what else is there to do in the region?
Rob Fearn
So the Marais, which is salt marsh – plenty of bird watching, lots of walking. That’s just north of the Loire, about 10 minutes from the site. Near the site, you’ve got Pornic, which is a quintessential French fishing port.
Obviously, you like to know about the wines of the region. It’s Muscadet, which is dry white wine. Nantes, which is to the east of the site. On site there’s a massive water park, lots of slides, lots of water slides, white water river, heated swimming pool. French hygiene rules apply here.
Matt Sims
Speedos?
Rob Fearn
Absolutely, no Bermuda shorts. Kids’ clubs in the high season. It’s worth checking the website, but there’s a baby club in the low season, limited places, but unusually, that’s free, so that’s well worth booking in advance. If you need a massage and spa treatments, then they’ve got an on-site spa with cascades, a whirlpool, sauna, fitness room. And then in the high season, they’ve got dance shows, entertainment every evening as well.
Matt Sims
So a lot going on. Something for everyone. And when is this site open?
Rob Fearn
So it’s open from April 5th 2025 through to September 20th. Those dates vary year by year, but that’s a rough guide. And the all important pricing – so if you’re looking at a standard pitch in the low season, 34 euros per night, going up to 64 in the high season. And if you want one of those luxury pictures in the low season, you’re looking at 54 euros. And in the high season, about 104 euros.
Matt Sims
So still great value.
Rob Fearn
It is, yeah. And as usual, that’s based on two people on a pitch sharing with electricity.
Matt Sims
So again, tell us where we are.
Rob Fearn
Camping Le Fief, which is in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, which is in Loire-Atlantique.
Matt Sims
Thank you very much. To find out more about all of Alan Rogers sites across the whole of Europe, head to mhmp.info/alanrogers.
Should you buy a new or used motorhome?
Keith Gooden
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
And it’s brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe. This week we are talking about new or used. What should you buy? We’ve covered this in the last couple of podcasts and little bits and pieces, but we had such a great reaction we thought that we’d dive deeply into it.
Matt Sims
Indeed. We get loads of questions about this as well, and I do try and answer your questions, whether written or recorded, but we thought we would do an episode to try and cover a lot of them off, because it’s a big consideration between new and used. But what are those considerations?
The pros and cons of buying a used motorhome
Matt Sims
So the first one, it’s obvious, it’s cost. So you would expect a new one to cost more than the second hand one. A few years ago, that wasn’t the case. You know, people were buying a motorhome and would sell it a year later from more than it cost them.
Those days are over, and now the depreciation curve is back, so the cost is probably the first consideration. Your specification is another one. So when you’re buying brand new you can, of course, spec it exactly as you want it. You can tick all the options you want, the colour of the Interior, the colour of the worktops, the type of alloy wheel, whether it’s got a bike rack and awning…
Keith Gooden
Layout.
Matt Sims
Absolutely layout, yeah, you can spec exactly what you want. And then you can accessorise it as you want. So a solar panel, a Wi-Fi unit, all that stuff, you can spec to your choice. But you’ve got to pay full price for all those things.
Keith Gooden
And VAT.
Matt Sims
And VAT. So, yeah, new motorhomes carry VAT. So that screen price, 20% of it is going straight to the VAT man, and as the buyer, you’ve got to pay that. Now, normally, second hand ones don’t have the VAT in. Once it’s paid, it’s done. Unless the buyer is a company and they’re claiming the VAT back, they will then have to sell it with VAT, and the VAT man gets his share then. But until then, they’re normally VAT-free second hand.
Keith Gooden
Yep. So if you’re just a nice retiring couple with your big lump sum, you probably won’t have to pay the VAT. You’ve got a real life example, haven’t you?
Matt Sims
Yeah, so I met this lovely guy, Nick, at the Yorkshire Motorhome and Campervan Show, and he came up to shake my hand. I was setting up to speak, and he came and shook my hand. He said that he’d saved some money because of the podcast, which was fantastic. But he was actually considering a new motorhome, a specific one, and it was an Adria, and it was a new model that they were launching.
And he said, “You know, this is what I want to find. But I want leveling on it. I want an air conditioning unit on it. So I’m thinking, do I buy a second hand one?” Anyway, I recommended where should go. There was a dealer at the show that I knew had something coming to them soon that fitted the bill. So he went and chatted to them and came back, shook my hand again, but he said, “I’ve now got a £17 grand dilemma.”
Because the 2022 one, I can’t remember how much it was, but the brand new one was going to be £17,000 more, plus he would have to fit all the accessories that he wanted on it. So the levelling and the air con were the two in particular. So the dilemma for Nick was, is new worth £17 grand more? And only really he could answer that question.
So he came back on the Sunday with his wife, and she was smitten with the design of the motorhome he’d chosen. And now he’s in this debate of, well, do I buy used or do I buy new? So it’s a real world challenge for Nick. Is the new one worth the extra money? Only Nick can answer that.
Keith Gooden
Or his Mrs.
Matt Sims
Or his Mrs. Well, no doubt she’ll tell him. Well, then, to be fair to Nick, he seemed pretty convinced he was in charge. We know that’s not true.
Keith Gooden
We know that’s just an act.
Matt Sims
Of course, there are some pros to buying new. You get the exact spec you want. You’ve got to pay for it. It’s never been used before, so there’s no wear and tear, no previous keepers. You’ve got a full manufacturer warranty with all the latest tech and gadget and features on board. The cons – you’ve got to pay for every extra, unless you can negotiate them into the deal. You haven’t had a previous owner absorbing costs for those extras. So people often say to me, “Matt, it’s second hand. It’s three years old, but I’ve spent £10 grand on stuff,” and they’ve put levelling on it. They’ve put a lithium battery on.
Keith Gooden
They just want to add that £10 grand to the price?
Matt Sims
Yes, well, that is probably worth £2 grand.
Keith Gooden
They’ve used it.
Matt Sims
They’ve used it. But the reality is, accessories don’t add a huge amount of money to the retail price second hand. What they do is they make it more appealing against the one next to it that doesn’t have those bits on it. You have to remember that when you’re buying these accessories – you’re going to lose a lot of money on them straight away.
The con of a new one is you might have to wait for delivery. So if you’ve speced up and it’s not instantly available in the dealer’s stock or imminently about to arrive, because you want an automatic gearbox, you want an upplated chassis with bigger wheels, you want factory fitted air con and tow bar, you could be waiting six months or even a year for that.
You’ll also, sadly, be dealing with any shakedown problems, any warranty issues that come to light. As the first owner, you are going to be taking it back to the supplying dealer to get those issues rectified.
Keith Gooden
There’s so much in them, isn’t there? You expect, I suppose, a couple of little niggles that you’re going to need to return it for and get sorted. But a few podcasts ago, we were talking about an issue with a rear camera that somebody was asking about.
They’d spent £100,000 on a brand new motorhome, and a known problem in the third party fitted camera had occurred. The dealer said, “Okay, even though it was supplied with the motorhome, you’re still going to have a wait to get that replaced.” It could be that. It could be something else.
Matt Sims
It could be anything. Yeah, it could be anything. You know, these are houses that drive down the road, so stuff is going to rattle loose. That is a given, and you need to be prepared for that, or there’s going to be some annoying rattle in it that you want fixed.
As the first owner, it’s going to be on you to take it back to the dealer to get that resolved. And so where the dealer is is really important. So we’ve said this many times before. When you buy, especially when you’re buying at a show, ask where the dealer is based, because you’re probably going to be taking it back there to get any aftermarket issues fixed.
Keith Gooden
We have talked about this in the past. Dealers don’t tend to hold hands, do they, and say, “Oh, you live in Chichester, but you know, it’s a 200 miles from where you bought it, and we’ll look after it for you.” That just doesn’t seem to happen, does it?
Matt Sims
No, and there are ways and means to help cajole a dealer into supporting you. It’s going to cost you money, though, probably – where you’re paying the difference between what the manufacturer is offering per hour and what they charge per hour.
And in an episode that we did at the Shepton Mallet show – “What do motorhome dealers really think is going on?” It was called something like that, and it was Sarah at Southwest Motorhomes who revealed that the only manufacturer that will pay the retail hourly rate from a dealership is Carthago. All the others offer a much lower rate than the dealer is normally charging.
So because they hadn’t made the margin on the vehicle when they sold it to you, why would they want to take on your warranty work? It’s going to cost them money. That’s an industry issue which is a hard one to beat and crack.
The pros and cons of buying a used motorhome
Keith Gooden
So there’s some of the pros and cons from buying new. Let’s talk about buying used. The first is an obvious one, isn’t it? Somebody else has paid for all the extras, haven’t they? The solar panels, the leveling system, air conditioning, it’s all in already.
Matt Sims
So you can potentially save a fortune on all that stuff. Dealers tend to be far more realistic about the used value of those accessories than a private seller might be, because the private seller is the one that was out of pocket for them, probably!
We’ve got one here and it’s got lithium batteries on it, solar panels and loads of other stuff. Again, £10 grand to £15 grand’s worth of stuff. It probably added about £2 grand or £3 grand to the value on the motorhome. We’re trying to convince the seller that that’s the reality, and of course, that’s a hard pill to swallow. It just won’t sell with £10 grand more on the price than one without those bits. They’re just not worth that much secondhand, unfortunately.
You are going to pay a lower price used. Depreciation is back. In the old days, as I say, we’d take 20% out for year one, which was the VAT that you would lose the minute you drove out of the dealership. It’s not quite that harsh on a motorhome in year one, but depreciation is definitely back.
So buying used, there’s the potential to save some money, and you are going to avoid the steepest depreciation. So that depreciation curve is going to shallow off as it gets older, and it will then, for a time, flatten off, and then it tends to be model updates, facelifts that have an impact on second hand value. And the VAT’s gone. There’s no VAT in the price. The price you pay is it. There’s no VAT on top of it, or anything like that.
Keith Gooden
So you’re not paying money to the government. All your money is being sunk into your pride and joy. And what about the cons for buying used, then?
Matt Sims
Well, the big one, as I always joke, is that someone else has used it – someone else has eaten, slept, pooed and weed in it. That’s the bottom line. You can fit a fresh up kit to the toilet. It’s a box you buy and you get a new toilet seat, and that will freshen up your toilet. You can replace the mattress, and you can replace soft furnishings, I suppose.
Keith Gooden
For the money you save, you know, a good clean is going to sort that out. You’ve got to be a bit fussy, haven’t you, if you’re buying used to think, “I’m sorry, I have to have spend an extra £X thousand just because somebody’s had a wee in my toilet.”
Matt Sims
It’s an expensive wee! I mean, most people look after them as well. It’s a reality, though, of buying second hand. And there are people, I’ve spoken to them, who’ve said, “Oh no, I wouldn’t want to buy someone else’s motorhome. I’m not sleeping where someone else has slept.” Well, what do you think happens when you go to a hotel? They don’t change the mattress every night. We do it all the time!
Keith Gooden
Buy a new mattress! You’re still going to save money.
Matt Sims
The other big one is you don’t really know what faults you’re buying. Even from a dealer, who would have given it a pre-delivery inspection, maybe a habitation check, a damp check – there could still be an underlying issue, and perhaps that was why it was sold. You don’t know until you own it.
Keith Gooden
And things like the MOT and service history won’t cover those habitation issues.
Matt Sims
No, that’s right. So there could be wear and tear that’s causing an issue that you don’t know about until it surfaces. Hopefully not, but there is definitely going to be wear and tear. There’s going to be rust in the chassis.
So a good inspection is really important, and potentially the manufacturer’s warranty is diminished or expired. So you want to be looking at the warranty that’s being offered by the dealer.
Keith Gooden
We were talking a few podcasts ago about financing and how new rules say that you have to know exactly how much money is being paid in commissions. I suppose with warranties, people do feel, you know, if they’re buying from a dealer, when they’re offered a warranty, they feel, “Oh, here it comes. Here comes their profit line.” I mean, just talk about those used warranties. Are they worth the paper they’ve written on?
Matt Sims
That’s the great question. And we have got some warranty companies coming on to talk about exactly that. I’ve always had a very positive experience as a warranty holder, so the consumer, and I’ve managed to claim.
And as a dealer, we sell a warranty with every motorhome we sell. And people have said to me in the past, “I don’t bother with a warranty, Matt. I’m not interested. It’s not worth the paper it’s written on. Knock £500 off instead.” Actually, the warranty is an insurance policy for you, the buyer, and for me, the seller, because if something were to go wrong, I’ve got some recourse with the warranty company.
I may choose to put it right at my cost, but we could potentially then make a claim for that – which we’re not very good at here, but we could make a claim for that repair from the warranty provider. That’s what it’s for. So I think they are worth the paper they’re written on. I have found recently that warranty providers are becoming more competitive with their offer and the price as more and more of them come into our market.
I think as the values go up and up, they’re seeing that the warranties and the claim levels are not going up and up. They’re seen as a safe market to be in and fairly low risk. And I’m seeing new warranty providers entering our market, which I find exciting. The existing providers, of course, are less excited about that, but it’s becoming, as a result, I think, a more and more competitive place.
Keith Gooden
So it’s not the case as screen prices have gone up that the warranty prices have gone up. Is that what you’re saying? Because I would have thought that they’re more exposed to things going wrong, because all those component prices we’ve discussed in the price – inflation has taken a toll. So it seems a bit sort of counterintuitive.
Matt Sims
Yeah, motorhomes, though, are very reliable, generally. There’ll be people listening to this laughing, but they are. If you think how much tech and how much stuff has gone into that build, there’s more and more gone into them, and potentially more and more to go wrong, but the reality is, the technology that’s gone into them has made them more reliable and safer.
There’s more and more tech gone into the chassis as well as into the living area, so warranty prices will go up, and they are going up slightly, for sure. And there’s also bolt-ons you can buy as well to cover more and more features of the motorhome.
Keith Gooden
So where do you buy? Do you go for the private sale and become a tyre kicker, or do you go to the dealer and buy second hand from them?
Matt Sims
Yeah, I love people like you. Well, that’s the other big debate, then, isn’t it? It’s dealer or private, which we’ve covered before. Undoubtedly, buying from a dealer, you should have more security with consumer rights, the warranty and after sales support, and if something’s gone wrong, you’ve got somewhere to take it back.
The big one is you’ve got the ability to part exchange your old vehicle or a car, which you won’t probably be able to do with a private seller. Plus you can get finance, which makes a better, newer, nicer motorhome more affordable, perhaps, or more achievable. But you will see higher prices compared to a private seller, potentially. Not always.
Many private sellers are asking dealer forecourt prices, and I see it all the time. But my advice would be to always check reviews when you’re looking at buying from a dealer, and visit them in person and just get the cut of their jib, as it were, before committing.
Keith Gooden
We live in a review society now, don’t we? I was booking something for the holidays and was looking for apartments to stay in. And if it’s got two stars or a couple of bad reviews, that was it, you know, I wasn’t considering that anymore. So do have a look at those reviews.
Matt Sims
Reviews are so important, and as a small business here, we love getting great reviews. We take all of them really seriously. We’re very, very grateful for the four and five star reviews, but the one and two star reviews, which thankfully we don’t get many of, we take incredibly seriously and try and deal with them immediately.
And I know the team here work really hard if someone’s had a poor experience, or less perfect experience than they should have had, to try and rectify that. And they are really important, and hopefully they can tell a true story about that business.
Maybe something went wrong. They got a one or two star review, but then they were able to respond and explain how it was rectified, so you as the potential buyer can follow that story, and I think that gives you the true personality of that business.
Keith Gooden
And when you buy privately, of course, it saves you money.
Matt Sims
Yeah, it can do. Not always, but it can be cheaper than buying from a dealer, but it comes with a risk, doesn’t it? There’s no legal protection if things go wrong. There is always a risk it’s a scam and it’s not real. We’ve covered that in the past, so always go and see it. Look at the V5, look at the address you’re viewing it. If it feels too good to be true or something just doesn’t sit right, walk away. Don’t take the risk.
I see this all the time with scams, particularly online. Get it professionally checked. You know, I always say, get a habitation check and a damp check done. Maybe get an inspection of the engine and chassis as well. Make sure you’ve got full peace of mind before you commit. And if the seller doesn’t want to let you do that, walk away.
Keith Gooden
Yeah, absolutely. Walk away. I’ve got a mate who buys and sells cars for himself to use, and he’s always saying, “I’m going up to see this car,” and he lives in Birmingham. “I’m going to Yorkshire, or I’m going to Penzance,” or whatever.
And I just think, isn’t it better when you’re buying privately to buy from your local neighborhood, or at least, say, half an hour drive away from where you are? Because at least you can go knock on their door again if something is an issue.
Matt Sims
Well, you could, but the problem with a motorhome is there aren’t that many models out there. So usually, you know, if you want an automatic with that colour interior and these three accessories on, you’re probably going to have to travel for it.
So that’s the challenge with motorhomes, to find one within half an hour of home is an absolute… you know, you’ve struck gold. We had someone come in the other day here, and we had exactly the A class they wanted for sale. And they live 100 yards down the road. They couldn’t believe it.
And so they’re really, really local, and it’s absolutely the one they wanted. And they had been looking all over the country, and there it was, right on their doorstep. But it could be, if you’re buying privately, you could get a great deal if the owners looked after it really well. It’s got a full service history. It could be that absolutely you strike gold, and you get very lucky.
Keith Gooden
Just to summarise, to pull it all together, ask yourself, what’s your budget? Can you afford new or does used make more sense for you? What are the other considerations?
Matt Sims
What do you actually need? I mean, are factory options worth the extra cost? So a factory fitted tow bar is going to carry a premium price compared to an aftermarket fitted tow bar. That would be a classic with air con – same with levelling. You could add these things yourself. There’s lots of providers that offer them, and consider how you’re going to use it.
Are you going to be doing short trips away, or are you going to be taking long touring holidays? I was chatting to somebody about Mercedes versus Fiat, that big debate, and they said, “Is the Mercedes chassis really worth the extra money?” It’s a lot more money. And I said, “They are chalk and cheese. They are phenomenal to drive.
There’s nothing wrong with the Fiat, but the Mercedes is just better.” Simple. But I said, “How much time are you going to spend driving it versus sitting in the back on holiday in it?” If you’re going to do loads and loads of miles, then maybe the Merc chassis is an option.
But if you’re only going to do 6,000 miles a year, the Fiat is going to be absolutely fine. So I would suggest you consider how far you’re driving, how often and how often you’re actually just sat in it on holiday.
Keith Gooden
And if you’re buying new, as we said before, factor in the VAT. It’s 20% of the price. Think about the dealer location and warranty issues. Do you want to buy the warranty? Check the warranty, the small print in it. What does it give you? Is it worth spending a bit more on the warranty to get the things you want covered as well? What about when buying used? What have you got to do there?
Matt Sims
Get it checked. I would definitely consider an independent inspection of it. A genuine private seller will be very happy that you’re doing that. Consider doing that as a dealer. If you’re not sure how good their pre-delivery inspection is, then get it independently checked. I was chatting to someone who bought a motorhome from a car dealer.
Motorhomes are not normally what they sell. They’d just taken it in part exchange, bought it and it was absolutely rotten, completely damp. The car dealer is just not interested in any recourse and putting it right. It’s sold as seen. So they’re now having a really big battle. And on that, be very mindful of scams, particularly buying online. Use your due diligence. If it feels right, do it. If it doesn’t, walk away.
Keith Gooden
Do those deals look too good to be true? Usually…
Matt Sims
They generally are.
Keith Gooden
Yeah. Hope we’ve helped you with that one. As usual, if you’ve got any questions, we’ll give you the details on how you can get in touch with Matt. Keep listening.
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 brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe.
Matt Sims
Remember, you can get 15% off your insurance premium by using the code “MOTORHOMEMATT” over the phone, or simply click the link in the description.
Keith Gooden
It’s time for our Q and A, the questions and answers. You ask the questions and Matt, he gives the answers. If he doesn’t know the answer – that’s very rare – he’ll ask somebody who does. First of all, Ed Cooper is in Northumberland.
Ed Cooper
Hi, Matt and Keith. We have a panel van with an inboard water tank just inside the rear doors, probably very similar to your Adria. It’s our intention to travel to Nordkapp, Norway in the winter, probably over the Christmas period. I’m wondering whether the heat vent that’s in the rear garage would be enough to stop the water from freezing.
And the other thing I’m thinking about, is there any advice on changing engine oil or gearbox oil? I’m just wondering about the lubricants with the extremely low temperatures. We can probably look at minus 20, minus 30 when you get up to Nordkapp. Much appreciate your advice.
Keith Gooden
So Ed Cooper in Northumberland is interested in his lubricants and those low temperatures.
Matt Sims
Indeed! He is going to be cold in Nordkapp. I’d say, Ed, the heater in your van – you haven’t said what the van is – is probably going to be more than capable of keeping the tank warm. But a word of warning, having done similar trips to this when we used to go skiing in the motorhome, you’re going to burn through a ton of gas.
You could be getting through a bottle a day. So be mindful of that. I would definitely be considering a diesel heater, because you’re just going to consume diesel from the main tank. I’m assuming you haven’t got diesel heating, and that you’ve got a diesel engine. Energy is going to be the issue. You could add a 12 volt heater probe into the tank. I know this is fresh water, but that would just help keep it up to zero degrees.
You can buy them online, and they just drop into the top of the tank. Or there’s a blanket that wraps on the tank that warms it from the bottom. I’ve seen those in the past as well. So I think how you deal with this is one to consider. In terms of the engine oil, I generally use 5W30, fully synthetic, low ash. That’s the pretty standard engine oil used in Fiat Ducato, Ford Transit and so on.
Interestingly, though, 0W30 has an operating temperature between minus 31 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. They both operate happily up to 86 degrees Fahrenheit, but 5W30 is designed to operate down to just below zero. So it might be worth considering dropping your engine oil down to below 0W30, but that’s entirely up to you.
Keith Gooden
So the lower number in your engine oil, the 0W, that means you can run it at minus 31. Whereas 5W, you can run it at zero. So that first number is the lowest temperature and the second number is the highest.
Matt Sims
W means winter, so the difference is in their winter viscosity, so how thick the oil is. 0W30, as I say, will go down to minus 31. Definitely worth considering that, and it’s more stable in the cold, whereas 5W30 is suitable for freezing conditions.
At minus 20 it’s still going to perform. But it may not flow around the engine as fast. It doesn’t have a minus 30 degrees limit that 0W30 has. The operating temperature for 0W30 is greater, which makes it more adaptable in both hot and cold weather and driving conditions.
Keith Gooden
And remember, you can’t just top it up with the 0W. If you’ve got 5W or a 10W in there already, you’ve got to do an oil change.
Matt Sims
Well… you could mix them. If they’re both fully synthetic, then yes, you could.
Keith Gooden
Will you get the benefit of the 0W?
Matt Sims
No, no. So the 5W30 is going to overrule it. So I would suggest, yes, dropping the oil. Your gearbox oil is going to be fine. But definitely, I would consider dropping the oil for this trip and putting 0W30 in.
Keith Gooden
There you go. We hope that has been of some use to you. David Copperfield’s in Peterhead. He’s disappeared! “Hi, Matt. Saw your episode on the licence changes, and would like to ask you this. I’ve renewed my licence twice now, January 2020 and 2023, and it runs till I renew again in ’26. I’m 74 years old with no medical problems. I can drive up to three and a half tonnes.”
“And before I was 70, I could drive up to seven and a half tonnes. The question is, how do these licence changes affect me? Will I have to have a medical when I renew in 2026 and do the same self assessment? Sorry, to be a little gullible,” he says. I don’t think it’s gullible at all. “Thank you very much.” I think a lot of people are confused about these changes in licences when you get to 70 and above and just want to do the right thing.
Matt Sims
So at the moment, in ’26, yes, you will have to do another medical. There is no change. So if the licence fourth directive is introduced, this will only affect European issued licences. I’m assuming yours is a UK one.
So expect the same in 2026 as you’ve already done in ’23 and 2020 – unless before then, the UK Government accept the new EU directive, which would still require you to have a medical. But it would mean you can drive four and a quarter tonnes if it’s accepted. Let’s see…
Keith Gooden
Mick Shelley’s in Kidderminster. He’s looking to park his 3,500 kilogram motorhome on his drive. “I know we have a sewage pipe and gas, electric and water pipes under the drive. What sort of drive should I get to prevent damaging the utilities in the ground, ie concrete or resin block, paving or gravel?”
Now this one, my next door neighbour, parked his car. He was 88 and he finally gave up his driving licence. He was selling his car. It was on his drive for a couple of months, and the front wheels were directly over the sewage pipe between our manhole and his manhole, and we woke up one morning and found that things were coming back to us, if you know what I mean…
Matt Sims
What, in your toilet?
Keith Gooden
Yeah, yeah. And what had happened, when Wessex water came around to look at it for us, is that the weight of the car had crushed the sewage pipe.
Matt Sims
This is a really sensible question. I speak to people all the time who are considering the length of their drive and making it longer to accommodate a motorhome. They don’t consider what’s underground. So I would definitely consult a ground worker on this who might look to bridge the utilities.
And you are absolutely right to consider this – maybe some kind of concrete pearling underground to make sure you’re not putting undue pressure on those utilities and on that infrastructure. And I’d say that is more important than the surface. The surface really is a cosmetic bit.
So it’s whether you want gravel… which I hate. It just moves around. You leave tyre prints in it, you know, the indentations. I would be considering a solid surface, or even if you grass it, and one of those criss cross grid things, that means the water can drain away, but you’ve got a solid surface, but you can still grow grass through it. I think they’re really nice, but it’s entirely up to you.
Ask Matt
Keith Gooden
There you go. By the way, when you get in touch with us here at Motorhome Matt, we’re sort of running out of people who record things. If you notice, we get two or three to one with the people who actually record their questions. So we’d like you to record more of them, please! And what it does mean is we’ll probably get round to your question faster than if you just email it into us. Isn’t that right, Matt?
Matt Sims
It is. Yeah, we’d love it if you did. But if you do record it, please tell us where you are in the world. We’d love to know, and you can do so at mhmp.info/askmatt. It’s dead easy to do. Click the orange button. Record it! If you don’t like it, do it again, and then when you’re happy, just press submit, and we’ll play it into the podcast.
Keith Gooden
And don’t worry if you make a mistake or two, because we’ll edit it and make you sound spiffy. Now, if you’re looking for trusted brands and services, then make sure you visit the Motorhome Matt Approved directory. It’s at mhmp.info/approved.
Matt Sims
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