Park ups in urban areas with Darran The Urban Motorhome

Keith Gooden

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

Matt Sims

And I’m Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden

I ask the questions and Matt, he answers them.

Overnight parking bans in Bristol to stop van dwellers

Keith Gooden

Let’s get straight in with the news, shall we?

Matt Sims

So overnight parking bans. This has been a thing quite close to home, hasn’t it, on the Downs in the centre of Bristol. The Downs is a huge green grassed area right in the centre of Bristol near Clifton. And a restriction has been proposed on the van dwellers there, so people living in a van on the Downs. There are, I think, about 100 of them at the moment.

Keith Gooden

Yeah, there are quite a few people, and they are vanlifing on the Downs. And some of the people who live in the area don’t like that. The council doesn’t seem to like it very much. And they’re talking about this parking ban being introduced on the Downs. Isn’t it just chasing down people who just want to get on with their life?

Matt Sims

It seems so. It’s the Green councillor who has been involved in this proposal. And the proposal, interestingly, is a £500 fine if you’re caught parking there between 1am and 4am. That’s a big fine!

Keith Gooden

Yellow lines, you can park after six. Double yellow lines, you can’t park there. But then there’s this new bit where you can’t park between 1am and 4am. Why can’t they just put double yellow lines down?

Matt Sims

Yeah, well, then you couldn’t park there at all. But this is about fining people for parking there, so, I guess, making it a very acute restriction. The Green councillor, Paula O’Rourke, representing Clifton, said, “I would find it very hard to just expel the problem elsewhere to other parts of the city. What we need to explore in the meantime is the use of campsites. We have van dwellers who have nowhere else to live. It’s a very complicated problem.”

Now, I accused Paula of pushing this problem elsewhere, saying, “Well, if you’re going to put these parking restrictions in, where are they going to go? You’re just going to move this reality…” Let’s not call it call it a problem. It’s a reality.

People are living in vans that need somewhere to park. They choose to park on the Downs. There’s no residence right next to it. They’re not parked outside of anyone’s house in most of the area. So what’s the problem? You know, it’s a big open space. And Paula was accused of just… you know, NIMBY, not in my backyard. And she’s come back and said, “That’s not what I’m doing.”

So yeah, Paula, we would love to get you on the podcast. We have emailed you in the past. And we have got called out on the podcast for you to come on. Genuinely, we would love for you to come on and talk about this issue and the reality for many that are living in a van.

Keith Gooden

Absolutely. She represents the Clifton Ward, which is the posh bit of Bristol. So you can imagine the pressure that she’s getting. But then again, on the other hand, you can’t have just people getting in a van and rolling up in the middle of Bristol and parking there for the rest of their lives, can you?

Matt Sims

Why not?

Keith Gooden

Well, because they’re surrounded by neighbours who live in houses who might not like what’s happening in their neighbourhood.

Matt Sims

They might not like the view. Well, we have to rub along together, don’t we? So there needs to be a provision, I think, is the reality. And yeah, the folks that live there probably work in the city. And there are reports of people being observed dressing in a suit and tie and going to a civilised job during the day.

You know, these are not homeless people as such. The van is their home, and they have paid employment. And they probably work in the city and they want to walk to work. Well, that’s a good thing. The issue is the perception of these vans. And there is some mess there, I have to say. There are some really tired caravans, and some pretty knackered or worn-out vans as well. And they’re saying if there’s no numberplate and it’s not road legal, it’ll be towed away.

Keith Gooden

Well, you’ve got to have a number plate. You’ve got to be road-legal.

Matt Sims

Absolutely. Yeah. And there are caravans there not attached to a car. And that’s a different issue, isn’t it? That’s about the vehicle being roadworthy. And I kind of go, well, yeah, fair enough. You’re parked on the road. And so what’s being said is that we need to find sites where these people can live. And in a city like Bristol where space is at a premium, where’s that? So as Paula says, it is a complicated issue. I’d love to have a chat with her about it.

Wyre Borough Council release revenue from overnight park ups

Keith Gooden

And on that issue of where people park, Wyre Borough Council have provided a breakdown of the yearly revenue for the last five years that they’ve received by allowing overnight parking for motorhomes and campervans in the central car park. This is very, very interesting. They started halfway through 2018. When I say halfway through, I’m talking about the financial year, April to April.

And they brought in £355 for 70 people who parked, 2017, ’18 from October through to March the next year. Let’s fast forward to 2020, 2021. 737 motorhomes and campers got into the car park and paid £4,625. That’s pretty good when it started off at £355. The year after, that jumped in 2021, ’22 to £19,065, which is a fourfold increase. 2,962 people had heard about it and used the central carpark.

And just last year, that’s up to April through to March, so that’s April 2022 to March ’23, it was £25,915. And so far this year, up to the last month where figures were available, which is July, that’s £10,000. So it’s going to jump again. And what a good idea! People obviously like this idea, don’t they?

Matt Sims

Absolutely. Yeah. I think this report was a request under the Freedom of Information Act, and CAMpRA published it, the Campaign for Real Aires, so places that you can park up and not make an encampment, so you literally just park and sleep. But this is fascinating.

And this is a real world case study for other councils, I suggest, consider using those car parks that would otherwise be empty at night to allow motorhomes to park there and make it an income stream. And bear in mind, these people are not paying very much money to park there. If you do the maths, they’re paying a few pounds to park there each night. It’s remarkable.

And as you say, this year £10,000 has been raised. We’re only on month four, so we’re on for £30,000 and 3,500 or 4,500 people! So yeah, this is obviously, I think, a brilliant case study and one that councils should be taking notice of. Perhaps Paula should have a look at it.

Keith Gooden

And the question that I ask is, since 2017, ’18 and now, have the facilities been improved? What are the facilities like there in central carpark for motorhomers and vanlifers?

Matt Sims

Well, there’s normally none! I mean, it says on this report that additional facilities including a sluice for foul water disposal are planned to be introduced in the coming weeks, although this will be met from the parking income. So they’re going to put a sewage access point in for wastewater and hopefully for dirty water or foul water. So yeah, toilets. So there are no facilities, yet they raised £25,000 last year!

Keith Gooden

They have. Let’s do a quick calculation. £67,000 so far or thereabouts. That’s not bad! So I’d get that foul water and sluice drain in there as quickly as I possibly could, if I were you!

Matt Sims

Well, we just haven’t wired this up in this country. Parking up in a motorhome is a challenge. And there are more and more restrictions being imposed on us, particularly in areas of outstanding natural beauty. And it just feels that we’re being squeezed out. It’s the wrong way to go.

Motorhomes need to be embraced. 99.9 percent of us are a sensible bunch of people and we will behave ourselves and we will obey the rules. Most of us love rules! We like doing it the right way. And councils need to engage with this. And I think this is a brilliant case study as to why they should as well.

Keith Gooden

Well, it’s hugely successful. So well done, Wyre Borough Council, but spend some of that money on facilities! But what turns people into vanlifers? Rent rises, the increase in the cost of living and mortgages – more and more people are turning to it. And the argument, of course, against it is, “These people don’t pay council tax!”

Matt Sims

Well, that’s true. They don’t. It was on Wake Up to Money the other morning on Radio 5 Live, the way rents have risen. I think was 12 percent. And landlords are exiting the property market and selling off their own rental properties because the government has withdrawn the tax benefits. And so the property market is shrinking, and thus rents are going up making living in bricks and mortar more and more expensive. So a van or a boat becomes a very acceptable and attractive alternative.

Winterise your motorhome with Autoglym and Floe

Keith Gooden

It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast with me, Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims

And me, Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden

It’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com. Let’s talk about Autoglym cleaning kits – winterizing. Now this, ho, ho, ho, is a good Christmas gift!

Matt Sims

I love this. Every year I get given an Autoglym product for Christmas and I love it. It’s really good. They make a fantastic range of car cleaning and car care products. This is for bodywork and accessories. So this is a bodywork shampoo and conditioner – I see you rubbing this on your head – and a super resin polish.

Keith Gooden

Lovely.

Matt Sims

Don’t drink it all at once! It comes with a high tech finishing cloth and a perfect polish applicator. So I don’t know if you’ve ever used Autoglym products on your car, but they work perfectly too on a motorhome.

They make a range of motorhome and caravan specific products, so a glass polish that’s perfect for plastic windows, because glass polish can be quite abrasive so you shouldn’t use it on plastic windows. But yeah, this is an example of the Autoglym stuff that we sell at That Leisure Shop, and one to go for if you’re looking for a Christmas present. It’s only £18.99.

Keith Gooden

A bargain!

Matt Sims

And there’s a sale on.

Keith Gooden

Drain down kits. So what’s that then, for your winterizing?

Matt Sims

So these are essential for any motorhome, campervan, caravan or static caravan. It’s a Floe drain-down kit. So getting the water out of your leisure vehicle for the winter is the most crucial thing you can do. Really important. And these kits help you do it. They come with a DVD – have people still got a DVD player?

Keith Gooden

I have!

Matt Sims

I’m sure the videos are now on their website. They’ll catch up! But they are really, really good and easy to install. You just interrupt the water supply and drain the water out of your leisure vehicle. There are different types depending on whether you’ve got a British motorhome, a European motorhome, a caravan or a static caravan and we sell them all in the shop.

The other thing to do of course before you put your motorhome or caravan away for the winter is to clean it. So hence the Autoglym product. Give it a clean. It seems daft to clean it and prep it for winter. Once a year, just give it a coat of wax.

It takes a little time but it helps protect the paint from bird lime and tree sap. It keeps it all clean. Even if you’re going to put a cover on it, I would always recommend cleaning it first and then you’re not going to risk getting it scratched as you drag the cover over the windows.

The history of Darran The Urban Motorhome

Keith Gooden

Welcome back to the Motorhome Matt podcast with me, Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims

And me, Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden

It’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com. The main part of this podcast this week is our friend Darran The Urban Motorhome.

Matt Sims

Yeah, we love Darran, as so many people do. We’re talking this week about park ups and particularly urban park ups, so parking in a town or city and the restrictions that come with that, perhaps. Well, Darran has been doing it for years. And he’s spent every night living in his motorhome in a town or city. And you’ve recently been touring Europe as well!

Darran

I have. Yeah, I’ve done my first little tour around there. I’ve dipped my toe to see what it was like. I just didn’t plan it at all. I just went. I didn’t take really much advice either. I wanted to mess up and see it as people that haven’t been before would. I wanted to experience that.

Matt Sims

And did you mess up?

Darran

Not really! There was not really much to mess up. I learned a few things. But yeah, it’s pretty easy, really. And once you’re over there, the aires and parking and things are just amazing. So easy. So easy.

Matt Sims

We have a lot to learn in this country. We haven’t wired it up in our heads, it seems, have we?

Darran

Do you know what? I said this multiple times in the videos when I was over there – you only need a three foot post and about a one and a half foot square on the bottom, and that can hold all the services we need. That is it. Because it will have a freshwater tap and another tap just for cleaning your hands. It can have the black tank disposal, the Elsan point, and even a little drain when you pull near it. It’s all you need. And it’s just literally a post.

Matt Sims

You also need the permission of the landowner, though, don’t you? That’s the key.

Darran

100 percent. But how many services have we got in the country on the motorways? I mean, they love earning a pound coin. They could earn a pound coin a time for putting that down there. And they’ve got the infrastructure there. They’ve got all the piping under the ground.

Matt Sims

Why haven’t we done it, do you think?

Darran

I don’t know. I just think we want to go away on holiday, like go to Butlin’s, Centre Parcs, go to Spain. Is it more that? I don’t know. Is it that people just don’t think about it, or they just don’t want big vehicles in the area? I don’t know. I really don’t.

Matt Sims

Well, of course, you’re in a big vehicle. For those of you who don’t know Darran, he lives in his motorhome full-time. And you’ve been doing that for… four years?

Darran

No, in March it will be seven years. Seven years full-time in the motorhome. The only time I’m not there is when I’m on business trips in hotels and things like that! But yeah, pretty much 99 percent of the time for seven years.

Parking up in urban areas in a motorhome

Matt Sims

So I want to talk about your experience of living in the motorhome and parking up. You have the YouTube name, “The Urban Motorhome.” And you were focused on parking up in urban areas because of work, I guess. But how did it all begin? What inspired you to do this?

Darran

I was living at my mum’s, and in I went to a bushcraft meet. It was a weekend for bushcraft. And I had a hammock – not a hammock! A hammock’s not strong enough for me. I had a tarp! And I was sleeping on the floor. I’m never going trust a hammock ever!

Matt Sims

I’d love to see this.

Darran

I mean, they’ve got to be great trees. They’ve got to be some sturdy trees. So I went there and I met a few people there. My mate Pete, who’s now bought my old motorhome, he had a van and he was converting it. And that was my first ever introduction to people living in vehicles.

I met a few other people there and then I started then going away researching and I thought, well, okay, they’re building their own. I can’t, I’ve got no skills. I’ve got no tools and I’ve got no place to put something when I build it, and I probably wouldn’t finish it. And it’d just be a waste of money and a waste of time.

So then I started looking at motorhomes. I set my budget at £7,000 or something, and then that crept up. And I thought, if I just have a little bit more, I’ll get this. And then it crept up to about £20,000. And yeah, I just started hunting around, looking around, and I thought it’d be a great idea.

And I just told my mum I was going to look from a motorhome and move in. And she thought it was just one of my harebrained ideas. And then yeah, I found a motorhome in Cheddar, not far from your neck of the woods. I bought it and then moved in within a weekend. And that was it. The rest is history.

Matt Sims

But why did you want to live in it full-time? What inspired you to do that?

Darran

Driving. Doing a driving job. I had a lorry licence but I wasn’t actually using the lorry licence at the time. I had no experience, but I was working at a company to then try and get in their good books and then move up. So I was earning a good wage.

But I was doing a lot of hours and I was thinking, well, if I go and get a house, I’m just swapping one for the other. I’m already living in a house at my mum’s. And I’m not there that much anyway, because I was always working. So I was thinking, what’s the point of paying someone else’s mortgage when I could just own something myself and then drive it and jump in?

And I love travelling. I’m not exactly the most conventional person. I don’t really want to conform, but I’m not one of those little hippie rebels or something who’s going to tie myself to a tree or glue my face to the floor or something. I do things a little bit outside the norm. And that was it. I was just like, why not give it a go? Why not?

Matt Sims

So was that your main driver, just to live differently? It wasn’t financial motivation?

Darran

No. I mean, I didn’t want to waste money. So up until this point, apart from my mum, I’ve never paid anyone rent. I’ve only paid her rent, whatever she asked, you always give. I mean, she’ll kneecap you. You don’t mess with your mum.

I just didn’t want to waste my money, really. And I thought, well, it’ll be a great experience. I can travel around if I don’t like somewhere. I’ll just go somewhere else. I could do more travel, I can be with more friends more. And yeah, it was just probably a good idea. I didn’t really put much thought into it, to be fair.

Matt Sims

I think that’s a character trait for you generally!

Darran

Yeah, it kind of is! I’m just like, oh, that’d be good idea to do that. But this one worked. Yeah.

Solo male travel in a motorhome

Matt Sims

Bingo. So you and have I both had a lot of exposure to discussion panels around solo female travelling at all the shows we’ve been to. There’s often a group of women who are on stage talking about travelling on their own, and I take my hat off to them. And it’s become a big thing. But do you think it’s a big thing to talk about solo male travel? Is it just accepted? Is it easier? Is it a thing?

Darran

I respect the women. I know plenty of them. They’re fantastic women and they do amazing jobs. They’re amazing. I’ve parked up in some pretty sketchy places before. And then I’m like, this ain’t good. And I’ve moved. I don’t really park in lay-bys because obviously, people know that you are in that vehicle because you’ve stopped in the middle of a motorway or dual carriageway. So you haven’t walked off, really. It’s very rare.

So you are vulnerable on your own. And to be fair, I mean, I am the Urban Motorhome. And I do park in a lot of urban areas, and I’m completely at home in cities and in towns and all that and streets. But I do get a bit… I don’t really park right out in the wild. I’m slowly learning that.

Because I was parking for work, that’s why I was urban. And that’s where I feel most comfortable. I’m around people. If something kicks off, a bit of screaming, a bit of hollering, someone’s going to hear it within a minute or two. They’re not necessarily going to help me, but they’re going to hear it! They’ll probably video it!

But you just feel a bit safer. I’ve got plenty of mates, and they go and park out in the middle of nowhere in nature, which is beautiful. But I mean, you know, the boogeyman could be out there.

Matt Sims

The boogeyman! You came to our house. We live in a pretty rural location and you said to me you felt more vulnerable in a location like that than you would in the city. I mean, our house is pretty safe. Some of our neighbours leave the keys in the ignitions of their cars at night. And rarely are our front doors locked.

Darran

Do you want his address? Just send me some money and I’ll…

Matt Sims

The cars are rubbish. You’re all right!

Darran

No, I honestly do feel a bit more vulnerable out there. I mean, when I was out in France, I was doing a lot more rural and a bit more out in the country and that. And, you know, I had my cameras on a lot because you’re on your own. And I get the whole female thing because… and I’m not stereotyping. I don’t mean… but you know, they are smaller than me, most are smaller than me.

And, you know, as a whole, men are stronger physically, not mentally or anything like that. But just in a fight, you know? But if some guy comes along or a car of people comes along, a car of four lads comes along, what am I going to do? So that is in your mind somewhere, but you can’t really shout about that. And you couldn’t go, well, I need the stage to talk about solo male travel because it just won’t work.

Matt Sims

No, I get that. And I think that’s a shame, because I can imagine there are lots of men listening to this, or maybe not listening to this, but are in a quandary about doing it. And it still is a brave move to take, is it not?

Darran

100 percent. I mean, my very first motorhome, I put CCTV on there straight away because I wanted to see what was outside without showing myself inside the vehicle. You’re inside and you hear something out there, it sounds like World War Three is kicking off. But really it’s a kid kicking the can down the street.

But because you can’t see it and your mind’s got that little thriller movie or scary movie that you’ve had in the back of your mind from years ago or something… you bring up the worst case scenarios. And then your brain starts thinking, what if someone is out there? And that will happen to everyone, male or female. Doesn’t matter.

The best way to start, I’d probably say, is pub stops. If you want to get out there and start and then just slowly work your way out, and then maybe supermarket car parks and things like that, because you’re then further away from people, but you’ve still got people.

Advice for living in a motorhome in a city

Matt Sims

And what would you say to someone who is thinking, like you were, about buying a motorhome? The first lesson you learn, it seems, is you did use a bigger budget even for the first motorhome you had. It wasn’t new, was it? But to someone who’s in that position, a man, a guy who is considering doing it, and for some reason, they’re hesitating and they might not be sure why, what would you say to them?

Darran

I would say just literally go for it. Go for it. Save as much as you can get, get the finances together, study the layouts and be honest with your lifestyle. You know, a lot of people think they’re going to jump into a van and they’re going to go and find some nice mountains and start rock climbing and everything and abseiling… and seriously, I’m not doing that.

Honestly, the amount of people that are probably listening to this and watching this, you aren’t doing that! Yeah, you really aren’t. You’re going to sit on the sofa and watch Netflix and go, “It’s amazing out there,” take a few pictures and go, “Wow, I love this travel malarkey.”

I mean, let’s be brutally honest, right? Come on. So if you’re going to do that, then you need a nice sofa. If you haven’t got a nice sofa, you’re just going to be annoyed, you know, because you’ve got all this rock climbing gear and you’re not using it. But yeah, layout is king. It really is with motorhomes and campervans.

And then yeah, just do it. Because at the end of the day, as you don’t mess up your motorhome, the market to sell it again if it all fails and you don’t like it and it’s not for you, you can sell it. And there are banks out there that would love to get you in debt. And there’s people out there who would love to rent their house to you. So you can always go back, you can always go back.

Matt Sims

I want to talk to you about parking restrictions. So you are parking up in these urban locations. We seem to have an increasing number of places where motorhomes are not welcome. What’s been your experience of this as someone who’s trying to find somewhere to stop every day?

Darran

Yeah, I have found that a lot of places are getting height barriers, or they’re just getting double yellow lines now and things like that, putting signs up saying, “No parking.” I think it’s because people take the mick.

You know, I’ve got a list of park ups in my old area where I was working of about probably 30 or 40 park ups, and I’d go to one and then I wouldn’t go back to that for a week or two because I don’t want to burn it out. And I managed to park up in my local area where I was working for five years without a knock.

Matt Sims

Never had a knock on the door?

Darran

Never had a knock on the door. I had one, actually, and I was in bed and I couldn’t clamber down quick enough. They walked off. I don’t know who it was. I don’t know what they wanted. I’ll never know. But yeah, so I successfully did that in urban areas outside people’s houses, in people’s streets. I park legally. I park politely.

If there’s rubbish I’ll clean it up, because I don’t want them tarring me with that brush. And I’ve never had a knock. So I clearly didn’t burn out the spots. I clearly was no nuisance to the neighbours. And they didn’t notice me!

You know, if you are like that, then the spots are just going to be left for us to use. But when people start getting the deckchairs out, you know, putting their little hats on, getting the suncream on and sitting there going, “This is great!” with a barbecue going… mate. That’s not going to work.

Matt Sims

Outside 23 Dorset Close!

Darran

Yeah, I’d feel sorry for 23 Dorset Close!

Matt Sims

I have no idea where that is! But so you have to be quite strategic then, do you, about parking up?

Darran

Yeah, I mean, I like ends of houses where again, there’s no windows. No one can see you. There’s a bush. If there’s big bushes, again, that blocks you. When I park up in these places, my blinds are down and my curtains are drawn. I used to have the steering lock, but now I’ve got the blinds at the front.

So people will just think, “Oh, someone’s visiting the neighbours,” you know? And then if you’re gone by lunchtime the next day, they’ve already gone to work. So by the time they come back from working, five o’clock in the evening, you’re gone. You’re onto the next spot. You know, even if you’re one street over, they don’t see you.

People are very set in their routines. But if you get in the way of their routine, or if you’re there for longer, then they spot you and then they take interest. Again, it’s one of those things. If you’re doing something that they can’t, or you’re having fun and they’re not, they don’t like that. People don’t like that as a whole, do they?

So then they start moaning, and then things happen. And then if enough people moan, then the council just come along. If they can either make money or they just want to stop that complaint, they nipped in the bud. They just put a sign up. And that’s it. If 50 complaints come in a month or a year, if they put a sign up, that’s stopped 50 complaints, hasn’t it?

Matt Sims

But a lot of the places I’m finding that have got now got restrictions on them have not been abused. They’ve not had loads of people taking advantage of them. Have we got a culture where motorhomes just aren’t welcome? What’s the problem?

Darran

You’re tarred with a brush, aren’t you? People just assume you’re just going to be wrecking the place. And yeah, we’re not really a friendly nation to motorhomes, campervans and those vehicles. I don’t know why. Because if we were, there could be… I know it doesn’t shouldn’t all boil down to money.

But there’s a lot of money that local councils and local businesses could make. I mean, in the local towns in France every morning, I’d go to the bakery. You know, it’s only a couple of euros, but it’s a couple of euros in their pocket.

Matt Sims

I’d never have guessed that that’s what you did every morning.

Darran

I was getting a salad, mate. A salad.

Matt Sims

From a bakery.

Darran

They do good salads, apparently… hopefully! No, they did good French sticks!

What is the future of The Urban Motorhome

Matt Sims

So now you’ve quit your job. So the YouTube channel you’ve got and the associated income that that gives you from all the other stuff you’re doing as well has meant that you can quit full-time gainful employment, as your mum would probably call it.

Darran

And she thought I was lazy. I’m a lorry driver, she thought I was just… “Oh, you’re only sitting there and pushing the steering wheel.”

Matt Sims

You’re not driving the lorry anymore, so you can go anywhere. So where is your future? What is the future for Darran, The Urban Motorhome? What have you got planned for next year and beyond?

Darran

Yeah, so this is the hardest part I’m finding now, actually managing a calendar! Because I do a lot of shows, do a lot of talks, do a lot of festivals and that. So it is really trying to balance all that.

So next year, I want to go to Europe a bit. I want to go to Belgium and Germany. I’m then going to be on the Warners circuit. I’ll be doing a lot of talks at Warners next year, all their shows, a lot more festivals and then later in the year, I might go on a little holiday. I might go on a little holiday to Asia.

Matt Sims

Not in the motorhome?

Darran

Not in the motorhome. No. I might just take a little trip, because travelling full-time constantly and doing… I mean, you do these with the shop, going to show after show after show after show and during talks. It does take it out of you. But I’m loving it. I am loving it.

And I’m ever so grateful that I’m in the position that people watch my channel, watch my videos and support it by watching it. And that gives me an income, which I’m slowly building. I don’t want to be a millionaire. I just want to be able to pay my bills, a bit extra for chicken wings, and then pay the guys that help me run the channel. And that’s really it!

Matt Sims

And what can we expect to see on the channel next year, Darran?

Darran

A lot more videos for travel. I’ve got a fishing channel coming up as well. That’s starting. And I’ve got a food channel coming next year as well. I’m going to try and do lots of stuff in different areas, do lots of food stuff and travel and yeah, just do some wacky stuff.

Matt Sims

Now, we’ve talked together about your book, the one that’s in your head. Do you think you’re going to get around to that?

Darran

This winter.

Matt Sims

So you’re going to write the book this winter?

Darran

Yes, I’m going to get the book done. I’ve got a few other things I want to get done. I want to be really productive this winter ready for next year.

Matt Sims

And so what’s what’s the book about?

Darran

The book is about park ups. I don’t want to say I am a guru, because I don’t like that term. But I’m confident I’ve mastered park ups. I mean, I’ve never had a knock. So I’m almost seven years in and I’ve never had a knock. I’ve never really annoyed anyone. It works. So I kind of know what I’m talking about!

Matt Sims

Is that what you’re going to call it, “How Not to Get the Knock,”?

Darran

Yeah, it’s along those lines! Yeah, “How Not to Get the Knock,” yeah. Mastering Parking in your Motorhome While Wild Camping. Because a lot of people want to do it, but they’re scared. They don’t know how to take the first step.

And there are a few things to take into account. I mean, I’ve done a lot of videos on the channel where I literally put the camera in front of the windscreen and one on me and I just drive around going, “I would park there. I would park there. I wouldn’t park there.”

Matt Sims

I’ve seen it. It’s good. And I think that’s going to be a really interesting book because for someone who’s considering doing this, male, female, couple, doesn’t matter, with the family – I think if you’re choosing not stay on campsites, because some, let’s face it, are becoming very expensive, this could be a real way of travelling, couldn’t it?

Darran

100 percent. Yeah, and if you do it right, then there’s no reason, one, for you to be scared, two, for you to get the knock and three, for the park ups to be burnt out. So it helps everyone. You can then put a bit more money into the local area, go to local butcher, buy whatever you buy in there, because you’re in that local town, which is great. And then every now and again, you go to a campsite, so everyone wins.

Matt Sims

Like you buying a salad.

Darran

Yeah, buy a salad!

Matt Sims

Now, one more question. One more question. I have to ask this. Is there a Mrs. Urban Motorhome?

Darran

I get this question quite a lot! Is there a Mrs. Urb… I can’t even say it! No, there isn’t. No, there isn’t.

Matt Sims

Is there going to be?

Darran

Drop your numbers below!

Matt Sims

Mate, it’s great to see you. It’s always really good to see you. Your laugh is infectious. You’ve a huge amount of energy. And you’re such a great ambassador for this past time we love, and I take my hat off to you mate. You’ve really nailed it. And I wish you a brilliant hibernation this winter. And I look forward to seeing you all the Warners shows next year. Thanks again, mate.

Darran

Cheers, mate. Can’t wait!

Keith Gooden

That’s Darran The Urban Motorhome. He’s got a lot to say for himself there, Matt.

Matt Sims

He’s lovely. We love Darran. He is a good friend of the podcast, and an inspiration as well, particularly for men looking to travel on their own and get away in a motorhome and just do it.

Keith Gooden

We hear a lot about women travelling on their own, but is vanlifing and motorhoming on your own a big thing?

Matt Sims

I think it’s increasingly become a big thing because it’s become more and more accessible. And it’s the freedom it gives people to travel. If you’re in a relationship with someone, they don’t always want to go to the same place as you, do they? So leave them at home and go off on your own. Why not?

We’ve got an episode coming up soon with the lovely Siobhan Daniels where we talk about her experience of many years now living in a motorhome and travelling on her own. And I want to ask her about some of the challenges she faced and whether there were any concerns that she had about doing it. Because people do have them. You know, people are do worry about it.

Keith Gooden

Yeah. The first thing that you think of with women travelling on their own… you know, we shouldn’t think this way but we do. Is there a risk to them? But for men as well, there’s a risk that they can be greeted suspiciously by others, can’t they?

Matt Sims

But Darran would say if you’re thinking of doing it, just go for it, just do it. And keep a low profile, as you probably would at home in bricks and mortar. And he has got some really good hints and tips on how to find a park up that isn’t going to get you the knock, as he calls it.

But for women travelling on their own, I think there’s a perceived higher level of risk. And it certainly has been a big topic at the shows. And there is an increasing number of people who are on YouTube or on Instagram who are single solo female travellers and they all love it and I’m not aware that any of them have really had a massive issue with this.

Keith Gooden

And it takes us back, doesn’t it, to the news item we’re talking about, about parking overnight in in Bristol and Wyre Borough Council and the way they’ve made their central carpark open to motorhomers throughout the night. If you’re travelling on your own, there are a range of things you can do, aren’t there?

Matt Sims

Yeah, of course. And parking in a group will be one of them, hence these kinds of settlements. Can we can we call them that? They have appeared and bubbled up where people are grouping together, and it’s formed a sense of community. As human beings, we love to bond and form communities, and that’s what’s happened. And the risk is that this is being pushed away.

Audience Q&A

Keith Gooden

It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast with me, Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims

And me, Motorhome Matt.

Send us your podcast reviews

Keith Gooden

It’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com. Let us get into the Q&A. But first, before we do, there’s a little bit of a new thing here. Here are some of the reviews that you’ve been leaving us, and thank you very much for them.

Here’s a review from @bjt81. “We have not purchased a motorhome yet, but this podcast has provided us with all the insight and confidence we need to start the adventure with our young family. Matt and Keith,” but mostly Keith, “Are heroes, removing the fears of the open road and replacing them with a real sense of excitement.”

Matt Sims

That’s only because you’ve got your pants on the outside of your trousers!

Keith Gooden

“Thanks very much to the team for a great podcast.”

Matt Sims

Oh, bless them. Yeah, that’s brilliant.

Keith Gooden

Thanks very much for that. You can send your review to mhmp.info/review.

Matt Sims

See – not all heroes wear capes.

Where would you store batteries in a diesel-converted electric motorhome

Keith Gooden

It’s a big Harrow to Colin Coulthard. Get it? He lives in Harrow. Do you get it?

Colin Coulthard
Question for your EV event. Will there be realistic options to convert diesel-powered motorhomes to electric in wheel motors? Where would you store the batteries safely? I’d be interested in the answer.

Matt Sims

Thanks for the question, Colin, great to hear from you as always. So yeah, Colin, we did include that in our session at the Southwest Motorhome Campervan show. Jon Gooch and I were on stage talking about this very topic, the future of electric motorhomes. And John reckons there are options out there already to change the drive train.

I mean, there are lots of companies out there converting classic cars from petrol or diesel to electric powered drive, either a power plant at the front or in wheel motors. So they do exist. And the question that I raised is, how would you insure it? And we went to Caravan Guard with the question and they said, “We would want to see the professional qualifications of those who have done it and evidence of how it had been done.”

And they would do it on a case-by-case review. They had not insured anything that had been converted yet from diesel to electric. So I think the technology is out there. It’s probably quite expensive, I’m not sure. But people are pioneering this, particularly classic cars, just to keep them alive. And they’re doing them for a bit of fun. And there’s some great YouTube content on this. So the answer, Colin, is yes. There is already and I think there will be more and more of them.

Will everyone need a C1 licence to drive electric motorhomes?

Keith Gooden

Jonathan Passmore’s in Lancaster. He says, “EVs are heavy, typically 300 to 400 kilogrammes heavier than equivalent cars, and it is already challenging to stay below 3,500 kilogrammes. Will nearly everyone need a C1 licence?”

Matt Sims

Well, it’s interesting. The Bailey Endeavour EV that we were driving just a few weeks ago is 752 kilogrammes heavier than the diesel Transit just because of the battery. So it’s a bigger impact even than you state, Jonathan.

So it’s interesting to note that electric vans can be 4,250 kilogrammes as a gross weight, so up-plated from the three and a half tonnes, giving you the capability of carrying those batteries and retaining a payload. So will everyone need a C1? Well, if the rules don’t change and motorhomes are allowed to be 4,250, then perhaps, yeah.

But of course, the C1 is under review by the government still. There is still no news on that, I’m afraid. Possibly, yes, but that’s unrealistic, isn’t it? So motorhomes are likely to end up being part of that 4,250 ruling. And of course, battery technology is going to improve and get lighter, and we’re going to be able to go further. So I would say it’s still too early to make decisions about what licencing we need. So stay put and watch what’s happening.

Keith Gooden

Thanks for the question there, Jonathan.

Does it make a difference if the dog is British or European when travelling in the EU?

Keith Gooden

Chris Morrison – “Hi, Matt,” Chris says. “I spoke to you the other day at a Warners show about having a British dog versus a European dog while travelling through Europe. Do you need more than one certificate to cross borders?” You mean border cross? “Does it make a difference if the dog is British or European, say, if you bought a dog while travelling?”

Matt Sims

Very good, Chris. It was lovely to meet you and your partner. We were at the Lincoln Show. And Chris came and said hello. I did forward your question, Chris, to the TV vet, Dr. James Greenwood. And James very kindly came back and said, “The animal health certificate covers four months’ onward travel within the EU. On the specifics, it can be hard to give advice, as it depends on which countries and whether they are within the EU, and it also depends on the age of the dog.”

“My advice for specific queries where it’s hard to give exact advice without details of the trip or circumstances would be to always contact the government pet travel helpline to avoid any mistakes.” And then James kindly shares who they are and where to get in touch with them. It’s the pet travel scheme helpline. They are pettravel@apha.gov.uk. And there’s a telephone number for them as well. It’s 0370 241 1710. James, thank you so much for that. It’s really helpful, and hopefully Chris, you can find the answer you need from those guys.

Ask Matt your questions for the podcast

Keith Gooden

How do people get in touch and ask you a question?

Matt Sims

Easily. You can go to mhmp.info/askmatt. And we would love to know if you’re travelling on your own, further to the content of this episode, would you let us know at mhmp.info/askmatt? We want to build up some comments for a future episode.

Keith Gooden

And if they want to share?

Matt Sims

You can do that. If you have a friend who you think might find this episode helpful or any of the episodes we’ve done helpful or useful or even just entertaining, then please would you share it with them? Send them the link. It would help spread the popularity of the podcast, which is something we’re keen to try and do.

Keith Gooden

And you can subscribe and like as well, can’t you?

Matt Sims

You can. If you’re on YouTube or any of the podcast platforms, please make sure you hit subscribe and follow and then you’ll be alerted when we release new content.