Keith Gooden
Welcome back to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
And this podcast is brought to you of course with the kind help of www.thatleisureshop.com, and we’ll be talking about their January sale in this podcast and future ones, won’t we?
Matt Sims
And Christmas deals as well.
Keith Gooden
So stand by for that.
Market shrinkage in the motorhoming industry
Keith Gooden
In today’s podcast, we’re talking about professionally cleaning your motorhome, but before we get into that, let’s get into the news, and some serious news, actually, Matt, for people working in the industry, also for people who own their own motorhomes and need to maintain them – market shrinkage.
We had that great expansion of the market during the pandemic where people couldn’t take foreign holidays, weren’t allowed to cross borders and – I’m going to use that word – the staycation took hold. The motorhoming, caravanning and camping industry took full advantage of that and was able to supply the market, but then people started taking their holidays after the lockdowns were lifted and borders opened. It has not been easy for your industry.
Matt Sims
No, it’s been a strange time, particularly for the motorhome hire business. It’s been a strange year. We’re down certainly on the last two years. As we come to the end of the financial year, we’ve been reviewing what’s happened over the last year. And we’re ahead of 2019. But we’re certainly down on 2020. That was a bumper year for us.
Of course, we were only open for six months. It was a really strange time. We went back to work at the end of June or the beginning of July and it just went absolutely gangbusters right up until the end of October when Boris put us back into lockdown, remember in November? And we just didn’t stop. It literally was nonstop.
And we were grateful for another lockdown to be quite honest, because we could have a lie down. And then 2021 came along. It was not quite as good a year, which we thought might be the case, but it was still a great year. But this year has been odd because I think people have taken holidays that they paid for perhaps two years ago and they haven’t taken a motorhome hire holiday like perhaps they were going to.
What’s really interesting, though, is the number of inquiries are up tenfold for next year. I mean, I find that incredible.
Keith Gooden
Up tenfold?
Matt Sims
It is incredible.
Keith Gooden
That is incredible.
Matt Sims
Yes. And that’s not an exaggeration.
Keith Gooden
So could it be that people who did holiday using a motorhome or a caravan or camping a couple of years ago have used their holidays up that they had booked for foreign holidays, but they’re coming back to doing it here?
Matt Sims
I think so. I think there’s an element of some people coming back to it. There is also a big element of people who’ve never done it before. I thought we’d flushed them all out in 2020. Evidently not. We have an amazing brochure in the Motorhome Holiday Company, which is completely free. And it’s 48 pages of lots of inspiration and insights into how a motorhome hire holiday works. It’s a fantastic brochure. And we would normally send out 500 or 600 a year. We’re into nearly 4,000 for next year.
And I’ve actually spoken to a dozen people that have requested a brochure who are new to us. And I’ve asked them the questions, ‘What did you think of it? And why have you requested a brochure?’ And every one of them said, ‘Well, we’re thinking of doing a motorhome holiday next year, and we’ve never done it.’
Keith Gooden
Well, that’s good news. But you, as an expert in this industry, are firmly of the opinion that your universe has shrunk.
Matt Sims
Yes, I think it has in the last year. I think the demand is still there, certainly for people looking to buy. We’ve talked at length about delays on new vehicle arrival. And that’s still the case, and it’s still going to be the case going into the next few years. I think there are going to be more challenges. So ordering a new motorhome is going to mean a delay in perhaps a year or more, perhaps two years even. So the secondhand market remains strong.
I think there was a huge demand because people couldn’t do a holiday to Costa del whatnot, so they went and hired or bought a motorhome. And I think now they’re starting to sell them. And the amount of people that are in a motorhome will shrink back a bit. I still think the market will be bigger now than it’s ever been.
I think, as a hire business, which is quite different to the purchasing model really, that the number of vehicles available to hire in the UK boomed – certainly our fleet hire insurance company that we use would vouch for that – where people went and bought a motorhome and thought, ‘Let’s put it on one of these third party sites like an Airbnb type model where we can rent it out. We’re going to make some money from it as well.’
And I think they’ve perhaps done that and thought, ‘It’s not quite as lucrative as we thought. In fact, it was blooming hard work.’ And they probably won’t do that next year. I’m intrigued to see what percentage of that new business with our insurance company that we use doesn’t renew in the spring.
Keith Gooden
So if you can convert some of those record inquiries-, but it’s just the last 12 months where everything’s been, I suppose, getting back on an even keel.
Matt Sims
Yes, it’s a bit of a reset. It’s like a pendulum swing, we went from one extreme almost to the other.
Keith Gooden
Everybody wanted to hire a motorhome because they couldn’t go abroad.
Matt Sims
I’m really encouraged by the number of people who have made an inquiry for next year. It is record numbers with us. And so we’re feeling really buoyant about next year, and in fact we’ve set targets as a team for the business, which are double what we’ve done this year. And that’s our team target, which we’re all going to work towards. And I think we’ll do it. You know, it’s a fantastic team.
I’m biased, of course. But it is a fantastic business with a great offering. And I think we will see more people come to it, remarkably, still for the first time. But I’m the same with a canal boat. I’ve never done that before. And I’m inquiring now about doing a canal boat holiday with the family for next year, which I think it’d be great fun. It’s something different to a motorhome.
Keith Gooden
My wife wants to go on a canal boat as well.
Matt Sims
Does she?
Keith Gooden
Yes. We’ve never done that.
Matt Sims
But interestingly, I bet for the canal boat industry – well, I know for a fact that they had a huge boom time as we did in 2020. And I bet they think, ‘Oh, we thought we’d flushed you all out, and you all came and took a canal boat holiday.’ I didn’t. Why is that? Why do I want to do one now? And I think it’s the same for us with our motorhome prospects. A lot of people didn’t do anything. They didn’t go anywhere and didn’t take a holiday at all.
Keith Gooden
No. A lot of companies aren’t going to survive this, are they?
Matt Sims
No, they’re not. No, already we’ve seen several. Friends of mine. Indeed, some didn’t even make it through the summer. We walked into the summer with lots of space in the diary thinking, ‘Hang on a minute, what’s going on?’ And friends of mine who had a motorhome hire business in Scotland just shut the doors and said, ‘We’re not going to carry on. It’s not viable.’ I know several others who have made that decision and they won’t be running again next year.
One company I know is going to take a year off and just see what happens and maybe come back to it. And we’ve read online on the website www.gnw.nl that one of these platform motorhome hire companies, they’re called CampToo NL B.V. have gone into bankruptcy and they’re a big player. And so this is not just limited to the UK. This is a Europe-wide trend of this market shrinkage, and I think it’s been a real experience for many motorhome, travel, leisure and tourism businesses this year. It’s not just unique to motorhomes.
Keith Gooden
One thing the last couple of years has taught a lot of us is how beautiful this country is. And those people, as you say with their inquiries, are thinking of holidaying again. Brexit has been and gone and everything’s settled there. So we know what we have to do when we cross borders. It should be looking up, shouldn’t it?
Matt Sims
It should be looking up, and of course, this recessive climate that’s being talked about all the time and we’re finding ourselves in – in reality, in every recession, UK tourism booms, because it’s perceived as a cost effective, great holiday. And post recession, it always has a boom as well.
So I’m confident that this awful climate we find ourselves in, and let’s not get caught up too much in that, but I think a UK-based holiday is in reality a more cost effective way to spend your leisure time than flying off to Costa del whatnot. I’ve talked before about taking my kids abroad and it’s thousands and thousands of pounds.
Keith Gooden
It is. It’s a lot of money, and the airline companies aren’t finding it easy either. And of course, you’re brilliantly placed here, aren’t you, because you’re the gateway to the south west, which is one of the most beautiful parts of England.
Matt Sims
It is, indeed. Yes, of course, again, we’re biassed but Devon, Cornwall, South Wales and the whole of the south of England are all within really, really easy reach. Within an hour or two, you are sat on the beach with a beautiful view and a gin and tonic. Love it.
Don’t miss out on That Leisure Shop’s Christmas sale!
Keith Gooden
So it’s the Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. I did let the cat out of the bag a little bit by talking about the January sales. We’re going to be talking about Christmas gifts, actually. Like I said, there is a January sale, but what we want to talk about today is Christmas gifts.
Pardon me for letting your cat out of the bag. But now you know, let’s talk about the February NEC show. Last year it was sold out in advance. The Caravan Camping and Motorhome Show 21st to the 26th of February – because you watch and because you listen to this podcast, you get a discount.
Matt Sims
You do! Just use the code MATT on their website, www.ccmshow.co.uk, and you’ll get a discount on your ticket down to £11.50. And kids under 15 are free!
Keith Gooden
And what’s that website again?
Matt Sims
Keith Gooden
And in that little box that says, ‘Discount code,’ put MATT in there and you’ll get your discount. There’s also a show in Manchester.
Matt Sims
We are going to the Manchester Caravan Motorhome Holiday Show, which runs in Manchester from the 12th to the 15th of January. Thank you to Tottington Motor Company who’ve asked us to partner with them on their stand, and we’ll be at the show. That show’s completely free. So head on up to Manchester Central.
It tends to be a show with northern businesses and mostly the northern dealerships attend. And it tends to be visited by people of the north because it’s a local show to them, but it’s a fantastic show and it’s definitely one to go to.
And of course you get free access into the Destinations Holiday and Travel Show as well which is next door. And that’s a brilliant way of getting inspiration for your European and UK holiday. So go and have a visit there as well, and I’m speaking in the expert theatre at that event. That’ll be fun.
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. Let’s talk about our Christmas gifts. www.thatleisureshop.com sponsors the podcast and if you are thinking about something for somebody in your family who loves motorhoming, caravanning or camping, this is the place to come.
Matt Sims
It is indeed. Just head to www.thatleisureshop.com, and there if you enter the code MOTORHOMEMATT, we will give you £10 off when you spend £100. How’s that?
Keith Gooden
So that’s the shop. Okay, MOTORHOMEMATT is your code for that, and you get a tenner off. And if you’re looking for Christmas gifts, I never tire of looking in your warehouse down the shelves and seeing the innovation and the fantastic stuff people can buy for enjoying themselves in this industry.
Matt Sims
And it’s not just for people who own a motorhome, campervan or caravan. There are some brilliant gifts there for anyone. Torches – I love the little ottoman. I know it’s a favourite of yours as well.
Keith Gooden
The one that looks like a log. It’s fantastic. You can use it in any garden. I’ve never seen that anywhere before and it folds up. But when it’s unfolded it looks like a tree stump.
Matt Sims
Yes, we sell these shelters as well, Quest Pro shelters. They’re like gazebos for your garden that folds flat. They go up in seconds. They are fantastic. We sold out of them today, so we’ve got more coming. They are really popular and they are really heavily discounted as well. So yes, go and check them out.
Keith Gooden
Okay, so Christmas gifts at www.thatleisureshop.com. The code is MOTORHOMEMATT. Have you got that? MOTORHOMEMATT. Okay, let’s get into the main body of the podcast, shall we?
What you need to know to properly clean your motorhome
Keith Gooden
Today on the Motorhome Matt podcast, brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com, we are talking about professionally cleaning a motorhome. We have had in the last seven weeks or so the most awful weather, haven’t we?
Matt Sims
It has rained a lot.
Keith Gooden
Rain! And if you take anything out on roads it gets covered in mud and dirt, and you really do need to pep up your motorhome or caravan, I think.
Matt Sims
Yes, I drove down Cheddar Gorge yesterday and it was awash like a river.
Keith Gooden
It’s been unbelievable. We had a summer where we didn’t get a drop of rain. And since the end of October, it’s been a deluge in this part of the country.
Matt Sims
Of course, at this time of year, that makes your motorhome or caravan filthy, doesn’t it? And it’s tempting just to go and squeeze some shampoo on the roof and let it wash itself.
Keith Gooden
And what’s wrong with doing that, then?
Matt Sims
Nothing, really!
Keith Gooden
Tell me, what should we be doing?
Matt Sims
A student car wash, that would be! We get lots of questions about using a pressure washer. And that’s a good one because people say, ‘Oh no, you mustn’t use a pressure washer.’ But why? Well, you can damage the sealant, of course.
Keith Gooden
Yes, you’ve mentioned that before. Be careful with the pressure wash.
Matt Sims
Another thing is that if you’re cleaning the roof it can spray down on the roof light. And a roof light often isn’t sealed deliberately so it can breathe inside, and when you slam the door the air can come out. Otherwise you create a vacuum and it could potentially pop a window out of the frame and that’s why they’re not sealed tight shut, and also just to ventilate them.
But that pressure washer, if you get it the angle wrong, you can go down and up inside the pressure washer and then soak your bed. So you have to be really careful when you’re cleaning the roof.
Keith Gooden
You can do your wheels and stuff.
Matt Sims
You can do the wheels. We use pressure washers in the hire business, but our pressure washers are thousands of pounds. They’re not the £50 ones that you get in B&Q. They are thousands of pounds, and we down-rate the pressure and change the jet shape as well.
Keith Gooden
B&Q do supply very good pressure washers, as indeed do many other shops!
Matt Sims
They do! Thank you, B&Q. I’ve got several at home.
Keith Gooden
They’re not necessarily good for this job, are they?
Matt Sims
No, no, and we’ll unpack that a bit more with our guest in a second. But also we get questions about climbing on the roof. ‘Can I get on the roof to clean my motorhome or caravan?’ Potentially you could, yes, but really that’s about understanding what the roof is made out of. Is it safe to get on there in terms of the construction, and is it safe to get on there in terms of slipping off as well? That’s what you’ve got to be careful of.
If it’s a van conversion, I wouldn’t recommend it. That metal roof will dent very, very easily. The number of campervan conversions that have a ladder on the back door that I’ve seen, and at the top of the ladder on the roof are two beautiful little dents, perfectly knee shaped, where people have climbed the ladder, knelt on the roof, and then put two big dents in it. They dent so easily.
So if your leisure vehicle is made of timber or it’s an older vehicle, I’d be really, really careful. And if it’s got a hump in the roof, definitely don’t be climbing on that. They’re just not structurally sound. If you have to climb on the roof, then I’d definitely be keeping to the edges. Better still, lean a ladder against it, tie a cushion or pillow around the ladder, stand on the ladder and clean the roof.
Keith Gooden
Be careful. Ladder injuries account for a lot of visits to A&E. So one thing’s for certain, Matt, actually, from what you’re talking about here. I think it’s good to unpack today what a professional clean is, what they offer and why you should have one.
Matt Sims
Yes, that’s right, and what chemicals they use. And we get lots of questions about, ‘How do I get the black streaks off?’ They can be really, really persistent. They’re really hard to get off. And there are specialist chemicals that will help lift that black streak from the roof. And the reason they appear, of course, is because of dirt that just appears on the roof and the rain makes that dirt travel down the sidewalls and it dries into the paint.
Yes, we get questions about the chemicals. ‘Why are they so expensive? Why can’t I use Fairy Liquid washing up liquid? What’s wrong with that?’ Well, I caught up with George from Miles Valeting. He is a local valetor that we use, and he helps us keep the hire fleet looking tip top. And I started by asking George, ‘What is the issue with Fairy Liquid?’
Expert tips for cleaning your vehicle from George from Miles Valeting Services
So George, tell me about washing up liquid. What’s your view on using it to clean any leisure vehicle?
George Miles
No! Washing up liquid was designed for its intended use for washing dishes, pots and pans, not your pride and joy, your motorhome or any vehicle at all. So it’s a big no-no.
Matt Sims
We’ve got Chester in the background having a scratch, which is what you can hear rattling around! It’s his collar. Chester’s a seven month old lab. So what does washing up liquid do, then? What damage does it do?
George Miles
Well, it’s designed, like I said, to clean dishes, pots and pans. So on a motorhome or a vehicle it can ruin anything. It can take any protective coatings off, any waxes, any polishes, it can ruin rubber seals, silicones, etc. So yes, it’s just a big no-no.
Matt Sims
When you say can ruin them, what does it actually do to the rubbers?
George Miles
It can break it down, so disintegrate and destroy it.
Matt Sims
And it can actually stain the paint as well, can’t it?
George Miles
I’ve heard so. Obviously I’ve never used it, so I’ve thankfully never witnessed that and I never shall do.
Matt Sims
Now, another question we get asked frequently is about using a pressure washer on your motorhome or caravan. What’s your view? What should people be aware of if they’re planning to use their pressure washer? Because let’s face it, it makes a much easier job of it, doesn’t it?
George Miles
Yes, I mean, I always use a pressure washer. I’ve had customers in the past concerned and worried about the use of a pressure washer because obviously it says in their handbooks not to use pressure washers on their their motorhomes or caravans. The thing is, you can go to B&Q and buy a generic pressure washer, get it out of the box, and it’s for garden and car use, so it says. Obviously I’ve got a professional pressure washer myself, which most valeters use.
There are different nozzles, different grades and you can turn the pressure down etc., obviously. It’s having the knowledge of how to use any tool in the trade, so to speak. So if you were to get a pressure washer out of the box with, say, the dirt blaster on it and go up to your motorhome, you’re going to potentially ruin it or take the sealant out or paint off or lacquer. So yes, it’s knowing what to do with the right tools like anything, really.
Matt Sims
I remember many years ago I bought a pressure washer and cleaned a car and it actually cut the wheel trim, the plastic wheel trim. It cut through it.
George Miles
Brilliant! That’s good going, Matt. Well done. Yes, I mean, like I said, you probably had the dirt blaster on it, which is designed to clean patios and cut through concrete, almost. So yes, it’s knowing what to do.
Matt Sims
It’s about having the right tools for the job, isn’t it? Now, we’re recording this on a very wet wintry day. The scenario is I’ve got my motorhome in storage and it might be under a cover. We’ve talked about covers a lot, but if it’s not under a cover, then it’s obviously going to be getting dirty, isn’t it? They get greasy. You talked about a maintenance clean. What is a maintenance clean?
George Miles
Well there are different levels, obviously, of cleaning, like anything, as a rule. Like with your own motorhome, Matt, you had it all protected and cleaned and ready for winter storage or winter use. On a monthly basis, every four weeks, we’ll go in and we’ll give the motorhomes a wash.
So yes, a maintenance clean is just to keep it free from dirt, algae and all sorts of traffic film if the vehicle was actually used during the winter as well. So it just maintains it and stops all the buildup on the bodywork and the paintwork so to speak.
Matt Sims
And of course, as we go into January and February, another issue is salt, isn’t it? Because we love putting salt on the roads when it gets icy.
George Miles
Absolutely, yes. Salt’s a nasty, nasty thing. And obviously the thing is, it’s not technically just salt as we know it. What’s used on the roads has got different anti-caking agents and things in to stop it rotting and breaking down, so there are other chemicals within that salt.
And any sort of surface, you know, your alloy wheels especially – I’ve seen lots of new cars with corroded alloy wheels, and it’s just where they’re not maintained or washed properly. There’s no coating on them. And with a buildup over time, salt will absolutely destroy things like that, yes.
Matt Sims
So I want to talk about coatings as you mentioned them, but just before then, one question I’ve got is how do you fix cloudy headlights? Toothpaste and newspaper, is that right?
George Miles
Well, when you were a young lad driving your car around in 1943 maybe, Matt! You might have done such a thing. No, that’s me being rude. No. I’ve heard people saying toothpaste – they’re probably the same people that use washing up liquid to wash their vehicles as well. So we do lots of cloudy headlights throughout the year.
Some vary more than others, some of them are horrifically bad, but nine times out of ten you can bring them back. It’s a matter of different compounds, usually. Sometimes you have to use different abrasive papers like sandpapers to bring them back up. And then obviously you put a protective coating on it to stop it happening again.
Matt Sims
So it’s literally like a cutting compound and you cut into the plastic to clean it?
George Miles
Yes, that’s right, within reason.
Matt Sims
And what about faded bumpers as well? Because you see lots of motorhomes that are older that have been stood around for a bit and they’ve not got painted bumpers, particularly the front, and they go really, really grey. They dull. And I heard you say to me in the past that, ‘We need to feed that.’ How do you feed a bumper?
George Miles
Well, you don’t cook it a burger and chips. That’s for sure. There was one time at the Motorhome Holiday Company when I remember doing one for you. The grey plastic bumper was all different shades of grey, in fact. It was horrific. So again, there are many different processes, obviously. We have to clean it, dry it and prepare it so it’s ready. And then I’ve got a certain product that you feed, effectively, into the plastic and it brings it back to life.
Matt Sims
And that’s something you need to repeat, isn’t it, often over time? Because they tend to fade back again, don’t they, I find.
George Miles
Yes, I mean, if you use a product like we used to get back in the day like the old Back to Black which is basically like a silicone spray, that’s no good. This is a bit more advanced than that. Going onto coatings like we will shortly as well, if you had a modern or new motorhome where the plastics were good, you can also ceramic coat those as well. That definitely brings them back to life and keeps them there as well for a longer period of time.
But again, like anything, people assume that once it’s done, that’s it, it’s done. You can walk away. ‘It’s been coated, it’s been protected.’ You have to maintain things. They have to be looked after, same as anything.
Matt Sims
You’ve mentioned the C word – ceramic coating. We get lots of questions about this, film protection and ceramic coating protection. ‘Why is it so expensive? I can buy this in a bottle and do it myself. Why would I bother paying a dealer to do this?’ Ceramic coating is interesting, isn’t it? And it’s actually been around for 4,000 years. It was the Chinese that started doing it. And they used it to coat clay pots to give them a sheen, and there was an enamel coating that was very popular way, way back in time.
But it’s only really in the last couple of decades that it’s been used in the automotive industry and the leisure industry. I know it was used on the hulls of boats to keep the barnacles of. That really sums up what ceramic coat does, doesn’t it? It keeps those alien bodies off the paint. But tell me, what’s the difference between a ceramic coat and a film protection, and will it stop my bonnet getting stone chips?
George Miles
A ceramic coat is totally different to a PPF or a film protection. People assume with a ceramic coating that the vehicle is bombproof. It’s bulletproof. Anything that hits it will just bounce off. That’s not true. With a PPF or a film, it reduces the stone chips on your bonnet, etc., etc. Road rash coming up the spray of the side of the car and on the rear or the wings. We’ve seen lots of damage on vehicles. It stops or reduces that, but again over time, or depending on the size of stones or chips or grit on the road, it can penetrate through that film, obviously.
Ceramic coating is a huge grey area. It’s a minefield out there. There’s lots of different products on the market. You can go online and buy a ceramic coating. You can apply it yourself. And there’s different levels of ceramic coating. I wouldn’t recommend that at all. The reason ceramic coatings are or can be expensive – I had a customer the other week who came in and wanted his car ceramic coating. The paintwork under the sun looked awful.
So you have to prepare the paint, get it back to a fantastic standard first, bring the paint back to life, take swirl marks out, remove scratches, you know, that sort of thing, then apply the coating. The coating is not just a spray on, wash off product when you’re doing a three or four year coating. It’s applied and then has to cure onto the paintwork. And it has to be buffed off with a few cloths and bring that up to a shine, but it does have an amazing effect, the gloss and the shine on the paintwork. Once a ceramic coating is applied it can be phenomenal.
Matt Sims
Now, a film is literally a sticky wrap, isn’t it? You call it PPF. That’s a sticky wrap that goes over the usually the front of the vehicle. And that’s what stops stone chips, isn’t it, from occurring. Whereas a ceramic coat is a liquid. It’s almost like a liquid glass. Is that right?
George Miles
Yes, that’s right. That’s exactly it. So the PPF, paint protection film, is basically like a thick cling film or a vinyl wrap. So you can still see the colour of your paint through bits of it, because you wouldn’t necessarily do the whole vehicle. Some people do, but you could do just the front end of it. And you can still see the colour of the paint through it as it’s a it’s a clear film,
Matt Sims
You very kindly bought me a ceramic coat for my birthday for our VW T6. And it looked fantastic after you’d applied it. But that was only a five or six month treatment, you said to me, and you were able to put that on in an afternoon, weren’t you? But even that was complicated to apply. When someone’s going for a full ceramic coat, that can take sometimes days to prep the vehicle and get it done. Is it worth having?
George Miles
Absolutely. I mean, your vehicle, obviously – I would say you’re quite fortunate that between your staff and me, we look after your T6 for you, Matt.
Matt Sims
You do!
George Miles
So yes, I applied a six month coating to your vehicle. It’s applied with a spray bottle and it’s rinsed off and buffed up. That’s pretty much it. Again, like any coating, I say that’s a six month coat and it will last up to six months providing you maintain the vehicle properly. If you go spraying TFRs that are really strong or acids-,
Matt Sims
What’s TFR?
George Miles
A traffic film remover.
Matt Sims
This is the lethal stuff that is used often in a drive through car wash with a team of people treating your car. It’s a quick and easy way to get the dirt off. It is dangerous.
George Miles
It can be. Again, there are lots of different TFRs on the market. I have heard of people using TFR on interior seats at some of these car washes. But yes, that’s just a no-no. The TFR that I use I could use on your vehicle once I’d ceramic coated it, and it won’t take that coating off. I’ve also got a TFR that I use on lorries and trucks. If I did use that on your vehicle, it’d strip everything off the paintwork.
Matt Sims
So we’ve just had to interrupt the recording because Chester, the seven month old lab, has just decided to take a wee on the carpet. What we need is a protective coating on the carpet, George!
George Miles
Absolutely! That can be done, Matt. We can arrange that later. Not a problem.
Matt Sims
That’s what we need. So for people going into a dealership looking to buy a motorhome or caravan, they’re going to be offered the upsell of a care package that protects the exterior paint and the interior fabrics. What things do people need to be aware of when they’re considering making this purchase? Because there are some key things, aren’t there, that people really need to consider before committing that extra spend.
George Miles
Yes, absolutely. I mean, do your research, ask all the questions and find out as much information about each individual product that’s out there on the market.
Matt Sims
So what questions should they be asking, then?
George Miles
‘What’s the product? What are the benefits of the product? What does it do? Why should I have it? How much does it cost? What’s the warranty or the guarantee?’
Matt Sims
And what questions should they ask about the application of it, how and who is putting it on?
George Miles
Absolutely. ‘Is it applied just quickly with a spray and a mist off?’ I mean, the one we did on your T6, going back to that, was just sprayed on and left for a couple of minutes before rinsing off and buffing up. Yes, that was a six month coating. It’s not a three, four or five year coating.
So how’s it applied? How’s the vehicle prepared before the application? Who’s doing it? Is it a fully qualified professional that’s doing it or is it some kiddie who’s just out of college who doesn’t know what they’re doing, necessarily? I doubt that will be the case, but again, you need to know for your own peace of mind.
Matt Sims
And of course, on an older vehicle, a ten-year-old vehicle, the paint can be really flat. That’s the term we use, isn’t it, when it goes dull. And if you’re going to coat on top of that, all you’re doing is trapping that marred paintwork underneath, aren’t you? So it needs treating beforehand. And that takes time.
George Miles
Absolutely, I mean, we had one a couple of weeks ago. We had it for six days. And all we were doing was just preparing the paintwork. So we had a machine polish with two different cutting compounds. Like you say, the paint was flat. It was almost grey.
There was no colour to it and no shine whatsoever. We had to bring that paint back to life, to factory standard, then apply the coating. But before that, like you say, you’re just sealing in poor quality work or end of life work, almost.
Matt Sims
George, that’s been really useful. Thanks ever so much. So where can people find out more about you if they’re looking for a local valetor in the North Somerset and Bristol area?
George Miles
So you can find us on Facebook and Instagram, or you can find us at our website which is www.milesvaletingservices.co.uk
Matt Sims
George, thank you ever so much. Really appreciate your input.
George Miles
Thank you, Matt.
Ceramic coating with Lisa from Paintseal
Matt Sims
Now, if you go into a motorhome dealership, you’re probably going to encounter the brand Paintseal, who are one of the most prominent brands in this marketplace. And they partner with dealerships throughout the country. At the recent NEC Motorhome and Caravan show. I got to catch up with one of its owners and directors, the lovely Lisa. So I’m here with Lisa with a brand that many of you might be familiar with. Lisa is from Paintseal. Hi, Lisa, how are you?
Lisa Bradbury
Good, thank you. Are you, Matt?
Matt Sims
I’m really well, thank you. So tell us, for those who don’t know about Paintseal, what is it and what does it do?
Lisa Bradbury
Okay, so we started this business 18 years ago. We do a ceramic liquid glass. It’s a Gen 3 ceramic liquid glass coat which we put on the outside of caravans, motorhomes, cars and boats. We put it on all sorts of things. So it’s a protection system that we’re putting on the outside of the vehicle to protect it and make it easier to keep clean, stopping it from dulling, etc. We do lots and lots of this in this industry. And then we also do the interior fabrics as well with a well known fabric protector for stain proofing.
Matt Sims
Now, a big difference between Paintseal and other brands out there is that you actually put it on yourselves, don’t you? You don’t let the customer do it.
Lisa Bradbury
Yes, we do. Well, we find that if we have specialised, trained, employed people who put it on, we know that it’s been put on properly, then. There are lots of DIY products out there, but you want a professional job when you’re doing it. I mean, you’re spending a lot of money on your vehicle, aren’t you? You want to protect it. You want to keep it nice. So that’s what our team does.
Matt Sims
And you ensure then that the standard is kept very high because your guys and girls are putting it on.
Lisa Bradbury
That’s right. That’s right. Yes, we’ve got a big team of guys out there, as I say, who are all employed by us. That’s all they do, all day every day. They’re not franchised, they’re not subcontractors. They just do this job every day. So they’re specialists in what they do.
Matt Sims
And over 18 years, you’ve accrued a lot of customers, haven’t you?
Lisa Bradbury
Yes. We’ve got over 80,000 customers.
Matt Sims
That’s incredible.
Lisa Bradbury
Yes, we’ve got lots of people coming back, lots of repeat customers, people have had it five, six or seven times. They just keep coming back. They love it, so it’s great for us, yes.
Matt Sims
Brilliant. Have a great show. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.
Lisa Bradbury
Thank you. Thanks, guys.
Matt Sims
That was Lisa from Paintseal. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.
Preparing your leisure vehicle for winter storage
Keith Gooden
Brilliant guests, George and Lisa. Fantastic. I hope that’s helped you by listening and watching this. What about prepping for winter and covering the motorhome?
Matt Sims
Well, of course, once you’ve cleaned the vehicle, one of the things you then want to do is protect it as it sits there in storage throughout the winter, and a cover is a great idea, a motorhome or caravan cover. They’re an inexpensive way of keeping it clean and keeping it free from bird lime, protecting it from UV rays, from tree sap and from birds landing on it as well. I got challenged the other day. ‘What’s bird lime?’
Keith Gooden
It’s a nice way of saying poo.
Matt Sims
He had no idea what bird lime was.
Keith Gooden
And the reason they call it bird lime is very serious actually. Seagull poo in particular is very corrosive. It can damage your paint.
Matt Sims
I thought you were going to say it comes from Lyme Regis, where the seagulls are prolific!
Keith Gooden
It comes from a seagull’s chuff.
Matt Sims
Bottom! You can’t say chuff.
Keith Gooden
No, comes from a seagull.
Matt Sims
A seagull’s bum. We know where it comes from.
Keith Gooden
That’s down in Cornwall, isn’t it?
Matt Sims
You didn’t do very well at geography, did you? A cover is a really good idea. The other new innovation is from a company called Maypole, and we sell their covers at www.thatleisureshop.com. We’ve been selling hundreds of them this season.
They do a really great product called a topper, which is literally a foot deep, as it were, and it just covers the roof. And it ties down with straps onto the bottom of the vehicle and they’re really easy to put on. I mean, it’s the roof that gets most of the dirt. You don’t get the security benefit of a full cover because obviously, you’re not hiding the vehicle, but they’re a great idea. They’ve been really popular this year.
Keith Gooden
I’ve learned something being in this business over the last year. Isn’t there some controversy about covers and humidity damaging your motorhome or caravan?
Matt Sims
Well, there has been for years, and I must admit I used to subscribe to the idea that they were bad and they were evil. But I have to say I’ve had my mind changed. I’ve been skewed. I’m a fan, I really am. The new covers, I have to say, are really breathable. The inside of them is really soft. They are feather soft. They don’t scratch the paint. They are water resistant, not waterproof, and they’re totally breathable. I think they’re a very good idea, a very sensible idea.
Keith Gooden
So there you go. Matt’s mind has been changed.
Audience Q&A
Keith Gooden
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. Remember, if you fancy a Christmas gift for somebody who’s got a motorhome or caravan or likes going camping, www.thatleisureshop.com has a sale on at the moment. MOTORHOMEMATT is your code. Put that in and you get a tenner off. Is that right?
Matt Sims
When you spend £100. You’re welcome.
Keith Gooden
And the January sale is coming in the New Year as well. Okay, then, let’s go into our audience Q&A. We love the Q&A and we love it when you ask us questions on Ask Matt. Kevin has asked us a question.
Kevin: ‘What’s the best motorhome for an ageing couple?’
Kevin
Okay, what’s the best first motorhome for an ageing couple in their 60s and a small dog? I’d appreciate some advice on this because there are so many different variations about. We prefer sleeping separately, but obviously not in a different area, so a rear bedroom for both beds would be great. Anyway, down to you! Whatever you say.
Keith Gooden
There you go Matt. Kevin says, ‘Motorhome for an ageing couple,’ and aren’t we all?
Matt Sims
That’s you and me!
Keith Gooden
Every day. But it’s a serious one, isn’t it? Because you’ve got to think about these things. As people get older, maybe sometimes their mobility is a little bit restricted. People get tired. They need to have a kip more often. It’s true, isn’t it? Or you just prefer a little bit of comfort. So what is the best motorhome-,
Matt Sims
Up and down in the night.
Keith Gooden
Yes, well, precisely-, for a beginner looking for a motorhome who is, let’s just say, in the autumn of their years.
Matt Sims
Nicely put, Keith. How romantic. Well I have to say, Kevin, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The first thing to look at is how you want to sleep. This is always the first question I have. How do you want to spend your nights? So sleeping separately, I understand that. In the same area, that probably means you’re looking at two single beds, so a rear bedroom with single beds in it, or possibly a rear lounge where you get the U shaped lounge, and you can very quickly and easily make that into two single beds.
It would easily become a double bed as well if you wanted it to. And often the single beds are linked and they can become a double bed too. I highly recommend looking at trying before you buy. I know I run a motorhome hire business. But honestly, it’s a huge sum of money. And I would say if you’re not sure on the layout, then try before you buy and try a few different layouts. Try a rear lounge. The compromise with a rear lounge is often a lack of storage, so there’s no big garage to put your bikes in.
And I’ve no idea if you like cycling or canoeing or barbecuing – all that stuff has to go somewhere. And when you’ve got a motorhome with a lounge you don’t have that storage space. With the single beds, very often they’re up high, and that gives you a big storage area, often big enough to put a small motorbike in. So you’ve got huge amounts of storage. But then there are layouts with low single beds, and that may be a benefit too, where there’s often the bathroom across the back.
Those don’t link together to make a double bed because you’ve got an aisle up the middle. But they’re a fantastic layout if you want single beds and you want to sleep together but separately, if you know what I mean. He also mentioned he’s got a dog, so I’d also be thinking about how the dog is going to travel.
Remember, it needs to be clipped into a seatbelt or attached to a seatbelt. But is it travelling in a crate? So you need a floor space where the dog’s crate can go or the dog’s bed can go, so that needs thinking about as well. And the dog – it might sound odd, this, but it will have a preference on where it travels. Is it happy sitting on a seat? Does it want to sit on the floor? So these are all factors to consider and the only way you will know is if you try a few before you buy one.
Keith Gooden
Thanks very much, Kevin. Christine has also been recording her question on Ask Matt.
Christine: ‘Do you need to cover your fridge vents in winter?’
Christine
Hello Motorhome Matt. We’re very new to the motorhome family, and we’ve heard recently that in winter you need to winterize your motorhome, which we’ve pretty much sussed out, I think. However, we heard about fridge flaps this week. Do you need to cover your fridge vents with a fridge flap during the winter?
Keith Gooden
Thanks very much, Christine. Fridge flaps?
Matt Sims
I texted Maddie this. I just sent her the words, ‘Fridge flaps,’ and the link to this SpeakPipe. It’s brilliant. Well, I have to say, I’ve never heard them called fridge flaps.
Keith Gooden
What are they normally called then, Matt?
Matt Sims
Blanking covers, I’d say, or fridge vent covers.
Keith Gooden
There you go, Christine.
Matt Sims
We know what they are called now. They are a good idea to use when you’re using the fridge when the temperature drops below eight degrees, particularly if you’ve got an absorption fridge or a condenser fridge.
Keith Gooden
So what do they do?
Matt Sims
They stop the amount of air being drawn in. So really cold air-, the fridge works by being warm on the outside, okay? And it percolates that heat up because heat rises, doesn’t it, and it draws the cold air from inside the fridge out onto the back. And you’ve got this criss cross zigzag percolator on the back, and the heat rises at the back of the fridge and goes out of the top vent.
So you’ve got a vent at the bottom to draw the air in, it draws the air from inside the fridge, sucks it up and it goes out the top vent. If the air is really cold, the fridge has got to work much harder to draw the air inside the fridge out. And that’s why you put these blanking covers on to draw a lot less cold air.
Keith Gooden
So it’s a bit counterintuitive. For your fridge to get cold it needs to suck in warm air.
Matt Sims
Yes, well they say if you put your domestic fridge in the garage in the cold, that’s really inefficient. It’s a bad idea for the freezer. It’s a really bad idea because it uses a lot more energy to get cold, which sounds odd, doesn’t it? And it is counterintuitive.
So that’s why they need the covers when it’s very cold and also why they don’t work when it’s really hot because if the air outside is warm, the air from the fridge won’t rise, so the fridge doesn’t get cold.
Keith Gooden
So Christine should be using her blanking covers, should she?
Matt Sims
She should, especially if she’s using the fridge below eight degrees. And also they’re a great idea when you’re putting it into storage because they stop spiders and little rodents from getting in the fridge vents.
Keith Gooden
You wouldn’t want that. Christine, thanks very much for your question. And by the way, if people want to put audio on their questions, what should they do?
Matt Sims
Go to www.motorhomematt.co.uk/askmatt and hit the orange button. Record your question, remember to tell us your name and where you’re from, and then we’ll get the question included on the podcast.
Keith Gooden
Yes. Where are you from? Important.
Andy: ‘Can you advise on bike racks?’
Keith Gooden
Andy has left a note for us. ‘I’m looking to get a bike rack to go on my T5 camper van. I’m not sure what the pros and cons are for a door-mounted rack versus one that fits onto a tow bar. Can you advise?’
Matt Sims
Good question. I think the first question I have is if it is a tailgate or are they barn doors, so two doors that open? Weight is a factor and consideration. So how heavy are the bikes? If you’ve got electric bikes, even without the batteries, they’re going to be quite heavy. And that weight on the back door may not be the best idea. There’ll be a guideline to that on the vehicle you’ve got and also on the bike rack.
That’s where tow bar mounted bike racks are really good because they’ll take a lot more weight. Often a door mounted rack is limited at around 55 kilos, whereas a tow bar bike rack could be limited to 120 kilos. It’s about what weight the vehicle can carry as well, so that’s a factor.
But bear in mind if you fit a tow bar rack, you may not be able to open the back doors, which is a bit of an inconvenience, really. And that’s where tailgate or backdoor bike racks are really helpful because the doors will open with the bikes on.
Keith Gooden
Fine, thanks very much for that. And Irene is in Essex. She says, ‘We’re embarking on a second travel adventure. Retirement, here we come!’ Wahey! ‘Our first venture is to Spain pulling Tiny Dancer in our birthday month of May. Any quick dos and don’ts for us teenage oldies?
Matt Sims
Now, I actually got in touch with Irene and said, ‘What is Tiny Dancer? Is it a car or a caravan?’ I didn’t want to assume. And Tiny Dancer is a caravan, so it’s a caravan holiday they’re off on to. I didn’t know if they were towing a car behind a motorhome because that has different rules, you see, particularly on the continent. Perhaps we’ll talk about that another time. But I would say, Irene, do your research.
Google is going to definitely be your friend. I would also consider getting in touch with the people at Alan Rogers. They have some fantastic research done on campsites, so they will pay people to go off and research sites all over the continent, and they have a fantastic range of books.
And there are also some companies that do special trips, escorted trips, as well where you can join in with a group of other like-minded people, and you’ve got then that safety net and security as you go on that trip and you’re not doing it necessarily alone. But research, research, research, definitely.
Keith Gooden
Cheers, Irene. We appreciate that.
John: ‘Is it worth getting underneath legs?’
Keith Gooden
John’s in Canterbury. ‘Is it worth getting the underneath legs for being stable or just carry on using chocks?’
Matt Sims
Right, okay. Well, they’re different things, really. So the chocks will get you level. So I presume, John, you mean the ramps you drive on. They will help you level up the vehicle, which means you’re sleeping on the flat, your sinks and shower are going to drain properly, and most importantly, you won’t lose your G and T across the table – that’s the most important bit of being level- whereas the lower down legs will stop the van rocking.
So I’d say if you’re in a vehicle that has a tendency to rock left to right – often an older Ford Transit will do that because the wheelbase is narrower – or you’re going away and it’s very windy or when you’re moving around you find that the van moves around quite a lot, then those legs are a really good idea.
But remember, they carry a weight, so they will impact payload. And they also need to be fitted to the chassis, so you need to make sure you’ve got somewhere underneath that you can fit them safely. Don’t just be screwing them to the bottom of your wooden floor, for example, because they are highly likely to go through it.
Keith Gooden
Well, thanks very much, John from Canterbury. And remember, when you ask the questions or even write them down, tell us where you’re from. It really does help us and it gives us an idea of where you’re listening as well, which is great.
Thanks for all those questions. John and rocking campervan or caravan. You advised Andy on his back doors and his bikes, and of course Christine on her flaps. Thanks, everybody, for those wonderful questions. How do people ask Matt?
Matt Sims
They can go to www.motorhomematt.co.uk/askmatt.
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. Let’s mention again that from now until the end of December you should be buying your loved ones or people who are hobbyists in this industry something nice from www.thatleisureshop.com in your sale. What exactly do you give them?
Matt Sims
Gosh, there’s a huge choice. If you love someone who or want a gift for someone that has a motorhome caravan, campervan or tent, or even if you just want a novel garden gift, we have got a range of stuff for all sorts of travel and all sorts of adventures, garden furniture, torches, stocking fillers aplenty.
Even solar showers, so you can have a warm shower from a bag – genius! And if you want some inspiration then listen to last week’s episode where we ran through a whole load of our Christmas gift ideas.
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. So what’s the deal when they go on to www.thatleisureshop.com when buying before Christmas?
Matt Sims
Just enter the discount code MOTORHOMEMATT at the checkout and we’ll give you an extra £10 off when you spend £100.
Keith Gooden
Free money! Fantastic.
Get in touch with Matt and Keith
Keith Gooden
Thanks very much for listening to the Motorhome Matt podcast, as I say, brought to you with our friends at www.thatleisureshop.com. How do people get in touch? And give us the socials as well. Tell us what buttons we need to be pressing so the Motorhome Matt podcast just automatically comes up on people’s feeds.
Matt Sims
Indeed! You make it sound really complicated.
Keith Gooden
It’s not!
Matt Sims
Just go to www.motorhomematt.co.uk, and there you will find all the places you can listen to us – there is an increasing amount, you know, where you can listen to this podcast, or you can watch us on YouTube. You’ll find us on YouTube and when you get there just search Motorhome Matt, make sure you click the like button and the subscribe bell and then YouTube will tell you when a new episode comes out.
We’re on Facebook and Instagram. We are everywhere. You’ll find them all at the website. And remember, if you are listening on Apple or Spotify please leave us a five star review. It keeps us both very happy and enthused, doesn’t it, and it helps the algorithm.
Keith Gooden
That’s Albert Gorithm, by the way.
Matt Sims
I have no idea what that means. See you next time.
