Matt Sims
Happy New Year! 2024.
Keith Gooden
And Matt’s brought the drinks! Good grief. Well, happy new year. In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt podcast, we’re talking about the joy of cooking outdoors with Harrison Ward from Fell Foodie.
It looks like it will still be a topic for 2024 – a crackdown on motorhomes at a popular parking spot. And we answer your questions on Wi-Fi and the plausibility of electric-adapted motorhomes.
Happy New Year to you and everybody who listens and watches, and thank you very, very much. Cheers. Delicious.
Keith Gooden
Well, welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast, and a happy new year. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
Industry insights and expert advice for the world of motorhomes, campervans and caravans, and it’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com.
Matt Sims
And remember to follow on your favourite podcast app and subscribe on YouTube, sponsored by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.
Motorhomes banned from a popular beauty spot in Portishead
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. Into the news, then. A crackdown on campers at Portishead, which is near Bristol, lake grounds. Reports of up to 20 campervans parked up overnight and complaints of dumping rubbish and human excrement also being discovered. Why do people do that? Why do that?!
Matt Sims
It’s a minority, isn’t it? But nonetheless, they’re spoiling it for the majority. It’s very real. The idea of an official overnight camper park was mooted at Portishead lake grounds in 2021. And a North Somerset Council spokesman said, “We have had signage up over the years asking people not to camp overnight at the lake grounds. It doesn’t have the facilities to support this. And in the summer, it can take up extra parking spaces.” So I wonder how 2024 is going to be with parking restrictions, eh?
Keith Gooden
I don’t know. Some councils like Wyre Borough Council seem to be ahead of the curve and are using some of their car parks overnight and improving facilities for motorhomers at their car parks. But others, you know, if it gets to be too much trouble, if people do silly things like leave excrement, they’re just going to close them, aren’t they? They’re going to put barriers up.
Matt Sims
Yes. And as I say, it’s always a minority that spoil it for the majority. The council says they haven’t got facilities there. We don’t actually need any facilities just to park up overnight and enjoy the view. As long as we’re not getting tables and chairs out and all of that stuff, it’s fine. We just need somewhere to park. Anyway, let’s come back to that later, shall we?
Keith Gooden
And behave yourselves when it comes to your liquids.
Matt Sims
Cheers.
Keith Gooden
Cheers.
Matt’s product of the week
Keith Gooden
That Leisure Shop’s product of the week this week – we’re planning your 2024 adventures. My question to you is, how soon do we start planning?
Matt Sims
Now, I reckon. I mean, there are lots of offers on the telly, aren’t there, for going on holiday. Same with campsites, and same in our own businesses here. We have a sale on at www.thatleisureshop.com – loads of great offers, a chance to buy what’s left of last year’s stock and knock down prices before this year’s stock starts arriving. And it’s already starting to come in. So you’ll see that happen.
What’s interesting this year is prices aren’t really going up for retail stuff. We were told it would. But there’s a strange dynamic going on where the shipping costs have all come down over the course of the last few months. And prices of products haven’t really gone up. So I think we’re in for some really keen deals this year.
If you’re looking at booking a motorhome holiday, hiring one that is, I’d definitely book now. I’m anticipating that our motorhome hire team are going to be busy, particularly over summer. Some of our motorhomes are fully booked already for this August, which is fantastic.
So you can go and find out more at www.motorhomeholidaycompany.com. And if you’re booking a campsite, campsites are reporting that they’re getting really booked up this year very quickly. More so than last year. So I would definitely look at getting ahead of the game.
Campsites are saying that last year was a fast start, and then it all slowed down. We’re all hoping obviously that that quick start comes again and sticks with us. So let’s see what happens. But I would say just get ahead of the curve and book now.
Keith Gooden
More about campsites in a few moments.
Travel books for 2024 holiday inspiration
Keith Gooden
What about travel books or inspiration for 2024?
Matt Sims
Yes, there are loads of them. More than ever, in fact. I’ve got a couple here. We love books. We sell loads of them at www.thatleisureshop.com, and we have a lovely little library corner in the shop.
This is one of my favourites – Destination NC500 by the lovely Campbell and Gemma from Highlands2Hammocks. It is just an absolutely stunning book with amazing photography. If you’re thinking of going to Scotland and doing this route, this is a must buy. And this is a great little book. 100 Great Walks for Kids.
Keith Gooden
To the burger joint and back again?
Matt Sims
That might be where you take your kids, but all over moors, fells – how to get outdoors and where to go with them. You might think, “Where do I take the kids?” Well this section here, southwest England, there’s a whole load of them in here on beaches.
And of course, we’re blessed around here with a mix of inland and coastal walks, which are to die for. So yes, there’s a whole load around themes and locations. So that’s a really, really lovely book. We’ve got one at home, and we drag the kids around the woods and over the hills. And they love it!
Keith Gooden
It’s great when they’re younger, isn’t it? They like going out with Mum and Dad.
Matt Sims
Yes, because they’re in a pram.
Keith Gooden
Do they do a book for getting the teenager out of the house?
Matt Sims
There you are. Yes, there’s one. That’s very true. That’s a battle, isn’t it? Getting them off the screen.
Keith Gooden
And once you get them out of the house, they insist on you walking about five paces behind them, just in case people might think you’re with them.
Matt Sims
Someone sees you. Heaven forbid. Yes. And I need to take the battery charger with me as well just in case my phone goes flat all of a sudden.
Keith Gooden
Where’s the Wi-Fi?
Matt Sims
Honestly, imagine trying to get them to leave their phone in the car.
Predictions for the motorhome industry in 2024
Keith Gooden
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
Brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. Let’s talk about our main topic of today’s podcast, which is the growth in foodie books. And we’ve got a special guest on that one. But first of all, expectations for this year. Looking at it, what do you think, Matt?
Matt Sims
Well, I think we’re going to see campsite prices going up. I think we’re going to see an interesting development on campsites, which is a new thing, which is paying for your electricity with a card where you literally tap your card and you pay as you go, as it were, with your electricity.
You go and charge a little white credit card type device and slot it in the hole and you pay for what you use. And one of the reasons this is coming is obviously electricity has gone up in price. People are consuming more and more electricity on campsites as motorhomes increasingly go more electric than gas.
And also we’ve got people charging their Tesla that they’ve dragged their caravan there with and then plugging that into the 16 amp outlet and trying to recharge the EV batteries. So campsites are… honestly, the more and more I talk to, they’ve had their fill of it. Their electricity meter is almost spinning itself off the wall.
And we are going to see campsites start to charge for it. I’ve been talking to a lot of meter companies that are making the product. This product exists where you tap your card and pay for your electricity. And I’ve been having conversations with a number of them. So that will be a theme, I think, that we explore this year. That’s why it’s happening.
And we need to unpack how it’s going to happen. I know the Caravan and Motorhome Club are advanced with a trial that they were carrying out last year. And their plan is to implement it this year. So it’s coming. It’s another change that we’re going to have to look for. And guess what, we have to pay for it as well.
Keith Gooden
What is it, 10% or 5% of people who think, “Oh, I could use the campsite’s electricity to charge my electric car. So I’m going to save myself a fiver or a tenner.” Why can’t people just be a little bit more civilised?
Matt Sims
Well, it’s not necessarily about being civilised.
Keith Gooden
It is!
Matt Sims
If your car’s flat, you’ve got to charge it, haven’t you? So you could go off to a high speed charger somewhere. There might be one up the road. But it’s convenient to do it while you sleep, isn’t it? So it’s been a really interesting conversation.
There’s loads of really fascinating technology about spreading the load on a campsite. Because people immediately say, “Well, there isn’t the power capability to have EV charging points on a campsite.” Well, that’s true. But there is electricity there and you can charge your electric car at home.
So it’s a big topic, and one we’re going to unpack a little bit more. And it’s a change that we’re going to see at the coalface if you go on a campsite, and I think that’s a prediction I have for this year. We were talking last week about predictions last year.
I think we’re going to see massive pressure on car parks where people want to go to them in their motorhome or campervan because they don’t want to go to a campsite. And I think people will be squeezed out of the campsites because they go, “You know what? I’m not paying you the £50 you charged me before and the electricity. I’m going to go and camp somewhere for free.” So I think that’s going to be an interesting challenge this year.
Keith Gooden
So it’s not just people being miserly, as I thought. There is a big story behind it. Stay tuned to the podcast for more on that one.
The rise in travel cookbooks with Harrison Ward
Keith Gooden
The growth in foodie books.
Matt Sims
We’ve got a guest today, the lovely Harrison Ward, known as the Fell Foodie. Harrison has just launched his book, Cook Out, but it seems to be a boom as a theme. Lots of people are launching these cookbooks and travel cookbooks.
They used to be around many years ago, and there seems to be a renaissance for it, and it’s great. I think cooking on the move is a brilliant, wonderful thing to do. I’ve just bumped into the lovely Harrison Ward. He’s known as the Fell Foodie. Something very exciting has happened for you. Tell us more.
Harrison Ward
I’ve released my debut cookbook, which is quite a nice little moment.
Matt Sims
You are a published author.
Harrison Ward
I am, I suppose, yes!
Matt Sims
All grown up and everything.
Harrison Ward
It’s not quite hit home to me just yet, but it’s very much a childhood dream coming to fruition. So it’s great to see all the hard work coming together. 85 recipes all designed around cooking on adventures, motorhoming or camping.
Matt Sims
Up a hill.
Harrison Ward
Generally, I go up a hill, yes! But I don’t expect anybody else to really cook a lot of these up a hill. So hopefully… I’ve aimed this around staying a bit lower as well, whether it’s down by the coast or whether it’s vanlifing or any other elements in there, but all designed around single hob cooking.
So there are some one-pot dishes in there, some breakfasts, some snacks to make at home whilst adventuring away from the caravan or motorhome, but hopefully inspire some people to take their food to different levels.
Matt Sims
Go on, then. Let’s have a look at a couple. What’s your favourite recipe in the book?
Harrison Ward
Well, I’d say all 85, wouldn’t I? I’ve put them all in here for sure!
Matt Sims
The photography is amazing. Are these your photos?
Harrison Ward
No, this is actually my good friend Kenny Block who took the photos for this. Actually, also, I’m lucky we’re housemates. When we saw good wherever to go out and shoot these in the outdoors, no studio photography here. We were able to go and capture the moment.
Matt Sims
In the winter?
Harrison Ward
It was over the winter. It was quite a bleak winter too. I mean, you know, you say it’s always bleak, but we’d usually get those nice cold, crisp days and again, on the mountain tops, you get views for miles on the tops. But last year was just all complete storms constantly. So honestly, if I can achieve it in those conditions, I think anyone can achieve this in the outdoors. But there’s all sorts. Nice breakfasts in there. So we’ve got some nice protein full breakfast, we’ve got curries…
Matt Sims
So really, really simple food as well.
Harrison Ward
Well, there’s a big mixture, again. There are some ones I’ve dubbed, “Something special.” Again, no pun intended. No, the pun was intended there. But again, some dishes that might require a bit more pan juggling, and also one pot dishes too, and again, things you can make out to take out with you.
So you could perhaps make this and pack it into a nice food flask and take it outdoors with you first. So again, you could be utilising stuff that’s in the van for quite a while, maybe dehydrate your bits and rehydrate those at camp and make something to wow all your camping buddies.
Matt Sims
Fantastic so the book is called Cook Out.
Harrison Ward
Cook Out. It is indeed. It’s out now, published. All good bookstores! I can say that now.
Matt Sims
Is it in ALL good bookstores?
Harrison Ward
Well I believe it’s not in yours just yet, but maybe one day!
Matt Sims
We’re going to put it in the shop, so you can get it at www.thatleisureshop.com.
Harrison Ward
Yes, I think the journey I’ve been on the last few years as well… I mean, it’s a very different life I was leading a few years back, you know, battling alcoholism, poor mental health. And discovering the fells was a big means of recovery, the mountains. So to put this together, my new passion for taking cooking outdoors – hopefully there are some other foodies who enjoy a bit of adventure will see a bit of this as well inspiring them.
Matt Sims
We’re seeing a big boom in this. I mean, there are so many books coming into the market for motorhomers and caravanners. It’s great. It’s inspiring people to get out there and cook and eat well and live well.
Harrison Ward
Well, that’s it. I mean, food always played a good part for me. I never like to shirk when I’m out and about. So why would I do that when I’m off the beaten track? I want to eat well when I’m out there as well, enjoy good cuisine, whether it’s in the UK or further afield. So hopefully this does exactly that and gives a bit of a new repertoire.
Matt Sims
I’m salivating. And congratulations on the book!
Keith Gooden
That’s Harrison Ward, also known as the Fell Foodie. Sounds delicious.
Matt Sims
His book certainly looked it. It’s really simple and accessible food. It’s great. Single pot. I mean, some of the food’s… bacon sandwich!
Keith Gooden
Bit like avocado on toast.
Matt Sims
Yeah, that’s the yuppie must-have.
Keith Gooden
Not too difficult to do, is it?
Matt Sims
With a fried egg. We’re getting posh now. It is a lovely book. The photography is really good as well, as I celebrated with Harrison. And it is a great book. And if you’re looking for some really basic inspiration on what to cook on a one pot when you’re out walking, travelling, whatever you’re doing, then it’s a lovely book to have on the coffee table. Mine is by the bed. I give it a little stroke every night before I go to sleep.
Keith Gooden
But what about the book?
Matt Sims
Let’s cut to an advert there, shall we…
Matt’s guide to buying a motorhome
Keith Gooden
So when’s your book coming out then, Matt?
Matt Sims
My book? Which one, my cookbook? We could do that. Yes, we could do the Keith and Matt Motorhome Matt Cookbook. There’s a title. What would you have for a starter?
Keith Gooden
Oh, crisps.
Matt Sims
Okay. Main course, a Pot Noodle, obviously. The pudding has to be a Cadbury’s Creme Egg. Every course has a red wine accompaniment.
Keith Gooden
All we have to do is photograph them beautifully and we’re away.
Matt Sims
Finish with some bubbles. Cheers. Do you reckon we can get that published? I have written a book, nearly! So I wrote the Guide to Buying Your First Motorhome and then got distracted by you when you said “Matt, let me produce a podcast for you.” And here we are some years later. The book is unfinished. So maybe I’ll finish it. It was a really useful guide to buying your first motorhome. So yeah, we’ll see if I can get it written. It’s about 90% done I think.
Keith Gooden
Just the last chapter, and then I started a podcast and then that’s it. You’re done.
Matt Sims
Well, you see, a lot of the podcast content would make a really good book, I think. We’ll see. I’m under a lot of pressure from the copywriter to finish it having just spent Christmas with him, because he’s my brother-in-law!
Can you put a Wi-Fi shark on the outside of your caravan?
Keith Gooden
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast with me, Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And with me, Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
Brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com. Good to have you along. Let’s do our Q&A, the question and answer, where you ask the questions. And Matt, he’s the expert. He answers them. First of all, we’ve got Joe. Just Joe. We don’t know where you are, Joe, but just Joe!
Joe
Hi, Matt. Can you put a Wi-Fi shark thing on the outside of your caravan and just remove your antenna housing or the aerial antenna already fitted by your caravan supplier? Do you have to drill a second hole for the actual shark thing from the outside?
Keith Gooden
Cheers, Joe, thanks very much for that. He’s talking about the shark’s fin aerials that you have on the back of modern cars. They look like a shark’s fin.
Matt Sims
So he’s specifically talking about a Wi-Fi aerial, I think, when he says shark’s fin. So he means the little round aerial that you put on the roof that enables you to get 4G connection, the ones from the likes of Avtex and others that we sell, Maxview and so on.
So the answer, Joe, is you could take the aerial out, the traditional television aerial, and put the 4G aerial in its place. The hole is going to be too big. They generally need a 25ml hole, and the TV aerials are often twice the size of that.
So you would have to fill it and make sure it’s covered by the Wi-Fi aerial. I would definitely consider getting that professionally done with sealant, etc. If you want to keep the traditional television aerial, then you would have to drill a new hole if you want to fit a 4G aerial on the roof.
How will electric motorhomes be adapted for people with mobility difficulties?
Keith Gooden
That was Joe with an E. Now we have Jo with just J-O, Jo Woolnough.
Jo Woolnough
In discussion with the fact that obviously we have got electric vehicles being put into the industry by the government, adapted electric vehicles are very different altogether. For a start, they need more room for the adaptions. That’s less room for lithium batteries. Getting in a bigger vehicle, that’s even more problems.
Because after all, you’ve still got the cassette lifts, and anything medical they might want to carry on board that will be electric. From the perspective of cars, it just wouldn’t go anywhere, my car, if it was just all electric, because there are just too many adaptions that already drain the normal battery.
Do it with electric and lithium, I don’t think it would work. I really don’t know where they’re going to go from here. Even the taxi drivers who have wheelchair accessible vehicles are being asked to change. But again, I don’t know how that would work, because their journeys are too long, such as journeys to the hospital, etc.,to other ends of the country.
I’d be really interested for the government to look into this about everything, not just their own scenario, and include everybody that has to have something more than just a vehicle. It is something I’m very passionate about. And I think they need to think about it before they start saying everything’s going to be okay. Because it really won’t be.
Keith Gooden
There’s Jo Woolnough who, as she says, feels passionate. But as with all these things, we take a snapshot in time and it stops right now, doesn’t it? She’s talking about converting what she’s got already. And the government are looking forward to 2030 or 2035 when she will have changed. Isn’t that right?
Matt Sims
Yes. Jo, it’s lovely to hear from you. Thanks for the message. Jo has the most amazing wheelchair I’ve ever seen. I don’t know what it costs, but it’s very, very clever. Of course, Jo has an adapted motorhome because she is in a wheelchair, I think all the time. Yeah.
2035, we’re going to see a merge toward electric. We won’t be able to buy a brand new diesel motorhome. But of course, Jo, it doesn’t mean you can’t buy a diesel motorhome. You can still buy one, but it will be secondhand. So I know Jo went to Coachbuilt GB – shout out to Kate and the team – who converted their motorhome and has continued to do more conversion work to it. And they specialise in converting diesel powered motorhomes at the moment, and they still will.
Motorhomes are going to last 20, 30 years. And they’ll be picking the ones that are well built and have good power trains in. And I think it’s going to be a while before we see only electric motorhomes available to us. But Jo makes a valid point about the power plant, all the batteries in the floor and stuff.
No doubt converters getting into the floor to make adaption with lifts and so on and reinforcing stuff, they simply won’t be able to do that if there’s a load of batteries under it. So I think the converter’s job is going to be responding to this.
And Jo, you made a point that the government are introducing this. The government are introducing the guidelines to which the manufacturers are responding. And I think we’re going to see an array in your lifetime and mine of different types of engine and powerplant in the course of the next 30, 40 years. So I think it’s an exciting time. It is not going to be without its challenges. That is true.
Keith Gooden
And not everything will be able to be retrofitted with the new technology, will it?
Matt Sims
No, that’s right. And it may be that some things just are not an option. I mean, there are motorhomes now that are not an option to convert for a limited mobility individual. And Coachbuilt choose particular models. We saw them at the NEC show.
And we went in one and there are some models that just wouldn’t work to have doors and aisleways widened and so on and slide outs fitted. There are specific motorhomes that work well for that. That is not going to change. And it will be for different reasons. So an all electric motorhome, when it comes, whenever that is – it’s going to be 2035 onwards, I think – may not be appropriate. And so we’ll be sticking with diesel as yours is now, Jo.
Keith Gooden
Yes. Enjoy your vehicle, because it’s going to be a while before you want to or need to change it.
Ask Matt your questions
Keith Gooden
If people want to ask you a question Matt, what should they do?
Matt Sims
Really easy. We’d love it if you would. And so with the other listeners, I’m sure. Just go to mhmp.info/askmatt.
Keith Gooden
If you want to leave us a review, go to mhmp.info/review.
Matt Sims
And make sure you subscribe and hit the little bell on YouTube, which is sponsored by www.arobasecreative.co.uk.
Keith Gooden
And so we’ll say for the very last time, Happy New Year!
Matt Sims
Cheers.
