Keith Gooden
Welcome back to the Motorhome Matt podcast with me, Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And with me, Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
It’s all brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. Good to have you here.
Keith Gooden
And in this podcast, we’re on a hot, hotter and hottest…
Matt Sims
Steady.
Keith Gooden
… understanding your motorhome control systems for your heating and your hot water. But before we get to that hot topic, as Alan Partridge would say, let’s talk about the news first, shall we, as we always do. Ah, you’re off to Germany. No jokes. No.
Matt Sims
Don’t do it.
Keith Gooden
Don’t do it.
Find Matt at Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf
Matt Sims
The team and I are off for a little holiday.
Keith Gooden
The Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf in Germany. It’s a biggie, isn’t it?
Matt Sims
It’s a massive show. I think it’s the biggest industry show in Europe. I don’t think it’s the biggest in the world, but it is huge. We think the NEC show in October is big, and that is a big show. But this in comparison is… I don’t know how much bigger. A lot bigger. It takes days to go around. It is a große show. It is a huge show. It takes days to go round, honestly.
Every European manufacturer is generally there with their innovations, their prototypes, new products and stuff that’s coming out across Europe, some of which, of course, we will see in the UK. I’ve not been for a few years, so I’m really looking forward to it.
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. And when can we hear some stuff from the show?
Matt Sims
Well, hopefully soon after. We will probably be posting on socials from the show. It’s at the end of August, early September. And no doubt we’ll have some content going out through the autumn and into the winter.
1 in 10 caravan owners are doing something they shouldn’t be…
Keith Gooden
Fabulous. Now, one in 10 caravan owners is very naughty. Ripe caravan insurance has interviewed 508 touring caravan owners and discovered that 10% of them have previously driven with a child in the caravan – when towing, I presume – and 12% have done so with an adult in the back. Well, that’s shocking to me to be honest, because that’s dangerous stuff, isn’t it?
Matt Sims
It’s really silly. I presume the 12% were with the 10%, i.e., children weren’t unattended in the back. “You’ve been naughty. Get in, we’re going!”
Keith Gooden
It doesn’t sound right, does it?
Matt Sims
It’s ridiculous.
Keith Gooden
No, you shouldn’t be doing that. You really shouldn’t be doing that. You risk a £2,500 fine and three points on your licence for doing that. I’m surprised it’s as low as three points. I think that should be a six- or a nine-pointer.
Matt Sims
Imagine being the police officer that pulls over the caravan because there’s a kid pinned to the back window screaming, “Let me out!”
Keith Gooden
Well, you know what the kids do, don’t you? They get a piece of paper, don’t they, and they put out the window. “Help me, I’m trapped and stuff like that.” In this day and age, people take that sort of stuff very seriously. So don’t be naughty when you’re towing and make sure that your relatives and friends are in the car with you.
Matt Sims
I’ve always wanted to go in a tow car when it’s been towed. It’s like a really obedient little dog on the back of the motorhome. And the steering wheel spins like mad when you go on a corner. It’d be fascinating. But no, I’m not going to do it. It’s illegal and naughty. I understand. I won’t be doing it.
Ask Matt your questions at the NEC Motorhome And Caravan Show’s Ask The Experts panel
Keith Gooden
He’s not going to be doing it. The NEC show, the big one, is coming up. And Matt is not just an expert here. He’s an expert there as well.
Matt Sims
I’ve been very graciously asked to be on the Ask the Experts panel every day at the show at 1:30pm, which is an honour, I’ll be honest. There’s only a small elite group of us. But every day, they are hosting a panel on the Inspiration Theatre at 1:30pm. And you can come along and ask questions of me and several other industry experts. So yeah, do come along. 1:30pm every day. We’ll see you there.
Keith Gooden
Yep, absolutely. Come along with a question. “How can I best cook my sausages, Matt?” And then we’ll know that you’re a listener. “How can I best cook my sausages?”
Matt Sims
It’s a code.
Keith Gooden
And talking of codes, we’ve got a ticket discount code for the show, haven’t we?
Matt Sims
We have, yeah. If you go to www.mcshow.co.uk, that’s the place to get your tickets for the October show, and use the code MMATT, that’s MMATT, to save a few pennies off your ticket to the show. Parking is included in the ticket. Under 15s are free but they have to have a ticket and only aid dogs are allowed in the show, so only guide dogs and so on. So you can’t take your pet in and look around the motorhomes with them, unfortunately.
Keith Gooden
So the website is www.mcshow.co.uk, or the way I like to remember it, McShow, .co.uk and the code is MMATT. MMATT, M-M-A-T-T.
Matt Sims
What’s McShow?
Keith Gooden
McShow! www.McShow.co.uk.
Matt Sims
That sounds like a farming expo. Muck show?
Matt’s product of the week
Keith Gooden
Now, our product of the week.
Matt Sims
Oh, I love this.
Keith Gooden
We love to look at… hang on a second. Hang on a second. Is it a she-wee?
Matt Sims
No, it’s not a she-wee.
Keith Gooden
It looks like a she-wee.
Matt Sims
No, it doesn’t look like a she-wee! This is the Colapz… you had to do that, didn’t you?
Keith Gooden
I had to do that. If you’re just listening, that’s going to sound very strange. What is it then, Matt?
Matt Sims
So this is the freshwater trunk kit. That was me extending the pipe, by the way.
Keith Gooden
Never heard it called that before.
Matt Sims
It comes with attachment that goes on the tap. It’s like a universal attachment. So you just pull this bit out, hook it over the tap…
Keith Gooden
So pull the bit out of the she-wee, put it over the tap, and then connect this…
Matt Sims
Connect it to your hose. And then this extends, and then you can bend it and force it into a shape to get it into your water carrier.
Keith Gooden
Wherever your water is.
Matt Sims
Genius, yeah.
Keith Gooden
What’s it called?
Matt Sims
Freshwater trunk kit. So this is the freshwater fitment, and this is the trunk. And you just squeeze it back together. It makes a great noise.
Keith Gooden
Completely reusable, as Matt has now demonstrated by putting it back, putting it in a bag and then selling it to you.
Matt Sims
It actually comes… well, you’ve blown down this one! We can’t sell this one! It comes with a carry bag as well as a drawstring.
Keith Gooden
Oh, that is so stylish.
Matt Sims
Well, it’s going to be wet, isn’t it, after it goes in the bag. Pop it in the cupboard. Yeah, brilliant. Use it again.
Keith Gooden
How much?
Matt Sims
No idea.
Keith Gooden
But not pounds and pounds.
Matt Sims
No, it’s £14.99.
Keith Gooden
Oh, it’s a bargain!
Matt Sims
As we record this. You could get a discount on this as well if you sign up for our mailing list. You can get 10% off.
Keith Gooden
How do you do that?
Matt Sims
Just go to www.thatleisureshop.com, sign up for the newsletter and get your 10% off.
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. So £1.49 There you go.
Understanding motorhome control systems
Keith Gooden
It is the Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. Today we’re talking hot, hotter and hottest – understanding your motorhome control systems. Now, usually, I understand you don’t get a choice. But you say this is a crucial part of the motorhome that you’ll use every time you travel. Just explain yourself would you, Matt?
Matt Sims
So when you’re buying a motorhome or caravan, the heating system and hot water system is predetermined for you by the manufacturer. You either get a diesel-powered heating system from a company like Webasto or you get a hot water and heating system from a company like Truma.
There are also companies like Alde that do water-filled or liquid-filled radiators. And the Truma control systems and the Alde control systems are there – you can’t normally change them. So you don’t have a choice in the control system in your motorhome.
But people do like to know what control system they’re going to get. And it’s fair to say some are easier to use than others. And they come with different features and benefits. So the heating system controls can become a factor in the choice of which motorhome or caravan model you buy. So it’s important to know what heating system is in it before you make the purchase.
What do control systems control in the motorhome or caravan?
Keith Gooden
So what exactly does it do? Is it just about turning the heating on and off?
Matt Sims
Turning the heating on and off, adjusting the temperature and turning the hot water on and off as well so you can wash up in warm water or have a shower in hot water. That’s fundamentally what the boiler does.
Keith Gooden
So it’s like your thermostat at home and your central heating at home.
Matt Sims
Yeah, absolutely. Now, Webasto, I mentioned the diesel heating system, they’ve become more and more commonplace. I think they’re probably a bit cheaper. And of course, they don’t need gas to work, whereas the other systems need gas. Now, bottled gas, as we know and discussed at length, is becoming much harder to find with a shortage of Calor bottles.
So some people are fitting a refillable gas system. If you’re going around the UK, you don’t want to be reliant upon gas. And of course, diesel is prolific. So having a diesel-powered heating system may be a factor. And some people I know when their motorhome arrives, go, “Oh, it hasn’t got gas heating, it’s diesel, it’s new.”
Now, the Webasto system is very good. Personally, I don’t think it’s as good as the Truma system, and they are a bit noisier. There’s also Whale. They make diesel and gas-powered heating systems as well. So there’s a big choice out there. So if you’re looking at a particular motorhome model, it’s important to understand what heating system is in it and what the controls are and what functionality and benefits and features it offers you.
What’s the best motorhome control system?
Keith Gooden
So you’ve mentioned which ones you prefer, but is there a best one?
Matt Sims
That’s a good question. If you live in a part of the country where it’s hard to get bottled gas, then a diesel system is something to consider. Down here, it’s kind of hit or miss really. There are parts of our region where there is no bottled gas. I know we get friends coming to us from Plymouth and from Manchester. There’s just no Calor gas in those areas for them. And they come and buy it from us here near Western-super-Mare, which I find remarkable.
So having a gas system for them is difficult. I love the Alde system. It doesn’t rely on blown air. The Truma boiler relies on blowing the hot air around the motorhome. We’ve got that in our motorhome, and I have to say, it’s brilliant.
The Alde system is generally more expensive. It relies on convection, so it heats the radiators exactly like at home so you don’t get hot and cold spots like you do with blown air systems. And it just moves the cold air out of the way – very clever. It takes a bit longer to get warm. 45 minutes, typically, but once it’s warm, it’s lovely.
Truma’s new iNet X
Keith Gooden
Now, you’ve been talking to somebody about this, haven’t you?
Matt Sims
Yeah, we were privileged to catch up with two of Truma’s leading lights at the NEC show. This was actually recorded back in October 2022, believe it or not. And I spoke to Mark and Sue, who are from Truma. And we asked them a little bit more about some of the new products they’ve got coming onto the market. Why do you come to a show which is full of the end user? Tell us more, Sue.
Sue Irwin
Okay, well, the manufacturer is obviously fitting our products. But without the feedback from the end user, we don’t know how successful they are. And obviously, when decisions are being made when they’re buying caravans and they’re choosing between two options, they need more information on the actual product that’s in there. So generally, they’ll come over to Truma. And we have products here where we can give them demonstrations, and hopefully, that will help them decide which caravan to go for.
Matt Sims
That’s interesting. So the heating system manufacturer, you think, has an impact on whether or not they buy that caravan.
Sue Irwin
Absolutely, for sure. Because they might have had a particular brand previously, but the specification of the van that they’re more interested in this time has got a different one. So they’ll want to know the differences, basically.
Matt Sims
And many manufacturers offer a choice, don’t they, as they go through the range of caravans and motorhomes on different types of makes of heating and hot water.
Sue Irwin
Yes, they do. But obviously, that will depend on the spend of a van. Different level entries will have different specifications.
Matt Sims
Yeah, Mark, you’re here in your operations manager and technical capacity. What’s the number one question that you get asked? Be honest.
Mark Tricker
I suppose on their side, as Sue said, it’s an understanding of the product. I’m lucky that we’ve got a lot of the team out here who will explain how the products work from there. Quite often for me personally at the show, it tends to be one of the main dealers or manufacturers that will come to me and say, “Can you do this for our vehicle? Can you supply that?” And sometimes, “Can you fit it?”
Because we actually have a team of engineers, so we will agree if a customer wants something bespoke, sometimes we’ll… on a solar panel, we might go to that dealership and put something on for them in addition to how the manufacturer’s actually put it on as standard. There’s an evolution.
As most industries and people do, we’ve moved on our control panel that’s been out for about 10 years. We’ve now gone to a touchscreen. So it’s, I suppose, a bit like the iPhones and a bit like the iPads that we’re used to. It’s a lot more intuitive. So again, it’s just showing people that and launching it so they know what’s available.
Matt Sims
And does the new control panel still have the iNet functionality as well?
Mark Tricker
Oh, you’ve done your research, haven’t you?
Matt Sims
No, I’ve had one for years. I’ll tell you what, the best feature for me is walking on the beach and turning the hot water and heating on before I get back to the motorhome I love it.
Mark Tricker
Fantastic. Yeah, it doesn’t do that.
Matt Sims
It’s rubbish!
Mark Tricker
Ironically, it’s called the iNet X panel. So it is an evolution of that. So currently, where you say you’ve got the app, you can download it, you can change the heating, put the hot water on, turn it off from that side, it has a Bluetooth capability in the vehicle. What you’re talking about, having the chip in for sending the messages, ironically, is that next stage, so that isn’t out at the moment, but it is due out.
Matt Sims
That’s a great feature. Honestly, it’s one of the best features for me of the Truma system in our motorhome. We love it. When did iNet come out? Six years ago?
Mark Tricker
Four years ago. It’s linking it up, and it’s something that Truma have done quite well. So if you look at the air conditioning units in any of our control panels, you can link up so you’ve got the comfort of setting 20 degrees. If you go abroad, it might be fine – bring it down from 30 or 40 down to 20. But not when it drops below – automatically, the heating will come on. In conjunction, the aircon shuts off, and it’ll hold it at 20.
Matt Sims
Oh, that’s really clever.
Sue Irwin
So you’ve got your climate control, but the new panel, although at the moment you can’t use it through your phone from a large distance, it does actually control more items in the caravan. So it’s not just heating aircon, it’s your lights, it’s your water pumps, so it automatically replaces the manufacturer’s control panel in the van.
Mark Tricker
We’ve got the iNet X panel and the iNet X Pro. Now, if you’re someone who’s had our product in your caravan with a CP plus panel, it will replace that. That only controls the Combi heater or the air conditioning unit. Some of the manufacturers have got the Pro where it’s integrated into the system, where it then could do the lights and the water. But that’s not something you could retrofit. It is something that has to be built in with the caravan initially.
Matt Sims
So from the beginning. So let me just clarify, then. If I’ve got a Cp Plus control panel… this is very tech. You’re loving this, aren’t you, Mark?
Mark Tricker
I am, yeah!
Matt Sims
Can I upgrade to this new panel?
Mark Tricker
Absolutely, yes. Yeah, it’s got quite an easy part to it. The data cables are the same at the back, so it will just literally be a slightly smaller aperture behind for this new panel to go into. You’re picking the 12-volt panel the same, so any dealer can sort that out for you or even us. You could bring it in and we would sort that out for you at Dove Valley Park.
Matt Sims
So I want to talk to you about that. So just on the aperture, just stay there for a second, is there a panel that you supply that fills the hole in? Because if it’s a smaller panel…
Mark Tricker
No, it’s slightly larger. So you’re cutting out a little bit of margin from that side. And that template comes with it, so it’s very simple, and you take it from there.
Matt Sims
So it’s a self-fit if I wanted to do it?
Mark Tricker
Yes.
Matt Sims
I am tempted, and I might try it. And I’m going to let you know how I get on. But if I want to come to you… and this is great for customers and consumers of your product, because you’re very much a back room brand, aren’t you, really. The motorhome or caravan arrives with all your kit in it. If people have a problem, they can come to you in Derbyshire. Dove Valley, isn’t it? It’s massive. And they can come to you and have it fixed or assessed or serviced, can’t they? Tell us more.
Mark Tricker
Yeah, so we’ve got a two-bay Area. And we appreciate that a lot of the dealerships… particularly at the show where you might be buying from up north or way down south, if it’s something that there’s issues where you can’t easily get back to the dealer that you bought from, we’re happy for that customer to come into us to give them advice or rectification from there. And likewise, if there’s a product that somebody particularly would like fitting, we will have engineers that can sort that out as well.
Matt Sims
So you don’t have to go to a dealer. If you’re closer than than the supplying dealer, people can do that. Is that right?
Mark Tricker
Our main function is to support the manufacturers and the dealerships. So we tend to be almost like the relief valve. So if the dealer can’t get to a customer or they can’t sort out an air conditioning unit or they can’t resolve an issue because of proximity, we’re quite happy for that customer to come into us for support.
Matt Sims
And your customer care team… I mean, Paula is amazing, and her whole team are brilliant, aren’t they? If people have got an issue, they shouldn’t hesitate, should they, to get in touch. And you’ll help point them in the right direction.
Mark Tricker
Yeah, we put huge investment in that, if I’m honest with you. Paula does a grand job, and she’s got a large team to take calls and take emails. And then following on from that we appreciate, particularly from COVID, people have struggled in getting engineers trained up and working on product, and sometimes it’s just about understanding the product.
So we have a technical team that’s on the road. We have six engineers who will go out and just support dealerships. So again, if there’s something coming in, Paula and her team will find a local dealer and get them booked in there. And if that dealer goes, “Oh, we’ve not come across that,” we’ll even send an engineer to give training and support for that product as well.
Keith Gooden
So that was Mark Tricker, the quality and technical operations manager at Truma, and Sue Irwin, who’s the marketing manager at Truma. Yeah, brilliant.
Matt Sims
Thank you, guys. Really great to get your insights into the product range. And I have to say, I would echo what they were saying. If you’ve got a technical problem with your Truma system, do consider going up to their base at Dave Valley in Derbyshire. They really are super helpful. The team there are fantastic.
They are a big company, but they really are like a family business. It’s amazing. It’s quite inspiring, I have to say, and they genuinely are passionate about helping you. And as I started the interview by saying, why do you come to the show, they don’t need to, really, because the consumers aren’t demanding their products – the manufacturers are. But they choose to go to invest in that relationship between their product and the consumer, which I find very inspiring. Really good.
Keith Gooden
To be seen at the show and to talk to people as well.
Matt Sims
And they love getting the feedback on the product. Interestingly, we are now here in August 2023. And the ability to send a text message to my brand new Truma iNet system still doesn’t exist. So Mark was hopeful it will be with us the beginning of this year. It is still one of the best features of the iNet control panel. But the new panel which is very, very easy to use, still doesn’t have that capability.
You can connect to it on Bluetooth. But I think, well, what’s the point of that really? Because you can just sort of stand up and touch it. You don’t need to be connected to it with Bluetooth. I suppose if you’re lounging and don’t want to get up, then great.
But the app is superb – sending a text message, if that’s a feature that you want on your motorhome, don’t buy one with this brand new system. Because at the moment, that feature isn’t available. Whether it’ll be an upgrade, we’ll see. But at the moment, unfortunately, it’s still not available.
Keith Gooden
And we’ll let you know when that changes. And if you’re a bit confused there, Bluetooth is within a few yards of something that you can ‘talk’ to from your phone or from your computer. But if you’re, say, out sightseeing, or in a restaurant and you want to turn the heating on back in your motorhome if it’s Wi-Fi connected, then you can do that from much further away.
Matt Sims
Well, this is via text. So it actually sends a code over a text message. So you could be 1,000 miles away. I love getting it out in the pub. “Look at this. I’m turning my heating on.”
Keith Gooden
It’s a rock and roll life, isn’t it?
Matt Sims
I tell you, I’ll turn the heating on, and Jude says, “What’s going on? It’s boiling!”
Keith Gooden
So there you go. Apparently, they all do the same job, but it depends on what flexibility you want. That’s what you’ve written down here.
Matt Sims
Well, it’s very true.
Keith Gooden
Yeah, you could apply that to life.
Matt Sims
I do, Keith, every morning.
Keith Gooden
Anything that would apply to!
Matt Sims
Anything flexible in the morning doesn’t exist for me.
Keith Gooden
As we always say, your experience matters and so if you’ve got something to add to this then please do get in touch. We’ll give you all the ways to get in touch at the end of the podcast. We’d like to hear your experiences in your motorhomes and caravans.
Audience Q&A
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 with www.thatleisureshop.com. My favourite part of the whole programme every week is the listener questions and answers. Michael McDowell has been in touch!
If I upgrade my payload, will that change how much I can tow?
Michael
Hi, Matt. This is Mick from Jersey. We have a Bailey Adamo 75-4i 2022 model. I just want to ask this question. It has not been homologated for towing. If I upgrade my payload, would that change so I could tow? Many thanks. Cheers very much, Michael. He hasn’t been homologated.
Keith Gooden
Cheers very much, Michael. He hasn’t been homologated.
Matt Sims
But his motorhome has been homologated.
Keith Gooden
What the hell is homologation?
Matt Sims
Really, how many people can it carry and what weight is it?
Keith Gooden
Really?
Matt Sims
Yeah. So when you get the van, the motorhome manufacturer takes it through a homologation process, which in turn… it’s true…
Keith Gooden
I had it with chips once. I didn’t like it.
Matt Sims
Was it battered? So they go through a homologation process, which in turn creates a certificate of conformity. That is its weight. So its gross weight, its curb weight plus its payload and how many passengers it can carry when travelling. So belted seats.
Keith Gooden
Homologation.
Matt Sims
There we are. It’s an important thing.
Keith Gooden
We’ve been doing this for a while, and that’s the first time that one’s come up.
Matt Sims
Every day’s a school day, Keith.
Keith Gooden
He’s sent you a photo, hasn’t he?
Matt Sims
Yeah, it’s him naked in the bath.
Keith Gooden
No, the other photo!
Matt Sims
Oh, the other one, right. Yeah, sorry. Yeah, that one. Thanks, Mick. So I actually sent Mick an email and said, “I need to understand a little bit more about the spec of your Adamo.”
Keith Gooden
His what?
Matt Sims
Adamo. That’s the name of the motorhome. Adamo.
Keith Gooden
Oh, is it? I’m just clarifying that in the face of homologation and all the rest of it.
Matt Sims
It’s a bit like i-boo-profen.
Keith Gooden
Yeah, that’d be ibu-PRO-fen.
Matt Sims
You’ll have to listen to last week’s for that one. And so he did – we finally found it. It was on the driver’s door, I think it was, or the passenger door, not under the bonnet. And interestingly, the gross weight of his vehicle can be 3,550 kilogrammes, so over three and a half tonnes, which means you’d have to have a C1 to drive it. And the maximum weight it can be with a trailer is 4,250 which I found surprising because that’s very low.
So it would mean that if he was to up plate it or literally use the maximum weight, giving him the maximum payload, he can actually only tow 700 kilos, which is not very much at all. It’s a camping trailer, isn’t it, it’s a very small caravan, and not really a tow car. So the thing to do here is to look at the plate. We’ve talked at length about this in payload.
There are four numbers in a column. The first number is the gross weight that the vehicle can be. The second number is the gross weight the vehicle can be with a trailer. And then the third line is the front axle. And the fourth line is the back axle. They are the maximum weights that they can be. But this transit, the maximum train weight it can be is 4,250, which is really quite low.
So my suggestion to Mick is to get in touch with a specialist who can make this vehicle heavier, or have a heavier capability. There’s a company called SvTech. We want to get them on the podcast to talk about payloads. And we will be doing so, of course, in the next few weeks or months.
But my suggestion was to give them a call, give them the VIN number, the long number, which on a Ford Transit starts with WF, and they would be able to advise him of what can be done and whether he can make it heavier. Now, that might involve changing some suspension components, changing the wheel size, changing the tyre size – there’s lots of things that you can do to the vehicle to potentially give it a heavier payload and a heavier train weight.
Keith Gooden
There you go, Mick. I hope you enjoyed that. Or is it Mike or is it Michael? We’ve homologated your Adamo, and I hope you’re very, very happy. If you can’t take much weight, just leave the mother-in-law at home.
What are the pros and cons of buying a motorhome of more than 3,500 kg?
Keith Gooden
Tim Long is in Bicester. “Hi Matt, love the podcast, and as someone looking to buy a motorhome, you share really invaluable information. Two questions.” No, Tim, not two.
Matt Sims
He’s getting his money’s worth. Go for it, Tim.
Keith Gooden
Oh, all right. “Can we hire from you over a weekend, Friday to Monday?”
Matt Sims
Yes.
Keith Gooden
And question number two, “What are the pros and cons of buying a motorhome more than 3,500 kilogrammes? I get more payload and space. But as new entry into the market I see many below £45,000 pounds are over three and a half 1,000 kilogrammes for the layout we want – AutoTrail,” he says. “Sales folks tend to say you’re getting better build quality.”
“A suggestion for your podcast site as well, by the way – am I missing a search function? Scrolling the extensive back catalogue is not so rewarding to find key topics.” What do you think then, Matt?
Matt Sims
Well, good question. Firstly, yes, you can hire from www.motorhomeholidaycompany.com for Friday to Monday. I think 90% of our customers do that, particularly out of season. So yeah, go and check the website. We have a really helpful team on the end of the phone as well. Pros and cons of buying one – greater payload means, of course, you can take more with you. And the road tax is going to be cheaper, oddly.
So on a vehicle that’s a private heavy goods vehicle, it’s £165 a year and has been for years. If it’s a private light goods vehicle, the price is going up and up and up. It’s currently nearly £300 a year. So it’s almost double. So those are, I’d say, the main big benefits. The downside – you’re going to need a C1 to be able to drive it. That’s the licence category. So an entitlement to drive over three and a half tonnes.
Our friends at Life Beyond Bricks, they’re a YouTube channel, they live in their motorhome with their three cats. And they did this. They up-plated their motorhome to, I think, four tonnes. And poor Tash can’t drive it because she doesn’t have a C1. John has now taken his licence. I think two years have passed. So she is now driving it around with L plates on with John in the passenger seat. So that’s the only way that she can actually drive the motorhome, but without John there, she can’t drive it.
So that’s a consideration too. I reckon it could be harder to sell with a heavier weight because you’re narrowing down your audience to an age group that either passed their test before January ’97 and had what was called the grandfather rights – you and I both have it, we can drive a C1 – or someone who’s since taken the test. And of course, once people turn 70 they lose that C1. So you really are reaching a narrower age group. You mentioned prices – £45,000, and you say AutoTrail.
There are a lot of AutoTrail motorhomes which arguably are good build quality. If you’re a salesman selling one, of course they are. They have very small payloads at three and a half tonnes – in fact, very impractical payloads. 100 and something kilos. Which is why they are normally over three and a half tonnes to make them actually usable.
The other consideration is toll prices in Europe. They could be more expensive if you declare that you’re over three and a half tonnes, particularly in Denmark and Germany. So if you’re going to Europe, expect to pay a little bit more on the tolls. Search criteria – Maddie listened to this. And she has actually put categories now on the website.
So you can search by categories in the list on the sidebar. And you can filter by topic. So there you are. Thank you very much for the suggestion. Done! So hopefully your search in the future will be easier.
Keith Gooden
Thanks, Tim. Thanks for your questions. Many of them – more than two as well!
Why are Ireland’s BE restrictions different?
Keith Gooden
Sam Breen is in Portavogie. Is that right, Portavogie?
Matt Sims
I’ve no idea. I don’t know where that is.
Keith Gooden
Well, anyway, “Matt, I live in and sat my driving test in Northern Ireland and I hold a UK driving licence. I’m currently 39 and sat my tests when I was 18. I was aware that during lockdown, BE restrictions were lifted and anyone with a normal licence was able to tow a trailer or a caravan. I do not think this applies to Northern Ireland residents despite us having UK licences.
What I find even stranger is that if I was a few years younger or older, I would have a licence with BE on it. My brother who is 10 years older than me has BE and another family member 10 years younger has BE. I find it crazy that I have to sit a test for this. Can you clarify this whole BE situation in NI?
Matt Sims
Well, I’m afraid that you’re right. You can’t tow without taking a test because you’re in Northern Ireland. So yeah, the rules were changed in September 2021. And they were lifted in the UK mainland only so England, Scotland and Wales. So the change didn’t apply to Northern Ireland. So yeah, you’re still under the old rules. I’m afraid you’re quite right.
There is a whole episode on this, and maybe that’s why this question has come up, where I interview a lady called Sharon Sparkes from Mendip Towing, and we unpack a little bit about this BE change and what impact it has had on road safety and the future and also the review of the C1 restriction and whether Parliament is going to lift that and take us back to the old days. So go and check that out as well. But yeah, I’m afraid Sam, you’re quite right. You have to take a test to tow a caravan.
Keith Gooden
Well, Sam in Portavogie in Northern Ireland, we have to always bear in mind as well that you share an open border with the EU and that is going to have an impact over the years.
Matt Sims
Yeah, absolutely right. Yeah.
Get in touch with Matt and Keith
Keith Gooden
Okay, then – if you’d like to sponsor this podcast, the Motorhome Matt podcast, we’d love you to get in touch. Because we talk directly to your customers and we want to tell them all about what you have to offer. How do people do that then, Matt?
Matt Sims
They can very easily. You can check out our sponsorship packages at www.motorhomematt.co.uk/sponsor. Did you know that we’re now reaching over 200,000 people? We talk about over 100,000. It’s double that.
Keith Gooden
That’s more than Wembley Stadium.
Matt Sims
Can you imagine that? All of us in Wembley Stadium and you onstage!
Keith Gooden
Yes, doing my magician act!
Matt Sims
“That” magic act.
Keith Gooden
Yeah, “that” magic act. Mm.
Matt Sims
That’s a ticket I won’t be buying.
Keith Gooden
So how do people get in touch?
Matt Sims
Very easily – go to www.motorhomematt.co.uk/askmatt. We’d love to get your question by recording it on the orange button. Do tell us where you are when you record it. Or if you’d rather not record it, you can submit it on the form on the page. You’ll find us on socials too – on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and of course on YouTube.
Keith Gooden
Apple and Spotify reviewers as well?
Matt Sims
Yeah, please, if you’ve not yet done so, would you leave us a review if you’re listening on Apple or Spotify? It really helps promote the podcast and get it up the rankings. If you leave us a five star review we’d be ever so grateful. And would you share it with a friend as well? Maybe there’s someone you know who you think would find this really helpful. Go and spread the word and help us share the podcast to as many people as we possibly can.
