Kat Bird
Hi and welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Kat from Wandering Bird.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
What’s going on? You’ve invited Kat Bird in and she’s stolen my lines.
Matt Sims
Of course she did. She stole the limelight as well.
Keith Gooden
Oh my goodness. I tell you what, it’s the Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with That Leisure Shop. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Kat Bird. No, no, I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
You might be able to work out who’s our special guest on today’s podcast. It’s number 97. Number 100 is coming very soon.
Matt Sims
It’s getting close, getting close. What are we going to do for 100?
Keith Gooden
Give Keithy a bonus. That’s good. Otherwise, you could be working with somebody else.
Kat Bird
Hi, welcome to the Motorhome Matt podcast. I’m Kat from Wandering Bird.
The new Ford Nugget campervan
Keith Gooden
Okay, then – let’s delve into the news first of all, shall we? The new Ford Nugget. We did mention this in the last podcast when you were at…
Matt Sims
Caravan Salon.
Keith Gooden
That’s the one, in Düsseldorf. But we didn’t go into any detail. A lot of press about this. What were your first impressions? What did you like?
Matt Sims
I loved the look of the whole thing. I think the roof opening up the wrong way sets it apart from its direct competitor, the VW California. So the roof goes up high at the back, which means the kitchen’s at the rear. And I’ve heard that heavily criticised as a layout, but it’s a layout that’s been around for a very long time.
And actually, I quite like it, because if you’ve got the kids in bed, in the Rock and Roll bed, you can be in the back cooking and preparing an evening meal, particularly for young kids, and you’re not disturbing them, which I think is a really practical layout for families. And it’s a really practical layer for couples as well.
So it’s really well-equipped vehicle. Great fridge that’s in a drawer – I think it’s a 31 litre fridge, a freshwater tank onboard, wastewater as well. Heating – it’s got everything you need. Ford have developed in conjunction with Westfalia their own control panel and an app as well. So it’s a very, very cool campervan.
Not cheap. I mean, they’re going to be, I think, in the region of £80,000 when they launch next year in 2024. But certainly one to look out for, and they’re going to be sold in every Ford showroom that sells the Ford Transit. So this is going to put them on a par with VW that sell the California. You go and buy a Golf or a Transporter, there’s the Cali in the back of the showroom. Ford are going to be doing the same. So yeah, it’s exciting to get the campervan really mainstream.
Keith Gooden
And how do the mainstream dealers feel about things like that? Because Ford and VW are stealing their thunder, aren’t they?
Matt Sims
Are they? I mean, I think they’re just joining in the foray. I mean, on every street corner, there seems to be a campervan converter. And it’s certainly a boom part of the market. I think it’s part of the market that’s feeling under pressure at the moment with sales slowing because traditionally the people who buy them are younger couples, young families, and they use them as a second car, which is where this is such a great versatile vehicle.
And affordability has become a challenge as prices have gone up. So I don’t think they’re stealing the market. I think the market is massive. And I think there’s certainly an opportunity for Ford with this vehicle, particularly as they will be launching a petrol or diesel and a plug in hybrid version as well as we go into next year. So it’s exciting.
See Matt and Keith at the Motorhome and Caravan Show 2023
Keith Gooden
It’s the Motorhome and Caravan Show at the NEC, the big show in the UK, 17th to the 22nd of October. The podcast is going to be there. I’m going to be there. And Motorhome Matt’s going to be there. You’re also on the expert advice panel every day.
Matt Sims
I am. At lunchtime, there’s a really good session on the main stage where you can come along and ask questions of a panel on which I will be featured. And we will sit there and answer whatever question comes from the floor.
We did submit some questions last time we did this to the host, who was Rowland Rivron. I think it’s Rowland again running around with a handheld mic. So if you’re going to the show and you’ve got a question for the panel, then that might be a great place to pose it.
Keith Gooden
And how do you get tickets?
Matt Sims
You can go to www.mcshow.co.uk. And if you use the code MMATT, you’ll get a discount on your ticket.
Keith Gooden
So that’s Matt with two Ms at the beginning, MMATT.
Matt Sims
Correct. Yeah. And parking is included in the ticket price. So people often say, “Do I have to pay for parking?” No, it’s included.
Keith Gooden
That’s great, isn’t it? One of the few places where you go that you don’t have to shell out another £20 for parking. Fantastic. It’s a great show. I went for the first time last year. Everybody was so wonderfully welcoming towards me. I’m really looking forward to it again.
And the best thing was meeting you, when you came out and said you listen to or you watch the podcast. That was just fantastic, and particularly when you said it was useful. So I’m really looking forward to meeting you again. Don’t be shy, come up and say hi. Take a couple of pictures as well. And you never know – you might be able to take away one of That Leisure Shop or Motorhome Matt’s freebies.
Matt Sims
You never know. You’ve committed us now! We’ll give away your shirt.
Keith Gooden
It’s quite sweaty today. It’s a warm day. That Leisure Shop is there with Maypole.
Matt Sims
That’s right. Yeah, so Maypole at That Leisure Shop will be the name of the stand. And we’re there selling Maypole’s range of security and winter products, so I anticipate that’s going to be the focus of the stand, which is going to be a brilliant place to go and get your motorhome or caravan cover or a topper if you want to cover the top of it, protect it from tree sap and bird lime and so on.
Maypole have a brilliant range, which we’ll be there selling, and wheel clamps, steering wheel locks, a whole load of battery monitoring stuff and battery charging – all those useful products that you need as you put a motorhome or caravan into storage through the winter. So come and say hi to the That Leisure Shop team as well. They’re there with Maypole.
Keith Gooden
Now, we will be doing podcasts at the show. So come along and join in, if you’re fortunate enough to be there when we plug in. But you can also sponsor us at the show. And more importantly, if you’re arriving by train, we have completely bought out like last year – the NEC have a little corridor that goes along, and any sponsor can be on those posters as well. So we’re looking forward to you getting in touch.
Matt Sims
This is at the Birmingham International railway station. Yes, we’ve taken over every poster site on the escalators and all along the corridor. There’s all these lit posters. Did you see them last time?
Keith Gooden
I did. They were fantastic. People keep sending them to me every so often. I got one about a month ago from somebody I know.
Matt Sims
That’s a funny thing.
Keith Gooden
“Is this the podcast that you do with this Matt geezer?” “Yeah, that’s it.”
Matt Sims
That’s him yeah.
Keith Gooden
Because my picture is not on there. Just saying.
Matt Sims
It’s me pulling a stupid face, as is normal. But yeah, the posters are still there now. So months later – it’s fantastic. It’s brilliant. Free exposure. So if you’re interested in sponsoring us and working with us, you could have your brand at Birmingham International railway station for months after the show. I can’t promise you that, of course.
But certainly during the show, we have bought two weeks there. We’ve also bought some huge branding again in the atrium, that huge banner. And so we’re looking for partners to help us pay for that as well and feature on there.
So those companies have to be an exhibitor at the show, so if you are exhibiting at the show and listening and you want your brand in the atrium and in other parts of what we’re doing at the show, then get in touch. But there you have to be an exhibitor – that’s been made very clear to us, so yeah, do partner with us at the show if you want to.
Keith Gooden
If you’re a member of the public and you’re arriving at Birmingham International, take a selfie gurning with Matt alongside you on the poster. And you never know – there might be something special in the post to you. One of our pens. It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with That Leisure Shop. I’m
Keith Gooden
.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Matt’s product of the week
Keith Gooden
Let’s talk now about your favourite product of the week – and it’s Mirror Guards.
Matt Sims
What’s a Mirror Guard?
Keith Gooden
That’s why you’re here. He’s just reaching down we prepared one earlier, Blue Peter style. No, that’s Valerie Singleton. Be careful of her.
Matt Sims
Shep, come on. Now I’m showing my age.
Keith Gooden
Yeah, that’s a brown box.
Matt Sims
Hang on. There we go. These are brilliant.
Keith Gooden
This is great radio.
Matt Sims
If you’re in a motorhome, certainly, whether it’s on a FIiat or a Ford, the mirrors stick out a long way, particularly if it’s a coachbuilt. So they’re what’s known as long arm mirrors, and they can be easily hit by oncoming vehicles.
Keith Gooden
Otherwise known as Charlies in royal circles.
Matt Sims
Charlies? Big ears?
Keith Gooden
Big ears.
Matt Sims
Are you allowed to say that?
Keith Gooden
Yep.
Matt Sims
You’ll end up in the tower. These covers go over the mirror, and they’re like an impact protector. The classic is driving along and dragging your mirror in the hedge because you’re trying to get onto your side of the road, and there’s a disused signpost buried in the hedge row. And bang, it hits the mirror and breaks the mirror.
These mirrors, particularly the Fiat ones, are £300 or £400. Ford Transit, not much less. And these covers – £120 or £150 depending on which one you buy. They give you that extra protection and the chance of not destroying your wing mirror. Really good. We sell loads of them.
Keith Gooden
Your special guest today, Kat Bird, mentioned she had trouble figuring out which were the right ones for her van. So how do you go about it?
Matt Sims
Well, the key is that there are two brands, really, that are easily accessible and available. There are the Ford ones and the Fiat ones. And then you need to know, “Have I got a long arm, a medium or short arm wing mirror?” And the team in the shop can help you with that. Just give us a call and we can talk you through which cover you need. Just ring us and you can do that.
The number is on the website for the shop at www.thatleisureshop.com – really helpful team and we can make sure you’re ordering the right one. And they come in a range of colours as well, black or white! We used to have grey, silver, blue, but we’ve waited months for these things to come back into stock.
There have been real issues of supply of plastic, I guess, all the stuff that goes in them. And the colours just have disappeared. So at the moment we’re limited to black or white, Fiat or Ford. We’re hoping to get some Renault one soon and also some drop down covers for pilote wing mirrors on an A class motorhome. We were talking about those before in a previous episode. So get in touch with the team at www.thatleisureshop.com, and we’ll let you know what we’ve got in stock.
Keith Gooden
And £120 might sound like a lot of money for something you don’t think you need, but as Matt says, replacing a wing mirror is a darn sight more expensive. So it’s an investment.
Matt Sims
It’s also the inconvenience when you break one, because you’re trying to drive along with no wing mirror. It is really difficult. It’s also potentially illegal. You have to have a driver side mirror by law for an MOT. So it’s really important that you’ve got the protection, because they are expensive.
Kat Bird from Wandering Bird
Keith Gooden
It is the Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with That Leisure Shop. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
I ask the stupid questions, and Matt here – he’s the expert. And today you’ve got a very special guest. Tell us, Matt, all about her.
Matt Sims
We have the lovely Kat from the w… website, Wandering Bird. I can’t say that! From the website, Wandering Bird.
Kat Bird
The wobbly website?
Matt Sims
The wobbly website. I actually met Kat… I think it was four or five years ago. We met at the NEC, and she was coming up with the idea of launching a vlog recording her travels. And YouTube at the time was still aspirational. And we were brainstorming this. And I referred back to this, and she had completely forgotten about it!
Kat Bird
I think I made more of an impression on you.
Matt Sims
Yeah, well, you did. I remember being quite taken thinking, wow, this woman’s a nutter! And you were heading off in your motorhome. You quit your job.
Kat Bird
I did.
How Wandering Bird started
Matt Sims
Heading off in the motorhome full time. You were going to start vlogging and blogging your travels. And you were pitching us, really. We were there trying to sell a motorhome hire programme that we were launching.
And I remember encouraging you to go off and do it and write lots of content, and write courses on how people can get involved in this amazing pastime and encourage them to do it. But what’s been the highlight for you since then? I mean, that was four years ago. What’s been the highlight? It’s been a long journey, hasn’t it?
Kat Bird
Well, meeting you again, obviously.
Matt Sims
Well, obviously! That’s a given.
Kat Bird
It has been incredible. An absolutely amazing four years. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some downsides. We won’t talk about 2020 and the inability to move anywhere. And getting stuck in lockdown in France was interesting.
But I think the highlight has probably been the growth of Wandering Bird. It has way surpassed my expectations or dreams. I didn’t really have any ambitions. I didn’t really know what I was doing. I quit my job without any plan to have any sort of income or whatever. Our plan was to live on my husband’s income, and we downsized so that we could do that and travel.
Matt Sims
Because at that point you were living part time on a boat and part time in the motorhome, weren’t you. Is that right?
Kat Bird
We still had the boat. We got rid of the house and all our stuff when I decided to quit my job. But we still had the boat. We kept the boat as our base in the UK. And he still had to work, so I had to come back, one week, a month or whatever for clients. So that was a good base for him. Generally, I was in the van most of the time. Probably about 80/20.
Matt Sims
What you were doing was something quite different. You were going to be leading as a woman driving around in the motorhome and journaling all of that experience and trying to monetise it. And I remember the conversation we had was… and I asked you how you’re going to monetize it. And you said, “I don’t know.”
Kat Bird
I didn’t know.
Matt Sims
And it was quite new, wasn’t it, really?
Kat Bird
Yeah.
Matt Sims
And YouTube was obviously in existence. And I said, you should really build a web-based email-based list, which you’ve done, haven’t you? I’m not taking any credit for it, but it was my idea! But that’s what you’ve done, isn’t it? You built a really loyal following.
Kat Bird
Well, so I started like many people do with YouTube. And I think you assume that you’ll put a couple of videos out and then you’ll make enough money to live on. It doesn’t happen that way at all. And even now, and I’ve got 30,000 followers on YouTube, which I’m incredibly grateful for, but I couldn’t live on what I earn from YouTube. It’s just not possible.
And I also realised that I much prefer writing, and I really enjoy blogging, and I really enjoy being able to answer people’s questions in a written form and take photographs to go along with that. I really enjoy that side of things. And that’s how the the website grew. I mean, I now get about 100,000 people a month on the website. And it’s huge, and it’s fantastic.
But it grew to what it is. Initially it started as, “Today we went and got coffee from this place. And then we went here.” And it was lovely, but it was basically an online diary. And it grew from people emailing or taking the time to contact me and asking questions. And I would create a blog post to answer that question. And that’s exactly how the e-book started.
People would say, “Oh, your website’s so big. I can’t find what I need. Could you just put all the pieces together in an ebook?” So that’s how that started, and I obviously expanded on it. And then the courses came from the e-books because people said, “Could you film a video that shows me how to do…” whatever I was talking about. And it’s grown from there – very organically.
Matt Sims
You’ve built this whole brand, haven’t you, around Wandering Bird. It goes to the shows – and you’re giving talks as Wandering Bird. The website is bigger than the YouTube channel, I’d say. Is that fair?
Kat Bird
Absolutely. And the website is where I focus most of my energy and most of my time, because it is so big. And it takes a lot of time and effort to keep it going.
Matt Sims
And can I say I know what a difference you’ve made to people’s lives. And my hat’s off to you, Kat. Because, I mean, even yesterday, we were both at the Balloon Fiesta in Bristol. In fact, we’ve both still got our passes on to get out into the private carpark. And a man said to me, “I saw that Kat was going to the Balloon Fiesta. So I thought, what a great idea.”
And he’d travelled from Hampshire. That’s a couple of hours. And he thought, “What a great idea just to go to the Balloon Fiesta!” Not to meet you, I hasten to add! I said, “Well, you’re here.” I said, “Kat’s wandering around. Look up, you’ll see her because she’s so tall. Or just listen out – you’ll definitely hear her.”
Kat Bird
Dangling from a balloon!
Matt Sims
But he was inspired. And he said, “Would you thank her?” And so thank you from him. I don’t know his name. I don’t know what he wanted to thank you for. But you’d made a difference to his life.
Why Kat writes her courses and about her experiences
I know you’ve positively impacted thousands of people making this decision to buy a motorhome, use a motorhome or go travelling in a motorhome. Is that why you do it? Is that what it’s all about for you? Or was there something more to it than just making the difference?
Kat Bird
I mean, obviously, it didn’t start like that, because I had no clue that it would grow into what it’s grown into. Thank you for that. That’s really sweet. And that’s the biggest thing that keeps me going. Because as you know, running a business is hard work.
I had no experience in running my own business. I’d always been employed as an air traffic controller. It’s such a complete culture change to go from getting a paycheck in and working for somebody else to suddenly running your own business, and you have to wear so many hats.
And the learning curve is probably the thing I love most about it- the learning and constantly trying to get better and improve things. And that’s what I love. But the thing that makes it all worthwhile, all that hard work, is people contacting me or coming up to me at the shows and just saying thank you.
“Thank you for making this easier or explaining this or pushing me to come and do it.” Those are my favourite ones, people who are like, “I’ve just quit my job and I’ve got a van. I’m going to go travelling.” And I love that. It’s lovely to feel that you’ve had a positive impact on somebody’s outlook on life.
And so many people feel like they either can’t do it, or it’s for people with huge amounts of money or they’re in some way prohibited from getting into this wonderful lifestyle. And I love being able to make that a little bit more accessible for them.
Matt Sims
Is that what makes you tick? You say it’s a business, and every business has core values. And if I can call you a solopreneur because it’s your business and it’s you – what is it that gets you out of bed in your motorhome in the morning and do what you do? Why do you do it?
Kat Bird
Mainly my spaniel. He jumps on my head and says, “No, Mum, it is time for a walk.” But no, it is absolutely that. I really enjoy being able to inspire people to go and have adventures. I really enjoy being able to show them what’s possible. Yeah, I think part of that is also to improve myself. The first two months when I quit my job – it sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?
Quit your job and go travelling. And I did have a couple of months where I was like, “This is amazing.” But then I needed more. And I’ve always been quite a driven person. I’ve always needed a goal. And just planning the next day’s route just wasn’t enough.
And I think being able to build up a business and turn a hobby into a business, which again, is something I’ve had no experience in previously, and just being able to see where that can go and also figuring out what I enjoy doing.
Because you know, there’s opportunity to work with brands, and there’s opportunity to do so much in this industry. But not all of them are for me personally. And it’s been really fun to be able to try lots of different things and find what I enjoy. But it always comes back to trying to help people and trying to inspire people to make the most out of their free time, whether they’ve gone forever or a week.
Matt Sims
Yeah. It’s hard work, though, isn’t it?
Kat Bird
It’s very hard work.
Matt Sims
It doesn’t stop, and you don’t stop.
Kat Bird
I know!
Solo female travel
Matt Sims
But it hasn’t always gone to plan, though. When I met you, you were married. And I met Mr. WB, who was very much a voice off camera. You’ve since gone in separate directions. And you’re very much now pro female solo travelling, or certainly solo travelling. And as a female, that’s very much a focus for you, obviously. But can you talk to me a bit about that transition? What was that experience like?
Kat Bird
I’m very lucky in a lot of ways because I’d been able to experience the whole range. We initially start travelling, my husband and my daughter, and then we homeschooled her and travelled for a year.
So I had all of that experience and also all the downsides that came with that, because that’s quite hard work when there’s three of you in a small space, especially a teenager who doesn’t particularly want to learn maths or science or whatever was on the agenda for that day. There were some interesting times during that.
But it was also incredibly rewarding when she got the results and it had been worthwhile. So then we went from that to travelling as a couple, and again that came with its own huge pros, but also some challenges. And we got a dog and were able to have very long walks and give each other some space at times. That was very useful.
And then yeah, he sadly got really ill. What year are we in? A year and a bit ago now. That has then led to him deciding that he doesn’t want to travel, and we’ve gone our separate ways. And he’s still around, I still see him, we ride bikes together and things, but we don’t really travel together anymore.
And I’m now experiencing it solo. And that has been a huge learning curve, because I thought I knew quite a lot about motorhoming. And I’ve done it full-time for several years now. But I was stuck in a campsite too scared drive the van, because I’d never really done it. He preferred to drive. I preferred to navigate.
And then suddenly, I was on my own and had to figure out literally how to get the van out of the campsite. Why do they put the white pegs in the wrong place? They had a speed sign, and I was like, “How am I supposed to get my van around that?” And it took me a couple of weeks. And I would go out there at five or six o’clock in the morning when it was quiet to practice driving this enormous thing. I was terrified.
Matt Sims
It was you at five in the morning!
Kat Bird
That was me! I was so nervous. And then I made myself plan a trip to Scotland. And that was supposed to be me and a friend, and she had her own van so we were going up to do it in convoy. And she broke down on day one.
So then I literally spent three weeks, I think it was, touring around Scotland on my own. And I loved it. I absolutely loved it. There’s a freedom to being able to go off on your own. You don’t have to clear your schedule with anyone else. If it’s a rainy day and you want to curl up… well, I don’t really curl up with a book. I curl up with my laptop and do more work, often.
But yeah, I didn’t have to travel on anyone else’s schedule. I could go where I wanted to go. I could drive up some crazy roads that everyone thought I was nuts to go up. It was fun. And then since then I’ve done Ireland and I’ve just come back from Iceland. I did that on my own and it was epic.
Wandering Bird’s Iceland trip
Matt Sims
Three weeks in Iceland, were you there for?
Kat Bird
Yeah, so the whole trip was five and a half weeks. It took a week to drive to Denmark, and then two days on a ferry to go across to Iceland. I had just over three weeks in Iceland, then all the way back.
Matt Sims
Now, you know, it’s my dream go-to place. How much was the ferry?
Kat Bird
£5,500.
Matt Sims
See? That’s insane.
Kat Bird
But if you flew in and hired a van for that amount of time, it would cost you more.
Matt Sims
I’ve got one. I don’t want to hire one.
Kat Bird
Well, then take it to Iceland!
Matt Sims
But it’s £5,500! Well, of course, you weren’t in your own motorhome. You went in a Bailey owned motorhome.
Kat Bird
Yes, so I worked with Bailey of Bristol for that one. And they were kind enough to loan me a vehicle for the trip, and it was awesome. The vehicle was great. And the experience was brilliant. And yeah, I had a fantastic time.
What the future holds for Wandering Bird
Matt Sims
Now, I know you’re very motivated right now to be pro female solo travelling and encouraging other females to consider taking to the wheel. Maybe you’ve lost a husband through separation or they’ve passed away. What does that look like for the future for Wandering Bird? What are you doing about that?
Kat Bird
Mostly what I’m doing is sharing my experiences. I’m sharing certainly the fear and all the things that either could go wrong or do go wrong, and how you deal with that. And it’s not so much just being a girl, although I am a girl. So that’s more why that is, but I think anybody who wants to travel on their own house these fears.
I think men are generally more reluctant to put their hand up and go, “Yeah, I’m really scared or intimidated by that.” But it doesn’t mean they don’t have those feelings. I’ve had several guys come up or email me saying, “Yeah, I was a bit intimidated by that too.”
And I think there’s something about travelling on your own, whether you’ve got it in a van or just a backpack or however you choose to travel, being self sufficient enough. And with a motorhome, there’s so many things that could go wrong that you feel that you need to know everything about them.
That’s something I’ve learned, that you don’t necessarily need to know everything about everything. I’m certainly not very good on electronics. But you need to know somebody that you can call who can help you with that problem.
Matt Sims
Because the thing is, a lot of the fears are actually irrational, aren’t they?
Kat Bird
Irrational… unlikely to happen is probably how I’d put it.
Matt Sims
Yeah, okay.
Kat Bird
It’s like any fear. There’s always going to be a small chance that it might happen. And a lot of the fears people have with me are over wild camping or staying on your own in the middle of nowhere.
Now, I spent five weeks in Ireland, and I didn’t go into campsite once apart from to pay to use their facilities. I never stayed overnight in a campsite. And it was brilliant. And by the end of that, I was absolutely fine wild camping anywhere.
But people who are nervous about it – you don’t have to do it. And that’s one of my big bugbears with this whole sort of van life thing. People feel like they have to stay off grid and they have to stay in dodgy places, and you absolutely don’t. Go on a campsite if it makes you feel better.
Matt Sims
Go where you feel comfortable.
Kat Bird
Absolutely.
Matt Sims
And safe.
Kat Bird
Yeah, absolutely.
Mental health with living and working in a motorhome
Matt Sims
So I know mental health is also a big focus for you – your own and also other people’s.
Kat Bird
Yeah.
Matt Sims
As someone who is YouTubing and sharing posts on social regularly, you must get a lot of online stupidity and comments. I can imagine. I mean, we get them here on the Motorhome Matt podcast, and people can get quite rude.
It’s quite easy to hide behind a keyboard, isn’t it, and hurl that comment and drop that grenade and walk away. How do you deal with that, especially when you’re on your own? Because it’s your business. It’s you. You’ve got no one else to moan at.
Kat Bird
Yeah, I really, really struggled with that when I first started. It became something that… I almost didn’t want to look at my YouTube comments. And there are still times now where I can go several weeks without looking at them. Because, you know, you get a lot of nice comments and positive comments or even positive constructive feedback. I’m very open to that.
But it’s that one comment where someone says something mean or unpleasant. And as a girl, it’s often about your appearance. I don’t know if guys get the same thing. But other females that I’ve spoken to, they get similar comments about that. And that’s really hard. Even if you just go, I’m never going to meet them and you can just delete the comment and block them, and that’s fine. But you’ve still got to read that comment in order to delete it.
And then it’s something that you think about for a long time. So I really struggled with that. I have got better at it. But it does affect your mental health. Of course it does. And combined with what you said earlier about me not stopping, I think I am still in that learning phase of managing my own energy and managing how much I’ve got to give to other people versus how much I keep for myself.
And that’s something I’ve tried really hard on this year. I mean, last year was the first time that I openly put my hand up having struggled with depression probably for about 20 years. But I put my hand up and went, “No, I need some help.” And I got some tablets. And I feel brilliant. I feel great. But it’s taken a long time and a lot of personal work for me to get there.
It’s not something I found easy to do at all. I’m very much one of those people – I should be able to power through. And I should be better than that, even though that sounds incredibly arrogant. But I should just be able to fix this and be okay. And it was accepting the fact that I wasn’t.
Matt Sims
And have you found that this industry is very male-dominated? How well have you been received into it as a female doing what you do?
Kat Bird
I’ve been very well received into it. I don’t know if that’s partly because I’m going at it from a slightly different approach than perhaps mainstream journalists or other people might be. I mean, I’ve worked with lots of females.
I write for some of the magazines, MMM Magazine, and my contact there is female. But I also do the Warner shows, and that’s mainly male-dominated. And I think it’s quite balanced. I think there is an element of trying to get the industry as a whole on board with the change to being more online and blogging and vlogging and all of these things.
Whereas I think whilst the magazines and the shows are fantastic, and they’re still obviously very popular, there is another aspect of this that has sort of crept up through YouTube and blogs and everything. But there’s also an element of trying to keep it to people who know what they’re talking about, rather than AI-generated content and all this stuff. So there does need to be a balance, I think.
Matt Sims
So you’ve been non-stop, then, for four years. I mean, you literally don’t stop, Kat. But that can’t continue, can it? When do you actually get to take your foot off the pedal, off the accelerator and take a break?
Kat Bird
It’s a very good question. And again, something I’m taking this year. So I have worked pretty much full-time, certainly since lockdown happened. So I worked a lot on my website before 2020. And so in 2019 I worked on learning SEO and building up a website and creating this brand, and YouTube as well.
And then obviously 2020 hit and all the pandemic and everything, and all the traffic died. And that was when I started creating things like e-books and courses and stuff. So I think I’ve got 15 now in the last three years. And even in the last six months, I’ve just done one on Ireland, and I’ve just done one on Iceland and they’re both live now.
Yeah, it’s a balance. And I’m pulling back very slightly from YouTube, again, creating a little bit less content on there and also on social media in order to focus on a bit more time for myself but also focusing back on the website. And I do quite a lot of shows as well, and I enjoy doing those, so they are fun.
Matt Sims
They are great fun. Yeah. We’re very excited that we’re working with you and our shop team at That Leisure Shop, and we’re very excited to be promoting a lot of the content on your website, selling your books, and you’re helping us grow our business as well and promoting what we’re doing, which we’re over the moon about.
But can I give you permission to slow down? Is that all right? And actually leverage what you’ve built. What you’ve built is amazing. It’s a massive library of really useful content. And it’s okay to go, “You know what? I’m going to have a week off where I’m just going to be himself and hide behind my own windbreak.” That’s okay.
Kat Bird
I’m so bad at that. I think that’s one of the reasons I wanted to stop YouTube especially. It’s because when you do go anywhere, you feel compelled to film it and you feel like you never get out of that. Whereas I’ve made the choice – well, if I don’t film it, and I’m deliberately not filming this week or whatever, then I don’t feel compelled to do all the stuff that goes around with that.
Where to find more about Wandering Bird
Matt Sims
So Kat, where can people come and see you speaking at one of these future events that are coming up? Where can they see you in the flesh?
Kat Bird
So I will be at the Shepton Mallet show of Warners in the middle of September. And then I’m talking at the NEC October show all about Iceland. I’m there every day sharing all about the Iceland adventure, so hopefully I can see some people then.
Matt Sims
I’m sure you will. Gosh, there are tens of thousands of people going to that again. I’m sure it will sell out. But what about online? Where can people find you online?
Kat Bird
I’m everywhere, as you said. So if you want some more advice for motorhoming or van life, then come to www.wandering-bird.com. You can find all my books and courses there. But if you want just to come and chat with me, then you’re very welcome to join my Wandering Bird Facebook group, which is a group for everybody, whether you’re just getting started looking to buy your first van or whether you have more experience and want some ideas for places and things. It’s a really nice group in there.
Matt Sims
It is a really nice group. It’s very friendly. Yeah, there’s no sarcasm. Nobody’s rude. It’s a lovely group.
Kat Bird
I don’t tolerate that. I’m very heavy with the block button on that.
Matt Sims
Are you?
Kat Bird
Well, I’m not interested in it being the biggest group on Facebook.
Matt Sims
That’s why my post got rejected.
Kat Bird
It was. Yeah, I think I have just kicked you out entirely now.
Save on Wandering Bird’s books and courses
Matt Sims
If you are looking to buy any of Kat’s really, really good guides. They’re really helpful, incredibly useful and very informative. Kat has very kindly given a code that you can use. Just type in MOTORHOMEMATT into the discount code on the website to get a discount off all your guides and your books. Thank you.
Kat Bird
You’re very welcome.
Matt Sims
Thank you again for turning left as you headed north. You’re welcome anytime.
Kat Bird
Thank you.
Matt Sims
We are very excited to be working with you and the shop team.
Kat Bird
I’ve never seen a shop like it. I love all the wood and the way you’ve done it. It’s brilliant. So if people haven’t been past it yet, then yeah, do. Down the M5. It’s fantastic.
Matt Sims
Yeah, just off Junction 21. For Weston-super-Mare, where we are, isn’t it, for Bristol. Anyway, thank you, Kat, again for coming in. And we’re really excited about the collaboration we’re going to be doing together on the shop. Thanks again for visiting us. It’s been great to have you.
Kat Bird
Thank you for having me. It’s been fun.
Keith Gooden
That’s the YouTuber and personality in the motorhome and caravaning industry, Kat Bird. What a nice person, Matt.
Matt Sims
She is lovely. Yeah, she’s great, and very professional as well, I have to say. And I think that’s been a real pride for us as a team here to collaborate with her and work with her, because of the business acumen she’s got. And she’s not a businesswoman historically.
She was an air traffic controller, as she said. But she really has built a formidable business and a really helpful website that thousands of people are visiting. So for us to be collaborating with her is a real honour. So thanks for that, Kat. And we are excited as to what the future brings us both.
Keith Gooden
Absolutely. She gave us quite a nice email plug for the shop there, didn’t she?
Matt Sims
She did. Yes. And last week, her email went out. And what was great was that she highlighted a fact that for us as small businesses, we know really well – we’re often cheaper than Amazon. So Amazon’s so convenient, isn’t it? I’m a big Amazon buyer.
Keith Gooden
That’s why people are buying from Amazon, not because necessarily they’re cheaper. But it’s going to turn up the same day or the day after.
Matt Sims
Yeah, and there’s a lot of trust in the room with Amazon. With any problem, the return process is always going to be simple. But Kat observed that we were in our own shop much cheaper than Amazon. And I know that to be true.
I know what we have to list stuff on Amazon for. It’s a lot more expensive because we have to cover their fees. And their fees are really quite big. So if you are considering buying any product, my trick is – I use it. This is a this is a hack, right?
Go on Amazon or eBay and look at the name of the shop, and then go and Google the name of that shop and maybe look at their returns process, look at their reviews. And if you think, “Yeah, they look good,” buy it direct. You may save a few pounds.
Keith Gooden
There you go – inside information. So if you’re new to motorhoming or want tips for touring Europe, going off grid or maintaining your motorhome, you should check out the Wandering Bird website. You can also get her books at That Leisure Shop.
Matt Sims
Yeah, we’re now stocking them. So Kat has written three books. So Motorhoming Made Simple is on display behind my head. The Complete Guide to Motorhoming in Europe -I have to say, it’s a very useful book. And the one the team here in the shop were really impressed with is the Road Trip Logbook.
And Nikki who runs the hire side of the business here, Motorhome Holiday Company, was really taken with this and said, “What a great way of recording a journey.” She was going to start promoting this to our hire customers. I think it’s a good idea.
Keith Gooden
Christmas is coming. It really is – go and get yours right now.
Audience Q&A
Keith Gooden
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com. I’m Keith Gooden.
Matt Sims
And I’m Motorhome Matt.
Keith Gooden
Good to have you here. My favourite part – I say it every week – I don’t want to bore you, but it’s so good! The Q&A, the question and answer, where you the listener and the viewer get in touch. Rob Cotterell was the first in the queue.
Motorhome Matt in Las Vegas
Rob
I’m just catching up some of your podcasts whilst sitting by the pool in Las Vegas. It’s over 100 Fahrenheit here. Keep the podcast coming. Great fun to listen to. Hope you’re well.
Keith Gooden
So what’s the question there?
Matt Sims
He didn’t have one. He was just flexing.
Keith Gooden
He’s just showing off because he’s by the pool in Las Vegas.
Matt Sims
Motorhome Matt is in Vegas. There we are.
Keith Gooden
Nice to know that you’re listening, Rob. Thanks very much. We’re not jealous at all… much. Do you think he’s won anything at the casino?
Matt Sims
100 degrees. That’s pretty hot, isn’t it?
Keith Gooden
I was in Florida a couple of weeks ago. It was 114.
Matt Sims
Yeah, that’s too much.
Keith Gooden
I was in the pool or in the sea most of the time.
Matt Sims
Yeah, I bet.
Keith Gooden
They were dragging me out saying, “Swim free! Swim free!”
Matt Sims
What was that whale? Is it Willy the Whale? What was it called?
Keith Gooden
Free Willy!
Matt Sims
Free Willy.
Keith Gooden
No, that was that was your hobby. That wasn’t the film…
What is the best reversing camera for towing a car?
Keith Gooden
So anyway, Rob’s in Las Vegas. David Cassidy, the singer – he famously did residencies in Las Vegas with Sheena Easton, very famously. David Cassidy sadly is no longer with us. But there is another David Cassidy in Herefordshire who’s mailed us. I mean, who’d have thought?
“Just been reading your recent email. The towing article was very interesting, and I never realised why the test was dropped. I read with interest the bit about the rear camera with a plug in screen, but I can’t find any details about it.”
“We have a much loved Bessacarr E560 motorhome and tow a Smart car. It might be useful to keep an eye on the car while on an A frame and also on its trailer when we go to France. Would the camera work for a length of time, and how would it attach to the motorhome body? Your thoughts, as this would be appreciated.”
So thanks for the question there, David in Herefordshire. David Cassidy in Herefordshire. I wonder if he lives near the Partridge Family. David, you must have heard so much of this over the years, and I apologise…
Matt Sims
I’m sure it’s not the first time.
Keith Gooden
… from the heart of my bottom.
Matt Sims
Yes, so we’ve got three answers for you, David. Hopefully that will make up for Keith’s rudeness. Well, this is a brilliant reversing camera system from Maypole. It’s wireless. Now, for this one the camera needs power. And so does the screen, but the screen is powered off your cigarette lighter. I’m not allowed to call it that, am I?
Keith Gooden
No, it’s the 12 volt supply.
Matt Sims
12 volt accessory socket.
Keith Gooden
You’ve got it.
Matt Sims
The little black thing with the two silver springs on the side. And the camera needs power from your rear light or reversing light, somewhere it can get power. Obviously, putting it for reversing means it will only come on when you go backwards. You want to keep an eye on the caravan when you’re travelling, so you’re going to need to get a permanent live to the camera. That’s one solution.
Keith Gooden
Rough price?
Matt Sims
£115. You’ll see that one at the NEC show.
Keith Gooden
If you’re listening to this podcast five years down the line, it’s going to be more expensive than that.
Matt Sims
Probably, yeah! This one’s from Falcon. I love this one. This is a camera. It’s literally just the camera. And you download an app which you download onto your iPhone or smartphone or iPad. And it’s called Road View.
Keith Gooden
Or Android.
Matt Sims
You and your Android. Literally, it’s just a camera. What I love about this is there’s no screen. You use your phone, which is pretty neat. And it’s magnetic. So it will literally go back onto the back of your car.
But if you put it on the back of a motorhome or caravan, you can bond this little plate to the back wall of your leisure vehicle and it comes with toothpaste. No, it’s not. It’s glue. Don’t put that in your mouth!
Bond this to the back of the cabin. Instructions are all enclosed. And you stick the camera on when you want it for the journey. I think it lasts about six or eight hours on, which was David’s question. And then you can take it off for security, so no one’s going to nick it!
Keith Gooden
Yeah, but part of his question was keeping an eye on the car on the trailer on the back, so you can position it wherever you want to, David.
Matt Sims
Yeah, we’ve used them when we’re dragging our exhibition trailer along and we want to keep an eye on that. Really handy for that. We actually use it on the back of the trailer so when we’re reversing we can see beyond the trailer into the space we’re backing the trailer into, which is really handy. And it’s long enough range.
Keith Gooden
Now, what sort of price for that one?
Matt Sims
£176. very clever. So you have to have a phone to work with that one. And this last one, £320, includes the screen. So you plugg that into the 12 volt accessory socket. The camera is wireless, again. It doesn’t need power, so it connects to its own screen. And you’ve got the whole system there ready to go.
Keith Gooden
So how much is it going to cost you?
Matt Sims
That one’s £320.
Keith Gooden
So there’s a big difference in price ranges. Why?
Matt Sims
Well, it’s about the hardware inside, I suppose, and the amount of packaging and the effort that goes into pulling these products together, I suppose. So it depends on your pocket, but it’s not a lot of money. Not really. If you think if you were going to install a factory fitted one from the main dealer to your car or to your motorhome, you could be spending £1,000.
Keith Gooden
Thanks, David. Let’s hope your car remains that on the back of the motorhome. Question for you. I was travelling here today on the lovely, glorious M5, and there was somebody in a motorhome and they were towing a car at the back and he had the signs on it. But he was going into the overtaking lane and overtaking vehicles. Is that allowed when you’re towing?
Matt Sims
Lane two or lane three?
Keith Gooden
Lane three.
Matt Sims
No, that’s not allowed.
Keith Gooden
No I didn’t think so. Don’t do it.
Matt Sims
No, because the car’s considered a trailer, so it shouldn’t be in lane three.
Keith Gooden
I thought that too. Don’t do it!
Matt Sims
That’s my understanding – correct me if I’m wrong.
Keith Gooden
Yeah, you correct us if we’re wrong, but we’re not. I like pulling up, you see, when people have come off a motorway and they’ve been hoggingthe overtaking lane or the middle lane. I like winding the window down and saying, “Bonjour! Comment-allez vous?” And they say, “What?” And I say, “So you’re not French. Why are you on the wrong side of the road then, muppet?”
Matt Sims
You’re one of those, aren’t you?
Keith Gooden
Yeah, I am one of those.
Why can’t you pour cassette toilet chemical away at home when you already use cleaning chemicals there?
Keith Gooden
Primrose is in Alton. “If water companies are so against cassette toilet chemicals, what about all the toilet cleaners, loo flush blocks and bleaches used in the average toilet? It seems very odd to pick on cassette emptying when so many other chemicals are used in toilets by householders.”
I don’t think water companies are against them. They’re advising. It’s advice. Remember, they’re managing the sewage and the water system. If we all just started dumping our you know what anywhere we like, it’s going to be like going back to Victorian days. I mean, as it is already, swimming rivers and seas is just like that.
Matt Sims
Absolutely right. They’re not against it. It was contrary advice, and I think it was a bit confusing from Wessex Water when they said no, don’t put your cassette down your mains toilet.” But, you know, Thetford were very kind to clarify that. Mixed with the right amount of water, as Qualkem said as well, no problem. So you keep emptying it down your toilet. I will be.
Keith Gooden
Just be a good citizen, Primrose in Alton, and thanks very much for your question.
Get in touch with Matt and Keith
Keith Gooden
Now, if people want to ask a question, record one or write one in to us, Matt, how do they do it?
Matt Sims
Very easily. Just go to mhmp.info/ask matt. Hit the orange button record and the question or fill out the form.
Keith Gooden
That’s the Motorhome Matt podcast .info, mhmp.info/askmatt. Do say where you from. We like to know where in the country you’re from. We’ve got a map with pins in it. I described it a few podcasts ago. And you can leave us a review as well – what should people log on to to do that then, Matt?
Matt Sims
Again, mhmp.info/review. It is getting easier this, isn’t it?
Keith Gooden
Couldn’t be easier – mhmp.info/review. And finally, Matt…
Matt Sims
We would love it if you would share this podcast with a friend. If you’re listening to it and thinking, “I know someone who would find this helpful, useful or interesting,” would you share it with them? Send them a link. We would be very grateful.
Keith Gooden
Or even if they just want a good laugh
Matt Sims
That’s possible.
