Who are The NCC?

Keith Gooden 0:00
In today’s episode of the Motorhome Matt Podcast…

Matt Sims 0:02
We ask the question, who are the NCC?

Keith Gooden 0:05
In the news, a big announcement from the Camping and Caravanning Club.

Matt Sims 0:09
And we answer your questions on aftermarket warranties, towing a motorcycle and filling a jerry can up at a petrol station.

Keith Gooden 0:22
Welcome to the Motorhome Matt Podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims 0:25
I’m Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden 0:27
Industry insights and expert advice for the world of motorhomes, caravans and campervans. It’s brought to you by www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe.

Matt Sims 0:36
Now, please do remember to follow on your favourite podcast app. Or if you’re watching on YouTube, click that little bell and the button that says, ‘Subscribe.’

Keith Gooden 0:44
Shock, horror. In the news, the Camping and Caravanning Club are not attending either of the upcoming NEC shows. Matt, that’s a biggie.

Matt Sims 0:55
I was tipped off that the club were not attending the show this year, October 2025, and as far as I can tell, the February show 2026. And I was shocked. I mean, they’re part of the fabric of our landscape.

Keith Gooden 1:09
They’re the structure. They’re the foundation on which it’s built.

Matt Sims 1:12
They’ve certainly been around a long time. And so I invited Andrew, the spokesperson from Camping and Caravanning Club, onto the podcast to try and unpack what was going on for them and why. Why aren’t they going? Is this purely a financial challenge? Why aren’t they coming to the show? And sadly, they had nobody available to come on, but they did give us a statement. Keith, you can read it.

Keith Gooden 1:36
“We’ve decided to pause our attendance at the Motorhome and Caravan Show and the Caravan and Motorhome Show at the NEC. The club is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2026 and we want to focus on building excitement and buzz around this exceptional milestone. It will be a very exciting time for us, and we want to make 2026 a truly celebratory year. Full details will be revealed in due course.”

Matt Sims 2:00
So Andrew did say that the club might be happy to come on the podcast in the future to talk about that. So I get that they want to be future focused. Totally makes sense, but they are going to be missed. I spend lots of time with Andrew Dickens, cooking together and having a chat live on their stand. Will the driver training sessions happen, the towing experience that they offer with all the caravans? Fliss and the team do that every year, so I assume that’s not happening either. So it’s a big blow, and campsites are getting a continued bad rep in our comments all the time.

Keith Gooden 2:39
Why?

Matt Sims 2:39
Well, people are saying they’re overcharging. Too expensive, 50 quid a night for a piece of grass and a toilet block that was last decorated 10 years ago. You know? I mean, I said that in a recent reel,

Keith Gooden 2:50
And somewhere to plug in. And remember, electricity prices in particular have gone through the roof.

Matt Sims 2:55
Lots of people are complaining about that, saying, well, I’m out all day yet I’m paying the same as that massive, great motorhome that’s consuming electric all day, and I’m paying the same as them. Or I’m in a tent. Why am I paying the same as them for a piece of grass, and they’re using all the electric? All I’m doing is charging my phone. So I get the disparity between that. Charging for electric – we’ve covered this before. It certainly is a fairer way. But you wrap all that up, and I think campsites are getting a bad rep. They’ve had a tough gig over the last five years. The weather’s been terrible. Lots of waterlogged pitches means they can only use a smaller percentage of their resource. Undoubtedly, costs have gone up, and so they are charging more, but we are going to unpack this some more in the future, not so much what’s going on with the club. Hopefully they’ll come on, and we can discuss that with them directly.

Keith Gooden 3:44
But it’s still a shock they’re not going to be at the next two NEC shows.

Matt Sims 3:44
It is going to be. They are going to be missed. So what we are doing, though, is we’re going to unpack some innovation on campsites. How as a campsite owner do you innovate? And is that part of this problem the club’s facing? I’ve always said before, and I say again, if you don’t innovate, you evaporate. And I think there’s a lot of complacency in this industry, and that is the enemy of success. And I think you have to be creative and say what you’re going to do. We’ve been invited to a couple of campsites who are innovating and doing stuff differently and charging for it too, and they are very successful. So I’m going to unpack with them for the benefit of other campsites listening, but also for you, the consumer that goes to a campsite – or someone like me, I’m part of the problem, who chooses to not go to a campsite. Because we’ve got an off-grid capable motorhome, we can spend nights off grid, and I think that’s a huge challenge for campsites.

Keith Gooden 4:36
As we’ve said before in podcasts in the past, technology has now caught up with people’s ambition to not use a campsite. You know, the motorhome is now capable of powering itself, and so you’ve got the option.

Matt Sims 4:50
Yeah, and people love this trend for going off grid. So this is a self fulfilling prophecy. And I think if campsites don’t do something to change their fortune, then it’s just a matter of time before more and more campsites start to disappear.

Keith Gooden 5:01
I mean, just going back to the Camping and Caravanning Club, is maybe some of the challenge in the title of the club – motorhoming is taking over!

Matt Sims 5:14
It is really, isn’t it? Yeah, absolutely. And of course, the other club, the Caravan Club, went through a whole rebrand and became the Caravan and Motorhome Club. So yeah, there is a big perception. Maybe people are missing the point. They think I’m in a motorhome, I’m not in a caravan or camping, so I shouldn’t go there. Maybe that’s a problem. I don’t know.

Keith Gooden 5:31
Tempus fugit, as they say.

Matt Sims 5:33
What?

Keith Gooden 5:33
Time marches on.

Matt Sims 5:35
Time marches on. Well, yes, it does, but it’s down to us as business owners and service providers to keep up with it and to keep attracting customers into our businesses. We spend hours here trying to re-innovate ourselves and be a leading light and build a business. And we have to innovate constantly, and we love it here. So I wonder if there’s lots of businesses out there in this niche that aren’t.

Keith Gooden 6:00
Yeah. I mean, one thing I learned from using commercial radio and being with sales people, yeah, it’s not budget. It’s desire that makes people buy things. Desire – is your product wanted?

Matt Sims 6:13
Yeah, and this pastime is a desirable, aspirational pastime. We don’t need a motorhome, do we? I mean, there’s all the mental health benefits of going away, sure, and you can argue they’re needed, but I think, yeah, we have to innovate as an industry, and we need more innovation. So this is sad news. I’m saddened that they’re not able to attend. Quite why – we’ve not been told any specifics. We’ve just been told they won’t be at the October and the February shows.

Keith Gooden 6:39
We will miss you. It’s time for our product of the week, and this one has sparked a bit of chat last time, didn’t it?

Matt Sims 6:45
Yeah, and I’m glad, because it shows people are paying attention. We’re talking about Nord VPN again, something I use every time I’m on the road, especially when connecting to campsite Wi-Fi or tethering abroad. You just never quite know how secure it is, do you?

Keith Gooden 7:00
No, especially if you’re checking your bank or trying to get the telly working.

Matt Sims 7:04
Exactly, yeah. A VPN or a virtual private network creates a private encrypted connection even on public Wi-Fi, so your data is protected and you can stream TV like you’re still sat on the sofa at home in the UK. It’s dead easy to set up and it works on all your devices.

Keith Gooden 7:23
We had a great comment from Graham on YouTube, didn’t we?

Matt Sims 7:27
Yeah, we did. Graham Johnson, cheers for this one. He said, “You forgot to include that. Nord VPN gives you ad blocking in the price.” And he’s got a fair point. Thanks, Graham, and he’s absolutely right about the ad blocking too. Nord VPN includes a feature called threat protection, which blocks ads, trackers and dodgy websites before they even load, so your browser is quicker, safer and less annoying.

Keith Gooden 7:49
So you’re staying secure, streaming your telly, dodging pop ups as well!

Matt Sims 7:53
Exactly, yeah, especially useful when you’re on slower Wi-Fi or using your data abroad and you’re not giving your details away on every site you visit.

Keith Gooden 8:02
Okay, so where did people get it?

Matt Sims 8:04
Just head to www.nordvpn.com/motorhomematt, and you’ll get four extra months for free on a two year plan, plus a 30 day money back guarantee, so there’s no risk.

Keith Gooden 8:17
And the link’s also in this episode description. And cheers again to Graham – a proper comment, that one!

Matt Sims 8:23
And if you’ve got a thought like that on gear, tech or just what’s going on in the motorhome world, stick it in the comments. We do read them! Welcome to our Alan Rogers campsite of the month feature here on the Motorhome MattPodcast. And as always, we’re joined by Rob from Alan Rogers. Rob, where are we this month?

Rob Fearn 8:47
So we’re going to Spain!

Matt Sims 8:49
And whereabouts are we going?

Rob Fearn 8:51
We’re heading to Costa Dorada, and the campsite is called camping La Torre del Sol.

Matt Sims 8:56
And where’s this? Whereabouts in Spain?

Rob Fearn 8:58
So it’s south of Tarragona. So if you’re heading down that Mediterranean coast, you’ve got Barcelona, and then Tarragona is the next major town that you come across. It’s about an hour and a half further south of Barcelona. It’s a little bit livelier than some of the other sites we’ve discussed, but it is definitely one for lovers of the beach and the pool.

Matt Sims 9:20
Why is it livelier?

Rob Fearn 9:21
They’ve got a little bit more going on on the site. They’ve got more entertainments, that sort of thing. It’s a big site with spacious pitches, sea views, big shaded areas. Obviously that’s important down there in Spain! There’s a large swimming pool complex with three outdoor pools, including water slides, heated indoor pool and a children’s pool. They’ve got a wellness center, so you can get in there for your spa, sauna, hammam, massage treatments.

Matt Sims 9:48
Nice!

Rob Fearn 9:48
There are lots of other facilities like the mini market, so you don’t even need to leave the site. There are laundry and car wash facilities, bike hire… they’ve got everything going on.

Matt Sims 9:58
What’s incredible is how well appointed these sites are. It’s incredible. There’s not just lots to do on site. There’s loads in the area as well, isn’t there?

Rob Fearn 10:05
There is. So have you heard of PortAventura? Have you been there?

Matt Sims 10:08
Yeah, of course.

Rob Fearn 10:09
It’s three theme parks in one, really. You’ve got Port Aventura, which has rides and shows. There’s Caribe Aquatic Park, which is obviously the big water park.

Matt Sims 10:19
Yeah, it’s amazing as well. And there’s Ferrari Land, just 20 minutes away.

Rob Fearn 10:24
All about 20 minutes away. There’s the UNESCO World Heritage site of Tarragona, which is famous for its Roman ruins, ancient amphitheatre, that sort of thing. Or there’s Delta de l’Ebre, which is a natural outflowing of the L’Ebre river, which is great for bird watching, kayaking and exploring the wetlands.

Matt Sims 10:46
Wow. And of course, food is a big feature at this campsite too, isn’t it?

Rob Fearn 10:50
Absolutely. There are three key restaurants really on the site. So you’ve got La Torre del Sol, which offers a range of traditional Mediterranean cuisine, and El Petit Raco, which means little corner. So that’s ideal for your breakfast. And then if you’re looking for something a little bit lighter, then they’ve got a couple of beach bars, so you can get beachside dining, couple of sundown cocktails, that sort of thing.

Matt Sims 11:13
Let’s go. Let’s do it.

Rob Fearn 11:13
Absolutely!

Matt Sims 11:14
And when is it open?

Rob Fearn 11:15
So the site is open from the middle of March through to the end of October.

Matt Sims 11:20
And what kind of price point are we talking about?

Rob Fearn 11:23
So they offer five pitch types. So they’ve got everything from a standard up to what they call the beach front comfort, which are larger and obviously sat right on the beach. Prices start from 32 euros for the pitch, and as usual, that includes two people, your vehicle and electricity. They do have a two night minimum. There is a minimum stay, but if you book through the Caravan and Motorhome Club, then there’s nearly always a special offer. So if you stay for seven nights, you get an extra night, 14 nights, two extra nights. So the longer the stay, the better value. It’s amazing value.

Matt Sims 11:54
It is phenomenal value. So for some southern Spanish sun, where are we heading?

Rob Fearn 12:01
Camping La Torre del Sol, and that’s south of Tarragona on the Costa Dorada.

Matt Sims 12:07
Amazing. Can’t wait to go. You can find out more about all of the Alan Rogers campsites at mhmp.info/alanrogers.

Keith Gooden 12:15
It’s the Motorhome Matt Podcast. I’m Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims 12:17
And I’m Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden 12:18
It’s brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe. Okay, what are we talking about this week then, Matt?

Matt Sims 12:24
We are talking about an organisation that is prolific in our industry. And again, they are part of the landscape we work on. They’re called the NCC, and we want to know who they are, what they do, and most importantly, why, as consumers, you should care. Because most people have no idea who they are.

Keith Gooden 12:41
Well, I know they’ve got a very bright future, because in Star Trek, it’s printed on the front of the engine! NCC 1701. That’s just gone five o’clock, by the way.

Matt Sims 12:50
How on earth do you know that? Are you a Trekkie? You’ve got the costume at home and everything, haven’t you?

Keith Gooden 12:57
Live long and prosper! I’m not a Trekkie, no.

Matt Sims 12:59
So what does NCC mean? Naval construction, something…?

Keith Gooden 13:03
You’re the one calling me a Trekkie!

Matt Sims 13:06
I’m not at all! Anyway, that is the wrong NCC.

Keith Gooden 13:09
Look at those ears…

Matt Sims 13:11
They’re pointy. They’re hiding under my head!

Keith Gooden 13:14
So NCC, what’s it stand for? What is it?

Matt Sims 13:16
So they are the National Caravan Council, and they are actually the organisation – NCC events run the NEC show that we love in February and October, but they also have loads of other departments and organizations within it. They’regovernment lobbyists. They do all sorts of things in terms of supporting our industry, supporting the trade. And I thought just for some fun at a recent NEC show, I would ask some visitors to the show – who are the NCC and what do they do?

Audience member 13:44
I’ve never heard of them. NCC, National Caravan Club?

Matt Sims 13:50
Nearly. Any idea what they do?

Audience member 13:52
National Caravan Club… are they a bit like the Camping and Caravanning Club?

Matt Sims 13:56
Have you got any idea what NCC stands for?

Audience member 13:58
Absolutely no idea at all.

Matt Sims 14:00
Do you know what they do?

Audience member 14:02
No, is it a national cricket club?

Matt Sims 14:04
Cricket? No, it’s not.

Audience member 14:05
No, I have no idea.

I’ve never heard of NCC, but the sign behind you says powered by NCC. So is it something to do with electricity?

Matt Sims 14:14
No, it’s not. So there you are! So if you’re listening to this, do you know what the NCC do? I was delighted when I asked Simon McGrath, who is the Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement at the NCC, to come on the podcast. And I started by asking Simon, who are the NCC, and what do you do?

Simon McGrath 14:35
We’re not a cricket club. That would be quite interesting. Nothing to do with Star Trek.

Matt Sims 14:40
Oh, really?

Simon McGrath 14:41
Yeah, we stand for the National Caravan Council. The NCC, as we’re known throughout the industry, we’ve been around for 85 years. We were founded in 1939 and in that time, the NCC has developed and grown. It’s a trade association, and we have associated sort of arms and divisions, and we provide all sorts of products and services. But fundamentally, we’re there for our members who are businesses that might be dealerships, manufacturers of caravans, motorhomes. We also represent holiday parks, residential park homes. And there’s a real wide range of people within that whole supply chain. Fundamentally the NCC is a trade association for our entire sector with a rich history and a rich pedigree of all that’s provided for our industry.

Matt Sims 15:30
You’re a trade body, so your members are all in the trade. They’re the businesses in the industry. So you say holiday parks, and you run the NEC show. You have a whole team dedicated to doing that. You’ve got loads going on. We’re going to unpack lots of it. But what do you do for your members, then?

Simon McGrath 15:46
Well, fundamentally, we’re there to support and represent our members. We’re there to help them grow, get involved with sharing lots of communications with them when it comes to regulations, new laws and legislations, that kind of thing. But we provide services like the NCC Training Academy. We provide a whole range of things that will really just support businesses within our sector to grow, to provide great customer service, and to ensure that they are working to the highest standards in terms of safety and product quality. Really, yeah, it’s all those things that you would probably expect from a trade association.

Matt Sims 16:21
Which ultimately, then, of course, benefits the consumer, because you’re campaigning for better standards within the industry, and training and bringing skill levels up.

Simon McGrath 16:29
Absolutely. Although we’re a trade association, the NCC itself, we can never forget the consumer. The consumer is so important, because without the consumers, you know, the companies wouldn’t exist. We wouldn’t exist. And so although a big part of my focus is around, you know, communications to our members on what we’d call a business to business level, fundamentally, it’s really important that we still have that connection to and think about the people who are buying caravans and motorhomes, whether that’s new or secondhand, people that are pitching up, you know, holiday parks and campsites and so on. So it’s really important that we have a consumer focus, too.

Matt Sims 17:04
And as consumers, we often engage with the NCC without even realising it. Two huge shows at the NEC in Birmingham, one in February, one in October, massive events. I mean, about 100,000 people go to them, and 300 dealers or exhibitors trading.

Simon McGrath 17:21
The shows are brilliant. I’ve been going to the shows for a long time now. They’re run by NCC Events, which is, if you like, at the events arm of the NCC. And they are hugely popular. You know, across six days, twice a year, you can get up toapproaching 100,000 people there. I mean, we’re looking forward to the next one, the Motorhome and Caravan Show that’s going to run between the 14th and the 19th of October. There’ll be hundreds of models on display. And for me, they are just great opportunities for people to go along to and see a vast range of models, to look at different types of layouts and that kind of thing. I think they’re great opportunities.

Matt Sims 18:00
They’re a great place to go and discover – all new, of course, only new vehicles at the shows, these two shows we’re talking about. One of the things, though, that I think consumers are unaware of is that little sticker by the habitation door. When you climb into a motorhome or a campervan, you see this little manufacturer sticker that says, NCC approved. What’s that all about? Because this is really important.

Simon McGrath 18:22
It is, and it’s been around for actually over 50 years now. And again, that comes back to the NCC’s history, and it’s in its heritage. It just shows that a manufacturer has been regularly assessed and accredited by the NCC for its specific products or model types, that they’ve been safety checked, and they’re compliant with British and European standards. I think that’s the kind of thing that will really help consumers hopefully make an informed purchase decision, and give them that confidence too.

Matt Sims 18:50
So you would suggest to a consumer, then, they look for that badge of approval, that little sticker on the side of the motorhome or the campervan – or the caravan, actually, as well!

Simon McGrath 18:59
We say, look for the tick. You know, it’s a nice blue tick. Absolutely, and you know what? I’ve got a motorhome, Matt! I’ve got a probably about 15-year-old motorhome. It’s brilliant. We love it, my wife and I. There it is – that badge is there on the side. It’s obviously an older NCC logo on the side. But it’s that element of reassurance. And actually, the fact that it’s been around for such a long time, it’s really important. So yeah, we say look for the tick.

Matt Sims 19:30
It’s also important to mention, though, that for the manufacturers, they have to go through a regular assessment by the NCC to retain that approval.

Simon McGrath 19:31
Absolutely. And we have guys who go out on visits to manufacturers’ premises to do just that. And that’s an important part of the work. And I think that whole piece delves into what the NCC does. That’s just one part of a big array of services that we provide to the industry and therefore to consumers as well, about what we do and what we’re all about.

Matt Sims 19:54
So for a converter listening, then, someone who’s converting campervans, for example, and they’re thinking, “Well, I should be NCC approved, because this is going to win me more business,” – how would they go about achieving that approval?

Simon McGrath 20:06
The first step is simply to go onto our website or get in touch. Or maybe if you’re at the show – we usually have our technical team there too. Just come and come see us at a show, or drop us a line via the website, give a call to our offices, and we’ll pick up the conversation from there.

So let’s talk about the Approved Workshop Scheme. So this is an amazing scheme, which was launched… how long ago was AWS launched? Do you know?

It’s been around for quite a while, certainly a good few years. And I think it’s a really important scheme, because actually, it’s a joint enterprise between the Caravan and Motorhome Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club, and then the NCC as well. And it’s the UK’s largest group of independently assessed workshops. There’s more than 550 fixed or mobile workshops across the UK.

Matt Sims 20:56
It’s constantly growing in membership, isn’t it?

Simon McGrath 20:59
I mean, it’s very much regarded as the benchmark, if you like, for motorhome and touring caravan servicing. And I know I’ve used it before. You know, it’s just one of those things that actually, again, helps give peace of mind. Organisations are behind it, and really want it to be a success. And it is and provides a great service.

Matt Sims 21:18
And often, if you’re a owner of a motorhome that’s still under warranty, or a caravan, then you need to have the servicing done, don’t you, by an Approved Workshop Scheme, which many manufacturers do recognise. Not all, but increasingly, they are recognising a service done by an Approved Workshop Scheme, which, of course, means the servicing is even more convenient, because you get the mobile guy come to your drive and do it!

Simon McGrath 21:41
Absolutely. And I’ve had that done before, to where I store my motorhome. And it’s just great. You know, this particular guy I’ve had fix my van a few times – the depth of his knowledge is excellent. And he’s always a pleasure to chat to. And even if it’s something unrelated to the problem that I’ve got, he’s always happy to show me. “Oh, let me just show you how to do this.” And it’s really, really good. And that’s what’s so important to schemes like the AWS.

Matt Sims 22:08
It’s really important as well, if you’re listening to or watching this, that if you want to find an approved workshop scheme, you Google approved workshop scheme. If you Google AWS, you get Amazon Web Services!

Definitely look for Approved Workshop Scheme!

Definitely. Now, the other scheme you run, as well is CRIS.

Simon McGrath 22:26
The Central Registration and Identification Scheme.

Matt Sims 22:30
Central, not caravan. I didn’t know that. Okay, to me, it’s been the CRIS scheme forever. So what is this? Tell us what this is.

Simon McGrath 22:37
It’s the UK’s national database for registering and identifying caravans. And it’s similar in a way to registering your car with the DVLA.

Matt Sims 22:47
With a V5, which, of course, caravans don’t have.

Simon McGrath 22:49
Last year it was something like 55,000 new and used caravans were registered. Now, it’s really important, because actually it proves you’re the registered keeper. So a lot of this is around confidence, whether you’re buying or selling. Heaven forbid, if the caravan’s stolen, it can help in terms of identifying your own caravan. It helps with manufacturers, with product recalls and warranties. It’s just a really important service that, again, is one of those things that we provide. It helps protect both buyers and sellers by offering that peace of mind through a transparent record, I suppose. And that’s really important.

Matt Sims 23:19
You can tell if a caravan is if a caravan has been registered on CRIS because it has those indelible ink numbers embedded into the plastic window, doesn’t it? They’re melted into the plastic.

Simon McGrath 23:32
I think that’s a unique 17 digit yeah number.

Matt Sims 23:35
You can contact CRIS with that number, and the VIN number of the caravan, the chassis number, and then CRIS will tell you whether it been stolen, written off, and so on. It is a really useful service in our storage business. We use that to confirm that a caravan being stored with us has not been stolen, and we have found a couple that have and the owner didn’t know, which is a bit unfortunate. So also, there’s a brilliant product. It’s called VIN chip.

Simon McGrath 24:01
Again, this is one of the arms of the NCC, if you like, but it’s an advanced security marking system. So again, the NCC has a really important focus on security of the product, on actually, you know, making sure that our own pride and joy, if you like, the caravan or the motorhome that we’ve bought are protected in some way, and that’s what we offer through the VIN chip as well. So these are all important products that alongside CRIS as well help keep our units safe.

Matt Sims 24:32
And all these products are on the website, but you also find them at the show, don’t you?

Simon McGrath 24:35
Absolutely, we’ll have people from VIN chip at the show and CRIS, and it’s just really good to go along, find out more and see how you can make sure that your own unit is as protected as it can be. ,

Matt Sims 24:47
Now the other great service I love at the show is the tow check facility. It’s a great website. And if you’re thinking of buying a caravan and think, well, what car do I need to tow this particular caravan? This service matches specific cars, models and everything, with a specific caravan. So it will tell you, won’t it, about the compatibility of the two.

Simon McGrath 25:07
Yes, using a traffic light kind of system. So it’s nice and easy. I mean, it’s a huge database. It’s basically an online tool developed by the NCC. You want to know that your car and your caravan are a safe and legal match. It’s particularly important maybe if you’re looking to change your car or buy a new caravan, or something like that. That’s just really important, because you can go online, take a look. We have on there something like 16,000 unique caravan model specifications, and it is just a huge amount of information, but it’s so important to get that match right.

Matt Sims 25:43
So this is a free service available at the show, isn’t it?

Simon McGrath 25:46
It is at the show, yes. I think you can go along and if you introduce yourself and have a chat to our tow check people there, I think there’s a limited number of free checks that you can do, based upon the show visit.

Matt Sims 25:58
Very good. Now, one of the things I often get asked is, where do I go to make a complaint? So someone’s had a bad experience of a product or after sales service, and they feel as the consumer there isn’t really anybody who’s got their corner and looking out for them. But you do offer a service, don’t you? Tell me more.

Simon McGrath 26:18
Well, the NCC offers an informal dispute resolution service that basically aims to help resolve complaints that have been raised by anyone that’s transacted with a business or company or an individual that is a member of the NCC. There’s lots of information on our website. It’s obviously quite an important service we provide. But my recommendation there is if you did want to find out more, go to the NCC’s website and look up the informal dispute resolution service.

Matt Sims 26:45
Okay, brilliant. A very useful resource, I’m sure. Now, tell me a little bit about the government lobbying you do, because this is important. I often feel we’re overlooked as a pastime. I’m sure there are some stats somewhere in the NCC library on the value of our industry. In fact, I know there are. It’d be great to know what they are, actually! We often get overlooked by government, I feel. But you’re there to campaign on our behalf as an industry. There was a big campaign going back in time, in 1975, that you were leading.

Simon McGrath 27:12
Again, you’re absolutely right. In 1975 the NCC lobbied parliament to cut the VAT on caravans and it was successful in that. And again, government will always be looking – budgets are always tight. Governments are always looking at where they can maximise revenues into the public purse. And that was a really key one back then. But actually, if you just roll the clock forward a bit, Matt, even in 2020, the government was again looking at introducing a new tax, and the NCC successfully led a lobby to secure a fair motorhome tax. And I think it’s really important because we’ve got to have those relationships with government, with civil servants and with devolved parliaments as well as regulatory bodies. And it’s important just to be at the table for the NCC to have a seat at the table, to have a voice on behalf of the industry, and speak on behalf of the industry, and to then be able to feed that back to our members and the wider industry. And so that kind of work is often out of sight, if you like, and yet it’s really important work. It’s thererepresenting our members in the industry, making sure we have a voice and that we’re being listened to, and that we help shape policy. So yes, that’s a piece of work that we do that’s really important. And obviously, another, much more recent example – I don’t quite like to mention the COVID word, but obviously during lockdown…

Matt Sims 27:13
Too late!

Simon McGrath 27:13
Yeah, sorry! But everything closed down. And the NCC was absolutely central to that work with government to help safely and successfully reopen businesses and holiday parks and campsites and actually then also communicate the regulations at the time that were unique. And there’s a lot of work that went on there.

Matt Sims 27:39
My experience is that it was a massive success. I mean, a motorhome or caravan holiday became the only holiday you could actually have. And I saw some ingenuity at campsites. I remember queuing to go in a toilet block, and there were pegs on the outside, and you grabbed a peg. You couldn’t go in without a peg, and you put it on your person, used the toilet, you washed your hands, and then you put the peg back. And if there were no pegs, no one was allowed in. And there were six pegs. There was something like 20 odd urinals and traps, but there only six people were allowed in. Whether that was an NCC derived scheme, I don’t know, but it was very effectively delivered! And you’re right, the NCC were absolutely key. But there was another campaign as well in 2020, the luxury tax. The government were looking, weren’t they, to put a massive premium on motorhomes, on luxury vehicles. We’re an easy target as the motorist and we’re tourists. You know, we’re right in the firing line, but the NCC was successful in batting that one away as well.

Simon McGrath 29:56
Absolutely. And again, that’s where relationships come in. And it’s about building those relationships with politicians and with senior civil servants, having constructive discussions, getting consultation. You know, quite often government will actually come out with consultations, and they will want to actively encourage people, businesses and individuals, to feedback on proposed new legislation. And so part of what we do is actually encouraging our members to take part, to share their views. They’re usually done online, and they’re quite comprehensive. I’ve certainly done plenty in my time. They are really important, and that’s part of what we would do on a communications level, is actually say to our members, hey, government’s just announced a new consultation on this particular subject. Please, everybody go online. Share your thoughts and also share them with us, so that we also get a good idea of what the sentiment is towards a specific subject. And ultimately, trade associations are really important in that because we represent hundreds of different businesses. Government would be overwhelmed if all of those hundreds of different businesses were to suddenly try to have a voice, try to get around the table for a meeting, and that’s where we come in. You know, we are representing those guys, getting their input, getting their expertise, so that we can share that in the right positive way to shape regulations.

Matt Sims 31:12
So if you’re listening to this and you are an NCC member, get involved. Don’t ignore that post when it arrives. So Simon, I want to ask you – we talk a lot about van life and the popularity and growth of motorhomes and campervans and their ability to go off grid, and the challenges that presents to us as an industry and us as a country. What’s your view on caravanning? Does it have a future?

Absolutely. I mean, caravanning is brilliant. I’ve done plenty of it over the years. The whole van life movement… I mean, clearly it’s really struck a chord, and people seem to sort of love it.

Simon McGrath 31:46
Which has got to be great news, hasn’t it?

Oh, it is, absolutely. But it’s also about being responsible when you’re out there and and making sure that you’re caring for the environment wherever you are. And I think you know, for me, I love pitching up in my motorhome. I would always look to go on a campsite or a holiday park. And I’ve got that infrastructure there. I’ve got the facilities. I think that’s really important. But I think people do genuinely love that element of freedom, the freedom to go touring, to pop up wherever they might want to go. But I would always recommend people look at campsites and holiday parks as the place to sort of stay. I know I do it. I’m going away this coming weekend. I’m off to the Peak District, a little campsite Lovely for me. You hook up, you get the kettle on, get the barbie out, providing the weather’s good, of course, which isn’tguaranteed in this country!

Matt Sims 32:36
I was in Cornwall last week, and the weather wasn’t great. I was still at the barbecue.

Simon McGrath 32:40
There you go!

Matt Sims 32:41
We use the van as a windbreak.

Simon McGrath 32:44
That’s the thing. And I’ve done that many times. I’ve got a wind out awning on my motorhome, and a windbreak too. And that moment is kind of like a Friday evening, hopefully not too far from home, or in terms of having to finish work and then get on the road, and that point where I can just get the Cadac barbecue going, start rustling up something. My wife, Paula, will be helping out. And it’s just that kind of end of the week when you can relax a bit.

There’s something magic about getting away for a weekend in the van. It makes you feel like you’ve been away for a week.

Absolutely. And you don’t have to go far for a change of scene. I’ve always felt that. I mean, you know, you’re quickly into the van on a Friday, late afternoon, early evening, and off you go, and it’s brilliant. And you can tell I’m passionate about the great outdoors anyway, and all that you can do through caravanning and motorhoming, and it’s brilliant. And for me, you’re absolutely right, Matt – a weekend break is just a really good way to reset.

Matt Sims 33:43
Simon, it’s been brilliant to have you in the studio. I know it was a long drive to get here today. We really appreciate you coming in and just sharing a little bit more about who the NCC are and why we as consumers should care, because it is important. And we engage with it, as I said earlier, without even realising. You know, we call the show the NEC show, but it’s actually the NCC show, isn’t it really?

Simon McGrath 34:10
Well, that would be the Caravan and Motorhome Show coming up in October! And thank you, because it’s really important that people are more aware of us. We’re definitely not that cricket club. Nothing wrong with cricket, although rugby is more my game! It’s really important that people are aware of us and what we do, because there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes, if you like. It’s not always obvious to people.

Matt Sims 34:37
Well, it’s great to know there is a significant trade body that has got our back. That’s clear. Where can people find out more about the NCC, whether they’re in the business or they’re a consumer and just want to find out more?

Simon McGrath 34:49
The simplest thing is to either search us online using one of the search engines, or go to our website, which is www.ncc.org.uk, and there’s plenty of information there.

Keith Gooden 34:59
That’s Simon McGrath, the Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement at the NCC, the National Caravan Council.

Matt Sims 35:08
There you go. Now you know!

Keith Gooden 35:09
Bang on, now we know. So what’s your view on the Approved Workshop Scheme?

Matt Sims 35:13
I love it. They’re actually a Motorhome Matt Approved organisation within the NCC, and I’m always banging the drum for people to go and get habitation check every year on their motorhome, camper van, caravan, and go and get it done professionally. I see all the time people saying, oh, you can do that yourself. You can do some elements of it, but only an approved workshop scheme really has the right tools. The damp meter they have is often £700. More importantly, the knowledge to check your vehicle, your pride and joy properly – they know where to look for damp, they know where to look for any electrical issue, and they know how to check the gas system properly to keep you safe. Carbon monoxide is so dangerous. All the guys who are in the Approved Workshop Scheme, fixed workshop or mobile are regularly assessed and trained. There’s also the MCEA as well, which is a competitive scheme. So go to someone who is approved and has some recognition by an organisation like the NCC and their Approved Workshop Scheme.

Keith Gooden 35:14
So how do I actually check if a dealer or a vehicle is approved, then?

Matt Sims 35:52
If you Google AWS, you’ll find Amazon’s web services. So Google Approved Workshop Scheme, and you’ll find all the list of the workshops near you.

Keith Gooden 36:31
It’s the Motorhome Matt podcast with me, Keith Gooden.

Matt Sims 36:33
And me, Motorhome Matt.

Keith Gooden 36:34
It’s brought to you with www.thatleisureshop.com and sponsored by Ripe.

Matt Sims 36:39
Remember, you can get 15% off your insurance premium by using the code MOTORHOMEMATT when ringing them on the phone – or simply click the link in the description.

Keith Gooden 36:49
It’s the Q & A, the questions and answers, where you ask the questions. And Matt, the expert, he’ll give you the answers. If he doesn’t know himself, he will ask somebody who does. And first of all, we’re going north of the border. Steve’s in Dundee.

Steve 37:02
Hi, Matt and Keith. Thanks very much for the podcast, guys. It’s really funny. It’s really informative. We’ve had some fantastic advice from you guys over the years, so I really appreciate it. Quick question, we recently purchased via private sale a Fiat Ducato based motorhome with a nine speed automatic 160 horsepower. Read on various forums that they could potentially be prone to failure. Very rare, but in your experience, Matt, is that something you’ve come across? And a final question if I may, can you buy an aftermarket warranty after buying the van private that would cover the engine and gearbox? Thanks very much, guys. Keep it up.

Keith Gooden 37:39
Cheers Steve, much appreciated. And thanks for the kind words about the podcast. Okay, Matt, I’m unleashing you.

Matt Sims 37:44
Thanks for your question, Steve. So yes, this is a commonly reported issue, and known issue by Fiat. The 160 and the 180 brake horsepower vehicles equipped with this new nine speed automatic gearbox may experience a malfunction of the torque converter in the gearbox, which leads it into limp mode. So it will only, do you know, 30 miles an hour, however fast it will go. It is repaired under warranty, usually just with a software update. So you need to go to your main Fiat dealer to get them to check it for you, and they will do the update. I’ve not had a motorhome have this issue, but we have got vehicles on our hire fleet, and we’ve taken them to a main dealer who has done this little update for us. So definitely worth contacting your Fiat main dealer to get this checked.

Keith Gooden 38:30
So thanks for the question there, Steve. Okay, he did have a bit of a second question there, didn’t he – warranty?

Matt Sims 38:40
Yeah, aftermarket. Thank you. I forgot. So, yes, you can. If you contact a warranty provider, like MB&G, who are Motorhome Matt Approved, and I’ve used them for years, they will sell you a consumer product which is essentially an insurance product, and it would cover this. As I say, this is covered, though, by a Fiat warranty, which you already have on your van, provided you’re getting it done within the first two years if it’s a European build. If it’s a British built motorhome, it’ll be three years long. So do it soon before it gets to that age point. After that, an aftermarket warranty will cover issues like this, and they are not expensive. £300, £400, maybe sometimes less. There are many warranty providers in the market that will sell you products that will cover it.

Keith Gooden 38:40
And shop around, because every warranty isn’t the same.

Matt Sims 38:40
No. Check the details. Check the small print.

Keith Gooden 39:22
From Scotland to Wales, Billy Irving’s in Llandysul. “I have recently bought a 2007 Bessacarr E410. When I bought it, I asked the dealer if I could have a tow bar fitted to take my motorcycle with us when on tour. He agreed to do this at an extra cost. I have since discovered in the handbook that Bessacarr do not recommend towing with the E410 despite quoting a train weight of 4,000 kilograms, Where do I stand towing my bike on a trailer?

Matt Sims 40:03
E4 10. I’ve never heard it called an E4 ‘on-o’.

Keith Gooden 40:09
Now you have. I’ve started a fashion trend.

Matt Sims 40:15
You’re quite right. There is a four tonne train weight on the Bessacarr E410. It’s actually about the size of the on that chassis. I would suggest getting in touch with someone like SvTech. They are the experts on this. They are going to ask you for the VIN number, for the tyre size, and what type of suspension you’ve got, so whether you’ve got single leaf, dual leaf, or just springs. And they’ll be able to advise you on what weight you can tow and whether there’s anything you can do to up the train weight. So give SvTech a bell. Richard and the team were super knowledgeable, super helpful, and they undoubtedly will be able to clarify this for you.

Keith Gooden 40:52
Matt, you have my permission if I make a cheap World War Two joke to push me off this chair. Colin is in Dudley. “Can you take a jerry can and fill it at a petrol station when in France? This is to fill up our van when running the diesel heater, not to drive with a full can.”

Matt Sims 41:11
Okay. Er, my understanding…

Keith Gooden 41:12
‘Er,’? Never a good sign!

Matt Sims 41:16
Yes, you can! Er… there it is again. I seem to remember the RAC recommend you don’t carry more than 10 litres with you in an approved container. So whatever the BS standard is for that fuel container that you buy in a fuel station. I know Brittany Ferries limit you to a five litre container. You shouldn’t be carrying more than that. I also know it’s illegal in Portugal to carry any amount of fuel with you in a vehicle, in any type of container, other than in the fuel tank, and you should also carry two fire extinguishers if carrying fuel in some kind of portable container. But I would suggest checking with your ferry provider or the shuttle if you go on the train, and you can always contact the French embassy for their latest clarification on the rules, and you contact them in the UK.

Keith Gooden 42:11
I read this as, can you just fill it at a petrol station when in France? I didn’t think they might fill it in France and then try and bring it, say, on a ferry or the shuttle back to the UK. So I suppose that’s an added complication, isn’t it?

Matt Sims 42:23
Yeah, and it’s about where the fuel is cheapest. You know, 10 per litre adds up. So carrying it in a generator probably is acceptable. Carrying it in a fuel carrier is the issue.

Keith Gooden 42:33
Okay, Matt, if people want to get in touch, what should they do?

Matt Sims 42:37
We’d love it if you did. You just head to mhmp.info/askmatt. You can fill in the form, and we’ll read out your question. But we’d love it if you recorded it! Just click the orange button, record it, please tell us where you are in the world, and then we’ll play it into the podcast.

Keith Gooden 42:49
And if you’re looking for trusted brands and services, then make sure you visit the Motorhome Matt Approved directory. It’s at mhmp.info/approved.

Matt Sims 43:00
We’d love it if you’d leave us a review. If you listen to this podcast and you enjoy it or find it useful, would you please leave us one? We’re trying to collect more reviews, and you can do that at mhmp.info/review.

Keith Gooden 43:14
You can share this episode with a friend as well. But if you’re YouTubing, what should you do, then?

Matt Sims 43:18
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Keith Gooden 43:27
Thanks for listening to the Motorhome Matt Podcast. Remember to check back here for more episodes full of hints and tips and helpful advice. We’ll see you soon for another Motorhome Matt Podcast brought to you with thatleisureshop.com.