When you first buy a Motorhome and start travelling you’ll be filled with a mixture of nerves and excitement and there seems to be an endless number of things to keep in mind.
Once you’ve hit the road a couple of times you will start to complete tasks second nature but to make things even easier we’ve decided to share with you a few helpful pointers for when you’re about to take your motorhome out on a trip.
Route
When you start travelling in your vehicle – especially if it’s significantly bigger than a standard car – it can be challenging to unearth the best, and safest, route to a campsite.
When you embark on a journey be aware that satnav systems have their place but they can also lure you into a false sense of security if you’re driving a large vehicle. To avoid misleading routes, check whether your chosen campsite suggests a route and stick to that advice, regardless of what the satnav may suggest.
One of the drawbacks of satnav’s is that they adopt a postcode facility to direct you to site but postcodes can cover large areas in rural districts and you could find yourself easily lost.
Choosing a pitch
Once you’ve arrived at your chosen site you may be ushered to your pitch but if you have a choice about where to park then it’s worth exploring your options
- Near the amenities or far away?
Do you really want to be so close to the amenities or other facilities? It might be good for night-time trips and speedy washing up, but this also lead to more people walking around or across your pitch. - Play Areas
If you are bringing small children on a trip you may feel more comfortable if you are close to the children’s play area so you can keep an eye on them from your vehicle. However, remember that other youngsters may still be playing when your little one is inside so consider whether the noise levels will bother you or not! - Find shelter
Bushes, hedges and other units can form great windbreaks on an exposed site so look out for these areas of shelter. - Be mindful of trees
It might sound appealing to station yourself within the shade of a tree but the grass is often damaged because it’s sheltered. Additionally, trees can drip sap, or even break which is a safety hazard, and birds sometimes have habit of attempting to disturb your motorhome beneath. If it rains, drops could still leak onto your vehicle even after the shower has passed so the advice would be to avoid trees where possible. - Choose flat ground
It may sound obvious but if you have the choice of pitching on flat/steep ground, always opt for flat because that means you won’t need to use a ramp under your wheels to level your motorhome. - Check surrounding water
If the weather is bad whilst your away then it’s sensible to know that rainwater has to go somewhere so try to make sure it won’t travel under the path out of your motorhome. If you are using an awning then this point is even more relevant because you want to avoid water flowing through or under it.