If you could give me just one tip...

[ericonabike]

The good ship Autocruise Starburst is going for its maiden voyage [well, with its new crew, anyway] on Monday. A two night shakedown cruise, first to a local site that we know to try it on EHU then to a pub in Norfolk that I love, to try the wildcamping thing. In between, stopping & shopping in King's Lynn plus breaking the journey at a picnic place to see how good a cup of tea we can make.

Really looking forward to it, but as many others have said, it's simultaneously a bit daunting. Literally like moving into a new house and taking it on tour. So...as the thread title says, what's the ONE big tip you'd like to give us to help us on our way?

 

[jaygee]

Always makes me laugh as the last thing hubby says just before we drive of is :-
"Now have you forgotten anything?"
Does he think that I know I have forgotten something but am going to wait till we get to the destination to tell him what it is?

 

[ericonabike]

I feel a list or two coming on...we'll be taking a pen and notepad to jot down things that occur to us/that we need based on the first time out.

 

[Phill D]

make sure all lockers and doors ( internal) and roof lights are secured. when you drive off for the first time try to note where all the internal rattles are coming from so you can adjust storage or pad items for as quiet and stress free journey as you can.
remember ... you will forget something, you may even break something small.... its cool :Cool: just enjoy and add it to the list for next time.:thumb:

 

[gordoncbrown]

I think there are some checklists on here. Excellent reminders for the first few trips. Once you get in to the swing of things it will be no problem. I must admit when we got our first MH last year I checked and double checked that I had everything I thought we would need. I got the lists off here as well. BUT and I think this is important. As soon as we left the driveway we just relaxed. No point worrying or stressing. If you have all the main stuff you're sorted, if you do forget something you probably don't really need it. We have made several trips now and I don't even look at the lists. Might have a glance before we head to France though.
Enjoy

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[1948]

my tip is,
do not buy any motorhome gadgets/furniture you think you will need Only buy anything you actually want to use but do not have
Or you will, like myself, have a van full of things which I thought I will use but never use.
enjoy

 

[Wildman]

We're figuring on using one light each in the evenings - dealer estimated £200 to swap out all the 20+ lights for LEDs. what's the payback time?

check out ebay you will do the lot for under £70 if you do it yourself. Its not a matter of payback time its a matter of making your available battery power last longer when wilding. My tip remember water and electric are finite when wilding. That is something people take time to come to terms with.

 

[Hollyberry]

I've written a pre-driving off checklist & hung it on the mirror (which is actually the reversing camera but you see what I mean) Everything to check on the outside, then inside. I know if part of my mind was on something else I'd drive off with the step down/windows open.

 

[ericonabike]

Thought I'd report back...

...after a successful maiden voyage! Really enjoyed it, and managed not to break anything. Some embarrassing moments [asking campsite reception for an adaptor for my filling hose then realising that the end unscrewed to reveal the correct fitting] but nothing major. More questions arose, which I'll post elsewhere, but I think we obeyed the most frequently repeated tip given here - to have fun! Thanks for all the other hints and advice, which I'm taking into account for next time...

 

[WynandJean]

......See, told you not to worry. You'll probably realise by now that much of what goes with you on a regular basis actually stays in the 'van so it's only the few additional items that get loaded and unloaded. Glad you enjoyed it and I bet you are looking forward to the next trip.
Wyn

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[JayDee]

Very good point about the wine boxes, we use them all the time in the MH, much lighter and take up much less space. The white ones take up a lot of fridge space though.

You'll just have to wean Shirley of the white and on to the red

I know - no chance!! oh:


John

 

[JayDee]

We're figuring on using one light each in the evenings - dealer estimated £200 to swap out all the 20+ lights for LEDs. what's the payback time?

Getting back to the LEDs. If you don't want to do them all at once, just change the ones you use the most and then gradually change the rest as and when.

Swapping them all for LEDs won't be cheap wherever you buy them, but the more of the lights you use the most are LED's the less time spent on hook-up - i.e. less time on full blown campsites and more time in pub carparks, or small and cheap 5 van sites before needing to charge up again. So the payback time is not a simple financial issue is what I'm trying to say.


John

 

[keith]

Don't drive onto a wet field after rain.

Walk round the motorhome before you set of, you'd be surprised how many things get run over if you don't check. Pilots do it before taking off in a plane but they do have further to fall.

 

[Elvis]

wildcamping

Wildcamping is great! Do check parking restrictions (we ended up with a parking ticket on New Years day!) but don't be afraid to be brazen and park in residential areas, this can often be safer than a secluded place; enjoy

 

[Elvis]

Oh yes...and if you intend to use the MH in the winter, then you should change your gas bottle to Propane (orange bottle) as the blue gas tends to freeze....And you should use your MH all year round, make the most of it :thumb:

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[joner8888]

Drive a m/h as if you are driving a van with a 2 ton weight on it`s roof !
Slow to brake,accelerate,corner and look ahead more than in a car .
Look out for narrow roads and buses and the like comming the other way---they will probably make you reverse!

 

[buttons]

Unless your dog is a very good runner never secure it to the tow bar, one day you will forget he is there.

 

[slobadoberbob]

except if it is Ezzie and she can pull you

Unless your dog is a very good runner never secure it to the tow bar, one day you will forget he is there.

Except if it is Ezzie then she can pull you... often mistaken as a spare battery for my scooter.. now did I not come in with that 3 years ago??? seem to recall JJ was the first to remark about it.


Bob:Blush:

 

[buttons]

Except if it is Ezzie then she can pull you... often mistaken as a spare battery for my scooter.. now did I not come in with that 3 years ago??? seem to recall JJ was the first to remark about it.
Bob:Blush:

Ezzie would be quite safe I guess that a meagre 6.5 liters would hardly take up the slack up. I know i have also said this before but with a privious dog a Briard named Morris, we did forget he was hooked to the tow bar and it was the kids who noticed him out of the rear window trying to keep up. He didn't need another walk for a week.

 

[Diabalo]

A drop of Bio washing powder down the plug holes now and then keeps the grey waste smelling sweet.

Use cheap bog roll it breaks down quicker in the holding tank, not good for the finger nails though

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[beachcaster]

marry a lottery winner


barry