Planning your next motorhome trip

Posted on: 05/12/2023

Deciding where you’re going to go next is one of the true joys of motorhoming. Kicking back with a coffee, a notepad and the internet and working out a checklist is usually the next thing – establishing when you can go, calculating how far away it is and the route you will need to take, and so on. In this edition of our blog we’re going to answer all of the questions we feel are necessary to get the most out of each trip.
 

How do you prefer to travel?

Although the answer to this may seem obvious (“in my motorhome”), there’s actually a little bit more to it. Do you want to set off and just keep going until you get there, or do you want to savour the trip and enjoy some quality stop-offs on the way? Nights in different interesting places that you have planned in advance can really set the tone for your break (your 24-hour routine could cycle round: travel and stop, explore, spend the night, awake and travel etc). 

Where should you go?

This is entirely up to you, of course – you could have longer on holiday so want to see parts of Europe, or you could be looking to explore closer to home in the UK. Either way, you should consider whether you have the time to get to your ultimate destination and back. You should also consider the type of place you would rather see. Do you gravitate towards sun, sea and sand, or are mountains in expansive and unspoiled scenery more your thing? Do you want to spend time in towns and cities, and enjoy some social nightlife in clubs, bars and restaurants, or does solitude and the open road appeal more? Are you in a rush so that you can maximise time in your favoured stops and destination, or do you prefer a leisurely pace of exploration and days featuring extended drives?

Who is going with you?

It might be that you are travelling with your romantic partner, or as a family or a group of friends. If you are accompanied by children then you should definitely pack plenty of things to entertain them. You might land up in some beautiful scenery, expecting all concerned to be awed by spectacular views - but there’s no guarantee that the kids will be impressed! 

How do you intend to spend your evenings? If you prefer the amenities of designated parking or campsites, you will find that your facilities are pretty much catered for but you will still have to amuse yourselves. Your vehicle may contain a TV, so you might be able to stream your favourite shows or a film- or, you could have taken along DVDs to hook up. Games are always worth taking on a trip as they are a highly sociable way to have fun – board games, card games, parlour games.

If you are staying somewhere a little more urban then you could head out for your evening meal or a drink, and you may find entertainment too. 

What budget do you have? 

You may be taking your trip on a budget – and this means that you should think carefully about the destination you are aiming for and the likely fuel costs as well as the amount you may spend on campsite fees, meals out and the other things you are likely to have to pay for. You may even be someone who does not have their own motorhome so has booked in some luxury motorhome hire. 

With all of the financial elements combined, whatever your circumstance, can you actually afford to get to the place you intend to go and back – or would it be more prudent to choose somewhere a little closer? Is there a way to still make your intended destination but on a lower budget – rather than 5-star campsites are you open to village car-park stops, could you reduce the number of evenings you intend to eat out, etc?

Other tips for your trip

• Travelling and sleeping: Make sure you have enough berths and travel seats for the number of passengers. It’s crucial to have the correct number of travel seats (i.e. seats with seatbelts), as this is the only legal number of people that can travel in the vehicle. So, for example, if you want to take five people (including yourself) then the motorhome should have five travel seats. You can’t bend this rule so please don’t try.  
• Fuel: Believe it or not, people do make the mistake of putting the wrong fuel into their motorhome – and it’s costly to put right. If your motorhome takes one type of fuel (diesel or unleaded petrol) and you mistakenly put in the other, do not start the engine. Remove the keys from the ignition, put the gears into neutral and then call a recovery service. If you start the engine you will circulate the fuel mixture which will cause increased friction between components. This will damage fuel lines, pump and the catalytic converter. 
• Similarly, putting fuel into the motorhome’s water tank by confusing the fuel cap and fresh water cap is something that sometimes happens. The fuel tank cap is usually black or yellow and the water tank cap is white or blue. If you do make this mistake then get technical help, or use a tank cleaner. 
• Bits and pieces list: Create a list of the items you will need for the day-to-day living of your motorhome trip. This list may include: Kettle, travel cutlery, batteries, torches, LED lights, thermal clothing and bedding (including pillows). Always make a list of the things you need and want to take with you. You can check it off as you load up – and you can do the same when you’re setting off on the return journey, to make sure you’ve got everything.
• Don't overpack: Only take what you absolutely need. Excess baggage contributes to the weight of your motorhome and, additionally, means you are less likely to stay tidy. Plan in advance the clothes you will need (if you can). 
• Use sat nav: Everyone loves a good row between driver and navigator over whether the map has been held the right way up – however, there’s no need for diplomatic incidents anymore thanks to the invention of the sat nav. This little black box (or mobile phone app) can work out your route and provide you with visual and vocal instructions along it. It will also bring you up-to-date information on traffic flow on sections of motorway, etc.
• Safety gear: Ensure you have torches, fire blanket, extinguisher, CO2 detector and smoke alarms. It’s unlikely that there will be a problem, but it’s best to have the right equipment to detect it, and to deal with it. At the very least packing this stuff onboard before you set off should provide some peace of mind. 

Preparing for a motorhome trip may initially seem like removing some of the spontaneity of the leisure vehicle lifestyle – but once you’ve done it once and gotten into the groove of getting ready, it’ll become second nature. Here at Leisure World, we provide an abundance of top-quality new motorhomes for sale, along with an accessories store where you can find plenty of the bits and pieces we’ve mentioned here, to meet your needs.