👇For all the items we use in our Motorhome please see our Amazon Storefront* below👇 www.amazon.co.uk/shop/livetodrive?ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_own_livetodrive_dp_cHOrbbaZQsH51 * As an Amazon Associate we earn commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support :)
I agree about 25m of cable and making sure that it is unravelled. I would also remind newbies that they should connect to the van first and then to the electric so they are not walking round with a live wire and vice versa. Take care Gill
Thank you. Yes the plugging of the cable into the van is a good point. We are going to be filming a “setting up at a campsite” video and must include that. Thanks for your full and ongoing support Gill. All the best.
I have a 25m and a 10m cable. There's nothing worse than 25m of cable lying around when the hook up is 5m from the van. You might also mention that not all fridges are equal and not all are 3 way. Compressor fridges are 12v and work differently.
Well said regarding the unwinding of the cable reel. A lot ot people don't realise that this also applies to ANY electrical extension cable. All of these will have 2 ratings- one for when it's coiled and one for when it is fully unwond
Thanks. Had a few say that it is fine and have been asked why I would unwind 25 metres when only needing 10. Safety is an interesting thing when those people who ‘think’ it’s ok continue to do something because it has never gone wrong fail to appreciate that isn’t a guarantee it never will. Thanks for watching and your support.
Thank you so much Mike. I live in Spain now, but I recently lost my husband and have bought myself a small campervan which I am collecting this week. Having never driven one before I found the information you provided extremely helpful. I have made notes and now know what question to ask when I go to collect. So thank you for being so informative.
Thinking about buying a motorhome been watching your videos can honestly say I think they have helped learn a little bit more about what I should look for things to do 👏👏👏👍
Very good content. Also having info regarding stages if the video is good. Glad you didn't start swigging the pop and munching the biscuits. A genuine channel keep it up.
I don’t own a camper van, I’m not even looking to buy one and yet somehow I ended up watching this video. I thought it was really interesting, informative and now I know all about the blue tap 😂
We are just about to buy our first memory maker…so we’re about as newbie as newbies can get, although I’ve got quite a bit of camping experience. Videos like yours are going to be invaluable to keep our memories being more good than bad! Agree on the 25m cable… extension leads can never be too long! Happily subscribed and following for more… we want to be welcome in the community! See you around!
useful tips as I'm thinking of quitting expensive bricks and mortar life and living van life around the whole of the uk for a couple years . Your top ten tips remind me of a saying I always use " experience is something you get 10 minutes after you need it " feel free to use that licence free anytime you like :) and thankyou for trying to give newbies the experience BEFORE they need it ! .
Thanks. So you are planning a temporary change from brick to van. Although unlikely, if you could somehow time the sale of the house while the prices are high, travel for 2 years and buy a house again during a price reduction (if the recession comes) it might actually save money. Thanks for your comment. I will use that quote as I love it and thanks for the license free too 😁
What a great video we've had out van almost a year and had the same problem with the water when we first went out this year , solved it but had no idea how as just pressed buttons near the tank and it stopped. Spent our life savings on this van after my partner was so unwell and in hospital for 5 months , decided to live life and camping no longer an option, thank you I have subscribed a d will continue to watch 🙂
Thanks. I do understand vans are a huge financial commitment and continue to be with the things we buy to put in them. I also totally understand regarding decisions after your partner was unwell. We hope your partner is doing fine now. We wish you many happy travels. Sincerely appreciate your support.
Thank you, loved the video. We are newbies. Went on first drive out took tea bags etc but couldn’t make anything work so had a mug of cold water & then I hit a bus side mirror with our left side mirror, SUCH FUN. Also didn’t know there was an open & close on the toilet. Will be doing the Shake Down Test on our drive now! We got our Motorhome as we wanted to make memories so your “Memory Maker”, hope I got that right as it made me feel right at home with you. My husband Jack is walking our beloved Labrador I can’t wait to tell him that I found your site. Happy Travels 🙂🫶🏼 Julie & Jack
Julie & Jack, thank you for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. These vans are definitely ‘memory makers’ and whilst they bring their own set of problems; sorry to hear you hit another mirror (most people will at some point), you will both look back at the places travelled with admiration. As I always say to people, ‘we don’t only live once. We only die once. We live everyday.’ We wish you many happy travels.
Enjoyed the informative video and your dry sense of humour :-). Just retired, my wife and I are seriously considering buying a motor home. We recently sold our caravan to make the leap to a motorhome. Your video has eased my worried mind and confirmed this is a real option and there is a wealth of support out there to help us along the way. Thank you.
Thanks. I’m just an old Brummie 😁 So are you still looking for a Motorhome? There is such a large choice and different layouts. We would always say to buyers, look at lots, narrow your search down and then, if possible (and available) hire one before you buy. Happy travels.
Great video. Totally agree about the shake-down trip. We’d been campervanning in a T5 for 10 years before getting a 6m van, but there was still lots to learn. One thing I’d add about the cassette loo: always make sure the flap is shut before you try to remove it to empty it, or the flap will get dislocated by the removal process. If the cassette offers any resistance when you try to remove it, stop and check! I didn’t and it took me two hours of Googling and fiddling to fix it.
Yes a good bit of info. We have got a video coming out showing how to use (remove, empty and refit) the cassette. Thanks for watching and your comments.
Great points thank you. We haven’t even collected our Motorhome yet and there are point that I had never even considered. Thank you. New followers here. 😃👍🏼
Fantastic. One thing with vans is we are always learning. Thank you for your support and we wish you many happy memories with your new van (when you pick it up) 😁👍
hi.... I'm a new newby without even my first moblle home...yet!...I love your videos...keep em' coming...I'm listening to your every word!...and making a lot of notes! - :)
Awesome info as I'm just searching for my first MH right now. I do have a question or two if I may about the 3 way fridge/Gas - Uses Battery when vehicle running 👍. Uses EHU when connected on site/on your drive 👍. Uses Gas when not with EHU or vehicle is not running 👍. So, if you were to park the vehicle up for lets say a few weeks with no EHU...would you leave the fridge 'on' using the gas, or can you turn it completely off so it doesn't use gas; and I'm guessing you simply clean out the fridge and leave it open to air? Also, when you're driving from place to place, do you switch off the Gas bottles? Thank you - New Sub.
@@pilgrimoutdoors-uk6177 thanks. When not using the van we turn the fridge off and leave the door on a catch that allows it ventilation. You are right you should not drive with the gas bottles on. If the fridge, like ours, has an auto setting then after starting the van the power shows a battery symbol. As a basic check when we are about to go, Fran will take a look to see that the fridge is now running on the battery. Many thanks for your support and subscribing 👍
Excellent stuff. I will try and remember all of this when we eventually get our motorhome. It's a shame I didn't know you were there on the prom at Morecambe as you would have been about 400yds away. A water topup would have been easy :). Ian
Glad we bought an old Moho with analogue systems, we have heard some horrendous stories about faulty digital control systems in Mh's and the price of repairing them especially Sargeant systems, most have to go back to manufacturer for repair at astronomical cost.
I will admit I do love tech. Particularly new tech. I think it’s the beeps and the lights 😁 but all this technology and the Adblue that is used to reduce emissions are just additional items that will in future go wrong and, as you said, cost money.
Top video...wise words, informative & humourous...As a newbie MH owner, there's so much to learn & remember! Got to my first site last Saturday...a CCC temp holiday site at Durham...First mistake was not taking a fresh water hose pipe tap attachment...(Ups). Special thanks to Paul (& Ken) at Durham DA who save the day by lending us a tap & hose adaptors. Really friendly & knowledgeable guys...recommend their well organised sites.
Ah the hose attachment yes. Thank you. We will note that for the future as it is another thing to think about and to remember to take back with you when leaving the site. Thanks for watching and your comments.
Another fantastic video, with great information. Now I have found your channel, I will watch all your videos, you are excellent at this and long may you continue. Many thanks for your time and effort.
Can't believe you mentioned the blue tap! Last night whilst getting the moho ready for a trip I wanted to test the water works. As you said, water running from under the van. After much worry, reading manuals, looking on forums I accidently came across the blue switch. Wish I'd watched your video earlier.
Another great advice video 👍🏻. In the early days we drove off with various bits still switched on and spent the first part of our next stay trying to get rid of a red warning light. 25m cable perfect, never had an issue. Reels are useful for some but we never had or needed one and it packs flatter (important now in the smaller van). The amount of cables you see partially out on reels or just hanging tangled though! I’ve obviously been well trained! 😇 Have a good weekend.
I do see cables still on a reel and it is not a good idea. Yes space is always a consideration in any van. Shakedown tests are so important in our opinion. Thanks yet again Sue. Have a great weekend too.
@@LiveforTravel Yes, really nice campervan to drive. Converted in UK last year, sad to see it go, but need some extra 'comforts' that a larger campervan will give me!
@@neilwatson7158 cable is available in most good camping stores. Also on our Amazon Storefront shop www.amazon.co.uk/shop/livetodrive?ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_own_livetodrive_dp_cHOrbbaZQsH51
Excellent information…….Thank you so much🙏….just what I’ve been looking for…..Very realistic and helpful information and I’ll be checking out the rest of your videos…….love your straightforward,objective and balanced approach🙏
So as far as electrics inside the motor home are concerned, can you run sockets of a large portable battery? And if so is there any you would recommend?
We can’t personally recommend one as we have not purchased one. Depends on your budget and power output needs but anything like a Jackery would offer AC socket/s.
100% agree 25 metre cable for all the reasons you mention. Being a bit OCD I make sure it is in straight lines as well. I have a two metre cable for plugging the van in at home (with a handy little sign reminding me on the dash - learnt by my mistake!).
Thank you. I don’t mind having to reel out the cable. Prefer to be prepared wherever we go. I also have some OCD tendencies. Ah, plugging in the van. I would put the same on the dashboard if we stored it at home. Thanks for watching and your comments.
Big one to bear in mind... Regardless of the body width, it is the width across the mirrors that determines the clearance on tight roads... Ducato wide mirrors fitted to many coachbuilt models are over 10 inches wider in total than the standard van versions, a huge amount less clearance. Many models wearing these *could* be wearing the 4" narrower medium mirrors or even van mirrors with a perfectly good view, expecially considering they all now seem to have a reversing cam. Having driven a lot of miles in both panel vans and 7.5tonners, and having recently hired a fairly narrow Ducato motorhome wearing wide mirrors, I am sure that a "slimline" model with standard mirrors would be hugely more pleasant to drive in our national parks than anything with the wide mirrors.
Could not agree more. I would be surprised if the narrow arm versions didn’t work on the 590… the body isn’t that wide. Having the long arm ones are an issue on many country lanes, and some roads, as it is not only oncoming traffic to look out for but also trees that are right at the edge. I too have driven many miles in a 7.5 tonne and vans (short arm mirrors) and can see why pictures of broken mirrors on forums are common.
@Live for Travel a lot more expensive to replace a one piece electric adjusting heated mirror on a Ducato than the cheap mirrors on a 7.5t that just bolt to a fairly indestructible metal arm as well. You can be as careful as you like, but can't always avoid a smacked mirror from a kamikaze lorry/coach driver coming round a bend with their wheels right up to the white line and their own mirrors hanging over it by a foot.
Excellent video and advice - realise I have already bought the wrong cable as 1.5mm not 2.5mm. Will it survive with low usage? Probably a low volt kettle is the most I'll use!
Thanks. The 1.5mm will be ok but many campsites (and my electrician) state 2.5mm because of the safety margin it affords. Most important thing to do is not use it while some of it is coiled on a reel.
Hi Paul (Worro kid) great video thanks and we followed the great advice and done a shakedown at a very local CL site. Best advice I can give to fellow newbies is buy a 12v cooler as fridges a d freezer take a few hours to get to temp. Quick question if can, Power pack to use our coffee machine or inverter as we've got a 100w Solor panel ?
Thanks. Yes that is a good idea although again it is always a trade off between space, weight and benefits. We have never used a power bank or inverter to date so unable to advise, sorry. Of course, if you were on EHU you would likely be ok as a 16 Amp outlet will do 3.68kw. As per link www.getoutwiththekids.co.uk/camping/camping-tips/using-an-electric-hook-up-ehu/
Thanks for the video, I am very much a newbie (hiring a Swift Select 122 in Sept for a week prior to a campervan purchase, to make sure it's the life for us!). I hadn't appreciated that even though a fridge can run off 12v, it won't run directly off the leisure battery with the engine off! I understood the battery couldn't keep the fridge going for too long directly off a battery but didn't reaslise it's just not possible anyway. Think I was OK on all the other points though (apart from the blue tap 😉 )
Ah yes “try before you buy” is a good approach. I personally know a friend who purchased a Motorhome and sold it 3 months later. The “blue tap” continues to be a popular newbie problem on the group. Thanks for watching and we hope you enjoy your time with the van and continue to make many memories if you go on to buy your own in the future.
Thanks for the video. We’re looking to hire a motor home next year for our first trip. The motor home will be the same model as yours so both this video and the others on your channel have given us a very good introduction to this vehicle. We were also thinking about how best to pack clothes as until we actually get to the motor home we won’t really know how things will fit so we were pleased to see your tip on packing separately. Thanks again.
Thanks. We do love our van but like with any camper, there are compromises. Just depends which compromises we are willing to make. Thanks for watching and your feedback. It is appreciated. We hope you enjoy your time in the RT T-Line590.
Thank goodness I found this video and now subscribed to your channel. Completely new to MH and will take delivery of our Rollerteam on the 3rd March. Great tips to create a checklist. Will certainly look at the 25 mt. Also. Still trying to understand the Blue Tap. Really nervous just now as there just seems to be so much to learn!.
Thanks. The blue tap and button trip when the temperature drops. Just need to check when filling the van with fresh water (which also will fill the boiler when the pump is on) that the knob is turned in a way that permits the button to stay in. If it is out when you put the pump on it will pump the water out of the valve to outside. All the best with your new van and thanks for the feedback.
Thank you so much really helpful. I cannot find the link for the weight/dimension stickers. Must be doing something wrong sorry. Please could you let me know what it is?
No problem and thank you for watching and your feedback. Link is in the description but unfortunately as it says the place we purchased them from aren’t selling them now. Here is the link we have added but we have not personally used them: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CAR-VAN-LORRY-TAXI-HGV-TRUCK-PERSONALIZED-MAXIMUM-HEIGHT-OF-VEHICLE-STICKERS-/263470716117?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0
Hi Paul Can you advise, we are finally purchasing our first motorhome and will be putting in storage, my question is about the fridge please. We thought we would be able to but our groceries from the supermarket before we left on a trip and put in the fridge, however as the motorhome will be in storage the fridge will not be switched on until we start driving it so will not be cold enough to put our groceries in. What do you do, we thought about putting them in a cool bag whilst the fridge is getting to temperature which may help. Thank you for your video’s they have been a great help to give me the confidence to purchase our motorhome and start enjoying the way of life you do.
Great, thanks. We have the same as you say. We put freezer blocks in with the cold food whilst the fridge is cooling down. Main point is not to overload the fridge. We did this once, with items stacked food on top of each other. Basically like in the home, we make sure there is space for the cool air to circulate. We ensure that the fresh meat etc is closest to the ice blocks and only use the upper half of the fridge for foodstuffs as the coldest point is near the fins which are located just under the freezer box. We find that if we keep it on maximum it gets too cold & things start icing up, even in the fridge. We sincerely appreciate your support and feedback and wish you many happy travels in your new “memory maker” van.
Hi we both to waite 5 years untill we can retire. Loving the pilote 650c ..just dreaming of the day but untill then I will have to make do watching everyone else out enjoying there trips lol 😂
Brilliant wow I had to get my note pad and pause it 😂😂 I am new to motor home ownership just bought my first one only last week don’t collect it until July gotta have habitation check mot and service first I put a figure in my head when I was looking thinking of getting an older one so had £20,000 in my head thinking that’s plenty well I went to a show room to look at some and I saw that many some that ticked most of my boxes but wasn’t fully ticked so looked at more which confused me even more so after 5 hours plus I think we chose the right one double and more of what I was thinking but it’s an amazing motor home and I am excited for the delivery now I ain’t the most patient of people when was told first week in July I nearly cried 😂😂but I am still excited to wake I settled for a 2015 Fiat ducato Swift I am a newbie so please don’t criticise me for my choice or tell me any horror stories please 😂😂it’s my first motor home and when I get another one I will have the knowledge to make more choices in what I really want hopefully next time it will be brand new but was quite surprised when I done my checks while was there £165 year tax as it’s classed as cat c licence and ulez exempt so am happy living so close to London if there’s any sites where I will have to go into London I would be happy to take it thanks for posting this has it has really made me think especially about the checks to do before we go away fir very first time and I now have a list of questions for when I collect it all jotted down and ready to fire at the sales rep 😂😂thanks again and look forward to watching some of your others very informative 👍🏽👍🏽😁
Thanks. Where to begin… choosing the right van is difficult; maybe impossible, as ultimately there are usually compromises, it’s just which compromises people will be ok with. As for the specific model you have chosen; we would never criticise the choice. Personally, we don’t know much about the model anyway but a van, any van, will be your “memory maker”, your accommodation, your transport, your everything. You may have times that are not so fun; for example trying to avoid striking the big mirrors with trees at the side of the road or oncoming vehicles, nothing is ever 100% even if some channels portray it. But the bottom line is it will be your van and, depending on how long you own it before changing, will hold many happy travels, memories and you will doubtless look back at those journeys in the future with very pleasant thoughts. We sincerely wish you all the very best with your new van. We also thank you and appreciate your support. ATB.
@@LiveforTravel I know am really excited for my new found adventures ahead was just watching one of your other top 10 helpful tips and soon as you mentioned mirror covers was Googling it to find some no joy as yet but I will find some as I am lorry driver always looking out for over head low trees and one thing I did notice with the model I have chose I did notice straight away how far out mirrors stick out bit worried about it but am sure I will be careful with it as it wasn’t cheap and like you said the fiats are £400-£500 to replace I don’t want to be doing that thanks again really helping me take notes to help me soon as I go to Collect the motor home got a plan in place to do nc500 trip next year when I have more holidays available to me not sure if you have done this it’s meant to be good route to try from what I been reading I want to do route 66 but thinking of doing it after I retired hiring an rv and doing it 😊😊thanks again guys will be on your Amazon soon ordering electric hook up reel and cable and there’s few other bits I want off there too 👍🏽👍🏽
I think the issue with mirrors for me personally wasn’t a problem as I have been used to driving so many vehicles (like yourself) including modest size trucks; a 7.5 tonne Ford Cargo. What we noticed was there are many lanes in Britain that have trees right at the edge of the road. This means of course you have to allow for that as well as oncoming traffic. For the Ducato copy parts are available for under £200 (I believe) but Fiat ones are over £400. It’s not just the cost though it would be the issue of having to drive while finding a replacement. For the main part of our travels it’s not a thing but many campsites are located at the far end of some quite interesting lanes.😁 Our advice would be to pick campsites with careful planning and where possible, assuming you want to venture the local area and the site isn’t walking distance from it, somewhere with good public transport links. We found that [even] if we were happy to drive the van into a town to visit from a campsite, the whole disconnecting and moving stuff to put it back into “van mode” was more effort than we thought and so only stay where we can venture on foot or with public transport. Of course, a big thanks for any purchase from our Amazon Storefront as, although we receive only a very modest commission, we are still grateful for the additional support. 👍
@@LiveforTravel yeah we have been thinking about this when we go on our first which won’t be long after collecting it that we thinking of booking up a short break just to get a feel of the motor home once we stocked it up of all the essentials we will need few years ago was big camper. But as the kids got older it just felt a bit of a mission with all the setting up and setting down of the tent and I lost interest in it and we started having caravan holidays instead motor home has always been in my heart for many years said to the wife one day we gonna have a motor home and we are so in love with our purchase I have looked at the mirrors on these fiats and your right they ain’t cheap at all I noticed the lanes when ever we went camping we used to do a lot of north wales and south wales when camping but thinking of venturing a lot further with the motor home as it will be like home from thanks again for the reply and your blogs I know I always say it but they are very informative to new owners and have helped me get to grips with things I never would of thought about and will give me the knowledge ready for our first trip are you a caravan club member??? Is it worth joining?? I got a quote for insurance and they asked me if I was member as I would get a discount the insurance company I have chose who was given to me by the sales rep also included 270 days access in eu countries which I thought was brilliant done companies only allow 30 days I believe love your motor home by the way nearly bought a transit motor hone but it was just too old and tired and looked like it had suffered damp at some point so I moved away from it and looked at others leading me to my choice of the fiat Thanks again Jeff 👍🏽👍🏽
Unsurprisingly we have a video about the caravan clubs. We were members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club but have now allowed that to finish as we believe there are plenty of options out there. Much depends on the type of sites you prefer. The aforementioned have quite rigid rules and are relatively expensive although we have never stayed at one which wasn’t clean and nice. We use Comfort insurance due to the number of people that have left their thoughts about them. I believe they are a broker and we found them extremely competitive.
Which motorhome do you guys recommend I'm looking to buy an old school one maybe that needs to be renovated I'm on a very tight budget :/ looking for an inexpensive one
This is a difficult question as people all have different priorities and levels of acceptance for compromise. A “very tight” budget can be £1k or £10k. Unfortunately the market (for now) is still really buoyant with new vehicles costing 20-25% higher and waiting lists of 1-2 years. The current market means all Motorhomes are more expensive and likely to be so until at least 2024. Do you want a full on Motorhome or a campervan? How many berths? Weight limit (thinking license)? A popular base vehicle for vans, particularly older ones, will be the Fiat Ducato. As for any particular brand of conversion, at that age, this is not so relevant as issues customers may have had should have been resolved. The most important things to look for is good service history on the base vehicle and a recent damp reading performed by a reputable company. Doing this should limit the surprises when you have purchased it. We hope you find the van that works for you.
You say you can’t run a fridge off the battery’s unless engine is running… but that’s not correct is it…? If you got lithium 12v system you can draw power as long as the battery’s are charge.. isn’t that right..?
@@robertoshea6227 first comment and it's a negative. 😀 We appreciate them all. In the video it is said that our van, 'like many' has a fridge that will work from EHU, gas or the battery (if the engine is running). If you wanted a fridge to work on a lithium set up and if the install accounted for this, yes indeed you can. However that is not what this video is about is it? There are many different options available for vans and it is down to the converter and buyer to get what they want. Our van is not installed with lithium and, if it was, the system would still only allow running the fridge from the battery with the engine running. Unless it was converted to do so. An interesting point for me is an absorption fridge, as fitted to ours and many vans, uses a lot more power than a condenser type. So, had your question not been rhetorical, and it simply stated 'you could run off the battery if you wanted it converted that way' we would all have pink and fluffy clouds above us. For us, we are more than satisfied with how our van is connected with regards to the fridge. Never had any issue running it off the gas. Appreciate your time with commenting.
A few comments. Not all fridges are created equal. Our Dreamer D60 Fun has a HUGE (149L) fridge freezer that runs off 12V... I'm not sure if it uses 240 when we are on shore power but it definitely keeps working off 12V when we camp wild (and the freezer keeps making ice etc.). This is driven by the fact that the van has a small (3.9Kg) propane bottle - for the 2 burner hob - and a Truma Combi 6D - electric or diesel - hot water and heating. This is a setup that I am delighted with (and it was happenstance rather than a conscious choice as it's our first van). Did over 40 nights last year and I swapped the gas bottle for the first time at the start of this season and I reckon it was empty - so 40 + days of a 3.9Kg bottle. Heating and hot water (when wild) straight from the vehicles diesel tank. Now another mystery Truma control panel code... I guess this also applies to gas powered Truma systems. One of our side windows has a mystery black box (well it was a mystery). Turns out it is a sensor to detect if the window - which is above the Truma exhaust - is open. If it is you get some weird code (EH264?) and your hot water and heating won't work off diesel. It's a mistake you only make a couple of times. Power cables. Yeah we went with a 15m one. Second trip first stop (a C&M site) cable not long enough ended up buying a 25 or 30m cable in the site shop. We carry both mainly is I don't have to fully unwind 30m of cable when the EHU is 10m away. Joining cables together? Technically you can but MANY site wardens will not allow it.Ohh the blue tap. Yeah went through that learning experience and another one. I winterised our van - emptied everything, bought food grade antifreeze and flushed the system with it and left the in the shower, tap, toilet flush lines. Then I took it for a habitation check... and the chap helpfully threw away £20 worth of food grade antifreeze.
There are many different things to learn and we, like everyone, are still learning. Having the option to use the diesel is great. Yes the little black box is a contact sensor which prevents our system from running on gas, and hence venting outside, if the window is open. System is fine if only running on electric of course. Cables has brought many an interesting comment from viewers. Personally, 25 meters is sufficient for probably 98% of sites. Thanks for watching and your extremely informative comments.
A good question. If the van is used and the temperature inside is ok it would be fine but I was informed if the button will not stay in then you would need to keep it in by putting something against it. Once the heater starts to warm it would keep working without anything holding button in.
Can I just add that even if you can tolerate staying in a van which is not level, the chances are your fridge will not ! Always make sure your van is more or less level !
@@LiveforTravel Another tip for owners whose fridge has stopped working owing to a tilt.; our dometic needed resetting. Press the on button for at least three seconds until you hear a peep. The fridge is then reset.
Hi paul,very informative as always,and entertaining,i’m not sure how to ask you questions without tagging them here,even though it’s not specifically about things you covered here.As you’re aware we met at searles site Hunstanton,i’ve since purchased my 2021 Tline 590 and have been on two trips totalling 22 days,we use the drop down bed in the fully down position,there is a little sideways movement,by that i mean the bracket moves in the tracking slightly,when we move about in it,the bracket makes a slight knocking noise as it hits the tracking.Is this normal,does your bed do the same.?,i’m asking as i don’t want to damage the brackets and have to make a lengthy trip to the dealership.
Stephen. Apologies. RUclips blocks comments if it thinks there is a link to a site in it. These are then held for me to review. Because your comment had a sentence that ended “here” and then you put the full stop and the first word of the next sentence “As” with no space between it and the full stop (an easy thing to do) it changed it to a link and withheld the comment. We have not ever used the elevating bed in the fully down position so am unable to say. However, I am in contact with another owner who I can ask on your behalf. I will let you know. Thanks again.
@@LiveforTravel thanks again,it would be interesting if you could ask,i have posed this question on a forum,but had no replies,i imagined as your children use the the bed ,you might hear the bed knocking slightly inside the tracking.Thanks so much for your advice and information.
Great info, thanks! We are collecting ours next week. Can I ask you what's your advice on a cover? Or mainly a roof cover as there are lots of birds by us who leave deposits !
Covers. Good one. We are unfortunately not permitted to use one at the storage site. For a classic we have we did use a car cover. The problem with covers are they try to be both breathable and waterproof which really means a compromise. Our classic car specialist disapproves as they trap moisture so we rarely use one now. However, most of a Motorhome isn’t steel and a cover will afford some protection, particularly if the vehicle is to be left for some time or, in your position, to protect from birds. Personally, a vehicle that has got a good quality polish applied will cope just fine with whatever the weather or wildlife can throw at it. Also, unlike a car, I would think fitting a cover will be a little more difficult with the height and of course there are likely different items on the roof to be careful of. They are big investments though so we totally understand why you want to protect it. We wish you many happy travels in your new Motorhome.
I am certain. The fridge runs at 205 watts (17 amps) on 12v and is wired to be powered only from the battery when the vehicle is in motion. It is an absorption fridge not a compressor so the power consumption is much higher.
👇For all the items we use in our Motorhome please see our Amazon Storefront* below👇
www.amazon.co.uk/shop/livetodrive?ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_own_livetodrive_dp_cHOrbbaZQsH51
* As an Amazon Associate we earn commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support :)
good video, especially for someone like me who has yet to get his motorhome but has plans to soon...so cheers!
Thanks. All the best with finding your memory maker.
I agree about 25m of cable and making sure that it is unravelled. I would also remind newbies that they should connect to the van first and then to the electric so they are not walking round with a live wire and vice versa. Take care Gill
Thank you. Yes the plugging of the cable into the van is a good point. We are going to be filming a “setting up at a campsite” video and must include that. Thanks for your full and ongoing support Gill. All the best.
good point! I've only done it once so far and accidentally did it correctly, but that was luck not foresight haha
I've got a 10m cable does 99%of the time ..
Our very first trip in our T6 we had to park further into the pitch than the site would like as we couldn’t reach.
I have a 25m and a 10m cable. There's nothing worse than 25m of cable lying around when the hook up is 5m from the van. You might also mention that not all fridges are equal and not all are 3 way. Compressor fridges are 12v and work differently.
Well said regarding the unwinding of the cable reel. A lot ot people don't realise that this also applies to ANY electrical extension cable. All of these will have 2 ratings- one for when it's coiled and one for when it is fully unwond
Thanks. Had a few say that it is fine and have been asked why I would unwind 25 metres when only needing 10. Safety is an interesting thing when those people who ‘think’ it’s ok continue to do something because it has never gone wrong fail to appreciate that isn’t a guarantee it never will. Thanks for watching and your support.
Picking up my first motorhome on Sunday, need all the instructional videos I can get!
We know how that feels. We wish you many happy travels in your new van.
Think we have figured where our water went to in our first trip away 😂 - the blue tap!
We laugh now but at the time… 😁
Thank you so much Mike. I live in Spain now, but I recently lost my husband and have bought myself a small campervan which I am collecting this week. Having never driven one before I found the information you provided extremely helpful. I have made notes and now know what question to ask when I go to collect. So thank you for being so informative.
Thanks. Really appreciate your support. We wish you many happy travels in your new van.
Thinking about buying a motorhome been watching your videos can honestly say I think they have helped learn a little bit more about what I should look for things to do 👏👏👏👍
Excellent. Thanks for watching and your feedback.
Very good content. Also having info regarding stages if the video is good.
Glad you didn't start swigging the pop and munching the biscuits.
A genuine channel keep it up.
@@Ko-gl2dd thanks. I am a bit of a biscuit and cake fiend. Thanks for your support.
I don’t own a camper van, I’m not even looking to buy one and yet somehow I ended up watching this video. I thought it was really interesting, informative and now I know all about the blue tap 😂
Knowledge of the blue tap is the key… to the meaning of life 😂 RUclips will now offer you more videos (many channels) on vans. Thanks for watching.
I’m new to this, and 25 m does the job, last campsite I needed 25 m. Thanks for your advice👏
Thanks for watching and your support 👍
Filled up the fresh water tank and did the blue tap thing ! Wrote OPEN on the handle when it is OPEN . . . Thanx for your video . Still learning .
Thanks. We are still learning too. First trip out in our van we tried to raise the sea level at Morecambe… because of the blue tap 😁
We are just about to buy our first memory maker…so we’re about as newbie as newbies can get, although I’ve got quite a bit of camping experience. Videos like yours are going to be invaluable to keep our memories being more good than bad! Agree on the 25m cable… extension leads can never be too long! Happily subscribed and following for more… we want to be welcome in the community!
See you around!
Thanks. Appreciate the great feedback. We wish you many happy travels in your new van. 👍
as a motohomer for past 4 years , we've made most of them ;)
Yes like us every day a school day.
useful tips as I'm thinking of quitting expensive bricks and mortar life and living van life around the whole of the uk for a couple years . Your top ten tips remind me of a saying I always use
" experience is something you get 10 minutes after you need it " feel free to use that licence free anytime you like :) and thankyou for trying to give newbies the experience BEFORE they need it ! .
Thanks. So you are planning a temporary change from brick to van. Although unlikely, if you could somehow time the sale of the house while the prices are high, travel for 2 years and buy a house again during a price reduction (if the recession comes) it might actually save money. Thanks for your comment. I will use that quote as I love it and thanks for the license free too 😁
Very helpful. Never thought how complicated it can become when you buy a motor home as a newby
Thanks. Yes we found there was more to it than we thought.
Wish we had listen to the video before we took my sisters to Harlech in north Wales for the 1st time, a week ago.
Great video👍
Thanks for watching and your support 👍
What a great video.. and such humour... so thoughtful of you to top up the Morecombe sea.. love it and thank you
Thanks. Appreciate your support. Was so funny when we realised.
Great little video didn't realise how much there is to take in to motor home thanks
Thanks. It is easy to find more items to take.
What a great video we've had out van almost a year and had the same problem with the water when we first went out this year , solved it but had no idea how as just pressed buttons near the tank and it stopped. Spent our life savings on this van after my partner was so unwell and in hospital for 5 months , decided to live life and camping no longer an option, thank you I have subscribed a d will continue to watch 🙂
Thanks. I do understand vans are a huge financial commitment and continue to be with the things we buy to put in them. I also totally understand regarding decisions after your partner was unwell. We hope your partner is doing fine now. We wish you many happy travels. Sincerely appreciate your support.
thanks for help
Just got out van, been on one trip. Thought I knew it all until I was like, 🤔 on points 1-3. So I watched it all. Thanks 👍🤣
We are always learning too. We wish you many happy travels 😁
Thank you, loved the video. We are newbies. Went on first drive out took tea bags etc but couldn’t make anything work so had a mug of cold water & then I hit a bus side mirror with our left side mirror, SUCH FUN. Also didn’t know there was an open & close on the toilet. Will be doing the Shake Down Test on our drive now! We got our Motorhome as we wanted to make memories so your “Memory Maker”, hope I got that right as it made me feel right at home with you. My husband Jack is walking our beloved Labrador I can’t wait to tell him that I found your site. Happy Travels 🙂🫶🏼 Julie & Jack
Julie & Jack, thank you for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. These vans are definitely ‘memory makers’ and whilst they bring their own set of problems; sorry to hear you hit another mirror (most people will at some point), you will both look back at the places travelled with admiration. As I always say to people, ‘we don’t only live once. We only die once. We live everyday.’ We wish you many happy travels.
Enjoyed the informative video and your dry sense of humour :-). Just retired, my wife and I are seriously considering buying a motor home. We recently sold our caravan to make the leap to a motorhome. Your video has eased my worried mind and confirmed this is a real option and there is a wealth of support out there to help us along the way. Thank you.
Thanks. I’m just an old Brummie 😁 So are you still looking for a Motorhome? There is such a large choice and different layouts. We would always say to buyers, look at lots, narrow your search down and then, if possible (and available) hire one before you buy.
Happy travels.
Lovely chap, lovely voice. So useful and interesting - and I haven't even got a camper van!
Thank you ☺️ I appreciate the kind words 👍
Great video. Totally agree about the shake-down trip. We’d been campervanning in a T5 for 10 years before getting a 6m van, but there was still lots to learn. One thing I’d add about the cassette loo: always make sure the flap is shut before you try to remove it to empty it, or the flap will get dislocated by the removal process. If the cassette offers any resistance when you try to remove it, stop and check! I didn’t and it took me two hours of Googling and fiddling to fix it.
Yes a good bit of info. We have got a video coming out showing how to use (remove, empty and refit) the cassette. Thanks for watching and your comments.
Thankyou for sharing.
I am a to be newbie from Birmingham and will be picking up my new motorhome in 2 weeks time I am really excited and I appreciate all of ur tips
Thanks. We wish you many happy travels in your new Motorhome.
Thank you so much, I am about to buy my first moto home after 50 years of bicking. Your information was great THANK YOU 😊
Thanks. Appreciate the support. We wish you many happy travels in your new van. 😁
again a great video, i'm retired and thinking of a new adventure in a camper van and this was very useful thx
Thanks. Many different things to think about but we wish you all the best 👍
Very useful information,tips etc.Thankyou.
Thanks for watching and the feedback.
Great points thank you. We haven’t even collected our Motorhome yet and there are point that I had never even considered. Thank you. New followers here. 😃👍🏼
Fantastic. One thing with vans is we are always learning. Thank you for your support and we wish you many happy memories with your new van (when you pick it up) 😁👍
hi.... I'm a new newby without even my first moblle home...yet!...I love your videos...keep em' coming...I'm listening to your every word!...and making a lot of notes! - :)
That’s excellent. Thanks for watching and your support.
Hi again,did you see my question about the drop down bed.thanks again.
Yes Stephen just replied.
Thank you, really helpful and importantly useful
Thanks for watching and your feedback.
Thank you!
Awesome info as I'm just searching for my first MH right now.
I do have a question or two if I may about the 3 way fridge/Gas -
Uses Battery when vehicle running 👍. Uses EHU when connected on site/on your drive 👍. Uses Gas when not with EHU or vehicle is not running 👍.
So, if you were to park the vehicle up for lets say a few weeks with no EHU...would you leave the fridge 'on' using the gas, or can you turn it completely off so it doesn't use gas; and I'm guessing you simply clean out the fridge and leave it open to air? Also, when you're driving from place to place, do you switch off the Gas bottles?
Thank you - New Sub.
@@pilgrimoutdoors-uk6177 thanks. When not using the van we turn the fridge off and leave the door on a catch that allows it ventilation.
You are right you should not drive with the gas bottles on. If the fridge, like ours, has an auto setting then after starting the van the power shows a battery symbol. As a basic check when we are about to go, Fran will take a look to see that the fridge is now running on the battery.
Many thanks for your support and subscribing 👍
Thanks; useful info.
@@Mandellhouse thanks for watching.
love it very much
Excellent advice, thanks.
Thanks for watching and your feedback.
Excellent stuff. I will try and remember all of this when we eventually get our motorhome. It's a shame I didn't know you were there on the prom at Morecambe as you would have been about 400yds away. A water topup would have been easy :). Ian
Ah yes. We could have had a refill. We just thought the sea looked a little low 😄
Thankyou I needed all of those tips
Thanks for your feedback.
Some great advice, new to motorhome having just purchased mine a few weeks ago thanks for sharing
Thanks. Appreciate your support and feedback. We wish you many happy memories in your new van.
Thanks.Learned a lot.(Love the dialect).
Can’t take the Birmingham out of a Brummie 😁 thanks for the support 👍
I am still seeing motorhome s using a electric cable still coiled up please can you emphasise above this very dangerous situation thanks 👍🏻
@@christophersibley3023 we see it too. Will keep saying in it some of our videos. Thanks for watching.
A great advice video. I enjoyed it.
Very informative.
Thank you.
Thanks for watching and your great feedback.
Excellent. Liked. Subbed.
Thanks. Thank you and thanks 👍 Really appreciated
Thanks for the tips Great vid keep them coming.
Sage advice for motorhomers old and new. Great vid have a new sub 😉👍🏼👌
Thanks for the feedback and subscription 👍
❤Great advice❤
Glad we bought an old Moho with analogue systems, we have heard some horrendous stories about faulty digital control systems in Mh's and the price of repairing them especially Sargeant systems, most have to go back to manufacturer for repair at astronomical cost.
I will admit I do love tech. Particularly new tech. I think it’s the beeps and the lights 😁 but all this technology and the Adblue that is used to reduce emissions are just additional items that will in future go wrong and, as you said, cost money.
I’m going to follow thanks mate
Very Helpful. Thank you.
And thank you for watching and your feedback.
Top video...wise words, informative & humourous...As a newbie MH owner, there's so much to learn & remember! Got to my first site last Saturday...a CCC temp holiday site at Durham...First mistake was not taking a fresh water hose pipe tap attachment...(Ups). Special thanks to Paul (& Ken) at Durham DA who save the day by lending us a tap & hose adaptors. Really friendly & knowledgeable guys...recommend their well organised sites.
Ah the hose attachment yes. Thank you. We will note that for the future as it is another thing to think about and to remember to take back with you when leaving the site. Thanks for watching and your comments.
Useful info thank you😊
Thanks for watching 👍
Another fantastic video, with great information. Now I have found your channel, I will watch all your videos, you are excellent at this and long may you continue. Many thanks for your time and effort.
Thanks. Your comments and feedback are exactly what keeps us making them. Sincerely appreciate your support.
Thank you! Great and useful info…
Thanks for watching and your lovely feedback.
Thank you! This was great!
Thanks for watching and your feedback.
Can't believe you mentioned the blue tap! Last night whilst getting the moho ready for a trip I wanted to test the water works. As you said, water running from under the van. After much worry, reading manuals, looking on forums I accidently came across the blue switch. Wish I'd watched your video earlier.
It will be something many people do. Particularly this time of year. Thanks for your comment and support.
Some good tips in here. Notes have been made :)
Thanks 👍
Another great advice video 👍🏻. In the early days we drove off with various bits still switched on and spent the first part of our next stay trying to get rid of a red warning light. 25m cable perfect, never had an issue. Reels are useful for some but we never had or needed one and it packs flatter (important now in the smaller van). The amount of cables you see partially out on reels or just hanging tangled though! I’ve obviously been well trained! 😇 Have a good weekend.
I do see cables still on a reel and it is not a good idea. Yes space is always a consideration in any van. Shakedown tests are so important in our opinion. Thanks yet again Sue. Have a great weekend too.
Great Video, moving up from a Toyota Alphard to an Autosleepers Stratford soon with hot waer and heating (all new to me) so appreciate the tips!
A Toyota Alphard. That’s a lovely vehicle. A JDM import. Was it converted to a camper in Japan or UK? Thanks for watching and your support.
@@LiveforTravel Yes, really nice campervan to drive. Converted in UK last year, sad to see it go, but need some extra 'comforts' that a larger campervan will give me!
@@davidlucas6837 we wish you many happy travels in your new van.
where do we buy the cable
@@neilwatson7158 cable is available in most good camping stores. Also on our Amazon Storefront shop
www.amazon.co.uk/shop/livetodrive?ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_own_livetodrive_dp_cHOrbbaZQsH51
Top tips thanks
Excellent information…….Thank you so much🙏….just what I’ve been looking for…..Very realistic and helpful information and I’ll be checking out the rest of your videos…….love your straightforward,objective and balanced approach🙏
Thanks. We are happy to read. Really appreciate your support.
Great video enjoy looking forward to watching your others. A new MotorHome owner.
Thank you “new Motorhome owner 😊” We wish you many happy memories in your new Motorhome.
Thanks for the tips 👍 I’m thinking of buying a motor home.
Thanks. If you do buy one we hope you make many happy memories 😊
Hi, in my Ducato Adria Coral the boot USB isn't working... any videos on that or thoughts...
We are not familiar with that model sorry.
Brilliant......Thank you
@@lewistaylor1965 thanks for your support
So as far as electrics inside the motor home are concerned, can you run sockets of a large portable battery? And if so is there any you would recommend?
We can’t personally recommend one as we have not purchased one. Depends on your budget and power output needs but anything like a Jackery would offer AC socket/s.
Quite helpful! thanks a lot.
EDIT: fixed a typo
Quite not quiet Dr...
@@1knightinbangkok946 thanks for the correction... not a native speaker so always mess up my spelling in some words :D
Excellent detailed video 10/10
Thank you for watching and the score 👍
How do I get rid of my waste water tap is open but nothing coming out thanks
It might be one of a few things. Some vans have an electronic grey waste functionality. It may be blocked. Is the van level?
Thank you
Very helpful. Many thanks. Love from Scotland, X.
Thanks for watching and your support.
100% agree 25 metre cable for all the reasons you mention. Being a bit OCD I make sure it is in straight lines as well. I have a two metre cable for plugging the van in at home (with a handy little sign reminding me on the dash - learnt by my mistake!).
Thank you. I don’t mind having to reel out the cable. Prefer to be prepared wherever we go. I also have some OCD tendencies. Ah, plugging in the van. I would put the same on the dashboard if we stored it at home. Thanks for watching and your comments.
Hook a loop of the cable over the drivers wing mirror
@@pauljohnson9542 well that is a very good idea 👍
An update to mine, I’ve discovered that if you switch the engine on whilst still on hook up an alarm/reminder sounds. Cool 😎
@@richardcope3850 that’s a good idea. Must check that our van does too. Thanks for letting our viewers (who read the comments) know.
Big one to bear in mind...
Regardless of the body width, it is the width across the mirrors that determines the clearance on tight roads... Ducato wide mirrors fitted to many coachbuilt models are over 10 inches wider in total than the standard van versions, a huge amount less clearance. Many models wearing these *could* be wearing the 4" narrower medium mirrors or even van mirrors with a perfectly good view, expecially considering they all now seem to have a reversing cam.
Having driven a lot of miles in both panel vans and 7.5tonners, and having recently hired a fairly narrow Ducato motorhome wearing wide mirrors, I am sure that a "slimline" model with standard mirrors would be hugely more pleasant to drive in our national parks than anything with the wide mirrors.
Could not agree more. I would be surprised if the narrow arm versions didn’t work on the 590… the body isn’t that wide. Having the long arm ones are an issue on many country lanes, and some roads, as it is not only oncoming traffic to look out for but also trees that are right at the edge.
I too have driven many miles in a 7.5 tonne and vans (short arm mirrors) and can see why pictures of broken mirrors on forums are common.
@Live for Travel a lot more expensive to replace a one piece electric adjusting heated mirror on a Ducato than the cheap mirrors on a 7.5t that just bolt to a fairly indestructible metal arm as well.
You can be as careful as you like, but can't always avoid a smacked mirror from a kamikaze lorry/coach driver coming round a bend with their wheels right up to the white line and their own mirrors hanging over it by a foot.
I watched it all the way even though I’m not new. Just because it’s you. You’re welcome 🏴☠️
We thank you for watching 👍 a well seasoned vanner like yourself would know all this already but appreciate the watch minutes….. sorry, support 😂👍
Excellent video and advice - realise I have already bought the wrong cable as 1.5mm not 2.5mm. Will it survive with low usage? Probably a low volt kettle is the most I'll use!
Thanks. The 1.5mm will be ok but many campsites (and my electrician) state 2.5mm because of the safety margin it affords. Most important thing to do is not use it while some of it is coiled on a reel.
Unless you are running so close to max weight that the extra length is an issue, what is wrong with having a 25m cable?
There is nothing wrong with having a 25m cable.
Hi Paul (Worro kid) great video thanks and we followed the great advice and done a shakedown at a very local CL site.
Best advice I can give to fellow newbies is buy a 12v cooler as fridges a d freezer take a few hours to get to temp.
Quick question if can, Power pack to use our coffee machine or inverter as we've got a 100w Solor panel ?
Thanks. Yes that is a good idea although again it is always a trade off between space, weight and benefits. We have never used a power bank or inverter to date so unable to advise, sorry. Of course, if you were on EHU you would likely be ok as a 16 Amp outlet will do 3.68kw. As per link www.getoutwiththekids.co.uk/camping/camping-tips/using-an-electric-hook-up-ehu/
loved all the coments and a great video
Thanks for watching and your feedback.
Thanks for the video, I am very much a newbie (hiring a Swift Select 122 in Sept for a week prior to a campervan purchase, to make sure it's the life for us!). I hadn't appreciated that even though a fridge can run off 12v, it won't run directly off the leisure battery with the engine off! I understood the battery couldn't keep the fridge going for too long directly off a battery but didn't reaslise it's just not possible anyway. Think I was OK on all the other points though (apart from the blue tap 😉 )
Ah yes “try before you buy” is a good approach. I personally know a friend who purchased a Motorhome and sold it 3 months later. The “blue tap” continues to be a popular newbie problem on the group. Thanks for watching and we hope you enjoy your time with the van and continue to make many memories if you go on to buy your own in the future.
Thanks for the video. We’re looking to hire a motor home next year for our first trip. The motor home will be the same model as yours so both this video and the others on your channel have given us a very good introduction to this vehicle.
We were also thinking about how best to pack clothes as until we actually get to the motor home we won’t really know how things will fit so we were pleased to see your tip on packing separately.
Thanks again.
Thanks. We do love our van but like with any camper, there are compromises. Just depends which compromises we are willing to make. Thanks for watching and your feedback. It is appreciated. We hope you enjoy your time in the RT T-Line590.
Thank goodness I found this video and now subscribed to your channel. Completely new to MH and will take delivery of our Rollerteam on the 3rd March. Great tips to create a checklist. Will certainly look at the 25 mt. Also. Still trying to understand the Blue Tap. Really nervous just now as there just seems to be so much to learn!.
Thanks. The blue tap and button trip when the temperature drops. Just need to check when filling the van with fresh water (which also will fill the boiler when the pump is on) that the knob is turned in a way that permits the button to stay in. If it is out when you put the pump on it will pump the water out of the valve to outside. All the best with your new van and thanks for the feedback.
Thank you so much really helpful. I cannot find the link for the weight/dimension stickers. Must be doing something wrong sorry. Please could you let me know what it is?
No problem and thank you for watching and your feedback. Link is in the description but unfortunately as it says the place we purchased them from aren’t selling them now. Here is the link we have added but we have not personally used them: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CAR-VAN-LORRY-TAXI-HGV-TRUCK-PERSONALIZED-MAXIMUM-HEIGHT-OF-VEHICLE-STICKERS-/263470716117?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0
@@LiveforTravel Thank you.
Brilliant tips thank you
Thank you. Appreciate the feedback. Thanks for watching.
Bostin useful Vid our kid! Up the Brums!
Thanks fellow Brummie 😁
Hi Paul
Can you advise, we are finally purchasing our first motorhome and will be putting in storage, my question is about the fridge please.
We thought we would be able to but our groceries from the supermarket before we left on a trip and put in the fridge, however as the motorhome will be in storage the fridge will not be switched on until we start driving it so will not be cold enough to put our groceries in.
What do you do, we thought about putting them in a cool bag whilst the fridge is getting to temperature which may help.
Thank you for your video’s they have been a great help to give me the confidence to purchase our motorhome and start enjoying the way of life you do.
Great, thanks. We have the same as you say. We put freezer blocks in with the cold food whilst the fridge is cooling down. Main point is not to overload the fridge. We did this once, with items stacked food on top of each other. Basically like in the home, we make sure there is space for the cool air to circulate. We ensure that the fresh meat etc is closest to the ice blocks and only use the upper half of the fridge for foodstuffs as the coldest point is near the fins which are located just under the freezer box. We find that if we keep it on maximum it gets too cold & things start icing up, even in the fridge. We sincerely appreciate your support and feedback and wish you many happy travels in your new “memory maker” van.
Hi we both to waite 5 years untill we can retire. Loving the pilote 650c ..just dreaming of the day but untill then I will have to make do watching everyone else out enjoying there trips lol 😂
Good plan. Thanks for watching 👍
Brilliant wow I had to get my note pad and pause it 😂😂 I am new to motor home ownership just bought my first one only last week don’t collect it until July gotta have habitation check mot and service first I put a figure in my head when I was looking thinking of getting an older one so had £20,000 in my head thinking that’s plenty well I went to a show room to look at some and I saw that many some that ticked most of my boxes but wasn’t fully ticked so looked at more which confused me even more so after 5 hours plus I think we chose the right one double and more of what I was thinking but it’s an amazing motor home and I am excited for the delivery now I ain’t the most patient of people when was told first week in July I nearly cried 😂😂but I am still excited to wake I settled for a 2015 Fiat ducato Swift I am a newbie so please don’t criticise me for my choice or tell me any horror stories please 😂😂it’s my first motor home and when I get another one I will have the knowledge to make more choices in what I really want hopefully next time it will be brand new but was quite surprised when I done my checks while was there £165 year tax as it’s classed as cat c licence and ulez exempt so am happy living so close to London if there’s any sites where I will have to go into London I would be happy to take it thanks for posting this has it has really made me think especially about the checks to do before we go away fir very first time and I now have a list of questions for when I collect it all jotted down and ready to fire at the sales rep 😂😂thanks again and look forward to watching some of your others very informative 👍🏽👍🏽😁
Thanks. Where to begin… choosing the right van is difficult; maybe impossible, as ultimately there are usually compromises, it’s just which compromises people will be ok with. As for the specific model you have chosen; we would never criticise the choice. Personally, we don’t know much about the model anyway but a van, any van, will be your “memory maker”, your accommodation, your transport, your everything. You may have times that are not so fun; for example trying to avoid striking the big mirrors with trees at the side of the road or oncoming vehicles, nothing is ever 100% even if some channels portray it. But the bottom line is it will be your van and, depending on how long you own it before changing, will hold many happy travels, memories and you will doubtless look back at those journeys in the future with very pleasant thoughts.
We sincerely wish you all the very best with your new van. We also thank you and appreciate your support. ATB.
@@LiveforTravel I know am really excited for my new found adventures ahead was just watching one of your other top 10 helpful tips and soon as you mentioned mirror covers was Googling it to find some no joy as yet but I will find some as I am lorry driver always looking out for over head low trees and one thing I did notice with the model I have chose I did notice straight away how far out mirrors stick out bit worried about it but am sure I will be careful with it as it wasn’t cheap and like you said the fiats are £400-£500 to replace I don’t want to be doing that thanks again really helping me take notes to help me soon as I go to Collect the motor home got a plan in place to do nc500 trip next year when I have more holidays available to me not sure if you have done this it’s meant to be good route to try from what I been reading I want to do route 66 but thinking of doing it after I retired hiring an rv and doing it 😊😊thanks again guys will be on your Amazon soon ordering electric hook up reel and cable and there’s few other bits I want off there too 👍🏽👍🏽
I think the issue with mirrors for me personally wasn’t a problem as I have been used to driving so many vehicles (like yourself) including modest size trucks; a 7.5 tonne Ford Cargo. What we noticed was there are many lanes in Britain that have trees right at the edge of the road. This means of course you have to allow for that as well as oncoming traffic. For the Ducato copy parts are available for under £200 (I believe) but Fiat ones are over £400. It’s not just the cost though it would be the issue of having to drive while finding a replacement. For the main part of our travels it’s not a thing but many campsites are located at the far end of some quite interesting lanes.😁 Our advice would be to pick campsites with careful planning and where possible, assuming you want to venture the local area and the site isn’t walking distance from it, somewhere with good public transport links.
We found that [even] if we were happy to drive the van into a town to visit from a campsite, the whole disconnecting and moving stuff to put it back into “van mode” was more effort than we thought and so only stay where we can venture on foot or with public transport.
Of course, a big thanks for any purchase from our Amazon Storefront as, although we receive only a very modest commission, we are still grateful for the additional support. 👍
@@LiveforTravel yeah we have been thinking about this when we go on our first which won’t be long after collecting it that we thinking of booking up a short break just to get a feel of the motor home once we stocked it up of all the essentials we will need few years ago was big camper. But as the kids got older it just felt a bit of a mission with all the setting up and setting down of the tent and I lost interest in it and we started having caravan holidays instead motor home has always been in my heart for many years said to the wife one day we gonna have a motor home and we are so in love with our purchase I have looked at the mirrors on these fiats and your right they ain’t cheap at all I noticed the lanes when ever we went camping we used to do a lot of north wales and south wales when camping but thinking of venturing a lot further with the motor home as it will be like home from thanks again for the reply and your blogs I know I always say it but they are very informative to new owners and have helped me get to grips with things I never would of thought about and will give me the knowledge ready for our first trip are you a caravan club member??? Is it worth joining?? I got a quote for insurance and they asked me if I was member as I would get a discount the insurance company I have chose who was given to me by the sales rep also included 270 days access in eu countries which I thought was brilliant done companies only allow 30 days I believe love your motor home by the way nearly bought a transit motor hone but it was just too old and tired and looked like it had suffered damp at some point so I moved away from it and looked at others leading me to my choice of the fiat
Thanks again
Jeff 👍🏽👍🏽
Unsurprisingly we have a video about the caravan clubs. We were members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club but have now allowed that to finish as we believe there are plenty of options out there. Much depends on the type of sites you prefer. The aforementioned have quite rigid rules and are relatively expensive although we have never stayed at one which wasn’t clean and nice.
We use Comfort insurance due to the number of people that have left their thoughts about them. I believe they are a broker and we found them extremely competitive.
Which motorhome do you guys recommend I'm looking to buy an old school one maybe that needs to be renovated I'm on a very tight budget :/ looking for an inexpensive one
This is a difficult question as people all have different priorities and levels of acceptance for compromise. A “very tight” budget can be £1k or £10k. Unfortunately the market (for now) is still really buoyant with new vehicles costing 20-25% higher and waiting lists of 1-2 years. The current market means all Motorhomes are more expensive and likely to be so until at least 2024. Do you want a full on Motorhome or a campervan? How many berths? Weight limit (thinking license)? A popular base vehicle for vans, particularly older ones, will be the Fiat Ducato. As for any particular brand of conversion, at that age, this is not so relevant as issues customers may have had should have been resolved.
The most important things to look for is good service history on the base vehicle and a recent damp reading performed by a reputable company. Doing this should limit the surprises when you have purchased it.
We hope you find the van that works for you.
@@LiveforTravel I'm in the US and I'm looking for a motor home I see a lot and I don't even know which one to choose
good info 👍👍
Thank you 😊
You say you can’t run a fridge off the battery’s unless engine is running… but that’s not correct is it…? If you got lithium 12v system you can draw power as long as the battery’s are charge.. isn’t that right..?
@@robertoshea6227 first comment and it's a negative. 😀 We appreciate them all.
In the video it is said that our van, 'like many' has a fridge that will work from EHU, gas or the battery (if the engine is running).
If you wanted a fridge to work on a lithium set up and if the install accounted for this, yes indeed you can. However that is not what this video is about is it?
There are many different options available for vans and it is down to the converter and buyer to get what they want.
Our van is not installed with lithium and, if it was, the system would still only allow running the fridge from the battery with the engine running. Unless it was converted to do so.
An interesting point for me is an absorption fridge, as fitted to ours and many vans, uses a lot more power than a condenser type. So, had your question not been rhetorical, and it simply stated 'you could run off the battery if you wanted it converted that way' we would all have pink and fluffy clouds above us.
For us, we are more than satisfied with how our van is connected with regards to the fridge. Never had any issue running it off the gas.
Appreciate your time with commenting.
A few comments. Not all fridges are created equal. Our Dreamer D60 Fun has a HUGE (149L) fridge freezer that runs off 12V... I'm not sure if it uses 240 when we are on shore power but it definitely keeps working off 12V when we camp wild (and the freezer keeps making ice etc.). This is driven by the fact that the van has a small (3.9Kg) propane bottle - for the 2 burner hob - and a Truma Combi 6D - electric or diesel - hot water and heating. This is a setup that I am delighted with (and it was happenstance rather than a conscious choice as it's our first van). Did over 40 nights last year and I swapped the gas bottle for the first time at the start of this season and I reckon it was empty - so 40 + days of a 3.9Kg bottle. Heating and hot water (when wild) straight from the vehicles diesel tank. Now another mystery Truma control panel code... I guess this also applies to gas powered Truma systems. One of our side windows has a mystery black box (well it was a mystery). Turns out it is a sensor to detect if the window - which is above the Truma exhaust - is open. If it is you get some weird code (EH264?) and your hot water and heating won't work off diesel. It's a mistake you only make a couple of times. Power cables. Yeah we went with a 15m one. Second trip first stop (a C&M site) cable not long enough ended up buying a 25 or 30m cable in the site shop. We carry both mainly is I don't have to fully unwind 30m of cable when the EHU is 10m away. Joining cables together? Technically you can but MANY site wardens will not allow it.Ohh the blue tap. Yeah went through that learning experience and another one. I winterised our van - emptied everything, bought food grade antifreeze and flushed the system with it and left the in the shower, tap, toilet flush lines. Then I took it for a habitation check... and the chap helpfully threw away £20 worth of food grade antifreeze.
There are many different things to learn and we, like everyone, are still learning. Having the option to use the diesel is great. Yes the little black box is a contact sensor which prevents our system from running on gas, and hence venting outside, if the window is open. System is fine if only running on electric of course. Cables has brought many an interesting comment from viewers. Personally, 25 meters is sufficient for probably 98% of sites. Thanks for watching and your extremely informative comments.
Remove the outside covers on the fridge and boiler.
Yes the covers should be removed when the outside temperature is fine. We do not have covers on our boiler.
The Blue Tap - Newbie comment here but how do you stop the blue tap opening when you're sub 4 degrees when you're actually using the van?
A good question. If the van is used and the temperature inside is ok it would be fine but I was informed if the button will not stay in then you would need to keep it in by putting something against it. Once the heater starts to warm it would keep working without anything holding button in.
Can I just add that even if you can tolerate staying in a van which is not level, the chances are your fridge will not ! Always make sure your van is more or less level !
The level is important although new fridges seem more tolerant. Our van has had no issues in 3 years of use.
@@LiveforTravel Another tip for owners whose fridge has stopped working owing to a tilt.; our dometic needed resetting. Press the on button for at least three seconds until you hear a peep. The fridge is then reset.
Hi paul,very informative as always,and entertaining,i’m not sure how to ask you questions without tagging them here,even though it’s not specifically about things you covered here.As you’re aware we met at searles site Hunstanton,i’ve since purchased my 2021 Tline 590 and have been on two trips totalling 22 days,we use the drop down bed in the fully down position,there is a little sideways movement,by that i mean the bracket moves in the tracking slightly,when we move about in it,the bracket makes a slight knocking noise as it hits the tracking.Is this normal,does your bed do the same.?,i’m asking as i don’t want to damage the brackets and have to make a lengthy trip to the dealership.
Stephen. Apologies. RUclips blocks comments if it thinks there is a link to a site in it. These are then held for me to review. Because your comment had a sentence that ended “here” and then you put the full stop and the first word of the next sentence “As” with no space between it and the full stop (an easy thing to do) it changed it to a link and withheld the comment. We have not ever used the elevating bed in the fully down position so am unable to say. However, I am in contact with another owner who I can ask on your behalf. I will let you know. Thanks again.
@@LiveforTravel thanks again,it would be interesting if you could ask,i have posed this question on a forum,but had no replies,i imagined as your children use the the bed ,you might hear the bed knocking slightly inside the tracking.Thanks so much for your advice and information.
Great info, thanks! We are collecting ours next week. Can I ask you what's your advice on a cover? Or mainly a roof cover as there are lots of birds by us who leave deposits !
Covers. Good one. We are unfortunately not permitted to use one at the storage site. For a classic we have we did use a car cover. The problem with covers are they try to be both breathable and waterproof which really means a compromise. Our classic car specialist disapproves as they trap moisture so we rarely use one now. However, most of a Motorhome isn’t steel and a cover will afford some protection, particularly if the vehicle is to be left for some time or, in your position, to protect from birds. Personally, a vehicle that has got a good quality polish applied will cope just fine with whatever the weather or wildlife can throw at it. Also, unlike a car, I would think fitting a cover will be a little more difficult with the height and of course there are likely different items on the roof to be careful of. They are big investments though so we totally understand why you want to protect it. We wish you many happy travels in your new Motorhome.
@@LiveforTravel thanks for advice !
Are you sure that the fridge cannot work on leisure battery when not hooked up? What about solar?
I am certain. The fridge runs at 205 watts (17 amps) on 12v and is wired to be powered only from the battery when the vehicle is in motion. It is an absorption fridge not a compressor so the power consumption is much higher.