Experienced motorhome-ists: What have you found to be...

[oblio]

...invaluable when you go away in your P&J?

We are starting to build the spec of what we want in a motorhome but I would be interested in hearing about what you consider to be the 'must-haves'. These could be large 'cant do withouts' (i.e. decent size bed) or even small things which could be forgotten but can make a difference.

For us so far we want

- Fixed made up double bed. Larger the better.
- Garage underneath
- Separate shower and toilet (not necesarily 2 x separate rooms but preferably not a wet room)
- Swivelling front seats
- Enough oomph to tow a 'toad' if required
- Electric drop down step(s) plus handrails (for the wife who has some mobility issues)

I also like the idea of LPG and being able to plus a BBQ into the van


Cheers

[GAjon]

[Simes110]

Agree with that, and it's exactly what I have in my RMB - Mercedes.

[R TOY]

Garage absolutely, it is a fantastic space for anything from dogs , wet clothes, tools/spares, geni, bikes etc etc etc . We take our German Shep with us, he lives and travels in a cage the garage. keeps the doggy smell out the van and he seems to like it in there.

The double bed ontop is great but a little tricky getting out in the night for a pee, esp if you have to climb over the missus without waking her. you mentioned mobility issues !

I have found the Fiat 130 motor adequate power wise , will tow a trailer/car at 65-70, but if you want to be sure go for a 160 or even a 190 iirc.

Leccy step also great but be aware it folds automatically when engine starts,potentially crushing anything in its path !

I had aircon on my list of wants but had to go without. Cant say its been hell living without it so far but given a choice I would def' have it.

Wind out awnings a must imo, quick n easy shower, sun shade but they tend to flap a bit in the wind and can keep you awake at night.

Tow bar was a must for me.

Satelite dish, we fitted an auto dome thingy, great for trips abroad but we tend to use normal digital in the uk.

Generator, a must if you want to do your own thing away from hook ups. gives a nice feeling of self sufficiency.

Shorts and jesus sandals, a must for driving in, any weather/time of year

Enjoy.

[GAjon]

Layout is always going to be a personal preference, but for me a van requires,
Decent size water tanks.
Good gas capacity.
Off hook up power source ( I rely on 2 good size leisure batteries)
Decent size shower and washroom, for off campsite stays.

Gadgets and stuff I've bought that are useful ( and I've bought a lot that aren't)

Level ups
Spreader pads for soft ground.
Chocs.
10t bottle jack (hopefully never to be used)
Exterior silver screens
Cadac gas BBQ.
Small inverter.
Wind away fresh water hose.
Watering can and fold away water carrier.
Modification to grey waste outlet and waste hose. Good for pitches with a waste grid.
iPod, iPhone connection for music.

[Wacky Racer]

IMO Fixed beds are a bad idea, unless you have a very large motorhome.....they take a lot of room up, during the day, it's no big deal to make a bed up, takes us less than three minutes.

Decent sized water tanks, inboard if possible, but not essential.

Decent sized wardrobe space.

Electric automatic step is nice

Good fuel consumption...our Elddis does around 37mpg.

Obviously plenty of storage space, most motorhomes are OK.

Ours does not have a garage, but I appreciate they are useful if you take bikes etc.

Pistonheads sticker on the back.....essential.

[chopper602]

Corkscrew

[size13]

800W electric kettle - save loads of gas

[bananaman1]

If a gp`s on....a satellite dish.....the one that came with our motorhome works well on some sites...poor on others.

[GlenMH]

+1 for the thermal screens - make a massive difference.
Having a properly insulated/winterised van is worthwhile
3 pin plug to 16A adapter, easy to add a 2 pin to it for continental use
If you have young kids, then the phil and ted travel cot is fantastic as you can put them to bed via the side - not drop them in from the top
12V charger for the laptop

[Bill]

We use cheap battery led lights (like a safe alternative to tea lights) for ambient light when we're in the van while the kids are going off. One of those usb speakers is also handy.

Bottle stops for those days you don't finish the wine.

[Dog Star]

Bill said:

Bottle stops for those days you don't finish the wine.

Eh?

[Bill]

Early starts with lots of driving, or the second/third bottle.

[oblio]

Dog Star said:

Bill said:

Bottle stops for those days you don't finish the wine.

Eh?

Surely wine boxes would solve the problem...and be less noisey under transit

[GlenMH]

oblio said:

Dog Star said:

Bill said:

Bottle stops for those days you don't finish the wine.

Eh?

Surely wine boxes would solve the problem...and be less noisey under transit

and double as pillows when you finish them...

[Bill]

My snobby side won't let me buy Chateau Cardboard.

[GlenMH]

Bill said:

My snobby side won't let me buy Chateau Cardboard.

Spot the bloke with loads of payload to spare...

[Laner]

We get our 1st motorhome next week.
Are the silver screens that are seen on motorhomes all year round a must have even during the summer months?
Blown the budget on the vehicle so want to ensure the last pounds are spent wisely.

[Spuffington]

We used ours at the weekend - more for privacy to start with but in the end I'm sure contributed to a cosy van overnight. Spent each morning padding around in my boxers (horrible image!) but no need for heating and we did have a couple of skylights open too. Reckon the windscreen shield really did its job.

Edited by Spuffington on Wednesday 28th May 17:13

[GlenMH]

Having travelled both with and without both summer and winter, I will never go back to "without".

Great for privacy, reduces internal condensation, makes the van warmer, means we can use the cab as storage (no captains chairs).

Highly recommended.