Newbie
hi i have just got my first motor home and are collecting bits for first trip what are the most popular things I need or must have apart from kettle
Comments
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Don’t be ashamed to try it out on your drive first. You’ll soon find out what you’ve forgotten, without any hardship.
It’s not unusual to get a bit carried away with the ‘extras’ and, if you’re not careful, that’s exactly what they may become. So I suggest you temper your enthusiasm to spend even more money and determine what really is necessary before going out to purchase.
You will need some gas and an EHU cable, but I imagine you already know that. If not, say so and I’m sure a long list will rapidly appear.All the best. Enjoy your new adventure.
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Hi teapot, as rogher says keep your hand in your pocket for a while, don't buy on impulse, wait and make sure that you really do need the item before you buy it. No one will tut tut at you on site if you haven't got the same as them, don't go there, be yourself,
no need to keep up with the Jones's, their needs may be different than yours. My "best buy" for me has been external thermal screens(silver screens) We use them all year round, don't buy cheap ones, they don't last, but as I've saaid before, that is our choice,
they may not be for you, good luck and anjoy your new M'home... Oh, and welcome to the club.......
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Hello and wlecome
. I'll echo the comments above about keeping you hand in your pocket until you've had several trips. First
one if not on your drive close to home, so you can nip home for anything forgotten. Obviously stuff is something to eat from and with, bit of food, warm clothes this time of the year, bedding. Just walk through an ordinary day and think about what you use.Our best buys have been an external silverscreen not cheap but brilliant as far as we are concerned and mattress toppers 2 singles used as a double, as they are easier to store, with fitted sheets. We also use a duvet.
If you have any questions just ask away.
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Keeping your hand in your pockets for a while is sensible to a degree. However, there are some basics you will need and you can probably work themselves out for yourself. What you eventually buy depends on the model of your motorhome and style of motorhoming.
When you pitch up, you will need water for a drink - you will need some way of filling your fresh water tank. I use a 25l food grade container and a 15m food grade hose.
You will probably need a hot drink so you need a spanner or equivalent to change over gas bottles when one runs out [not on your first trip].
Then you need cutlery, pots and pans [you can source these from home to start]. Don't forget the can opener! A fire blanket, fire extinguisher, smoke/gas detectors should be on your immediate list You may need chemicals for your toilet.
Your dealer should be able to help you with these.
Although the excitement of being in a motorhome might keep you awake, you will need some bedding - again brought from home to start with.
If the loading margin on your motorhome is modest, I'd get a weighbridge ticket before you fill the van so you know exactly what your payload is.
Join a dedicated motorhome forum.
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Having just changed from a caravan to a motorhome a silverscreen was the first thing I bought. Look on the sales and wants part of the CC website to see if there is one to fit your van. Silverscreens are van specific and it makes a difference if you have
fitted blinds in the cab. For my van (a renault master) it would have been £159 but the one bought on the site was £80 delivered.0 -
The most important things to remember are wine & beer. Just look at the bottles at the bins in the morning. Welcome and enjoy your trip.
and a bottle opener, and a cork screw
and, if you are refined, a couple of glasses. The list will go on...
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Another thing to remember is camping chairs not too important at the moment but you will be wanting them as soon as the better weather comes in, you can't beat sitting outside the van in the sun with a cold beer watching the world go by.
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There are lots of posts covering this topic so a trawl through the forum will get you lots of good info. Some motorhomers perhaps because they were previously caravanners carry a lot of kit and some are very minimalist. I once came across a motiorhomer who
said that they carried 4 plates and her husband thought that was two too many. So apart from a hose (or water container) levelling blocks gas bottles and a hook up cable you can probably start with stuff from home until you work out and learn from experience
what is really needed. Having been a M/H for over a decade we have gradually built up and refined the kit we carry specifically for our van so for example it has its own tool kit so no need to worry about packing one from home. Spare bulbs fuses a first aid
kit chargers for mobile phones and batteries (for torches etc) as well as "ordinary" domestic things like washbag towels etc.So its a bit like packing for a holiday.Hope this helps as others have said don't rush and don't go mad in the accessory shop.
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Oh, those first experiences, the excitement, the anticipation, the delight!
Mind you, I still enjoy it and pine after a couple of weeks away from our motorcaravan! Just think about the very basic essentials you need at home and just ensure you will be able to 'enjoy' these while away on your first trips. The rest you can add as you go along. Be very mindful of legal payload mind, I was very nearly caught out, we have now 'downsized' the 'van's contents, but that's another story!0 -
As said by others; start minimalist and don't be swayed by all the adverts for 'Must haves'.
If you're not planning to go to Mars on your first trip you can survive one night short of some things and purchase them locally in the morning.
Keep a note in view with the height of your m/home!
I've a reminder note on my dashboard which reads:
Height 2.9m (It's surprising how the brain locks up when approaching a low bridge).
Fridge (reminds me to change over power source before setting off rather than half an hour later).Windows (I have left them loosely closed and driven off when one has been caught by the wind and sprung open. Easily damaged in narrow lanes with encroaching hedges).
Step (I have to manually retract mine to avoid slicing pedestrians' shins or dogs' noses in narrow streets).
Enjoy!!
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Hello and welcome. Oh the joys of retail therapy....!!!
To the excellent advice already given I would add a reminder that everything you carry has a price in terms of weight which affects the amount of fuel you use, tyre pressures, handling - a van that handles like a 3 legged supermarket trolley full of half set
jelly will soon cease to be fun to drive - and storage space. So, think plastic/melamine rather than Denby and and lead crystal, also try to think multifunctiion/mult-use where possible.
There are endless discussions about water and waste handling. I prefer to go for the lowest common denominator of facilities and use a smal folding sack truck, a 10L plastic jerry can and 23L Fiamma waste water container. That way I know I can always get water
in and waste out with nothing more than a tap and drain. The sack truck is also handy for carrying the toilet cassette long distance if needed.
We stock up with kitchen towel or similar so that we can wipe all cooking and eating stuff clean before washing up - saves having food waste in the system.
Silver Screens - heck yes! If you've got Remis blinds you may not need them, if you haven't then they're brilliant.
Have fun!0 -
A folding bucket or washing up bowl is useful if you want to empty the waste tanks gradually rather than making trips to the M/H points. Like the previous poster we carry a light weight sack truck too, it folds up into a very small space and is useful for water top ups or whatever.
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setting up and leaving in a MH is sooooo easy compared to a caravan ypu dont need long lists of things to do/check...
however, this is precisely the reason its possible to forget some important 'jobs'....
dont know if you have wind down corner steadies (we do) and it is very easy to unplug, start up and drive away.....without winding them up!
so....if you deploy them, leave the winder handle across the pedals in the drivers cab....then youll see the winder even if you have forgotten the steadies....
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On one occasion I did witness someone driving off the pitch with the EH cable still attached. Luckily they realised just n time!
I did that at a site in Harrogate ...... the cable had just lifted from the ground at one end before I spotted it
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Hi, you will have great fun. In addition to the useful suggestions made by others, you can get a spirit level app for your smartphone. I also have a tv aerial app that shows me where the best signal is coming from. I also have a multitool which I find invaluable.
The levelling ramps and a silver screen are also good to have. If you take a dog I suggest you take a tick removal kit. We needed ours on our first day!
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We've been motorhoming for about 3 years now and have just about all we need. The important items regarding cooking and eating, water filling and empting, and toilet chemicals etc you will learn about in the first couple of days or so. On our very first trip we ran out of water because I didn't pack the hose although it was on our last day thankfully. We bought a few things from car boot sales, charity shops and we found a few things lurking at the back of cupboards that we'd forgotten about. We also have bought a cheap electric kettle from Tesco (£5) and a toaster from Wilko (again £5).Not the best but they're not in constant use as indoors. Dont forget a camping kettle for the gas hob - handy for a brew up in a lay-by on the way to the site. The most important thing is to enjoy it. Good luck.
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