New Motorhome Advice
Mornign all (Afternoon if the timezone shades you into it)
Just ordered our first ever MH Swift Lifestyle 686. Cant wait to get it and start on the endless adventures we have planned already.
One question if you would be so kind as to help with, as this is first motorhome what should i definetly have to start us off and what is the nice to haves which makes life that wee bit easier?
Comments
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A nice comfy chair ,to sit and enjoy the view ( and a cider)
Ha ha, very good point.
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Hi and welcome to the wonderful world of motorhoming. As you may have already discovered you can spend whatever you like on accessories, some you will use often, some will end up in the loft after you sell your new motorhome, empty it and realise that you've
never used said loft fodder!My best advice would be to camp close to home for the first couple of times and take a pen, paper and a car with you. (Of course beer and wine with glasses go without saying) That way you can start off light and then quickly and easily pop out to get anything
you feel you're missing and really need. It's far better to do this then buy lots of expensive and heavy items that others think are a good idea for their lifestyle that won't suit yours. Park up, sit back and relax!0 -
Hi and welcome to the wonderful world of motorhoming. As you may have already discovered you can spend whatever you like on accessories, some you will use often, some will end up in the loft after you sell your new motorhome, empty it and realise that you've
never used said loft fodder!My best advice would be to camp close to home for the first couple of times and take a pen, paper and a car with you. (Of course beer and wine with glasses go without saying) That way you can start off light and then quickly and easily pop out to get anything
you feel you're missing and really need. It's far better to do this then buy lots of expensive and heavy items that others think are a good idea for their lifestyle that won't suit yours. Park up, sit back and relax!Thanks thats good advise, i am totally clueless on what is essential and dont want to be ripped off when i pick up the MH by the delaer.
We are planning on staying local for our first trips just to get used to the MH and to make sure evertyhing ok, iunfact my in laws have a static on the site we will stay at so makes things easier if anything goes wrong. I think i have all we need for our
first stay, but just wondered if anyone had ideas for making it that bit easier.0 -
Is the dealer giving you a free road atlas of mainland Europe or are you needing to buy one?
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Wouldnt think so
, not planning on european travels quite yet, want to get used to the MH scene to become a bit more experienced.
It does have full european tom tom sat nav, maybe this is the compromise ha ha0 -
I'm really intersted in this thread too...we pick up our M/H on 16th September - and completely agree with what Hallsontour has
said...I cannot belive the amount of "stuff" we've just cleared out of the caravan in order to get it ready for part ex. I didn't even remember buying half of it!I can certainly answer what I have found invaluable when caravanning...but it's horses for courses - what I like and consider a must have, others may say absolutely not for them!
So, in no particular order...
A clothes drier of some kind - whether rotary in the ground or suspended out of the window
A small table for my wine, gin, beer haha (this should be first) - we have an uber lightweight one that is perfect and stops having to get the "big" one out
A little pop up bin or teeny swing bin for my kitchen area and bathroom
A crate type container for my wellies, muddy shoes etc for when static
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Auchtavanner, i see you have bought a six berth MH which either comes in with a 473kg payload of on a 3500kg chassis (almost certainly excluding ANY fresh water, so read 373 straight away) or on the upgraded chassis to 3650kg giving you 150kg more payload...
two questions...
one, if you are a couple, why a six berth van or are you planning to take kids with you?....which leads directly to....
two, if you have a young family, do you have the necessary license to drive the up-plated van?
if you have to run at 3500kg then this will be very, very tight on MTPLM if you are taking kids with you...
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Yes It is myself and family, young family so i can offset the 75kg per person to the 4 of us as a start (daughter weighs in at 21kg at moment)
It is a 3500Kg, i had to have a belt removed and downplated to 3500kg to fit within licence laws
I have calculated I can stay within legal limits albeit only just. This has been the biggest bug bear for me these restrictions.
With the water, i was planning on having limited amount in the tank when setting off, enough for a flush of toilet or a cup of tea type thing, then just filling up onsite. Mistake maybe, i will learn in due course ha ha. But the mass in running order allows
for 90% full tank. This is same for diesel and gas capacities. It also allows for 10kg of luggage and 75Kg for driver.I also dont plan to ever tow.
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From the Swift brochure....
"2. The Mass in Running Order is the mass of the unladen vehicle
including a 75kg allowance for the driver plus engine coolants and 90% of the fuel tank capacity and 1 x 6kg Calor Lite LPG cylinder.
The MRO is calculated with the fresh water tank empty. If you travel with water in the fresh water tank then the payload will reduce accordingly."this is the latest 'wool over the eyes' method of enhancing payload.....suddenly 100kg more....just dont mention the water...
even with your small passenger, beware.....it does NOT allow for any luggage for passengers.....everything you carry, people, their kit, clothes, bedding, second gas canister and of course water, will be (effectively) taken from ypur payload...
vans the,selves are also subject to manufacturing tollerances..upto 5% either way......
i strongly suggest you speak to your dealer and, as soon as the van arrives (and before you sign) you get them to weigh it (in your presence) in 'naked' form to see how much heavier it is than the brochure says...it will almost certainly not be lighter....
i dont say this to scare you when so close to your purchase, but a van has to be fit for purpose...your purpose, not the salesman's......
good luck....
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We bought a new MH in March after 30 years of caravanning and had to get rid of most of the caravan stuff and buy new as we have much less space. Out went Aquaroll, waste container, in came Duvalays and collapsible bucket (waste of time).
Mostly got it right but my advice is to buy the absulute minimum then add to it as you go along BUT don't forget a corkscrew and wine glasses.
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Bolero Boy, I think i need to get this clarified with the dealer, the lifestyle specs i have states:
**The Mass in Running Order is the mass of the unladen vehicle including a 75kg allowance for the driver plus engine coolants, 10kg is allowed for luggage and 90% of the fuel tank, water tank and gas capacity
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10kg is allowed for luggage
Write your comments here...10kg??? You will probably want to add 20kg per person at least, more when you add in towels, tea towels winter woolies/coats etc.
Add in say 60 kg for Mrs A, bedding, kitchen equipment and you will want to run with some water in the tank to flush the toilet and cup of tea when you stop etc. plus if abroad o AIres you need to arrive full as many do not have fresh water. Even 20l of
water is 20 kg.0 -
You need to sort out the weight of the vehicle and if the loading margin is 473kg, it should be enough for a family of four based on my past experience. However, you have to work hard to keep down the weight. Rather than travel with water in the tank, use a small food grade container, no bigger than 10l. We use a spray made up from AquaRinse and water in the toilet when travelling - don't buy Thetford's ready made spray its expensive.
You will need two propane gas bottles [red], 2 x 6kg is usually enough; a 25m long hook up cable; someway of putting water in your fresh water tank such as a large 10l+ container [ours is 25l but is heavy to carry] or a food grade hose [some say it doesn't have to be food grade] with appropriate hose/tap adaptors to deliver water from a tap into the water tank. Toilet rolls and any fluids necessary for the toilet. That's the basics.
Then a kettle, enough mugs and cutlery for the occupants; we use a double skillet and pan with two steamers; plus whatever cookery tools you need for what you are going to cook. Some of our accessories are collapsible silicon such as bowl for sink.
Bathing kit - microfibre towels are light and effective.
Duvets or sleeping bags with pillows - we leave ours in but ensure they are ventilated from time to time and we keep the damp away - duvalays are an expensive but well-regarded solution. Don't forget washing up liquids, powders, cleaners [take care what you use as some domestic cleaners are too strong], dishcloths, cleaning cloths, and tea towels. We use a few 27 year old nappies! Most people forget a tin opener or bottle opener! We carry a few cork mats for standing hot pans etc.
We ban alcohol in the van because its heavy and we're not heavy drinkers. Pubs need the business! Get into the habit of having multi use items and easy wash items [the more you wash, the less clothes you carry].
Tinned foods are useful with long sell by dates but are heavy. Try dry packet goods if you can keep them dry and they are edible.
A simple tool kit including a spanner or monkey wrench to change over gas bottles, a few screwdrivers including an electrical one, cable ties and gaffer tape. I've always carried windscreen cleaner. Sewing threads and needles plus scissors. Torch.
Clothes and anything you need to pursue your hobbies in the van. Kindles are useful. Charger for phones.
Essential documents, various debit/credit cards.
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Thanks everyone for your comments. I appreciate the 10kg allownace is little and needs upped, the statement was what they claim the van MRO is and what is included.
Aspenshaw, great information thank you. Some things there i didnt even think of.
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Re the 10kg allowance. We have recently been on a cruise and we each had a suitcase that weighed in at around 17kg each.(we had to weigh them because ther was a weight limit) When we go away in our motorhome we take no where near as many clothes so around
the 10kg mark might be nearer to the truth than you think especially for shorter trips.Good luck with the motorhome and I hope it is enjoyed by the whole family, an adventure waiting to happen.
David
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Re the 10kg allowance. We have recently been on a cruise and we each had a suitcase that weighed in at around 17kg each.(we had to weigh them because ther was a weight limit) When we go away in our motorhome we take no where near as many clothes so around
the 10kg mark might be nearer to the truth than you think especially for shorter trips.Good luck with the motorhome and I hope it is enjoyed by the whole family, an adventure waiting to happen.
David
Write your comments here...I agree David however in the MH you are likely to have coats, walking boots,shorts, jumpers etc. especially if holidaying in the UK so need the full variety of clothing to suit the weather.
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This is the location of a comprehensive packing list. It will be overkill for your initial outings, because it is designed for long term overseas travel, but it will make sure you don't miss anything http://ourtour.co.uk/home/ourtour-motorhome-essentials-packing-list/
The one luxury that makes our life better, particularly in the morning, is a stove top italian espresso pot and an aerolatte. We can have great coffee even when we are away!!
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Bolero Boy, I think i need to get this clarified with the dealer, the lifestyle specs i have states:
**The Mass in Running Order is the mass of the unladen vehicle including a 75kg allowance for the driver plus engine coolants, 10kg is allowed for luggage and 90% of the fuel tank, water tank and gas capacity
yes, ive found this Marquis data page in their downloaded brochure.
**The Mass in Running Order is the mass of the unladen vehicle including a 75kg allowance for the driver plus engine coolants and 90% of the fuel tank, water tank and gas capacity.
.the three are different, thats for sure...
the swift web page, for all their models, now includes no water...
...and ive never seen any MIRO allowance for luggage....surely this is part of the remaining payload?...
..and luggage for how many people? 10kg each or to divide up amongst all passengers?
doesnt seem quite right to me....
either way, at 3500kg it would be prudent to weigh it 'for real'.
good luck.
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Thanks everyone for your comments. I appreciate the 10kg allownace is little and needs upped, the statement was what they claim the van MRO is and what is included.
Aspenshaw, great information thank you. Some things there i didnt even think of.
....outside chairs (for four), a table for eating oitside (hopefully you will be going somewhere sunny), so perhaps a BBQ of sorts...some use a wastemaster or similar for disposing of shower water if you dont want to move the van to the MHSP.
bikes?
etc.....
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