New to motorhome
Having caravanned for 34 years, we have now moved across to a motorhome, and I have a couple of questions from you veterans. Whilst I would never travel with a full fresh water tank (about 90 litres) is it usual to drain the tank before every journey? I would always drain the grey tank before a journey. ALSO, We have purchased an AGURI 720 satnav which includes a speed trap alert for Europe. Having read some disturbing reports about the consequences if found, I contacted AGURI. They told me that the devices are lawful and indeed, they sell to customers in all parts of Europe, especially a large distributer in Dusseldorf. Apparently most new satnavs have speed trap alerts built in. HELP!! Clearly, the purpose of us buying these devices is that they are loaded with campsites and stopovers across the continent.
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I answered this somewhere else!
We drive with the tanks as they are. See my other reply.
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I always drain the waste tank before leaving site but not the fresh and always travel with some (or lots) of fresh as I have a decent payload on my van. First job on arrival is to top up the fresh tank.
I can't comment on your satnav but I do know TomTom have an accepted way of presenting speed cameras as "danger spots" to overcome the issue.
Gerry
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I'm sure this is a 'change of mentality' thing as you move to a different way of using your new MH....
most decent MH fresh tanks have baffles or, like ours, are built in an irregular shape to avoid water sloshing about when driving.
our tank has quite a large capacity and, if travelling (say) through France and not sure if the next aire would have a supply, I'll fill where I can.
you certainly do not need to think about draining down when moving from one site to another....who wants to have to go through the priming process when you arrive at the next site?
one of the great things about having a MH with its self contained systems (and a key advantage over a caravan) is that it's 'always available'....it won't be (for that impromptu lunchtime pull in) if you keep draining down...
just enjoy it.....
AFAIK....re: the French speed camera locations.....some time back, the govt stated that depicting the exact location of cameras would be illegal, although devices would be allowed to point out 'zones de dangeur' where cameras might be deployed....this is what modern satnavs show.
whats not allowed are radar detecting the specific devices...
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You don't need to drain.
Carry whatever water you need to enjoy motorhoming providing you are not exceeding the weight limits on your axles/the van.
If you are hopping from site to site with available water points, you only need to carry sufficient for your journey - don't forget some for the toilet and boiler if you will be using these facilities en route - or whatever is in your tank. If you are unsure when you will be able to fill up again, carry more.
If you are drinking the fresh water, make sure the tank is replenished every four days or less if the weather is hot.
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....but you can't have much of a shower in a 5ltr container
as I said, it's the change in mentality with using (and I mean using) the MH to provide you with all you need, wherever you are.....and this may not mean full fat camp sites...
be this a THS, non fac CL, Pubstopover, aire, supermarket carpark
, wherever....motorhoming is not caravanning without a towcar....
...and this is the biggest 'change' that those who have moved from a caravan might have to get to grips with...
all that faffing with water barrels, pumps, wastemasters etc can all be left in a former world, moving to the different freedom a MH gives in making the journey, and it's impromptu stopping, part of the 'holiday'
enjoy your new found freedom from all that baggage, Sunstyle
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I believe you are correct about the sat-nav, in France they are very anti speed trap alerts and the last time I checked (year or two ago), the police can fine you for having them enabled, again "I believe" if the functionality is disabled then you're okay.
Of course the chances of being stopped is low but still there.
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I generally travel with full fresh and empty grey. A full tank can't slosh about like a half-full one. I don't think that 90Kgs is going to make that much difference to overall fuel consumption although it will probably prevent me putting it on pole.
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When as we have, owned in order tents,trailer tents,caravans, motor caravans and now back with a caravan, unless touring "over there" the upside of car/caravan far out ways the perceived , by some ,the advantage of motor caravans in the UK and unless you have experianced both then what is seen by some as a problems for the caravan user are really not
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..JVB, Sunstyle IS going to Europe and WILL enjoy all the advantages of MHing in a place that welcomes such machines....
however, if you wish to have a crow at someone, you'd better explain to Cody that he's making the biggest mistake of his 'vanning' life by putting that For Sale sticker on his caravan
Edit: DD, snap!
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I am fairly new to this forum but have already recognised that BB is an enthusiastic and eloquent advocate of the MH world. I moved from caravan to MH a few years ago and totally support everything he says about the MH world.
Sunstar - you have made that same decision and I am sure you will love it. Next week I am going on a 4 week trip into France, Switzerland and Italy and I just have the first two sites booked and will work out where we want to go and how long we want to stay as we go along.
Enjoy your trip.
Gerry
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AOK, thank you for your friendly remarks...we try.....
Im also sure A is correct in his opinion re his touring style. however, we don't like to book (unless we absolutely have to) and don't like to commit to how long (or not) we intend to stay in a particular place.
some places open up and bring a wealth of things to discover and enjoy which might warrant staying around for a bit, on the other hand, somewhere that looks interesting on the surface might not hold interest for very long....
we like to be able to stay or leave without altering bookings or working out what to do with credited advance payments....
paying when we leave, for what we have used suits us best...
...and, of course, it doesn't have to be campsites....
our impromptu style is aided superbly by the Aires/camperstop system in Europe....if we had this at home I'd be more inclined to tour more often...
still, as said, tis horses for courses and being aware of the options goes a long way to making choices.
good luck, all...
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I would suggest that you either travel with the tank full, mindful if you have an accident , a tank with water weighing 90 kg or more travelling even at 10 mph can make a bit of a mess.
or
Travel empty
The tank half full can have the water sloshing about and actually move the tank fittings and / or cause the tank to crack or split where the tank moves on the fittings . As reported on other mhome forums.
rgds
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What’s the point of owning a Motorhome if you have to have the water tank either full or empty? Any decent make will be designed for all conditions. You set off with it full and top up when nearly empty; vice versa for the waste.
We always stay at sites, not aires, but the same principle applies.
Concerning the SatNav, the Garmin automatically switches the message when changing countries. Instead of warning of a speed camera it indicates a danger area. I assume a massive Company like that have done their homework and the different message complies with the local laws.
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We go abroad with a full water tank and an empty waste water tank.
For the first three or four days we get into the swing of Continental motoring and the last thing on our minds is the water situation.
Then we look to top up with fresh water (usually free) and remove waste grey water.
We've never had to carry water from taps or waste to disposal drains and grates in donkeys years.
You're supposed to be relaxed when on holiday – not fetching and carrying and worrying about the basics.
Emptying the cassette every day or two is no great hardship and you meet many chatty Foreign Johnnies at the Borne as they dispose of their effluent – that's the life !
Or are we doing something wrong ?
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K & M, many won't know what a Borne is, unless its first name is Jason
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I only discovered a couple of years ago (despite speaking French) that the French colloquial word for the electricity/water point is une borne. The more usual meaning is a milestone or boundary. For those with an interest in language there is a similar word in English. It is used in Hamlet’s famous speech - “To be or not to be ... the undiscovered country from whose born no traveller returns“. (from memory).
Call me mad but I find the close link between English and French fascinating.
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Hmm. I think those builders of the Tower of Babel have much to answer for.
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I take the point that full tanks should not be hazard when moving, just relaying the possibility of a problem with some manufacturers. If 100kg of tank is moving in accident, it is probably the least of your worries :-(
Another thought is that a lot of bigger mhomes near the 3.5ton can have relatively smaller payloads compared with say a panel van conversion. A full tank of water can make the difference of available payload or being overweight.
rgds
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