Exercising your Motorhome!
We are being advised to not stay on sites with our motorhomes or caravans. We pay insurance on them so along with the vehicle tax, it is a lot of money to pay out to NOT actually be able to use them. Surely the Government should allow us to declare SORN on motorhomes but give us some sort of dispensation from the vehicle tax on them to enable us to take them out for a run occasionally as it is not a good idea for them to be standing for months on end without being driven!
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I shall take mine round the block occasionally to keep it moving or maybe use it on an essential shopping trip. Hence, it will be taxed as it always is.
I don’t think you’ve got a hope in hell of getting the Govt to relax the law to allow SORN'd MHs on the road. Why should they treat MHs differently from all the other vehicles that will be laid up over the coming months.
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Whether they stand around for a week or a couple of months really doesn't make an awful lot of difference. After all, they can stand around waiting to be sold on dealers' premises for just as long. For various reasons we have had our caravan laid up for up to a year in the past without it suffering in any way.
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dont know where this idea comes from that MH's need to be taken out frequently to keep the mechanics in good order. Have seen cars and in some cases motor homes standing on garage forecourts for months on end, and especially as we are now starting to get some sun batteries and the like need less charging, my caravan today, stood on hard standing by bungalow, is toasting inside and has only moved the once to try out new mover since last October, i know not quite as much mechanical stuff as MH.
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We shall take our MH out for a run locally, emergency shop at some point. Ours has stood for up to 3 months without moving, and we have had no issues in the past. Fired up immediately.
Modern cars are different, they still use a trickle of power, and a previous Jeep (Patriot) didn’t like it when we left her at home for four weeks, went flat. It’s called “vampire drain”, a tiny trickle keeping alarms alive. Not so bad on smaller cars, but big 4x4s need a hefty whack from battery to turn them over. Easily cured by charging battery up, but you do wonder first time it happens what is going on.....then you read the handbook😂
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My current BMW has been standing in the garage for up to 8 weeks at a time and yet it started immediately. My previous Lexus hybrid was a bit different as its starter battery was abnormally small for a 6 cyl car (the battery was actually identical to that of the Nissan Micra). After experiencing a drained battery after a long absence I therefore removed it before later equally long trips away from home.
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Very much less mechanical stuff than a MH, Rufs.
Using motorised vehicles for as many miles as will be practical in these circumstances will help prevent bits seizing up, rust on brake discs, flat spots on tyres, pooling of oil, condensation in diesel, it will help lubricate the moving mechanical bits, wheel bearings etc etc. The battery and starting is the least of the concerns.
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I will certainly be taking ours for a run round once a month, if permitted. As we can get straight on to trunk roads it is fairly easy to fully warm the engine and exhaust system. However, the main reason is to rotate the wheels, so it doesn't rest on the same bit of tyre for to long. There is no easy way to do this on a MH on a level gravel compound without starting the engine.
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Rust on brake discs forms after only a day or two so it's a bit immaterial whether the vehicle is standing around for a week or several months. Besides, any rust is quickly worn off after the first few miles. Flat spots on tyres, if any, also disappear very quickly when on the move. The same applies to lubricated surfaces. I've seen cars standing around unsold on dealers' forecourts for over year. Last autumn, we were on a campsite in Spain where our neighbour's motorhome stood without being moved a inch while they were overwintering there.
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Each to their own beliefs, Lutz.
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Worcestershire source, then?
Registration begins with LP?Steve
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We have a Lanky reg on our MH so have adorned it with stickers showing the flag of St Piran. I drew the line at "non-emmet" stickers. 😄
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Whilst I fully respect Lutz's view on this given his background in the automotive world but somehow it seems counter intuitive just to leave a vehicle standing for anywhere up to what could be six months. I try and take ours out about once a month, its only a shortish run of about ten miles which I can do without meeting others . It could be the only time I get to drive it this year!!!
David
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Very much so, each to their own.
If you want to exercise your motorhome, it is best to do so for long enough and for enough distance to get the engine oil hot. So, even if your coolant temp is up to normal, the oil is always some way behind and further driving is required.
There is a benefit to exercising the clutch and brakes, not so much for keeping the friction parts clean, but for moving the seals in the master and slave cylinders. Also, it is a good idea to run the air conditioning as the carbon shaft seal in the a/c compressor requires regular running to keep it oiled and sealed. If not used, the seal can dry out, contract and leak the refrigerant giving rise to a recharge.
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I don't have a motorhome ...
Surely, the choice of whether to 'exercise' the vehicle is one of personal preference? If that is true, then every owner will follow the regime that suits their particular preference, given that nobody has flagged up any warranty/safety or similar issues.
It's whatever brings you peace of mind ... Pax vobiscum.
Steve
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I just think this question became a bit academic at 8.30pm this evening?
David
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Does maintaining the vehicle in working order constitute "essential"? My MOT, service and Hab check is due in about six weeks. Not even sure if my dealer is still operational at the moment.
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If allowed to drive a vehicle to the supermarkets for ‘basic essential’ items, then theres nothing to stop anyone taking their motorhome is there? No restriction on the size of vehicle you can use to get to the supermarkets.
Not so easy or sensible for anyone who has to go a long way to collect from a storage facility, but for others with easy access to the motorhome, should be ok?Again, personal discretion and common sense prevails. I will still try and run mine every 4-5 weeks if possible
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Motorhome dealers and others recommend taking the vehicle for a run once a month or so. There is no restriction on driving unless, presumably, you intend to provide joyrides for groups of strangers!
Garages remain open for fuel but I just cancelled an engine diagnostic check and will rearrange when things are quieter.
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