New Owner Wobbles
Hi Everyone,
Well we did it, we’re a few days away from picking up our first MH. Hired 2 last year and fell in love. We must have looked at 100’s online, wrote preference and non-negotiable lists, did pros/cons, and when we walked into our van we just knew. Didn’t hit every preference but I don’t think that MH exists (at least not within our budget!). Can’t wait to get out in it at the weekends and explore some more of this beautiful country we live in. I feel we have lots to learn, especially practical stuff such as “What is the best toilet chemical to use?”, “Where can we park off-grid?” and more importantly “Will the water last long enough to wash my hair if we’re off grid?” Every day is a school day so I’m sure we’ll work it out.
Wish us luck.
Sandra & Gary
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Welcome to CT , Sandra & Gary !! Hope you have lots of fun & enjoyment over the next ten or twenty years until you decide whether you like the motorhoming life !!
As for the best toilet chemical search for the thread " Water Questions " -- that could give you a wider perspective than I can provide
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Hello, there.
With regard to camping off grid, there’s a comprehensive list of off grid CLs here ⤵️ and they all have a water supply, grey waste disposal points and toilet emptying points.
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Off grid and wild camping are two different things and I’m not sure which the OP means.
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You will be fine, do a bit of reading, ask a few questions, get to know how things work in your new holiday home, and, be prepared to compromise a little, it isn’t home and it isn’t a hotel, so think about actively using less water and less power hungry gadgets.
Easy compromises are to fit a trigger operated shower head, so it’s on- off when showering. Consider a decent 2-1 shampoo/conditioner, that’s only one hair rinse. If a bit of hair styling is required, and you are off grid, what about gas canister hot brush/ tongs? We carry two kettles, neither very large, one for gas, one for when on hook up. Gadgets like iPhones, iPads, Fitbits, can be charged up while you are driving via a lighter charger.
Loo chemicals? Give Bio Wash Pods a go, as they are very cheap and readily available. (Aldi, Lidl, must be Bio type) All you need are a couple of pods thrown into the pot each time you empty, a tiny bit of water and then let nature take its course. Ideally empty every day, or every other day. We have used them for years with no issues whatsoever. We use dilute Zoflora spray to keep loo clean after every use.
We aren’t BBQ fans, but have a brilliant oven in our MH. We save on all that pan scrubbing by using disposable foil containers that can be recycled.
Books, films, TV series, maps, music……all downloaded onto iPads to save on space and weight. We carry little in the way of cash, preferring to use Applepay, better for security.
We really use our MH as an MH, out and about in it almost every day, so we travel lightly, but still have all we need with us to be warm, comfortable, well fed and entertained. We have mastered the 5 minute pitch up, and the 10 minute getaway, and life is very easy. It might not suit you, but the less you can carry, the easier things are.
You will need a selection of tap fittings for filling up with a hose, taps do vary, so fore armed is good👍
Above all, just enjoy and take things as they come.
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Agree with Takethedogalong about hair washing. We only have a 5l hot water tank so showers need to be quick. I got some all in one shampoo/conditioner and managed to wash my hair and have a reasonable shower washing suncream off too when necessary. We got used to getting wet and turning the tap off, then shampooing/washing, then rinsing it all off until the water started going cold. Then it needed to heat up for the other person. We have a 45 litre fresh tank and found we needed to fill it daily for showers for 2, food preparation and washing up. We also emptied the toilet daily, but we're using our own facilities the whole time. We used ELSAN green toilet fluid which seemed fine and useful that it could also go in the flush tank, but we have a manual flush and I heard fluid in the top tank is not advisable if you have electric flush. But we are not doing anything off grid and would not tow our little caravan with a tank full of water. Of course this is different with a MH.
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