Motorhome 101 – Travel tips for newcomers
Camping in a motorhome gives you the ability to travel from one place to another at your own pace.
It’s great for family adventures and laid back vacations.
If you are a newcomer travelling in a motorhome there are a few things you should keep in mind that will help you turn into a pro in no time.
5 Tips for Motorhome Newcomers:
#1 Checklist for your set-up and pre-drive safety
As a motorhome newbie, you might not have a holiday park routine in place yet. Therefore, having a checklist will help you to ensure everything is set-up the way it should be.
A solid checklist could include:
- Check the campsite for obstacles (e.g. rocks, tree trunks…) and low hanging branches. You don’t want those branches to scratch the roof when wind picks up.
- In a holiday park be careful to watch for children when driving to your spot, sometimes you may have to back in to be close to the power hook-ups.
- Nothing is worse than an uphill climb every time you go from one end to the other. So make sure your motorhome is levelled.
- Remember to put on the hand brake!
- Connect to the electrical hook-up, and switch your appliances to pull power from this source instead of the battery.
- Open the switch to the LPG bottle to use the stove. Remember to turn off the gas when not in use
- Put out your awning, set up your camping chairs and get comfy.
Once you have created an “arrival” checklist, make sure to create one for when you leave a holiday park. Create a step-by-step “pre-drive safety” checklist and conduct a visual inspection before leaving. Do all the above steps in reverse.
TIP: empty your grey/black water at the holiday park’s dump station before hitting the road.
#2 Get familiar with your motorhome
Every motorhome is different and therefore it’s especially important for motorhome beginners, or those driving a new motorhome for the first time, to take time to learn how the motorhome works, even if it’s just a rental.
Getting to know the motorhome means, you are less likely to make operational errors. In case something breaks, you should be able to assess the problem, and potentially fix it. This will save you time and probably money.
Most rentals include a manual guide so make sure to read through before you go on your road trip.
In a best-case scenario you should practise first before you set off on your holiday. Think about what kind of roads will you drive on? What kind of terrain will you come across? As a motorhome newbie it comes in handy to know what could potentially move around in the living space as you travel.
Once you know the intricacies you can make necessary adjustments.
#3 Motorhome holidays with kids
If you plan to travel with kids, there is one aspect you need to take into consideration: activities!
Even the roomiest motorhome can be confining for kids, therefore it is important to choose holiday parks that offer plenty of activities for kids additional to your daily family adventures.
Make yourself and your kids familiar with the area. Walk around with your children when you first get settled at your new destination. They need to know how to find your campsite and how to navigate the grounds.
In case you are planning to bring your pet, check beforehand if they are allowed.
#4 Buying, renting or private-hire a motorhome
There are pros and cons for all options to consider.
In the end it comes down to:
- how often during the year you plan to travel with it
- what do you do with your motorhome during the times you don’t use it
You should investigate the idea of private hire by visiting SHAREaCAMPER.co.nz to see how much you could earn from renting out your campervan when you are not using it yourself. The extra money you earn could go towards upgrades, accessories, maintenance or more time on the road. Join the new wave private hire entrepreneurs and share the adventure!
#5 The Rule of 20%
This is an important safety advice that’s handy to keep in mind!
Fully loaded motorhomes generally have a much slower acceleration and therefore they take longer to come to a full stop. To compensate, always add 20% to everything you do. Whether it is increasing your following distance or safely merging into traffic.
Book your next motorhome stay at Family Parks by clicking here!
Thanks to our guest contributor: SHAREaCAMPER.co.nz
