Campervans are becoming increasingly popular with holidaymakers across the world. The UK has long been known for its caravan holidays, but having a campervan allows you the freedom that static caravans don’t. The convenience of loading up the van and driving off is an appealing thought, especially in the wake of travel changes due to the pandemic.
But for first-time campervan owners, what do you need to know before hitting the road for some adventures around the UK?
Stay in Your Van at Home
While you may have been given a run down when you bought your van, chances are there are things you will have missed or forgotten about. Spend a night in your driveway in the van to get a feel for how it works and how you need to move around the van when you are essentially living in it.
Check Your Heating
Know how the controls work and familiarise yourself with the heating system and your tank. Typically in the UK orange propane tanks are preferable as it stays as gas at lower temperatures.
Use bathroom scales to weigh your tank for an idea of how much you have. A 6kg orange propane canister weighs 9kg when half full and 12kg when full.
Gadgets
What do you need in your van when you are away from home? Taking some creature comforts and gadgets with you will make the trip easier but remember not to take too many as it will fill up the space and make it heavier to drive.
Look to see if you need to add 12V LED lighting strips to darker spaces instead of lamps or extension cables to allow you to use devices. This is where that trial night comes in handy.
It’s worth noting that practically every electrical gadget in your motorhome’s habitation section will operate on the 12V DC provided by your recreational battery. To keep this battery charged and power all your 12V accessories without relying on your engine, you can consider fitting solar panels for campervan use. These systems can provide a reliable, quiet, and environmentally friendly source of renewable energy, offering the freedom and independence for extended off grid travel.
Toilet Training
Familiarise yourself with how your toilet works and how to take it apart or empty it. It can take some getting used at first, and knowing how best to learn it and add chemicals to reduce whiffs can be a godsend before it is too late.
Ideally, it would be best to stick to liquids in your chemical toilet to reduce unpleasant odours and make the cassette easier to drain and clean. They can handle solids, but you’re better off utilising camping restrooms if you can. If you have no other choice, change your toilet paper every day. Most loos only need to be emptied every two or three days for liquids, depending on tank capacity.
Shower Rules
Short sharp showers work best in motorhomes as typically you only have a 10 litres hot water reserve, although this can vary depending on the model you have. As a general rule, turn on the water to wet yourself quickly. Turn it off, lather up and turn the water back on again to rinse quickly. This will help you to conserve water.
Top Tips
- Switch the fridge on for a couple of hours before you leave and keep it closed as much as possible.
- Unplug the mains lead, coil it up and store it somewhere handy.
- Latch all window and door openings and your electric hookup cover.
- Check you have all the keys for everything on the van
- Check tyres are correctly inflated
- Travel with an empty water tank, fill up at your destination.