New to Motorhomes
- Driving Licence
- Driving a Motorhome
- Roads
- Fuel
- Parking
- Planning Your Trip
- Choosing Site Pitches
- Water
- Fridge
Driving Licence
Holders of a UK Category B driving licence obtained prior to 1 January 1997 may drive a motorhome up to 7500 kgs gross mass. Category B licences obtained after that date restrict holders to motorhomes less than 3500 kgs unless a LGV licence has been obtained.
Overseas licences specify various maximum limits. Please check that you have a suitable licence before booking as hire will be refused and the hire cancelled without a refund.
For insurance purposes, the driver must be between 25 and 70 years old and have held a full licence for at least three years.
Driving a Motorhome
Most modern motorhomes are based on a commercial van chassis and have power steering and a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The first thing you notice though is the high driving position which gives you every opportunity to be able to anticipate road conditions ahead; to judge bends and brake in good time. There is plenty of height and recline adjustment to the seats and you generally adopt a more upright and relaxed driving position.
You are bigger than a car and need to move out a little to the middle of the road to avoid overhanging trees on the nearside and move over a bit more to avoid the odd cyclist and car when overtaking.
Take a bigger swing when manoeuvring but you will be surprised at the turning circle which beats many 4x4’s. Reversing is always best done with a passenger on the ground or for you to get out check the situation before starting.
Keep your speed steady until you gain confidence and remember relax, you are on holiday.
Your mirrors become your best friend. They are big and you should check they are correctly positioned to allow you to scan them easily to spot fast approaching traffic. Motorhomes have limited through-vision and some none at all. You soon start to rely on the mirrors.
Motorhomes are easy to drive but different to a car. Take things at a steadier pace and try to anticipate braking and cornering to make the journey more comfortable and reduce the number of complaints from the navigators.
Traffic Rules
Road signs are usually the standard international signs. Buy a 'Highway Code' for about £1. This is essential for driving in Britain. Many shops (including those at airports) sell it.
Traffic roundabouts are unique to roads in Britain, traffic coming from the right has priority and you may only overtake other vehicles on the right.
Make sure that you understand parking restrictions, and what 'double yellow lines' and 'single yellow lines' mean.
The speed limits for motorhomes are not the same as cars. 70 mph is the maximum on motorways but on dual carriageways the maximum is restricted to 60 mph and to 50 mph on single carriageways, unless there are signs which display lower or specific speed restrictions.
Beware, there has been an increase in the number of speed cameras used on major roads and motorways.
Roads
There is a good motorway network. Motorways are shown by 'M' plus the number. Other main roads or trunk roads are shown by 'A' plus the number. There is no 'toll charge' to pay on British motorways, except the M4 Severn Bridge into Wales, the Humber Bridge near Hull, the M25 Dartford Tunnel and the M6 near Birmingham.
All motorways have emergency telephones every kilometre. There are also markers every tenth of a kilometre. which point to the nearest phone. The phone operator will obtain help or alternatively phone the Motorhome Group and we will co-ordinate assistance. Park as close to the inside edge of the 'hard shoulder' as possible. It is safer to wait outside the motorhome, on the grass banks as far away from the traffic lanes as possible.
You must not stop on a motorway, except in an emergency.
Small, coastal and country roads get congested during the holiday periods and you have to be more aware of narrow bridges and roadside hedges as the motorhome is wider than a normal car.
Driving on non-metalled roads is not permitted. Also be aware of low bridges or areas where access is restricted to 10 feet high or 6 feet, 6 inches wide. You are too big.
Fuel
Most motorhomes have diesel engines but please be careful as most garages have multi-fuel pumps. The diesel pipe is usually black and it is an expensive repair if the wrong fuel is pumped into the tank.
A good place to buy fuel is at supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Asda. They have good access as they are often on the outskirts of a town and provide easy parking. Diesel is often cheapest at supermarkets. Diesel prices are not fixed, as in some countries, so price varies between garages. Expect to pay between 0.92 to 0.99 pence per litre for diesel (October 2006 prices). Fuel consumption is around 6 miles/litre.
Please note that in Britain, motorway service stations are occasionally some distance apart, usually they are approximately every 25 miles but occasionally as far as 50 miles apart.
Parking
Parking in the centre of most big towns is difficult and best avoided. Motorhomes cannot be parked in multi-storey car parks. Parking in central London is very difficult if not impossible as you have to find available street parking. We suggest that you do not even attempt to travel in London, but park on the outskirts and use public transport.
The most convenient places to park are large supermarkets and railway stations as they are well signposted. Generally, they have easy access and are within walking distance of town centres.
Car park areas have a large ‘P’ sign on a blue background. Aim for those but be aware some have height restrictions and you cannot get into anything less than 10 feet.
Planning Your Trip
If travelling from abroad, try to obtain a good quality large-scale road map before you collect the motorhome. You will need a scale of 3 miles to 1 inch/2 kilometres to 1 cm. Also try to obtain other advice about road travel in Britain from a motoring organisation in your country.
It is worth booking the first night camp site in advance and choosing somewhere close to us if you have already had a long journey. The owner of the motorhome may advise on good local sites or contact the Motorhome Group for more information.
Complimentary membership to the Camping and Caravan Club is offered and provides a discount on site fees and a good range of national campsites.
"Wild camping" is not strictly allowed as technically you should always seek the landowner's permission to stay overnight but as long as you are not blocking a gateway or causing a nuisance we have stayed at some great rest areas, viewpoints or beach areas without problem.
Overnight halts are allowed in Motorway service areas in the heavy goods vehicle but it can be noisy at all hours. Fire regulations do not permit use of gas appliances.
It is best to plan your route, before starting. You should consider what attractions you want to visit. Do you need to make small travel breaks along the way if you have children? Does the driver need to take driving rests periods along the way? The AA.com Route Planner is ideal for viewing the various driving route options.
Choosing Site Pitches
It is generally recommended that you use hardstanding when available.
Most motorhomes are front wheel drive and easily loose grip on wet grass and if the ground is soft you might find you will sink in a little.
Water
Most motorhomes have an on-board fresh water tank, and this will be full upon collection. Gauges on board will indicate when you are running low and you can fill up at sites or garages. A hose is provided. A grey water waste tank is also on-board and needs to be emptied when you fill up with fresh water. Both tanks have a similar capacity.
The toilet must be emptied into an appropriate chemical disposal point or toilet. A formaldehyde-based fluid, or "green" fluid, is added as a de-odoriser and does not adversely affect sewage systems. A bottle of fluid is supplied upon collection.
Fridge
The fridges operate on gas, 12 volt or 240 volt. The 12 volt feed is available only when the engine is running and current is supplied directly from the alternator. It is not supplied by either the leisure battery or engine battery.
Once on-site, if you are hooked up to mains you can switch the fridge to operate on the 240 volt supply. Alternatively if you are on a site with no mains supply or parked somewhere enroute you can switch the fridge to operate on gas.
If you are planning a long trip on a ferry you will not be able to power the fridge but for a one or two hour crossing the high level of insulation of the fridge will keep the contents cool.
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