Charabang to poland (1 Viewer)

[Witty Wanda]

Hi At last I think I've found what I've been looking for - a place where I can ask stupid questions! Well they feel stupid to me anyway!

I am off to Poland with my family + my mum in her motorhome too and have so many questions I really don't know where to start! We all only started in April of this year and although we have been away a few times and found out all the obvious stuff (how to turn things on and off mostly!), I feel there is so much more I need to know before we go.

So here goes with the first few questions!

1) How do I know whether the site I am booking has enough ampage on its hook up for our motorhomes? And do I need a special adapter to hook up with? They are ranging from 6 - 12 amps.

2) Why does only my cabin lights work when I run off the leisure battery? Is this normal?

3) What basic equipment should I have in the motorhome for use abroad?

Ok those three seem to be my most pressing at the moment! Would be so grateful for some definitive answers. We are due to go in approx 4 weeks time.

Regards

 

[Jaws]

Hi and welcome on board

1) Amperage

The motorhome its self will only need a few amps to keep the battery charged up..
If you are not planing on using a microwave, electric cooker, electric kettle then even the lowest offerings will be fine

Rough quick guide for you

If you ARE going to use electrical items check to see what wattage they are..

Taking a kettle for instance
It may be a 2kw device ( it will be on the bottom of the kettle usually ) divide the wattage by 250 and that will give you the amps it will use.. So in this instance a 2kW kettle will draw 8 amps near as dammit

The same sums for for all devices except microwaves.. For safety double what ever it is rated at ( so for instance if it is rated at 800 watts, double it to 1600 and then divide by 250 ) That will more than cover the start up amps required for the thing

We carry two electric kettles.. a 'normal' 2kW one and another that is only 800watts so we can use that just about anywhere !


2) That is fairly common on a lot of motorhomes
Saves a very flat van battery if you leave the lights on !!

3) Almost impossible to suggest ! But travelling on the continent I would suggest a reflective jacket for each occupant of the van.
A spare set of bulbs
At least one reflective triangle
A first aid kit
All your paper work for the van

Do make sure that you leave the UK with full gas bottle(s)

Do try and get real paper maps as backups rather than totally relying on a GPS ( we use three gps units AND carry maps !! )

Depending on your tastes..

Bread as you get it in the UK is hard to find so take extra's
Cheese is readily available but if you want good old chedder take it with you
Baked beans !!! Amazingly hard to find in many countries !
Tea.. take loads if you are fussy like us

Milk
Milk is very often not of the fresh type.. generally speaking look for a picture of a cow on the bottle /container. Might sound sort of basic but it is good info :thumb:

Take clothes that can keep out the cold.. do that and you can bet it will stay warm and sunny, fail to take jumpers and rain coats and it will be miserable and cold the whole time

 

[Witty Wanda]

Thanks Jaws

So just so I'm clear, I won't be able to use my motorhome unless I am hooked up then as nothing else works off the leisure battery other than the lights? I'm confused by this because I have read posts by people who have bedded down in laybys etc.

Sorry if I don't understand. :Sad:

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[motorhomer]

Thanks Jaws

So just so I'm clear, I won't be able to use my motorhome unless I am hooked up then as nothing else works off the leisure battery other than the lights? I'm confused by this because I have read posts by people who have bedded down in laybys etc.

Sorry if I don't understand. :Sad:

The leisure battery drives the lights and the water pump. Fridge and cooker and heating if you need it will work off gas. TV's usually can work on leisure battery.

So really you do not need mains unless you insist on mains powered things such as microwaves, hairdryers etc. Also, of course, if you stay for any length of time (probably more than around 3 days) the leisure battery will go flat if you are not on mains, but it will recharge when you drive.

I was in poland with a van last year, very good. Where are you going?

 

[Witty Wanda]

Thank you for that.

We are heading for Warsaw, we have friends there? You don't happen to know some good sites we could stay at on the way do you?

 

[motorhomer]

Sorry no, we went further south from the border with Czech, to Auschwitz and Crakow, and then south into Slovakia.

We used the ACSI book for sites, and also the Caravan Club book for E Europe, had no trouble at all finding places to stop.

Roads not always good! And quite a lot of very extensive roadworks. We found the people friendly and very helpful.

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[hilldweller]

3) What basic equipment should I have in the motorhome for use abroad?
Regards

Kalashnikov + loads ammo.
Stun grenades.
Anti personnel mines.
Uzi + loads and loads and loads of ammo.
Handcuffs.
Razor wire.
Surface to air missiles.
Semtex and remote detonators.

This is all in Jim's book
Link Removed
essential reading for secure travelling. Plus of course
Link Removed



3.2 seconds.

 

[MikeandCarolyn]

Hi At last I think I've found what I've been looking for - a place where I can ask stupid questions! Well they feel stupid to me anyway!


2) Why does only my cabin lights work when I run off the leisure battery? Is this normal?


Regards

If I'm not on EHU I do have to switch to 12v in order to use the leisure battery.
otherwise all I get are my cab lights

Mike

 

[chrisgreen]

Kalashnikov + loads ammo.
Stun grenades.
Anti personnel mines.
Uzi + loads and loads and loads of ammo.
Handcuffs.
Razor wire.
Surface to air missiles.
Semtex and remote detonators.

This is all in Jim's book
Link Removed
essential reading for secure travelling. Plus of course
Link Removed



3.2 seconds.

brian
dont know where you been,but nobody lives in poland anymore,the country is a baron wasteland now
dont know where they all went?

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[acting_strange]

brian
dont know where you been,but nobody lives in poland anymore,the country is a baron wasteland now
dont know where they all went?

I think, according to the Lincolnshire Police...Boston and surrounding district....

 

[hilldweller]

nobody lives in poland anymore,the country is a baron wasteland now

That's quite sad, all the hard working youngsters leave so what does that leave for the country ?

I was once in a hotel near Chard and shared breakfast with 4 Polish pharmacists. They did locum work, every morning the phone would ring and off they go to a pharmacy somewhere. So it's far from just labourers have left the country.

 

[Witty Wanda]

Thank you guys for the advice, will definately look up those websites for more info. And consider taking the ammo and grenades! lol

Another question:

What is the best cover to take out for the motorhome for Europe? I have RAC cover which states it covers Europe but it doesn't provide a replacement vehicle and considering the whole trip would be over if I broke down, its very important.

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