The first of many newbie questions ...... (1 Viewer)

[Diggerdi]

With only two weeks (and 2 days) before we pick up our new pride and joy, I'm compiling a list, in my head, of things I need to know. The first one is regarding foodstuffs being left in the mh. We will be going away in it at least every two weeks, Thur -Sun and more than likely days out on some inbetween weekends. I realise there is a huge possibility of vermin getting in and not to leave food 'in the open' so to speak.

However, i trust it is ok to leave such things as condiments, jars and tinned stuff in, but what about non-perishables kept in sealed tins or plastic containers, eg teabags, sugar, breakfast cereal?

I believe you have to leave the fridge door open slightly when the mh is not being used, so it cannot be used as a secure food storage area.

Being a brand new motorhome I am sure we will not have any damp problems (I know it's not unheard of - fingers crossed), but will it be ok to leave bedding, towels and some clothing in during the warmer (!) months?

 

[Cat53]

Well I have left our duvets and pillows in situ as we were due to go away last week, but was cancelled. We are going away in a few days time. I check it regularly and all seems fine. Who wants to be loading and unloading all the while. Have left bathroom stuff in there too. And a jar of coffee tins and pickles. So hopefully it's ok. I would empty it out in the winter if it's going to be left for some time though.

 

[Beacons]

Hi welcome to fun you have got the right idea with food
And we leave bedding some clothes in the van in warmer weather the fridge door is best left ajar after a trip we use a plug in sensor to deter mice and it has worked well this year
We have had them and it's not very nice .enjoy your new van and safe travels .

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[mustaphapint]

We leave everything in apart from perishables. If you have access to a permanent ehu you could leave the fridge on as we do.

 

[Diggerdi]

@Cat53, that was another thing I wondered about, I want to leave all the toiletries in. Would this be ok?

 

[Minxy]

We leave just about everything in except for fresh stuff, the only thing you've got to watch out for is stuff that can freeze/degrade in cold weather ... olive oil for example looks awful when it's really cold .... it's still edible though once it's warmed up a bit! If you have bottles in a MH garage for example the contents can expand and 'blow' the bottle if it's over-full so best not to leave it in the camper, but other than that just ensure it's in sealed containers etc and don't worry about it.

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[suavecarve]

We ve always taken the obvious out and not even given a thought to the duvets, pillows, wine, more wine, tea bags etc. Sugar comes out because of ants. Fridge is permanently fed from EHU. I dont even think i ve emptied my water from the tank, I m now wondering if i set the handbrake.
The more i think about it the more i think i ought to be on your ignore list for advice !

 

[Diggerdi]

@suavecarve, I'm not even sure we'll be accepted by the mh'ing fraternity - we don't drink wine

 

[TheBig1]

we keep our van fully stocked other than perishables ready for a quick getaway. because its on the drive at home we also keep it warm and aired

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[Minxy]

@suavecarve, I'm not even sure we'll be accepted by the mh'ing fraternity - we don't drink wine

... I've been accepted (I think!) ... and I don't drink!

 

[Carol]

With only two weeks (and 2 days) before we pick up our new pride and joy, I'm compiling a list, in my head, of things I need to know. The first one is regarding foodstuffs being left in the mh. We will be going away in it at least every two weeks, Thur -Sun and more than likely days out on some inbetween weekends. I realise there is a huge possibility of vermin getting in and not to leave food 'in the open' so to speak.

However, i trust it is ok to leave such things as condiments, jars and tinned stuff in, but what about non-perishables kept in sealed tins or plastic containers, eg teabags, sugar, breakfast cereal?

I believe you have to leave the fridge door open slightly when the mh is not being used, so it cannot be used as a secure food storage area.

Being a brand new motorhome I am sure we will not have any damp problems (I know it's not unheard of - fingers crossed), but will it be ok to leave bedding, towels and some clothing in during the warmer (!) months?

Congratulations on getting your new Motorhome see you have been a member since 2015 so I expect you have done a fair bit of reaserch, I would not worry to much about vermin in the van we have been camping caravan in motorhoming for 40years and never had vermin in, so would not worry to much, though I know it can happen.
We leave everything in the van except fresh food and fridge & freezer stuff everything else stays in.

I see you are st Manchester, why not join us at our Rally at Chester over Easter, good way to meet a lot of funsters.
Where ever you go enjoy your new Motorhome.

 

[Ex-caravantugger]

@suavecarve, I'm not even sure we'll be accepted by the mh'ing fraternity - we don't drink wine

Don't worry. I'm sure there are many on here drinking yours ( and others) shares.

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[Diggerdi]

@Carol, it would have been lovely to go to Chester, but we are going to Scotland at Easter. Maybe next time.

 

[skylinersi]

@suavecarve, I'm not even sure we'll be accepted by the mh'ing fraternity - we don't drink wine

you .............dont...............drink.................wine????

 

[Diggerdi]

Sorry, no. Could never see the attraction. My alcohol tastes are rather expensive - and potent. Any whisky based liqueur, especially Glayva or Drambuie, topped up with orange flavoured water to make a long drink. Strangely, though, I hate whisky!

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[skylinersi]

Sorry, no. Could never see the attraction. My alcohol tastes are rather expensive - and potent. Any whisky based liqueur, especially Glayva or Drambuie, topped up with orange flavoured water to make a long drink. Strangely, though, I hate whisky!

we love dram and glayva!

 

[Al-Di]

welcome from us in manchester,

 

[Diggerdi]

Hi Alan & Diane, we're Mike & Diane . Our paths may meet sometime.

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[Al-Di]

hi Mike & Diane hope to meet you at one of the rallies,

 

[Cat53]

@Cat53, that was another thing I wondered about, I want to leave all the toiletries in. Would this be ok?

I think so....the thing is, you want to use your MH as often as possible, therefore you want to have as little loading as possible, which boils down to perishables only. So load her up. And enjoy the freedom of leaving at the drop of a hat!

 

[Sheldon C]

The first one is regarding foodstuffs being left in the mh. We will be going away in it at least every two weeks, Thur -Sun and more than likely days out on some inbetween weekends. I realise there is a huge possibility of vermin getting in and not to leave food 'in the open' so to speak.

However, i trust it is ok to leave such things as condiments, jars and tinned stuff in, but what about non-perishables kept in sealed tins or plastic containers, eg teabags, sugar, breakfast cereal?

When people mention vermin they usually refer to Rodents, the name has its roots in latin meaning 'to gnaw', which is why they have so successfully exploited the surroundings and environment we create for ourselves. Steel tins and large glass storage jars will defeat the most determined mouse and try to avoid parking on or close to grass for long periods of time with the vehicle unoccupied. Ants and cockroaches will exploit your motorhome in a much shorter time than rodents, an ant colony will rapidly 'bud off' inside your pride and joy if you move the vehicle seperating the workers from the main nest. Cleaning the floor and carpets and removal of any spills on worktops before parking up is the best possible prevention method.

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[lorger]

We tend to leave all bedding and toiletries in the van due to the fact we've headed away for the weekend and left them behind. We were away this weekend and when we arrived home on Monday Lorraine stripped all the beds washed it and refitted ready for the off, the good thing about this is if you decide last minute to head away you just grab some clothes and head off.
As for food we leave tins in and any loose stuff like pasta we have in a sealed container.
Just remember in the winter to drain the van down everytime you park it up.
Like you we don't drink wine , if you need any advice on Scotland feel free to ask.

 

[Lofty1]

@suavecarve, I'm not even sure we'll be accepted by the mh'ing fraternity - we don't drink wine

Of course your welcome, providing you buy wine for visitors (me?) lol

 

[scotzsue]

Congratulations on getting your new Motorhome see you have been a member since 2015 so I expect you have done a fair bit of reaserch, I would not worry to much about vermin in the van we have been camping caravan in motorhoming for 40years and never had vermin in, so would not worry to much, though I know it can happen.
We leave everything in the van except fresh food and fridge & freezer stuff everything else stays in.

.

We had mice for the first time this winter, we left everything in but, had changed van, and food storage for unopened biscuits had changed oops, there was no access to the cupboard we used in the old van, for mice, not us, so never had a problem. Still keep tins, condiments, wine, everything except perishables.
Always have spare clothes and toiletries in the van, we keep it in storage and I like it to be ready for me to grab a bag of food and go. also keep a 5L bottle of water, so I can make a drink when I get itchy feet and can only visit and not set off for a few days.

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[StephandJohn]

We leave everything in except for perishables etc. We always clean out the fridge and leave it opne - didn't leave the door open once and found mould in it.
The worse thing that happened to us was an exploding long life milk carton! We'd left it (unopened) over the winter in a cool box which we were just using for storage of tins. When we opened up 4 months later the smell was awful!

 

[mitzimad]

most fridges have a second catch which alows air flow but keeps door almost closed
all but perishables stay in our van along with shoes coats clothes im often dashing out to the van when ive run out of something or cant find a belt

 

[skylinersi]

there seems to be a lot of folks on here who dont drink wine............. suspicious?............

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[Diggerdi]

@lorger, thanks for the info. We're actually staying at Garleiston over Easter weekend. Really looking forward to it

 

[lorger]

@lorger, thanks for the info. We're actually staying at Garleiston over Easter weekend. Really looking forward to it

Is that at the CC site or the CS next door, if your wanting any wild camping areas in Dumfries and Galloway let me know. Also if your looking for must see and do again feel free to ask.

 

[Diggerdi]

It's the CC site as newbies we want to stay on sites until we get used to the mh. Our only previous experience was two weeks hire in 2015 around the Highlands and we didn't have a clue! Dumfries & Galloway looks beautiful and I'm sure we will be spending more time in the area as it is easy and near enough to get to on our 4 day weekends. Many thanks for your kind offer of information