HELP PLEASE GUYS - FIRST TIMER WITH BIG PLANS (1 Viewer)

pygocentrus

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Morning All

This is a big ask but I am not "in the know" about what I need to complete this big trip I have planned. I run a national magazine that is reviewing a 2014 HYMER Starline 's' B680. my review is for two weeks and in that time I am taking my wife and 15 month old daughter to Italy on 29th july. I am a petrol head and have driven all types of vehicles including large vans etc so the driving of the Motorhome isn't a massive worry. I do have concerns about not having a checklist of things I need to take with me. firstly, please can you help me with a checklist???? This would massively be appreciated.

Also, the ROUTE, my father-in-law has recommended a route for me but I would like some feedback on this also. You peeps probably know best.

These are the routes that have been suggested. The motorhome is 8M long

below is the exact message from him

Here it is. Basic route takes you to Bern, Switzerland. From there you can choose to go Tuscany or through The Lakes to Venice.

Calais - Dunkirk - Ypres - Kortrijk - Tournai - Charleroi - Namur - Luxembourg - Saarbrucken - Strasbourg - Freiburg (EuropaWorld) - Basel - Bern.
For Tuscany
Bern - Martigny - St Bernard's - Aosta - Turin - Genoa - La Spezia - Pisa - Livorno - Florence.
For Venice
Bern - Interlaken - St Gothard's - Lake Maggiore - Milan - Brescia - Verona - Vicenza - Padova - Venice.

The route to Bern avoids most French toll motorways and you can get through Switzerland without using motorways and the need for a carnet. All motorways in t'Italy are tolls. EuropaWorld near to Freiburg is a big theme park. Amy should remember it.


This is all new to me. Like I said I would owe you eternally if you can help with both points.

Thanks again

Gavin, Amy and baby Betsy
Huddersfield

 
Dec 28, 2011
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Easy. Pay your £10 subscription and click on the link to Jim's Shop (top right of screen) and you can buy a complete motorhomers check list.
It is downloadable, so you can have it on your laptop or whatever. (y)

Good luck with the trip. :)
 
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pygocentrus

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I'm happy to pay for that. please can you post the link

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WynandJean

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I'm happy to pay for that. please can you post the link
It's not £10 for the checklist. The £10 is to become a member of the forum which allows access to such info. It's well worth it for all the help, advice and other benefits.

Wyn
 

Theonlysue

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Not long enough!
Try and camp for a local weekend first doing all your daily chores to find out what you have forgotten.
If you have refillable gas you may need an adapter.
Not sure what gas bottles are sold abroad.
Will you be off or on electric?
If using campsites you may find them full in the holidays.
Try vicarious books for additional info.
You're really in at the deep end but enjoy the adventure!
And pay the tenner to join
Motorhomefun.
the clue is in the name lol
 
Dec 28, 2011
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Easy. Pay your £10 subscription and click on the link to Jim's Shop (top right of screen) and you can buy a complete motorhomers check list.
It is downloadable, so you can have it on your laptop or whatever. (y)

Good luck with the trip. :)

As the site has recently been upgraded I'm not sure where the pay subscriptions link is.

JIM, HELP PLEASE :unsure:

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pygocentrus

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Right guys I have paid. Please can you point me in the right direction of checklists and my route.

I'm so busy so any advice would be appreciated.

Gavin
 
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pygocentrus

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so you guys would suggest I buy the ebook for 6.99???

Also, what about my route?

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DBK

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Here's the link: Link Removed

oops too late!

If you are a beginner, so to speak I am sure the book will help. But off the top of my head head are some categories:

Documentation: Need originals of V5, insurance docs etc, plus medical insurance, breakdown cover, copies of passports plus international numbers to ring for lost cards etc.

Bedding: Duvets are good, cooler than sleeping bags. Just use the ones from home I guess as you don't want to start buying things just for a two week trip. You might get away with just one set of sheets/covers for two weeks but you will be a bit whiffy at the end.

Cutlery, standard stuff, bottle opener, tin opener etc.

"Utilities":Need mains hook up lead and a continental 2 pin adaptor. the van will probably have this. Hose for filling up with fresh water. A selection of hoselock type adaptors as well. We use collapsible buckets for both filling with fresh and emptying waste water. The fresh goes in through a funnel which has a short length of hose glued onto it.

Communications: I guess you know all about wifi and roaming charges.

Route: I don't think you will have any problems on the St Gotthard or Bernhard Passes: Link Removed

To toll or not to toll is a question often asked here. With only two weeks my instinct would be to use the tolls through France but if the aim is to write a road trip type report then avoid them, but I think you do need to experience them say in France for at least a short section.
 
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ourcampersbeentrashed

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so you guys would suggest I buy the ebook for 6.99???..............

Hi and welcome to motorhomefun.

I have found the checklist extremely helpful so why not go for it. Cant help you with the route because we only motorhome in the UK currently, but I am sure someone will be able to give you advice.

Congratulations on becoming a fully subscribed funster, this gives you access to our rallies and meets so come along and join us. The amount saved in discounts more than gets reimbursed over the year if you attend shows and use the discounts fun traders give.

This website is new and still being developed and some of us are still getting used to all the changes.

Being so busy with so much to plan and such pressure of doing such a trip in a few weeks and......... "not being in the know" as you put it must be extremely daunting. Things will work out and funsters who travel widely are bound to reply to your request for help over the next few days.

The best advice I can give you is to make sure you have an internet facility whilst on your journey abroad. That way, if something goes wrong that you are unable to solve yourself, you can get help from the Funsters.

I love this site because if something goes wrong someone usually comes to my rescue, the information on it is extremely valuable and the friendly people I have made, mean I now have a "new family"


and ps - be mindful as to where your daughter will sleep and check the motorhome for safety features, you dont want her shutting fingers in doors or rolling out of bed, so a trip to mothercare etc may be in order once you receive the motorhome. A baby monitor with you if you are on sites with electric hookup can mean you and your wife can have quality time sitting outside enjoying the sunset etc whilst your daughter sleeps. and dont forget plenty of high factor suncream and a sunhat for her too.

pps some foreign countries require different lenses on headlights, and the carrying of fluorescent jackets etc. Someone will be able to give you information on this once they have seen where you are visiting.

I hope you will update us on your adventure - sounds a fabulous opportunity
 

DBK

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Just looked again at your routes and see you are going to Venice or Florence. Needless to say these are not exactly motorhome friendly cities but there are campsites on the outskirts from which you can use public transport. These have been mentioned on this forum, just need to find them...

Here are a selection. Found using the search facility and checking for titles only with Florence or Venice in them.

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/help-florence-may.20715/

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/recommend-an-aire-in-florence-please.15898/

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/venice.78436/

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/venice.86279/

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Hollyberry

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I'd just add travelling with a baby:
Immunisation and health record document.
First aid kit including rehydration salts.
Usual bug bite cream.

Kit you need for France:
2 x warning triangles
Spare bulbs
Hi vis jacket for each adult which must be in the vehicle and put on if you break down before you exit vehicle. Lots of shops sell kiddies ones too.
Breathalyser x 2 which must have Norme de France or similar on it. Cheaper online than on ferry.
To the letter of the law you are supposed to have I.D on you at all times ( passport) only ever known 1 person get told off by Gendarme for not having hers on her-- she got hit by a car in local town)
 

Bailey58

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Welcome to Fun

The basic stuff belonging to the van is already on there, hi vis jackets which must be to hand and worn before alighting the vehicle in the event of a breakdown in many countries, warning triangles, tools and hoses and water containers , crockery, cutlery, camping chairs, maps and guides, bedding, tv etc.

Everything else not already on board we load from our own checklist and tick off as we go. I’ll try to attach it but I shall have to experiment with the new forum so don’t hold your breath. :rofl:

Edit: After mucking about for ages, I've saved my word.doc as a pdf and I think it's uploaded. My font's gone awol but you'll get the drift. :)
 

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Terry

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Hi & welcome (y) From the sounds of it you are using a loan van so see what's inside and anything that you have not got simply take out of your house :)Don't forget baby stuff --- Chances are your van will come with electric hook up leads and may be a hose pipe of some kind to fill the water tank.You need to learn how to empty the loo cassette (put a capful of cheap bio wash liquid in empty cassette unless they supply) proper liquid You have a very steep leaning curve if you have never camped in a van before :)Just keep asking questions as you think of them (y) but mostly ENJOY
terry

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Jaws

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Welcome on board (y)

First thing.. That route is a bit duff to say the least ! ( Sorry )
We do Italy very regularly..
First bit of advice.. Avoid Switzerland.. And Interlaken is possibly the most boring place in the world ! ;)

We go.. ( and just he basics here )

Namur

Saarbrucken

Stutgart

Reschen Pass ( nice and picturesque without needing to be a mountain goat )

then drop down in to the Balsano or Trento district of Italy ( Trento is no where near as hectic )

From there you can make your way where ever you want to go :)

One camp site I can strongly recommend on the way is Bad Durkheim ( it is beside a tiny airfield )
Fantastic camp site and the town is quite amazing.. We have been stopping there for many moons and we are still not tired of it :)
It is a little off the main route ( to the east of Saarbrucken ) but worth the detour.
 

MattR

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Please consider having a weekend or two away in the van before this big trip - you'll often find what else you need to pack and what you need to leave at home and have a better idea of dealing with campsites in a motorhome. Your trip sounds fun - although it might be more of a rush so less enjoyable / relaxing than if you didn't aim to get so far south.
 

lorger

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Hi and welcome to fun, we went to Lake Garda about 4 years ago and drove through Luxembourg, Germany and Austria. The only toll we had to pay was the pass between Austria and Italy I think it was around €20 euros, you can avoid this and take the old road if you like.
When we travelled down through Germany we stayed at at Stelplatz so didn't have to pay for overnight stops. Also you say your a petrol head if you go via this route you can stop off at Stuttgart and visit the Mercedes museum brilliant day out.

If you would like any more info on this route and where we stopped just ask

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Feb 24, 2013
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not long enough
with a 15 month old daughter I am going to presume you are still fairly young

have you got the correct licence for the motorhome weight, it will almost certainly be over 3.5 tons
 
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Carol

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First of all Welcome, Jims check list should help, if you can possibly have use of a motorhome for a weekend I would really recommend it.

Odds and ends you may/will need I have put some odd ones so you can see how diverse the things you will need.

Tap adapters for your water hose.
Wine opener
Toilet Paper
Fly spray
Savlon
Maps don't just rely on your Sat Nav
Universal plugs for sinks on camp sites

As you can see the list is diverse so keep asking questions as and when you need that's what the forum is about and what you get for your £10 information sometimes within minutes when you are travelling and when you need it.

Be interesting to see how you get on, sounds like quite an adventure.
 

WynandJean

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That's a blooming long drive!!!

Wyn


Wyn

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pygocentrus

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with a 15 month old daughter I am going to presume you are still fairly young

have you got the correct licence for the motorhome weight, it will almost certainly be over 3.5 tons

It's under 3 ton so normal licence fine
 

Carol

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Sorry I don't know a lot but I am pretty sure that is more than 3 tons some one more techy than me will be along soon I think.

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Bailey58

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Writes for a national magazine and is reviewing a £125k motorhome that weighs under 3000kg with a payload of 1250kg according to the pdf file? Hmm something not quite right.
 
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pygocentrus

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Writes for a national magazine and is reviewing a £125k motorhome that weighs under 3000kg with a payload of 1250kg according to the pdf file? Hmm something not quite right.


Sorry guys I don't know what you mean. It's deadly serious.

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Theonlysue

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Not long enough!
It's an 8 metre twin rear wheel 3 litre Mercedes with that payload methinks it's a tad over 3 tonnes lol
Ps nice van though. I wouldn't say no
 

ourcampersbeentrashed

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Writes for a national magazine and is reviewing a £125k motorhome that weighs under 3000kg with a payload of 1250kg according to the pdf file? Hmm something not quite right.

Sorry guys I don't know what you mean. It's deadly serious.

Gavin - if this is deadly serious you may need further funster advice. I am no good at the technical stuff but having googled the vehicle I have found this link

http://www.caravanguard.co.uk/news/...s-motorhome-review-putting-premium-star-6343/

it lists the maximum weight as 5,300kg

I dont really understand the difference between payload and weight or all the ins and outs of the new driving licence system but I can tell you that if Funsters raise concerns they do it because we have a great community and the last thing they want to see is someone fall foul of the law just because they are new.

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