Newbie looking for advice

[GrandmaLiz]

Hello everyone,
I am about to collect my 'new' (1995) 2.4 diesel automatic Holdsworth Valentine - my first motorhome.
I'm really looking forward to joining your 'community' and would welcome any tips &/or advice from anyone.
I have been looking at tools & accessories but I am unsure what I will need as essentials or what is useful but you can easily live without (I'm sure I could spend a small fortune buying things that aren't particularly good/functional). For instance, I am considering solar power - a battery trickle charger and/or panel - what sort of experience have members had?
Finally, I haven't insured it yet - any suggestions as to which companies to try or avoid?

Looking forward to hearing from you, happy motoring,
GrandmaLiz

 

[Teasy2007]

Hello everyone,
I am about to collect my 'new' (1995) 2.4 diesel automatic Holdsworth Valentine - my first motorhome.
I'm really looking forward to joining your 'community' and would welcome any tips &/or advice from anyone.
I have been looking at tools & accessories but I am unsure what I will need as essentials or what is useful but you can easily live without (I'm sure I could spend a small fortune buying things that aren't particularly good/functional). For instance, I am considering solar power - a battery trickle charger and/or panel - what sort of experience have members had?
Finally, I haven't insured it yet - any suggestions as to which companies to try or avoid?

Looking forward to hearing from you, happy motoring,
GrandmaLiz

Welcome to the site, you have already done the best thing you can do by joining Motorhomefun!

For your insurance for the first year Saga are excellent, I had an ONLINE quote (dont ring them up) for £270 fully comprehensive, including full european breakdown cover, the trouble is they are not as hot the following year, so you may have to look around then.

Dont buy a little solar panel which fits in your window, they are a waste of money, if you are going wildcamping then you need one on the roof, if you are not bothered about wildcamping then dont bother! we had one fitted from new, but have rarely used it because we dont wildcamp, except for on the way down to Spain on the Aires.

Ginny and Mike

 

[Caztur]

I insured my motorhomes with Motorcaravanwise - the premiums were very competitive, but luckily never had to claim so don't know how good they are when needed!

Re. equipment - I've tended to gather stuff over the years on an "as needed" basis (or "as seen someone else useing and decided it was essential" basis).

 

[JayDee]

Hello everyone,
I am about to collect my 'new' (1995) 2.4 diesel automatic Holdsworth Valentine - my first motorhome.
I'm really looking forward to joining your 'community' and would welcome any tips &/or advice from anyone.
I have been looking at tools & accessories but I am unsure what I will need as essentials or what is useful but you can easily live without (I'm sure I could spend a small fortune buying things that aren't particularly good/functional). For instance, I am considering solar power - a battery trickle charger and/or panel - what sort of experience have members had?
Finally, I haven't insured it yet - any suggestions as to which companies to try or avoid?

Looking forward to hearing from you, happy motoring,
GrandmaLiz

Welcome.

Essentials:-
Ramps (Fiamma Level-up aren't bad).
Fresh water hose (up to 30 metres - food quality is recommended) to fill up your tank, if you have one, with a variety of fittings to fit the many different shapes of tap you'll find.
Reverse polarity checker (one of those that plug into a 13 amp socket and show 3 amber lights when all is OK. There are those who say it doesn't give a 100% reliable check, but in order to do that you would need a fully qualified lecky in your equipment locker
Waste hose (to dump your waste tank if you have one - about 15 metres should do) as not all sites have a drive over dumping point.

Handy but not 'essential':-
Breathable ground sheet - nice if you want a bit of 'carpet' outside the door, particulary if you're on gravel.
Biological toilet chemical. Much nicer than the blue stuff - a lot of people swear by Bio-Magic.
A good 'drinks cabinet'.
External Silver Screen - does a great job of cutting down the condensation on the windscreen and helps keep the heat where you want it (in the MH).

Nice to have:-
You mentioned solar panel and Ginny has already said that the little ones are a waste of time, space and money. A roof mounted one is good and a lot of folk have them, but the fitting costs a fair bit. There are a couple of people here have free standing ones (myself being one, though I haven't had an opportunity to put it through its paces yet) but Graham (GJH) thinks his is great.

Insurance:-
We've used Safeguard and found them good, also Comfort with no complaints to date (3 years). Other people have different favourites.

Well I've probably spent about £1000 of your money by now so I'll not tempt you any further

Two more absolute essentials:-
A good sense of humour.
An acceptance that sh*t happens, very often to you. Live with it and laugh about it tomorrow

Have fun and enjoy your new life.

John

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Hi and welcome to FUN, Jaydee has just about summed it up:thumb:

Peter

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[haganap]

hi and welcome to the fun. We are a happy lively bunch but be warned, what some see as essentials you will come to see as a waste of time.

your money can go through your fingers in this leisure time quicker than a bad curry through your system.

Only you know what you will need.
for example, a solar panel? why would you want one? are you going to be days on end with out moving or electric hook up? only you will know and then be able t make that decision.
Its like Jay says, he sees a reverse polarity tester and a waste hose as essentials, I have neither and have had no need for them in 4+ Years. But I would not be without my siilver screens keepeing the van warm
just go and enjoy it, do a few nights here and there and learn as you go, log on here for some help now and then and you will be fine and enjoy it.
i know of a couple that spent hundreds on equipment and then went with the option of if they did not need it on 3 trips they took it out of the van, ended up with a lighter van and a lighter wallet

as jay says, a sense of humor and an acceptance that things can and will go wrong are much better options to add to your essentials.:thumb:

.have fun and enjoy yourselves.

 

[pappajohn]

A Corkscrew !!!!!

100% essential kit....

welcome to the FUN forums.....:thumb:

nothing on here but good advise with a bit of banter thrown in:Blush:

 

[JayDee]

A Corkscrew !!!!!

100% essential kit....

welcome to the FUN forums.....:thumb:

nothing on here but good advise with a bit of banter thrown in:Blush:

Bloody hell!!!
Idiot that I am - it should nave been at the top. Sorry guys.:Blush::Blush:

 

[GrandmaLiz]

Thanks from a 'Newbie'

Hi, I am so glad I found this forum at the beginning of my motorhoming 'career'. Reading several posts with lots of useful information the prevailing 'personality' is one of friendliness to everyone - it brings back one's faith in human nature, thank you. I'm sure I will visit this site very frequently and when I feel a little less shy and confident in motorhoming I hope to join you at some of your 'meets'/events.
Happy motoring to you all, GrandmaLiz

 

[eribiste]

Something else I can recommend that you already seem to have is a willingness to ask the advice of other motorhomers. There's no such thing as a dumb question, oh:and everyone with a motorhome will, in my experience, be very helpful of other similarly afflicted folk!

My own list of essentials is much like what has already been written. I would reaffirm the levelling blocks, and does your bus have an awning? If you go somewhere hot the shade can be very welcome.
Most of all, use it and enjoy it!

Welcome aboard:thumb:

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[derekfaeberwick]

How's about a spirit level? Far cheaper than blocks.

 

[hilldweller]

Bloody hell!!!
Idiot that I am - it should nave been at the top. Sorry guys.:Blush::Blush:

Well, maybe not. Wine boxes ( note plural ) do suit stacking in a MH more than bottles.

Apologies in advance to all those who consider £100 a bottle to be cheap plonk.

 

[JayDee]

Well, maybe not. Wine boxes ( note plural ) do suit stacking in a MH more than bottles.

Apologies in advance to all those who consider £100 a bottle to be cheap plonk.

Boxes are great and we often use them. The main drawback with boxes v bottles, when you've emptied a bottle you're still sober enough to open another.

Who (in their right mind) would carry a £100 bottle of wine in a motorhome. It needs to be treated with respect doncha know (like I'm a expert)


John

 

[pappajohn]

Who (in their right mind) would carry a £100 bottle of wine in a motorhome.
John

who (in their right mind) would BUY a £100 bottle of wine


saw some the other day in sainsbury's in, what looked like, a square cordial bottle.:Wacko:

 

[thehutchies]

My wife bought a £40 bottle of wine for me (£160 in the wine bar!) and, as I savoured the last drop, I could only think 'Could have had 12 bottles of 3-for-a-tenner for that!'

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[Galway]

GrandmaLiz

Welcome to the site.

My advise is get out there as quick as you can and enjoy ever minute of it.

Life is short.