Summer Adventures in New Motorhome (1 Viewer)

[aharries]

Hello,

Just got a fiat ducato and am going to be taking my family on a few trips over the summer.

Just wanted to say hello.

Adam.

 

[David and Sally]

 

[RedFrame]

Cheers
Red.

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[rosalan]

Hello.... The first trip will often have the greatest looking forward to and encounter the most unexpected. An adventure and a great learning experience. When I first owned a motorhome, one of the most useful bits of information I was given was that Motorhomes are built to keep down weight rather than have household equipment built to last.

 

[gus-lopez]

 

[Nirvanauk]

Welcome to Fun and enjoy your new van.

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[lorger]

Hi and welcome, great way to do family holidays . Where are you thinking of going

 

[aharries]

Hi and welcome, great way to do family holidays . Where are you thinking of going

For our first trip we'll go to a site were familiar with (go there several times a year with just a tent). Cae Du on the Welsh coast.

 

[Hirsch]

For our first trip we'll go to a site were familiar with (go there several times a year with just a tent). Cae Du on the Welsh coast.

Take a brolly

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[ambulancekidd]

 

[lorger]

For our first trip we'll go to a site were familiar with (go there several times a year with just a tent). Cae Du on the Welsh coast.

Sounds nice, think about getting the ferry to France, campsite there as so much more family oriented. Even driving down from Scotland it normally worked out cheaper for us to go ove the channel than stay in U.K.

 

[Puddleduck]

For the first trip maybe some where local? We camped on our drive overnight in the last but one motorhome and on a site near the dealer when we picked up the last one.

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[lorger]

For the first trip maybe some where local? We camped on our drive overnight in the last but one motorhome and on a site near the dealer when we picked up the last one.

Always a good idea to have a practice night in the drive if practical, we collected our first MH on a Wednesday and left for France and Germany on the Friday

 

[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[scousebird]

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[gpat]

Tell us more about your van. We have pretty much all got a FIAT Ducato.

Welcome on board

 

[Figaro]

 

[Jo662]

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[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN.

 

[HKF]

 

[Mohawk Mo]

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[aharries]

Tell us more about your van. We have pretty much all got a FIAT Ducato.

Welcome on board

It's a McLouis Lagan 410. 2003. It's a 5 berth, which is good as there's 4 (soon to be 5 of us). Just in the process of getting familiar with it. Had literally every panel off yesterday just to see what's behind it. It's a pretty old van, and it's small, but it's perfect for us. Didn't want anything too flashy as we'd never want to come out of it

 

[aharries]

Yeah, got a lot of that stuff already minus the hose, so I'll put that on the shopping list along with a decent kettle.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

Welcome to Motorhome fun where I am sure you will find many answers to questions you will no doubt be asking.
Your van is almost identical to ours although 2 years newer and except we do not have a long bench seat running down the side of the van, if your model 410 is that layout.
What we do have are 6 sets of seat belts: 2 at the front for driver and passenger and are inertia type, 2 forward facing inertia type on the dinette seat, and 2 rear facing lap belts on the opposite rear facing dinette seats, but which are advised to used by adults only.
You say you will shortly be 5 users from 4, and therefore I do not want to put a cloud on anything, but you will need to organise the travelling arrangements quite carefully depending on ages of who is travelling, who will need car seats or booster seats etc.
With a little thought it is 'do-able', but please ensure all travelling are in some way fastened in when travelling.
Good Luck.

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[aharries]

Welcome to Motorhome fun where I am sure you will find many answers to questions you will no doubt be asking.
Your van is almost identical to ours although 2 years newer and except we do not have a long bench seat running down the side of the van, if your model 410 is that layout.
What we do have are 6 sets of seat belts: 2 at the front for driver and passenger and are inertia type, 2 forward facing inertia type on the dinette seat, and 2 rear facing lap belts on the opposite rear facing dinette seats, but which are advised to used by adults only.
You say you will shortly be 5 users from 4, and therefore I do not want to put a cloud on anything, but you will need to organise the travelling arrangements quite carefully depending on ages of who is travelling, who will need car seats or booster seats etc.
With a little thought it is 'do-able', but please ensure all travelling are in some way fastened in when travelling.
Good Luck.

Our layout is as you described (bench seat down the side). Didn't realise the lap belts are for adults only. Might need to be the missus in the back and the eldest kid up front. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

Our layout is as you described (bench seat down the side). Didn't realise the lap belts are for adults only. Might need to be the missus in the back and the eldest kid up front. Thanks for the heads up.

Yep. That's how we do it with the Grandkids.
I drive, and 6 year old sits in his child seat as the passenger, both with 3 point inertia belts.
Then 1 year old sits in his child seat on the INSIDE of the forward facing seat, ie nearest the window, in a 3 point belt,with his 10 year old brother sitting on the other forward facing seat on his booster seat and next to him, again in a 3 point belt,ie so there is a heavier weight against him and a barrier to the outer gap.
We then have my wife and the grand kids mum sitting in the REAR facing seats and using the lap belts.
That's how we get loaded for carrying six people on days out , ie not stopping overnight , with food, clothes etc.
When we are stopping overnight we are maximum 4 persons as baby is too young to be without his mum, my daughter.
I see from your recent avatar that you have 2 children shown, and I am not prying but realise loading such may not have been considered.
If your new addition to the family is a little one, personally I would put the lightest weighted child up front with you in their seat, the little one again in the window seat forward facing, and the next heaviest child next to little one, again forward facing, but all on 3 point inertia belts.
Then your wife will sit in the window seat , rear facing with a lap belt, and opposite little one.
So that's 5 able to be carried, but you will need to very strict on your gear that you carry to be within your maximum weight allowed.
On weights, there is loads of info available on this site about how to maximise your weight, how to uprate your weight ,and what the implications are in relation to your driving license categories allowed.
On seat belts, if you only have lap belts fitted, I believe your seating arrangement for the forward facing rear seats has a framework built as part of the chassis, as ours does, and is capable of retro fitting inertia seat belts if yours does not have them. Ours were factory fitted and I suspect for the age of your vehicl, yours will be too.
The rear facing seats will probably only be able to take lap belts attached to a lower securing framework, ie there is no higher securing framework to fit a full 3 point belt.
I hope this helps and I am only trying to offer advice to you as you are probably travelling under similar circumstances to us with a very similar vehicle.
Just don't let the Children travel on the side bench, even if lap belts are fitted, because in the event of an accident, the forward momentum can cause more injury from wearing a lap belt.
The best of luck and enjoy your travels.
PS: As far as I know it is NOT illegal for children to use forward facing lapbelts, but it is not advised. And certainly not advised for anyone to use a side facing lap belt.
Also, you would be best travelling with your dinette table stored away until you need to use it, once stopped or on site.
This is because in the event of sudden braking, all occupants in the rear could be seriously hurt by a table becoming loose, or occupants being thrown in to fixed table.

 

[aharries]

This is all great. Thanks for taking the time to reply in such detail. Great point about the table.

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[aharries]

Yep. That's how we do it with the Grandkids.
I drive, and 6 year old sits in his child seat as the passenger, both with 3 point inertia belts.
Then 1 year old sits in his child seat on the INSIDE of the forward facing seat, ie nearest the window, in a 3 point belt,with his 10 year old brother sitting on the other forward facing seat on his booster seat and next to him, again in a 3 point belt,ie so there is a heavier weight against him and a barrier to the outer gap.
We then have my wife and the grand kids mum sitting in the REAR facing seats and using the lap belts.
That's how we get loaded for carrying six people on days out , ie not stopping overnight , with food, clothes etc.
When we are stopping overnight we are maximum 4 persons as baby is too young to be without his mum, my daughter.
I see from your recent avatar that you have 2 children shown, and I am not prying but realise loading such may not have been considered.
If your new addition to the family is a little one, personally I would put the lightest weighted child up front with you in their seat, the little one again in the window seat forward facing, and the next heaviest child next to little one, again forward facing, but all on 3 point inertia belts.
Then your wife will sit in the window seat , rear facing with a lap belt, and opposite little one.
So that's 5 able to be carried, but you will need to very strict on your gear that you carry to be within your maximum weight allowed.
On weights, there is loads of info available on this site about how to maximise your weight, how to uprate your weight ,and what the implications are in relation to your driving license categories allowed.
On seat belts, if you only have lap belts fitted, I believe your seating arrangement for the forward facing rear seats has a framework built as part of the chassis, as ours does, and is capable of retro fitting inertia seat belts if yours does not have them. Ours were factory fitted and I suspect for the age of your vehicl, yours will be too.
The rear facing seats will probably only be able to take lap belts attached to a lower securing framework, ie there is no higher securing framework to fit a full 3 point belt.
I hope this helps and I am only trying to offer advice to you as you are probably travelling under similar circumstances to us with a very similar vehicle.
Just don't let the Children travel on the side bench, even if lap belts are fitted, because in the event of an accident, the forward momentum can cause more injury from wearing a lap belt.
The best of luck and enjoy your travels.
PS: As far as I know it is NOT illegal for children to use forward facing lapbelts, but it is not advised. And certainly not advised for anyone to use a side facing lap belt.
Also, you would be best travelling with your dinette table stored away until you need to use it, once stopped or on site.
This is because in the event of sudden braking, all occupants in the rear could be seriously hurt by a table becoming loose, or occupants being thrown in to fixed table.

This is all great. Thanks for taking the time to reply in such detail. Great point about the table.

 

[MisterB]

Welcome to the Fun House .....

another vote for a night on the drive as your first time out, even though you have camping experience and also because the kids would be excited lol