Our Motorhome - Something Different!
We are back in France, but I wanted to change the content for a minute and talk about wild camping but start with a few silly stories, like the other day in Bellinzona, when my wife and I decided to take the dogs along the river for a walk. Lo and behold, after about 300m she realised she had two different types of footwear on, and we laughed, but before it was too late, I decided that all our friends needed to know about this one, and if they know, everyone else can too!
time,
There have been other silly little things too, like my story about the LPG gas converter, which I mentioned but which you will need if you use gas abroad. I bought one from Amazon before I came away, No. 1, and I was meaning to try it for size, which of course I never did. When I decided to try in France, I realised it was no good and the stem was too long. After a couple of days, we decided we better get one and found a motorhome dealership with a shop. I explained the situation, and the friendly young attendant sold me No. 2, and so it's time to fill up, which we decided to do a couple of days and quite a few miles later!.
When I went to the station, I showed the newly acquired adapter to the attendant, and he just shook his head, opened a drawer, and showed me another style that I could borrow to fill up with gas, which I did, and I returned the converter with many thanks.
A couple of days later I was going through the box we carry with motorhome bits in as I was looking for something else. I then found the two connectors attached to the cable tie, and of course there was No. 3, exactly the same converter that we borrowed from the garage attendant, a converter that came with the motorhome some 24 months ago! I always did wonder what they were for; now I know, but again we laughed! Though I did wonder why I was sold one I didn’t need. Thankfully not a bankbreaker!
Then there is the cable in the same photo; it is for the electrical supply into the motorhome when we hook up on-site. I was advised to get one so we had the European 2-point connection. Would you believe we had to use it on the very first site we stayed on, the very first night we got to France, and we have never used it since, but better safe than sorry!
One of the three will work! How about the one we’ve had for two years?
The next story is about the fan we brought. We had a choice of two: a traditional small desk fan or a cooler/heater type similar to the one in the photo. The second made sense, as the weather could have gone either way. I must say, other than a few days at the beginning of the holiday, it has all been sunny and hot, and so the fan was needed, except it broke!
Knowing we had an adapter-style plug for two-pin apparatuses, we found a nice little oscillating fan, which goes in both up and down and sideways directions. As there were only two left in the store and knowing we had the adapter, I thought I'd better get one. It was only later when we were at the campsite that we realised the adapter was no good, as we had brought the one for three pins to go into a European two, not the way we needed it, the two European into a UK three! What muppets, but again we laughed – or tried to.
Driving today, my wife saw a ‘Jysk’ shop, alongside others, and wondered if we might get an adapter there. I didn’t even go in, as it looked too much like a furniture shop, and I say that as I have never been in one in my life, so I kept walking and saw another store that reminded me of BM Bargains in the UK, a shop called 'Action,' and one worth remembering, as it had all sorts, and with the help of the translation app and a very helpful shop assistant, we were the proud owners of a new adapter that could convert two pins to three, and we can happily tell you that the cooling fan works fine!
We did try another couple of motorhome/caravan dealerships first, but to no avail; however, what we did find were chemical toilet pods, just like the ones we use at home for the washing machines. Once the toilet is emptied, add a pod and a small amount of water, and the chemical does its job. And what is its job? Well, let’s talk a little about ‘wild camping.’
This is not something we had done a lot of until we left Shropshire 6 weeks ago today. It’s all about living off-grid and fending for yourself, with no toilet facilities or showers and no electric hookup. Unfortunately for us, we Brits are not allowed to wild camp in England or Wales, with codes to follow in Scotland. Part of me understands it, because we seem to be a messy nation compared to the Europeans. I mentioned in a previous post about the distinct lack of rubbish in France. I can now extend that to Italy and Switzerland too; there is a massive difference. And what with pothole-free roads and lack of litter, the UK definitely has something to think about!
However, there are a couple of apps such as ‘Brit Stops’ that show where you can park, usually pub car parks; some even have EHU, but you won’t have the use of their facilities, and you are expected to have a bite to eat and a drink! But worth looking at!
If we allowed wild camping anywhere in the UK, personally, I could only see our litter situation getting worse. Some people can’t take away their takeaway rubbish but choose to leave it in laybys. What would they be like if they were allowed to wild camp and stop somewhere for 2/3 days? I dread to think. I know we are not all the same, but I just believe that if things are as messy in the UK as they are now, allowing wild camping would certainly make things worse, but that’s just my opinion.
So, it is quite refreshing to do it on the continent, or at least in France, where we have spent most of our time, as it is not allowed in Switzerland or Italy either. Most people with travelling vehicles that we know only use the motorhome facilities when they really have to; let’s be honest, it’s not much fun emptying and cleaning a chemical toilet after it’s been used a few times, and that is where the chemical comes into its own.
With the chemical, whatever goes into the toilet eventually gets broken down, and it mostly comes out in liquid form, mostly. Of course, for this to happen you need to give it a bit of time to work. If you’re both going half an hour before you move off and go to empty the toilet, chances are the chemical won’t have had much time to work, so be prepared. Personally, we drive with ours until the next stop so that the movement of the vehicle helps the chemical mix with all the waste. It has generally worked for us, and I’m sure for others too! The toilet has a shutter, which is used to stop anything spilling out, though that would take a very full toilet and some serious driving!
Wildcamping - good fun
This lifestyle can be a bit cramped, and the same would be said for using our shower, and to this day we have never used it. I did notice in some newer models that they have a ‘wet room’ that includes the loo, so a bit more space. The choices are massive!
Everything else will work off gas or electric, and the electric comes from a habitation battery, not the vehicle battery. Things will have changed since our 2017 model was built, so modern technology might have taken over, but I have been told that we could live for about 48 hours without recharging the battery, although I wouldn’t like to test it! However, we cannot use the plug points, as the leisure (habitation) battery doesn’t supply enough power and the sockets go dead.
Driving the vehicle and a solar panel, if you have one, helps recharge the habitation battery, so technically speaking, you could just about stop for two nights, drive a decent distance to recharge the battery, and repeat, and so have a motorhome and go completely wild camping.
I am saying that, because ours is a 2017 model and it could be different now, I don’t know and I haven’t looked into it; each vehicle will be different.
So, if you’re prepared and you get the planning right, you can be totally self-sufficient in this type of vehicle, just not in England and Wales, unless you’re prepared to take a chance or politely ask a few farmers to stop on their land – sure some would say yes!
A friend of mine has a camper van and he loves the lifestyle, but I remember asking him what he did if he needed to pee at 2:00am, and his reply was, ‘you need to find a hedge.’ This was a year or so before we bought ours, and another reason I was initially put off, as I wouldn’t like to find a hedge whilst it’s pelting down with rain, and an empty coke bottle didn’t really appeal to me either! I’m sure there are better options than coke bottles these days!
But of course that is his choice of vehicle; these days a new camper van can cost you more than a new motorhome. Such is the difference in the standards these days; if it ever comes to the time we will change Mary McHarg, I will go and look at camper vans, but at our age and loving Mary as we do, I’m not sure we’ll ever need another one.
Mary McHarg, Rollerteam TLine 590, posing with Duke and Winnie
After owning her for two years and being concerned about sleeping options as we get older with our drop-down bed, stepladders and the co-pilot climbing over me when she needs the loo in the night, I have worked out by turning the drivers' and passenger seats round to face the habitation area, we can stretch out along the bench seats and have two single beds! I might even give it a go if I fancy a siesta - oops that’s Spain; we’ll see!
It’s all good fun; there may be more on wild camping to come and thanks for reading
DJ
