Summer Motorhome Tips & Tricks for Beginners

Trying to get to grips with your new motorhome? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Yet even if you’re a seasoned veteran, you can’t have too many tricks up your sleeve when it comes to taking summer road trips.

The sunny season brings its own set of challenges; being properly prepared can save you time and money, as well as guarantee your comfort and safety in your home away from home. With this in mind, keep reading for some of our top summer motorhome tips and tricks for beginners.

Become familiar with your vehicle

Knowing your motorhome inside and out will help you operate it more effectively and give you access to all its most important features. There are a few areas you should pay particular attention to regardless of the season.

First things first: read the manual. Motorhomes typically come with a comprehensive set of instructions included. Take the time to go through the operations of all the different systems and learn how each one works.

Next, consider your vehicle’s engine size and the pros and cons that come with it. Engine size matters when it comes to how the drive feels, how fuel-efficient your motorhome is and how much your premiums cost.

Secondly, keep tabs on your motorhome’s payload and always bear in mind its maximum capacity. Not only will you reduce the fuel efficiency and safety of your vehicle if you exceed this, but your insurance will also be void if you get into any accidents.

Finally, ensure your motorhome tyre pressure is correct for the weight and size of the vehicle, as this can have significant impact on the performance of the vehicle and reduce tyre degradation.

Know your fuel

Unless this is your first day owning a motorhome, you’ll be all too familiar with how quickly larger vehicles eat up fuel. With recent rises in fuel costs, it’s more important than ever that you find ways to cut back on your expenditure.

Just like with cars – or any vehicle for that matter – there are ways to drive your motorhome more efficiently. Practise these to the best of your ability if you want to keep your costs down. When it’s time to refuel, you can also use apps such as PetrolPrices and 1-2-3 Fuel to find the cheapest places to fill up nearby.

Keep cool

We all love a bit of summer sun. Yet it’s far too easy for your motorhome to heat up during summer – especially with heatwaves occurring more often than ever. Because of this, you’re going to need an effective strategy for keeping your motorhome nice and cool.

Of course, you can’t do much to avoid the sun’s rays while you’re on the road. However, you have a great opportunity to do so when you’re parked up. Choose shaded parking locations whenever they’re available, especially in the afternoon when the temperature is most likely at its highest. This will help prevent the structure and outside walls of your motorhome from getting too hot – for the inside, keep your blinds or curtains drawn and shut out the sun.

Naturally, you’ll want to use your motorhome air conditioning economically during the day. To do this, you’ll need to close all your doors and windows. Then, once the sun goes down, you can open them up again and let the cool evening breeze inside.

Finally, if your motorhome remains unused for long periods of time and is in direct sunlight, the UV light can cause fine cracks on the tyre sidewall, leading to slow leaks or even tyre failure. Overcoming this is simple, you can invest in tyre covers for your motorhome and protect it from direct UV light to help with prolonging the lifespan of your motorhome tyres.

Stay well lit

The motorhome life is full of evenings outside. Whether you’re going wild camping, enjoying a romantic meal under the stars or doing some late-night prep for tomorrow’s journey, good lighting will make a big difference to your summer camping experience.

When it comes to lighting that’s energy-efficient, affordable and long-lasting, you can’t do much better than LEDs. They come in various styles, including downlights and strip lights, making them very versatile.

Why not try solar-powered lights for outside? They let you recycle the sun’s power even after it has gone down. Be warned, they might not work the best on cloudy or dreary days – unless you find some that allow for supplementary USB charging.

Have backups

When on the road or set up in a motorhome park, there’s nothing worse than needing an item that has broken down or gone missing. And while to a certain extent you should try to pack minimally to keep your payload as low as possible, it helps to carry backups of your most essential items. As a minimum, keep spares of the following items:

• Keys – keys should not be left in the vehicle. If you are travelling as a couple then each of you should carry a key as leaving them in the vehicle can invalidate the policy.
• Vehicle documents
• Payment methods
• Chargers and batteries
• First aid kits
• Toiletries
• Cooking equipment
• Clothes
• Maps
• Torches and lanterns

Be prepared for all weather

You’ll likely get hot while travelling in your motorhome during the summer and you’ll need to dress accordingly. In general, loose clothing that allows for airflow will be your best bet, along with clothes made from absorbent fabrics such as cotton or linen and light colours that will reflect heat away from you.

While you’re unlikely to experience cold temperatures, it also doesn’t hurt to think about how you can stay warm in your motorhome. The UK is famous for its temperamental weather, so prepare for every scenario.

Get the right cover

Wherever you’re travelling in your motorhome this summer, you should have peace of mind during your adventures. That’s what you get when you safeguard your motorhome with Comfort Insurance.

With decades of experience and plenty of awards, we’ll use our expertise to find you the perfect policy. Call our friendly team on 0208 984 0666 or email us at info@comfort-insurance.co.uk to find out more.