This question is often extended to include humorous speculation about storage, hygiene, eating habits and much more…

So how do we manage? Inspired by Richard’s recent post, “Getting Away”, I thought I would note down a few of the things we’ve learned over the last few years.

Be Prepared

Like Richard, we are fully prepared before we leave the house. The fresh water is full, the waste water and toilet are empty and the bed is made up and only needs to be pulled down into position. Similarly, all our food and drink is stored away properly so that it is not in the way but is ready to use when needed.

Starting off with everything in order makes things easier – the flip side of this is that everything has to stay this way, especially in a small van.

We live by the words, “A place for everything, and everything in its place” - it may sound a bit OCD, but it enables us to manage much more easily than you might think, self catering and without using campsites.

Storage

The area under the seat/bed provides a surprising amount of storage - under the seat cover, we leave the fitted sheet over the mattress, saving time.

Although it is only a 5m van, our conversion was intended from the start to provide plenty of storage, as we knew we were planning some long (2-5 week) European trips.

The van is configured with a fairly standard campervan side conversion, which means that our storage is in two areas:

• Underneath the rock n roll seat / bed
• In cupboards along the offside of the van, including a full height cupboard at the back

Our bed, although it is hard to raise up and down, provides an uncommonly large amount of storage underneath. This is where we store our walking boots and the majority of our food, drink, loo roll, etc.

Behind the nearside rear wheel arch we also keep  two 10 litre water containers that we use to supplement the 25 litre container into which the tap is plumbed.

The full height cupboard at the back of the van is quite deep and is divided into two with a removable shelf. Below the shelf (also accessible from the rear without removing the shelf) is the leisure battery and plastic crates with tools, toilet fluid bottles, mains hookup lead, etc.

Above this, on top of the shelf, is our wardrobe. We don’t waste space with hanging clothes – we have six small, stackable plastic storage crates with lids (from a pound shop) into which all of our clothes are carefully packed. We then rotate the crates around and gradually work through our clothes, packing dirty clothes into an empty crate. Clothes pack a lot smaller if you roll them up tightly (underwear or t-shirts) or fold them small (trousers and sweaters).

This ‘wardrobe’ arrangement works extremely well and makes good use of the space, into which we also fit our toilet bags, camera, laptop bag and wireless antenna. It also makes loading the van simple – we can pack the crates in our bedroom and then carry them out to the van and put them straight in the cupboard.

Under the sink we have 25 litre fresh water and waste water containers, plus some homemade shelving where we store food and utensils that is ‘in use’ – bread, cooking oil, saucepans, etc. Similarly, in the fridge, we have fresh food and opened food like half-used tins.

Washing & Toilet

We do not usually use campsites and so most of the time we rely completely on the facilities we have onboard – a toilet, sink and cold tap.

You can manage surprisingly well with cold water, a sink and a flannel, or if you are more delicate, water warmed in a kettle and a sink. As for privacy, that is very much down to personal preferences. It is a lot easier (especially in bad weather) if you are not too bothered about this.

If you want bathroom facilities, get a different van or stay on a campsite!

Getting On With Each Other!

I’m afraid this is down to you and your other half. All I will say is that a small van is a bad place to have a big row. Much better to acknowledge each other’s foibles and adapt to them while away or discuss them before you go away.

We have found that we have gradually developed exact routines for almost everything – getting up, going to bed, toilet use, washing up, having a pre-dinner drink – and that this makes it a lot easier to live comfortably in such a confined space. Both being tidy also helps.

More Motorhome Travel Tips

For more motorhome travel tips, check out my wild camping guide, our guide to European motorhome service areas and our suggestion for keeping your motorhome clean while on the road. Plus we have just reviewed the long range wireless antenna we use for internet access while we’re away from home.

As you may know, midges do bite (albeit mildly) and tend to appear in droves when the weather is wet, warm and still – times when you really need to be able to open your motorhome’s windows, especially in a small van.

You may also know that midges are remarkably small – so small that they can pass with ease through standard insect netting, as found in most motorhome windows (e.g. Seitz windows with integrated blinds and fly screens). Midges are attracted by CO2, so breathing is enough to attract them to you, especially if you have a light on too (they like lights as well).

If you smoke a lot (midges don’t like smoke), have skin like leather or just don’t care about being bitten, you can stop reading now. If not, read on and I will explain how we created midge proof screens for our windows without spending more than a few pounds.

Making Midge Screens For Motorhome and Caravan Windows

What we decided to do was to make additional midge screens that could be fixed with velcro to the inside frames of our motorhome windows, whenever we needed them. This turned out to be cheap, simple and very effective against midges.

Midge Netting

Proper midge netting that is designed for fitting to the windows of buildings is made from fibreglass and is quite expensive – around £15 per square metre (e.g. here). It is doubtless good stuff but a bit over the top for motorhome windows.

What we used instead was fine fabric netting, of the kind that is used to make insect-proof head nets. We purchased our midge netting from www.midgie.net who sell packs of lightweight midge netting (I think it’s nylon?) in various sizes, starting from 1.1mx1.5m for £4.99 (click here).

Midge netting is very fine, a bit like ladies' tights! Visibility is not a problem, it just removes the glare, as shown above on the floor of our van.

We also bought several metres of self-adhesive velcro from a local shop – enough to go around the frame of each window needing a screen.

Making The Midge Screens

1. Choose one side of the velcro to use on the window frames and one side to use on the midge netting. It doesn’t matter which is which, but bear in mind that the rough side of the velcro will stick to wall lining carpet.

2. Stick a strip of velcro around each of your window frames, taking care to get a good join at the corners so there are no gaps for midges to come through:

3. Now cut identical length pieces from the other half of the velcro, and stick them onto the window frames, without removing the backing paper on the sticky side:

3. Measure the size of your windows and cut out a piece of midge netting for each window that is a bit bigger than necessary. You can trim the surplus netting away after you have stuck it to the velcro – this is the easiest method to get the netting exactly the right size, as it is quite stretchy and flimsy.

4. Finally, peel the backing paper away from the velcro on the window frame and stick the midge netting to it, leaving a small amount spare on each side. I would recommend doing this in stages to avoid having the netting stick where it shouldn’t. Start at the top and remove the backing paper in stages, with the bottom edge last.

The trick is to pull it tight enough to avoid folds but not so tight as to be stretched:

The end result - the blinds had to be closed for the photos to cut down on the glare

Once you have stuck the netting on, run your finger around the edge to make sure it is fully stuck down and then leave it in place on the window for a few hours to allow the adhesive to dry off a bit.

Fitting and Removing The Midge Screens

We found that our midge screens worked well and were robust enough to stand being fitted and removed regularly. However, they will not stand up to rough handling and the netting can come away from the velcro if you pull on it.

The key is to remove the screens gradually, always lifting them up by putting your fingers underneath the velcro and gradually pulling it away from the window frame.

Spraying The Netting – An Extra Refinement

We found that this midge netting completely stopped midges coming into the van – but they did still settle in great numbers onto the outside of the netting. This is not a big problems – just blow them off before removing the nets to close the window.

However, one way of improving this situation is to spray the netting with a midge-repellent spray. We gave the netting a light coating of our Avon spray* and it worked even better, deterring many midges from settling on the netting.

*When out and about in particularly midge-infested areas of Scotland, we’ve used Avon’s Skin So Soft Original Dry Oil Body Spray to ward off the bugs. It contains citronella and works well in our experience – much nicer than using a DEET spray. Mind you, the smell of the spray is such that I can’t imagine using it at any other time!

As a result, motorhome (and caravan) theft has been an increasingly big problem in recent years. You may want to consider having a good quality alarm system or tracker fitted, but there are a number of things you can do that will cost little or nothing and will reduce the chances of your pride and joy becoming another crime statistic:

• Out of sight, out of mind. Don’t leave anything remotely valuable visible in the cab or accommodation parts of the motorhome.
• If you use a sat nav, when you remove the holder from the windscreen, a circular mark will probably be left behind by the suction cup. Wipe this off – it’s a sign to a potential thief that your sat nav might well be sitting in your glove box.
• Make sure that all windows, roof lights and doors are closed and locked whenever the vehicle is left unattended. Many people leave roof lights open to ventilate their motorhomes when they go out – but many of these roof lights are large enough for a person to climb through, and even smaller ones could allow someone to rip them off and use a long pole to unlock the accommodation door from the inside.
• Get your motorhome’s windows etched with its MIN number (if post-2001) or perhaps its registration mark.
• Mark removable appliances such as the fridge and cooker with a UV pen, so that they can easily be traced if removed from the stolen motorhome and sold separately.

What If My Motorhome Is Stolen?

If your motorhome is stolen, act immediately:

1. Inform the police
2. Inform your insurance company
3. Post information and (if possible) a photo of the stolen motorhome on the various internet sites that have message boards for this purpose.

• Motorhome Facts
• UKCampsite.co.uk

In addition, all motorhomes built since 2001 should have a Motorhome Identification Number (MIN) in addition to the normal VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) that all vehicles have. Make sure you have a record (kept outside your motorhome) of its MIN and VIN and provide these to the police and your insurance company if the vehicle is stolen.

Buying A Used Motorhome – HPI Checks

If you are buying a used motorhome, make sure you or the supplying dealer runs a HPI Check on it, as you would with a second-hand car or van. Motorhomes built since 2001 can also have their MIN checked by the HPI service for motorhomes, known as MINDER.

My approach to motorhome cleaning when away for long trips in the motorhome is that I keep the windows, mirrors, windscreen and lights clean. In spring and summer I tend to clean the bonnet occasionally as well in order to prevent the hordes of kamikaze insects becoming too firmly attached to my paintwork.

To do this, I usually use a dishcloth (the white, woven type) and few inches of water in a small, collapsible canvas bucket I carry in the van (very useful for all sorts of things). Even so, there are times when it would be useful if I could do it without water.

Waterless car wash products have been around a good few years now and apparently have a much bigger market share in hot dusty countries with water shortages – like Australia. They are also used in places where water isn’t available for cleaning – like temporary air bases in Middle Eastern deserts…

The basic principle is that the spray soaks into the dirt and detaches it from the vehicle’s paintwork, allowing it to be easily wiped off without leaving scratches or smears behind. To do this, you need at least two microfibre clothes – one ‘wash’ cloth and one to buff the paintwork to a shine after removing the dirt. Once these get dirty they will need thorough washing before you can use them again, so you may need more than two.

Buy Mantis Instant Shine on eBay

To my slight surprise, this product really works. I cleaned my whole van (short wheelbase Transit) with Mantis Instant Shine and it took a little less time than with a bucket and sponge and achieved a pretty good result. The only slight weakness I found was that the windows and mirrors were left a bit smeared – but I might just have needed to have been a bit more thorough with my buffing. Here’s a before and after pic of my door – it’s hard to tell from the picture but it really is a lot cleaner in the bottom picture:

The downside is that it definitely works out more expensive than using shampoo and water  – but if you don’t have access to water than it could be a useful accessory for selective motorhome cleaning with no mess. It would certainly be more appropriate on a campsite or aire than using water.

You can read my whole complete review of Mantis Instant Shine here and buy it online here (I’m not getting paid for this). I’ve been told that it is/will be available in ASDA, Focus, Tesco and Wilkinsons and will cost £9.99 a bottle.

Buy Mantis Instant Shine on eBay

If you’ve only ever travelled around the UK by motorhome, this may come as something of a revelation!

To provide an introduction to these facilities, I’ve gathered together some of the photos I’ve taken on my travels and put them into an article, along with some useful tips for using motorhome service areas.

Click here for my guide to Motorhome Service Areas in Europe

Purpose-made service points like this Euro Relais design are common in France and, increasingly, in Spain and Portugal. They're easy to use but may charge for water and electricity (if provided).

Soon after each motorhome arrives, its engine will restart and the revs will rise, clutch slipping frantically as the driver (usually the husband) attempts to drive up his wedges until the motorhome is horizontal, without driving off the top of the wedges. Normally, the driver’s wife will be standing outside watching and making helpful hand signals – it’s definitely a team sport…

So is it really worthwhile?

How Useful Are Levelling Wedges?

For the uninitiated, levelling wedges are wedge-shaped plastic ramps that you drive onto to enable you to lift up one or two wheels on your motorhome and get it horizontal.

Obviously they do have their uses – they allow you to park on a slope and but still enjoy having a horizontal motorhome! Many people also appear to have motorhomes that don’t actually sit horizontally, even on flat ground. (The main culprit here appears to be large Fiat coachbuilts which often appear to be ‘nose down’.)

On the other hand, in the last 18 months, we have spent a total of about 10 weeks away in our motorhome and have only seriously wished we had wedges two or three times. Despite this, some people appear to use them every day – perhaps our experience is partly due to us getting into the habit of choosing the flattest spaces to park in.

In truth, the main reason we don’t have them is that storage space is very tight in our small van. We probably would have a set if we had more storage space – but I still am pretty sure I’d only use them 50% of the time or less. The odd few degrees off the horizontal never causes us any noticeable difficulties with sleeping, cooking or washing – so we don’t bother that much.

Do you level or do you manage without?

The word motorhome could be used to describe an 5 tonne, 8 metre, 3-axle coachbuilt that’s 2.3m wide – or it could describe a 2.8t, 5m long panel van conversion that’s under 2m wide. The latter could be towed or recovered by most car recovery vehicles – the former most definitely could not (and that’s without even considering American RVs, which are even bigger and heavier…)

The reality*, as far as I can tell, is that many car-focused services will also cover most standard panel vans up to 3,500kg. My AA UK cover, for example, covers cars, vans, minibuses and motorhomes, as long as they are:

• Under 2.3m in width
• Under 3,500kg in weight

The AA doesn’t seem to specify a maximum length or height – but the width specification pretty much rules out coachbuilt motorhomes meaning that standard panel vans are the largest vehicles that can be covered. In turn, this effectively means a maximum length of about 7m, which the AA can presumably handle comfortably. The RAC, on the other hand, have a length limit of 5.5m while Green Flag specify 7m and a slightly lower width of 2.25m.

You get the idea – car breakdown services aren’t suitable for coachbuilt motorhomes, but many panel van conversions can be covered, especially by the AA and Green Flag.

So Who Can Help?

Anyone who drives around the UK with their eyes open will have noticed that coachbuilt motorhomes far outnumber panel van conversions. Clearly, some of them breakdown, and equally obviously, they will have breakdown cover.

One of the most common solutions seems to be for UK and European breakdown cover to be included with motorhome insurance policies. Large motorhome insurers such as Saga (over 50s), Comfort and Safeguard all offer this service (I believe) and in most cases there are no concerns about size and weight restrictions; although these do still exist*, they are high enough to include most coachbuilt motorhomes. Most of these policies also require that the vehicle was professionally converted and registered as a motorhome from new.

In extreme cases – such as with American RVs or self-converted lorries that have been turned into motorhomes – it may be necessary to get either HGV or Coach-type recovery. Again, this might be available with insurance, but it might not, especially for DIY conversions.

Breakdown Cover For DIY Motorhome Conversions

I drive a self-built motorhome, but it’s a panel van conversion and is small enough to be covered by the AA’s standard UK and European Breakdown services. (Incidentally, I have used the European service and recommend it. Excellent, from start to finish).

To be honest, I’m not sure what the best breakdown cover solution would be for very large or heavy DIY motorhome conversions. I’d probably try getting van or truck cover – but I suspect it could be expensive. A ‘recovery only’ option would probably be cheapest – anyone out there who has done this and has some concrete information?

*All the information in this article is based on my non-exhaustive research and may not always be accurate or current. Please make sure that any breakdown cover you are purchasing will actually cover your motorhome – length, height, width and total weight are all factors that can affect cover. If you have a DIY conversion, make sure that your cover will include this, too – some policies insist that the vehicle was first registered as a motorhome and is a recognised professional conversion.

On closer inspection, it’s possible to see that his front (drive) wheels are wrapped in a set of snow chains:

The snow chains are only fitted to the front wheels as it is a front-wheel drive van - generally, chains are only needed on the drive wheels of a vehicle

It’s clear from the top photo that the road surface was clear of snow – but I can tell you that there was still a lot of the white stuff around at both sides of the road and it rapidly got worse a little further up – until the road was closed.

Snow chains shouldn’t be used on cleared, surfaced roads but it obviously hadn’t been that long since this road was well covered and only passable by vehicles – like this one – with chains. So should you carry snow chains in your motorhome if you plan to visit snowy countries or mountainous areas in winter?

What Are Snow Chains?

Snow chains are metal chains that can be fitted around your drive wheels to give you extra traction, as visible in the picture above.

The chains form bars across the width of your tyres that bite into compacted snow and ice and give you traction where you would otherwise have none.They can be fitted without removing the wheels but are often reckoned to be a bit of a pain to fit – certainly it is a good idea to learn how to fit them at home on a warm summer’s day, rather than by the side of the road in freezing temperatures and heavy snow.

Do I Need Snow Chains?

In the UK, almost certainly not.

For winter driving in Europe, perhaps. It depends where you are planning to go.

Snow chains are an (almost) essential accessory for anyone who drives in the Alps or Pyrenees in winter and they are often either strongly recommended or legally required by road laws in these regions. In both the Alps and Pyrenees, there are signs by the side of the road telling you whether snow chains must be carried or not.

Fine. But what about for more moderate use – countries with lots of snow in non-mountainous areas? Again, different countries have different rules and some require you to carry snow chains at certain times of year, in case you need them.

(For an excellent and trustworthy guide to driving laws in all European countries, visit the AA’s European Driving Guide)

The Secret Is Winter Tyres

While carrying snow chains may be advised, the real secret lies in those black rubber things you use all the time – your motorhome’s tyres. Most UK vehicles, including motorhomes, come with summer tyres as standard. For the vast majority of drivers in the UK, summer tyres are the only type of tyres ever used, even in winter.

The truth is that summer tyres aren’t really that suitable for winter use, but you can get away with it unless it snows. That’s one reason why the UK grinds to a halt with a couple of inches of snow but European countries such as Austria, Germany and Poland don’t. In European countries where severe winters with lots of snow are usual, most drivers fit winter tyres to their vehicles in the autumn and use those until spring arrives.

In a number of European countries, winter tyres are a legal requirement during some months of the year and failure to comply can mean a fine (especially if it results in you causing an accident or obstruction). Again – check the AA’s European Driving website for full country-by-country details.

Winter tyres have two main benefits that make them more suitable for use in cold weather:

1. They have a slightly softer compound that remains softer and more flexible when it gets very cold, improving grip in slippery conditions. Summer tyres become very hard and stiff at low temperatures, reducing their grip.
2. Winter tyres tend to have a slightly deeper, blockier tread that grips snow more effectively, rather than just slipping over it

Summer tyres are proven to be less effective than winter tyres when the temperature falls below around 7 degrees Celsius, even without snow. In a motorhome, you can make a strong case for running winter tyres all year round; motorhome mileages tend to be low and ultimate driving performance isn’t important, so slightly increased tyre wear isn’t an issue.

Having winter tyres can be more useful than 4-wheel drive in snowy conditions – last winter saw plenty of modern ‘soft-roader’ 4x4s getting stuck in the snow because their wheels were shod with standard summer road tyres.

On the other hand, I read the other day that drivers participating in the long-term trials of the Mini E (a new electric version of the Mini) were all given winter tyres to use during the winter and reported that, in snow, it made the cars handle “like 4x4s”. This just highlights how much difference the right tyres can make – the Minis were just regular, front-wheel drive road cars.

In normal snowy conditions where roads are regularly cleared, a standard two-wheel drive car or van with winter tyres will cope fine most of the time – only in more extreme conditions are chains required.

It’s up to you to research the countries you are visiting and work out what is required to keep you safe and legal – although you might get away with it, you might not, and the consequences could be far worse than a fine.

Many people cannot or choose not to keep their motorhomes at home (the same applies to caravans). The reasons for this vary but generally involve lack of space, security concerns and restrictive covenants on newer properties that don’t allow motorhomes or caravans to be parked on the drive.

Some motorhome storage facilities also make it possible for the vehicles to be kept indoors and undercover – a valuable bonus for motorhomes that may not be used for months on end. Some sites also offer battery charging, tyre checking and valeting services – all useful to ensure that your pride and joy is clean and ready to use come holiday time.

The only recognised standard for motorhome storage facilities comes from CaSSOA (Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association) which awards Bronze, Silver or Gold badges to its member sites, depending on the level of security they offer.

Although this may seem a little over the top at first, it’s important to remember just how much money modern motorhomes costs – upwards of £40,000 is not unusual. If you do use a storage facility, remember to let your motorhome insurance company know, as it will change the address at which the vehicle is usually kept and a failure to declare this could invalidate a claim.

I wasn’t prepared to strip out the roof lining, floor and door panels to insulate the front of the van properly, but I was interested in doing something to help the problem.

I also wanted to improve privacy at night so that we could continue to use the cab area in the evening. Internal silver screens seemed to be very widely used by motorhomers in Europe, so we decided to give them a try. We bought our set for a very reasonable £50 from CAK Tanks at the NEC in November.

Our Findings So Far

So far, the internal screens have lived up to their (middling) reputation. They do offer a number of benefits:

• Reduced condensation (not eliminated)
• Insulation – helping maintain a more even temperature inside the van and reducing the extremes of hot and cold experienced
• Privacy and security – we do have curtains between the cab and accommodation area but don’t really need to use these when the silver screens are in. This can be useful, especially at night and when parked up on a campsite for a few days.

There are a number of downsides, however:

• Removing and packing them away daily is a bit of a pain, although it only takes five minutes
• They don’t eliminate condensation, just reduce it a bit
• They aren’t a perfect fit, despite being van-specific
• It’s very dark with them in (obviously)!

Would External Screens Be Better?

Many people claim that external screens are more effective as the glass is actually insulated from the outside, so no longer gets hot/cold and should instead be at the internal temperature of your motorhome. On the other hand, the screens are on the outside of your vehicle so are exposed to the weather and to the dirt on your van’s windows – so the screens get dirty and wet!

External screens are also a bit bigger and thus take up more room inside the van when not in use. On the other hand, many of those I have seen have ‘daylight panels’ that can be unzipped to let light into the van without removing the screens.

Conclusions

I’m glad I bought my silver screens and will certainly continue using them – they definitely help. However, in future I might be tempted to try external screens, as I hate condensation and would like to reduce it further. I also like the way they fit and can be partially opened to let light in without having to be draped all over the dashboard (as with a silver screen that’s partially removed).

Do you use either internal or external screens, especially in a small van? I’d love to hear your experiences.

Similarly, if you have fitted sliding blinds in the front of your van, how do you find these? I really like the idea but they seem expensive and don’t seem to have much in the way of insulating qualities, from what I’ve seen at shows.