# In at the deep end!



## WhiteCheyenneMan (Sep 27, 2011)

Apart from a fortnight's holiday in my Uncle's caravan over forty years ago, my wife and I bought our first Motorhome in July this year. We wanted to tour part of Europe, but sensibly decided to have a short break near home as a test practice. For various reasons that never happened and so we embarked on our European tour, with our 24yr old daughter, as complete novices in mid-August. My daughter had researched some fantastic castles to visit and I researched the overnight stops, armed with two invaluable guides for Aires/Stellplatz: Bordatlas 2011 (2 vols) from Reisemobil (www.bordatlas.de) and Camperstop 2011 from www.campercontact.nl.
On the first day we drove all the way to Koblenz in Germany to stay at the ACSI sourced and pre-booked Siesta Campsite. Walter Böhler is the owner, with a good sense of humour, who showed us to a sloping grassy position next to one other Dutch overnighter. As darkness fell we had been joined by many more. The site has all facilities with a modern shower and toilet block. I gained my novice spurs by squirting fresh water up the side of the van and then firing the sleeve end (which turns it off) into the water tank  We spent the next 4 nights on Stellplatz, the first at Ettlingen failed to give us any power when we secured the last space, but the rest were less busy and enjoyed fine scenery (Pfullingen, Pfronten and Ruhpolding). We couldn't drain our grey waste at Pfullingen because the drain was inside a shuttered box and a hose was required to reach it (we've solved that now!).
We then spent 5 nights at my wife's nephew's home on the edge of Vienna. Just as well because our pump had failed (while I was in the shower!) at Pfronten. My wife's nephew managed to kick start it, but it failed again 6 days later and, yes, I was in the shower! I rinsed off with two litres of drinking water straight from the fridge 8O We also had trouble with our Control Panel, but I called the dealer back in the UK (Kent Motorhome Centre) and they talked me through a solution which I was to employ several more times before we returned home.
From Vienna we drove back to Salzburg and then on towards Innsbruck, staying in Taxenbach (absolutely stunning stellplatz/campsite up a 4km, 1:4 hill climb. Just don't look down whilst driving! :roll: ) and after walking to the waterfall at Krimml, Pettnau am Arlberg.
For Austria, with a van well over 3,500kgs, we had to purchase a "Go Box", or pre-payment motorway tax meter. It cost £230.42 but we received a £50.63 refund at the border before entering Switzerland. Not cheap! I think that we should have paid a toll for the Swiss motorways, but we seem to have overlooked that and got away with it!
We had pre-booked another ACSI campsite, TCS, for 2 nights in Interlaken, because we wanted to do the once-in-lifetime trip up the Jungfrau (11,332ft). A fabulous, if very expensive, way to slide around in snow in the middle of August! TCS Camping is right by the steamer moorings between the lakes and opposite the station (so noisy!). Motorhomers get the best position by the water's edge and the site has all facilities. One niggle was that whilst we used a chemical disposal farther away, there is a lift-up and filthy cover close by the fresh water supply. Not nice, but very Swiss.
As newbies, we tried to cover too many miles between stops on this tour and had already had to drop Berchtesgaden on the outbound section. We had planned a castle in Montreux after Interlaken, but had to drive straight to France, over the beautiful Jura mountains for an Aires at Arcs en Barrois.
We used Eurotunnel both ways (so easy) and found the Stellplatz/Aires the perfect, frequently picturesque and above all, incredibly cheap way to overnight. We've already booked the Cotswolds in November to test the heating and plan a short UK break in October. We don't feel like novices anymore! Oh and the water pump and Control Panel? Just a loose mains connection quickly sorted on our return by the ever efficient and friendly Kent Motorhome Centre.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

hello and welcome WCM 8) sounds like you've been bitten by the bug :lol:


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## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

Good for you

If you have the confidence, then you might as well go for it, like you've done.

We've all struggled with how to fill up, how not to get water splashed all over us, with leaks, with freezing weather water dumping, with how to link to hoses, how to find water offsite and so on - you can only figure it out when it happens to you.

Same with waste water and toilet disposal - we all build up our own ways depending upon how we use our motorhome and the design and build of it.

Batteries again - recharging with electric, maximising use before it runs out, ways of recharging other than electric and so on.

I bet you've had a great time, and well done.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

HeatherChloe said:


> Batteries again . . . ways of recharging other than electric and so on.


I'm intrigued Heather.

How on earth do you charge you battery other than with electricity??

Dave :?:


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## WhiteCheyenneMan (Sep 27, 2011)

bognormike said:


> hello and welcome WCM 8) sounds like you've been bitten by the bug :lol:


Well and truly bitten bognormike! Everytime I get into our MH and sniff the air, I think "Where can we go next?" :wink:


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

WhiteCheyenneMan said:


> .........As newbies, we tried to cover too many miles between stops on this tour............


Hi and welcome to MotorhomeFacts.

Thanks for giving us your experiences of your trip and I see you've found what many of us have found. It's easy to over estimate the daily kms you can cover.


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Welcome! It sounds as if the 'bug' has now established itself.
I did enjoy your cold water swill in the shower, having also on one occasion got fully soaped up when the water ran out. Not too sure I would have chosen iced water as a solution but thanks for the story.
Alan


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## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

Zebedee said:


> HeatherChloe said:
> 
> 
> > Batteries again . . . ways of recharging other than electric and so on.
> ...


Using a generator run on the gas


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

8O


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

8O


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