# novice motorhomer needs advice



## 109904 (Feb 14, 2008)

Relativley new to motorhoming , and needing an adventure abroad.
Any tips from you experienced folk ?


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

8O Wadda you wanna know ? . . there's tons of info relating to every aspect of motorhoming that its impossible to relate it in one go, your best bet is firstly to join -which gives you endless opportunities to post your questions and secondly just look through the different forums, of course asking specific questions will bring you the exact answers from everyone here - its like a magic lantern . . ask and you will be given


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## safariboy (May 1, 2005)

Firstly do it.
France is an excellent start - but is a big country so do not plan to go to far.
Driving on the right is not really a problem
Getting there tescos or air miles can cut the cost. otherwise look around for a good deal. I am sure that lots will pop up.
I would start in camp sites and with electricity until you get used to the equipment.
Gas can be a problem but if you scan through past postings there are several solutions. For what it is worth we go for 6 weeks and use about 6kg. I carry a 6kg calor propane and a large camping gas. If the calor is finished you can get the camping gas in lots of places. But we are mostly on hook up and have a microwave and one electric plate on the stove.
Be flexible.
For a good list of sites I would suggest that the caravan europe book takes a lot of beating (France is Vol 1)
Enjoy you trip.


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*First Trip*

Sort out a few places to suit your particular interests.
Book the Ferry or Tunnel
Look at the weather, long range forecast
Arrive @ the other side
Travel towards the good weather.

If you haven't been there / anywhere yet the whole world is your oyster.

Me ! we always end up in France for a few weeks after visiting our other favourites, Holland, Germany, etc etc

Main thing is take your time to absorb and appreciate those little differences.

Steve


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## Bobonong (May 7, 2007)

We're planning our first foray into France this year, too.
This forum is great but I still haven't cleared up some pretty basic queries:

_Firstly about gas . . . . . _. 
Can you get replacement cylinders in France quite easily?
If so which type? (we have two 6kg propane cylinders at the moment)
Do you have to fit a different regulator to use with French cylinders?
Or is it worth the expense of switching to a re-fillable system like Gaslow?
If you do switch are there sufficient outlets in the UK to make this a practical permanent modification?

_And about electricity . . . . . . _
Do all sites provide 230v? For some reason I've always thought that France used 110v.
Do you need a plug adaptor of some sort?
And what about polarity - I've read somewhere that you have to check the supply first and then use an adaptor to switch the polarity if necessary. 
And is there a danger of damage if connection is inadvertently made at the wrong polarity?!

Sorry to sound so naive but it's nice to find out these things _before_ venturing abroad!

Any comments/help would be welcomed. Thanks in advance!


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## 109904 (Feb 14, 2008)

safariboy said:


> Firstly do it.
> France is an excellent start - but is a big country so do not plan to go to far.
> Driving on the right is not really a problem
> Getting there tescos or air miles can cut the cost. otherwise look around for a good deal. I am sure that lots will pop up.
> ...


 Thanks for that, I will "do it" that is , my hope was to find some one to contact abroad and perhaps tag along with them for a wee while, just to get the hang of all aspects of the joy of traveling in a motorhome, and also for a bit of company traveling alone in strange countries could be scary. If you have any ideas I would be grateful.

Regards MacWackie


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## safariboy (May 1, 2005)

The only gas available in UK and France is camping gas. It is about twice the price of Calor. Some gas lockers will take a French cylinder but the all seem bigger that the usual 6/7 kg calor cylinders and I have never found one that fits ours. You need to look through the forum as there are several ways of dealing with this and we all have our solution. Depending on your exact set up you will either need the correct regulator or "tails" all easy to get here.
I take enough gas for the whole trip but it depends on how much you will use.
Electricity is the same voltage as UK (There is not 110V on the continent that is USA). You will find that many sites use the UK style blue 16A plugs but there are still many with the continental type plug. An adapter is available in most UK camping shops. The max current is often less that 16A and you need to be careful. You can sometimes pay to have it uprated. On some sites there are different currents available at different pitches. Quite often the "16A" plugs allow 10A and the continental ones about 6A.
Reverse polarity is an issue and if you put it into the search you will get more information than you thought you needed so I won't go into it here.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

If you do find problems when abroad then knock on the door of the nearest motorhome and ask ! There is nothing that MHers like more than talking about their hobby and , without exception, we have found them all very helpful, friendly and willing. Different language ? No problem , miming and demonstrating will get over that.

Make sure you have a couple of extra glasses, some bottles of the local brew and a few nibbles and you will meet some smashing people and pick up hints and tips galore. 

I really think, if you go for it alone, you will be amazed at how much fun it is and how fear-free the whole experience proves.

Trust me ! We've all been there.

G


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## jonnowycombe (Mar 2, 2007)

Ill give you motorhoming advice abroad - steer clear of English girls on holiday - they turn into nymphomaniacs and you will ruin your shock absorbers.

jon


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## apxc15 (Dec 1, 2007)

jonnowycombe said:


> Ill give you motorhoming advice abroad - steer clear of English girls on holiday - they turn into nymphomaniacs and you will ruin your shock absorbers.
> 
> jon


I'll have some of that thank you, where do I need to be ?


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Bobonong said:


> We're planning our first foray into France this year, too. This forum is great but I still haven't cleared up some pretty basic queries:


You probably need to tell us how long you're going for, and when. A week or two in the summer will require different gas usage to two months in the winter. Also, will you be staying on campsites (and using their showers etc, and therefore not needed to heat gas), or on aires and using your own facilities?

_Firstly about gas . . . . . _. 
The general consensus is that a month or more using campsites is fine with 2 X 6kg propane bottles. Don't take a nearly empty one - it's worth the £12 or so for peace of mind. Refillable costs a few hundred pounds to get done, and you only really need it if you're away from the UK for either very long periods or during the winter for more than a week or so.

_And about electricity . . . . . . _
Most questions have been answered. Reverse polarity means if you're using single pole circuit breakers (usual for UK-built motorhomes), switching the supply off at the main circuit breaker might not isolate your apparatus (because it is the neutral, which is nominally at earth potential, which is being switched, and not the live).

Again, it's a piece of mind thing. You can pay around £20 for the bits to allow you to handle reverse polarity. You can also spend a bit more (around £50 I think) for an automatic polarity changer. If you choose not to, you'll almost certainly be OK without. Your apparatus will work happily on either polarity supply.

Gerald


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## skratt (May 1, 2005)

yeah, I agree with all of above .... but just do it ! is the best advice.
I set off by myself 6 years ago and now I could not even contemplate living any other way. 
Sorting out problems on the way is all part of the fun. 
As far as loneliness is concerned .... I think it is an aquired skill. The main thing for me is having a goal ! People who make the best travellers usually have a passion that makes the journey more of a destination rather than an amble. 
For example ... you may have a thing about visiting cathedrals and make it a mission to see all the best ones in Europe. You may be a twitcher and want to go and see some rare bird sites. Or a surfer who finds the best surfing beaches. 
My passion is paragliding and I travel around finding the best mountains to fly from, meeting some amazing people who do the same thing too !
Have fun ! Skratt 


PS.... Maybe we could check on this forum how many other lone travellers are about ..... it would be good to cross paths sometimes .... however , I find that you meet lots of people on the road anyway. 
The brits stand out the most, especially couples on sites. Being Brits they are usually quite reserved, cough and quietly say hello while polishing the front of the van, then dissapear inside to watch the TV. 
But in the same situation, if you catch them first time and strike up a jolly conversation, you will invariably end up having a great laugh all night and get Christmas cards from them for years ! 
Strange lot us Brits !


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## 109904 (Feb 14, 2008)

*Parlez vous france ?*



Grizzly said:


> If you do find problems when abroad then knock on the door of the nearest motorhome and ask ! There is nothing that MHers like more than talking about their hobby and , without exception, we have found them all very helpful, friendly and willing. Different language ? No problem , miming and demonstrating will get over that.
> 
> Make sure you have a couple of extra glasses, some bottles of the local brew and a few nibbles and you will meet some smashing people and pick up hints and tips galore.
> 
> ...


 Hey G, Thanks you have given me great inspiration and confidence in going it alone. Regards MacWackie *


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## bikers (Nov 26, 2006)

France has lots to see and empty road compared to UK. We've always found the French people helpful PROVIDED you try to speak to them in French. Just a few words are enough. They will then show off their English. But they don't like the English taking it for granted that they speak our language.

We've always used Campingaz - dearer but so convenient as you can buy refills in any big supermarket.


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