The pros and cons of travelling by motorhome versus car. Almost everyone dreams of having a motorhome and setting out on the open road with everything including the kitchen sink, sleeping wherever the engine stops. But a car is faster, easier to park, cheaper to run….! So which would you choose – motorhome or car? We are fortunate enough to have both, a 30-year-old Autotrail Cree and a 14-year-old Skoda Fabia estate. So how do we choose which to take? Fuel economy in a motorhome? Both of our vehicles use diesel which is currently more expensive than petrol. The motorhome manages 25-28 mpg whereas READ THE FULL STORY…
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Overweight Motorhome? DANGER! How Much Can You Carry Safely?
An overweight motorhome can cost you more than big fines! Excess weight will burn more fuel, and your tyres will be put under pressure. But, most importantly, an overweight motorhome can cost you your life!! How much can a motorhome carry? A “spring” blog post! It was the realisation that our motorhome was struggling and could potentially become dangerous that made us empty almost everything from it and seek custom springs for the rear suspension. We were within the laws governing Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass (MTPLM). But our springs had sagged in just two years and were clearly not going to be up READ THE FULL STORY…
How Do You Overcome Fear of Travelling in a Post Covid World?
Fear of travelling is spreading as fast as coronavirus. Does the thought of leaving the house fill you with dread? Are you afraid to travel further than a few miles? Do you invent excuses to keep you at home? What are you frightened of? Do you know what it is…or is it a vague feeling of unease which builds up to terror? Today’s roads are harder to negotiate with so much traffic. And they are so much faster than they were a decade ago. A level of caution is understandable. But how did that suddenly become a debilitating fear of travelling? Coronavirus and the READ THE FULL STORY…
Motorhome Ownership – The Good, The Bad, and The Expensive.
Motorhome ownership is a privilege. It is something we dreamed of without really expecting our dreams to materialise. But in 2017, we decided to shut our eyes and jump. With a bank loan weighing heavily in our pockets we set off in search of our dream van. Did we find it? We certainly found one – or it found us. But like any relationship, there have been highs and lows. The thrill of the open road Anyone with a motorhome will have felt that exhilaration as they set off on a road trip, leaving worries and stresses behind them. You know the bedding is READ THE FULL STORY…
Is Living in a Motorhome Eco-Friendly?
Is there such a thing as an eco-friendly motorhome? After a Motorhome Hobos blog post discussing a recent upsurge in media and physical attacks on motorhomes in what we termed a “vanlife vendetta”, we have been considering the sustainability and ecological effects of vanlife. Is there such a thing as an eco-friendly motorhome? The media has rounded on the mobile community, both full-timers and holiday makers, accusing us of causing litter and pollution across the countryside. The headlines scream of “gas-guzzlers”! And a “Trail of Litter”! This has led to bad feeling throughout the country. We know that many of these stories have been READ THE FULL STORY…
Where can I park my Motorhome? Van Life Vendetta!
Do you think that there is a van life vendetta? Parking a motorhome is becoming increasingly difficult. Height barriers, unwelcoming parking attendants, withdrawal of roadside permissions and a general air of antipathy towards motorhomes is making van life more of a struggle. Will full-time van life soon be a thing of the past in England? Will it soon be impossible to use a motorhome anywhere in the U.K. other than campsites? Is there a van life vendetta? We are not talking about wild camping – a contentious enough issue. This is about legally parking our motorhome in a town whilst we enjoy, and pay READ THE FULL STORY…
Brit Stops for Motorhomes – is it really free?
We have missed the mountains of Wales over lockdown so decided to head across in our motorhome during September. To make it a real adventure, we were trialling Brit Stops for the first time. We waited for the school summer holidays to end before embarking on our own break. However, it soon became apparent that September is when adults come out to play! Campsites were looking healthily full. But we didn’t care – we had our Brit Stops book! What is Brit Stops? Brit Stops, for the uninitiated, seems perfect for people like us. Those who are enjoying motorhome life on a budget. On READ THE FULL STORY…
Family Fun in a Motorhome
With children on their summer break, our motorhome travels are usually more family orientated during August. Some of the month being warm and dry, the best that one can expect from an English August, we have taken the motorhome for a few days out. We spent the last week of July in Wiltshire where it was neither seasonably warm nor dry; but we enjoyed it anyway. The sound of rain on the roof is a favourite, luckily. The first visit of August was to the lovely National Trust managed Ickworth Park, Suffolk. A huge estate with concreted walks and cycleways, sheep grazed meadows studded READ THE FULL STORY…
Exciting New Vanlife Blog!
This is our new vanlife blog – the introductory Motorhome Hobos’ Vanlife Blog post no less! We have spoken about writing a blog for a while but life has got in the way. And, to be perfectly honest, a lack of clarity on the difference between pages and posts. We are Hobos, not IT experts!! But right here, right now, you are witnessing the beginnings of something extraordinary. Well, interesting anyway. We hope. The blog is going to contain comments and stories from our time with our VW T4 Cree motorhome; where we’ve been, who we’ve seen, and a whole lot more in between!! READ THE FULL STORY…