THE OPEN ROAD IN WINTER: Beat the winter blues with motorhome breaks
Summer is but a distant dream. The leaves are falling from the trees, the heating is coming on in the early evening and it’s dark as you get in from work.
We all know what that means – time to dust off the motorhome and head out to the open road.
But what are the top tips for the ultimate motorhome break this winter?
The whole point of getting away from it for a few days this time of year is to catch some late year sun and heat. But, let’s be honest you never know. Temperatures can drop away of an evening on even the loveliest campsite so those thick socks, a hat and gloves and a nice blanket won’t go to waste. Get it in the case – along with a cagoule…
You might not have been in your motorhome for a few months or more so, before you head out on to the roads, it’s time to do an inventory. An extra gas bottle is probably a good idea, or at the very least check the one you have got and see how much is in the tank. You will need toilet and kitchen roll, tin foil, a tin opener, cling film. Do you need batteries for a torch? You don’t want to find out on your first night parking up that you have no light to see what you are doing…
Most families nowadays will all have multiple devices requiring not only power, but wifi access too. So get yourself sorted on both fronts. Have you got enough chargers? Enough power to run a lot of them? If not, get some in now. And as for the internet, most camp sites will have access to wifi now, either through their own system or a hot spot. You can also invest in a long-range Wifi booster which, as the name suggests, boosts your range for finding wifi.
Taking an extra few minutes when parking up can really add an extra 10% to your stay. Take a good look around before you park up and make the pitch work for you. Pitches beside rivers are lovely, but lower-lying land can quickly become boggy and attract insects. Especially in the winter. Could you move up stream a bit? Take a compass so that you can align the van to the sun making the most of the light. You want to keep the sun out during the hottest part of the day – hopefully – but have it next to your van in the evenings. Overhanging trees provide welcome shade, but the noise of rain dropping from the trees at night can be distracting for some.
It’s a brilliant family holiday, of course, but spending a lot of time in a motorhome can get a bit tiring after a while. No matter how comfortable your van, tensions can build if you have to spend all your time around people all the time (even if they are the people you love most in the world). So always factor in some ‘alone time’ where the kids can burn off excess energy running around a park and, equally as importantly, the adults can too. Now pass that bottle opener…
At the risk of stating the obvious, have an idea about where you are heading. You don’t need to plan every twist and turn but maybe have an overnight pitch pre-booked to give you somewhere to aim for. Consider the weather and the traffic and adjust your daily schedule to suit. Nobody wants to be inside a motorhome for a 300-mile day.
On the other hand, maybe it’s best not to plan ANYTHING at all. Just go with the flow. After all, the flexibility of driving a motorhome means that you can change your holiday plans every day. If you get somewhere nice and you want to stay – then stay! It’s as simple as that.
So go on, make your winter break great and take on a trip in the comfort of a motorhome.
At Emm-Bee motorhomes we have a wide range of new and used vehicles to suit any budget. Take a look now and you could be the proud owner in plenty of time to plan your trip!
Click here for our new motorhomes.
Click here for our used motorhomes.
Call us at any time for offers, advice and details on anything motorhome related. If we can help we will do.
Call today on 0161 797 2988.
