New to Motorhomes? Need some friendly help and advice?

Driving License

Good news! All full UK driving license holders can drive our motorhomes because they are under 3500kg.

Holders of a UK Category B driving licence's obtained prior to 1 January 1997 may drive a motorhome up to 7500 kgs gross mass, Category B licence's obtained after that date restrict holders to motorhomes less than 3500 kgs unless a LGV licence has been obtained. Our motorhomes are all less than 3500 kgs. For insurance purposes the driver must be between 25 and 70 years old and have held a full licence for at least three years.

Easy to Drive

All our Motorhomes that you can hire are easy to drive but different to a car, Take things at a steadier pace and try to anticipate braking and cornering to make the journey more comfortable and reduce the number of complaints from the navigators. All our vehicles are based on the right hand drive Ford Transit chassis. They have power steering and a 5 speed manual gearbox. The first thing you notice though is the high driving position which gives you every opportunity to be able to anticipate road conditions ahead; to judge bends and braking more easily. There is plenty of height and recline adjustment to the seat and you generally adopt a more upright and relaxed driving position.

You are bigger than a car and need to move out a little to the middle of the road to avoid overhanging trees on the nearside and move over a bit more to avoid the odd cyclist and car when overtaking. Take a bigger swing when manoeuvring but you will be surprised at the turning circle which beats some 4x4’s. Reversing is always best done with a passenger on the ground or for you to get out and make your own check before starting.
Keep your speed steady until you gain confidence and remember relax you are on holiday. Car transporters create dirty air when they overtake on the motorway and they are the worst but just keep a steady line and let them pass by.

Your mirrors become your best friend they are big and you should check they are correctly positioned to allow you to scan them easily to spot fast approaching traffic. Motorhomes have limited through-vision and some none at all so you soon start to rely on the mirrors.

Roads

All motorways have emergency telephones every kilometre. There are markers every tenth of a Km. which also point to the nearest phone. The phone operator will obtain help or phone Celtic Journeys Motorhomes. Park as close to the edge of the 'hard shoulder' as possible. It is safer to wait outside the motorhome, on the grass banks as far away from the traffic lanes as possible.
You must not stop on a motorway, except in an emergency.
Small coastal and country roads get congested during the holiday periods and you have to be more aware of narrow bridges and roadside hedges as the motorhome is wider than a normal car. Use on non surfaced roads is not permitted. Also beware low bridges or anything where access is restricted to 10 feet high or 6 feet 6 inches wide. You are too big.

Fuel

The motorhomes have diesel engines please be careful as most garages have multi-fuel pumps. The diesel pipe is usually black and it is an expensive repair if the wrong fuel is pumped into the tank.

Parking

Parking in the centre of most big towns is difficult and best avoided. Motorhomes cannot be parked in multi-storey car parks. Parking in central London is very difficult if not impossible as you have to find available street parking. We suggest that you do not even attempt to travel round London but park on the outskirts and use public transport.
The most convenient place to park are large supermarkets and railway stations as they are well signposted, generally they have easy access and are within walking distance of town centres. Car park areas have a large ‘P’ sign on a blue background. Aim for those but be aware some have height restrictions and you cannot get into anything less than 10 feet.

Choosing pitches

It is generally recommended to use hardstanding when available. The motorhomes are front wheel drive and easily loose grip on wet grass and if the ground is soft you might find you will sink in a little.

Collection & Return

Most customers arrive by car and leave the car with us in a locked secure area. It is at your own risk but someone is on site twenty four hours. The motorhome will be normally available from 3.00pm – 5.00pm. Other arrangements must be made at the time of booking.
We spend as long as it takes to ensure you are familiar with the operation of all equipment. We complete the paperwork and provide you with the Motorhome Hire Agreement which is your insurance document. This completes the handover. If you are working to a schedule allow about 45 minutes for this.
The motorhome must be returned between 8:30am – 10:30 am on the due date, there are penalties for late return, you are not insured and will be committing a Road Traffic offence. Please contact us if you have a problem. It is not possible to extend the hire after collection.

Inventory

A full inventory will be supplied with the Motorhome Booking Agreement. Basically all cooking and eating equipment and outdoor folding tables and chairs are provided. All you have to bring is bedding; to usually pillows, duvets and towels.

Safety

All our motorhomes are fitted with seat belts for six people including the driver. It is illegal to exceed the gross mass of the vehicle which is the sum of the mass of the vehicle, the mass of the passengers and the payload. The maximum payload including passengers is shown in the description of the models.
A fire extinguisher and fire blanket are fitted to all our motorhomes. You must turn off the gas at the bottle before travelling and are advised to bring your own first aid kit.

Planning

It is worth booking the first night camp site in advance and choosing somewhere close to us if you have already had a long journey. “Wild camping” is not strictly legal as technically you should always seek the landowners permission to stay overnight. Overnight halts are allowed in Motorway service areas in the heavy goods vehicle area but it can be noisy at all hours. Fire regulations do not permit use of gas appliances. A cost quoted for Moto service areas, ranges from £5-£10 per night and sometimes includes breakfast vouchers. Welcome Break and Road Chef do not publish their charges.

Water

Our motorhomes have an on-board fresh water tank, approximately 120 litres the tank is full upon collection and will last between two and four days before refilling. Gauges on board will indicate when you are running low and you can fill up at sites or garages. A hose is provided. A grey water waste tank is also on-board and needs to be emptied when you fill up with fresh water. Both tanks have a similar capacity.
The toilet has a separate cartridge tank which must be emptied into an appropriate chemical disposal point. A formaldehyde based fluid or “green” fluid must be added to the cassette when it has been emptied. The fluid is a de-odoriser and does not adversely affect sewage systems. A bottle of fluid is supplied upon collection.

Fridge

The fridge operates on gas, 12 volt or 240 volt. The 12 volt feed is only available when the engine is running and current is supplied directly from the alternator. Once on site if you are hooked up to mains switch to 240 volt supply if you are on a site with no mains hook up or parked during your journey switch to gas. If you are planning a long trip on a ferry you will not be able to power the fridge but for a one or two hour crossing the high level of insulation of the fridge will keep the contents cool.