# Just bought it - now what?!



## new motorhomer (Mar 28, 2010)

Having decided about a week ago to buy a motorhome, we now own a Chausson Welcome WS (3/4 berth, 6m, low profile - for those of you who haven't learnt the catalogues!).  We can't wait (2-ish weeks til delivery), but don't know quite where to start.  Thrilled to find this site and hoping to tour Scotland in the summer, and I've read a few threads on insurance, but what do we need to know/buy/do/not do?!  My husband is a book man, so is there an idiots guide to motorhoming we should get?  Which websites are useful?  Please help!


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## johnnerontheroad (Mar 28, 2010)

Have a look at this site, start with this page it will print so your other half can read in the bath if he wishes MagBaz Travels - A to Z of Long-term Motorhoming 


Dave


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## AIKIDOMO (Mar 28, 2010)

Hi  and Welcome,
Glad I am that  you have chosen the motor home route, long may  you enjoy the experience.
First of the websites all offer you much of the sameness, it depends mostly  on your own preference and I am lothe actually promote one or the other, but I can say that I visit here and   UK Motorhomes, Motorhome Information, Motorhomes Reviews, American RV Reviews, Motorhome Forum, American RV forum, Sales, Campsites -> News 
in equal amounts.
You ask for advise, the best advise I can offer you is gain experience, before you commit yourself to anything get out and join one of the established camping clubs, Caravan and Camping Club or Caravan Club, easily  found on Google.
Having a Motor Home does not exclude you from membership  I belong to both, and there is a wealth of information to be found in their pages.
I stay at both their sites, as well as wild camp when the oppertunity shows itself.
Do not have any stylalised romantic ideas of Motor home ownership, use a modicum of common sense , get to know what you can and cannot do, where to stay and where not too.
Ask.
If you want TV on your travels, go Satellite,  dish on Tripod my  preference, info  also on here.
In your M.H. you will have a Battery called A LEISURE BATTERY, look after it and it will look after you, get to know what  makes it tick, What you can run and what  you cannot, if you like, buy  a Gennie, but make it  a good one, expence pays dividends in this department, the word Suitcase is used a lot along with  the word Honda, dont buy one with a wattage of under 1000.    
Alternatively turn your roof into a solar  Panel, again you are looking at loads of Money though.
 I do hope that  I have not put you off  so far.
You will need Water, some travel with it on board some fill up on arrival,Fine if you have booked in on a site, Electric, Water, Toilet  facilities are more than likely  provided on site if you have booked, if you are camping wild as you are allowed to do  I believe in SCOTLAND only then these matters need to be addressed, actually  people can be quite inventive in these respects as I can vouch, again common sense, think about your trip before you go, plan an unplanned trip is my motto, use the tools available and enjoy yourself!
Clive.


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## biggirafe (Mar 28, 2010)

new motorhomer said:


> Having decided about a week ago to buy a motorhome, we now own a Chausson Welcome WS (3/4 berth, 6m, low profile - for those of you who haven't learnt the catalogues!).  We can't wait (2-ish weeks til delivery), but don't know quite where to start.  Thrilled to find this site and hoping to tour Scotland in the summer, and I've read a few threads on insurance, but what do we need to know/buy/do/not do?!  My husband is a book man, so is there an idiots guide to motorhoming we should get?  Which websites are useful?  Please help!



Hey welcome to the mad world of motorhoming 
Get used to how everything works on your drive, get yourself a long hookup cable, this is the cable that allows you to plug your van into the mains, it may or maynot come with one, also you will need an adapter to pug it into your mains at home. You won't need the adapter it on a campsite as they come with a purpose made connector for campsites.

Then plug yourself in at home and play with everything until your understand how it all works. Although the temptation will be to pick it up and then go out my advise would be don't go to a campsite and then try to learn in a couple of hours before it goes dark, It will most likely end in tears  

First trip I would recommend being within 50 miles of home for a weekend. Don'r pressure yourselfs with a long trip to a campsite and then stay out for several days or a week, Go to a local campsite and do this 2 or 3 times and then you will know what you do and don't need to take and you will be comfortable with all the bits and bobs. 

Lastly ask lots of questions on this forum, no-one will mind, even post up photos if you don't know how to exlain the bit you can't use  

Enjoy....


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## Belgian (Mar 28, 2010)

new motorhomer said:


> Having decided about a week ago to buy a motorhome, we now own a Chausson Welcome WS (3/4 berth, 6m, low profile - for those of you who haven't learnt the catalogues!).  We can't wait (2-ish weeks til delivery), but don't know quite where to start.  Thrilled to find this site and hoping to tour Scotland in the summer, and I've read a few threads on insurance, but what do we need to know/buy/do/not do?!  My husband is a book man, so is there an idiots guide to motorhoming we should get?  Which websites are useful?  Please help!


Hi, and welcome
Loads of info on this website. Use the 'search' button and you're off for hours 
And there is no motorhoming for dummies, we are all bright


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## BedfordMJ (Mar 29, 2010)

It's like buying  a new house and you'll need loads of things that you'll probably want to keep in all the time. Think what you can get that won't break easily. Rubber non-slip matting helps in cupboards to stop things moving and also good cut into circles between plates,pans etc.
Ask someone to show you how to operate the toilet and what chemicals you need.
Airtight containers for coffee etc. Set of tinned food for basic cooking if needed and replace when used. Think of outside seating BBQ and what space you have to fit them. If you have a fridge/freezer it will take sometime on the road before it cools down, freeze any food that you can at home and put in the freezer, should be fine.


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## Tigatigatiger (Mar 29, 2010)

new motorhomer said:


> Having decided about a week ago to buy a motorhome, we now own a Chausson Welcome WS (3/4 berth, 6m, low profile - for those of you who haven't learnt the catalogues!).  We can't wait (2-ish weeks til delivery), but don't know quite where to start.  Thrilled to find this site and hoping to tour Scotland in the summer, and I've read a few threads on insurance, but what do we need to know/buy/do/not do?!  My husband is a book man, so is there an idiots guide to motorhoming we should get?  Which websites are useful?  Please help!



Hell I must say that is fast work, decided and bought in a week! Took us 5 months to find our MH (our first one)

We too are off to Scotland this summer-3 lush weeks! I've used the helpful info on this site a few books from the library to help us decide on what we wanted to see, water falls, castles, mountains to climb and monsters, dolphins, whales and  otters (the last 4 are all in the hands of luck). We both knew we wanted to head to Durness and Cape Wrath, so we have sort of come up with a route from there. We've booked a few sites on route already so we have access to a laundry, etc. But the rest of the nights we'll just work out as we go along-picked out a few "must stay" wild nights, as they look so lush.

I also agree with others on here try everything out at home first-also make sure you get a good handover, don't be in any rush, take notepad pen and I took a camera (picture says a thousand words). 

Enjoy! we love ours and can't understand why we didn't have one years ago (oh thats right we couldn't afford one-we were left some money)


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## Guernsey Donkey (Mar 29, 2010)

Congratulations, now you are in the real world, take all the advice given and then look for more but when you come to loading up all that you thing you will need (or think you need) be careful - don’t overload.
Once hooked on motor homing, forever hooked.

Enjoy

John (Guernsey Donkey)


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