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Forum master
Posts: 4146
  
| Glad I made you laugh.
Jon. |
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| Practically impossible to drive away a modern vehicle without the keys. So thieves will try every which way to get them. So have a second line of defence in case they do.
Get a steering lock (many places selling them off cheap now as vehicles have manufacturer fitted steering locks so people think they don't need another one).
But keep the key for the steering lock hidden in the vehicle, not on your key ring
Edited by Peter James 2010-10-04 7:26 AM
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Gets involved
Posts: 228
Location: Errr, Norfolk! 2000 vintage Bessacarr E605
| To clean real dirty/greasy hands get a spoonful of any vegetable oil "Spread", rub well into the hands then wipe off with kitchen towel. The residue can then be easily washed off.
It leaves the hands so soft and clean I've considered putting it in a jar and selling it at ten times the price as a hand cream.......but it does get smelly if left on after a while.  |
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Forum master
Posts: 2205
| Randonneur - 2008-08-23 9:34 PM
ROON - 2008-08-23 3:47 PM
If you keep candles in a cupboard for emergency use, don;'t store your hob kettle in the same cupboard unless you make sure it isn't still hot underneath first .....  
I would have thought that using candles in a motorhome, even as an emergency, was dangerous. It would be safer to keep a windup torch, they are very cheap these days.
When I was in Canada it was common to carry two large candles in cars during the winter. They provided sufficient heat to keep you alive if the engine died on you. |
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Walks with the gods
Posts: 25344
Location: 1990 Ford Travelhome.Currently of no fixed abode..
| Blood, if you get blood on fabric, the best way to remove it is to use saliva......but it has to be the bleeders blood 
So my usefull tip........ is to get your other half to spit into a cup before you beat them to death, as it makes cleaning up so much easier  |
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Forum master
Posts: 4177
Location: NE Lincolnshire - M/H - 2012 Adria Sport S572SL
| Carrying Important Contact Details It’s an unavoidable necessity that you have to carry Passport, Insurance, Vehicle documents when travelling abroad. Originally posted in Motorhome Matters, but I thought it would be better in this long standing “sticky” Cattwg posted :- This may be an old tip but I thought it worth repeating for newer forum members or those going to Europe for the first time. Before travelling abroad I always make two lists containing the passport and other important telephone, insurance policy and credit card numbers, one for my wallet and the other for my wife’s purse. There is also an emergency UK contact number.
If the worst happens and your motorhome is stolen it’s a stark fact but all you’ve got is what you are standing up in! So with these lists at least you have all the contact numbers needed. We always carry the mobile phone as well – based on similar thinking.
And of course we always hide all documents within the ’van with photocopies hidden in a different place.
Unless we are in a campsite we always carry our passports. In some countries of course you would need to carry them as ID. I posted our solution (expended from the thread) Scan the documents & save to a USB stick or SD Card. (or 2 – one in the Motorhome & one on your person) Either can easily hidden in a secure place in the Motorhome or on your person. If the Motorhome is broken into or Handbag/Wallet stolen resulting in one being lost ,you still have a full set available. If using a SD Card, get one that will fit your Camera & the documents can be read on its screen, using the digital zoom. Pepe63 added :- insurance certificate,V5, etc., in the van..but with the stick/card idea you could have full copies of loads of stuff(..driving license, inc' paper section, passport, any medical insurance documents etc) add -travel insurance
They could even contain photos the actual vehicle or any other valuables that you may have in the van, making reporting a theft easier. |
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Keeps coming back for more
Posts: 156
| Great tip about the memory stick to back up documents.
My tip I would add is, a couple of well placed sheets of loo roll in the loo saves on flushing water, not nice I know, but very effective, plus we have never used the expensive cassette loo paper. |
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Keeps coming back for more
Posts: 128
Location: Compass Avantgarde 145. Birmingham
| Hi all, I imagine that the old timers will already do this but it seems like a good tip to me. I always do the washing up in the van after meals, (the wife does the cooking), before putting the plates into the bowl wipe them over with paper towel to get rid of any "bits". you do not want any excess food lying in your' waste tank. It seems that most of my wifes friends like the blue LCD "Christmas" lights. Get a set, now very cheap and string them around your motorhome,caravan extension to give it some"VaVaVoom". "A" |
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Just joined
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| Hi our names are Don and Marjorie, just sold our Bungalow and are going motorhoming again, we have done quite a bit before, liken7000 miles travelling Europe. We are very old pensioners, 76 and 73, we are starting doing the British Isles first and then going, in the back end to France and Spain. (Spain to see Don's sister), hope we meet a lot of fulltimers to help us on our way. Look forward to hearing from our friends, Hope to start moving soon, when we've bought our next motorhome. Last one was a lovely Hymer. Regards to all Marjorie & Don X. |
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Just joined
Posts: 5
Location: Leeds W. Yorkshire. ELDDIS AUTOQUEST 145
| Hi there this is my first time in replying as a new addition to the forum, butter and sugar rubbed together on the hands is also very good, to clean dirty hands
Edited by happycamper60 2011-07-02 9:20 PM
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Just joined
Posts: 13
| When parked on soft ground, I always go back until wheelspin j-u-s-t starts, hold on brake, then drive forward. This uses the 'downhill' part of the wheel-dents to assist forward motion, so you zoom out of the dip.  |
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| what a fantastic tip
i am about ready to buy my first motorhome and have been reading about break ins while sleeping and was wondering what i could do you have just come up with an inexpensive solution
buy the way this is the first time i am on the forum
thanks |
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Epic contributor
Posts: 1615
 
Location: South Devon A/Sleepers Medallion on VW LT
| As long as you avoid high risk places : for instance motorway service areas on the outskirts of large towns and cities, unless your house is a fortress you are probably at no more risk of being broken into at night in your motorcaravan than you are at home. The glazing is always the weak point.
The cheapest deterrent is probably a slightly hungry large dog. |
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Gets involved
Posts: 263
Location: Lincoln
| After 4 years of motorhoming we had worked out exactly what bottles pots crockery etc we wanted soI
bought a large piece of foam, cut out appropriate sized holes with electric knife and also correct shape for cupboard. Al the stuff is now easy to get at fits neatly and DOESN'T RATTLE...most important bit for us!!! Also I don't get a cascade of things on my head when I open it |
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Has lots to offer
Posts: 492
Location: Swindon
| For those fortunate enough to have a newish van with the wheeled cassette. Don't use the wheels on concrete or tarmac, they will wear and then won't fit the housing properly. |
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Just joined
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| pound shop lights are handy |
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Just joined
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| Excellent tip to follow ! |
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Epic contributor
Posts: 1615
Location: South Devon A/Sleepers Medallion on VW LT
| For people with no hang ups
A dismountable clothes line for the shower.
Basically take two lengths of 15mm dia plastic water pipe and drill 2 mm holes across. Thread nylon string through the holes from one pipe to the other.. The pipe drops into hooks screwed or stuck onto the wall. The length of string is adjusted to suit the width available and knotted . Out of use the tube is rolled up in the string and stows in a small space.
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Liking what I've found
Posts: 69
Location: N.Devon
| Lakeland sell a battery powered LED motion detector light, with a manual over ride button, stick it to the ceiling of the toilet area, open the door and on it goes, the manual over ride is great for those extended stays in the loo!  |
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Walks with the gods
Posts: 25344
Location: 1990 Ford Travelhome.Currently of no fixed abode..
| pelmetman - 2011-01-31 5:29 PM
Blood, if you get blood on fabric, the best way to remove it is to use saliva......but it has to be the bleeders blood
So my usefull tip........ is to get your other half to spit into a cup before you beat them to death, as it makes cleaning up so much easier
See....... I knew I once made a useful post ............2011 .........crikey I didn't know it was that long ago  ..............doesn't time fly when your a semi idle oike  ..... |
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Epic contributor
Posts: 1615
Location: South Devon A/Sleepers Medallion on VW LT
| One I picked up on the net and it works.
Refresh faded black plastic bumpers or minor scuffs in interior plastic trim with a hot air gun. I did mine a month ago and they still look tidy. Some scuffs on the dash caused by carrying planks have almost vanished.
Try it out somewhere out of the eyeline and keep moving and you will see the surface freshening up. I needed the higher setting.
If it starts to bubble you have probably overcooked it. |
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Forum master
Posts: 2173
Location: Stockport Autosleeper Warwick Duo 2.2 130bhp
| I have often done this on Auto Sleepers with the black plastic panels on the sides, such as Duettos. Yes it does work, but you seed some skill and care, otherwise you will make a mess of the surface.
Note, we are talking hot air guns here; another name for a paint stripper and the air does get really hot! |
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Just joined
Posts: 1
| Not a MH owner yet - but have been doing lots of reading.... will be purchasing March/April 2015.. retirement at 55 :)... bring it on!...
Another tip I read elsewhere.... worth sharing here me thinks...
Put a LARGE dogs bowl and one of those (large) studded dog collars ( attached to a lead) outside the door - of an evening :)
sounded like a good idea to moi... :)
Edited by fletton 2014-10-29 5:28 PM
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Just joined
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| The tea cosy is upside down not the kettle |
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Pillar of the forums
Posts: 754
Location: Uffington. Hymer E700 AutoSleeper Montana pop top
| Norma - 2006-08-14 6:12 PM
1) I must have lots - I can only think of a couple for the moment. We have a vertical cupboard that is inclined to open when we go round the bend. Especially if the tray attached to the door is full of wine bottles - as the tray appears to be designed for. Solved it with a door safety catch - the sort to keep babies out.
2) A van we saw on holiday had a large garage door that was hinged across the top. They had fixed rows of washing line across the width of the door to hang washing from while the door was open - brilliant.
3) We fill the fresh water tank with convential garden hose. Sometimes the pressure from the supply is so high the hose falls out. Another short (few inches) piece shoved in beside the filling hose holds the hose in place. Regarding "lot 3" can I suggest you get one of these. It takes the place of the lockable filler cap when topping up your water tank. Iv'e had this one for 8 years and wouldn't be without it.
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Just joined
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| Ranger - 2006-07-09 8:50 PM
Yes Chas, brilliant idea, I use a similar idea in the bathtroom cabinet as the first opening on arrival on site was usually followed by a shower of littlle bottles, tubes of tooth paste, spare soap,spare loo rolls etc etc. Now everything stays where it belongs. I like Mels under bed storage ideas, unfortunately our under bed store is a huge drawer on runners, dodgey on roundabouts if not locked. Keep the tips rolling in ! ! ! What can you do with clothes pegs ? ? ?
This idea sounds great,but it's not simple to do that... |
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Just joined
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Epic contributor
Posts: 1840
| Probably obvious, but I spoke to the window cleaner and he said he could clean the Moho no problem, they have long brushes and all the equipment to do the roof.
So I don't have to risk climbing up, or pay someone to jet wash it with all the risks entailed. |
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Just joined
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| good tips to follow! |
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Treasured contributor
Posts: 939
Location: BIRMINGHAM. Elddis sunseeker 115
| we put a expandable net curtain rail behind the shower curtain, added four hooks (closed at one end and knobs on the other) so no sharp points and hang large bath towels on these, the original towel rail was inadequate and I told it so.
we also had a suction type hook and stuck it to the mirror next to the wash basin for the hand towel.
the toilet door opens towards the bed and the light switch is on the outside of the room, when you turn the light on in the middle of the night the light burns your retinas out, so we bought a three pack of battery operated leds from good old poundland and stuck one just under the cupboard, just the right amount of light for a visit to the toilet.
When we pull our blinds down at night there is a gap at the bottom which lets in a surprising amount of light, so we invested 87 p for a length of pipe insulation, which clips on the bottom of the blind and blocks the light, just pop it behind the seat backrest during the day.
Pete |
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