Wellie Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Hi All Has anyone taken their motorhome out yet ? as mine is in storage and I would like to give it a run to charge the battery is this allowed.(not to stay in it ) Wellie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 From tomorrow YES. I’m taking mine 15 miles to refill the lpg tank and after that we’ll take it out for runs and a day out away from people. All this is within the law tomorrow onwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 I am taking my van for its habitation service on Monday; so the answer to your question is yes (I hope) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec176 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Who knows. The rules now say you can drive to the coast, parks and others but not sure you'll be very welcome. If you just want to go for a drive then probably ok, just don't cross the borders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Yes you can, and you always could, providing you were merely using it as transport for one of the stated purposes such as buying food, travelling to work, or attending a medical appointment. To that has now been added driving to a location to take exercise. Just driving around for no other purpose was, and to the best of my understanding still is, not permissible. There was, so far as I am aware, no exception for attending for a vehicle test, which is why MoTs had their period of validity extended by, if I remember, three months. I haven't looked at the explanatory documents issued yesterday by the government to see if the position re MoTs has been changed. Anyone know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Thread title "Talking your Motorhome out" What are you going to talk it out of? :D :D :D Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adiebt Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Took the van for its habitation check today , all done safely with no dramas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterjl Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Hi We took ours out a couple of weeks ago. Went the extended pretty route to Tesco, dropped my wife off, went for another drive, then back to collect. It felt good just to get on the road even if only for a shortish trip. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec176 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Brian, according to the Gov site the MOT extension still stands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Not sure that Brian’s comment about not being allowed to just drive around without being for one of the stated purposes is either correct or in any way enforceable. You are unlikely to be stopped now unless you are crossing a border or staying out overnight and if you were stopped just say you are going somewhere for a walk or going home after a walk. I reckon the Police are fed up stopping people and should have better things to do anyway. I won’t be taking the van out for a run but will be going out tomorrow and as often as possible thereafter in my MX5, just for the fun of driving around with the top down. No social distancing required as I won’t be getting out of the car. Why walk when you can drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Don636 - 2020-05-12 8:15 PM Not sure that Brian’s comment about not being allowed to just drive around without being for one of the stated purposes is either correct or in any way enforceable. The law bans all leaving home unless for specific purposes, it then goes on to list why you might leave home, 'going for a drive' is not one of them. (1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 As I said, if asked I will be on the way to a walk somewhere, whether I am or not. Impossible to check and what’s the difference especially as I am not actually getting out of the car so less risk than actually driving to a beach full of people. Some commen sense required surely. Just checked the latest guidance on gov.uk and it states: You should stay at home as much as possible. The reasons you may leave home include: for work, where you cannot work from home going to shops that are permitted to be open - to get things like food and medicine to exercise or spend time outdoors Also it states: 1.7 Are there restrictions on how far I can travel for my exercise or outdoor activity? No. You can travel to outdoor open space irrespective of distance. As I will be driving to spend time outdoors in the car with the top down it seems OK to me, especially as the current relaxation is to allow people a bit more freedom of movement. Getting out for a run is important for my mental wellbeing as far as I am concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 One of the reasons given for limiting use of vehicles was to reduce the probabilities of accidents, thus relieving pressure on NHS, so yes a bit of common sense is required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Maybe in the early days potential car accidents was perceived as a risk but the NHS is not actually overloaded as far as I understand with critical care bed use down below 30% and A&E throughput way down and little routine stuff being done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adiebt Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 colin - 2020-05-12 8:46 PM One of the reasons given for limiting use of vehicles was to reduce the probabilities of accidents, thus relieving pressure on NHS, so yes a bit of common sense is required. ACCIDENT noun an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury. As most accidents happen in the home , staying at home during lockdown would logically be more damaging to the NHS . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Adiebt - 2020-05-12 9:34 PM colin - 2020-05-12 8:46 PM One of the reasons given for limiting use of vehicles was to reduce the probabilities of accidents, thus relieving pressure on NHS, so yes a bit of common sense is required. ACCIDENT noun an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury. As most accidents happen in the home , staying at home during lockdown would logically be more damaging to the NHS . Three and a half more people die at home than on the roads, but the average person spends considerably more than three and a half times of the time at home than on the roads, so no it isn't safer on the roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Personally, I have only been injured once on the road in a motorcycle accident but I have lost count of the number of accidents I have had at home with one requiring a visit to A&E for a split finger and lots of other near misses, including falling off a roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deneb Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Don636 - 2020-05-12 8:53 PM Maybe in the early days potential car accidents was perceived as a risk but the NHS is not actually overloaded as far as I understand with critical care bed use down below 30% and A&E throughput way down and little routine stuff being done. There are statistics, and then there are statistics. According to the government the NHS was never overwhelmed, but that's the picture that can be painted when you include hundreds of empty beds in Nightingale hospitals that couldn't be used because of a lack of ICU trained staff to run them. Having some sense of what is actually going on through our links to my wife's colleagues who are working at the sharp end, all I can say is that our local hospital opened another temporary mortuary at a disused hospital site last week and is now having to transport bodies halfway across the county. We are going to my wife's uncle's funeral later this week, in High Wycombe. He lived in West London and died in a London hospital, with no connection to High Wycombe at all other than that it is apparently the nearest crematorium with available capacity. So I don't think it's over, although I accept that there will be differences across regions. But when the government say that you can now travel as far as you like to visit open countryside and can partake of unlimited exercise outside, but that you should also only leave your home only when necessary and for as little time as possible, as the time spent out of your home does carry a degree of risk, it's crystal clear what we're supposed to do isn't it? I'm sure that the NHS staff would be delighted for people to all rush out and give them something to fill their spare capacity though. I mean it's not as if they might deserve or need a bit less pressure and the possibility that they could return to working normal hours, is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpstart Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 In Somerset CV-19 deaths are low, A&E is practically empty, the only time it gets busy is when there is NHS clapping time. It appears that people injure themselves during this period. There is no big deal in being in the country side, I seen no reason why sites for self contained Motorhomes or Caravans can’t reopen. Isolating on these site is preferable to going to Supermarkets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 This summary of current ‘essential travel’ guidance in England may be useful https://fullfact.org/health/coronavirus-essential-travel/ Ever since the Garden of Eden people have proved capable of resisting everything except temptation - the main difference nowadays is that they want to argue on-line about the small print. The MOT ‘extension’ is 6 months. Details here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-mots-for-cars-vans-and-motorcycles-due-from-30-march-2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adiebt Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Deneb - 2020-05-12 11:10 PM Don636 - 2020-05-12 8:53 PM Maybe in the early days potential car accidents was perceived as a risk but the NHS is not actually overloaded as far as I understand with critical care bed use down below 30% and A&E throughput way down and little routine stuff being done. There are statistics, and then there are statistics. According to the government the NHS was never overwhelmed, but that's the picture that can be painted when you include hundreds of empty beds in Nightingale hospitals that couldn't be used because of a lack of ICU trained staff to run them. Having some sense of what is actually going on through our links to my wife's colleagues who are working at the sharp end, all I can say is that our local hospital opened another temporary mortuary at a disused hospital site last week and is now having to transport bodies halfway across the county. We are going to my wife's uncle's funeral later this week, in High Wycombe. He lived in West London and died in a London hospital, with no connection to High Wycombe at all other than that it is apparently the nearest crematorium with available capacity. So I don't think it's over, although I accept that there will be differences across regions. But when the government say that you can now travel as far as you like to visit open countryside and can partake of unlimited exercise outside, but that you should also only leave your home only when necessary and for as little time as possible, as the time spent out of your home does carry a degree of risk, it's crystal clear what we're supposed to do isn't it? I'm sure that the NHS staff would be delighted for people to all rush out and give them something to fill their spare capacity though. I mean it's not as if they might deserve or need a bit less pressure and the possibility that they could return to working normal hours, is it? My wife is a Consultant ( Doctor ) at a large inner city teaching hospital , i take my Covod advice from her not from the internet . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 jumpstart - 2020-05-13 7:33 AM In Somerset CV-19 deaths are low, A&E is practically empty, the only time it gets busy is when there is NHS clapping time. It appears that people injure themselves during this period. There is no big deal in being in the country side, I seen no reason why sites for self contained Motorhomes or Caravans can’t reopen. Isolating on these site is preferable to going to Supermarkets. The confirmed number of deaths in Somerset is 224 not including those who have died at home. The map in this article gives an idea of the spread across the county as of a week ago. https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/18425115.visual-guide-covid-19-related-deaths-somerset-districts/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Don636 - 2020-05-12 8:38 PM As I said, if asked I will be on the way to a walk somewhere, whether I am or not. Impossible to check and what’s the difference especially as I am not actually getting out of the car so less risk than actually driving to a beach full of people. Some commen sense required surely. Just checked the latest guidance on gov.uk and it states: You should stay at home as much as possible. The reasons you may leave home include: for work, where you cannot work from home going to shops that are permitted to be open - to get things like food and medicine to exercise or spend time outdoors Also it states: 1.7 Are there restrictions on how far I can travel for my exercise or outdoor activity? No. You can travel to outdoor open space irrespective of distance. As I will be driving to spend time outdoors in the car with the top down it seems OK to me, especially as the current relaxation is to allow people a bit more freedom of movement. Getting out for a run is important for my mental wellbeing as far as I am concerned. Under present circumstances, where these restrictions have been invoked to protect public health, I was trying to answer a open question within the spirit of the law, and not to steer as close to the letter of the law as one might go before getting one's collar felt! Only you can judge whether you risk a nervous breakdown if you can't drive your car with the top down. Not having an open top car, I'm in no position to judge. But I am left with a sneaky suspicion that desire is being substituted for necessity! :-S Now, were you drive to park somewhere, and then walk for an hour or more before driving back, you would fully comply with the requirement, and probably provide much greater benefit to your mental health into the bargain! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Don636 - 2020-05-12 10:21 PM Personally, I have only been injured once on the road in a motorcycle accident but I have lost count of the number of accidents I have had at home with one requiring a visit to A&E for a split finger and lots of other near misses, including falling off a roof. Which, to be honest, doesn't say a great deal for the quality of your judgement, does it? No change there, it seems! :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpstart Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 If you are thinking of travelling to Dorset ,think again. Dorset County Council have announced all public carparks, parks , beach parking, etc will be closed to visitors and taped off. Signs posted on main roads discouraging visitors. So the devil is in the small print. Government says yes...Council says No.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.