Pete-B Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Hi All, SWMBO and I are retired and pick up our new Bessacarr E460 motorhome in a few weeks. We've really taken the bull by the horns in the sense that other than looking at loads of vans at various dealers and listening to salesman patter we don't know anything about them. We've certainly never slept in, or spent ant time in one. After picking the van up we are driving staight to a site to spend a few days so I've got a few questions which I'd like to ask all you seasoned users and I'm sure a few will say "that's a stupid way to go about it, you should have hired one to try first". You're probably right and we've had all this from friends and family but the deeds done and moneys changed hands so we need to get on with our new adventure, Anyhow back to questions, what are some of the basic things I must make sure we take on this first trip other than the obvious things like food , clothes, bedding etc? We've bought cutlery and crockery, pots and pans, kettle, toilet blue and rinse, toilet rolls, I'd very much appreciate any advice on this. One question that puzzles me is, this van apparantly has a on board water tank and not the roller type thing oue son used to use on his caravan. So how do you fill this, do I need to carry a short piece of hose with me or would this facility be on site? I also noticed on the side there's a socket for a pump and it says pump not supplied, what's all this about? I'm sure lots of these question will be answered when we pick it up and they demonstrate everthing to us but at that point It'll be to late to go and buy things we've forgot. Anyhow as I say I really would welcome any help and advice, I know this first trip will only be a few days but I don't want the duchess thinking we've done the wrong thing. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Hi Pete & welcome to the (confusing for newbie's) world of Motorhomes. Congratulations on your new Toy. There are 2 types of water filling systems A) Straight forward hose fits into the socket (there is generally an arguement as to whether it should be "food grade" or standard water hose.) B) Whale or Truma Pumped system, which requires a "Spcific" hose. see:- http://www.caravanaccessoryshop.co.uk/product/whale-truma-crystal-mk2-pump-replaces-maxi-pump/1460 Normally if Motorhomes are fitted with this system, the Hose is supplied with a new van. The give added ability to pump water from a portable water tank i.e. as caravanners set-up. Other items to consider, (in order of priority ;-) - Bottle Opener / Corkscrew, Fire Extinguisher, Fire Blanket, First Aid Kit, basic Toolkit (Assorted Screwdrivers & Metric Spanners), spare Bulbs & Fuses, Maps & Sites book, Camera (& spare Batteries), Reading material or Games, Hobbies equipment, etc.. To name but a few. You will develop your own priorities as you progress & if initially venturing out in the UK, your never very far from some source for what you identify as needed to make life more enjoyable or comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 You will soon sort things out Pete, my best bit of advice is to go very carefully until you get the feel of the thing. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 The basics are making sure you can eat drink and sleep. For sleeping you will need beding and pillows. for eating and drinking anything hot you will need kettle, pots and pans and GAS. A hose to fill tank at very lease 5m long, I once had to fill the tank with couple of 2l bottles, that was a lot of walking back and forth. A hook-up lead. From experiance you then add items you wish you had on board until the suspension colapses :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Just a few off the top of my head (back of the van!!)................... Outdoor table Two decent reclining chairs Footstools (we dont like the chairs where your feet go up if the backrest reclines) Hose plus various connectors as all standpipes were not created equal Funnel/water carrier - if you just want to top up Wastemaster for taking grey water to emtying point Waste pipe if you can connect to 'Euro' pitch with facilities Hookup cable, continental adaptors Bucket Windbreak Awning pegs/tie down Box of tools Various electrical leisure devices and connectivity (ipod, ipad, iphone etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy mccord Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Pete, one thing to look for in your van is the panel on the floor that gives access to your fresh water tank, when I owned an Ace I used this hatch to top the tank up with more water, I used a 25l container and just poured it straight in directly to the tank, rather than trying to hold the container with a funnel on the outside of the van, its a lot easier filling from inside the van because you are not holding the weight of the container. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Good idea, we have a hatch like this but dont spill anything on the carpet!! We also carry a 'drain pipe elbow' of the correct diameter (padded out with a bit of tape) which fits snugly in the water filler hole and acts as a fixed funnel so that top ups are easy from the outside too. Far more stable than a wobbly funnel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 On our previous Bessacarr the waste outlet, we used a convoluted flexible hoses from an old Washing machine drainage which was the same size. Worked a treat & easy to store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy mccord Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 The beauty of it chris is that even if you dont get all in the tank it only runs out on to the ground being an underslung tank, with practice it becomes a doddle, best lesson I Learnt from owning a swift, holding a 25 ltr jerry can of water whilst trying to pour it thro the fill up cap becomes extremely heavy fast. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooie Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 All you need is lager ( i like Carlsberg ) Everything else you can do without !!! p.s. you`ll also need money, lots of it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 andy mccord - 2012-06-15 10:05 AM The beauty of it chris is that even if you dont get all in the tank it only runs out on to the ground being an underslung tank, with practice it becomes a doddle, best lesson I Learnt from owning a swift, holding a 25 ltr jerry can of water whilst trying to pour it thro the fill up cap becomes extremely heavy fast. Andy What is wrong with you guys! :-D There's a hole in the side of the van where the hose goes in. Put hose in hole, connect other end to water tap, turn on tap. Turn tap off when tank full. Job done. What is all this faff with water bottles, hatches, funnels etc etc? Its a motorhome, for gawd's sake, not a bleedin' caravan. It's designed to be driven around with a tank full of fresh water. You'll be telling me next you put a Wastemaster under the waste water outlet and take it to the caravan waste disposal point each morning. Fill it and use it, then fill it again. Simples! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-06-15 6:14 PM andy mccord - 2012-06-15 10:05 AM The beauty of it chris is that even if you dont get all in the tank it only runs out on to the ground being an underslung tank, with practice it becomes a doddle, best lesson I Learnt from owning a swift, holding a 25 ltr jerry can of water whilst trying to pour it thro the fill up cap becomes extremely heavy fast. Andy What is wrong with you guys! :-D There's a hole in the side of the van where the hose goes in. Put hose in hole, connect other end to water tap, turn on tap. Turn tap off when tank full. Job done. What is all this faff with water bottles, hatches, funnels etc etc? Its a motorhome, for gawd's sake, not a bleedin' caravan. It's designed to be driven around with a tank full of fresh water. You'll be telling me next you put a Wastemaster under the waste water outlet and take it to the caravan waste disposal point each morning. Fill it and use it, then fill it again. Simples! :-) All X caravan jockeys.......Not a clue! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-06-15 6:14 PM What is wrong with you guys! :-D There's a hole in the side of the van where the hose goes in. Put hose in hole, connect other end to water tap, turn on tap. Turn tap off when tank full. Job done. What is all this faff with water bottles, hatches, funnels etc etc? Its a motorhome, for gawd's sake, not a bleedin' caravan. It's designed to be driven around with a tank full of fresh water. We've twice been on sites where due to poor position of tap and boggy conditions couldn't get the van anywhere near. Another site we regulary stay at have to cross a foot bridge to get to tap as it's set out for tents. We normaly fill up at home and keep at least half full, but did once leave without filling and thats when I had to use the 2l bottles, leason learnt we now wouldn't leave with out tank full and carry a colapsable water container from our tenting days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 colin - 2012-06-15 8:43 PM We've twice been on sites where due to poor position of tap and boggy conditions couldn't get the van anywhere near. Another site we regulary stay at have to cross a foot bridge to get to tap as it's set out for tents. We normaly fill up at home and keep at least half full, but did once leave without filling and thats when I had to use the 2l bottles, leason learnt we now wouldn't leave with out tank full and carry a colapsable water container from our tenting days. The answer my friends is simples - get a longer hose. We carry two hoses in the UK and three when abroad - two about 20' and one about 30' and, when used with every tap fitting known to mankind, we have never been beaten yet! And before the space saving fairies visit - a hose rolled flat will stow in virtually any odd space in any locker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-06-15 6:32 PM Brian Kirby - 2012-06-15 6:14 PM andy mccord - 2012-06-15 10:05 AM The beauty of it chris is that even if you dont get all in the tank it only runs out on to the ground being an underslung tank, with practice it becomes a doddle, best lesson I Learnt from owning a swift, holding a 25 ltr jerry can of water whilst trying to pour it thro the fill up cap becomes extremely heavy fast. Andy What is wrong with you guys! :-D There's a hole in the side of the van where the hose goes in. Put hose in hole, connect other end to water tap, turn on tap. Turn tap off when tank full. Job done. What is all this faff with water bottles, hatches, funnels etc etc? Its a motorhome, for gawd's sake, not a bleedin' caravan. It's designed to be driven around with a tank full of fresh water. You'll be telling me next you put a Wastemaster under the waste water outlet and take it to the caravan waste disposal point each morning. Fill it and use it, then fill it again. Simples! :-) All X caravan jockeys.......Not a clue! :-D This 'jockey' says - 'whoa there you two, hold your horses'......................... We've never been caravanners (nor see why that should be derogatory in any way) but have learnt what little we (obviously) know about motorhoming from our own and shared experiences and are just trying to use this platform to help someone new to the game. We do know we drive a motorhome, we do know we have fresh and waste water tanks and we do know how to fill the/empty them using hoses and dump points....................most of the time. Sometimes, it just isnt possible (or desirable) to move the van after getting settled (our stays are anything from one night to more than a week) especially if levelled with blocks or acess to facilities is bad. Sometimes it just makes more sense to top up a fresh tank with a couple of carry containers and sometimes it make ssense to dump the grey (responsibly) in the grey waste area. If either of these things makes more sense at the time then I (and Andy above) were only passing on advice on how this might be managed. Yes, I carry a collapsible water carrier and a wastemaster - does this mean i am to be ridiculed or deemed unworthy of the epithet 'motorhomer'?? we use the shower in the van and suppose we get through more water than some so, despite decent sized tanks, need to empty and refill when on site. We also carry more than one hose with myriad adaptor (a la Tracker) but sometimes a couple of short trips to the standpipe for a top up suits me better than faffing around getting all the kit out. so, guys, park your predudices and allow (hopefully) helpful advice to be passed on to a newbie without pouncing quite so quickly. Oh, and by the way, we put our used toilet paper in the loo not in a bag by the side (unreal) so does that exclude me and my ilk from ever campin 'off grid' which we enjoy doing when it suits. And one last thing, the word in SIMPLE not bl**dy SIMPLES - the most over used 'catchphrase' on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 It is not entirely unknown for two or more motorhomers to get together and join hoses to avoid having to move vans for a refill so don't be afraid to ask your neighbour(s) about how long theirs are!! I don't think anyone was being critical of anyone - just a bit of friendly banter about the usually friendly rivalry between the various forms of camping. I think most of us accept that every form of holidaying has it's advantages and disadvantages and that anyone of us could change to or from a motorhome, caravan, trailer tent or tent, self catering, hotel or whatever according to needs and or budget? So lets all continue to live together in perfect harmony shall we - as long as the pitch sizes are big enough! Simples!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-06-15 6:14 PM What is wrong with you guys! :-D There's a hole in the side of the van where the hose goes in. Put hose in hole, connect other end to water tap, turn on tap. Turn tap off when tank full. Job done. What is all this faff with water bottles, hatches, funnels etc etc? Its a motorhome, for gawd's sake, not a bleedin' caravan. It's designed to be driven around with a tank full of fresh water. You'll be telling me next you put a Wastemaster under the waste water outlet and take it to the caravan waste disposal point each morning. Fill it and use it, then fill it again. Simples! :-) ......s'funny how we're all different isn't it. ;-) Never caravanned; owned a motorhome for over 20 years. Don't carry a hose. Use a 10 litre water carrier, with a built-in spout, to keep topped-up (after filling by hose at home). At most, a couple of fills a day will generally suffice. I use a bucket to dispose of the waste water much of the time; down disposal points, along hedgerows, or whatever - though generally only once per session. Don't find it at all onerous, and it works for me! (Commercial Sites, CLs, THS, Aires, Stellplatze - all the same) After a very short time of motorcaravanning, I got pretty fed up of carrying a hose, and storing it when wet. Similar applies to any waste-hose extension. Once pitched-up, I can't be doing with moving simply to add a bit more water or dump waste. It's a "Mohammed and mountain" thing IMO. I will dump waste at a MH point IF there is one, and it looks easily manouverable, BUT, invariably, when I might want to use it, the grate is on the wrong side of the area, and/or there's some other b*gger parked there trying to sort out what they're going to use out of their award-winning collection of hoses and connectors, before they even think about taking water on. (And why is it that so many don't realise that it is possible both to dump waste and to fill with fresh water at the same time?) >:-( ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Rich, we do definitely operate a 'live and let die (oops) live' philosophy as do very many others in the mobile holidaying fraternity as (appear to) do you from your strapline. However, the 'banter' is very quick to rear it's head when any suggestion is put forward that doesn't meet with a particular person's motorhoming template. When experienced forumees are having a full on debate about some topic or another, let's all get stck in and have a few rounds of banter because we can all take it (yes, even me) but when the OP is a newbie looking for straightforward advice let's all try to help without forcing the issue on our own predelections. Simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Robinhood - 2012-06-16 11:21 AM Don't carry a hose. Use a 10 litre water carrier, with a built-in spout, to keep topped-up (after filling by hose at home). At most, a couple of fills a day will generally suffice. After a very short time of motorcaravanning, I got pretty fed up of carrying a hose, and storing it when wet. Similar applies to any waste-hose extension. there's some other b*gger parked there trying to sort out what they're going to use out of their award-winning collection of hoses and connectors, before they even think about taking water on. (And why is it that so many don't realise that it is possible both to dump waste and to fill with fresh water at the same time?) ;-) S'funny how we all see the same thing from different angles! We have never carried and never will a container for topping up which then has to be stored empty - and wet! A hose on the other hand drains out quickly and rolls up neatly and compactly into a strong carrier bag for storage in any locker - preferably the gas locker! A tank full can last up to 4 days at which time loo and waste also need attention and it is easier to do the lot in one go than faff about every day with one or the other. The fresh water fills whilst the grey water drains and whilst both those occur I empty and clean the loo - simultaneously - doesn't everyone? Simples!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 I carry a short normal hose and one of those flat compact ones that is much longer..I cant remember the last time I filled from a container....I have done, but not for a long while... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Tracker - 2012-06-16 11:29 AM S'funny how we all see the same thing from different angles! We have never carried and never will a container for topping up which then has to be stored empty - and wet! A hose on the other hand drains out quickly and rolls up neatly and compactly into a strong carrier bag for storage in any locker - preferably the gas locker! A tank full can last up to 4 days at which time loo and waste also need attention and it is easier to do the lot in one go than faff about every day with one or the other. The fresh water fills whilst the grey water drains and whilst both those occur I empty and clean the loo - simultaneously - doesn't everyone? Simples!! We carry a hose and a top up flat pack container. The hose retains water despite attempts to completely drain, the plastic container is sealed with its screw on cap. I'm certainly not clever enough to be able to empty the loo while filling with water as, inevitably, it will start to overflow as I'm up to my elbows in it............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Tracker - 2012-06-15 8:51 PM colin - 2012-06-15 8:43 PM We've twice been on sites where due to poor position of tap and boggy conditions couldn't get the van anywhere near. Another site we regulary stay at have to cross a foot bridge to get to tap as it's set out for tents. We normaly fill up at home and keep at least half full, but did once leave without filling and thats when I had to use the 2l bottles, leason learnt we now wouldn't leave with out tank full and carry a colapsable water container from our tenting days. The answer my friends is simples - get a longer hose. We carry two hoses in the UK and three when abroad - two about 20' and one about 30' and, when used with every tap fitting known to mankind, we have never been beaten yet! And before the space saving fairies visit - a hose rolled flat will stow in virtually any odd space in any locker! 50ft of hose! would have helped on one occasion only, on other occasion would have needed a good 100yds of hose, and at our favorite campsite about 200yds, think I'll stick to the water container and my 30ft of hose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 A hole in a bucket covered with gaffa tape ;-)...............very useful :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 pelmetman - 2012-06-16 2:44 PM A hole in a bucket covered with gaffa tape ;-)...............very useful :D Do you fill your fresh water tank with the same 'holey' waste bucket as described in an earlier post? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 bolero boy - 2012-06-16 3:29 PM pelmetman - 2012-06-16 2:44 PM A hole in a bucket covered with gaffa tape ;-)...............very useful :D Do you fill your fresh water tank with the same 'holey' waste bucket as described in an earlier post? ;-) Of course not *-)..............I keep my EHC in it and the holes stop it filling with water when plugged in :D..........Unless I need it for spot of dribbling ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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