Frequently asked questions Motorhomes

Vehicles up to 3500kg can be driven on any licence regardless of the drivers age. For vehicles over 3500kg however the driver must have passed their test before 01/01/1997, and be under 70 years old. If the driver is 70 years of age or older they will have to take a medical examination in order to keep the C1 element of their licence. Details of how to go about this can be found online on sites such as www.driversmedicals.com. An average cost is around £50 for this.

Road tax on motorhomes is not as expensive as you might think – it is classified by weight rather than emissions and there are only 2 categories: Motorhomes up to 3500kg cost £280 per year and motorhomes over 3500kg cost only £165 per year!

Despite what you may expect or have been told in the past all motorhomes come under the regular “Class IV” test (just like your car) regardless of weight/size. This means once the vehicle reaches 3 years old it will require a yearly MOT which can be done at any MOT station. The only thing we would advise is you check with your garage that they can fit your motorhome inside/through their garage door!

Again, insurance is another cost which is usually much less than people expect. Obviously, there are many factors which will vary from person-to-person but from our experience our customers usually pay on average £250-£350 per year with a motorhome-specialist insurer which should also include European roadside recovery as well as a contents insurance for your valuables. Here's an article we wrote about Motorhome Insurance https://omcmotorhomes.co.uk/motorhome-insurance-an-essential-guide/.

We give a comprehensive 3-year warranty on all our motorhomes. This covers not only mechanical components ie engine/gearbox etc but also all of the habitation side too – e.g. fridge, cooker, boiler, heating system, charging system, even the toilet! Our warranty covers you for parts & labour anywhere in Europe so you don’t have to end a holiday early to trek back to us in the event you do have a problem!

Yes – we offer flexible finance terms of up to 10 years (dependent on vehicle age) through various finance providers such as Black Horse, Close Brothers and Evolution Funding.

Seat belts are often built into front facing seats in motorhomes. To be sure you are able to travel with the correct number of people in your motorhome we advise you to buy a motorhome which
already has the correct number of front or rear facing travelling seats fitted. There are companies out there who will fit seat belts to motorhome seats, but this is not something we can do for you.

See this article on the GOV.UK site for a clearer legal position: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carriage-of-passengers-in-campervans/carriage-of-passengers-in-campervans.

This is a very good answer: http://www.ukmotorhomes.net/motorhome-faqs/17-motorhome-seatbelts.

When we refer to wild camping, we basically mean no access to mains electric hook up. All motorhomes we sell have large in-built freshwater and waste water tanks, camping gas systems and 12 volts power from in-built batteries. If you are planning to wild camp or just wish to be prepared in case you don’t make it to a campsite, you should ensure your motorhome is fitted with solar panel(s), good quality batteries (preferably Lithium see https://www.transporterenergy.co.uk/ for the best batteries available in Europe) and a refillable camping gas system. We can advise you and fit all of the above to motorhomes purchased from us. Bear in mind used motorhomes often have solar panels and refillable gas systems fitted by previous owners.

If you purchase a motorhome from us we can fit a full range of accessories for ready for when you collect the vehicle. Returning customers who purchased their motorhome from us may also have extras fitted at our exclusive low prices. We have a full list of available accessories here.

If you have a cherished plate which you would like to transfer to your new motorhome there is a set procedure to follow to ensure a smooth transfer. Firstly you should put cherished plate on retention, this releases the plate from the current vehicle and frees it up to be applied to a new vehicle. When you have completed the purchase and collected your motorhome we will register the motorhome in your name and the DVLA will process this and send the new logbook to your registered address. Once you receive the new logbook in your name you can transfer your cherished plate onto your new motorhome.

Refillable Gas Systems are a great investment and give you the flexibility to refill your gas at many fuel stations all over the Britain and Europe. You will save a lot of money each time you refill your system as buying gas from a pump at a fuel station is much cheaper than swapping cylinders at a camping shop. Refillable systems are especially useful when travelling around other countries as gas bottle fitting vary from country to country but LPG nozzles at filling stations don’t. As with all our accessories, we can fit refillable gas systems at our great price but only for customers who purchased their motorhome from us.

Most motorhomes have a high towing capacity between 1-2 tons, some larger motorhomes can tow up to 3.5 tons. Most have ample capacity for towing a small car, trailer with motorbikes, trailer for extra storage and payload, horse box or even a caravan for extra sleeping space. We can advise you on the towing capacity of any vehicle we have in stock so you can be sure it meets your needs. We can arrange for tow bars and rear protection bars to be fitted ready for when you collect your new motorhome. Type approval and chassis extensions are no problem for the tow bar fitter we use, we have used our fitter 100’s of time over many years.

This is a very controversial subject now with a lot of confusing and conflicting advise around the internet. To keep it simple and focusing on the UK we can say a few key things to help you understand the situation; Firstly, we only sell used motorhomes and vehicles which have already been manufactured and registered will not be affected by any future laws. Secondly, the UK government and local authorities are planning chargeable restrictions only in major cities and heavily congested areas, the main point of having a motorhome is not to visit busy city centres but to get away and enjoy beautiful rural locations. Thirdly, Modern diesel engines are cleaner than petrol engines in every measurable way and the future plans are to phase out both petrol and diesel engines in newly manufactured cars by 2040. Motorhomes are classed as commercial vehicles and will not be affected by regulations designed for cars. Cars are quite close to adopting electric and hybrid technology but commercial vehicles still have a long way to go before they can move away from diesel fuel.

We have some great information on preparing you motorhome for winter storage if you don’t intend to use your motorhomes through the winter for long periods and what to do in between breaks to ensure you are protected against frost damage to you water systems. Read more about Winterisation.

German built motorhomes are generally prepared for harsh winters in northern Europe where temperatures can drop as low as minus 40˚C. German motorhomes tend to have superior design and insulation to cope with these harsh climates but you will really only need this level of protection if you intend to go skiing in the depths of winter. British motorhomes are prepared to cope with British and mid European climates so will suit most peoples needs without modification. To put it into perspective, Swift (who own many popular UK brands) test their motorhomes in a cold chamber down to minus 15˚C to ensure they can cope with the harshest winters we suffer here in the UK.

If you are really set on one of our British motorhomes but are still concerned about performance in the winter we can fit tank heaters to prevent frost in the water system. The heating systems in all motorhomes are more than adequate to cope with winter camping.

There are a lot of things you may want to be comfortable in your motorhome on holiday but what motorhome essentials do you need?

We sell a motorhome starter pack for customers who are new to the motorhome / caravan world, it contains the following;

Gas Bottle – Most motorhomes feature gas cooking and heating, even though a lot will run on electric hook up you should always make sure you have at least one gas bottle with you.

Main Hook-Up lead – You will need a lead in order to connect your motorhome to the mains electric power source.

Water Hose – Unlike caravans, motorhomes have large built in water tanks. In order to fill your tank you will need a hose. You can use a barrel and pump but most motorhome water tanks are 100+ litres so it will take multiple trips.

Toilet Chemicals – You will need a bottle of toilet chemicals for the cassette and preferably a bottle of bowl cleaner, our starter pack contains both. The cassette fluid breaks down waste in the cassette to prevent smells and the bowl cleaner keep the toilet itself fresh.

Levelling Ramps – You may often find yourself pitching up on an uneven surface and will then require levelling ramps to compensate. If your motorhome is not reasonably level you are likely to have problems with sinks and showers draining, your fridge may not work correctly when running on gas and finally it is pleasant to have a level floor and bed in the motorhome.

When thinking about which motorhome to buy I think Weight, Height and Length is important. Obviously, weight is important depending on the type of license you hold (See FAQ section on driver’s licenses and our more in-depth blog article ). Length and height can be important if the space you intend to store your motorhome is limited. When it comes to ferries and tolls larger vehicles can cost you more money to travel but the cost increase between a 6m and 7m motorhome isn’t enormous in most cases. Ferry and toll companies vary a lot from company to company, they also change the rules and prices whenever they feel like so I don’t think it is a good idea to let this influence your decision on which motorhome to buy. I think the most important things to consider are layout, condition and sales package.

A question we often get asked relates to water storage in motorhomes, a lot of our customers are experienced with caravans or completely new to the leisure vehicle market. Caravans do not have in-built water tanks as a rule, but all our motorhomes have built-in fresh and waste water tanks. Fresh water tanks are around 100-150 litres and the waste water sized appropriately. Toilet waste from most motorhomes goes into a separate cassette.

All modern motorhomes we sell come fitted with integrated hot water and space heating as standard. Most heating systems will run on gas and mains but some are gas only and others run on diesel. Modern heating systems in motorhomes are a designed and sized to suit the motorhome they are fitted to, so you don’t generally have to worry what type or size of system a particular vehicle comes with. Fuel type may be of interest, gas and mains heating can usually use both fuel types in order to heat the motorhome up faster from cold. If you have heating which runs on electric you may prefer to use this on a site if you are paying a flat daily rate for your electric hook-up. Diesel heating is great too as you always have diesel or you won’t get very far at all, diesel heating systems use a tiny amount of fuel, probably less than half a litre in 24 hours on a very cold winters day.

It depends on the models available, however the most common manufacturers on our website are: Abbey Motorhomes, Adria Motorhomes, Ace Motorhomes, Auto-Sleepers Motorhomes, Auto-Trail Motorhomes, Autocruise Motorhomes, Bailey Motorhomes, Bessacarr Motorhomes, Burstner Motorhomes, Carthago Motorhomes, Chausson Motorhomes, CI Motorhomes,Compass Motorhomes, Dethleffs Motorhomes, Devon Motorhomes, Elddis Motorhomes, Elnagh Motorhomes, Eura Mobil, Frankia Motorhomes, Geist Motorhomes, Hymer Motorhomes, Niesmann & Bischoff Motorhomes, Knaus Motorhomes, Laika Motorhomes, LMC Motorhomes, Lunar Motorhomes, Pilote Motorhomes, Rapido Motorhomes, Roller Team Motorhomes, Rimor Motorhomes, Swift Motorhomes, Trigano Motorhomes and Volkswagen Motorhomes.