If you’ve never experienced a motorhome trip before, arriving at a campsite with a motorhome can be overwhelming. To ensure that you have a stress-free and enjoyable stay, this is our step-by-step guide to assist you in getting set up correctly.
1. Check in to reception
Whether you’ve already booked your pitch or not, the first thing to do once you’ve arrived at a campsite in your motorhome is pop into reception. You can meet the managers, find out what facilities are available and even get some recommendations of places to visit whilst you’re there.
Most campsites have specific pitches for motorhomes and they prefer to know which one you’ll be staying in.
Some campsites have limited opening hours for their reception. If you arrive outside of the opening hours, and you haven’t pre-booked, they may have a sign that tells you to pick a pitch and return during their open hours to pay. These campsites trust you to be responsible when choosing a pitch and be respectful of other campers on the site.
2. Park to escape
Avoid parking at the bottom of a hill to prevent getting stuck in case of heavy rain. Campsite owners are normally aware of this and they aren’t particularly keen on the idea of lots of people getting stuck on their site, so they should have steps in place to avoid this happening, but it’s important to remember if you’re left to choose your own pitch.
3. Drive forwards or reverse onto the pitch
When parking your motorhome at a campsite, there is no right or wrong way to drive on. It’s important to take into account the side that the habitation/caravan door opens, the best view, and the pitch gradient.
Opening the habitation door onto the widest part of the pitch provides ample space for setting up the breakfast table outside and lounging around without having to walk to the other side of the motorhome.
Likewise, waking up to a gorgeous sunrise is a delight that can be enjoyed by having your habitation door on the side with the best view.
Keep in mind that the motorhome sits lower on the front axle, which means it slopes forwards toward the cab when parked. This can be addressed with the levelling ramps we provide, but it helps to take the pitch gradient into account.
4. Level up
Use the levelling ramps provided with your motorhome hire to level up the vehicle.
5. Hook-up
Connect the electric hook-up cable to the site’s hook-up point and then your motorhome to get electricity to your motorhome. Make sure you unwind the cable fully and don’t leave it curled, as this can create an eddy current which causes the cable to heat up.
6. Find your water and waste points
Locate the water refill and waste points on the campsites for when you need them.
7. Put the kettle on and relax
After completing all the above steps, you can now relax, pop the kettle on and admire the view.
