This operation was launched on 21st July 2011 but they have no record of me having had it done but of course that’s because I didn’t know anything about it until today.  As usual with these things it will be completed free of charge.

The work will prevent any potentially incorrect securing of the spare wheel.  I presume from this that they have had a number of Motorhomes that have discovered that their spare wheels have been lost somewhere which will be a real blow if you happened to get a puncture.  Now, as far as I know, I still have my spare wheel secured under the Motorhome but to be honest I’ve never checked since I picked it up.  Hopefully I’m not in for a surprise!!

Here is a copy of the recall details I found on VOSA and a link to it if you need it.  Check your vehicle ID to see if this applies to you and if it does and you haven’t had a recall notification then ring the recall helpline on 0845 756 5556.

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If you are spotted driving a non compliant vehicle in London then you will be sent a warning notice giving you 28 days to comply or pay the consequences.

I’m not sure what the future plans are but undoubtedly other large cites will be taking this stance at some time so beware.  My advice is to check your local council website to see if they are also planning something similar.

The Transport for London website explains all about the Low Emission Zone and it’s implications so have a look here and see just what the effect will be on your Motorhome.

If you are outside of the limit it and you do nothing it will cost you £100 per day if your Motorhome is 3.5 tonnes unladen or £200 per day if over that weight.  Unfortunately if you do decide to have your Motorhome modified it looks like it will cost between £2000 – £4000 to have it done and it has to be inspected annually.

If in any doubt then use this simple tool to check to see if your Motorhome is compliant or not.

Please let us know if you live in London and you’ve been caught out by this change in the regulations.

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These Catalytic Converters are stolen because of the value of the precious metals they contain and can cost up to £2000 to replace.  The thief can disconnect one very easily apparently and they are targeting car parks  as easy pickings.

If you did have one stolen would you be covered for the theft on your Motorhome insurance, I’m presuming so but of course it wouldn’t surprise me if not.

These thieves will nick anything and of course they don’t care about the hardship they cause.  It does however seem to be a relatively new crime but it’s certainly on the increase in a big way.

The first you’ll know if yours has been stolen is when you turn the ignition key and hear the dreadful noise.  Now the huge inconvenience is that if it did happen then you’d be stuck where you are but what’s worse is that there are so many being stolen nowadays that they are in short supply and you will have quite a wait for a repair.  You’d better make sure your Motorhome recovery policy is up to date.

In the end it’s another thing to be concerned about when you do park your Motorhome anywhere, just make sure it’s in full view in order to reduce the risk.

If unfortunately this has happened to you then please let us know about your experience, you may save someone else from having the same thing happen to them.

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1. Catalytic Converter Thefts From Motorhomes on the Increase

Heart of England Motorhomes are the dealers that we have bought both our Motorhomes from and they also have a service and repair workshop. The service they provide is excellent and they are extremely helpful if you do have any issues or just general questions. I’ve always used them and always will so there’s a recommendation for you if ever I’ve heard one.

If you are going to the National Motorhomes Show make a beeline for the stand and take a good look at the Bentley Motorhomes.   Autocruise was a great Motorhome manufacturer and the build quality was second to none and I’m sure Bentley  Motorhomes will match that at the very least.

Bentley Motorhomes are of course the reincarnation of Autocruise for which I am extremely grateful.

You can read the article in full on the PR Fire website.

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There will be three new models to look at and I for one will be making a beeline to their stand to see just how much progress they have made since launching the new company.

Here is a link to their website where you will find some launch info and also a chance to register with Bentley Motorhomes to receive further information and their newsletter.

At last we’ll have something exciting to see at the show rather than the same old same old.

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I know that Autocruise still exists under the Swift banner but for me Autocruise was all about individuality, service quality and pride of build that I think only comes with an organisation that is small enough to fully appreciate these things.  Being a customer of Autocruise actually meant something and you felt part of an organisation that cared.  We personally enjoyed the support that Autocruise offered and we were very sad to hear of their demise.

The previous owners of Autocruise have now formed a new coachbuilt Motorhome company in the same premises ( I think – same postcode so very near if not ) in Mexborough where Autocruise used to be situated.  If they repeat the same  philosophy with Bentley that they had with Autocruise then it will certainly be worth having a look at their products.

Have a look at the Bentley Motorhome website and see for yourselves.

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I did write a post on the subject some time ago so click here to have a look.

Steady progress has been made and the following TV regions are now complete;

• West Country
• West
• Wales
• Granada
• Border

The remaining TV regions are programmed like this;

• Scottish TV North 2010
• Scottish TV Central 2010/2011
• Central, Yorkshire and Anglia 2011
• Meridian, London, Tyne Tees and Ulster 2012

The DigitalUK website gives you all the details for the regions yet to be done and when each of the transmitters in those areas will change.

The key thing to remember is that if you do not have a digital TV or a set top box then once one of these regions has been changed over you will not be able to receive any TV programs.

The politicians that run this country like to pretend that all this is part of a strategy for terrestrial TV when in fact it’s a right mishmash. It’s true that once the changeover happens you will be able to watch more channels on Freeview but due to bandwidth limitations not every region will get the same programmes transmitted.  HD is a farce because the HD programmes transmitted will be limited, not all regions will get the same ones and you will need to buy a new set top box or a new TV to receive HD because the technology used to transmit HD programmes has had to be changed.  What kind of a strategy is that.

Mind you the same half baked strategy has been used for Digital Radio (DAB).  Due to constraints in the bandwidth they are revising the technology used to transmit digital radio and once this happens then DAB+ will be launched.   This will enable more stations to be transmitted and the powers that be do say that if you are using a DAB radio then you will still be able to pick up your stations but I would think that DAB+ will eventually take over and your existing DAB radio will be defunct.

There is a Digital Radio website so click on here to get more information.

One of the things that I’m not sure about is whether you will need to retune your digital TV as you travel from one campsite to another or will the changeover make that unnecessary.

As I said earlier it’s all a bit of a mishmash but at some point it will all be completed and then we’ll all be happy and there’ll be nothing else to worry about – yeah right!!

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What will this mean to you;

Announced by the new government in the recent budget, it has been confirmed that VAT will rise from the current rate of 17.5% to 20% in January 2011. If you are thinking of purchasing a new Motorhome then make sure you do it before the increase happens.

• On an average priced new Motorhome at £30,000 - you will save £750

• On a mid priced new Motorhome at £45,000 – you will save £1,125

• On a high level Motorhome at £60,000 – you will save £1,500

This is a considerable amount of money that you can save. This would finance your trips for the next 12 months and would be far better than giving it straight to the taxman.

So if you are thinking of purchasing a new Motorhome in the next 6 months then you need to do it before the end of the year to be sure you do not lose out.  In any case I’m sure there will be some great deals at these shows, but remember, spend wisely and not hastily.

Here’s another sweetener ; To celebrate the launch of their new Spirit of Britain and Spirit of France ferries that will take to the waters in 2011, P&O Ferries are offering a free return crossing for a Motorhome, and up to 5 people from Dover to Calais to all those who purchase a new Motorhome at the NEC show this October!

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Both clubs have merits and frustrations in equal proportion.

The CC can be a little bit regimental ( I was going to say anal but didn’t want to offend ) and the C&CC label themselves the “Friendly Club” but lack some of the organisation of the CC.  What we need is a hybrid club that’s well organised and friendly and treats you as adults who know what they are doing.  Ask me to park my Motorhome in the centre of the pitch but don’t tell me to park it in the centre of the pitch and tell me that there is a pitch marker in the centre so park the centre of your Motorhome against that and then show me a diagram of the whole thing.  Wow!!

One of my personal hates of the CC is the way they always refer to Motorhomes as Motor Caravans – why is that?  Just because they are steeped in caravan history doesn’t give them the right to create a new category of Motorhome.

The one big advantage of the C&CC is that booking sites is so much easier and the CC is usually always fully booked for the better sites weeks in advance.  Incidentally my home grown theory on this is that if the CC charged a deposit, as the C&CC do, then their advanced bookings would drop considerably.  I wonder how many no shows they have on a Friday night just because there is a no deposit forfeit.

Some of the facilities on the C&CC sites are not as modern as they should be and both clubs have a problem with determining the correct number of loos, showers etc to cater for the amount of customers. Last weekend we were at the CC site at Bladen Chains and the toilet block had more washing cubicles than showers or loos.  Bad planning or what?

These are some of my thoughts and I’d be very interested to hear yours, so please send them through and we’ll see if we can make a constructive list of the good and the bad ( and of course the ugly ).

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The reason for my lack of posts is a simple one and one that most of us fall foul of at some time or other; a change of lifestyle.

Not a dramatic change mind you; haven’t sold the Motorhome; didn’t move house; just changed my job!

It’s amazing what changing your job does for you, or undoes for you.  Your focus suddenly changes and things just get left behind but like a bad penny I’m back.  In order to protect my sanity though I’m going to take it steady and not try to write too many posts initially; work my way into it; gently does it; quality and not quantity.

I also thought that although this site is primarily about Motorhomes I might extend the remit and talk about other things that have a strong or sometimes tenuous link to Motorhoming.  Let’s see how it goes.

Hasten to say I am very pleased to be back because this site means such a lot to me and having built up a regular audience I realise it’s going to take some time to get you all back but I’m very determined.

It’s a perfect time to come back anyway because the main camping season is just about to kick off following the hard winter we’ve had so onwards and upwards.

Regards,

Steve

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