Use it or lose it
Well, not exactly lose it, but lose the use of it. My own
'van (a Pollensa) is both
on the road and camped in throughout the year. In fact,
I often use it as my main mode of transport.
However, some readers still mothball their motorhome for the winter, leaving it exposed to the elements and untouched for months on end, which is possibly the worst thing you can do to its mechanics. I recommend that you take it for a drive at least once a month – preferably once a fortnight.
You should cover a minimum of 20 miles a month, including stop-start motoring to exercise the brakes and clutch, plus some high-speed cruising to ensure that the engine gets a proper workout.
Remember not to leave the parking brake applied when putting it back into store. Instead, leave it in gear and chock the wheels. My spanner man tells me that every time
he is called out to seized or inefficient brakes, stuck turbocharger waste-gates and the like, the problem has usually been caused by folk having abandoned their motorhome for months on end. In his words: "Motorhomes need to feel the wind underneath them and to enjoy a regular gallop." You have been warned!
Big 'van, big pitch guide
My attention has been drawn to the Moandix Big Pitch Guide – a well-illustrated guide for sites with pitches big enough for today's larger motorhomes in general and RVs in particular.
The guide lists sites both numerically and alphabetically, by county. Each entry contains all the usual information but more importantly also has precise details of how to get there with a large motorhome. I especially liked the idea of overlaying photographs with written instructions.
One can't just buy this guide. Instead, you'll have to subscribe to the Friends of the Big Pitch Guide Society, agree to exchange information on sites you have visited, and then you will receive a copy at no additional charge.
Membership cost currently starts at £40 for two years, which isn't cheap, but much cheaper than repairing damage to your RV incurred by trying to squeeze it onto an unsuitable campsite or through restricted access.
TITLEHERE
Continuing our occasional series on motorhomes that should have made it but didn't, we present the EVM Platino.
EVM System is an Italian company of coachbuilders which made the Platino's attractive monocoque GRP body at the turn of the millennium. Based on the long-wheelbase Renault Master 460SL, the Platino had twin Pullman dinettes, rear bunk beds and a huge washroom with separate walk-in shower cubicle.
The marque was imported by Timberland as an addition to its own range of panel van conversions. Unfortunately, Timberland quickly found out that there were some detail interior design niggles which the manufacturers seemed loathed to address. So, the company adopted the Bürstner franchise (and have kept it to this day). The price for this EVM left-hooker back in 2001 was just shy of £40,000.
Need a spare part?
I had promised to publish my archive list of dismantlers and purchasers of surplus stock, as they are such a good source of otherwise hard-to-find spares. But my list grows, almost by the week. In fact, it is now too lengthy to publish here, so if you want one send an SAE to the address in the Info box (right), or email me, and I'll send you a free copy.
The full ramblings can be found in the May 07 issue of Practical Motorhome
Happy motorhoming!
Jack Bancroft
• This is the last Travellin' Man column for a while as your travellin' man has gone travellin'. Don't fret, though, his sideways look at motorcaravanning will be back soon. Menahwile, he has assured us that his next door neighbour's moggy has been trained to answer emails and send out information sheets and is, in fact, more at home on the information super highway than he!
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