INSIDER TIPS

1. HOW TO SLEEP COMFORTABLY

When the bed is made up from two facing sofas, the humps in the seat cushions seem to make themselves felt in the most awkward places. Turning the cushions face down helps, but still leaves an uneven surface. A really comfortable solution we have found is to place one of the back cushions on its edge to form a nice, soft headboard. The second back cushion is then laid in front of this in the conventional manner to support the pillows.
The two main cushions then fit exactly to the remaining bed length by fitting them lengthwise with the raised edges running either side of the bed. The resulting bed is about four inches narrower than with conventionally laid-out cushions, but it is wide enough, as it is still double the single-bunk width.
This layout not only ensures that we get a comfortable night’s sleep, but that the raised edge on my side stops me falling out of bed after one too many glasses of wine.
Stan Ebdon
Bradfield, Berks

2. HOW TO KEEP MATCHES DRY

My camper doesn’t have spark ignition on its the hob, so I’m always buying matches. Trouble is, they can get damp when the motorhome hasn’t been used for a bit. Here’s my neat idea: I collect all the packets of silica gel from various products I buy (cameras, electrical gear etc) and pack them into a small locker I have above the cab. Result? Perfectly dry matches every time I go away.
Brian Dempsey
Cumbernauld, Scotland

3. SKYLIGHT AND SHADE

IF YOU HAVE a skylight in your motorhome, attach a length of elastic across to stop it dropping down and setting off your vehicle’s alarm system.
And here’s a tip as to how you can prevent your interior fading when your motorhome is in the sun. Buy a roll of radiator reflector from a DIY shop – it will only set you back about £10. Cut it to fit each window and you’ll find that it will slot quite easily into the blind runners. For the front window, and skylight, glue or staple two widths together to get right size. This will also will help to keep your van cool.
Carol Seymour
(via email)

4. NEAT SHELVES FOR A CAMPER

We have a lovely little VW camper which we adore. There’s just the two of us, so we never use the roofline bed. And because we never use it, we have converted the rails on which it slides into handy, narrow shelves. I achieved this by buying decorative, wooden, pallisade-style shelf retainers from my local DIY store, and screwed them into the rail. On the kitchen side, we put our spice jars up there. Near the back, we have an air freshener retained by it. And next to the seats, we keep our books and all sorts of odds and ends. There – cheap to make, and handy, too.
Donald Beale
Blandford, Dorset

5. SMOOTH RUNNERS

If your motorhome’s drawer runners are getting sticky, don’t worry, just take a little wax, such as Simoniz car or furniture polish, or some neutral-coloured shoe polish, and smear it along the runners. It makes the drawers run smoother without staining the wood, or damaging the plastic.
Robert Hunter
Perth, Scotland

6. TV SIGNAL BOOST

Fed up with weak signals, I installed an ordinary mains-powered aerial booster in my van. I mounted the booster on the back wall of the wardrobe, and then just broke the co-axial feed from the aerial, and re-routed it through the booster. I then fitted an extra 240v mains plug beneath the base of the wardrobe to provide the extra power. When we’re on a pitch without electrics, where the booster can’t work, I simply unplug the feed from the aerial (out of the booster) and route the signal through a 20cm-long piece of co-axial cable stapled to the wall. The booster only cost me £15, from a DIY store. The whole fitting thing took me only 11/2 hours to fit, and TV reception is much clearer now.
Geoff Oakshett
Isleworth, Middx

7. NUKE THOSE NASTY NIFFS

I had problems with bad smells in my waste water system, so I blocked the waste ports with large corks and filled the pipes with a strong solution of bicarbonate of soda and water. I then let the air in the system bubble out and topped it up with solution as required until the level in the pipes brimmed over into the van’s sinks.
I then left it for a few hours before repeating the operation with a strong solution of sterilising fluid, and left it for longer. Since having done this, I’ve had no further problems. I reckon if you do this once a year, it’ll prevent a regular build-up of waste.
Ronald Hill,
Edinburgh, Scotland

8. A MAT OF MANY USES

The glass tops over the sink and cooker in my van are vulnerable to objects falling out of the lockers above, so we bought a length of thick, rubberised matting, obtainable from most DIY stores, and cut out shapes to cover the glass.
Apart from protection, it increases the kitchen worktop area. You can also put a piece in the bottom of the shower as it is warm, and soft to the touch, and protects the surface from scratches. Other things you could use this matting for are: to place beneath objects to stop them sliding around in transit; to take to the the shower block to stand on… the list is endless.
Diana Jones
Leicester

9. NETER DRAWER SPACE

Under the sink in my motorhome there is a cupboard with a sliding door. I stash pickles, sauces and soups there, but they do tend to make a mess. To overcome this I bought a plastic set of drawers from B&Q consisting of: two units, each 13in high by 15in wide by 18in deep; and two drawers 9in deep, by the same width and height. Two drawers fit perfectly on the cupboard’s shelf, and the other deep drawer, complete with runner, fits very well under that shelf.
The plastic boxes for each drawer mean that everything is easy to find, and any spills from the soy sauce or ketchup bottles are simple to clean. The complete set cost me just under £20 – money well spent.
Peter Baines
Paisley, Scotland

10. FRIDGE DOOR SECURITY

My motorhome is fitted with the latest PowerFridge, but I didn’t find the door catch very effective. So, I solved the problem by replacing the door catch with one from a Dometic RM12 fridge. I removed the standard PowerFridge catch and prised out the plastic cover plate in the top edge of the door to reveal the two holes which are moulded in and allow the earlier-type plunger catch to work. Then I fitted my RM12 catch. it’s a slightly different colour, but it looks good and works perfectly, and cost only £5.
John Hope
(via email)

11. CRAFT COOKER

When a quick meal includes new potatoes and canned vegetables, sit the veg in a small sieve placed on top of the same pan as the potatoes, with a lid on top. Then, by the time the potatoes are cooked, the vegetables will be hot. This saves on gas and washing up. Do not try this with mushy peas, though!
Margaret Wroe
Liverpool

12. CUT WASHING-UP TIME

I simplify washing up like this: straight away after my meal, I wipe the plates and dishes with kitchen roll. That way, before I wash up, I can relax with a cup of coffee without having to worry about dried-on food remains.
J H Wright
Wigston, Leicester

13. PORTA-POTTI UPGRADE

No doubt many campervan owners make good use of the excellent Porta Potti in their vans. My only criticism of this product is that I always used to feel that it was a little too low for me to sit comfortably on. So, to improve the Potti’s comfort, I raised its height by making a 21/2 inch-high three-sided ‘step’ out of 1/4 inch-thick plywood. I then covered the plywood with a piece of carpet. And the whole unit fits neatly beneath the Porta Potti. An added advantage is that with the open side of the step facing forward, it provides a useful storage space for chemical fluid and other bits and pieces.
M Spray
Holyhead, Wales

14. MAKE CLOTHES HANG BETTER

To avoid clothes piling up in the bottom of your van’s wardrobe – even while you’re on the move – take two plastic coat hangers and turn one so that its hook is opposite the other (see diagram below). Wrap a heavy-duty elastic band around the hooks to hold them together so that they will have enough ‘give’ in them to enable them to be slipped over the clothes rail, into the hanging position. You can keep trousers in place with two clothes pegs placed just below the hanger (see diagram). For shirts and jackets, simply fasten the top two buttons.
Derek Snowden
Scunthorpe, Lincs

15. KITCHEN TIDY

Stick plastic adhesive hooks onto your motorhome wall and hang your kitchen utensils from them with key rings. They then stay permanently in place – even in transit.
B Jones
Caernarvon, Wales

16. DRAIN MORE DISHES

The idea of traipsing across a campsite in the rain with a bowl of washing-up has never appealed to me, although I do understand why some people insist on doing it. While the average motorhome sink is adequate for most purposes, the draining board is often far from it. My answer was to buy an ‘add-on’ plastic drainer which fits neatly on top of the cooker cover and provides enough draining space for the biggest wash. When not in use, it stores out of the way, on the washroom wall.
Terry Davis
Wroughton, Wiltshire

INSIDER TIPS