Help needed....motorhome models

There are various things you can to to dry wet gear, TB. 

To start with, a good umbrellla will prevent you getting too wet in the first place if you’re only nipping around the site and it can live under the van or in the shower when not in use.

You can use a spring loaded hanger bar for coats in the shower area. Close the hab area heating vents while opening the shower room vent and open the shower roof vent slightly or, if fitted, run the shower fan to provide ventilation. An alternative to using the van heater could be to use a low powered wardrobe bar heater in the shower area as the gap under the door will be enough for the wire to pass through. (Exercising due care, obviously.) 

Our personal favourite is to choose items that will wipe or shake fairly dry when possible, ie synthetic materials, Regatta warerproofs in a bag (fold up), for example. If they remain damp, a few minutes hung over the back of the cab seats will soon have them ready to go away. Warm layers can be worn underneath if the weather is cold. The outerwear in bags is especially useful for us in view of the storage space saved as our wardrobe is the smallest ever created. 

Footwear can be placed on the cab floor or shower tray, on a plastic bag or mat.

If you get exceptionally wet or dirty, hill walking for instance, the above may not be suitable. In that case it might be possible to pick sites that have drying rooms. These are not uncommon on commercial sites in some outdoor pursuit areas and I think some club sites have them.

Some people hang wet items under the roll out canopy to dry if the weather is suitable for using the canopy. 

Many thanks Tinwheeler; I'm sure that this is useful advice for motorhomers. I've often thought of switching to a motorhome so I am genuinely interested in issues and solutions regarding them. Storage and space have always been factors putting me off but obviously other people manage well enough. However, I also hate the thought of unpacking and getting comfy and then having to pack it all away and move off pitch to go anywhere not in walking distance...

We have a caravan and Mitsubishi L200 so have a tenancy to put muddy boots in the back of the car. (It's also useful space for awnings, water barrels and the wastemaster if we're packing up in the rain). We go away mainly to climb mountains and hills so we're used to being soaked through quite a lot: we only ever stay on CL type sites and have never even seen a drying room! I'm certainly going to look into the spring loaded hanger bars for the shower cubicle though: Definitely an ingenious idea 😊

You’re welcome, TB. 

As ex-tuggers we did the same as you but it is surprising how quickly we adapted to new and smaller living spaces.

We have no outside storage at all, being a PVC, but things like wedges travel under a bunk easily enough. The likes of Aquarolls, Wastemasters and awnings don’t feature in our lives so that saves space.

Most MHs have some overcab storage space and the roof lockers are generally bigger than those in a caravan. All told, we manage well.

It's always possible to tow a small trailer behind a MH if necessary but, to my mind, that negates many of the advantages of a MH.

What is there to unpack and pack when setting up or leaving the pitch? For us it’s the kettle and cups and the EHU lead and nothing more. Nothing is left lying around as, if it’s not in use, it’s away in it’s dedicated  cupboard. No corner steadies to wind either👍🏻

Okay TW you've almost convinced me I could manage with a motorhome ,(like you I wouldn't tow anything at all with, it as it does seem to totally defeat the purpose; I've never understood people who tow little cars behind them)...I think I'm still a caravanner at heart but maybe one day!

Who knows?😃

From a practical point of view I would have thought the L200 would be ideal for carrying all the climbing equipment i.e. ropes, harnesses etc. etc.. I would also imaging that driving a MH around a lot of narrow lanes and then trying to park could be a bit hit or miss

Think of it another way. Being able to tow a car just adds to the versatility of a motorhome. I currently don't but if I did I could see a situation where by if I was say going to the IOW then having a car available might be a bonus but if I was going to a site like Abbey Wood or York it would be unnecessary. The important thing is I have a choice should I wish.

David

I agree that choice is good, David, and each of us does it our own way. However, the cost of kitting a car up to tow legally, either by A-frame or trailer, is not inconsiderable and your example of IoW is probably a classic case of when not to tow a car. Think of the extra ferry fares. 

We hired a small car from a local company on IoW for £100 - much cheaper than the club’s ‘partner’ - and a spot in the ocean compared to a permanent towing arrangement and no additional ferry costs. It’s the only time we’ve needed a car and that was with the bigger coachbuilt van. I can’t see us needing one at all with the PVC. 

It totally depends on the people using a Motorhome, one of them could be disabled , may have started using a Motorhome and there disabilities have increased, they either splash out on a small car too tow or change back to Car and Caravan.

In our case it was more economical to buy small car and have it adapted.

Yes I never thought of that and it obviously works for you. Actually though it has always been non disabled people I've noticed on sites with brand new motorhome and car combos...to me it just seems expensive (insurance x2, tax x2, MOT x2) and at odds with the idea of a motorhome. However, in complete self-contradiction I have found the idea of using a vw camper van or similar as a tow car appealing😀!