Motorhome Tips

Off-roading in New Zealand can mean anything from extreme off-the-beaten track adventuring for hunting and fishing expeditions to simply going down a wild and winding coastal track to catch a wave — or fish — at a remote beach. Peta Stavelli of Motorhomes, Caravans & Destinations magazine looks at the hows and whys of remote RV travel.

If you suffer from sleep apnea, you’ll know how important it is to use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine every night. But what about when you’re away from home — on the road or in the backcountry on motorhome adventures?

In this blog, we explain how a CPAP machine can help you sleep in your motorhome when you’re hooked up to mains power and while you’re off the grid. We look at what you need to run a CPAP machine and how much power it may use.

We also review some commonly held beliefs about the extra equipment you need, like an inverter, solar panel and portable backup battery — and determine whether they stack up.

Finally, we outline how to set up a CPAP machine in your motorhome and offer some top tips for using one during your RV travels.

The purchase of a new (or new to you) motorhome is an exciting time, and nobody wants to get it wrong. To help you avoid the pitfalls, Motorhomes, Caravans and Destinations magazine has compiled a list of things to consider when buying your perfect home on the road.

Nothing deflates the excitement of a motorhome holiday like returning to your RV to find it’s been broken into — and your valuable items have been stolen. Even worse is seeing an empty parking space where your motorhome used to be.

Taking preventive measures to avoid such an experience is well worth the investment.

In this blog, we discuss the theft of motorhomes and campervans — and how you can best avoid becoming a statistic. We look at increasing your motorhome’s security with stronger door locks, alarms, GPS trackers and plenty of common sense.

As we embrace the warmer summer weather, longer or more frequent RV trips are often on the cards. For those with fur babies, Catherine Milford of Motorhomes, Caravans & Destinations magazine has compiled some tips for ensuring your pet can travel in comfort and with minimum fuss in your RV.

The real estate industry lives or dies by the maxim location, location, location — while motorhome owners tend to have their own mantra of accessorise, accessorise, accessorise.

Summer promises long days full of relaxation in New Zealand’s great outdoors — but only if you’ve prepared your motorhome for the holiday season.

The lead-up to Christmas, the New Year and the summer break often gets busy. It can be easy to forget to inspect your motorhome’s tyres or prepare your RV for bugs. However, if something goes wrong on holiday, it may not be an easy fix, can be more expensive and you could even face delays getting the right part.

To ensure that your RV is road ready, we’ve put together this informative blog and downloadable checklist. We highlight safety inspections, maintenance jobs and essential summer items — to help you remember to do all the important pre-summer tasks.

If you’ve been using your motorhome over winter, you’ll know that the harsh unpredictable weather conditions can lead to a motorhome in need of a good clean.

If you stored your campervan over the winter months, it’ll also need airing out before you take it on the road.

Make use of our guide to ensure your motorhome or campervan is as clean as it can be — and is ready for the warmer spring weather ahead.

Most motorhomes leave their showrooms with absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries. Forming the backbone of 12 volt power supplies, they help make it possible for you to enjoy electrically-enhanced camping independent of the national power grid.

But are AGM batteries your best option for freedom camping — or do lithium-ion batteries give you more power for longer?

In this blog, we talk about the advantages of both AGM and lithium-ion batteries. We also discuss why you should consider upgrading your energy storage to the latter — and your charging system to suit.

Plus, we cover how to choose the right lithium-ion battery for your motorhome and how to monitor your battery’s charge.

Your motorhome electrical system is your lifeline to modern civilisation, comfort and convenience. When connected to mains power, it distributes 240 volts (V) to the three-pin sockets located throughout your motorhome.

But what about when you’re not connected to the mains and have to rely on battery power to camp comfortably?

In this article, we talk about motorhome batteries, where their power comes from, and how to safely recharge them from different sources.

The advent of motorhome appliances that run on LPG has greatly improved the ability to enjoy off-the-grid camping. However, LPG is a dangerous liquid that has the potential to cause significant harm if not handled correctly.

Explosive LPG can leak from a gas cylinder or gas appliance — or carbon monoxide (CO) can silently snuff out your breathing while a faulty diesel or LPG heater warms the cabin.