Geting ready for your adventure
Camping terminology
Campers use a lot of colorful terms, and by expanding your camping vocabulary, you can understand more effectively on your next trip. Here are some important terms that every camper should know.
Electric hook up
Motorhome campsites that are described as having hook up will have access to the campground’s electric supply. Its usually in the form of a waterproof socket located next to your pitch that uses a water proof connector and cable. Rollerhire supply this cable. Once connected, you can use the onboard 3 pin household plug sockets for kettles and hair dryers. Without Hook up everything on board our motorhomes like the lights, tv, heating, hot water, wifi, usb charging sockets will still work via our onboard leisure batterys that charge from our roof mounted solar panals and while driving via the engine alternator. Our Motorhomes can run off grid if required for days on end. If your stationery like at a festival without hook up. Just run the engine every 4/5 hours for 20 mins to top up the leisure batterys.
Pitch
A pitch is a designated area for you to park up the motorhome and set up your camp. The pitch can vary in size depending on what you have booked and the proximity to other piches is usualy a 7.5 meters gap minimum on both sides. Some campsites offer a pitch that has no marked out boundry, these campsites just have a nice field with amazing views if your down by the coast. The idea is that you normaly camp around the edge of the field and find a spot that your happy with. When we set up our camp, We see what direction the wind is coming from, if any, and use a hedge as a natural windbreaker.
Grey waste
Grey waste refers to all the water from sinks and showers. There is a tap like hadle by the rear wheel of the motorhome that allows you to empty this waste into a drain at the campsite.
Black waste
This is the waste from the sealed toilet cassette from Motorhome. It can only be emptied at the designated drain at the campsite.
Please see the information below in the frequently asked questions to see how this cassette is emptied.
Waste Point
Each campsite will have an area where you can put your rubbish. We recommend you take some small black bags and throw your rubbish frequently every morning and evening. What usualy happens if you leave your rubbish outside and go for a walk is that when you return you will find that the seagulls or crows have ransacked it. Please do not keep waste in the motorhome. if you have to keep it, then we recommend you place the bag under motorhome temporarily when at the campsite.
Awning
Some Motorhomes will have a wind out awning that offers a little extra shade and comfort when parked up at the campsite. Never leave the awning out over night. Because if the wind picks up overnight. The awning may break and the van tends to rock in windy weather when the awning has been left out.
Fresh water point
This is the point that you can fill up the fresh water tanks on board the Motorhome for use when showering and using the sink.
Lpg gas
Gas bottle that can be replaced for full bottles at most petrol pumps. This gas powers the hob,oven, hot water and heating. If you are hooked up with the 230 volt, then the hook up can power the hot water, heating and electrics.
Leisure battery
Motorhomes have two battery’s, one is for the engine and the driving cab instruments like a.c and the stereo. The other battery is called the leisure battery for powering the living area lights, t.v and usb charger points.
All Motorhomes at Roller hire have solar panels that keep the leisure battery topped up. Without solar panels. The leisure battery will only charge when your driving the Motorhome or if your hooked up. You may spend days without driving when you settle at a campsite and solar panels are very important to keep things running if your not hooked up.
Motorhome touring
Touring is simply visiting many camp sites and staying for a few nights or more.
Berths
Berths refers to how many beds are on board. The number of berths is usually equivalent to the number of seatbelts on board.
Over cab Motorhome
An over cab berth is sleeping area located over the driver and passenger compartment and is usually appears as bulge from the outside.
Low line Motorhome
A low line Motorhome does not have a sleeping area over the driver compartment. The sleeping area is usually in the form of an electric drop down bed and further rear beds.
Truma blown air heater
All our Motorhomes have a warm air heater that runs on either the electric hookup or onboard lpg gas that is included in your hire.
Truma water combi boiler
All our Motorhomes have the water heated by this onboard device that is powered by the electric hook up or lpg gas bottle.
3 way fridge
Motorhome fridges can be powered by either lpg gas bottle, electric hookup or battery.
We advise that you never use the engine battery to power the fridge unless your driving. It’s easy to select the power source. Please see our YouTube channel for more info. Alternatively there is a picture of a gas flame, plug or battery. The gas flame is lpg has, the plug is the hook up and the battery is the engine/leisure battery.
Compressor fridge
These fridges run on the solar panels and the leisure battery. There is no need to hook up or use gas.
Swivel captains chairs
These chairs are the driver and passenger seats and depending on the layout of the Motorhome, may be able to swivel around.
Fly screens
These screens are located on all doors and windows in our Motorhomes and they allow you to open the doors and windows but have a sliding fly screen that lets air flow in, but keeps bugs out.
Bike rack
Most of our Motorhomes have a 4 bike rack on the rear.
3 burner hob and oven
This refers to the lpg cooker/oven.
Wheel chocks
These are blocks that you place next to the wheels and drive on to when the ground is uneven.
Rock and roll bed
This refers to a seating area that can easily convert into a sleeping area by lowering a table and ajusting the cushions to fill the gaps.
Wind breaker
Wind breakers are available at all seaside and camping shops. the cost is usualy around £15 and they come in rolls.
They are basically made from nylon and come in many lengths upto 10 meters long and are around 1 meter high. The windbreakers has polls spaced every meter or so, you hammer the pole into the ground around your pitch to create a barrier to divert the wind. They work really well and provide privacy when your sitting down outside. We dont supply these as the pole can break or get muddy when you remove it
from the ground. We recommend you buy one at your destination or on the way.
Frequently asked questions
1. How much does it cost rent a Motorhome for a week.
The cost of one weeks hire can vary depending on the time of the year. The cost could be as little as £800 in the winter or as much as £1900 in the summer months. The size and type of Motorhome can effect the prices as well.
If you want to know how much it costs to rent a particular motorhome for a week, you can go onto the booking tool and enter your dates. You will then be able to see the cost to rent a motorhome for a week.
2. Where can I rent a Motorhome from
You can rent the motorhome from our site in London U.K.
The rental will need to start and finish from the same site unless otherwise agreed. A standard U.K car license is all you need to rent and drive all our motorhome.
3. Where can I stay in a Motorhome in the U.K
You can use a motorhome to travel anywhere in the U.K and you can park up and sleep in the motorhome at various camping sites in the U.K.
You can also park up and sleep in the motorhome at motorway service stations if your journey is long. The cost to park up and sleep in the motorhome at these sites is generally about £15 a night.
4. Where can I travel to in a Motorhome in the U.K
You may ask where can I go in a motorhome. You can visit tourist locations in Cornwall, Devon, Wales, Scotland, England and even trips to the outer Hebrides. Going anywhere in the motorhome is what makes your trip so exciting and adventurous as you will not be tied down to one location. When you have been to a nice beach, you can go inland and visit a national heritage site or go to the local town or village for a spot of shopping. The best bit is that your accommodation, cooking facilities, bathroom and all your gear is with you all the time.
5. How much does it cost to rent a pitch at a campsite
A pitch at a campsite is a spot of land that you rent for the length of your stay and usually has a grass or gravel base. The cost can be as little as £6 a night to around £30 a night.
The cost usually includes access to fresh water and waste facilities. Some pitches have an electric hook up and can cost a bit more.
6. What is a electric hook up at a camping site.
All our Motorhomes that you can rent have onboard 230 volt plug sockets for household appliances like kettles or hairdryers.
You can only use these plugs when you connect the Motorhome with a hook up cable that we supply. You simply plug one end into the waterproof outlet socket on the Motorhome and the other end into the campsite socket that is located next to your pitch. You can now use this power to power the whole Motorhome.
6. What if no electric hook up is available on the campsite I’m visiting
All our Motorhomes have solar panels and lpg gas canisters. The solar panels charge the leisure battery. The leisure battery wil power all the lights, T.v and usb sockets. It will not power 230 volt plugs.
The lpg gas is used to heat the water, provide heating and in some cases power the fridge.
7. How does the lpg gas work
There is a outside locker that houses the lpg gas bottle. There is a knob on the top that you open and close. It is advised that the lpg gas is always turned off when your traveling. It is safe to leave open when not driving.
8. How do I change the lpg gas bottle
The bottle can easily be changed for a replacement by using a spanner that we provide to unscrew the top flexible pipe. Please remember that the thread is reversed, this means you turn the spanner clockwise to loosen and anti clockwise to tighten.
9. How do I empty the toilet cassette and how does it work
The toilet cassette is simply a slide out cassette box that is accessible from a outside locker only. The cassette only stores the toilet waste. You must make sure that the toilet open and close blade is in the closed position when removing the cassette. The handle for this is on the side of the toilet, if the blade is not in the closed position. The cassette will not release.
Once you have the toilet cassette out. You simply carry it to the black waste disposable site. You then unscrew the lid on the extendable arm and let the waste flow out. After it is empty, please give it a rinse with fresh water and then add about 2 litres of fresh water and add a cap full of toilet waste liquid that we provide. This liquid helps breaks down the waste and is scented to mask any odours. The toilet and cassette are totally sealed from odours when the toilet blade is in the closed position.
10. How do I empty the grey waste tank
The grey waste tank collects all the waste water from the sinks and shower and stores it in a tank below the Motorhome. To empty this tank, there is a handle near the lower rear wheel that you turn. Most campsites have a point that you drive to and you simply open the valve and the waste flows down onto the ground and goes straight to the drain. Some locations may require you to use a waste pipe that we provide to direct the waste into there drain. Some people leave this valve open if they are wild camping to allow the grey waste water to drain on to the grass.
11. How easy is it to drive a motorhome.
Which ever motorhome you choose to hire from us, thet can all be driven with a standard car license. The Motorhomes are no more than 3.5 Tonnes and are very easy to drive. The vehicle length and height are larger than your average van. Here are some simple tips
When you are driving down narrow roads, you will need to clear the wing mirrors and then the rest of the body will pass through with ease as the widest part of the vehicle is at the wing mirrors.
When you pass through gates, make sure you keep the vehicle straight and turn later rather than earlier so you don’t clip the rear bumper.
When pulling out on to a road, let the road clear on both sides so that you can use the oncoming traffic lane and have more space.
When driving down country lanes, watch for low bridges or overhanging trees. When it comes to low trees, use the centre of the road.
Avoid width restrictions of any kind, especially metal bollards or chicanes, you will need to turn around and find an alernative route.
When driving on uneven ground, drive slowly as the Motorhome may rock side to side
When you you drive down country lanes with other vehicles, let other vehicles lead so that they are encountering any oncoming traffic first around blind corners.
When you enter a carpark, find the clearest space to park in so that you dont have to reverse. Avoid reversing, if you have to reverse, get one of your fellow travellers to get out and asisit you in reversing.
Please call or email if you have any unanwsered questions.
Email: info@rollerhire.uk
Tel: 0208582 9969
Mobile: 07576237994