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What fuel for a motorhome?

Which fuel : Diesel or petrol?

It goes without saying that you need to be very careful about the type of fuel you put in the motorhome.

If it’s diesel, as in most cases in Europe, elsewhere it could be petrol, and in North America it’s almost exclusively petrol.

Even if in theory this is not possible, be careful not to put petrol in the water tank: this has already happened on certain models where the fuel and water tank caps are close together or look alike.

How can I limit fuel consumption?

Here are a few useful tips on how to drive more economically and ecologically.
http://forum-camping-car.fr/forum/16225/conduite-n-conomique-appliqun-e-camping-cars.html

Fill up before returning the motorhome

In all cases, make a note of the starting fuel level (the vehicle is usually delivered with a full tank) and return the vehicle with the same level of fuel to avoid service charges that will be higher than the price paid at the pump.

Drain stations if you are not staying at a campground:
http://www.rvdumps.com/dumpstations/
http://www.sanidumps.com/

Camper van generator in the USA and Canada (use)

What is a motorhome generator?

The generator is a power source and is only used if you’re camping in the wild (which is basically forbidden except in desert areas, or at least not recommended). The generator is not useful if you go to private campgrounds (campsites) where you connect the vehicle to the mains. It is useful if you’re doing static for several days and/or if you need to plug in the air conditioning when you’re stationary.

The generator is a power generator that runs on petrol from the tank and is used when stationary if you are spending the night “autonomously” to have light and air conditioning, or if you are unable to connect your vehicle to an electrical socket. It stops automatically if the fuel tank gauge falls below 1/3 of the tank.

As you drive around during the day, your leisure battery will be charged, giving you light in the evening.

When should the motorhome generator be used?

Wild camping is not strictly forbidden in the countryside or in the wild, but campgrounds (campsites) will allow you, for a few dollars, to enjoy peace and quiet, to have a barbecue or change oil and not have to use the generator: in North America (the United States and Canada), almost all motorhomes are equipped with one.

Unlimited use is sometimes included in certain packages but is more often billed on return of use (around USD 3/hour). The fridge-freezer runs on the battery and then on gas if there is no battery, electricity or generator connected. This is managed automatically.

Wild camping is not strictly forbidden in the countryside or in the wild, but the campgrounds will allow you, for a few dollars, to be in peace and quiet, to have supplies and to have barbecues or oil changes without having to use the generator: in North America (the United States and Canada), almost all motorhomes are equipped with them.

Park4Night: Mobile application for your stopovers

Park4Night is a mobile application that can help you find nice places to park your motorhome during your journey.
12,000 places to park your motorhome!

Looking for a nice place to stop in peace and quiet? The Park4Night mobile application has almost 12,000 places listed all over Europe.

This app is based on sharing between motorhome drivers. You exchange places where you like to relax, spend the night, have a picnic or for any other reason.

Everyone can contribute by adding photos, notes and comments. You can also tell the community about possible activities in the vicinity of your stopover.

The application also works in “offline” mode, so you can find a place to spend the night without an Internet connection, as the application saves the information for you.

Website : http://park4night.com

Download the application for free on Android :

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.tramb.park4night

Download the application for free on iPhone-iPad :

https://itunes.apple.com/app/park4night.com/id430946556?mt=8

Reception and parking law

Motorhome, Reception and parking law

For many years, the Union des Industries du Véhicule de Loisirs (UIVL) has been helping tourist regions, departments and local authorities to draw up and implement reception policies tailored to motorhome users…

To find out all you need to know about the law governing the reception and parking of motor caravans in France, we invite you to consult the PDF by clicking here.

This 24-page document explains your rights and obligations when parking your motorhome. You’ll find out the difference between camping and parking, the authorised duration and the possible parking areas.

Here is the contents of this document:

Preface

Introduction
The motorhome: a winning bet

Rules and regulations
Traffic and parking
The mayor’s powers

Parking is not camping!
Confusing parking with camping is illegal.
Justice punishes abusive parking restrictions

Illegal restrictions
The “visual pollution” argument
Height bars and gantries: forbidden!
Original traffic restriction signs: also prohibited!

Wild camping … A question of common sense

An interesting article on Le Monde du Camping-Car about wild camping.

In our opinion, it’s a question of common sense (others would say feeling) when it comes to choosing a location.
Alternate between wild camping and campgrounds

We recommend alternating between camping in the wild and camping in a campground, even if it’s just to stop off once in a while for a really good shower, to empty the waste water or to meet new people.

The best RV campgrounds to visit in the parks of the American West

http://www.bakrv.com/ (Bakersfield)

http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/lodging/fiddlers-campground-and-rv-park/ (Death Valley)

http://www.oasislasvegasrvresort.com/ (Las Vegas)

http://www.brycecanyoncampgrounds.com/bryce-canyon-campground/ (Bryce Canyon)

http://www.lakepowell.com/rv-camping/wahweap-rv-campground/ (Lake Powell)

http://www.visitgrandcanyon.com/trailer-village-rv-park (Grand Canyon Bord Sud)

http://koa.com/campgrounds/barstow/ (Barstow)

http://www.gouldings.com/campground/ (Monument valley)

http://koa.com/campgrounds/flagstaff/ (Flagstaff)

Video (in French) to make you want to rent a motorhome

GPS

GPS can be useful when you’re in unknown territory…

It is sometimes included in the basic hire price, but is generally offered as an optional service.

It’s usually a removable device such as a Tom-Tom or Garmin.

If you have a GPS, it may be useful and economical to take it with you, making sure beforehand that it is loaded with the maps of the country you are visiting, or to update it with the latest maps.

All motorhome dashboards are equipped with 12V sockets.

You can also use your smart phone or digital tablet, but check with your telephone operator for any roaming charges.

Beware of unlimited mileage

Unlimited mileage for your motorhome hire?

Motorhoming is all about freedom, so the first thing you do is ask for an unlimited mileage rental to get away from all the constraints.

However, make sure you study your itinerary carefully, because it may be a good idea to opt for a limited mileage package with a pre-defined number of kilometres.

Apart from extreme cases, it’s rare to cover more than 300 km a day on average on a touring or discovery holiday.

Don’t just drive, think about visiting too!

Given the speed, the roads, the type of holiday, the stops etc… in many cases, and unless you spend your holiday driving, aiming for between 200 and 300 km per day on average is reasonable for a motorhome rental.

Bear in mind that 300 km to 500 km of road will take up a good part of your day, or you’ll have to drive at night to take advantage of the sites to be discovered during the day… 😉

Additional mileage packages for your motorhome rental

Depending on the country and the brand, there are daily mileage packages or à la carte packages where you prepay blocks of 100, 500, 800 or 1000 km according to your needs.

Ask your CoolDrive motorhome rental advisor for more information and choose the package that best suits your trip and your budget.

Category: During the trip