A good trip starts in the garage, not at the campground entrance. A motorhome is a complex system of transport and home at once, and any unchecked detail can turn a holiday into a repair: an unfilled tank, a flat battery, a forgotten cable, an empty gas cylinder. Preparing a motorhome for arrival is a clear checklist for all the systems, which is gone through before every trip. Once you have honed this procedure, you stop landing in unpleasant situations on site. Let us go through the preparation by system: water, energy, gas, the toilet, hoses and cables, tools and everyday supplies.
The water system
Start with water. Fill the clean tank, check the pump and all the taps work, make sure there are no leaks. If the motorhome has been standing, especially after winter, the system is worth flushing and, if needed, disinfecting to remove the stale smell and biofilm. Check the boiler. Prepare canisters for drinking water and make sure there is a food-grade hose for filling and a set of adapters. A supply of clean water and a working system are the basis of autonomous comfort, so preparation begins with them.
Batteries and electrics
The power system needs no less attention. Check the charge and condition of the batteries — both starter and house; a weak battery is better discovered at home than on the pitch. Make sure charging from the mains works and, if fitted, from the solar panels. Check the electricity in the cabin: lighting, sockets, USB. Be sure to take a sound cable for connecting to the campground post, adapters and, if not built in, a portable RCD. Charge the power banks. Heating or oxidised contacts, a damaged cable are a reason to fix the problem before departure.
Gas equipment
Gas is both comfort and safety, so it is treated especially seriously. Check the gas level in the cylinders and take a spare if a long trip lies ahead. Make sure the gas system is sound and tight, that the stove, heater and gas fridge work, that the hoses and the reducer are intact. A working carbon monoxide detector is critical. Any doubts about the tightness of the gas system are resolved before the trip by a specialist — that is a matter of life. Gas lets you unload the electrical network but demands impeccable condition of the equipment.
The toilet and drainage system
Prepare the sanitary system. Make sure the black and grey tanks are empty and rinsed, the chemical-toilet cassette is clean and charged with chemical and water. Check that the flush and the slide valve work, the condition of the seals. Take a supply of sanitary chemical (for the lower and upper tanks), special fast-dissolving paper and gloves. Prepare a separate "dirty" drain hose for the tank drain and store it isolated from the drinking one. A sanitary system ready for work saves you from unpleasant surprises on the very first day.
Hoses, cables and adapters
Gather and check the whole "connecting" arsenal, for it is what is most often forgotten:
- a food-grade hose for filling water and a set of adapters for different taps;
- a 2.5 mm² power cable with connectors for the mains, an extension lead if needed;
- electrical adapters for different socket standards;
- a corrugated drain hose for the grey/black tank;
- a pressure reducer for a direct connection to the mains.
All of this is kept in separate, labelled places, without mixing the "clean" (drinking) and "dirty" (drain).
The transport part
A motorhome is also a vehicle that must reliably get there. Before the trip check the engine and fluid levels, the brakes, the condition and pressure of the tyres (including the spare), the work of all lights and indicators, the wipers. For a trailer — the coupling, the trailer's brakes and electrics. Make sure there is a first-aid kit, a warning triangle, a fire extinguisher, wheel chocks, a jack and a basic wheel-change kit. Technical reliability is the basis of the safety of the whole trip, and it must not be neglected to save half an hour.
Tools and a repair kit
For the road take a compact but well-thought-out kit for small repairs: a basic set of spanners and screwdrivers, pliers, a knife, insulating and plumber's tape, spare fuses, cable ties, wire, sealant, a torch. Spare bulbs, a little fastening hardware, a remedy for small leaks are useful. The aim is not to carry a workshop but to have to hand what can fix a typical small breakdown on the road without waiting for a service centre. Over time this kit is honed to the features of your motorhome and the small faults typical of it.
Levelling and securing
Do not forget the accessories for settling onto a spot: levelling pads under the wheels, wide platforms under the support jacks (so they do not sink into the ground), wheel chocks, a spirit level. These simple things determine how level and stable you settle, and therefore the comfort of sleep and the correct operation of the fridge. They are often forgotten, and on site you have to improvise with bits of board and stones. A prepared "parking kit" makes the arrival quick and neat.
Everyday supplies and small things
Finally, the everyday part: food for the first days, gas for cooking, crockery and washing-up means, a first-aid kit accounting for all members of the group, toiletries, rubbish bags, repellents and sun protection, a head torch and batteries, matches. Check the clothing in layers and the bedding for the season. Find out whether there is a shop at the campground so you understand what can be bought on site. These small things are imperceptible individually, but their absence is discovered at the most inconvenient moment.
Preparation after a long idle period and winter
If the motorhome has stood unused for several months or wintered, preparation for the season's first trip needs special attention. The water system is flushed and disinfected to remove stagnant water and biofilm; you check whether the pipes and tanks suffered from frost. The batteries discharge over winter and may lose capacity — they are checked and, if needed, charged or replaced. The gas system and equipment are inspected especially carefully. The condition of the tyres is checked (they "age" while standing and may lose pressure), the brakes, the rubber seals. Rodents sometimes damage the wiring and upholstery over winter — it is worth inspecting hidden spots. This "waking" check takes time but saves you from breakdowns on the season's very first trip.
Distributing the weight and loading
How exactly the motorhome is loaded is a matter not only of convenience but of safety on the road. Heavy items (water, gas cylinders, tools, tinned food) are placed low and closer to the centre and axles, so as not to raise the centre of gravity and upset the weight distribution. Everything must be securely fixed: unsecured cargo shifts in motion, rattles, and heavy items become dangerous under a sharp manoeuvre. Do not exceed the motorhome's permitted maximum mass — overloading worsens handling and braking and is punishable. After loading it is useful to drive a couple of corners and listen: if something rolls and knocks, it is secured before departure. Correct loading makes the trip both safer and more comfortable.
Documents, booking and route
Preparing the motorhome is inseparable from the "paper" part. Check the documents for the car and motorhome, a licence of the right category, insurance, and for abroad — visas and international documents. Confirm the campground booking and save its contacts. Study the route precisely for the motorhome's dimensions: height and weight limits, road quality, the presence of a turning space, points for water, drainage and refuelling along the way. Load offline maps in case there is no signal. This part of the preparation is not about nuts and tanks, but without it a technically ready motorhome may simply not reach the place or get stuck under a low arch.
A final check before departure
When all the systems are prepared, a short final round right before departure is useful — it catches what is easy to miss in the bustle of packing. Are all the skylights, windows and external lockers (gas, drainage, garage compartments) closed and secured? Are the crockery and things that would otherwise travel and break put away and fixed inside? Is the antenna folded, the step retracted, all cables and hoses disconnected? Is the gas shut off for the journey if that is provided for? Check you have not forgotten the documents, licence, phones and chargers. This two-minute ritual before the start saves you from the classic troubles like a torn-off open locker door or crockery scattered in motion. Over time it becomes a habit and is done automatically.
A motorhome preparation checklist
- Water: tank filled, pump and taps working, hose and adapters in place.
- Energy: batteries charged, cable and adapters ready, power banks charged.
- Gas: cylinders full, the system tight, the carbon monoxide detector working.
- Sanitation: tanks empty and rinsed, cassette charged, chemical and paper present.
- Transport: tyres, brakes, lights, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher checked.
- Tools, the levelling kit and everyday supplies assembled.
And choosing a campground with suitable connections for a motorhome is helped by the catalogue and the map.