Motorhome Motoring - Winter Driving Tips

Stay Safe With Our Winter Driving Tips for Motorhome Hire

On of the best things about motorhome hire and motorhome camping is that the weather needn’t ruin your adventure. Pitching a tent in a storm, or unhitching a caravan in a torrential downpour are both guaranteed to dampen your spirits at the very start of your stay, but with a luxury motorhome, you can simply park up and you’re pitched. No need to go outside at all if you don’t need to and the motorhome will still be warm from the journey, so no need to sit and shiver while you wait for the heating to kick in!

While motorhome camping is truly all weather camping, there are some things you’ll need to bear in mind when driving and parking now that Summer’s long gone and the weather’s less inviting.

 

Allow For Increased Stopping Distances

WInter months mean wetter roads. Whether it’s in the form of rain, snow or ice, water on the road means reduced traction and longer stopping distances. Motorhomes are fairly large vehicles and while modern driving aids mean that for the most part, you won’t notice the extra weight when you’re driving, there’s only so much technology can do and simple physics means that heavier vehicles won’t stop as fast or manuevre as swiftly. When the road surface is less ‘sticky’ you’ll need to drive a little slower leave greater distances between your motorhome and the vehicle in front, accelerate more smoothly and maneuvre more gently to keep your tyres gripping the road.

 

Reduced Visibility During Winter Months

The nights are already longer and darker so even with headlights, visibility is lower than during the summer. Add to this, the kind of weather you’d expect more of during the winter, like snow, rain and fog and it’s clear to see that you’ll struggle to see as much when driving. While there’s not much you can do about prevailing conditions, there are things you can do to give you the best chance of seeing clearly when driving in the winter.

Familiarise yourself with the demister controls  to make sure you don’t fog up while driving. Checking the condition of windscreen wipers and removing any built up grime can help them work more efficiently. Similarly, don’t forget that a layer of grease and grime can build up on the inside of a windscreen over time, so clean this regularly just like you would the outside. If snow has fallen, make sure this is brushed off the roof of your motorhome to stop it falling on cars behind you, or sliding onto your windscreen if you stop suddenly. Naturally, if there’s frost, this should be completely removed before setting off (not just a small hole to peer through).

 

Make Allowances For The Wind

If you’ve not driven a high sided vehicle before, you might be surprised at just how much it can get buffeted by the wind, especially when travelling at speed or on exposed routes. If the wind is very strong, it might be best to consider not travelling until it’s died down. If that’s not an option, then definitely drive much slower than you would normally, watch out for roads which are exposed to crosswinds and take care when overtaking other high sided vehicles.

 

Enjoy your Winter Motorhome Adventure

A luxury motorhome is absolutely the best way to enjoy a camping trip all year round and with these winter driving tips, you’ll be sure to get more out of your holidays, min-breaks and weekends all year round. Pack your winter woollies, a shovel and a sledge and you’ll be all set and ready to explore.

Contact us to book a motorhome adventure for you and your family this winter and explore whenever you want, whatever the weather.