PREVIOUS TIPS   6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1

GARAGE QUICK FIX

This a temporary cover for a lost fresh water cap. If you lose the water cap whilst away, a coffee filter plastic dish makes an ideal temporary cover to tape into position until you are able to replace it.
Jenny Pearce
via email

CAP IT ALL

I bought half a dozen dent pullers and I fix them to the rear panel in my Carthago's garage as tethering points. You can pick them up for £3.99 each, online from Screwfix at www.screwfix.com (tel 0500 414141).
Geoff Bass
via email

CHOPPING BOARD DRAINER COVER

Our 'van has a glass-topped sink unit but no dedicated chopping board to fit over the drainer, so we made our own. I bought a rubberwood (sustainable hardwood) chopping board 19 x 350 x 390mm for £6.95. Then, using a jigsaw, produced the required shape in two or three minutes. A light sanding and sealing of the cut edges gave a professional finish. And here's an extra tip: cut the board upside down to avoid splintering by the upward cutting action of the jigsaw.
Rob & Mel Nicholas
Longridge, Preston

FILTER FUNNEL FIX

I saw this idea on a caravan site - it is ideal when there is nowhere on site to empty the motorhome’s waste-water tank, or when you would rather not move the vehicle. Cut the bottom off an empty plastic bottle and place the end over the open pipe of the waste water, placing the nozzle of the bottle into a large container. This funnels all the waste water into the container, which can then be emptied into the appropriate waste drain.
Jenny Pearce
(via email)

SNUG AND WARM

Our motorhome, Nelly, is a late-1970s MkII Transit and lacks in some of the modern devices designed to make life comfortable on site. So our best buy recently was two single fleece throws (£6 each). I halved and stitched these on the sewing machine to create an inner sleeping bag lining for each of us. At around three feet wide and eight feet long, the new liners are cosy to touch, warm, lightweight and slip easily inside each sleeping bag. We have tested these at Robin Hood’s Bay in the North York Moors in November and Melrose in the Scottish Borders in December. We have experienced a better night’s sleep and they have proved so successful that I have also made two fleece pillow slips to complete the ensemble!
Trevor Gallon
(via email)

CARPET CLEANER

This tip comes from Jenny Pearce, to help dog owners deal with those ever-present hairs on your motorhome's carpet, without the use of a vacuum cleaner. "Just rub over the hairs with your foot wearing rubber soled shoes, such as trainers," she says. "You can soon rub a pile together in the centre of the floor which is then easy to pick up and put in the bin."
Jenny Pearce
(via email)

FAT END OF THE WEDGE

I found my motorhome's ramps to be very slippery to handle, particularly when wet. I know there is a finger recess at the 'big' end, but due to the ramps' shape they seem to slip despite this and are difficult for an older person to handle. I found that by drilling a one-inch hole in the thick end for my thumb, this makes a world of difference. It doesn't affect the ramp's strength in any way.
C North
Bromsgrove, Worcestershire

KEEP YOUR COOL - INSIDE AND OUT

This is a two-in-one tip - not only will it give you more storage area but it will also help to keep you cool. When you're staying on a site with electric hook-up, add to your fridge space by using a 12V plug-in coolbox, with an adaptor so that it works from the three-pin socket in your 'van: it will free up more space inside your fridge and can be left on during the day, and overnight. If the leads are long enough to allow the coolbox to be left in the awning, the fan from the coolbox will circulate air in the awning to keep it cool during warm weather. Blackspur Tools [website www.blackspur.com] sells an adaptor for about £10.
Mark Pearson
Nunthorpe, Middlesborough

PREVIOUS TIPS   6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1