Everything you need to know about traveling on wheels. Easy.

• Do not use suitcases, but load everything loosely in the lockers. In the luggage compartment you can use plastic bags.
• You can put awkward pieces in the alcove (sleeping area above the driver) and on the front seats when going to sleep.
• Do not place heavy items in the upper cabinets. When opening the cabinets, think about the contents that could fall out.
• Always lock your refrigerator to avoid having to clean up any mess.
• Make sure your camper is not overloaded. If you have a B driving license, you are allowed to drive a camper with a maximum mass of 3500 kilograms. For your own safety, it is important to pay attention to this, because an overloaded camper brakes poorly! In addition, you can get a fine for it and it costs more fuel, which is of course not nice for your wallet! Enough reasons to pay attention to the mass of your camper. Are you in doubt? Then you can go to many garages to weigh your camper.

• Are the exterior mirrors and seat adjusted correctly?
• Is the bicycle carrier secured?
• Is the gas bottle closed?
• Is the boiler switched off and on setting 0?
• Is the refrigerator powered by a 12v battery?
• Is the cell door to the living area properly closed?
• Are the tilt and roof windows completely closed?
• Are all loose objects secured and is there nothing left loose on the table?
• Is the sun canopy properly locked?
• Have the wheel chocks (ramp blocks) been removed and cleared away?
• Is the waste water tap closed?
• Is the water pump turned off?
• Is the step inside?

Remember, your driving behaviour is different than with a normal car:

• You accelerate more slowly.
• You brake slower.
• You need a longer catch-up period.
• Your car swerves when turning,
• Etc.

Be sure to maintain defensive driving behavior.

Always keep your distance, use the slip road properly, reduce your speed in good time when approaching an obstacle, traffic light or intersection.

• In the mountains you brake as much as possible using the engine to prevent wear on the brakes.
• Always have a fellow passenger accompany you when reversing.
• Pay attention to the height of the vehicle.
• Beware of canopies at gas stations, parking lots and campsites.
• Beware of the lowered driveways of department stores.
• Protruding rocks have caused dents and bumps before.
• Trees hide with their leaves the branches that can scratch the wagons.

• Do not park along the highway: unlit and deserted, this is very unsafe
• Larger lighted car parks can also be unsafe.
• No form of social control and the perpetrators of a crime can quickly disappear.




It is advisable to leave the highway and find a quieter place in a nearby village or town (supermarket car park, sports complex, etc.)

You will find a better spot during the day than at night.

Find a camper site via your GPS, camper guide or camper apps.

When leaving your vehicle unattended, make sure all windows and doors are securely locked and all curtains are drawn. This will prevent thieves from seeing what is inside and discourage them from breaking in.

Here you can go for the intake and discharge of water and the use of electricity.

Some even have a shower and toilet available.

There is usually an overnight accommodation nearby

160 / 5.000 While driving you have 12v. When stationary you have the possibility to connect to the electricity grid, then there is 230v mains voltage in your motorhome.

Carry small change, Many services, such as water and electricity, work on small change of 50 euro cents or 1 euro. It is wise to carry enough of these coins, otherwise you may run into problems with water and electricity!

You can refuel with water at:

• Large gas stations
• Small gas stations (ask!)
• A campsite
• A service point
• A marina
• Most cemeteries




You can clean the existing tap with a bactericidal soap before connecting the water hose.

Remember your reservoir is not infinite: +/- 100 liters.

Fresh water tank

In some countries, tap water can contain more bacteria than in our country. Therefore, it is advisable to use pure bottled water in those countries or to boil the water in your vehicle tank for five minutes before drinking it

The water in your vehicle tank spoils just like other drinks if it is left for a few days. So don’t take too much water at once and make sure you refill it regularly. Bacteria multiply quickly, especially in the high temperatures that often prevail. You can also add a disinfectant to the water in your tank (also available in the Alpha Shop).

As a last option, you can use the water in your tank only for dishwashing and other non-consumable purposes and use bottled water for food preparation.

• The toilet cassette must be emptied at the designated places marked chemical toilet. (Ch) Usually you can also rinse the cassette here and clean it further. Do not wait until the cassette is full.
• When you have thoroughly cleaned the cassette, you can put aquakem back in to prevent odor nuisance and accelerate the decomposition. A toilet package is available for €24. This contains toilet rolls, a bag of aquakems and some other toilet supplies.




You can let your waste water run off at designated places in the campsite, petrol stations or service points. Sewers are often only intended for rainwater and not all sewers have water purification.

Driving with the waste water tap open is not permitted

AGM Batteries

Most motorhomes use AGM batteries. These are of a higher quality than regular lead-acid batteries, but they also have some limitations. AGM batteries are better protected against deep discharge than lead-acid batteries, but they still lose a lot of their capacity if they are discharged too deeply. Regular charging is therefore essential, and the stated capacity on the battery is never fully available in practice. A battery of 95Ah, for example, does not always deliver the full energy, as the voltage gradually decreases and at 10.8V most systems in motorhomes stop working. Some vehicles now use two AGM batteries, which doubles the capacity, but also extends the charging time. AGM batteries are slightly more expensive than regular lead-acid batteries.

 

Lithium batteries

A lithium battery offers the advantage that the full capacity is available in practice. These batteries can also be charged faster with heavier chargers, so that they are quickly fully usable again. Although lithium batteries are more expensive, they have about 2000 charge cycles, which ensures a long life.

 

Tips for all Batteries

For all batteries: watch out for small consumers that remain on during a storage period. A display of a Truma, for example, with a built-in clock that uses little power (for example 0.2A), can cause a battery to be completely discharged after two weeks. (Calculation example: 0.2A x 24 hours per day is 4.8Ah loss per day. Over a month, so 30 days, this amounts to 144Ah, which results in a completely discharged battery.)

Inform yourself well about the options for parking, solar panels and charging while driving to maintain your valuable battery as well as possible.