In our last Magic of Motorhoming article, we looked at key areas including classifications - and whether to buy new or used - to help you decide the best fit for your travel adventures.

In Part 2 of getting you on the right track, our Lifestyle and Leisure Editor, Sharon Cain, taps into the technical know-how of our Photographer Steve Hare, to share insights into weight, Satnavs and Apps.

Weighty Matters

When looking for a motorhome, the issue of size really does matter. A key factor about size is that if the weight is over 3.5 tonnes you will need a Category C1 licence, which is a category above a normal driving licence for a car and vans.

In the UK, the weight of motorhomes is governed by regulations that determine driving licence requirements and ensure vehicle safety.

Important technical terms include Mass in Running Order (MIRO), which is the vehicle's weight with standard equipment but empty, and Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM), or Maximum Technical Permissible Laden Weight (MTPLW), the total weight of the vehicle plus the maximum allowable load.

This is the key weight, exceed it and you could be fined up to £2,500, receive three penalty points, or a ban. Worst of all, if you are in an accident, your insurer may not pay out.

You need you be careful with weights as, for example, the beautiful Bailey Approach Autograph 745 shown above has a MTPLM of 3.5 tonne but an unladen weight of 3.129 tonne.

This means that its payload - the difference between the two - is only 371kg. This is to cover the weight of occupants, water, gas, and possessions.

Check it through - 160kg for the weight of myself, Steve and Bracken, 130kg for fresh water and 60kg for two gas bottles means it is already at 350kg leaving 21kg for clothes, bedding, food equipment, and bikes! Definitely not for us.

A standard Category B car licence allows driving a motorhome with an MAM of up to 3,500 kg. For motorhomes with an MAM between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg, a Category C1 licence is required.

City Centres Traps

Motorhomes have developed extensively from the old VW touring van to the A frames, coaches, and the converted vans, which many skilled people have transformed themselves.

Smaller is more manoeuvrable and easier to drive through cities which, to be fair we try to avoid by parking outside and using trains and buses into the centre.

On two separate trips we stayed at a wonderful marina park up outside Seville in Spain and caught the bus for a 30 minute ride into the heart of the city.

In Valencia we were on a fabulous site with a restaurant and facilities 10km outside the centre but just a 400 metre walk from the tram.

Good planning saves the stress of heavy traffic and bus lanes – not to mention the danger of straying into an environmental zone and incurring a fine for not having appropriate environmental stickers or road tax paperwork.

Restrictions and SatNavs

Height and width are also important considerations – as is finding a good SatNav to avoid coming unstuck.

Brands like Garmin or TomTom are considered reliable – but ensure you meticulously research the user reviews. Google Maps also work but devour data when abroad.

SatNavs seem to work from road signs and if there isn’t one - or it’s a new stretch of road - keep your eyes peeled.

The bigger your vehicle can mean that certain routes are off limits like the Applecross Pass on the Scottish NC500 route, or parts of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, such as The Connor Pass which is an adrenaline fuelled experience in itself.

While our Garmin SatNav is configured for the size of our motorhome, and should avoid low bridges and narrow streets, it has taken us down hair-raising narrow Italian roads.

Another adrenaline fuelled experience saw us travelling through France for the ferry back home. Having skirted Paris, the SatNav directed us to a tunnel just 2.5 meters high – not great when our vehicle height is almost three metres!

In Spain we came across fabulous little towns, known as ‘pueblos’ which were also off-limits due to narrow roads.

Earlier this year when exploring the magnificence of Morocco, the storms of September 2024 had demolished many of the bridges in the south, forcing us to drive across riverbeds - a scenario the SatNav could not have picked up.

Memberships and Apps

As you can imagine, there is a wealth of apps - either free or for a marginal fee - for motorhome and campervan enthusiasts. They include those that tell you which pubs and restaurant you can park at, providing you buy drinks, or a snack/meal.

When it comes to memberships, we are members of The Caravan and Motorhome Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club - both of which run driving courses and provide helpful, practical advice. There are also campsites in Europe which offer annual memberships.

Motorhome Life : Living and Learning

Like many before us, we relished the idea of traveling abroad without towing a caravan, swapped to a motorhome - and have never looked back.

After 40,000 miles in our first motorhome, a Swift Rio 6.4 metres long, 2.8 metres high and 2.3 metres wide - which took us to 16 countries in Europe - we traded it in for a slightly bigger one.

The Pilote Joa 70T model, just two feet longer, but makes an enormous difference due to the lay out and boot space.

The extra length does not preclude us navigating mountain roads with multiple hairpin bends or getting off track onto minor roads.

The magic of motorhoming is that each adventurer has their unique ambitions of the experiences they aspire to. Ours have included goats jumping out of trees, a red-necked desert ostrich performing a dance for us – and stopping to let wild camels cross the road.

We still embark on new explorations with the same passion and excitement as we did when we headed into the great unknown five years ago.

We hope your adventures will also surpass your dreams and expectations.