Driving in lockdown

Hi Everyone
        I would be very cautious about taking the MH at all It is classed as a second vehicle ( I know in a few cases it may not be) and therefor it is not essential that you take it out you may get a £200 fine just be patient
Alan

gemdeco wrote:Hi Everyone
        I would be very cautious about taking the MH at all It is classed as a second vehicle ( I know in a few cases it may not be) and therefor it is not essential that you take it out you may get a £200 fine just be patient
Alan

Whether the motorhome is one's first, second or other vehicle is not relevant, I think: what is the determine factor for the legislation is the purpose of the mission. 

I agree that travelling in a MH is more likely to attract attention than travelling in a car, but if the purpose of the  mission is within the definition of essential, then it's permissible to use the MH.  

Cymro

I have a different approach..... Our van is currently declared SORN so not taxed and not road legal. As a result I saved 5 months in road tax in the lockdown period of 2020 and this year so far just one month and counting. Each month is worth roughly £22. Now I have realised how easy it is to SORN and UNSORN a vehicle, I plan to do the same every winter and save £66 by not taxing it from beginning of December to the end of February, obviously I can re-tax it at any point should I want to.

Re battery charging, ours is plugged in to the mains permanently but not switched on. I power it up every single week and find that both batteries are fully charged well within an hour.  I also run a small electric heater which I turn on for that same hour. 
Re the engine, I start the engine once a month and run it until the engine temperature rises to normal, I also move the van up and down the drive (which is not much more than twice the length of the van) just to check the clutch gearbox and brakes etc are ok. It seems to work for me as I don't risk flouting any covid regs and also save money.   

I would do exactly the same (this year for reasons said not quite). I have a little 400w heater with a thermostat set low just prevent freezing in case I forget. I check the tailpipe as once hot I know there is no condensation in the exhaust  to encourage rust when I switch off. Even held just above idle it takes nearly 30 minutes running to get the gauge up to temp.

I turn off the Zig PSU and just leave the Solar panel to keep the hab battery up when it can ( no sun in the forecast for the next week)

Also very useful is that the cigarette lighter is unswitched so instant access to the vehicle batteries for intermittent charging if required

Just a note of caution from not using the van. Last spring when I realised that we would not be able to go anywhere for a while I SORN'd our van and didn't start it up. When we started to use it again it had a problem where above about 2500 revs it lost power.  Took a bit of investigation to get to the bottom of the problem, it turned out that whilst sat there not moving some mice had decided that the air filter was a good place to make a nest! I guess fairly unusual but speaking to the garage not unique.

Not using vehicles that are stood outside over the winter months is not a great idea, especially if the hand brake is left on. Leave the diesel tank full to avoid condensation in the tank, run the engine once a fortnight, leave it on chocks and in gear (rather than leaving the hand brake on) and move it once a month at least to keep the brakes free. Fixing rusted drum brakes is more expensive than the saving on 6 months road tax. If the police stopped me then I would argue that driving the van a few miles once per month is an essential journey, besides it is perfectly reasonable to drive a motorhome to the supermarket anyway.

See link below. On the 29th March when the stay st home rule ends, does that mean we can stay out overnight in our vans (locally)? Obviously 'Wild' camping though, as nowhere open.

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Not according to this...extracted from the link you gave

No earlier than 12 April:

• All shops allowed to open
  
• Restaurants and pub gardens will be allowed to serve customers sitting outdoors, including alcohol
  
• Gyms and spas can reopen for individuals and households
  
• Hairdressers, beauty salons and other "close contact services" can reopen
  
• UK domestic holidays away from home permitted, with self-contained accommodation able to reopen for use by members of the same household
  

One might argue that a MH is self contained accommodation?
The following week I have an early appt at my dealer for a service, I shall be in my 'self contained accommodation' outside his premises the evening before.

I read it as 29th March till 12th April. No staying away. As Paul says.
Then we can go.

Micky

burlingtonboaby wrote:North Yorkshire Polis are out in force according to my close neighbour (Adria) ,he was stopped twice going in and out of York.
Didn't get fined though? Medical reasons .
Our footpaths are getting dug up all around the area, unable to get the van out even if I wanted too. (Kingston comms laying wifi cable)
Boaby

Managed to get the van free as the footpaths have all been re enstated, gave the van a good run out to Filey, no Polis. van ran like a sweetie, washed the van down on my return,the roof was appalling, 
All clean for the MOT Tuesday.
Boaby

"No polis"...hardly surprising, we have Police in England
..."gave the van a good run out"....essential shopping?

Well after today I'm inclined to think all driving restrictions in lockdown have been lifted.
Like motor homes, almost all motorbikes these days are leisure vehicles, and while we've been tidying the garden on this sunny day there's been the constant howl of bikes traversing the distant A6 on their way to the moors and most likely Matlock Bath.
I've not been keeping count, but there must have been well into the hundreds passing through town. Imagine if that was hundreds of motorhomes...
I'm content to wait a few weeks yet before I go for a spin.
Al.

While the 'weekend' shouldnt make any difference (the rules haven't changed and folk don't 'go to work' anymore) we saw a noticible increase in traffic from yesterday morning (on our exercise walk) right through till this afternoon (on our way back from exercise cycle).
I hope folk aren't giving up, despite the wonderful case/death rate improvements...

We have taken the MH out once a week to give it a run. We park somewhere remote, go for a walk and drive home.

Joint Adventure wrote:We have taken the MH out once a week to give it a run. We park somewhere remote, go for a walk and drive home.

Isn't this what others (in vans) are doing when folk report on forums 'loads of vans out today'?
I realise it's 'probably' not to cause a problem BUT are 'driving to exercise places' and 'giving the van a run' valid reasons for MH to be on the road...?
Yes, take the van to the local supermarket for 'essential shopping' rather than the car, if one must 'give it a run', but forums are full of folk telling us all how many vans are out and about (tut, tut) and equally full of folk telling us they're the ones driving them.
I realise it's 'nice' to take the van to a 'remote spot' and go for a walk (we'll wait until the rules are relaxed before doing this) but aren't we supposed to be exercising locally from home?.....walk or cycle and return home?
Is it the youngsters (gathering) we should be criticising or the retired folk zipping about in their vans?

Driving  out in our MH is no different to being in a car. 
Going to a remote area to take a walk and fresh air is safer than going to the local walking area which is packed with other people who dont even wear a mask. 
And taking exercise is important for our physical and mental wellbeing.

Local = village, town or part of city

 mental health

We are lucky enough to live very near the New Forest but our house is in a housing estate, so we have the option of walking (with our dog) on the local footpaths which are very busy so constantly having to move aside for other people. Or we can take a short drive to the New Forest where whilst the carparks may be quite busy with cars once we set off we can keep well away from other people and have a good walk, which is what we do when we get the opportunity (we both work so normally weekends). We will normally take the MH to give it a bit of a run. I personally feel much safer and have much less interaction with others by driving to the New Forest than I do exercising from home.  We have avoided going slightly further afield as we would in normal times such as day trips to Purbeck etc as these definitely are not necessary journeys but making shorter journeys locally to get a bit more space in my mind is totally justifiable.  Everyone has their own views on this I know but I am comfortable in my own mind, I have to drive around much more in the week for work so happy to make a few short journeys at the weekend.

I would also 'feel safe' taking my van several miles to get to a nice place to walk...id be self contained, have my tea, coffee, lunch with me and stay well away from everyone else...just like we did prior to lockdown.
But this is not what it's all about, how we feel, it's about not taking ourselves off from our immediate location (as HF says above) to 'somewhere else'...
The obvious reason for this is to reduce transmission...
Yes, the intention might be to remain isolated and not to be with others, but the upshot is that you may break down, have a puncture, get ill, fall over, or any other manner of 'incidents' that would then scupper your plans and bring other folk (helpers, services, etc) into play.
Staying local reduces the risk of spread away from your own area, even if there are problems....after all, none of us know for sure that we aren't infected at any particular time.
Yes, the vaccination program is going great guns and showing great signs of reducing transmission but we aren't there yet...and it will take longer to get there the more folk move from area to area in their cars or vans (not exercise) despite the fact that 'they feel quite safe'....
Why not wait a few weeks until we get to the point where we are allowed to do this...
If it were kids driving their cars to beauty spot or beaches you could imagine the comments on a forum like this...

rgermain wrote:Just back from our walk along a desserted Hayling beach, apart from some brave swimmers. 

As I said beach was empty, plenty of room, whereas if we walk from home, we meet joggers, lycra bike riders two abreast and people who have to walk hand in hand taking up the entire paths.

Speaking to the local PCSO on his bike along the seafront, no problem he said, just keep to the 2m rule.

Local MP also has said in the local press local means up to 7 miles. We are 5.8m

Oh and we took the M/H.
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Richard

Good for you Richard. It’s nauseating to see how this pandemic has brought out all the vigilantes and holier than thou brigade who are all too ready to tell others how to behave. They seem to think that no-one else knows how to be responsible.

Mrs SDA's best friend is going to the funeral of an ex-partner on Tyneside. She herself is in a very high risk category, probably the highest risk anyone can be. She's taking her PVC up there and sleeping in it the night before and night after and keeping contact to the bare minimum. Her GP has provided her with a letter granting her permission to travel and use the motorhome for that three day trip, just in case she's stopped. The GP reckons it's highly likely she will be stopped during the course of a 400 mile round trip.

steamdrivenandy wrote:Mrs SDA's best friend is going to the funeral of an ex-partner on Tyneside. She herself is in a very high risk category, probably the highest risk anyone can be. She's taking her PVC up there and sleeping in it the night before and night after and keeping contact to the bare minimum. Her GP has provided her with a letter granting her permission to travel and use the motorhome for that three day trip, just in case she's stopped. The GP reckons it's highly likely she will be stopped during the course of a 400 mile round trip.

Scotch corner (A1/A66) usually has a few Polis traffic cars checking individuals, hope she has a safe trip.
Boaby

willy eckerslike wrote:

rgermain wrote:Just back from our walk along a desserted Hayling beach, apart from some brave swimmers. 

As I said beach was empty, plenty of room, whereas if we walk from home, we meet joggers, lycra bike riders two abreast and people who have to walk hand in hand taking up the entire paths.

Speaking to the local PCSO on his bike along the seafront, no problem he said, just keep to the 2m rule.

Local MP also has said in the local press local means up to 7 miles. We are 5.8m

Oh and we took the M/H.
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Richard

Good for you Richard. It’s nauseating to see how this pandemic has brought out all the vigilantes and holier than thou brigade who are all too ready to tell others how to behave. They seem to think that no-one else knows how to be responsible.

Ah Willie, thanks for chipping in....
It's on forumslike this that the Holier than thou brigade come out....I'm not a hypocrite telling folk how to behave while doing the very thing myself...
If we all started trundling round in our MH from area to area it would soon be picked up on and there'd be another pasting for 'those bl**dy motorhomers'...
Why spoil it for everyone else, why not wait a few weeks then we can all visit sites and places together?
Why post on a forum how nice and safe we are while being asked nicely to stay local and exercise from home.
Yes, not everyone finds it easy to do that, and there are inviting places 'up the road' but that's not the point.
We all want to nip out for an afternoon 'in the van' but that's not the situation currently.
There are many posts on here and other forums berating the recent increase in traffic and tut tutting about it, quickly followed by a post telling us how they spotted all this traffic when they were out in their van for the day....you couldn't make it up.