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Traveling with a motorhome (6) | Our experiences and tips for travelers

Our motorhome journey started a month ago and we would like to take you with us in our first impression. How do we experience it? What have we already learned? We will also share some tips with you. Handy for campervan travelers!

Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (1) | Traveling indefinitely: introduce yourself!
Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (2) | Selling a house and looking for a motorhome
Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (3) | Camper bought + features and upgrades
Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (4) | Camper insurance full-time living and travel
Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (5) | Final preparations and departure
Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (6) | Experiences and tips for motorhome travelers

Life in a camper

First impression? Fantastic! We really feel 'like a fish in water!' The camper is really our little house, completely our place. We feel more and more real motorhome travelers!

Our camper inside | Experiences and tips camper travelers
Our camper inside | Experiences and tips camper travelers

We live outside a lot, but can also be found indoors on a regular basis. It depends on where we stand. In some free places (we mainly mean the parking spaces where you can stay overnight) especially here Austria, it is not appreciated if you use the place like on a camping. This means, no chairs and table outside, no unscrewing your awning and no drying rack. This means you live more in the camper when you are in such a place. It can also be very cool in the evenings, especially in the mountains and of course in certain seasons.  

Also read: 100 days of living and working in a motorhome (our experience) | Roadtrip USA (24)

If we can sit outside, it's a lot of fun! Great to live in the open air (almost) all day long. The temperatures are very nice. We have been lucky with the beautiful weather so far. Except for one rainy day, we certainly can't complain. Awning out, chairs folded out, hang up the lights and enjoy. Sometimes we are at work or looking for the next place to stay.

We also have fun during a day of rain | Experiences and tips camper travelers
We also have fun during a day of rain | Experiences and tips camper travelers

Find a place to stay

Every camper traveler regularly looks for a new place to sleep.
Looking for a place to stay can sometimes present challenges, we have noticed. In any case here in Austria, it is regularly a good search. Now this is partly because we are self-sufficient and prefer to use the free places as much as possible. There are plenty of campsites here, but due to finances and because we need few facilities, we use them less. Now that it is high season, many campsites are also full. Every now and then a campsite or paid place with a number of facilities is of course nice.

Was done at a campsite and found a place through Park4night | Experiences and tips camper travelers
Was done at a campsite and found a place through Park4night | Experiences and tips camper travelers

The laundry will also have to be done and a (good) shower is also very nice. We can really enjoy that!

Always hot water
Truma Electric Boiler
4.5
€ 469,00

The Truma electric boiler is a good alternative to a gas boiler in your caravan, camper or boat.

The boiler has a reservoir with a capacity of 14 liters and is heated by a 230-volt heating element with a capacity of 850 watts.

The hot water only drops 1 °C per hour due to the insulation of the reservoir, which makes it extremely efficient.

Pros:
  • Sustainable electric water heating
  • Very efficient
  • Loses only 1 °C heat per hour
  • 14 liter
Cons:
  • Excl. hoses and connections
Order Now
By using these affiliate links you support us at no extra cost. Thank you!

Park4night

We mainly find our overnight places via the 'Park4night' app (website here). We have the paid version, because it allows you to filter better and you can set the found locations as favourites. Handy to keep if you plan to go to the place later, come back or share the location with others.

The Park4night | . app Experiences and tips camper travelers
The Park4night | . app Experiences and tips camper travelers

You can rate each place by giving a number of stars (1-5) and leave a review. We do this as much as possible, because we also like to be able to estimate in advance based on reviews whether it is a suitable place. We hear from many others that they also use this app.

Camper contact

You can also find an overnight stay via the Campercontact app (website here). The NKCmembers can use the app for free. They and PRO users can take advantage of multiple benefits. Via the route button in the app you can immediately navigate to the desired place. You can also save your favorite places in this app. 

home camper

Via the 'homecamper' app you can search for a motorhome parking space from private individuals on their property. The number of places on offer varies greatly from country to country. To date, we have not yet used a place via this app.

Also read: Traveling with the motorhome? These are the camping options

FACILITIES

Another job that we as a camper traveler have to do regularly is filling water, emptying the gray water tank (dirty water) and emptying the toilet (black water). We are quite frugal when it comes to water use.

Filling and emptying water

Filling the water tank and emptying the waste water tank and emptying and cleaning the toilet cannot be done everywhere. Special places have been set up for this. Some places have these facilities, so do most campsites and every now and then you can also go to a gas station or a site built by a municipality. One place is free, the other asks for a small fee, think of a few euros.

Refilling with water at a facility built by a municipality (free) | Experiences and tips camper travelers
Refilling with water at a facility built by a municipality (free) | Experiences and tips camper travelers
Always clean drinking water in the camper
AquaLogic Inline-C-Ultra water filter
4.5
€ 99.50

Do you ever doubt the water quality? The AquaLogic Inline-C-Ultra water filter is a water filter that is easy to place in your motorhome or caravan.

The AquaLogic Inline-C-Ultra is a drinking water filter with the ability to absorb taste, color and odors, including chlorine and other chemicals. This will greatly improve the taste and quality of your drinking water.

Pros:
  • Best tested
  • Affordable
  • Odor and tasteless water
  • Easy installation
Order Now
By using these affiliate links you support us at no extra cost. Thank you!
A nice job for every camper traveler: emptying the toilet cassette | Experiences and tips camper travelers
A nice job for every camper traveler: emptying the toilet cassette | Experiences and tips camper travelers

Finding these facilities and implementing them will of course take you some time. It is of course ideal for the camper traveler if the facilities are available at the camping site. If you need the facilities, you can look them up on the apps, while filtering / searching for a motorhome parking space.

Showering

Showering every day is (unfortunately) no longer an option. We do wash with a washcloth every day, because this can be done with a lot less water than taking a shower. If we take a shower, this can be in the camper, but also a (free) shower at a public lake, campsite or swimming pool. If you have to pay for a shower, this is often € 0,50 cents per shower of a number of minutes. We also have an outdoor shower and this water bag which can be filled with a maximum of 20 liters and can heat up in the sun. Useful!

Tip: Always make sure you have some change in your pocket to be able to pay for a shower, filling your water tank or possibly electricity, etc. €0,50, €1 and €2 coins are the most used in the machines. Most paid overnight stays must also be paid in cash.

3-in-1 battery, inverter and charge controller
EcoFlow Delta MAX Power Station
4.5
€2.099,00

The EcoFlow Delta MAX is a portable Lithium-ion power station with a capacity of no less than 2016wh. This device makes inverters and charge controllers for solar panels superfluous.

The capacity is expandable and with 4 x 2400W (4600W peak) AC outputs, numerous 12v and USB connections, it is suitable for many applications both indoors and outdoors.

Super fast charging via 230v. Combined charging via 230v, 12v or solar panels is possible. Very popular with motorhome and vanlife enthusiasts.

We have installed this device in our motorhome and it's really fantastic to have so much power at your disposal† We grill, cook, cool almost everything electrically now.

Pros:
  • Large capacity
  • Super fast charging
  • 100w (!) USB-C connections
  • 2400W with 4600W peak power
  • Charging via 230v, 12v or solar panels
Cons:
  • Pricing
  • Weighs 23 kilos
Order Now
By using these affiliate links you support us at no extra cost. Thank you!

Navigation

A good navigation system is pleasant for every camper traveler! We have a separate navigation in the camper, which was included when we bought the camper. Before departure we have updated the navigation so that we can use the latest maps. We think it is ideal that this navigation does not use the internet.

The navigation system | Experiences and tips camper travelers
The navigation system | Experiences and tips camper travelers

It is useful to think about turning certain functions on or off, such as toll roads (avoidance) and use of a ferry. During one of our first days we were sent across the water using a ferry.

At first we were a bit surprised that the system wanted to send us over the water. We hadn't thought about changing the features yet. Cost can be a trade-off; how much does a ferry cost or how much do we spend on diesel if we drive differently? Diesel/petrol prices are still (very) high, even here in Austria. The time of the detour could also play a role in the decision.

Vignette and environmental stickers

Before we went to Austria, we had bought a vignette from the ANWB in the Netherlands for two months. Once around Vienna, we thought that we might need an environmental sticker… We set out for Austria prepared, but hadn't thought of this and hadn't read anything about it. Eventually after some research we found out that we didn't need an environmental sticker. It is wise to find this out well in advance. Information about this can be found here at this page of the ANWB.

Vignette for Austria bought at the ANWB | Experiences and tips camper travelers
Vignette for Austria bought at the ANWB | Experiences and tips camper travelers

Turn in the awning and store things

There is always a warning that the weather can change, especially in the mountains there is a chance of this. You assume that the weather will remain nice, you leave the awning out, the chairs and table are also outside and then the weather suddenly changes. It can get windy and rain (heavy) hard… It already happened to us (in the first week). We were standing on the land of a farmer, had a nice evening, went to bed and left the awning open.

An evening sitting outside in a beautiful location at a winegrower | Experiences and tips camper travelers
An evening sitting outside in a beautiful location at a winegrower | Experiences and tips camper travelers

The next morning at 06.00 am it started to rain heavily. Obviously not like the weather forecast, because it indicated a very sunny day. The result, we got out of bed at 06.00am to screw in the awning to prevent it from breaking. Another (small) disadvantage, when it is dry you have to turn it off again and let it dry or make it dry to prevent the awning from getting mouldy. To prevent your belongings from getting moldy or broken, it might be better to clean everything up in time. We now know from experience!

Dimensions of the camper

I would like to recommend every motorhome traveler to measure and write down the dimensions of your motorhome.

The sizes of our camper pasted on the dashboard | Experiences and tips camper travelers
The sizes of our camper pasted on the dashboard | Experiences and tips camper travelers

Tip: Write the measurements of your motorhome on a small piece of paper and stick it somewhere on your dashboard, where you as a driver can read the measurements. It is advisable to write down the length, height and width of the motorhome, both with the mirrors extended and folded. That way you always have the measurements close at hand when you enter a tunnel, narrowing or parking garage. It can prevent a lot of damage and misery!

Contact with other people

We notice that a lot of people look at us along the way. This will probably have to do with the fact that we drive a camper, come from another country and have a large logo on the camper… At campsites we always have quick contact with people. Anyone who has ever camped will recognize this. You soon start talking to each other about where you come from, whether you are on holiday, exchange tips on what to do in the area, etc.

A free place in a small village | Experiences and tips camper travelers
A free place in a small village | Experiences and tips camper travelers

In places where you are not allowed to sit outside, there is less contact with other camper travelers. They often wave to each other. Of course, the intensity of the contact varies a bit from place to place.

Recently we were on a small, free motorhome in a small village. Two other campers were parked here on arrival. In that place you are not supposed to display everything outside, so the others were inside. Next to the motorhome, there was a house and the residents saw us coming and waved enthusiastically. After we were parked I (Laura) walked up to the people to say hello. We started talking and I asked people how they liked the fact that there is a motorhome park next to their house. The people said that they found it pleasant and generally friendly people come and there is hardly any nuisance. I gave the people a stroopwafel, which they received warmly. Very nice to have contact with the local residents!

Traveling fast and wanting to see (too) much

Something we soon realized is that we want to see and do everything too quickly. After a week and a half we stepped on the brakes a bit and decided to do something different. During a holiday we had limited time, we wanted to enjoy and see and do as much as possible. Now there is more and more the realization that we have all the time and can and can travel at a slower pace. We don't necessarily have to get out of bed at 6.00 am, go visit something, then drive a few hours to the next sleeping place to get out of bed on time the next day and hit the road. It takes a while to find a rhythm, but this is much more breath-taking. We don't want to be completely demolished every afternoon.

To Enjoy

Enjoying the Großglockner and glacier
Enjoying the Großglockner and glacier

Finally, I would like to say to everyone who embarks on a similar adventure: Enjoy, let go, take the time to let everything sink in and find your way. However long you plan to leave, it will certainly be an adventure and you will learn from everything! Lots of fun!

Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (1) | Traveling indefinitely: introduce yourself!
Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (2) | Selling a house and looking for a motorhome
Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (3) | Camper bought + features and upgrades
Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (4) | Camper insurance full-time living and travel
Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (5) | Final preparations and departure
Also read: Traveling with a motorhome (6) | Experiences and tips for motorhome travelers

Avatar picture

We travel together

Hi! We are Stefan (29) and Laura (28) and have been a couple for over 12 years, so true childhood sweethearts! We have sold our house, have (partly) resigned from our job and are traveling with our motorhome for an indefinite period of time. Are you curious about our adventure? Then take a look here regularly, see you soon!

1 comment

  • Dear Laura and Stefan, nice blog, everyone who follows you on Insta (me too) already knows part of the story, but I still read new things. Great tips for the (future) camper!
    Letting go is now easy I understand, logical that you had to break free from and after all the hectic of your last weeks in NL.

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