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  • Motorhome Hire in Scotland

    You may have seen the adverts on TV, you may have heard gossip from friends, wherever you heard it first, Scotland is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and it’s not hard to see why. Most people conjure up an instant image of Scotland in their minds. For me, it’s a mixture of the Loch Ness Monster, tartan and bagpipes. What comes into your mind when you think about Scotland? There is a lot more Scottish iconic imagery, such as shortbread, mountains, cashmere, whisky, castles and golf. There’s also quite a big royal connection in Scotland, with the Queen owning several official royal residences there, like the famous Balmoral.

    If you’re lucky enough to already live in Scotland, you may have already visited many of its majestic viewpoints and historic landmarks. For most other people residing in Europe, Scotland is only a short plane journey away. There are several international airports in Scotland, the main ones being Glasgow Airport, Edinburgh Airport, Prestwick Airport, Aberdeen Airport and Inverness Airport. Cheap flights are in abundance today; the major cheap airlines operating from Scottish airports are RyanAir, easyJet and bmibaby but check for others before making a flight booking. To make the most of your stay in Scotland, I recommend motorhome hire and I shall explain why. I think the concept is remarkable: combining accommodation with transport is a winning idea. If you live in Europe and own a motorhome, and have several weeks or months to spare, you can try driving all the way up to Scotland. The English Channel is easy to cross by ferry or by using the high-speed Eurotunnel line. Most people, though, don’t own a motorhome or, if they do, they don’t get the chance to take enough time of work and other commitments in order to enjoy such a leisurely tour. There is a solution though, in the form of motorhome hire. It works just like the rental of a holiday cottage or apartment and you may have already tried these kinds of holidays. You search for a vehicle online and pay using a credit or debit card. Then, when you arrive, you are shown around the motorhome and given a demonstration on how to operate it fully. Then, the keys are yours for your hire period and you are free to roam Scotland as you please. An added benefit with motorhome hire the airport transfer function, providing a transfer between all major Scottish airports and the motorhome you have hired. There will, of course, be a small charge for this service but it will certainly be cheaper than paying for a taxi on the day or carting your luggage on the train or bus.

    When you’re on holiday it pays to be organised. Search for and book motorhome hire in Scotland now for 2011 and 2012.



    Source by Sarah Jayne Parker

  • What Is a 12v TV and Why Would You Need One?

    What is a 12v TV and why would you need one? A 12 volt or 24 volt television runs on much less power than the TV you have at home. They are designed for caravan or motorhomes and work for longer periods than a normal television would running off a 12/24v battery.

    12v is the battery current that it would take to run the TV from. You normally would get about 3 hours viewing from a conventional TV if you was running this from a car battery. A 12v TV lasts much, much longer than that and if you’re away in your caravan or motorhome then there is a good chance that you would not have the means to charge up the battery every few hours.

    Who would buy a 12v TV? Well most of the 12v television’s sold in the UK go to caravan, motor home users or truck drivers for their cabs. They want a good quality TV for their unit or cab and need this to be powered via a battery for long periods of time and do not want to compromise on picture quality.

    Who makes 12v Tvs? There are a number of 12v TVs on the market, from small no brand names which you can pick up for a few hundred pounds to the better quality ones such as Avtex, which is considered one of the best for build quality and picture reproduction.

    When buying a 12v TV you really do want one with great build quality, the reason being that most people who buy a 12v TV are looking for a mobile TV for their truck, caravan or boat and when not in use they will be packing their 12v TV away and moving it from its mount. So you do not want a television that will damage easily. You also want it to be digital and be easy to retune if your moving from area to area.

    Some 12v TVs even come with a DVD player. This makes watching your DVD movie really easy and in great quality due to the lcd/led screen. You may even get some like the Avtex TVs which will let you play back pre-recorded movies and photos.

    Can I mount my 12v TV on a wall? Yes it’s very easy but you will need to buy a mounting bracket. Some 12v Tvs come with a kick plate at the back, this is just a pull out leg which you can use to stand the TV up on a table top. A lot of these TVs are quite light weight which make mounting them easier than a normal home TV.

    Could I use my 12v TV in my home? Yes you can and it would function just the same as a regular TV. Some people find that putting a 12v TV into their kitchen works really well but if you do this make sure that you have a water proof one with will prevent steam getting into the system.

    Do I need an external TV aerial to pick up TV stations? You will need a TV aerial, but may-be not an external TV aerial depending on the reception in your local area. Many internal TV aerials can pick up digital TV stations and depending on the compatibility of both the TV and of the aerial then some can power the aerial and improve the reception and the picture quality.



    Source by R Maddocks

  • Hit The Road And Have Home Cooked Meals Too!

    Hit The Road And Have Home Cooked Meals Too!

    Owners of motor homes love to travel and see new places – a life of adventure hitting the road less travelled.

    They love meeting new people and trying new foods at the places they visit along the way. Sometimes though, there’s nothing like a good home cooked meal which is exactly what you can have when you take to the road in a motorhome with your quarter acre pot!

    A sense of adventure, the freedom to travel and still getting a home cooked meal is pretty hard to beat.

    Motorhome adventurers’ love the quarter acre pot because it allows them to do just that! Pack up their belongings in the motorhome and hit the road with the knowledge that a home cooked meal is quietly bubbling away for when they arrive at their destination – this makes the destination even more exciting!

    The quarter acre pot allows a motorhome enthusiast to prepare a meal before they leave home and let it cook slowly and gently as they motor down the road, so that when they arrive at their destination, supper is ready to eat and they can just relax after a long journey on the road.

    No need to worry about disconnecting the shuttle car and traveling into a nearby unknown town to find dinner. It’s right there and ready to enjoy. Get the TV set up and tuned in, then just sit back, eat and relax. Plenty of time to venture into town tomorrow!

    Do you know why motorhome adventurers’ love the quarter acre pot so much? Because they can retain their sense of adventure and exciting life of travel but still have all the comforts of home too!

    If a family member or friend shows up unexpectedly, they’ll be able to partake in one of your famous home cooked meals served from your quarter acre pot.

    Imagine the surprise on their faces when you proudly serve them a delicious meal just like one you would serve back home. They will see right away why you love your motorhome way of life!

    If they get up in the morning and decide to leave the camper-van parked, get in the shuttle vehicle to cruise around, they can put a meal together in the slow cooking pot and have a warm lunch or dinner ready and waiting for them when they get back.

    You can tire very quickly eating out all the time at high priced restaurants or junky takeaways.

    No need to heat up and eat those awful TV dinners either.

    With the quarter acre pot, even those adventurous folks that live and travel in their motor homes, can have healthy home cooked meals every night.



    Source by Midge Hand

  • Is That Real Camping?

    Is That Real Camping?

    This is one aspect of camping that generates no end of discussion – mostly how other people are doing it! The purists – backpack tent campers – look at the luxurious motorhomes and fifth-wheel trailers and say, “That is not REAL camping!”

    For their part, the owners of the sumptious digs-on-wheels look out at the tiny tents and say, “Poor dears! It’s too bad they can’t afford to REALLY camp!” And so it goes, on and on.

    Is there no middle ground? Is there such a thing as REAL camping? I know I will never be able to resolve this issue but, since I own this blog, I’ll throw in my own two cents’ worth.

    First, I’ll recount my own camping experience so you’ll know I’m not really taking one side or the other out of ignorance. As you may know, I started camping courtesy of the United States Army. We shared two-man pup tents with air mattresses (on the ground) and individual sleeping bags. The temperature didn’t matter! The Army is a 24/365 operation.

    On a personal basis, while still in the Army, I started camping with tents that were a lot nicer than the Army version. Mine actually had floors in them! Woohoo! I thought it was pretty cool when I got a cot on which to lay my sleeping bag – no more sleeping on the hard, rocky ground.

    There were no nice amenities like toilets, sinks or showers. I had to rely on the campground restrooms for that. I did have a small stove and a cooler cooled by bags of ice. Man, compared to living out in the field while on maneuvers, this was living!

    I even went on a motorcycle tour once with several friends and spent the nights in campgrounds. We carried small tents, sleeping bags and camp stoves. We had a fantastic time.

    Next came a pop-up tent camper. A lot of the amenities were the same but it was a lot easier to set up if you pulled in late. I still had to use the public restrooms but this trailer had lights and a table and places to sit. Wow!

    My first travel trailer was not “self-contained.” That meant I had to carry the waste water and the bottom half of the PortaPotti up to the restrooms for disposal. But! This one actually had a heater, a built-in stove and a gas/12-volt refrigerator. Boy, oh boy, I was moving up into the Big Time with this one!

    Since that time, I and my family have enjoyed traveling and setting up in campgrounds with a variety of trailers, vans and motorhomes. Our current rig is a diesel pickup pulling a 31-foot travel trailer which has a large slide-out and is four-season capable. Of course, it’s fully self-contained.

    I have enjoyed every kind of camping I have done over the years (military bivouac excepted!). Of course, tent camping is more suited to warm weather but I have set up in cold or rainy weather, as well. If you’re well prepared, you can make yourself quite comfortable, even with minimal equipment.

    I believe “camping” is a much larger concept than tents vs. motorhomes. Once I leave home, I can go, pretty much, wherever I want. There are campgrounds all across the nation – even in places where hotels are scarce. A lot of the parks and other tourist locations have campgrounds nearby.

    For one or more nights, I can rent my own, private campsite. Normal campground etiquette is that you don’t make noise that disturbs your fellow campers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. It’s just normal consideration of others that is expected of everyone.

    Most campgrounds are located in areas away from noisy traffic and city pollution. If you’re looking to relax in peaceful surroundings, a lot of campgrounds and very few hotels can meet that expectation.

    Of course, one of the grandest things about camping is the camaraderie between campers. You can walk around the campground and people will greet you as you go by. If you see an interesting piece of equipment, you can stop and ask the owner about it. They’ll most likely invite you to sit down and have a cup of coffee. Try that in a hotel! They’ll be calling security on you in a heartbeat.

    These things all apply no matter what kind of camping you do, no matter what kind of equipment you’re using. Campers love being around other campers. Believe me, many of the motorhome owners started out in a tent, too!

    The bottom line is that it’s all camping. Enjoy whatever equipment you’re using right now and don’t worry about what you think someone else thinks about it. Don’t be afraid to try different types of camping. You just might come to enjoy something you never thought you would.

    That, too, is a fun part of camping. Just get out there and enjoy yourself.



    Source by Edwin J. Hill

  • How to Prevent a Motorhome Windscreen Insurance Claim

    How to Prevent a Motorhome Windscreen Insurance Claim

    Your motorhome is a huge investment, so you’ll need a specialist insurance policy that will cover all risks, including your windscreen. Depending on the motorhome you own, a replacement windscreen could set you back a hundreds or even thousands of pounds. So, by repairing your windscreen in good time, you save yourself a the hassle and costs involved in getting it replaced.

    Being at the front of the motorhome, the windscreen is particularly vulnerable to flying objects picked up by oncoming or overtaking vehicles. Objects such as loose chippings or stones from the road can act as small missiles and cause damage in the form of a chip in the windscreen glass.

    If the chip occurs in front of the driver, and hinders the view or is seen as causing a distraction to the driver, it can be deemed dangerous and the vehicle may fail the UK Ministry of Transport (MOT) test.

    If the chip appears over the passenger side or out of the main line of sight for the driver, it may be tempting to ignore the chip. However, if the chip is left, it can easily spread. Changes in temperature and moisture on the windscreen can cause the glass to expand and contract, increasing the likelihood of the chip turning into a crack – in the same way that pipes can burst if they’re allowed to freeze and defrost over winter.

    Another risk is if you’re travelling down a bumpy road or over speed bumps, the jolting effect on the motorhome can cause the chip or crack to spread.

    To prevent any further damage to your windscreen, it’s important to get the chip repaired as soon as you notice it. An approved repairer will be able to seal the chip before it turns into a crack. This repair could strengthen the windscreen and allow you to continue with your holiday without the worry of the damage becoming irreversible.

    Most insurance companies will cover the cost of repairing the windscreen, provided the work is carried out by an approved windscreen repair company, and they won’t class this as a claim being made on the policy. Therefore, you won’t need to part with any money and your no claims bonus will be safe, leaving you with no surprises when your motorhome insurance is due for renewal.

    If your windscreen becomes cracked and you need a replacement, you could have a windscreen excess to pay and the motorhome insurance company may place limits on the amount of windscreen cover that’s available on the policy. Usually, replacing a windscreen won’t affect your no claims bonus, however, if you own a large motorhome such as an A-class or American RV, it may be that due to the cost of replacing the windscreen being upwards of £1,000, the motorhome insurance company will count it as a claim affecting your no claims bonus. So always check your insurance documents or give them a call if you’re in any doubt.



    Source by H Robinson

  • Do You Know The Process Of Choosing The Right RV Rental Service?

    Do You Know The Process Of Choosing The Right RV Rental Service?

    If you are looking to rent an RV for any reason, there are usually many things that you have to do in order to find the best. Most people think that getting a motorhome is just a matter of going to the nearest rental store and finding one. However, you always need to consider so many different things. The procedure of renting an RV or a motorhome has to take into account everything that you are going to need during the trip to ensure that you end up having a good time. Thankfully, the process is often very easy to go through just as long as you are straightforward about your approach.

    The first thing you would need to do is decide on what you want out of the motorhome. For instance, if you are looking to rent one for use by your whole family, you may need to get one which is sizeable enough for this. Each person has to have more than enough room to sleep and relax in. considering that most of the time motorhomes are rented for purposes of relaxation, this is something that one should not really take for granted.

    In addition to that, you may also need to figure out what kind of equipment you need on the RV. For instance, if you are the kind of person who loves cooking, you may need to rent one which has a gas cooker. This also means that you would need to think of how to get food for the RV. Getting one which also has a refrigerator and maybe a dishwasher may be in your best interests if you are looking to find an RV you can easily cook in.

    Once you have all your requirements listed down, you can then go ahead to try to find a dealer who can rent the RV that you need. Since everyone has different needs as far as these vehicles are concerned, the best way to get the one that suits you most is by making sure that you consult a dealer who has a large variety of them. This way, you can easily just go through the inventory of the company in question, and then choose the one that suits you most. It is very easy to get the ideal RV rental in this manner since you may not need to spend too much time on the process.

    Once you have found the RV that you think is good enough for you, you should then proceed to examine it. In most cases, these RVs are found online, which means that one may not get the opportunity to examine them in such a setting. Once you have found the one you are looking for, it is a good idea to visit the dealer and find out more about the RV in question. This includes finding out whether it is of the right specifications. After you are sure that everything checks out, you can then pay for the rental and go ahead with your trip.



    Source by Kyle Orton