COUNTDOWN TO SUMMER

If you’ve not hit the road in your motorhome yet, now is the time to get ready for the year’s touring, and here are a few key points to consider before you go

- John Sootheran, Dave Newell and Peter Rosenthal

My grandmother always used to say: “Anticipation is half the pleasure,” and she was, as usual, quite right.

This adage is never more true than when you are looking forward to another fine season of touring, and all of the great experiences and enjoyment that will bring.

And for many of us, what really enhances that sense of anticipation and excitement is the planning and preparation. Do this early (at your leisure) and you can avoid lots of last-minute stress, and even save yourself some money.

Now read on to discover our top 10 tips for perfect planning!

1 Clean your motorhome’s exterior

Your vehicle might be looking just a little down-at-heel after a winter in storage, so why not set aside a day to give it a really good spruce-up?

Starting outside, soak the motorhome with a low-pressure hose (don't use a jet-washer on the accommodation area, because it can penetrate window seals and might damage the graphics). This will soften up any grime.

Next, choose a quality motorhome cleaner/shampoo and sponge it onto the surfaces, giving any black streaks some extra attention. We like Muc-Off Caravan Cleaner (around £15 for five litres), which performed very well in a comparison test we carried out.

You'll need a ladder to reach the roof, but do make sure you protect the edges of the roof from damage and that the ladder is secured and stable. You'll also need a long-handled brush.

Once it's washed and rinsed, apply a polish to the panels, such as Autoglym's SRP001 Super Resin Polish (£15 for one litre). If your 'van has a paint protection treatment (see p96), such as Diamondbrite or Paintseal, this won't be required.