Driving the motorhome

With a 2.8 litre turbo jet diesel engine, the motorhome has lots of power to get you up and down the mountains and glens of Scotland, or around the North Coast 500 route. It is very easy to drive and on straight roads it’s easy to forget that you’re in such a big vehicle apart from the fact that you’ve got a much better view as you are sitting so much higher up than you would be in a car!

It cruises along happily at 70mph on motorways, so you’ll need to be careful not to speed since speed limits are lower than for a car on single and dual carriageways due to its weight (50mph and 60mph respectively).

The main thing to remember when driving is that you are essentially driving a wide, long, high 3.5 tonne box with very different aerodynamics to a car! So you need to take corners steadily and carefully, and it does not have the acceleration of a car therefore overtaking on single carriageway roads is best avoided. Likewise, allow more time and space when pulling out at junctions as it’s not particularly nippy.

Also, you need to be mindful of its length and overhang at the rear when turning – don’t forget the back wheels follow the front in a straight line, so it is necessary to pull out further than you would in a car, especially when turning left. It is essential to use your side mirrors when manoeuvering, especially when turning out of entrances - we've had the left sides of two motorhomes damaged as people have turned too tightly, and we don't want any more please!

Most importantly remember it’s a lot higher than a car or most campervans at 2.8m, so do not go into covered car parks unless you are certain of sufficient clearance, be careful to avoid overhanging trees at the side of the road, and keep in the middle of the road when going under low bridges.