Motorhome Matt

Are lithium leisure batteries about to become the norm in motorhomes rather than an expensive upgrade added later? With Swift moving its 2027 motorhome range to lithium, there are signs that one of the biggest changes in motorhome electrical systems is moving firmly into the mainstream.

Motorhome Matt and Keith are joined by Steve Kennedy from Roamer, the UK lithium battery company supplying Swift. We look at what's driving manufacturers away from lead-acid, including weight, payload and usable battery capacity, and what factory-fit lithium could mean for the way future motorhomes are designed. 

For existing motorhome and campervan owners, there are some important questions too. Can you really replace a lead-acid leisure battery with lithium without changing everything else? How much battery and inverter capacity do you need to run an air fryer, kettle or coffee machine off-grid?

We also get into battery storage, charging in freezing temperatures, LiFePO4 safety and why Steve believes 48V systems could have a much bigger role in motorhomes of the future.

We also hear about the upcoming Blokes, Bacon Baps and Banter morning at That Leisure Shop at Chelston, with breakfast, coffee, motorhome chat and a live Q&A.

And in the Q&A, Matt answers your questions on:

Can you safely use hydraulic levelling legs when your motorhome is parked on a steep slope?

What could cause leaking rear shock absorbers on a relatively new Peugeot Boxer-based motorhome?

How do you choose the right inverter to run a microwave from a 12V motorhome electrical system?

If you've been considering lithium, wondering what you'll fit when your lead-acid battery eventually gives up, or simply want to understand where motorhome electrical systems are heading next, this conversation should give you plenty to think about.

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Leaving your motorhome keys in the ignition while you nip in to pay for fuel might seem harmless. But when it comes to insurance, small decisions like that can have much bigger consequences than owners realise.

Matt and Keith are joined by Mel Savage, Head of Insurance Product at Ripe, to look at the motorhome and campervan insurance assumptions that can make a claim more difficult. We get into what “comprehensive” cover actually means, why documentation matters when you make a claim, and how theft, keyless entry, trackers and test drives are treated.

We also look at some of the changes being made to motorhome and campervan cover, including older vehicles, commuting, lower-value vehicles and classic campers. There’s practical advice on European travel, lithium battery upgrades and off-grid use too, with a useful reminder that insurance is ultimately about assessing risk.

Plus, a new event at That Leisure Shop: Blokes Breakfast, a relaxed Saturday morning get-together at Chelston for motorhome and campervan chat over breakfast.

And in the Q&A, Matt answers your questions on:

Can you tow a car on an A-frame in France or elsewhere in Europe and still be insured?

Could removing the oven from a motorhome affect its insurance or classification?

How does breakdown cover work for older vans travelling in Europe?

What can you do to reduce your motorhome insurance premium?

If you’ve ever wondered what your motorhome insurance really covers, what you need to declare, or what could make a claim more awkward than it needs to be, this is a useful conversation to hear before you need the policy.

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Can travelling in a motorhome or campervan really become a paying content business, or does life as a creator look rather easier from the other side of the screen?

Motorhome Matt and Keith explore what it really takes to build a motorhome or van-life audience, in a live panel recorded at Vanlove 2026. Joining Matt are Steve and Lyndsay Radford from The Roaming Radfords, Mark Bonito from Vanlife Eats, TV presenter and campervan converter Max McMurdo, and Guy Robinson from Vanlove.

They get candid about the money and the workload. There are 4am editing sessions on motorhome trips, the challenge of turning a hobby into a business, and the peculiar world of YouTube where a carefully produced project costing thousands can struggle for views while something much simpler takes off.

Matt also shares what it costs to produce the Motorhome Matt Podcast, while Max explains why moving from television into YouTube feels rather like starting again.

The conversation also gets into the less obvious side of putting yourself online: deciding how much of your private life to share, dealing with negative comments, building a recognisable brand and working out why you want to create content in the first place. The panel finishes with practical advice for anyone thinking of picking up a camera and starting their own motorhome or campervan channel.

In Motorhome Finance Fact or Fiction, Matt is joined by Steve Blake to look at the assumption that financing a motorhome always requires a large deposit, and how affordability now influences the options available.

And in the Q&A, Matt answers your questions on:

Travelling with a full motorhome fresh-water tank, payload and the effect of water moving around in the tank

Whether an £850 Diamondbrite ceramic coating is worth considering on a Bailey Adamo 75-4DL

A campervan seller being asked by prospective buyers to purchase an EpicVIN vehicle-history report, and whether that should raise concerns

If you have ever looked at a motorhome creator travelling the country and thought it looked like a rather agreeable way to earn a living, this conversation gives you the view from behind the camera, including the bits the algorithm tends not to mention.

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What should you actually carry in a motorhome toolkit, and which bits are genuinely worth the space?

Motorhome Matt and Keith work through the tools, spares and emergency kit Matt keeps onboard, from torque wrenches, tyre pressure kit and jump starter packs to fuses, plumbing fittings, cable ties, Wago connectors and a spare water pump. Along the way, Matt explains the real situations that have made some of these items earn a permanent place in the van.

There are a few useful surprises too, including why Matt now carries a torque wrench, what he keeps for common water system problems, why a head torch is one of his favourite bits of kit, and why his laminated fuse diagrams have become so useful when other motorhome owners ask for help. We also look at the sensible limit to all this preparation: carrying the tools is one thing, knowing when not to use them is another.

We also look ahead to The South West Motorhome & Campervan Show at the Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, with camping, live entertainment, motorhomes for sale, trade stands and free talks across the weekend.

And in the Q&A, Matt answers your questions on:

Can standard motorhome wing mirrors be replaced with rear-view camera systems?

Does a 2023 Fiat Ducato need reprogramming after changing the starter battery?

How do you manage children’s car seats in a motorhome without them taking over the living space?

If you’ve ever wondered what’s genuinely useful to keep in the van for those small problems that crop up on the road, this is a practical look at the kit Matt actually carries and why.

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Matt’s Motorhome Toolkit: Full List
Tools & gadgets

Screwdrivers: flat-head and cross-head in different sizes, including PH and PZ

General-purpose pliers

Long-nose pliers

Adjustable spanner

Miniature socket set

Torx bits

Allen keys

Torque wrench

Multimeter

Claw hammer

Rubber mallet

Miniature lump hammer

Wheel brace

Breaker bar

Standard vehicle jack

Bottle jack

Craft knife

Tyre pressure gauge

TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system)

Portable tyre inflator

Tyre puncture gel/sealant

Jump starter/booster pack

Spares & repair bits

Spare fuses

Spare bulbs

Jubilee clips in a few sizes

Hose repair connectors

John Guest push-fit plumbing fittings

12 mm and 10 mm hard water pipe

O-rings and seals

Spare submersible water pump

Useful extras

Head torch

Disposable gloves

Hand-cleaning wipes

Kneeling mat

Cable ties in different sizes

Metal cable ties

Gaffer tape

Electrical repair tape

Corks or bungs for temporarily stopping leaks

Silicone spray

Small can of WD-40

Two-part plastic epoxy resin

Bungee cords

Wago electrical connectors

Small reel of electrical wire

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Modern motorhomes can stay off-grid for longer, carry more usable battery capacity and rely far less on electric hook-up than they once did. So what does a campsite need to offer now to make motorhome owners want to stop, stay and pay for a pitch?

Motorhome Matt and Keith Gooden look at how touring habits are changing, from shorter stays and last-minute bookings to Brit Stops, park-ups and the growing expectation that a campsite should offer more than somewhere to plug in. We also tackle the awkward question of value, including why campsite prices have risen and what owners should reasonably expect for their money.

Matt visits Riverside Caravan Park in High Bentham to speak with operations director John Marshall about what those changes look like from the campsite side. At Riverside, tourers stay for an average of 3.7 nights compared with 2.2 nights for motorhomes, while the mix of touring caravans and motorhomes has shifted considerably in recent years. John explains how the business is responding through facilities, online booking, later arrivals, Wi-Fi, EV charging, solar and giving visitors more reasons to explore from the site.

There’s also an update on ETIAS and the European Entry/Exit System, including the latest uncertainty around when ETIAS will actually be introduced and what travellers heading into the Schengen area need to keep an eye on.

In the Q&A, Matt answers your questions on:

Which type of air conditioning makes sense for a motorhome retrofit

Why a Kador bead can pull out of a Multirail and what size difference may be causing it

How to find a motorhome layout that is comfortable enough to live in without sacrificing the storage you need

If you’ve noticed yourself using campsites differently in the last few years, this conversation explains why the relationship between motorhomes and campsites is changing, and what both sides are having to rethink.

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