Motorhome Matt

Motorhome sales are rising in the UK, so why are dealerships closing, restructuring or struggling to make money? And could the traditional way we buy new motorhomes be about to change?

Motorhome Matt and Keith Gooden examine the financial pressures facing the UK motorhome industry, from expensive stock finance and rising overheads to changing customer expectations. With new registrations reportedly up 8.5%, is demand really the problem, or has running a motorhome dealership simply become a much tougher business?

Matt speaks to the MDs of Tottington Motor Company, M5 Leisure and Bristol Caravans at the NEC. They share contrasting experiences of the market, including difficult part-exchange valuations, the cost of stocking new vehicles, strong campervan sales and owners spending thousands upgrading their existing motorhomes rather than replacing them.

One major development is Trigano's new Atom Motorhomes brand, which sells directly to customers instead of through traditional dealerships. Could this approach bring better prices, and who takes responsibility for servicing, warranty repairs and aftersales support? We hear what dealers think of the model and why some are reluctant to get involved.

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A £12,000 discount on a new motorhome sounds tempting, but what happens if you realise six months later that you've bought the wrong van? Motorhome shows bring together hundreds of vehicles and attractive deals, but rushing a decision could leave you seriously out of pocket.

With the Motorhome & Caravan Show at the NEC upon us, Motorhome Matt and Keith discuss seven costly mistakes to avoid when buying a motorhome at a show. From going in with a fixed idea of the perfect layout to getting carried away by discounts, Matt explains why slowing down could save you money and disappointment.

Why should you look at motorhomes above your budget? How do you properly test a layout before committing? And why could buying from a dealer hundreds of miles away cause problems when you need warranty repairs? We also tackle payload limits, driving licence requirements and the importance of returning for a second look, including Matt's experience helping a couple narrow down a shortlist of 33 motorhomes.

In our Motorhome Finance Fact or Fiction feature, Steve Blake from Motorhome Finance explains whether you need to find your ideal motorhome before applying for finance, and how understanding your borrowing options can help when visiting a show or dealership.

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

- Can you safely carry a spare gas bottle in your motorhome garage, and what could it mean for your habitation check and insurance?

If you're planning to buy or upgrade your motorhome, listen before committing to a show deal. The right layout, dealer and practical specifications could matter far more than the discount on the windscreen.

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A campervan conversion can look beautifully finished, but how do you know the seats are installed safely, the payload still works in the real world, the conversion meets the right standards, and the company will support you if something goes wrong?

Motorhome Matt and Keith Gooden are joined at the Newark show by Tom Heeney from Landseer Campervans, Dan Douglass from Out and About Campers and Peter Vaughan. They examine the checks buyers should make before committing to a campervan conversion, including type approval, crash-tested seating, installation standards, usable payload, water ingress, warranty support and the reputation of the converter.

They also tackle some of the mistakes buyers make before a conversion has even started, from choosing the wrong base van to assuming a familiar vehicle badge guarantees the quality of the conversion. The discussion finishes with electric and hybrid campervans, including the Kia PV5, range expectations and the practical challenges converters face as the market changes.   

Our new Blokes Breakfast event takes place on Saturday 10 October at That Leisure Shop in Chelston, Wellington. It’s a free ticketed event, with Dan Trudgian joining Matt to talk about health, wellbeing and how buying a caravan changed his life.

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If you’re choosing a campervan converter, sourcing a base van or considering a used conversion, this is the conversation to listen to before you commit your money.

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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.

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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:

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:

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:

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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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.

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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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Why are used motorhomes still so expensive when some of them are already several years old? Matt Sims and Keith Gooden look at what is keeping prices high, how the rising cost of base vehicles and conversions feeds through to the used market, and the financial pressure sitting behind some motorhome dealer forecourts.

The conversation gets into stock finance and curtailment payments, why unsold new motorhomes can become a serious problem for dealers, and what buyers can do to get a better sense of who they are dealing with before handing over a substantial amount of money. Matt also draws on his own experience of running a motorhome dealership and explains why he has chosen not to sell new motorhomes today.

We also tackle what happens when the temperature climbs and your motorhome has no air conditioning. From portable air coolers and roof-mounted systems to under-seat and cab-based options, we look at the choices, the costs involved and an important warning about reflective blinds and acrylic windows in very hot weather.

Electrical safety comes up too, after a listener asks about using a simple socket tester to check a home or campsite hook-up. Then there’s a question from an e-bike owner trying to choose the right rack for a Citroën Relay, including weight limits, wider tyres and the extra strain caused by bumps and ferry ramps.

There are a few less obvious ownership questions as well: do wheel covers really help protect motorhome tyres from UV damage, is it worth carrying a spare number plate when travelling abroad, and how can you insulate acrylic windows and roof vents for winter without sticking Velcro everywhere?

And for anyone looking ahead to a heavier motorhome, we discuss C1 entitlement, reaching age 70 and the uncertainty around possible future 4.25-tonne licence changes.

Lee Davey also joins us for the Alan Rogers Campsite of the Month, taking us to Camping Las Dunas in Catalonia, a large resort-style campsite with its own beach, pools, water slides and plenty to explore beyond the site.

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Devon Conversions has been building campervans since the 1950s, but after closing in 2025, the long-established name could easily have disappeared. Instead, it has a new owner, a fresh start and quite a challenge ahead: how do you modernise a traditional campervan brand without losing the loyal owners who made it what it is?

Motorhome Matt talks to Steve Fairbairn, the new owner of Devon Conversions, about what happened when the business closed, why he decided the name was worth preserving and what comes next. With customers returning for their fifth and sixth Devon campervans, there’s plenty Steve doesn’t want to change. But attracting a different generation of buyers means the familiar Devon formula can’t simply stand still.

Keith and Matt pick up that question afterwards as we look at the wider shift towards van conversions and micro campers. Is the market moving away from traditional caravans, and what does the changing mix of buyers mean for manufacturers and dealers?

There’s also some striking industry news. Matt and Keith discuss Brownhills reporting a pre-tax loss of £961,000, compared with a £1.22 million pre-tax profit the previous year, while Grantham’s Caravans is moving in the opposite direction. What might these contrasting figures tell us about the state of the motorhome and caravan trade?

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There’s a lot changing in the campervan and motorhome world, and Devon’s return is a fascinating example of the balancing act facing the industry. Join Matt and Keith as they look at what’s worth preserving, what needs to change and what owners need to keep an eye on.

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