If you’re considering transporting your motorhome, there’s more to it than simply choosing a shipping company, you also need to ensure that your motorhome is prepared for transport.
Owning a caravan or motorhome comes with responsibilities, and there are many rules and regulations to follow. Before you turn over your motorhome to a transport company, you must take time to check that the vehicle is safe enough to be shipped, as well as ensure you don’t run into any problems or violations of transport codes that could cause delays.
Here’s a brief guide to preparing your motorhome for shipping.
The Interior
Inside your motorhome or caravan, you should ensure that:
- Loose items are removed, including hanging objects such as pictures, frames, mirrors, wall clocks, etc.
- Gas lines and power supplies are disconnected, and all appliances are turned off.
- All doors, cabinets, cupboards, and windows are closed and secure.
- The refrigerator has been cleared out and cleaned, and the freezer is defrosted to prevent leaks.
The Exterior
On the exterior of the vehicle:
- Make sure that all cargo doors, pop-ups, and chains are securely fastened
- Check to see that all the vehicles lights are working correctly, especially brake lights, parking, indicator, and turn signal lights.
- Make sure that any of the slide-outs are secured.
Mechanical Components.
- Make sure that the hitch and tow bar are correctly in place and are securely fastened.
- Examine the motorhome's fluid levels to check for leaks. The four main fluid levels that you should examine are the engine oil, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, and coolant.
- Examine the battery to see if its volt/amp gauge is within the necessary and required range.
Motorhome Safety Components.
- Check that parking and service brakes are fully operational. Many motorhomes will have air brakes, so be sure to examine the air pressure.
- Inspect the tyres to check that the air pressure is adequate and there is enough tread.
Additional Advice.
- It would be wise to get a duplicate set of keys to give to the shipping company, and keep a set for yourself.
- If you have any specific instructions or preferences, ensure that the shipping company knows ahead of time to prevent any miscommunications.
- Make sure that the vehicle has the necessary supplies. For example, if the weather is going to be quite cold along the route that it's being shipped, it might be necessary to fill up the antifreeze liquid.
- Create a list of instructions for the shipping company, regardless of the method that it's being transported with, specifically about how to turn off batteries, generators, and propane tanks. In addition, make sure that any emergency information is included, including manual overrides as relevant.
- If you have access to the Motorhome manual, then leave it or give it to the company.
Remember that, no matter the insurance that you have, if the Motorhome is damaged during the transportation process due to improperly being prepared, then the fault lies on you, not the transportation company.
It may seem a bit exhausting to do all of this, but it'll help to ensure a smooth and stress-free shipping experience.
If you’re looking for motorhome shipping costs, talk to us today.