Safe and Comfortable Travel
Travelling with your caravan or motorhome and enjoying the feeling of freedom – that's what we all love. But even for the most seasoned motorhome and caravan owners, journeys to holiday destinations can be quite taxing. Long distances, endless holiday traffic jams, a 'bumpy' vehicle or concerns about thieves can put your patience to the test.
With a few simple rules of conduct, stress and risks can be considerably reduced. We've put together a few recommendations for you:
Start your journey calmly
Motorhome and caravan drivers are known for often covering long distances. 600 kilometres or more in a single day are not uncommon. Yet, no matter how used to such marathon journeys you may be, they always take it out of you, and concentration typically wanes after two to three hours at the wheel.
For this reason, you should keep a few basic rules in mind to avoid accidents, tension, or stress:
-
Take a break after a maximum of two to two and a half hours and, if needed, have a short power nap (a quick sleep of 20 to 30 minutes). This brings fresh energy for the next stage of your journey.
-
Move during your driving breaks: Stretch and loosen up, walk a few steps – even minor physical activity helps to release tension and prevent back or neck pain.
-
Drink enough. To prevent dehydration and to keep your brain alert on long journeys, it's important to drink enough while on the road and during breaks. Mineral water, tea or fruit juice are best – and coffee can be a good pick-me-up when needed.
-
Choose light snacks: While you can't really drink too much, you should avoid heavy, greasy food on long trips. Digesting roast pork, roast chicken or an XL pizza uses up lots of energy. Instead, switch to fruit, salads or light meals such as chicken breast with rice.
-
Take turns at the wheel: If several people in the group have a valid licence for the vehicle, you should take turns at the wheel in stages. This relieves pressure on the main driver and gives him (or her) a chance to relax along the way.
Motorhome: More comfort with suspension systems
Especially on long road trips or on bumpy or even unpaved roads and tracks, journeys in many motorhomes can be rather uncomfortable: loud noises, hard impacts and less than ideal handling put unnecessary strain on both drivers and passengers.
Special suspension systems can help, which can easily be retrofitted to AL-KO VT chassis and some panel van models: From mechanical front axle comfort suspension such as the ACS, to premium full air suspension like the X4 – AL-KO VT offers a suitable model for every need and every budget.
An even more pleasant driving experience is delivered by the semi-active suspension COMFORT DRIVE. It calculates the expected vehicle movement and automatically adjusts the shock absorbers in real time. This evens out potholes, bumps and cornering for noticeable ride comfort.
And to ensure the vehicle stands safe and level when parked, a hydraulic levelling system such as the HY4 with weighing function, the LevelM with its almost unlimited payload, or the brand new lightweight LevelM Pro are recommended. With all three systems, you can easily support and automatically level your motorhome at the touch of a button.
Caravan: Safe, sway-free journeys
It's just like building a house: a good foundation – in this case, the caravan chassis – is essential. That's why the vast majority of caravans run on a lightweight AL-KO VT chassis. The patented Delta trailing arm axle with rubber suspension provides excellent vibration damping. And the wide range of easy-to-retrofit plug & play chassis accessories offers even more safety and comfort.
For caravan owners, the safety trio of stabiliser coupling, self-adjusting brakes and anti-sway system ensures relaxed journeys.
Caravan enthusiasts can always keep an eye on the noseweight with the AL-KO VT Premium jockey wheel, which reliably displays the current weight.
And when parked on the campsite or at a pitch, the right manoeuvring system helps to avoid back pain, strains or parking damage – even large caravans can be precisely positioned almost effortlessly with these helpers!
Protect your vehicle from theft
You can never be 100% safe from opportunistic thieves, but at least you can significantly reduce the risk of quick theft with simple means:
For caravans, even a robust coupling lock together with a suitable 'safety ball' can prevent unauthorised access to the caravan via the coupling. Additional locks can also be fitted to the steadies.
Further security is provided by the new AL-KO VT PROSAFE wheel claw, developed specifically for caravans and utility trailers. Thanks to its multi-layer, robust design, thieves stand little chance – even with cutting tools, picking tools or drills.
For motorhomes, wheel claws can also be used – ideally combined with telescopic bars. The former prevent a quick getaway, the latter keep the driver and passenger doors closed together so they can't be opened from outside, or only with great effort.
An alarm system, grab handles on the entry doors to caravan and motorhome or reinforced window profiles may also deter some thieves looking for an easy steal. If the vehicle should go missing nonetheless, a GPS tracker can help recover it more quickly.
Store important documents securely
Even if you've done everything you can to secure your camper inside and out, important documents that you don't take to the beach or on city tours should be stored securely. A sturdy safe is ideal for this, and it can either be bolted down or bonded over a wide area inside a storage compartment in your vehicle.
Smoke and gas alarms can save lives
Whether the reported knockout gas raids, often mentioned in the media at peak travel times, are true or not – you are on the safe side with a combined gas detector. This device not only warns against so-called anaesthetic or 'knockout' gases, but also against propane and butane gases commonly used in camping.
A normal smoke detector is also highly recommended, as all caravan and motorhome owners know how quickly these vehicles can catch fire. In an emergency, just a few seconds can make all the difference for the occupants.
Transporting bicycles safely
Finally, your e-bikes, bicycles or motorbikes also need to be securely fastened. With a strong two-wheeler carrier, a practical rear garage loading system or a robust trailer, there's nothing stopping your mobility at your destination!
Please note: In some countries (e.g. Spain, Italy), any "overhanging load" – including a bicycle carrier – must be marked with warning signs. The relevant regulations are explained in more detail on the websites of ADAC.
More comfort with comfortable seating
Seating from AGUTI provides space and flexible configuration for drivers and passengers, regardless of your height or personal seating preferences – ensuring that long journeys are quick and comfortable thanks to a wide variety of adjustment options. In addition to the lateral adjustment of the bench seat, including the headrest on our Slide-Out comfort bench, each individual seat can also be moved forward. The backrest also assumes a pleasant angle. Super suitable for long distances!
ONDA: App for a smart home feeling
The apps from AL-KO VT make motorhomes smart. They are easy to use, require no specialist knowledge, and provide convenient control and monitoring of numerous functions.
For motorhome owners, smart home means: convenient checking of the gas cylinder or water tank level, battery charge status, switching on devices such as the parking heater or air conditioning from afar, or controlling the steady legs. In short: managing as many vehicle components as possible in one app – and ONDA can do just that. Whether via Bluetooth, WiFi or voice control: wireless operation is possible. You can also connect the vehicle to the cloud, of course in compliance with European data protection regulations.
