Departure check: 15 things before you drive off

Anyone who has done a few motorhome trips knows the stories: the levelling ramps left behind on the pitch. The roof vent that suddenly starts rattling on the motorway. The fridge door that flies open on the first bend. Almost all of this can be avoided with a short, fixed routine – a departure check.

Pilots run one before every flight, and with a motorhome a fixed order works well too: first a walk around the vehicle, then secure everything inside, then the last points before driving off. The following 15 points come from the departure check in road-trip.info.

Part 1: The walk around the vehicle

The walk-around is the most important part. In the app it is called “Walk-around check (LLOD)” – meaning the very last careful look before you go. Take a minute and walk all the way around the vehicle.

1. Nothing under the vehicle?

Bend down and take a look: levelling ramps, shoes, hose, cables, toys. This point is marked as especially important in the app – for good reason. What is lying under the vehicle cannot be seen from the driver's seat.

2. Levelling ramps collected

Once you have driven off the ramps, get out again and pack them away. Ramps are easily left behind, because once you have driven off them your mind is already on the road.

3. Hook-up cable unplugged and stowed

Unplug at the power bollard first, then at the vehicle, then coil it up. Driving off with the cable still plugged in risks damage to the cable, the bollard and the vehicle.

4. Water hose stowed

At the service point in particular, the hose tends to be left lying around because you deal with something else afterwards.

5. Table, chairs and rug stowed

Camping furniture is quickly put away, but often forgotten when it stands behind the vehicle or under the awning.

6. Awning wound in

An awning that is out while driving can cause serious damage. Also check that it is fully wound in and – if your model has a lock – secured.

7. Entry step retracted

Some motorhomes warn you if the electric step is still out – but don't rely on it. A quick look is enough.

8. Outside lockers and gas locker closed

Walk past every locker and push against it once. An open rear garage or gas locker is often only noticed while driving when something has fallen out.

9. Pitch left clean

No rubbish, no bottle caps in the grass, no cable ties on the ground. That is not just polite to the next guests, it is also a good chance for a last look to check that nothing of yours is still lying there.

Part 2: Securing everything inside

Before you set off, go once through the living area. This is where it is decided whether the drive is quiet or whether something crashes on every bend.

10. Windows and roof vents shut

Open roof vents can be damaged by the airflow, open windows let rain in. Close all windows in a fixed order, for example from front to back.

11. Cupboards and drawers latched

Push every drawer and every cupboard door to check that it has latched. Otherwise the contents of a whole cupboard can end up in the aisle on the first bend.

12. Fridge latched and switched to driving mode

The fridge door usually has its own latch. The fridge should also run in driving mode: an absorption fridge is usually switched to 12 volts, a compressor fridge simply keeps running. How it works on your model is in the manual.

13. Main gas valve closed (or crash sensor active)

If your motorhome has a gas system, the app adds this point automatically. Heating while driving is only allowed with a suitable safety device, such as a crash sensor that cuts off the gas supply in an accident. If your system does not have one, close the valve before you set off. On ferries you are usually asked to turn the gas off anyway.

14. Water pump off

A running pump can move water unnoticed if a tap is leaking. One switch on the control panel and it is done.

Part 3: Before driving off

15. Everyone on board and buckled up

Sounds obvious, but it still belongs on the list: is everyone there, children and dog included? Is everyone sitting in a seat with a belt and buckled up? How many seats are approved for travel is shown in the vehicle registration document. Walking around the living area while driving is off-limits.

What else may apply

The app has a few more points that come up depending on the situation:

• Waste emptied and fresh water filled (if needed): before moving on is a good moment for grey water, the toilet and fresh water.
• Pitch fee paid: easy to forget on sites without a barrier.
• Tyres visually checked: a quick look at all tyres.
• Mirrors and lights: mirrors set correctly, lights working.
• Sat nav set to the next destination: before you roll, not while driving.
• Levelling jacks up, bike rack secured, satellite dish lowered – if your vehicle has them.
• Toilet or cassette closed and hob or oven off and covered.
• Loose items secured: anything on the table or worktop goes into a locker.

Why a list beats your memory

There is a lot going on on departure day: packing, emptying tanks, perhaps fetching bread rolls, the children looking for their shoes. That is exactly when a point slips through. A fixed list takes the thinking off your hands – you work through it instead of having to remember everything.

It also helps to split the jobs. One person does the walk-around outside, the other secures the inside. Whoever has finished says so, and only then do you set off.

The departure check in road-trip.info

In road-trip.info the departure check is a list of its own with three areas: walk-around check, inside and before driving off. The points follow your vehicle – if you have no awning, for example, you will not see that point, and with a caravan, points such as the hitch, the breakaway cable and the jockey wheel are added.

You can decide who is responsible for each area, and a traffic light shows where something is still open. The special thing: the list opens up again every morning, because the departure check is needed before every onward journey, not just once per trip. You can add your own points at any time – perhaps your vehicle has a quirk that is on no standard list.

Have a good trip!