Motorhome Terminology – Need Some Help?

Confused by the motorhome terminology and abbreviations that you hear on a daily basis? Our motorhome specialist insurance team has listed some commonly used terms below to try and help you out a bit.

• Aire - The most commonly used term for official motorhome parking or service points in France, may also be referred to as Aire de Service. Be aware that motorway service areas and rest stops are also called Aires, or Aire de Repos.
• Air-rides - Proprietary name for spring assisters fitted to the rear axle, said to improve motorhome handling characteristics.
• Black Water - waste from toilet holding tanks.
• Cassette toilet- A very common type of toilet where the waste is held in a removable container, which you carry to a CDP to empty, see below for more details on toilets.
• CC - Caravan Club.
• CCC or C&CC- Camping and Caravanning Club.
• CDP - Chemical Disposal Point, for emptying toilets.
• CL - Certificated Location, small sites often on farms that are limited to 5 caravans or motorhomes, open to CC members only. The Motor Caravanners' Club also uses this designation to identify sites approved by them, usually open to all motorcaravanners.
• CS - Certificated Site, as above, but open to CCC (Camping and Caravan Club) members only.
• FSH - Full service history.
• Grey Water - waste water from sinks and showers.
• GVW - Gross vehicle weight as marked on the vehicles VIN plate. It means the maximum amount the vehicle and all its contents can weigh. GVW is now usually referred to as MAM or MTPLM. It is illegal to operate a vehicle in excess of the maximum weight marked on the VIN plate.
• LWB - Long wheelbase.
• LPG - Liquified petroleum gas, comes in two types: Propane, good for all season use; butane, no good in the winter as it won't produce gas below 0°C.
• MAM - Maximum authorised mass, see GVW.
• Marine toilet - Toilet with a fixed waste holding tank, see below for more details on toilets.
• MTPLM - Maximum Technically Permitted Laden Mass, see GVW.
• MVWP - MotorVan Waste Point, a road level dump point for motorhomes with on board grey or black water holding tanks.
• PAS - Power assisted steering.
• Payload - The weight of the extra items that you can carry in the motorhome after an allowance has been made for driver, passenger, water, fuel, gas and certain other essentials.
• PIR - Passive infra-red, security device that detects heat sources.
• RV - Recreational Vehicle, used in the USA to mean any type of camping vehicle, often used in the UK to refer to the large American motorhomes.
• Silver Screens - Proprietary name for insulated covers for the cab windows.
• SOG - A forced ventilation system for cassette toilets, see below.
• TD - Turbo Diesel. The engine is fitted with a turbocharger which uses energy from the exhaust to power a turbine which forces extra air into the engine air intake. This gives an increase in power. Many diesels are fitted with a turbo as standard, those without can be fitted with them by specialist companies.
• Top Box - A, usually plastic or fibreglass, storage box fixed to the roof of a motorhome.
• Zig - Proprietary name of a company that produces caravan and motorhome electrical equipment, often taken to refer to a mains powered charger for the motorhome 12V battery