HEALTH, DOCTOR: Within the UK, you can get treatment from any doctor or hospital by showing your NHS Medical Card or quoting your NHS Number. If you go abroad for more than 3 months, you are supposed to return the NHS Card to your local Health Authority. If you do this, make a note of your NHS number so that you can get medical treatment or re-register with a doctor when you return to the UK.

HEALTH, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRAVEL KIT: In addition to the usual bandages, plasters, medicines, pills and potions, we carry a few hypodermic syringes, needles, silk for stitching up wounds, dressings and protective gloves. Our very helpful GP gave us some of these things from his own stock and the local hospital's pharmacy supplied the rest. The E111 booklet gives advice on a First Aid Kit and Boots sell their own versions among 99 other items for travellers (www.boots.co.uk).

HEALTH, FORM E111: The E111 is obtained from any post office in the UK. Fill in your name, address, NI or NHS number and date of birth, then the issuing post office stamps it. The form is part of an excellent booklet 'Health Advice for Travellers' published by the Department of Health. It lists all the countries in Europe where the E111 will get you free or reduced-cost emergency medical and dental treatment and other countries where some free health care is possible.

The notes need careful reading: there are many bureaucratic pitfalls! We hear that photocopies are accepted in Spain, but it might be better to collect more than one E111 each, before leaving the UK. French health providers may demand that the E111 be less than one year old, although the form states clearly that it has an indefinite shelf life. In practice, for minor treatment, the doctor or hospital may want neither payment nor the E111 paperwork.

If you have to pay for medical treatment, the booklet explains how to claim the money back from the NHS on return to the UK. 'Health Advice for Travellers' also gives excellent guidance on health risks, precautions and safety for travellers as well as a comprehensive list of possible diseases and their prevention, including inoculations. Health advice is available from NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or visit the comprehensive www.nhs.uk.

However, E111s will cease to be valid throughout the EEA and Switzerland from 1st January 2006, when the current form will be replaced by the European Health Insurance Card. UK issue of these cards will begin this year, but the date and mechanism are yet to be finalised. Until the new card is available, then obtain the latest E111 leaflet from a post office, and fill in the form as usual for your personal E111, also tick the box on page 2 (if you do not intend to move house within the next twelve months). A European Health Insurance Card should then be issued automatically as soon as they are available.

HEALTH, INOCULATIONS: We maintain a full programme of inoculations including polio, tetanus, typhoid, hepatitis A, meningitis and rabies (cyclists attract dogs). All but rabies were free. Walkers should take advice about the tick-borne encephalitis injection (we went without, it cost too much). Again, the E111 booklet gives good advice on all these things. Visit www.travelhealth.co.uk and www.masta.org.

HEATING, SPACE: There are many ways of warming the small space inside a motorhome. We have an energy-guzzling 10-kilowatt gas-fired blown air heating system for instant warm-up, although a small catalytic gas heater by the door is quite adequate for a cool evening (with good ventilation and the carbon monoxide detector switched ON!). We have a 1- or 2-kilowatt electric fan heater ready for a user-friendly mains supply and, with a permanent bed, an electric blanket is left in place throughout the winter.

Diesel-powered heating systems, long favoured by lorry drivers, are increasing in popularity although they can cost over £700 as an after-fit. A typical system might use as little as 0.25 litres of diesel per hour on a 3kW setting, making it relatively cheap and convenient to run. Visit www.propexheatsource.co.uk and www.vikingmarine.co.uk.

Many European motorhomes are fitted with Carver or Truma gas-powered convection, blown-air or radiator heating; some systems can also run on mains electricity or take heat from the engine. There are several other possibilities. MMM founder and pioneer motorhomer, John Hunt, used a thermostatically controlled Dimplex greenhouse heater at night and a 230-volt, 30-watt heated electric carpet runner. Visit www.speedheat.co.uk for heated carpets.

HEATING, WATER: Hot water, one of life's essential luxuries, is not always free in the campsites of Continental Europe, so it is a good idea to have both gas and electric water heaters to make maximum use of the available energy supply. Diesel powered systems are also available and the engine cooling system can make sure there is hot water on arrival! Our motorhome was fitted with a 1.5-kilowatt, 6-gallon Atwood gas water boiler and we added, in parallel, CAK's 500W Mini Boiler with an 8-litre stainless steel tank (£150 - visit www.caktanks.co.uk) to take full advantage of non-metered hook-ups. Hot water for smaller jobs comes from a gas-fired whistling kettle or a 750-watt, 1-litre electric kettle. Budget travellers hang a black plastic bag of water on a sunlit tree.

INSECT CONTROL: The main thing is to keep insects out with a screen on the door, as well as on all the windows and roof vents. Ants once made their way up a tree, along a branch, down some leaves, across the roof, down the side and in through a vent. Sprays are available to knock out flies and ants; we burn 'Moskil' coils in a patent Japanese mosquito coil holder or heat 'Spira No Bite' tablets on a 12-volt 6-watt 'UFO' heater to eliminate mosquitoes and midges on summer evenings.

INSULATION: It's quite a skill to reduce the flow of heat into or out of the motorhome whilst maintaining good ventilation. First, buy a well-insulated motorhome and then add outer screens for the cab windows, a thick carpet, thermal curtains (we use them over the original blinds), room dividers and Velcro-fixed covers for rooflights. Taylormade of Honley fitted us with internal screens for both the cab and overcab windows to use when it's very hot or very cold. They also give privacy when we free-camp, being easily removed for a quick drive-away. Visit www.taylormade-window-covers.co.uk.

However, migrating south with the birds remains the best way for a full-timer to keep warm!

INSURANCE, BREAKDOWN: Our insurance policy has been extended to give RAC Breakdown Assistance in all the countries covered by the policy, including any additional Green Card countries. The RAC has a call centre in France and we are assured that the service can move all of our motorhome's 27 feet and 5.7 tons, including repatriation to the UK if local repair is not possible.

INSURANCE, MOTORHOME: Comfort Insurance (www.comfort-insurance.co.uk) give us 12 months' full insurance cover for 30 European countries (the expanded EU plus 5), underwritten by Norwich Union. For £12.50 per occasion, the full cover is extended to 7 more countries, including Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Morocco, for up to 120 days in any given insurance year. See wheels, how many?

Comfort have a special rate for full-timers with no settled post code (see address) and the 'News' section of their website covers many potential motorhome insurance problems fully and frankly.

Comfort Insurance do quote for full-timers, and also for some Americans. Where the 2 are in combination they would look at all the features in order to decide whether to quote, as full-timing is a more specialised situation. They look mainly for recent models when assessing new clients, although each case is treated on its merits. When looking at full-timers, they tend to select those who are taking on the venture of travelling around UK and/or Europe.

Other insurance agents advertise in the MMM, but check carefully that their policies are suited to your motorhome and your travels. For example, many restrict the length of your time outside the UK and their 'Green Card' may provide only the very minimum of insurance cover.

The following insurance advice has been provided by an Australian couple planning to motorhome in Europe: They did 4 ½ months in the UK in 2003, did another 3 months in the UK in 2005 - 8 weeks in Scandinavia, finishing off their 90 days in Germany.

Then to get insurance using the phone or internet is useless, as when they hear the accent or you input 'Australian' (or 'international licence') on the computer you get rejected. In a couple of cases they just hung up, without 'sorry' or 'we cannot help you'. Similarly with Third Party, Fire & Theft policies - if they don't do it they just hang up. Also they have timed phone calls and you can spend £3 to £4 (and your card can run out) while you are on hold for each insurance company.

If you are under 55 you can get insurance from 'Down Under Insurance' (on the web as one word) but you pay a premium, as I think they know you have nowhere else to go. We couldn't get it, being too old. Note that I have a perfect driving record in Australia for 41 years.

We eventually got insurance from SAGA in 2003 and Norwich Union in 2005, through insurance agents, and we think this was pure luck as it was a case of ringing agents until one agreed (we think without realising the restrictions on overseas visitors.)

Thankfully we have found out that even if the agent has made a mistake NU will stand by their decisions.

The insurance is still limited to 90 days in Europe at any one time, so we have to return to the UK every 89 days as a ferry ticket is cheaper than an extension (especially off season -  about £60 to £100 pound). Theoretically, we can spend 360 days in Europe per year as long as we return for 1 day each 90 day trip.

Our premium on a £6,000 motorhome with a limit of 10,000 miles per year, and when stored it is in a locked garage with alarm system, is £604 per year ($A1,500) plus extra if you want more than 90 days in Europe, travel more than 10,000 miles, (the average in UK is 6,000 miles per year), want to go to non-territorial countries (usually non-EU), eg Turkey and Morocco - and these are only some of the restrictions on the NU policy. We queried extending to 180 days and the premium was an extra £380. Note: you MUST have comprehensive insurance to travel freely through the EU countries. In the end we were happy with the £604 as it was the only policy we could get.

To try and get insurance on someone else's address or licence is fraught with danger as, if you make a claim and they see the driver has an overseas licence, they will interrogate the owner of the UK licence and they must prove they are the main driver of the vehicle. If they are not, the policy is void. Thankfully, when we renew in 2006 one of us will have had a UK licence 2 ½ years."

INSURANCE, TRAVEL & HEALTH: Endsleigh offer a full year of health and travel insurance with two packages: Europe (including any country with a Mediterranean coastline) and the Rest of the World. Most other companies put a limit on the length of the stay abroad or on the number of trips you make. Older people can be penalised or even banned! We get a 25% reduction for not having baggage insurance and can renew or extend by credit card over the phone.

The cover includes medical expenses overseas in case of illness or injury (including emergency dental treatment), air ambulance return to the UK if necessary and, if all else fails, compensation for death, an overseas funeral or shipping your body home. They may also pay the cost of your return to the UK for the serious illness or funeral of a close relative. Visit www.endsleigh.co.uk for a quote and the address of your local branch.

Jackie Naylor writes (October 2005): "I did try Endsleigh, but have now found something cheaper! I have finally taken out cover with Carefree. I went through the Camping and Caravanning Club to get it. We have only recently joined the CCC and frankly don't think we shall be using any of their sites in the UK, but it has still been a saving. I have got cover for the two of us for £208 for 183 days and this can also be used as multi trip cover. We were tempted not to get cover and rely on the  E111 ( incidentally the new plastic cards are now being issued and we have ours) but knowing our luck decided to take the extra cover."

INTERNET & EMAIL: Our laptop (see organising information) enables us to read and write emails off-line and to prepare photographs and letters as attachments, but we use internet cafés or libraries to access emails and the World Wide Web. Microsoft's 'Hotmail' provides a free email address – visit www.hotmail.com. This gives us access to friends and to a vast field of information, as well as enabling us to bank, monitor our mobile phone account and order a wide range of goods – books, bicycle parts, a laptop computer. Finding the café with a good price and equipment is also an interesting way to get to know a town and its people!

We look forward to the day when the mobile phone (or a GPRS Datacard plugged directly into the laptop) provide a cheaper alternative for travellers to email, fax, browse the web and maintain their own websites.

LANGUAGES: English is rapidly becoming the language of Europe; it is already the language of tourism: Hello, OK, Parking, Camping, Stop, WC, Good, No Problem. If the shopkeeper doesn't speak English, talk to their 12-year-old! For a second language, learn German, the first language of 100 million Europeans and useful in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Turkey. School French has limited uses, even in France! We are fluent in English, German and French, which means we can read many other languages, but using a phrase book to ask a question in (say) Swedish is no guarantee that you will understand the answer!

LAUNDRY: Most campsites have deep laundry sinks, sometimes with hot water but rarely with a plug. We started with a compact 'Easy Pressure Washer', filled with hot water and turned by hand. More recently we bought a small electric washing machine, made in Greece. Its 2kW element heats the water and a 250W paddle agitates it. Once up to temperature, it claims to wash 3.5 kg of clothes in 8 minutes – rinsing is extra!

We carry a universal sink plug, plastic pegs and bowls, a long strong washing line, a folding prop and a little carousel with 16 pegs attached (£1 from Huddersfield market) which is useful for hanging small items to drip-dry in the shower when it's wet outside. There are travel irons on the market but we don't use one, which also saves carrying an ironing board. When we need to press a business suit, we'll review this decision!

Campsite washing machines are sometimes available, but they can be expensive. Outside the UK, launderettes are uncommon and dry-cleaning always expensive.

LPG: LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas - butane, propane or a mixture of the 2) is used for heating, cooking and refrigeration in the motorhome. The gas is stored as a liquid under pressure - up to 170 psi (12 atmospheres) on a hot day - and needs a portable bottle (refillable or exchangeable for a full one) or a tank fixed to the chassis (refillable at a garage selling LPG or Auto Gas). Tank and bottle each require an appropriate regulator to ensure that the gas flows at a constant low pressure.

Butane and propane have about the same density and energy and burn at around the same temperature, but propane has a lower boiling point (-40°C compared with -1°C for butane) and can be used when it's freezing outside. Our tank fills with 45 litres of LPG, which is widely and cheaply available in the 'greener' European countries that encourage less-polluting car and taxi engines. Visit www.calorgas.co.uk.

LPG refills can be hard to find in some countries (Greece, Morocco, Scandinavia), so we added a T-piece connector ('Extend-A-Stay') to fit a grey 5 kg German propane bottle, which is the easiest to carry, refill or exchange throughout Europe. Calor bottle fittings are unique to the UK and Camping Gaz, though widely available, is expensive in its small bottles. TB Turbo (visit Lancaster or www.tb-turbo.co.uk) supply and fit a rechargeable 13 kg LPG cylinder for under £250. A remote fill kit is useful and reduces possible forecourt suspicions. A large LPG tank can also supplement petrol as the energy source for a converted engine!