Have We Done Right (1 Viewer)

Cliffy38

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Aug 29, 2013
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since 2012
Have we done right ,our new motor home is sitting on the drive ready for the off now someone told my husband what a lot of money we have invested for the next ten years ,we had to do fiancé as we did not have that sort of money (who does) anyway this person reckons what with fuel , camp site fees and the monthly repayments it's not worth the investment , now all I can say is we have not gone into this lightly for three half years we have had a much older motor home and along with our beloved 3 dogs we have had some fantastic breaks and for me especially it's where I feel at my happiest , so although I take people opinion with a pinch of salt sometimes there always that thing that twirls around my head that says have I done the right thing xx
 

Hollyberry

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Apr 24, 2011
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What price can you put on happiness?
Regular holidays, where you'd probably have to put your dogs in kennels, don't come cheap.
And as you know, in a motorhome you can go 10 miles away and feel you're away from home.

I don't drink or smoke so have no qualms keeping 2 vehicles on my one income. I reckon your friend/neighbour/relative is possibly just a tad jealous.

Enjoy your motorhome, go anywhere and everywhere you can and make lots of happy memories---can't put a price on that!

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Feb 24, 2013
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not long enough
you have done the right thing, because it is your choice, as you say you have spent time making that decision, the green eyed others may say otherwise.

personally I went down the upgrade option and couldn't justify doubling or more the value of what we already have to effectively just have a newer version of the same, but that was my choice, we are both right

probably :)(y)
 
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Apr 10, 2010
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Since Sept 2003
If you've done your research, made your decisions, like the way of life and leisure, who cares what someone else thinks? Your investment is of value to you, not him/her and presumably you haven't done this for a financial return - it's a hobby you enjoy, so crack on and enjoy it!

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MattR

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Aug 18, 2013
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Let us know in 10 years - my BIL tries to equate the cost of our van to the cost of b&bs, hotels etc. So far, it has cost us £200 a night excluding fees. So far, the wide grin on our faces as we enjoy what we do is worth far more and we've been to far more places than could be provided by static accommodation and even Mr v Careful with Money is coming around to the idea of enjoying life while you can and would like his own mh.
 
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9526

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Well we've just swapped our van after 10 years and received 10k less than we paid for it.

For 1k a year we have the following memories

Visiting the continent for 4 weeks per year (family of 4)
Camping at airshows, concerts, motor racing events
Skiing 1-2 weeks per year
Visiting the coast 10 weekends per year
Days out with full cooking/resting facilities
Christmas dinners out in the country with my elderly parents

And hundreds of other priceless memories

One life live it how you want

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CandC

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Jan 22, 2014
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Used to go with the olds! Now I have one of my own :)
You did the right thing! It's not about the investment. It's not about how much the "fuel , camp site fees and the monthly repayments" cost. It's about the decision you made to have your holiday where you want, when you want, how you want with the freedom to change your mind and go to a different holiday destination after a couple of days if you don't like the first one. It's about having a mobile picnic table with you if you go out for a run for the day. :smiley:

Enjoy it :clap:
 
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Allanm

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Jun 30, 2013
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If you bought your motorhome to make a profit, then, no, you have not done the right thing.
If you bought it to use, have fun and spontaneous trip away, then you have definitely done the right thing. The more you use it, the less you think about the cost. We have had ours for 2 years, bought it new and haven't looked back. No idea how much it cost us now......
 
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mjltigger

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Nov 12, 2014
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2012
So I think he is right. Motorhoming is an expensive hobby and if I can misquote it is a hole in the road you pour money into.

Even thrifty vanners like us spend a fortune relatively speaking on fuel insurance maintenance and the vans themselves. Not to mention upgrades and toys for the van.

Then there are rip off site fees, ferry costs, storage for some. It all adds up and for that sort of money you could have some serious sunshine beach time every year.

But....

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Nov 7, 2009
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I will bet that if you said to this jealous jerk " would you like to borrow our van for the odd weekend " he would be all over you like a rash. Your money you know what your doing forget what he said and enjoy your new van
Regards June & Dave dotsontour
 
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CWH

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Jan 29, 2014
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From November 2013
Well of course you've done the right thing.
I don't know about you, but I've spent a lot of years working and saving for the future, not actually enjoying myself. Well, the future is NOW - and when you're ready to start spending, do it - of course it's a huge investment, and a risky one, but you know whether that investment is right for you.
it's where I feel at my happiest
Doesn't that answer your question for you? We Brits are far too ready to NOT be happy and I for one have done with that - and the motorhome is part of that new commitment to having fun. (y)

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lorger

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Jul 11, 2008
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Who cares what a jealous person thinks, I bet they haven't taken in to account the resale value so if you paid £40k and sell it in 15 years for £25 that's not that much.

Anyway it's a life style you have bought not just a Vechile

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magicsurfbus

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Oct 11, 2010
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What would you rather spend the money on, care home fees? Saving for old age is all well and good, but old age is generally shit.

Before our eldest went to University we realised we had a three year gap where we could finance a new MH with an affordable loan, and we went for it. Ten years on we still regard it as one of the best decisions we ever made. If our health should ever turn so crappy that we can't drive it anywhere at least we gave ourselves the chance to do what we've done so far. We've agreed that if one of us ever becomes senile the other will read the MH travel diary and show all the holiday photos to them to try and keep the old brains cells going.
 
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MattR

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Aug 18, 2013
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We're expecting to spend around 6 weeks away this year. Rough cost of a b&b or an hotel for us would be around £120 per night plus the extra cost of eating out for every meal (£80?) - roughly £8,400 for this 6 weeks. We estimate that the same time in our mh would be less than £3,000 - about the same as a fortnight in Spain for four people. Six weeks or two? £3,000 or £8,4000? I'll stick with our 'van.
 
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Jan 10, 2013
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Still trucking and learning
We've just got back from almost 7 weeks touring Spain,Portugal, Luxemburg, France and Belgium. Hubby is a spreadsheet geek so he has kept track of all our costs (excluding depreciation and food - only ate out about 6 times anyway). He included fuel, site fees ACSI rate (only wild camped for 3 nights), channel tunnel, tolls , trips and LPG. The end result was £38 per day. This would have been significantly less had we stayed on Aires which we will next time. We'll stick with the van too. :)

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Oct 30, 2010
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Our friends go on a couple of cruises every year, other friends fly long haul to all sorts of places and posh hotels.
We would hate being thrown in a ship with hundreds of people for a couple of weeks or being stuffed into an aluminium tube for hours.
Our friends think we are a bit bonkers when we buy a new and expensive van but we just love the life style. Drifting off to wherever you happen to fancy, when you fancy and parking up overlooking some fabulous views does it for us.
Each to his own.

Richard.
 
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Gandhi

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Ignore him he's only jealous.

If you are wondering whether or not you've done the right thing here's a simple test.

Next Friday evening jump in it with the dogs, a bit of grub, your favourite clothes and a few good DVD's/ books.

Drive up to the west coast of Scotland and look for an empty stretch of road near an empty beach with stunning mountains wrapped around you with a free lay-by. When you eventually wake up the following morning set the table and chairs up outside, set breakfast out and while you wait to see if any porpoises come nosying over ask yourself again.....

"Have we done the right thing?"


And don't even get me started on empty French motorways, aires that cost pennies to stay on overlooking beautiful windswept sunny, empty beaches and a different view every day of the week for 5 weeks.

What you've basically bought into is a cruise but on land. One you can go on whenever the fancy takes you. (LMAO editing this - just read the cruise posting above me!)
 
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