Living the dream ;) (1 Viewer)

Jun 9, 2016
228
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L'Isle Jourdain, 86150 France
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Just bought an Eriba FT 580
Living in Switzerland right now but we always planned to get a bnb in France and a motorhome to travel Europe. Having had a large (expensive) family it looked like it might never happen but now we're doing it.

House is bought - now we know the motorhome budget and are actively looking. Currently leaning towards a kastenwagen style but may go semi-integrated fepending on what comes up with low km and a year old. Pössl 2Win is the favourite at the moment.

In July we are touring France in a GlobeScout Globecar to make sure the kastenwagen is right for us.

I suspect I'll be asking lots of questions.
 
Jan 25, 2013
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Welcome to the madhouse - and ask away! It appears no question is regarded as daft although sometimes the answers are dubious!
Ask away.......
 

DBK

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Jan 9, 2013
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Welcome! Globecar have quite a few supporters on here. Fixed beds usually in a smallish vehicle which means compromises elsewhere but all layouts are a compromise I think. :) Very sensible to give it a trial.

I think we call kastenwagens in the UK Panel Van Conversions - or more usually PVC.

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Mel

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Oct 6, 2012
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Welcome to fun Bob

Dont forget you can only make 5 posts unles you pay £15 per year
Well worth it in my opinion


Good luck with the B & B in France

Mel & Lieve
 
Jul 29, 2014
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Had one for 5 years many moons ago. Now starting again.
Interesting that you have two plans. One running a B & B and the other touring Europe. How do the two go together as from what I have heard from B & B owners that part is more than a full time job?
Wish you the best of luck. As Mel said the £15 a year sub is a bargain given the knowledge that's here.
 

irnbru

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scotjimland

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Interesting that you have two plans. One running a B & B and the other touring Europe. How do the two go together as from what I have heard from B & B owners that part is more than a full time job?

that's exactly what I was thinking.. B n B is full time job..

One of my friends bought a small country pub thinking it to be the ideal job and lifestyle.. playing at being landlord and drinking real ale.. 18 months down the line he had a heart attack..the pub failed and he ended up bankrupt.. He's now working for Sainsbury's

Two other friends bought a Guest House in Blackpool.. that lasted two years.. they hadn't properly thought it through.. 18 hour days.. no holidays.. for little reward.. They sold up and moved to Spain and bought a cafe .. maybe the sun makes the lifestyle more attractive..? not for me thank you..

good luck @SwissBob .. may your dream come true and exceed your expectations..:)
 
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SwissBob
Jun 9, 2016
228
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L'Isle Jourdain, 86150 France
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Just bought an Eriba FT 580
Interesting that you have two plans. One running a B & B and the other touring Europe. How do the two go together as from what I have heard from B & B owners that part is more than a full time job?
Wish you the best of luck. As Mel said the £15 a year sub is a bargain given the knowledge that's here.


BnB / Holiday home. The area we are in is good for full week bookings as a holiday home from June to August but it looks like we'd only get hikers, bikers etc passing through the rest of the year so hence BnB. Even then we are estimating around 60% occupancy outside the summer months.

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SwissBob
Jun 9, 2016
228
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L'Isle Jourdain, 86150 France
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Just bought an Eriba FT 580
One of my friends bought a small country pub thinking it to be the ideal job and lifestyle.. playing at being landlord and drinking real ale.. 18 months down the line he had a heart attack..the pub failed and he ended up bankrupt.. He's now working for Sainsbury's

Funnily enough I started a brewery in Switzerland brewing real ales (Spiffing Ales Brewery - some old links about it out there). It was going really well, the swiss loved it. Unfortunately Heineken own all the pipework in all the pubs and very few would consider a non-gas line so it went tits up. However, I may have started a trend as there are now loads of craft brewers here (all do fizzy beer but what can you do?).

Needless to say, we have researched out French place much more thoroughly :)
 

CWH

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Jan 29, 2014
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Hello and welcome to the Fun
upload_2016-6-10_10-3-33.png

Best of luck with your new lifestyle(s)!
 

Meki

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May 18, 2016
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Living in Switzerland right now but we always planned to get a bnb in France and a motorhome to travel Europe. Having had a large (expensive) family it looked like it might never happen but now we're doing it.

House is bought - now we know the motorhome budget and are actively looking. Currently leaning towards a kastenwagen style but may go semi-integrated fepending on what comes up with low km and a year old. Pössl 2Win is the favourite at the moment.

In July we are touring France in a GlobeScout Globecar to make sure the kastenwagen is right for us.

I suspect I'll be asking lots of questions.
Hiya Bob, welcome to a great site, made much better by getting fully involved, sounds like you have a sound plan Stan (Bob)

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SwissBob
Jun 9, 2016
228
306
L'Isle Jourdain, 86150 France
Funster No
43,512
MH
C Class I think
Exp
Just bought an Eriba FT 580
Living in Switzerland right now but we always planned to get a bnb in France and a motorhome to travel Europe. Having had a large (expensive) family it looked like it might never happen but now we're doing it.

House is bought - now we know the motorhome budget and are actively looking. Currently leaning towards a kastenwagen style but may go semi-integrated fepending on what comes up with low km and a year old. Pössl 2Win is the favourite at the moment.

In July we are touring France in a GlobeScout Globecar to make sure the kastenwagen is right for us.

I suspect I'll be asking lots of questions.

Well that went quick. So much happened in the last couple of years. We found a viable B&B but to get it and renovate it we had to sell the Globecar :(. Never mind, didn't have time for holidays anyway.

We're now settled in a lovely part of France and about to start touring again as, yesterday, we put in an offer on a 2002 Eriba FT 580 which was accepted so back in the motorhome arena.

Anyone else got one of these? Marketed by Hymer back then and has Hymer labelled components.
 

Rob and Val

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Oct 17, 2010
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Our niece has just bought a house in St Laurs, about 75 miles east of you. Lovely part of the country. We don't know that particular model of Eriba but they do seem to be very popular in France. Happy touring!

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Mar 23, 2012
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Well that went quick. So much happened in the last couple of years. We found a viable B&B but to get it and renovate it we had to sell the Globecar :(. Never mind, didn't have time for holidays anyway.

We're now settled in a lovely part of France and about to start touring again as, yesterday, we put in an offer on a 2002 Eriba FT 580 which was accepted so back in the motorhome arena.

Anyone else got one of these? Marketed by Hymer back then and has Hymer labelled components.
How did the BnB work out financially we have 2 holiday lets but are turning one into a residenial let the holiday market seems to me to have a limited financial return. Glad to hear you have more time now though and good luck with the m/h
 
Aug 18, 2014
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Well that went quick. So much happened in the last couple of years. We found a viable B&B but to get it and renovate it we had to sell the Globecar :(. Never mind, didn't have time for holidays anyway.

We're now settled in a lovely part of France and about to start touring again as, yesterday, we put in an offer on a 2002 Eriba FT 580 which was accepted so back in the motorhome arena.

Anyone else got one of these? Marketed by Hymer back then and has Hymer labelled components.

@Barclaybasher has an Eriba but I don't know what model?

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SwissBob
Jun 9, 2016
228
306
L'Isle Jourdain, 86150 France
Funster No
43,512
MH
C Class I think
Exp
Just bought an Eriba FT 580
How did the BnB work out financially we have 2 holiday lets but are turning one into a residenial let the holiday market seems to me to have a limited financial return. Glad to hear you have more time now though and good luck with the m/h

At the risk of sounding just a bit cynical ..... running a 3 guest room Chambre d'hôtes would never be enough to live on but as a top up it's nice to have assuming the main living costs are covered by other work, pensions etc. We see so many come and go who think that they will be financially stable and soon realise otherwise. You only have to watch the new life in the sun programme , when they revisit the participants. The bars and restaurants tend to do ok but the Gites and BnBs are gone after a year or two. We also see many spare room operators who only do it to get into the system for their Carte Vitale. They will fall by the wayside as the B word happens (currently there is no minimum income requirement, after B there will be. Bye bye airbnb types).

The other thing that tends to be forgotten is the amount of effort involved. We might be flipping rooms several times a week and it's a lot of work.

We have a niche though, we are in the France Tourist Board Acceuil Velo scheme and specialise in cyclists. As the St Malo to Nice route and the Euro Velo 3 literally pass our front door we are probably here to stay :)
 

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