Selling up & moving for a life change, Plan B: buy and full-time live in a camper (1 Viewer)

[treasuredgiftsuk]

Hi Lesley

Have a look at www.insurancechoice.co.uk . Very good firm, hopefully will be able to assist

stew

Thanks Stew will check them out tomorrow. Not sent off the vehicle registration document yet so not legal in our name which could be a problem. We shall see anyway.

 

[Dafydd]

It's 3 and a half years since I joined here... working away, saving like mad and waiting for the Irish housing market to recover from its near-death experience.... so many hours of research.... and last week I sold my house for my asking price
In January I visited Alistair at SMC Newark and talked through the van I eventually chose, a Frankia. In 6 weeks time I'll be moved back to Wales and will put the order in. I am so excited... and of course experiencing so many jitters of doubt. I hope to collect the bus (I think it's too big to call a "van") in November.

I'm more or less retired now but when I was a youngster upending my life, moving country, living on a converted hippy bus... I took all these things in my stride. It feels different now that I'm an old git, kind of scary but also exhilarating. I'm in my fifties, it's now or never so I'm going to jump in with both feet. The old hippy bus (a Bedford coach called "Mother earth"!) had a wood burning stove, the new Frankia will have Alde heating. With age has come a lower tolerance for slumming it (or for spending 4 days in a Belgian motorway service station with screwed electrics...) and thankfully 30 years later I can afford not to. And whilst I hope not to repeat lying on my back in a farmyard in France trying to get the sump plug out, I do hope I will recapture some of that youthful sense of adventure.

Having read so much here and got such helpful replies to questions there's one thing I am really looking forwards to: writing a post for this forum from somewhere new, somewhere in the middle of nowhere sat in my new bus looking out the window at a never seen before landscape, with a cold beer. Maybe I will even be able to answer someone else's question or suggest some interesting place. Then I'll feel like a "real" Funster!

Thankyou Jim and all the posters who've helped guide my thinking and planning, mostly unknowingly as I've been browsing. It's been "a ride" as Bill Hicks once said. Soon for me it'll be the real thing
Dafydd

This is me on "Mother Earth" in 1986, the next time I post a picture of me in a bus I think it might look a little different:

 

[Judge Mental]

Welcome back! so what model have you ended up buying exactly....

Eddie

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[Carol]

Now that's what I call a thought about plan, sounds wonderful and wish you a smooth transition , keep us all posted I am sure it will be interesting.

 

[CWH]

Congratulations on selling your house - so much change coming your way! You sound just SO excited, it's lovely to read your posting.

That's hopefully our next move, but lots to do to our house before it can even go on the market, but with any luck we'll be following in your footsteps before too long. You've given me added impetus to get on with things, thank you

 

[Dafydd]

Welcome back! so what model have you ended up buying exactly....

Eddie

Thanks Eddie. I think the model is called "How Much?! Spit Coffee - Choke Slightly" ... only in German
I feel like I've fallen in love with a super-model who only wears diamonds... but she has fabulous solar panels and a wonderful pair of battery chargers

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[thefman]

Good luck mate have a blast ..

 

[John.]

Good luck Dafydd

I think you've got it well sorted

 

[chaser]

Oh to be 50 again, and know what I know now

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[chaser]

Good luck from me as well, keep us posted, so we can be even more envious

 

[Mr Ed]

Good luck,that's one thread i read so long ago i thought you must have given up on your plan glad you're finally getting on with it.Looking forward to reading about your progress....Martin

 

[Dafydd]

Good luck,that's one thread i read so long ago i thought you must have given up on your plan glad you're finally getting on with it.Looking forward to reading about your progress....Martin

Thanks Martin, it was just the housing crash here in Ireland that held me back. But that cloud also delivered a silver lining or two...

On the plus side I've looked at more MHs than you could shake a stick at, developed enough work projects & contacts (freelance journalism) to last more than 5 years, have all kinds of bookmarks for about 30 countries... and I have a lot more money to spend than I would have done if I'd managed to sell up in 2012... and I almost understand MH electrics

Thanks again, it's great to get a bit of encouragement

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[Dafydd]

Update for the interested & simply curious:

I've sold my house in Ireland and have now moved to Wales. A surreal saga involving the newly digitalised maps of the Irish Land Registry (undertaken by a no doubt 'cheapest bid' outfit in India) resulted in a two month delay in the completion of the sale. To make the front & rear garden boundaries match (which they don't in reality) the good map digitalisers of Gujarat created a diagonal line for the party wall inside the 2 semi-detached houses. Two months later all parties agreed that I had not in fact pushed the party wall into my neighbour's kitchen! It was laugh or cry, I managed to keep my humour. Just.

Meanwhile, over the previous year, I consolidated all my financial arrangements allowing a fund big enough to buy a new MH to my spec: rear wheel drive, garage, big payload, lpg tank, high capacity solar & batteries. Whilst this is a more expensive solution than a good quality second hand MH plus then adding the solar/electrical system and an lpg tank, the plus sides are 1) not spending several months getting all those various jobs done, and 2) the new vehicle has a fully integrated heavy duty electrical system (from heavy duty alternator, to 2 big chargers, to 360w of solar and 360Ah of leisure batteries) installed from the ground up & no worries about previous owners' modifications. And 3) I get the joy of a brand new vehicle - this is more of an emotional than a practical thing. It's the first time in my life I've ever bought a brand new vehicle. I can't justify it financially and if my budget were more restricted I would have bought a 5-10 year old MH and then taken the time and effort to have it upgraded. So the "value" of buying new (given I can afford to do so) is really a subjective and emotional one - "because I can". One factor in this life-style change of mine that I ought to declare is that I don't have any dependants - something that would, I imagine, not be the case for many others dreaming of or planning a similar life upheaval and change of direction. All of the possible risk is solely on my own shoulders.

And what is this new MH? It's an 8 metre Frankia Platin on a Merc 516 chassis with VB FullAir rear suspension. For similar, though a bit more, money the options were an N&B Flair or a Concorde Creos (both on Iveco). The integrated and high-spec (Buttner Elektronic) electrical setup nudged me towards the Frankia. And that lead me to SMC in Newark (sole UK Frankia dealers). They had already indulged me with numerous email conversations over several months and last January I was able to spend an afternoon there. Then the wait for the house sale (2 engineers and 4 visits to confirm I hadn't moved the party wall!) and in September I revisited Newark (some great pubs!) for a few days and many hours with SMC finalising the spec and then a quote with a nice discount agreed. Some minor confusions as Frankia made alterations for the 2016 models (over my 2015 brochures) and some conflicts with my specified options and then the deposit paid. Done.

I rate my experience with SMC (so far) very highly and included in the quote are some further after-sale requirements of mine such as winter tyres (Merc and/or Frankia were unwilling to supply these. SMC agreed to fit new winter tyres and keep the supplied summer ones) and hard-wiring in a dash-cam at no charge. I didn't feel too flattered, though, as I am spending an awful lot of money but I appreciated the willingness to accommodate my wishes as well as a very straight-up and transparent attitude to the discussion of various options. They also updated me about the timeline of chassis delivery to Frankia and Frankia's build-slot (another month's delay for the chassis with air suspension and then the Crimbo holiday...).

And now the wait.... until mid-March. So I'm thinking that'll be April then, having got used to the idea of unforeseen delays being, in fact, wholly predictable!. I'll update this thread with some comments on the collection and handover. Apparently I'll get a hamper of goodies!

Thanks again for all the input I've received from Funsters on this and other threads!

 

[Carol]

The only comment I can make after reading that is that you were born to Motorhome, I for one look forward to keeping up with your progress.

My quote to you from 2011, thank you for the update sounds as if you have a wonderful vehicle to do what ever you choose now. So many post get lots of feedback then disappear so

 

[irnbru]

I will be watching this thread with interest. Been humming and hawing whether to do likewise or not this past year. Still undecided. Good luck with it.

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[Judge Mental]

Nice to see your getting there....

I could happily live in something like that...Mrs M unlikely

 

[Popeye]

I have had dealings with Alistair at SMC, I think you are in good hands there. Sadly they couldn't supply my Frankia in time but they were very gracious throughout. I imagine as it's 8 metres that you've purchased the 790 Platin Plus which of course is only 20 mm short of 8 Metres, if so then you will be chuffed with the outcome. I ended up with the 850 on the Merc and I love it to bits.

All the best to you for the future,

Griff