Bulletguy

Yes i think i know the body type you mean. Quite a decent sized U shaped lounge area at the rear?

The beauty about Fords is the availability of parts in many countries outside the UK plus the cheap prices of them too! My engine is the di model so no turbo....but then 40+mpg is easily obtained which isn't bad for unladen weight of 2.5 ton! Very 'agricultural' by comparison to present day mh's....but the crudeness and simplicity makes it very functional and practical.

Once owned a BMW 3 series. Very nice car. Brilliant drive. Nice shape looks good etc. But open the side window more than half an inch when its raining and you got soaked. In my old tranny camper i can drive along in pouring rain with the side window fully down and stay dry!!

TJ-RV

I mentioned earlier that it takes some unique personal charactertics to make a good fulltimer. Here's a few of those characteristics, based on a combination of our own observations (of folks who enjoy fulltiming) and some inputs from others.

• Committed to make it work and able to make the decision to do it.
• Willing and able to part with your accumulated "stuff".
• Happy to live in a confined space, and treat the outdoors as an extension of your home.
• Free from claustrophobia and agoraphobia.
• If a couple or family, enjoy each others' company.
• Enjoy meeting other people (people at campgrounds always want to chat with their neighbours).
• Having a sense of adventure and enjoy exploring new and strange places.
• Being able to sever your roots and not spend the first couple of years being homesick.
• Wlling to learn; There are many other fulltimers (and part timers) out there who are willing to share their knowledge and experience.
• Have a sense of humour and be able to take problems in your stride.
• Have some mechanical and electrical aptitude to fix stuff when you're a long way from civilization.
• Ability to navigate to the next destination.
• Recognize and accept the road will come to an end (or a sharp turn), and be able to plan for it, but not worry about it.

As I scan down the list, I see things for which I'd check yes and things for which I'd check no. Most fulltimers are likely to check yes to them all.

I'm sure others can add to the list.

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Tom

artona

Hi

It hard to knock Tom for all the work he has put into telling people why they should not fulltime but thats not really the topic of the thread is it!!

If someone spends so long pursuading people why they should not fulltime I wonder if deepdown they really would like to do so. I sometimes wonder if we fulltimers are a selfish lot as we rarely try to talk someone into doing it - maybe we want to keep this fantastic life for ourselves.

Downsides - I will have to have a think about that for you as nothing is entering my mind at the moment lol.

You will see a common reason why people think you should not fulltime and its always financial. If you are on the treadmill of having to create wealth for some reason then fulltiming is not for you. Ask any wealth gatherer and no matter how much you have you want -------------need more, its a disease lol. I remember talking to a fellow golfer who could not afford a holiday. Sell one of your houses I said - but the tax would kill me he said. He was 65 and owned over 300 houses with an average value of £200 000 but what a weight he carried on his back.

As to the old age illness bit well the British Govn will still look after you, they really will. Might sound a dreadful idea - expecting to be a burden on the tax payers health system but I reckon we might just have put enough into it to qualify.

stew

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Don Madge

Hi Stew,

I know a few of my generation that retired in the early 80's got 17% on the savings and lived a good life in the van. They now live on their state retirement pensions.
They now have nothing left except the van.

I know of one couple (they are in Portugal at present) that have no tax/insurance, can't drive back to the UK cause the van won't make it. They plan to present themselves to the social services at Dover once they figure out how to back to the UK.

In the town of Tomar there use to be a very cheap municipal site (less than a £1 per night) where a couple of English gentlemen spent their last days , when they died they were buried in the local cemetery and left their vans to the locals who had befriended them. So if anybody on here remembers Tomar in the early 80's they will know who I'm talking about.

Don

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One Stop Motorhome & Caravan Bookshop

paul&stella

What a facinating post - I'm supposed to be stripping the dresser and have just left it outside covered in caustic soda because I couldn't stop reading this!
It also reminded me of 5 years ago when we bought a villa in Turkey - we could hardly wait to get out there permenantly and had clear visions of life living in the sun without a care in the world. We even had our UK house under offer before we saw sense!
5 years on we have a very different view and, in fact, the villa is now for sale and when it sells we will buy a motorhome. I can't see us full-timing, we do love our home in SE England and we have learnt that, at the end of the day, theres no place like home. But after reading these posts I would be happy to go off for a month or two knowing that the brick built home is waiting for us.

Don Madge

Hi Paul & Stella,

Where's your villa in Turkey? we are regular visitors in the winter with the van.

Don

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One Stop Motorhome & Caravan Bookshop

paul&stella

Its in Yalikavak on The Bodrum Peninsular. Theres no doubt about it that its beautiful, rather like the rough Cornish coast with pine forests. The villa is beautiful too, 3 storeys, private garden, fabulous views and,most importantly, not on a complex - fully furnished for £143.000 if anyones interested. I think,for us, its just a matter of 'been there, done that' and feel a motorhome will give us more freedom and variety. Time will tell!

dazzer

Hi Don.

We have a villa in Turkey also its between Fethiye and Calis and we rent it out if anyones interested.

If your looking at the winter im sure I could sort out a really good price and its even got offroad parking for the MH!!

Drop me a PM if you (or indeed anyone else!!!) is interested. 10% discount for Funsters!!!

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Dazzer

Don Madge

Your right about freedom with the motorhome. We usually follow the med coast down as far as Anamur for three months starting mid Jan. We have toured the Bodrum peninsula but only in winter when it is peaceful.

In the last 25 years we have visited most counties in Europe and there is no better way of seeing them than in a motorhome.

Our favorite watering hole is Oludeniz, it's very peaceful on the Lagoon before the resort starts jumping up and down.

I hope the sale goes through quickly and you get cracking with the motorhome.

Don

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http://www.vicariousbooks.co.uk/
One Stop Motorhome & Caravan Bookshop

Jim

We went to Oludeniz 25 years ago, there were only a few buildings, all single storey and very basic, and the main road was made of dust and sand. There was one hotel by the lagoon but I forget its name. What a great place. In the last 20 years, given the rising popularity of Turkey I bet it looks a little different now.

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Blue Skies
Jim
A good traveller has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu

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