smee

Hi all, I have been a long time lurkur here and gleaned lots of good advice We are "full-timing" in europe, rarely stopping anywhere for longer than a fortnight and only longer if there is a lot in an area to explore. Retirement has ment that what we used to do for a few weeks a year we can now do full time. Full-Time holiday, travel, explore etc.

I have noticed that quite a few people in th uk live in a van full-time but they stay on the same site for year on end, or use it as a house and go to work everyday. Is this full-timing? Yes they are full time in a Van or full time in a field, but is that full-timing or is it just living in a van in a field, and if you are going to do that why not buy a house? at least that will be an appreciating asset. (most of the time0

So is full-timer a posh word for itinerants like Pikey/Gypo/ for those that use their van as a base to go to and from work and stay in the same place for months on end.

IMO the term Full-timer should be reserved for those that use a motor caravan for what it was designed to do, go on holiday, but do it 24/7/365.

Smee - a proper full timer

Wildman

oh dear what a can of worms, can see a lot of response to this one. Some people live in their vans for financial(or lack there of) reasons, others because it was a temporary thing that evolved. there are many living full time but getting away when work allows. We are back to putting people in boxes with labels on. I have lived fulltime, been a new age traveller, used a van as a search machine whilst changing from one location to another looking for A PERMANANT HOME. Now live in a flat in town but have a smallholding in the countryside, stay there on the odd night. Not everyone has the time or money to tour fulltime, everyone who fulltimes on sites would love to but have ties to restrict them or don't feel the need, after all living in an American RV is splendid but touring in one with the cost of fuel these days quite horrendous. So there you go my poverty stricken roots are showing a little. It can be what ever you want it to be, no boxes, no labels, no recriminations. If I could take my garden, animals and radio tower with me I might well consider fulltiming.

__________________
best wishes from Roger, in sunny Devon
"lifes journey is easier when you hear a friend's footsteps beside you"

alan and sue

Dismayed at this post thought that this site was called motorhome FUN.

billym

Smee - a proper full timer

BUT I BET MY DAD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR DAD !

P.S

Are you related to Roger Smee ?

Weekend Wanderer

Hello
I am fairly new to the website and this is the first time I have plucked up the courage to respond. I have been wanting to ask advise about living permanently in our unit (not holidaying) but feel confused now that this may be frowned on. The reason we are thinking of this option is that my husband has been made redundant and this has come at a time when I have been advised to stop working due to my health. Big problem, how do we pay the mortgage. To cut a long story short. one option is to rent the house out and live in our caravan, until my husband's situation picks up, or to take the plunge, sell the house and use the money to buy the unit of our dreams. The thought of not having a house to return to is scary - has anyone else sold their houses to do this. If, (I mean when) my husband gets work again can he go to work from sites or is this not allowed.

billym

Why not give it a try ? There are loads of people doing exactly the same thing and feeling a lot better for it. Why would this be frowned on ?
Of course you can go to work from a site.
Selling the house is a personal issue. We did it 8 years ago and have never looked back ( yet ! )

There are 5 lots of fulltimers on the site we are on at the moment. None have a house, three have kids , and all work and travel as and when.

My Life and other stuff:

Weekend Wanderer

Thanks for your reply. It is reassuring to know that others have done it. I suppose it comes down to having the courage to take the plunge. I worry about what if something happens to one of us and there is no home for the other one. Perhaps I just worry too much - we both love being out in our van and it has always been our dream.

Bulletguy

My thoughts precisely!

I'm still in full time employment, own house etc etc, but now in the process of planning an early retirement. Eventually i'd like to sell up and at least move...whether it be to a smaller cheaper property or fulltiming in a mh, i don't yet know. Not only does the planning take some time, but now due to the property market going bang, some houses are taking a long time to sell.

I'm in email contact with a mb member who has actually done this and bought a large mh to live in, though i think he may have sold his property off just before it all went belly up.

I would term this 'full-timing' though whether a person is still working or not is neither here nor there. It may be that a 'full timer' chooses to do the odd month or so of casual work whilst in the area. Does that really matter? I think not.

As you rightly say, finance dictates your lifestyle in the end.

artona

Hi

I read Smee's post last night. The whole motorhoming world knows and refers to someone who lives in his motorhome all the time as a fulltimer so what angle he is coming from who knows and to be more precise who cares!

As to the working from your van aspect if you were on holiday would you want every morning to have a fleet of vans starting up and heading off to work at 5am, diesel engines clanking away and waking you and if you have one your screeming baby!

For that reason and others is why there is a rule in place but if all you are doing is camping in your motorhome ( you might actually be living in it) and then instead of going out sightseeing you are heading off to work at a reasonable hour then I would be very surprised if you had any problem.

To the weekend Wanderer I would think through all your options. The benefits system is there to possibly help you out. Are you over 60? If so you are vulnerable. I know one couple who were in exactly the same position as yourselves and they were able to sell their house, put £100k in the bank and they got a lovely OAP bungalow from their council.

If not could you rent out a couple of rooms and still have access to your home? Just don't think fulltiming is your only option. If you fancy a few years of freedome travelling then try it but have an escape route if it all goes wrong. The fulltimers I have met where it has gone wrong are those who have been forced into it for financial reasons. Having to sell your house because you cannot afford it is not one of them,

stew

__________________
www.fulltiming.co.uk

Get a Chevy you know its the only RV way to go

smee

Some interesting responses, its easy to see which of those that did respond and found not only that the cap did fit, they were wearing it I did not wish to touch a nerve in you people especially those that want to spend a year or two touring wether you have a house or not , but if you live in a field and go to work everyday you are not full-time "holidaying" you are living in a field. If you did that in a caravan you might be called a lot of things, but full timer is not one of them.

Smee