Full time Motorhomer?? (1 Viewer)

[Goldenoldies]

Hi,
My wife and I are very very tempted to sell our house and live in a Motorhome. Has anyone else taken such a drastic step and if so how are you getting on.
We have done a bit of research and think me know which Motorhome would be suitable for us (we are both early sixties and quiet fit).
Any advice from you guys including any pitfalls would be very much appreciated.

 

[Gromett]

It's working out great for me. I only know of one person who tried it and it didn't take. I meet quite a few fulltimers on the road and they all seem to love it.

I will leave it for others to give you advice as I am a solo fulltimer with no commitments. However I did sell my house after the first year.

 

[Hollyberry]

I so want to be a full time motorhome dweller! You need a contingency fund and plan for if the vehicle gets damaged/ needs repair etc.. but apart from that I can't see any problems for me, woman alone with 2 dogs and 2 cats.
Next trip is 3 weeks up to ferry (can't decide whether to go west coast of France or cross country to Calais) then New Forest, Wiltshire, Shrewsbury Show, Malvern Show, Welsh National Eisteddfod, see a bit more of Wales, then autumn back down through France to Spain & Portugal for the winter.

Please someone buy my house.......

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[Colin and Jaen Andrews]

fulltming

Go for it - we sold up and went for it 4+ years ago and love it - you make it what you want - loads of advice on here - if you asking question guess you want to just make the plans that suit you - look at plenty of motorhome layouts and think all day in the rain like we have been having and read the other post about fulltiming in the rain - we love it x

 

[laneside]

We have just done it so are not qualified to give advice except that you both need to be of the same mind, do not force the other partner to do it if they have doubts

One thing is for sure if you do not try it five years on you may well be kicking yourselves for not trying


The very best of luck

Alan and Lynda

 

[maz]

Hi,
My wife and I are very very tempted to sell our house and live in a Motorhome. Has anyone else taken such a drastic step and if so how are you getting on.
We have done a bit of research and think me know which Motorhome would be suitable for us (we are both early sixties and quiet fit).
Any advice from you guys including any pitfalls would be very much appreciated.

I sold up and went fulltiming just over a year ago. Still enjoying it and have no inclination to return to a fixed abode.

Layout is very, very important when you're living in a van fulltime. Things you could put up with for a week's holiday can become major irritations otherwise. Eg. is the shower large enough to use without hitting your elbows when you want to wash your hair?

Good storage space and a good payload are also pretty important factors.

My advice would also be to go for as spacious a van as you can. If you have plenty of room to move about in you are less likely to go stir crazy in bad weather.

One pitfall is that your motorhome insurance will cost quite a bit more if you live in it fulltime - there seems to be only one company (Comfort) that offers genuine fulltiming insurance.

Another pitfall can be difficulty in getting mail delivered when you're moving around ......

But nothing too terrible really.

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[scotjimland]

Hi,
My wife and I are very very tempted to sell our house and live in a Motorhome. Has anyone else taken such a drastic step and if so how are you getting on.
We have done a bit of research and think me know which Motorhome would be suitable for us (we are both early sixties and quiet fit).
Any advice from you guys including any pitfalls would be very much appreciated.

Hi

have a read in the full timing forum.. It is one of the most asked questions ..
there are literally dozens of threads and hundreds of posts all about the lifestyle.

Lots of good advice about insurance, working, medial, health, finance, rent or sell house , etc ..

for the record we did it for three years.. we enjoyed it but it wasn't for us .. We are now back in a house.. and glad to be so ...

 

[stcyr]

We sold up in august 2009. We've lived in our MH ever since and wish we'd done it years before. :thumb:

 

[gorsty]

we sold up whent to the USA and bought over there and spent 13 months between canada and the states great time now back in the uk brought are rv with us and now we start touring uk this year then europe next vantastic :thumb:

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[Malcolm Bolt]

Selling up - a step too far

Hi,
My wife and I are very very tempted to sell our house and live in a Motorhome. Has anyone else taken such a drastic step and if so how are you getting on.

I don't have the bottle to 'sell up' So we moved into our son's house and rented out ours. This means we still have a base (we slept there twice last year) and a good monthly income which supplements my pension, allowing us to spend most of our time in warmer climes.

It gives me piece of mind to know that if/when my health gives out we will have somewhere to live in UK even when the weather is like it has been recently.

 

[Goldenoldies]

Few worries!

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. We are both up for doing this but only way we could afford it is to sell our home and would never get back on the property ladder. We have this money tied up and would just like to enjoy it.
It is such a big step, but sure if we dont bite the bullit we will regret it.
Do you spend the winters abroad. Is it warm enough in a Motorhome if you do want to be in it for the Winter? Is it the good life, must be some downfalls!
Maybe we are just thinking about it too much and just need to get on with it. We have spent months living in our VW camper and loved it.

 

[Pikey Pete]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. We are both up for doing this but only way we could afford it is to sell our home and would never get back on the property ladder. We have this money tied up and would just like to enjoy it.
It is such a big step, but sure if we dont bite the bullit we will regret it.
Do you spend the winters abroad. Is it warm enough in a Motorhome if you do want to be in it for the Winter? Is it the good life, must be some downfalls!
Maybe we are just thinking about it too much and just need to get on with it. We have spent months living in our VW camper and loved it.

I sold up in 2007 and have been fulltiming ever since. I have no regrets and nor do I have any hankering for bricks and mortar.
I expect I'll have to come off the road one day, but I'll worry about that when it happens.
I winter in one place in Spain with the odd trip out. Discounts for long stays make it good value, and of course a good social life with many like minded friends.
You'll only ever know if it's for you, if you try it.

Pete:Cool:

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[Goldenoldies]

Go for it!

We have got to do it. I just know we will regret it if we dont. Winters in Spain sounds good to me.
Thanks Pete.
Regards Dave

 

[scotjimland]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. We are both up for doing this but only way we could afford it is to sell our home and would never get back on the property ladder. We have this money tied up and would just like to enjoy it.

That was our thinking and what we did in 2006 .. but lived to regret it.. renting out and living on the proceeds means you can travel indefinitely and still have a house to go back to..

Fulltime is cheaper than house living but not cheap.... not knowing your finances I can only advise to rethink and do a spreadsheet for fulltime living .. you may be surprised how much money you need..
From our own experience and what other fulltimers say, you will need at least £12k per year .. and that is minimal.. no fancy meals out or extravagant spending.. £15k would be comfortable.. travel is expensive so if you don't have enough money you may end up living in on a site and not doing the 'dream' .. How long will the proceeds of the house sale last?

My advice is Do the 'dream', but have an exit strategy... it's a lot easier to sell up and go than to get back .... good luck whatever you decide ...

 

[Goldenoldies]

Finance

We would have the money from sale less the cost of a bus and then we do have an income so we should be ok.
At least we would be able to afford to travel. We now have the security of our paid for home but not a lot of money to enjoy ourselves. Just seems such a waste.
Regards Dave

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[scotjimland]

We would have the money from sale less the cost of a bus and then we do have an income so we should be ok.
At least we would be able to afford to travel. We now have the security of our paid for home but not a lot of money to enjoy ourselves. Just seems such a waste.
Regards Dave

I fully understand what you say .. So how about downsizing the house to a one bed flat which you can rent out, buy the bus and live on the combined incomes... as a bonus you'll have some capital in the bank as a contingency fund, and when you give up you will have a way back .. plus some capital..

Bear in mind you will need a UK address for insurance, driving license, etc ..

 

[rainbow chasers]

Main points you will need;

Address to use for paperwork etc. Yours, a sibling/child etc.

Income source - pensions, part time work, etc etc If you are able, you can always have an internet based business that can travel with you.

Way out if you need to - you will be far comfortable if there is an escape route just in case, use it wisely - this can be a savings account with enough funds to get you going back in suburbia.

When it comes to vehicles, you have to choose wisely!! Moreso than if you were just camping.

You need one large enough to be comfortable, but small enough to use to go to the shops, and afford to run it doing so - a car would be a useful addition, but can hike up site fees!!

A Classes have 'zones' which are good for extra space, but don't forget you will be having to drive and park it for your daily running around!

Most improtantly, don't be a hero - be comfortable! You meet many fulltimers who get 'Grid Fever' which starts when they realise how little they can get by on comfortably by full timing. It then gets worse, as they cut back more and more until they are totally unplugged from the grid and set off on a self sufficiency drive - all very well, but this is when they start struggling and it becomes less cost effective in the long run.

Electricity costs £2 a day, so use it - you'll spend more running generators and the like, and won't have as much benefit!

Do it, you won't have any regrets if you do it right!:thumb: