Full Timing

[roadtraveller]

We are thinking about full timing in a few years time but there are a couple of questions I would like to ask, of you guys who already F/T. We will eventually have an Autocruise Motor home with a fixed bed in the rear.
1. As most fridges have very small freezers, how do you cope with meat supplies, would you buy fresh produce daily, and
2. What about Doctors and Dentists, as some places, you cannot get Dentists for love nor money. Just curious!

 

[Supertractorman]

Can I add to that

3. How do you get repeat prescriptions ?
4. Is it best to have your mail sent to a relation, and can that be used as your address for Insurances and Road Fund licences as a c/o address ?

D

 

[scotjimland]

Been fulltiming for just over a year now...

Q1. We are fortunate to have a good size freezer and do keep some meat in reserve but prefer to buy fresh..

Q2. Never had a problem getting treatments in either France, Spain or UK, only a couple of weeks ago we took Chaz (our 7 year old) to a doctor we are not registered with.. filled in a 'temporary resident ' form and was seen to immediately .. then sent to the local hospital for checks.. I hasten to add she is fully recovered.

Q3. I have mild hypertension, before leaving the UK I spoke to the doc, he gave me 3 months supply and a repeat prescription..
In Spain I presented this at the pharmacist (chemist shop) and was given over the counter but had to pay ( IIRC €20) you can claim back when you return to the uk.. but I haven't bothered , not worth the hassle..
Haven't needed a dentist yet., will cross the bridge when we get to it ..

Q4 Yes

Unfortunately being a fulltimer isn't recognised as a legitimate lifestyle.. yet..

 

[zaskar]

A great many Fulltimers (like us)are in RV's (not all, before anyone starts shouting! )
and they have huge fridge freezers so no problem.
I would have thought that most of the more modern fridge freezers would cope adequately with a small change in diet, ie more fresh food, less frozen?
This is something I've memtioned to ffiiona because we're thinking of a 5ver which has a european fridge. She didn't seem to worried about it.
As far as dentist/doctors are concerened, really you need a valid postcode. Yes, you CAN get emergency treatment but I would have thought that if you keep going back for repeat prescriptions, alarm bells are gonna ring. We're registered at the mother in laws place.
The first couple of years fulltiming, we didn't bother registering anywhere after we sold the house, but then, we went for a mobile phone after an offer in the Caravan Club magazine. They ran a credit check on us and refused us the offer. We couldn't understand why cos we've NEVER been in debt, we hate debt and havent got the bottle to cope with it so we pay cash. Anyway, it cost us £50 to find out through EQUIFAX that the resson we'd been refused is cos the "system" flagged up that we'd had no registered address for 2 years.
We thought, hell, if it can do this for something simple like a phone, what the heck could happen with more important things like docor/dentist/insurance?!!!!!!
We repidly regiistered at Mums and as far as the insurance is concerened, the RV is "stored" on the farm where we are based. That way,you are at least being "partially" truthfull with them.
Yes, I know its wrong and I REALLY dont like it but unfortunately, because of the ridiculous fanatical metality in the UK about HAVING to own your own property, the authorities will not recognise fulltiming..........YET.
Mention fulltiming to anybody in authority or insurance and you've had it!.......especially if you want to do it in over 60K's worth of RV. Ive heard that there are fulltiming policies for euro-vans available but so far, I've never seen it in black and white. Because of my HUGE mistrust of insurance companies, I wont believe its water tight till I see it written down. The best I've ever got in 8 years "out" is.......
Yes, we'll insure you, and its up to you how much you use the 'van.......BUT......if you actually tell us that the 'van is your sole abode, we will NOT insure you.
Be carefull !

 

[johnsandywhite]

Been fulltiming for just over a year now...

Q1. We are fortunate to have a good size freezer and do keep some meat in reserve but prefer to buy fresh..

Q2. Never had a problem getting treatments in either France, Spain or UK, only a couple of weeks ago we took Chaz (our 7 year old) to a doctor we are not registered with.. filled in a 'temporary resident ' form and was seen to immediately .. then sent to the local hospital for checks.. I hasten to add she is fully recovered.

Q3. I have mild hypertension, before leaving the UK I spoke to the doc, he gave me 3 months supply and a repeat prescription..
In Spain I presented this at the pharmacist (chemist shop) and was given over the counter but had to pay ( IIRC €20) you can claim back when you return to the uk.. but I haven't bothered , not worth the hassle..
Haven't needed a dentist yet., will cross the bridge when we get to it ..

Q4 Yes

Unfortunately being a fulltimer isn't recognised as a legitimate lifestyle.. yet..

:Cool: Same here. Mas y minus.

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[moandick]

Repeat Prescriptions

We've been full timing for nearly 4 years now and (due to the accident that put her in a wheelchair) Mo is totally dependant on morphine based drugs, (among others). She takes about half a bucket full a day and the other half at night.

We dare not move on to our next destination until we are assured of a 'drugs' supply - however we are always totally honest with the local doctor, dentist, etc. and so far, touch wood, we have not had a problem with repeat prescriptions.

Yes, we do keep a homebase address for our licence and Insurance but it can, and frequently does, change every six months or so as we move around the Country.

Once again with total honesty, we usually manage to get permission from a campsite where we are, or have been, to use their address as a c/o address for six months or so - and everytime we move we put in a forwarding request to Post Office to send our mail on and leave a small sum of money at the campsite to pay for mail-forwarding.

Believe me, there are far, far more fulltimers than you could ever imagine - and we have all been through the same worrying times as yourself - but there is always an answer to every challenge! (Except to the problem of where the odd sock disappears to after I have done a load of washing in the RV!)

Dick

 

[zaskar]

- but there is always an answer to every challenge! (Except to the problem of where the odd sock disappears to after I have done a load of washing in the RV!)

Dick

....and the problem of insurance? They wont accept a c/o address...... will they?

 

[scotjimland]

....and the problem of insurance? They wont accept a c/o address...... will they?

Probably not, just don't mention being at a c/o address, we made friends with the postie and let him know who we were, he drops the mail at the van

 

[roadtraveller]

Full timers

Thanks to everyone for your input, it bears some thinking about and planning, if we are going ahead with this plan. Maybe one of you should write a book about your experiences and have it published. It would help people like us, who are at the planning stage.

 

[Sundowners]

Hi
I believe that certain things should not be shouted about, just do what you need to do to make life simple, and quietly carry on with your travelling. At a guess I would say it is" difficult " to be totally above board and live in a van.
We don't know enough to write a book on living in a bus (although we did for about seven years) but if we did, there is a lot we would leave out, it's best to pass on some things around a bottle of wine!!!!!!
Nigel & Pamala

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[zaskar]

.................., it's best to pass on some things around a bottle of wine!!!!!!
Nigel & Pamala

or as they say oooop 'ere "tell em nowt, let em buy a programme!"

 

[moandick]

A book on full-timing

Go to www.the-big-pitch-guide.com - click on RV Stories and start at Chapter One!

Dick

 

[Sundowners]

Hi
While doing a google search a couple of weeks ago, I was suprised to find a comment that I had made on mhfacts forum, it was then that I realised just how public all our info is, like I said before, some things should not be shouted about. We are happy to discuss anything, but some info would be via PM.
Nigel

 

[pappajohn]

(Except to the problem of where the odd sock disappears to after I have done a load of washing in the RV!)

Dick

Their at my house. have you got mine!!!!!!!!!
john.

 

[zaskar]

Their at my house. have you got mine!!!!!!!!!
john.

ooooooo-errrrrrrrr!!!!!

What the 'ecks been going on there!

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