How are you FLT's getting on?

[Jake Royd]

Just wondering how you are faring in these difficult times?
I would love to hear some journals of life as an FLT during lockdown.

I suppose all this stems from me having a boat for many years and considering (at the time) living on that.

 

[Helen Ariel]

This might get more answers in the full timer forum. We are living in the van at the moment but not truly full time as have a house though it's rented out. We are living on my Dad's drive with hook up and water etc and it's a beautiful country location so life is pretty good. Walking, cycling, bbqing is keeping us busy.

 

[Figaro]

There are lots of vloggers on YouTube sharing their experiences

 

[Innkeeper]

Were good. Been fulltiming since June last year. Spent July to Feb in sunny Spain. Came back so we could get jobs to give the van some TLC and pay for next trip.
Got jobs as wardens all sorted. Then the virus happens. Lost our job but we can stay on the site.
So ok for water, electric. So we are probably luckier than most. It's the not working and earning that a pain. But shouldn't moan

 

[Lenny HB]

Don't see what being a FLT has to do with it, the only difference is when traveling we don't like prison camps.

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[denisejoe]

Were good. Been fulltiming since June last year. Spent July to Feb in sunny Spain. Came back so we could get jobs to give the van some TLC and pay for next trip.
Got jobs as wardens all sorted. Then the virus happens. Lost our job but we can stay on the site.
So ok for water, electric. So we are probably luckier than most. It's the not working and earning that a pain. But shouldn't moan

At least you're safe, which is the main thing.

 

[PhilandMena]

I'm wilding but wont tell you where. Long live the FLT's

 

[Lenny HB]

I'm wilding but wont tell you where. Long live the FLT's

Back garden or front drive?

 

[PhilandMena]

This might get more answers in the full timer forum. We are living in the van at the moment but not truly full time as have a house though it's rented out. We are living on my Dad's drive with hook up and water etc and it's a beautiful country location so life is pretty good. Walking, cycling, bbqing is keeping us busy.

Why the full timer forum ? That's lost on me ???

 

[PhilandMena]

Back garden or front drive?

Not telling ! But I can see trees, sky and a bitch !

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[Lenny HB]

Not telling ! But I can see trees, sky and a bitch !

No way to talk about Mena.

 

[Jake Royd]

Why the full timer forum ? That's lost on me ???

And me.

 

[Jake Royd]

I was prompted by wondering if we could sell the house, live in the motorhome and be in a good position to buy the house we want (in my dreams)

 

[Helen Ariel]

And me.

This was posted in chat forum now it's in the full timers as suggested...

 

[Hellski]

Don't see what being a FLT has to do with it, the only difference is when traveling we don't like prison camps.

Morning Lenny,
I think the OP may have misunderstood the definition of FLT (Free Loading To**er) and been a genuine question to the FT (Full Time) community

Good to hear from the FT’s that have replied have somewhere and are staying safe.

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[dunnah01]

Sold up, retired and been full timing since November. Started our travels to Greece early March just in time for lockdown in France. Been wild camping in France for 6 weeks now. Not quite the original plan but listening to some of the horror stories for UK FTs I'm glad we stayed here.

 

[Kelso]

We are full timers (6years) and are currently in lockdown on the algarve in Portugal on a campsite. From the news we are hearing from the uk, I think we are very lucky to be where we are.good luck to everyone .

 

[Jake Royd]

Morning Lenny,
I think the OP may have misunderstood the definition of FLT (Free Loading To**er) and been a genuine question to the FT (Full Time) community

Good to hear from the FT’s that have replied have somewhere and are staying safe.

Yes, I was using the FLT acronym to ask about 'proper' full timers.
Of course FLT's are also part of that community.

 

[Jake Royd]

Sold up, retired and been full timing since November. Started our travels to Greece early March just in time for lockdown in France. Been wild camping in France for 6 weeks now. Not quite the original plan but listening to some of the horror stories for UK FTs I'm glad we stayed here.

That gets close to why I asked the original question.
Have you endured any hostility whilst 'out there' ?
The French , as far as I have experienced , generally are pretty indifferent to these things provided you don't upset the apple cart.

 

[Jake Royd]

We are full timers (6years) and are currently in lockdown on the algarve in Portugal on a campsite. From the news we are hearing from the uk, I think we are very lucky to be where we are.good luck to everyone .View attachment 382277View attachment 382277

Looks very sunny and comfortable.
How was the 'do we stay or do we return' dilemma for you?
I thought all visitors were obliged to return?
I guess beyond a certain date in your locality you were then 'locked in' until we can all resume travelling.

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[dunnah01]

That gets close to why I asked the original question.
Have you endured any hostility whilst 'out there' ?
The French , as far as I have experienced , generally are pretty indifferent to these things provided you don't upset the apple cart.

French have been great, only the odd car horn every few days. A few locals have stopped to check we're OK and even left a gift at Easter. Gendarmes have stopped four times now to check paperwork but no problem. They now just drive past and glance over to check we're OK and not upsetting any apple carts.

 

[JJ]

Life as a proud FLT continues brilliantly for me nestled in the hills of central Portugal but then practically I have been in self isolation for years!


JJ

 

[yodeli]

The French , as far as I have experienced , generally are pretty indifferent to these things provided you don't upset the apple cart.

☹?

EDIT Jake Royd I'm French Sir, and certainly NOT indifferent whatever the circumstances. Smileys prevent me from being angry with words.

 

[Jake Royd]

☹?

I mean as long as you are polite and discreet , all is usually well

 

[Kelso]

As we are full timers, we had no other place to go to, so they said we could stay. The Portuguese have been great.even doing the shopping for the people on the campsite. The local police said as we were fulltime motorhomers we were welcome to stay . We are both retired, so no real reason to head back to the UK as at the time most uk campsites were closed and not allowing anybody on. Although we are in lockdown, the campsite is big enough to walk around and keep the 2 metre rule..

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[Innkeeper]

Good to hear people are ok. I must say glad were back in the UK. Not for any reason but when thing go pear shape nice to be in our comfort zone.

 

[Mick Kennedy]

Our case is a bit of an odd one, which some may find interesting. It has found me stranded in the UK, but thankfully the good old Caravan and MH club came through and I’ve been allowed onto a lovely campsite at Tredegar House in Newport for Full Timers in these COVID-19 times. It’s lovely here, with friendly, helpful wardens and a great location. I am a Brit, married to a lovely Aussie lass for thirty years and the last 22 of them have been spent living in Perth, Australia. I work on an oil rig in Chad, Africa, 28 days on, 28 days off, and due to the awful commute back to Oz (I’d lose a full week of my 28 day leave waiting in hotels and airports for flights back to and from Chad) we decided to bring our travelling plans forward and not wait for retirement. So we bought a motorhome in the UK in December 2019 and since then I’d fly back to the UK via Paris, as France has daily flights to Chad, being an ex-French colony. Now it only takes 8.5 hrs instead of 3 or four days! So I’d fly into Manchester (our eldest son lives in Chester) and my wife would arrive two hours after me and we’d pick the van up, visit our ‘’lad’’ and then go a-travelling. When I’d go back on the rig, Lisa would fly back to Oz to check on our house and our 23 yr old son who still lives with us, and check on her elderly Mum. It was working well until COVID struck. I got stuck on the rig for nine weeks once Chadian airspace was closed and also Lisa couldn’t leave Oz. Eventually Chad allowed in a plane to repatriate us last Monday, so I was able to collect the van from Devon where some off-grid work was being done on it, then came here to Newport to go into quarantine. But for the foreseeable future, our marriage is by Facetime only! We’re just one case in millions of people who have had their plans blown out of the water, so I wonder what other tales of separation there are out there? Once all this is over, I heartily recommend this site to you all, if you get a chance. It’s a cracker.

 

[nicholsong]

Interesting story Mick.

Your commuting sounds like a friend of mine who was a ship's Captain on a storage tanker anchored off oilfields, firstly off Angola and then Brazil. He did 28 day commutes back to his 'home', a sailing boat moored in Greece near mine then. Boat is still there but he has come 'ashore' to Cumbria and now skippers a pleasure steamer on Lake Windermere, so now has no commuting problems.

Our only family separation is also Australia where my OH's son has been working for 4-5 years as a chef in Brisbane. He and wife had planned to move back to Poland in June, but now on hold and his catering company have stopped operations so he is out of work and burning money. He could have taken one of the last flights out of Sydney but because of travel restrictions they could not get from Queensland to NSW. Australia seems to be easing up so maybe they and your wife will be able to leave in near future, if the airlines decide it is commercially viable to operate again. On Flight Radar 24 Qatari and Ethiad seem to still be flying, at least in European direction.

I know you said campsite is good, but it cannot be much fun in a MH without your wife. Sod's law is flights from Aus will not start until you are back in Chad, but with glut of oil maybe production will be suspended before then.

Good luck with it all.

Geoff

 

[Mick Kennedy]

Ooh, skippering a pleasure steamer on Lake Windermere sounds like a nice little number - I'm jealous. Not as many day trippers for him at the mo, though. The drilling campaign has shut down, Geoff, at least for six months, I'd say, so if travel restrictions are lifted sooner than that (???!!) we should be able to have a good old tour around before work interferes again. But yeah, lonely without my better half, for sure. She makes everything better. But staying on theme a bit more about how Full-Timers are faring, after I'd picked up my van from Devon and was heading to Newport, I stopped off at a Spar garage to top-off with LPG and grub before going into isolation proper, and when I came out of the store two stony-faced cops were waiting for me, armed with pistols! The guns weren't drawn of course, but it was shock to see a normal bobby with a weapon on his belt along with the torches and batons and sprays and handcuffs myriad other mysterious stuff they seem to be accoutred with these days. I'm used to arm cops in Oz, but it did seem odd in dear old Blighty, I must say. Anyway, they quizzed me on who I was and where I had come from and where I was going, but once I'd established my bona-fides they relaxed and were as nice as ninepence. They even apologised to me, but apparently their suspicions were heightened by a lone male driving the vehicle way off its home turf and also 'cos a male was driving it and it's registered in my wife's name (easier for her as an Aussie to import it to Oz later on, when we're done in Europe). Anyway, good to know our lads in blue are on the case, but also a cautionary tale for any other folks who think an unnecessary jolly in the van may go unnoticed...................