Regrets (1 Viewer)

[scotzsue]

WE bought our first motorhome just before we retired, but it was number 5 for me, never really got to use the others as i had intended, but they were all my main transport. However, did not regret having any of them. Really making the most of it since retirement.

 

[woolsykejosh]

5 years ago at the age of 54 I was rushed in to hospital on New Years Eve, I apparently had 2 hours left before I should have gone through the door to the Grim Reaper! too close for comfort! for 2 years prior I had been yearning to upgrade my Hymer to a Winnebago. Having made a full recovery, in the following June I found my dream RV. I contemplated for a while whether to go for it or not; it suddenly struck me what I had gone through and what the consequences could have been and that did it. You are only here once and remember "Shrouds don't have pocket" so I went for it and glad that I did!
My advice is go for it as soon as you can and the world is your oyster.

 

[maison]

@Charlie
I understand the "sense of purpose" you refer to.

Before retirement my job required me to be available 24/7 and 14 hour days were not unusual. I too wondered about post retirement purpose.

So, on retirement, I set myself some different "purposes" ---

Visit a European Capital every year
Visit every "Plus Beau Village de France"
Re-learn my geography of the U.K.
Ensure we get some winter sun every year
See the midnight sun from within the Arctic Circle

Don't be afraid of "purposelessness" (is that even a word?). Just have different goals.

Good luck.

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[Rob and Val]

We bought our van only last year in the hope it would encourage me to retire. 58 now.... Problem is for me is I just cant seem too let go.................. Mad I hear you say but I have to have a purpose in life and well I suppose I like work.

@Charlie, how many people on their death bed would say "I wish I had spent more time at work"?

 

[TerryL]

Now we're on the other side - didn't buy ours until we retired, which was really a lifestyle choice. Up until then we'd tried hotels, B&B, then for a number of years rented cottages & gites. It was only when we realised how expensive those were getting that we had the idea of a M/H and realising that our jobs would provide a good pension payout we started planning, took our time and found our ideal van without having to worry about cost too much. We hadn't both fully retired at that point but once we did we were off.

However I don't think I would have gone into debt to buy one earlier and my job mean't I would not have been able to make proper use of it.

Like everybody else we've had friends and relatives pass on before their time, so our philosophy now is, do it while we can. I sometimes get quite fidgety if we're at home too long - thank goodness we're off this weekend. I'm getting stir-crazy!

 

[Photo4x4]

Do it whilst you can.

how many people on their death bed would say "I wish I had spent more time at work"?

The Grim Reaper?

Do it whilst you can is my philosophy. I'm not retired yet (self employed) and don't believe in putting things off. You will always find reasons not to do it, forget them and concentrate on the reasons why you should do it. Since getting our MH just over a year ago many people have said to SWMBO and me, 'we would love to get one, I've always wanted to have one'. Well get of your arse and do it then!

You don't have to spend tens of thousands of pounds. An older s/h MH only costs the price of a small second-hand car.

A favourite saying of mine: Procrastination is the thief of time. Edward Young, 1683-1785

Every year you put of buying your MH is another year you loose of enjoying it.

KH

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[MitchandJenny]

Having the right partner who is whole heartedly in support of the" motorhome lifestyle" is a pre-requisite in my opinion..
My lady had Cancer, requiring a double mastectomy and her lymphs out.. That "sharpens the mind" believe me !! She was given the "all clear" in 2011.. SO, we got her retired and as she hadn't travelled since her school years, we got a van and "gave it a go"..
We have visited over 12 countries since then, often staying for 3 months at a time.. And don't have a single regret ( even though all our cash is now on 4 wheels ). LIVE the dream.
Good luck to you all..
Mitch and Jenny.
PS. Look forward to seeing some of you down in Spain in Jan and Feb..

 

[Judge Mental]

We bought our van only last year in the hope it would encourage me to retire. 58 now.... Problem is for me is I just cant seem too let go.................. Mad I hear you say but I have to have a purpose in life and well I suppose I like work. Not as much as I did but Im really struggling to make the last step.
I lost a really close mate 3 years ago so of course I see there is a vulnerability as we get a bit older. I take time off when required to help my wife as she is not well but Im really struggling. I get bored in half a day. I actually feel sort of guilty if I take a week off !

I sometimes give myself a right good talking too but always go back on the promises I make to myself.

There is No doubt I will take more time off as I really enjoy it when we go away. Not sure if I can ever retire full time though.

Hmm...sound like you need to confront a work life balance..go traveling for a bit, somewhere warm

 

[Charlie]

Hmm...sound like you need to confront a work life balance..go traveling for a bit, somewhere warm

Thats exactly what we plan to do Judge... The motor-home has acted as quite a distraction in many ways. Where I used to wince when the subject of holidays came up its now met with enthusiasm. I guess there is the pride of ownership we all share and the fact its a chunk of money sat on the drive which must be used or the investment is lost. I'm looking forward immensely to the next trip into what for us is the largely unknown.

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[Judge Mental]

Thats exactly what we plan to do Judge... The motor-home has acted as quite a distraction in many ways. Where I used to wince when the subject of holidays came up its now met with enthusiasm. I guess there is the pride of ownership we all share and the fact its a chunk of money sat on the drive which must be used or the investment is lost. I'm looking forward immensely to the next trip into what for us is the largely unknown.

And your new to it..it will take time to settle in

travel certainly broadens the mind though..when I drive away from the house all my troubles left behind that's for sure..just have to learn to switch off!

 

[Photo4x4]

I actually feel sort of guilty if I take a week off !

Well I can reassure you there. Being self employed and working from home I also feel guilty if I take a day off at home and there is always the temptation to 'do something'. Now this is where the MH comes into its own. When we go away my emails go onto an auto-responder and the only people who can get hold of my by mobile telephone are my family.

I can therefore sit and relax in the MH without the temptation to just pop into my office and 'just do a bit'. I also don't have to think, 'should I be cutting the grass/painting that window sill/cleaning my truck/etc.

Wait until retirement? Never. If I did I might not get to retirement!

KH

 

[lorger]

Like most of you we have planned for retirement and hope to do it as soon as possible both still in our 40's thought. So although we plan for a long happy retirement we're enjoying ourselves as we go and have owned a MH for 8 years now waiting on delivery date for our new one next month. We took a decision a few years back and sold our dream home that I built and now live in a very nice house and mortgage free.

One guy at work gets out a measuring tape and looks at the inches on it as a life line, he is 59 and if you look at what's passes to what's still to come it's a bit of a reality check.

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[Dazzlin]

Our hopes were always to retire early, having lost parents in their 50s and early 60s. But the recession made us ask the question, what do we want and what do we NEED.
And so for us to enjoy a really early retirement we bought a motorhome.
So retire for a life of luxury living or work on, for (hopefully) a life of luxury, that is the question?

We reckon we we made the right choice.

We love it!

 

[Reallyretired]

I didn't wait till I retired. I have had a MH of one sort or another for the last 40 years. First one was a home converted VW minibus, ex Dutch army.

 

[tinkering]

They say.

That it's never to late.
They are wrong
Old age doesn't last long

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[mitzimad]

we was down in spain this year and visited an elderly cousin i hadnt seen for a few years and her words to us were she thought doing it now while we could was fantastic as no one knows what in store and waiting could see it impossible
there so much that can go wrong after the age of 50 it doesnt have to be the ultimate that you dont make it to retirement even minor illness could severely curtail what your capable of in a few years

 

[mitzimad]

They say.

That it's never to late.
They are wrong
Old age doesn't last long

im only 61 and thats so true its the not knowing makes the planning so difficult

 

[Eve]

You just have to read every comment on here!! It does just about sums life up.
I never regretted my husband literally forcing me in to M/H,my attitude was a box on wheels,such confinement .
First holiday 6 weeks in Spain,20 years later last holiday living in van.!!

It gave me the courage when he died o carry on M/H , I love this life and intend to carry on ,in Spain just travelling.spending the kids inheritance. Although not full time anymore, as you do need a base if you get seriously ill.

We always felt lucky,you hear the same old old story,if I work until such an age my pension,will be worth!!!
I have known to many people,who are just not around to enjoy it,
Life is a gift,open it and enjoy.

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[Eve]

[QUOTE="Charlie......... Mad I hear you say
I lost a really close mate 3 years ago so of course I see there is a vulnerability as we get a bit older. I take time off when required to help my wife as she is not well but Im really struggling. I get bored in half a day. I actually feel sort of guilty if I take a week off !



I have to ask this Charlie, what would you regret,if you lost the love of your life tomorrow????
Take a leap of faith.

 

[Lynne Steele]

We too had planned to downsize our house and purchase a motorhome for retirement. 12 months ago we decided purchase motorhome early in readiness, best thing we ever did. We have had plenty of time to decide what extras we needed to purchase and fit, to discover what we really need to carry with us, and what can stay behind, and have had a couple of practise runs to France, and spend our day off most weeks away in it. And our dream is sitting outside our house, waiting for the day we can go off for as long as we want, keeps me sane.
Best thing we ever did.

Lynne

 

[eddie]

Don't wait. I was 28 when we bought our first Motorhome, and I am now 55

We had three little boys then, now we have four grown men, all who have travelled all around Europe, Nick our youngest was three days old the first time he went in our motorhome.

Used it last weekend and will be away next weekend, and again a couple of weeks later and again between Chritmas and New Year, and that is just what's planned, who knows what may crop up in between?

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[Don Quixote]

In our case I/we ran away from the rat race in 2011 retiring early to our Spanish home which we bought many years back. Sold up lock, stock and barrel in the UK and started to relax in our new life.
Our Spanish neighbor in their 80's won some money and bought a motorhome, which he could not drive, so one day I made a throw away comment "if you want to sell it I will have it", some weeks later we had bought a motorhome 10 months old, not having a clue what to do.
We joined here a few days after owning it to find out the next steps and we are still learning from folk on here everyday.
Four years later I have to say I wish we had done it 20 years ago. We have travelled all across EU and worked (part time) in some places, house sat in some really nice places, met some great people/friends and some not so great people/not friends in the MH world.
This year a total of 240 days away from home.............. Great

 

[taralabradog]

Until February when we bought our MoHo we were caravanners and totally enjoying it. I have 18 months until retirement when we were supposed to buy it but found I could afford it early.
I now wish we had done it a lot earlier. We never used to go away for less than 4 nights and used to research routes for the caravan very carefully.Now we will just go even for a couple of nights because everything is so much relaxed with the MoHo from the driving to the set up and getting ready to go home or move sites.
The consequence is that we have been away a lot more this year and to a lot more sites.

 

[TUCANO]

An interesting thread, or am I just of the age to enjoy it

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[Big bus man]

I work with a bloke in his late 50's, he earns a good wage; drives a V reg vectra; works 12 hour days 6 days a week; never goes on holiday; hates shopping; would love a 1940's car but would never buy one and simply put he is one of life's moaners, he can't understand why anyone would spend 10 grand on a holiday that only lasts 2 weeks or go out to dinner when it is cheaper to cook at home..... I am sure their are many like him but if I were in his shoes and looked back on my life there would be so many regrets. I earn money to spend not to save for the kids, they can have the house when i'm gone, in the mean time they can also enjoy some of the riches I have purchased, participate in holidays etc. perhaps grow up wanting to follow in my footsteps like most son's do.
So if the bloke above wins the lottery it is to late for him to enjoy it to the full, 'When' I win it I will simply fill in the gaps of my wish list.

 

[haganap]

well to be honest, we bought a Motohome over 10 years ago when I was a spring chicken of 35, we had two kids aged 9 and 7. We went away everywhere despite being on a real budget. We spent 20k on our first van and the debt was frightening but we banked on we worked hard so why wait until we are in our 50s/60s +++. I have kids that have visited most of western europe in a MH, they have skied surfed met other similar families and given them a great grounding in life by meeting so many people. We were actively involved in Fun from the early days and I have wonderful memories of some great meets with loads of other kids whom's parents have drifted away.

I think with my oldest in week 8 of training to be a Grenadier guard and the other getting ready for Uni motorhoming and travel and meeting people from all different walks of life has really helped develop them in to fine young men. Most of all they look back at the meets, holidays and short weekends away with really fond memories.
So I know this won't be read by many young ones thinking about it but if you can, do it before life passes you by. Going away now with just Nikki and I is really different but I am so lucky and blessed to have wonderful motorhoming friends to play with now.

enjoy it whatever age you are but remember, don't leave it on the drive, make sure you turn those wheels throughout the year and get the most you can out of it.

 

[Marvic]

well to be honest, we bought a Motohome over 10 years ago when I was a spring chicken of 35, we had two kids aged 9 and 7. We went away everywhere despite being on a real budget. We spent 20k on our first van and the debt was frightening but we banked on we worked hard so why wait until we are in our 50s/60s +++. I have kids that have visited most of western europe in a MH, they have skied surfed met other similar families and given them a great grounding in life by meeting so many people. We were actively involved in Fun from the early days and I have wonderful memories of some great meets with loads of other kids whom's parents have drifted away.

I think with my oldest in week 8 of training to be a Grenadier guard and the other getting ready for Uni motorhoming and travel and meeting people from all different walks of life has really helped develop them in to fine young men. Most of all they look back at the meets, holidays and short weekends away with really fond memories.
So I know this won't be read by many young ones thinking about it but if you can, do it before life passes you by. Going away now with just Nikki and I is really different but I am so lucky and blessed to have wonderful motorhoming friends to play with now.

enjoy it whatever age you are but remember, don't leave it on the drive, make sure you turn those wheels throughout the year and get the most you can out of it.

Reading your thread .shows you have been wounderfull loveing parents . and deserve .lots more hols. Marvic

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[makems]

Regrets?
I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention.

 

[kglblue]

We decided not to wait, we took out a huge, for us, loan £18k and bought our dream van, then we both worked all hours and paid off a 5 year loan in 2 years. We then part ex'd and took out another loan to buy a £30.000 van which will be paid for next year. We have both retired and when the van is fully paid for, we will use the money freed up to travel, we have already done much of France
( but a huge country and plenty more to see) and some of Germany and Holland. We plan to travel extensively in Europe with our two dogs, we can't wait. Having a motorhome is the best thing ever. People tell us we are lucky, having a nice motorhome, but it wasn't luck it was a lot of hard work. We both worked for 75 years between us and earned good pensions so our retirement is better than average, but believe me it was a long long hard slog.
Talking of France, the news from Paris is dreadful and I have to say there are some misguided and very dangerous people out there. My sympathy is with the French people and though I call myself a pacifist against war and violence, I hope the French war planes blow the perps to Kingdom come.

 

[dabhand]

I was in my thirties when I bought our first Motorhome about 20 years ago, didn't pay a fortune for it, but I chose to buy a good quality older van, did the same when I traded up in 2003. Now on our third, have been all over the place, France and Spain many times, Switzerland, Morocco and Portugal not to mention many, many places in UK and Ireland, we go away whenever we can, even staying on a car park in Southport with many other funsters, sheltering from the rain in Wetherspoons (for three days!) they are without doubt the best purchases I have ever made (that's motorhomes not funsters!)

Why wait until retirement, if you can afford one, even an older one I urge people not to wait. When I started there were few people of my age travelling about in Motorhomes I love the fact that now, you see many more younger people with small children living the life, they are not retired but enjoy, with their families, the freedoms afforded to them by owning (and using) a Motorhome.

It's a great way to meet new and interesting (plus a few dull and boring) people, and make new friends, and a great way to stay in places you wouldn't normally stay. Would recommend it to anyone.

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