Hi from Suffolk

[james64]

Hi all , I've been for a full member for 18 months now (well worth it for the info gleaned so far) and not posted until now!

I'ts been my intention , for several years , to sell the bricks and mortar and use the equity/modest savings to buy/live in a motorhome full time whilst still fit and able.
I had the chance to take voluntary redundancy at the end of February last year at the age of 59 and even though it was a year too early in an 'ideal world' , I'd had enough of surviving instead of living so jumped at the chance.

A year on , the ducks are getting into line slowly but surely. If (a big ask I know) things go to plan , when I'm not looking after my elderly parents , I'll be travelling/fishing my way around the uk this time next year.

I have my list of 'needs' and 'wants' in a motorhome , and intend to visit some shows/dealers this year , but realize I'm going to have to compromise when the time comes to buy....so there may well be some questions coming!

Enjoy your weekend , spring has nearly sprung!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Hi all , I've been for a full member for 18 months now (well worth it for the info gleaned so far) and not posted until now!

I'ts been my intention , for several years , to sell the bricks and mortar and use the equity/modest savings to buy/live in a motorhome full time whilst still fit and able.
I had the chance to take voluntary redundancy at the end of February last year at the age of 59 and even though it was a year too early in an 'ideal world' , I'd had enough of surviving instead of living so jumped at the chance.

A year on , the ducks are getting into line slowly but surely. If (a big ask I know) things go to plan , when I'm not looking after my elderly parents , I'll be travelling/fishing my way around the uk this time next year.

I have my list of 'needs' and 'wants' in a motorhome , and intend to visit some shows/dealers this year , but realize I'm going to have to compromise when the time comes to buy....so there may well be some questions coming!

Enjoy your weekend , spring has nearly sprung!

Shows implies a new van, not the wisest choice, I'd suggest looking at 1-2 year old vans that have had refillable tanks and solar, maybe lithium installed by an enthusiast, saving thousands of £'s and time too.

 

[TJBi]

Shows implies a new van, not the wisest choice, I'd suggest looking at 1-2 year old vans that have had refillable tanks and solar, maybe lithium installed by an enthusiast, saving thousands of £'s and time too.

Shows can be a way of seeing lots of different layouts, features, etc. and deciding what to look for in a used van.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Very true, but so very tempting with a pocket full of dosh.

 

[james64]

Shows implies a new van, not the wisest choice, I'd suggest looking at 1-2 year old vans that have had refillable tanks and solar, maybe lithium installed by an enthusiast, saving thousands of £'s and time too.

I would be more than happy with a 1-2 yr old motorhome that fits my needs , more so if it was at a local 'good' dealer and at the right time/price. As you say , time and money!
Going to some shows/dealers is as much to find out for myself about the build quality of modern motorhome as much as anything.
From what I've read on several forums etc the build quality has taken a dive on most?! But it would be good to have a proper look
around new and used to see how they measure up.
I went to the NEC show in Oct 23 and tbh I can'y say I was overly impressed with the fit and finish of a lot I saw , so my expectations have been lowered accordingly. Crazy to say when you look at the prices today!

 

[trevskoda]

Take your time and buy what fits the bill, make sure you underseal it from day one, this includes inside door panels sill chassis annd any box sections, adds years to vans.
Good luck and welcome from Co Antrim.

 

[REC]

Welcome from another Suffolk member. Lots of threads and info on here about pros and cons of full timing.

 

[Robmac]

Sounds like a plan to me.

Good luck with it, you're only here once.

 

[marchie]

Sounds like a plan to me.

Good luck with it, you're only here once.

Naw, Rob, you and I keep coming back, time after time; I don't have anywhere else to go ...

Steve

 

[Boris7]

Hi James,

Some practical advise, we hired a motorhome before buying. 2 weeks living in it and our experience in those 2 weeks completely changed our minds and tbh saved me lots of money and heartache.

It’s impossible to tell anyone what suits them but I can assure you spend a week or two in a motorhome and you’ll work out your preferences and needs.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

We found that sitting in one for 30 minutes and pulling its practicality to bits worked well for us, basically seeing how we would use it, fault finding and looking for the parts we liked, that's how I ended up building my own, nothing in it we didn't need and everything we did, no one actually builds them that way, all a compromise to keep cost down and profits up.

 

[marchie]

Hi James,

Some practical advise, we hired a motorhome before buying. 2 weeks living in it and our experience in those 2 weeks completely changed our minds and tbh saved me lots of money and heartache.

It’s impossible to tell anyone what suits them but I can assure you spend a week or two in a motorhome and you’ll work out your preferences and needs.

Some Dealers offer a refund of the hire fee if you buy from them, so it could be a no cost option if the right Van is hired, and an avoidance of an expensive mistake if the wrong (unsuitable) one is booked

Struans at Perth had this offer last time I looked at their website, and I'm sure other large Dealerships in England have had similar offers

Steve

 

[james64]

Hi James,

Some practical advise, we hired a motorhome before buying. 2 weeks living in it and our experience in those 2 weeks completely changed our minds and tbh saved me lots of money and heartache.

It’s impossible to tell anyone what suits them but I can assure you spend a week or two in a motorhome and you’ll work out your preferences and needs.

Hi Boris ,

Thanks for the advise , It's something I've looked into briefly but not taken any further as yet. I took one look at the prices for a long weekend (let alone 2 weeks) and all the hoops they put you through and it kinda put me off. Logically though a few hundred quid could save me several thousands and the stress that doubtless goes with the realization you've picked the wrong one!

Can I ask what you hired and what experiences made you completely change your minds to buy something different ?

I've already changed my mind from originally wanting a pvc to a motorhome after my NEC visit.
I had a good look at an Adria twin pvc and just sitting in it made me realize the set up was not right for my needs.
A compact motorhome with a decent separate garage and preferably under 6.5m is now my starting point.

 

[james64]

Some Dealers offer a refund of the hire fee if you buy from them, so it could be a no cost option if the right Van is hired, and an avoidance of an expensive mistake if the wrong (unsuitable) one is booked

Struans at Perth had this offer last time I looked at their website, and I'm sure other large Dealerships in England have had similar offers

Steve

Hi Steve ,

Thanks for the info , I didn't realize that was even do-able!
Something else to look into

 

[james64]

We found that sitting in one for 30 minutes and pulling its practicality to bits worked well for us, basically seeing how we would use it, fault finding and looking for the parts we liked, that's how I ended up building my own, nothing in it we didn't need and everything we did, no one actually builds them that way, all a compromise to keep cost down and profits up.

If only I had the skills to build my own ! Thought about it a while back , but realize my limitations!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

If only I had the skills to build my own ! Thought about it a while back , but realize my limitations!

I didn't have any either, I'd helped fit a bathroom and a few sockets, it's mostly common sense and a plenty of thought before doing each task, and there is much more help now than back then.

This is one of our sister sites that you are already a member of https://motorhomebuilder.com/

 

[james64]

I didn't have any either, I'd helped fit a bathroom and a few sockets, it's mostly common sense and a plenty of thought before doing each task, and there is much more help now than back then.

This is one of our sister sites that you are already a member of https://motorhomebuilder.com/

Thanks for the heads up

A self build is still a possibility , as much to give me somewhere to sleep when I sell up and haven't found a suitable motorhome!

 

[Boris7]

Hi Boris ,

Thanks for the advise , It's something I've looked into briefly but not taken any further as yet. I took one look at the prices for a long weekend (let alone 2 weeks) and all the hoops they put you through and it kinda put me off. Logically though a few hundred quid could save me several thousands and the stress that doubtless goes with the realization you've picked the wrong one!

Can I ask what you hired and what experiences made you completely change your minds to buy something different ?

I've already changed my mind from originally wanting a pvc to a motorhome after my NEC visit.
I had a good look at an Adria twin pvc and just sitting in it made me realize the set up was not right for my needs.
A compact motorhome with a decent separate garage and preferably under 6.5m is now my starting point.

Hi James,

We hired a van about 6-6.5m long with a double bed over the cab and a make up bed in the living area, it had a reasonable sized water tank and a gas/mains powered fridge. Nice van to be honest.

But on night 1 we realised the bed over the cab was not for us, then we worked out we didn’t like turning the living area into a bed each night, and I didn’t like not being able to get up and read while SWMBO slept in, we also worked out the van wasn’t great for several nights off grid, in fact it was basically designed campsites with EHU and facilities to hand.

Next issue was needing to turn the cab seats around to be able to sit with the bed down, didn’t like that one bit.

Now remember, you may not be of the same mind, another member on here I talk to has a van that would drive me mad, but it suits them.

Little point asking someone else for your opinion James, if your going to full time then you need to get some experience under your belt first imho.

 

[Boris7]

One thought James, the club has a sister site https://motorhomer.com/ and they have lots of meet ups, there one in May in fact, you could pop along and introduce yourself and ask to look in vans that are actually being used, bet it’s a world away from new shinny ones at the NEC or in dealers car parks.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

And for full timing I imagine most peeps will need a LOT OF STORAGE.