Hi to all of you!!

[Wes]

Greetings from Wes and his better half Sarah, from not so sunny Leeds!!

I've looked around some websites and landed here, as I've found the threads very interesting and you seem a thoroughly decent and knowledgeable bunch. Which is handy, as we would be very appreciative of your advice and experience.

This is a pre-emptive move as we don't intend to buy our first motorhome for some months to come. We are complete beginners (yet again, my sincere appologies to the very patient old hands!), in our late twenties/early thirties, and finally decided to bite the bullet and go for it! Were letting out the flat to cover the mortgage, leaving the our respectable and OH SO RUBBISH jobs and intending to spend a year (at the very least!!) thoroughly exploring this beautiful island of ours from top to bottom, with a stint in Ireland and maybe bobbing over to the continent for a while if we bottle it over the winter. We are passionate outdoors people and I'm an experienced wildcamper of the tent variety. However with motorhomes - not a clue (a motorhome will be comparative first-class luxury for me!!. )

I want to be as prepared as possible before we head off, so I would really appreciate any comments and advice. We are both really looking forward to it - it is our dream.

How difficult would one year (potentially considerably longer) Motorhoming the UK be (60/40 split between wild and site camping)?? Please feel to comment or message - you could really help us make it a success!

Great to meet you all, and we lookforward to contributing ourselves and joining The Gang.

All the best!!!

Wes

 

[mark e]

Welcome from Wales. Cant comment on fulltiming for a year, you lucky things you, but good luck with it. I have had my motorhome for 6 months or so and been away for a couple of weekends so far, and use it for a run every weekend. The 2 things that have happened so far is
1. ive bought a gennerator
2. I need a new leisure battery.

Like you i was a tenter, then bought a caravan (hated towing), bought a tent and gadjets again, kept them in the trailer on the bottam of the drive and a motorhome now !

You'll learn as you go on, but you'll get more replies from everybody else.

 

[wildman]

Hi Wes and Sara, welcome to the group. Fulltiming, great we spent 18 months in a converted furniture van 20 odd years ago, the choice of van will be slightly different, you will almost certainly require a solid fuel stove, wind generator, solar panels etc to make sure you are self sufficient. Blown air heating a diesel fuel eberspatcher is probably your best bet but you still use 12v or 24v to power the fan. You will need to use propane rather than butane, it is cheaper and has a much lower freezing point. If you intend getting adventurous in the winter you may need to think about a 4 wheel drive or carrying a winch. do you intend to buy a ready made or convert one yourself? for full timing a larger van will most likely suit you so will to take another car/motorcycle/pushbikes so you can pop into town for supplies. TV must of course be LCD and all light bulbs LED's, anything to cut the amp hours used and ease the drain on batteries. Talking of which a bank of leisure batteries, all same size, type and age are a must for full timing. Work out what you need to run and also how you are going to keep the batteries charged. Good luck. Do keep us informed of progress.

 

[Hazy-thoughts]

Hi Wes and Sarah, Good luck with your dreams.

My wife and I are about to sell our house after quite some time planning and preparing to do the same. Around these shores for the first year or so, and then who knows.

 

[Belgian]

Hi Sarah and Wes,
Fullfill your dreams, just go for it. I should have done it 30 years ago. This site is a goldmine of good advice, take advantage of it.
If you got tired of the UK ; here on the continent we surely will welcome you.
Good luck

 

[cipro]

You lucky people and brave we are still useing our van for hols and w-ends away plenty of mix bunch here wild campers only, split between the two, people with self build, new vans etc. Me self have one yr old van 4 birth plenty of room for two all the bst catch u soon

 

[lenny]

Good on ya, Wes and Sarah, just ask away, no matter how trivial you think the questions may be, I'm almost certain you'll get the answers you need(others will learn from them as well), as we have a very kind, knowledgeable bunch on here

PS Good luck on your venture,we're rooting for you

 

[Trevor]

Hi Wes and his better half Sarah welcome to the site and good luck to you both.

 

[Wes]

Great stuff everyone - thank you for making us feel so welcome!!!

And thank you for the guidance - already I have plenty to mull over and plan.

I'll be sure to keep the site updated with our progress, and I'm afraid I'll have to continue to pester and quiz all you wise sages of the wildcamp world as I go along

All the best to you all - see you on the road!

W