Pros and Cons of Fulltiming

[SapperUbique]

For all the full timers out there,what do you think is the best and worst of our chosen lifestyle?
For me the best is freedom....
The worst is endless rainy days,and all the difficulties that raises,especially with a dog.

i started my MoHo journey to Spain in Dec, do 90 in 90 days out
The best is turning up at a pub open mic play my guitar then only have to walk outside to my bed!!
the worst was when i returned in March first night it snowed, leared very quickly there are 2 types of red gas bottles, one only lasted 2 weeks.
did 50 days Scandinavia now completing 40 days Spain.
have planed a 12 day drive back visiting school mates Military friends even doing and open mic near Bordeaux. what a life
stay safe everyone

 

[Nesting Zombie]

i started my MoHo journey to Spain in Dec, do 90 in 90 days out
The best is turning up at a pub open mic play my guitar then only have to walk outside to my bed!!
the worst was when i returned in March first night it snowed, leared very quickly there are 2 types of red gas bottles, one only lasted 2 weeks.
did 50 days Scandinavia now completing 40 days Spain.
have planed a 12 day drive back visiting school mates Military friends even doing and open mic near Bordeaux. what a life
stay safe everyone

Great post,
What crowd was you & your friends in matey ?.
What side gas bottle you got ?. You done well in sub zero temperatures to make a let’s say 6kg bottle to last a couple of weeks ‘IF’ used as PRIMARY Heat & Cooking

 

[trixie88]

Great post,
What crowd was you & your friends in matey ?.
What side gas bottle you got ?. You done well in sub zero temperatures to make a let’s say 6kg bottle to last a couple of weeks ‘IF’ used as PRIMARY Heat & Cooking

good to see your still around zombie....hope you are well and the van is ok and not having too many problems...miss reading your very ineresting posts....take care.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I second seeing you post again NZ How am ya?

 

[trevskoda]

Yep more post please, was that an ex horse box, please dont say nay lad nay.

 

[SapperUbique]

Great post,
What crowd was you & your friends in matey ?.
What side gas bottle you got ?. You done well in sub zero temperatures to make a let’s say 6kg bottle to last a couple of weeks ‘IF’ used as PRIMARY Heat & Cooking

old Sapper, dont really cook just beans noramally so dont use oven, yes 6kg bottle

 

[JQB]

Full timing

Well it does take a long time to get used to a camper from the start doesnt it. In the third year of my full timing, I was still getting used to how to do things easy considering the technical boilers, heaters etc. Ventilation is one of the most important things, and keeping the bed dry etc through a long winter, but I got mine well sorted now with various diy remedies, I now get no damp nor condensation, (only the screen maybe mornings), even though its a PVC, and enjoying the total freedom it gives. Bit cheesed off with the costs or repair costs of some units like the webasto air top 2000, damn stupid putting such expensive gear on a camper..........my sister spent £40,000 or so on a Swift 6 berth, and sold it a few months later because she could not get used to it, dah..........steve Bristol

A 12 volt heated blanket = dry bed on cold wet foggy days.

 

[JQB]

Thank you for that,
My philosophy is
'If you're going to do something, Then give it 100%'
You then Fail or Succeed in relation to your efforts.
It's if you DON'T fully commit that the problems arise.
As far as Financing my Lifestyle choice is concerned, I had 10k of Savings when I Turned the Engine Key for the first time, My spend is coming out at an Average of £600 PCM over the last 18months or sbviously it varies month to month when MOT, Ins, Tax & suchlike is due, But Understand this is ABSOLUTELY TOTAL AVERAGE EXPENDITURE !.
I am lucky enough to have topped up the coffers at
Farms, Marinas & Properties Even some Painting & Decorating which I ABSOLUTELY LOVE while on my Travels on occasions during this time that has helped
tremendously. As have My Self Reliant Background & Skills.
My current status is -
The Nest is Taxed, MOTd, Insured, In good order & Maintained, With a Full Tank of Diesel + 5ltr Reserve, Full Tank of Water + 10ltr Reserve, Half Tank of Gas + Full Reserve Bottle. Genny has Full
Tank + 5ltr Reserve, My Food n Donut Cupboards are Full to Bursting (Just done a BIG Supermarket shop), My Washing is up to date & I've got the Map book on my lap to plan today's route, A Mug of Fresh Coffee on the side, Still got Money in the Bank & a Smile on my Face.
To be Absolutely honest there's only Two things that are missing in my life that would Complete me as a Man again. A Partner & a Dog, Thats honestly the only Emptyness or Negative in my life at the moment.

Just a dog, no trouble and strife!

 

[JQB]

Great post,

I would go for a dog,they're much easier to train and do as they are told.:lol-053:



hard hat on awaiting incoming from half of our members :scared:

I could go on but this is leading to a no no area innit...

 

[JQB]

yes, as far as Drying the washing goes for me, its easy I fill one of these with up to 9 - 10 hr burn Tea Lights.

Dropbox - IMAG1769.jpg

Then place it in front of my Washing machine in the Shower cubicle on the Metal floor.

Dropbox - IMAG1779.jpg


Pull down the Folding Clothes Dryer that is Fixed to the Side wall of the Shower Cubicle, & pop my clothes on it to dry, It EASILY dries them Taking the warmer Moist air out the ceiling vent. I HAVE left it to do its thing over night, But Prefer to Light the candles as soon as I park up then blow out when going to bed, Re Lighting in the Morning after turning the clothes if necessary to Finnish them off for a Cpl oh hrs while I Have Breakfast & Square away before moving off.

Dropbox - IMAG1805_1.jpg

A usb very low wattage fan is a help

 

[JQB]

This is a really good thread. I'll add our current lifestyle and experiences too.

We've only had the motorhome for three and a half years or so. We bought it in the spring of 2013 and had a couple of run outs in the UK and then when I finished work on a Friday in October we were off through the Chunnel on the Monday. Down through France and Spain and then back home for Christmas. Back down to France for the New Year and across to Spain and then over to Morocco. Back home again and after a couple of months back down to Spain and then across to Greece overland. By then we really had the bug.

Then we settled into a pattern, home for summer then travelling slowly down to Spain for winter then across to Greece for spring and then back home again for summer. So we park up on one campsite in Spain for five months or so and then travel around using aires/stellplatz/sostas/wild camping. We find now that we are away in the van for at least ten months each year and we love it. We miss the kids and grandkids, probably more than they miss us, but we keep in touch through facetime/viber etc...

Initially we had family living in our house while we were away but that didn't work out too well so when we went home this year in the summer we cleared everything out, redecorated and put the property up to let through a letting agency. We've got tenants in and so far so good. We're lucky insofar as my sister-in-law who lives a mile or so from us has given us a bedroom and lounge in her house for when we are home. So we have a UK address for the bank/credit cards/doctors/dentists/govt agencies/van insurance etc...and a base back in West Yorkshire.

But the more we do this we find there are more and more places to see! We've been inspired by other folks blogs and stories and so after we've been home for a few weeks in May/June '17 and serviced and MOT'd the van our next trip is up to Scandinavia next summer and then a slow drift back down to Spain again for the winter.

We'd talked about this kind of lifestyle before we both finished work and it was a toss up between a motorhome and an extended grand tour of the far East and south east Asia. We decided we were too old for the backpacking lark and this is the best decision we ever made. We thought at first that we would make the odd trip in the van for a couple of months at a time but this lifestyle has sucked us in!

We're not wealthy by any means but we find we can fund this lifestyle through our pensions and have a better quality of life than we could back in England. Plus we get to meet so many interesting folk as we travel around,both motorhomers and locals, not to mention the privilege of visiting beautiful places. Its not for everyone I'm sure and personal finances dictate what you can and can't do and I appreciate that. But whilst we are still fit and healthy (fingers crossed eh?) it suits us and I'd recommend the lifestyle to anyone.

Pat

What about the 90 day rule problem, that's only three months, not a winter.
I read that large numbers of French MHers go down Agadir where the winter weather is pretty good overall, less the odd earthquate.

 

[JQB]

Full timing

This is what we're going for permanent van living,we've bought what we hope will be big enough,selling the house and long term touring with trips to Europe as well as all the places in the Uk that we've always wanted to see but never could make time for.
We've been short term motorhomers for 30+years so hopefully everything will be as smooth as possible but you always have a hiccup or 2 along the way,it's good to hear that people who have taken the plunge love it as much as we hope to the wife is still a little apprehensive about it and I understand that not having a permanent base is odd to some people but I can't see why as the cost of keeping one far outweighs the benefits to me we will still have a postal address and still be registered with health care anything we haven't covered will become apparent in time and can be dealt with if you can think of anything that we might need to know please let us know thanks in advance

Don't burn your boats some say and i do agree with that. No one becomes younger and fitter, the years roll by very quickly