selling up and living in a motorhome

seperated from wife on Chrismas Eve, slept at friends until i had a bit of cash, bought a 26 foot caravan and live in it now full time. £50 a week on a camp site includes electric, move around when and where I like. Free spirit.
Loving every minute of it

can you stay permenant on sites?
 
can you stay permenant on sites?
A lot of privately owned sites have their own rules regarding length of stay etc. But I joined the camping and caravanning club, because being over 55 I can get a concession whereas they knock 30% of the price of a pitch(except for high season times) That means being on my own I can get a pitch with electric for most of the year for about £8.50. They have a policy of max 28 days, however I know of a couple of people who go off site for 1 day then start their 28 days again. They have many sites all over the country, have excellent facilities, and some sites are open all year. I do recommend them, but I dont recomend the caravan club, they are very snobby and its like bein in prison on thier sites. Having said that I very often wild camp and use small certificated sites(max 5 units) and go wherever the mood or my photography takes me!
 
if you use c&c book to find the sites that look like farms or an old bit of land that the owner did not know what to do with, usually the cheepest in the book, introduce yourself and tell them you have work in the area, your not sure for how long and would it be poss to stay. You will either get told 28 days max or yes sure, go round back of barn or behind them trees, i always pay week in advance. keeps them happy in the knoledge you not going to dissapear in middle of night owing one or two weeks rent. I have actually managed to find places where they were happy for me to work for them in exchange for my rent, as is where i am now. If they are happy and you are happy, what is there to lose.
 
I have never tried doing that. But I think that it is a very good idea. Living in a motorhome is interesting. If I have chances, I will sell everything and buy a motorhome. I can go to many places and do many interesting things with my motorhome.
 
Travel certainly broadens the mind, and importantly in this day and age the "lifeskills" you will accumalate, will set you up for life. Wish I,d started sooner, happy days!
 
if you use c&c book to find the sites that look like farms or an old bit of land that the owner did not know what to do with, usually the cheepest in the book, introduce yourself and tell them you have work in the area, your not sure for how long and would it be poss to stay. You will either get told 28 days max or yes sure, go round back of barn or behind them trees, i always pay week in advance. keeps them happy in the knoledge you not going to dissapear in middle of night owing one or two weeks rent. I have actually managed to find places where they were happy for me to work for them in exchange for my rent, as is where i am now. If they are happy and you are happy, what is there to lose.


Like your style!:cool:
 
This thread is an inspiration...I am (only?) 32 and dream of freewheeling it around Britain/Europe in my camper for years on end but I just can't find a way out of the rat race (i.e. I ain't got no cash, no house to sell, no pension....just a 50 hr a week job (teacher) and a bucket load of stress).

Any thoughts on how to escape? :) How can I sustain myself?
 
This thread is an inspiration...I am (only?) 32 and dream of freewheeling it around Britain/Europe in my camper for years on end but I just can't find a way out of the rat race (i.e. I ain't got no cash, no house to sell, no pension....just a 50 hr a week job (teacher) and a bucket load of stress).

Any thoughts on how to escape? :) How can I sustain myself?

get yourself a van(ldv convoy with transit engine)spend a little time sorting any problems out with it.geta camping cooker and a mattress and a bowl and water storage, loads of these led battery lights look a site up called
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/jobs/ and then sustain yourself.when you in europe ask about where you can bed down and work in vineyards etc.don't forget you won't needs loads of money to live unless you have expensive tastes.if you got a year then buy an ldv hitop and fit out properly completewith shower ,lighting etc and read up sites and plan a bit better.


p.s. let me know when you resign because i want to be a teacher!!!!!!! lol:D
 
Did'nt realise how maney full timers ther are:D:D hpe one day we will do it
 
Life is for living

I would love to travel full time but we only have a 1986 T25 camper and although reliable and in VG condition it is a bit small for full time. I come from a traveling background and my feet are itching all the time to be on the move.
I often feel like sleeping in the camper rather than the house but living in the western isles - it can be more than cold and the winds are at times very icy.

Perhaps one day B4 it is to late, and I am too old to drive.
 
We sold our home this week, moved out on the Wed, this is our third day, not sure what we are gonna do, my wife still works F/T, put our belongings into store, off to Northumberland tomorrow wilding for a few days, gonna take some time to decide what to do next, either F/T in the M/H or get back on the property ladder ! who knows, the M/H is fine we have all the home comforts, with very little expense compared to running a home, our gas and electric were £170.00 per month alone + sky + BT + home insurance + water + council tax + morgage etc etc, gonna see how it goes ! perhaps this is the future, put the profits of the house sale in the bank, out of reach and see how we get on. For me the thought of working silly hours just to make ends meet is out of the question, you seem to be shafted the more you do in this country now. Let you know where we end up and what we end up doing !

Tom
 
All the best with the venture buddy ,many others have done it and never looked back,like you say its rip off brittain and the more you work the less reward you get as the fruits of your future can melt away.
We could be all dead tomorrow life is for enjoying dont wait like so many others until your to old to enjoy or be able to do it.
 
I'm glad i started this thread ,didn't realise how many people were doing what i want to do thanks for all the replies
regards jarvo
 
We sold our home this week, moved out on the Wed, this is our third day, not sure what we are gonna do, my wife still works F/T, put our belongings into store, off to Northumberland tomorrow wilding for a few days, gonna take some time to decide what to do next, either F/T in the M/H or get back on the property ladder ! who knows, the M/H is fine we have all the home comforts, with very little expense compared to running a home, our gas and electric were £170.00 per month alone + sky + BT + home insurance + water + council tax + morgage etc etc, gonna see how it goes ! perhaps this is the future, put the profits of the house sale in the bank, out of reach and see how we get on. For me the thought of working silly hours just to make ends meet is out of the question, you seem to be shafted the more you do in this country now. Let you know where we end up and what we end up doing !

Tom
Go for it Tom, we did it without the security of a house sale in the bank. Even if you try it for a while it may get some of the frustration out of your system. Think it is about as close as you can get these days to living free without bowing down to the man.
Even if you just treat it as time out from the system for a while until you see what happens next, hope it goes well. We are also in Northumberland over next few days, might bump into you.:)
Regards Ian.
 
get yourself a van(ldv convoy with transit engine)

I thought about the LDV's - I used to have an LDV Pilot 1.9 - never again, used to have to hang my arse out of the window and fart to push her up a hill, instead i bought a 2003 transit (big mistake so far £££££££'s in repairs) and in hindsight, i think i should have got a convoy.....:mad:

I'll give you a call when i quit the teaching job.....lol.
 
I'll start off by saying that Betty and I have been full-timing for the last three years and we have spent about half that time in Australia and nearly a year travelling from Iceland to Morocco and all countries between. We still have a house back in Australia and would never be without a permanent base of some sort.

However, despite the apparent advantages of living in a caravan or motorhome - as you can see from all the enthusiastic encouragement in this thread - you should think long and hard before just selling everything up and hitting the road. Living in a space the size of a small kitchen places some very big strains on people and not everyone is enthusiastic about trudging to the amenities block at all hours, cooking in a tiny kitchen, and trying to get the washing dry. Best to try it for an extended time by taking long service leave or leave without pay to see how you will cope.

As I said, you get the enthusiastic responses on this thread. Reason you don't get too many negative responses is they tried it, hated it, sold the motorhome and are back living a normal life.
 
sorry chopper meant no offence and have now re read the said post and agree if you mean gypos for filth and pinching.;)

Gypsy is a race, which I belong to, and can trace back over 3000 years.
Irish travellers, are a simaler group, Gov accepted.
New age travelers, people trying to live a choosen lifestyle.
Full timers, self surporting travelers enjoying themselves
Tinkers, people who get the rest of us a bad name
Just for the record I run a business in the gem trade, and live in brick at the moment, not though choice but through nessesity
 
For me the thought of working silly hours just to make ends meet is out of the question, you seem to be shafted the more you do in this country now. Let you know where we end up and what we end up doing ! Tom

Here Here Tom, This is the reason I had to get off the planet as my dearest put's it. We have been fulltiming since New Year and it aint a bad life at all, for the first time in our lives we are doing what we want and not what somone else wants us to do, or what we feel we have to do. No regrets and a lifetime ahead (or at least whats left of it) :) to travel meet new people and enjoy the experiences that happen along the way.

Good Luck mate and please let us know how you are getting on :)
 
We'd just gone to Portugal after semi-retiring from the pub trade when our old friends from "down south", had an emergency and we had to fly back to England leaving our old bus out there. Looking forward to June when we can rejoin you gadabouts,
 
Go !

Go for it Tom,:)
You certainly will encounter setbacks.
Enjoy and make the best of it. Leave all troubles behind of you. Go for it !
With the right spirit and mind you'll make it :)
'Na regen komt zonneschijn' :confused:
Good luck, you both, and keep us informed
 

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