Why do we do this

[Fisherman]

Ever thought why do we do this.
Spend lots of hard earned cash on vans, fuel, road tax, insurance, maintenance, campsite fees (well sometimes), and on all of the gadgets we love to buy for our pride and joy.
Look at the lengths we go to to make things that bit better, the time we spend, the skills we acquire, and even more money we spend.
The NEC show last February was like a Lego city to an eight year old, full of all kinds of wonderful vans. From tiny we campers at massive prices, to monster winnebagos with drinks cabinets. And somewhere in between sat what we were looking for. You see that’s one of things I love about our hobby. There are thousands of different vans, millions of opinions about them, but always respect for each others choice. We don’t say look what he has bought, why the feck would anyone want a pop up roof, or how the feck will he ever park that Goliath. We simply buy what we want, and don’t question others in their choice.

Back on topic.
Well we live in comfortable houses. Central heating, double glazing, all the water and electricity and gas you could shake a stick at. So why do we coup ourselves into these we things we call vans, with hardly enough water to wash your face in, and barely enough electricity to get by.

Well we meet some really good interesting folk, who give us their experiences, advice, and their warm company, we spend the night in places we never thought possible, wee experience a sense of freedom that makes us all feel a bit younger again, we see wildlife in their domains like we never did before, we experience a sense of camaraderie and respect from most of who wee meet. Or is it the sense of limited resources when wilding, that inner feeling of self satisfaction that we have just spent days visiting remarkable places with just 100L of water and used electrify our engine and our solar panels could provide. Why does food always taste better, and even our wines are just that bit better, (even served in a plastic glass). We watch the telly on a 19 inch screen no sound bar, but we appreciate it much more due to our limitations, than our 65 inch one back home with sound bar, and subwoofer.

Why do we do this, the answer lies in our sense of adventure, that’s what makes us different from those who just don’t get it, or us.

Enjoy your van in 2020 and for as long as you can.

 

[runnach]

I personally think it is a morph of DNA throwback to the days when we were hunter gatherers ....we were nomadic and followed the seasons ,people still do overrwinter o
In Spain or the snow resorts

Re the vans and particularly with wild camping we aim to be self sufficient using AIDS like solar panels there is a motivation to satisfy maslows hierarchy of needs the ultimate self fulfilment by witnessing and being part of Mother Nature .

Some people would think us crackers the reality their urge not has strong as ours and lack the same motivation

Our leader Phil and others run their business from the campers another human need for income satisfied. But on their terms and s different view from the office window each day ..good for mental well being ..Phil has never expressed that so my assumption and would certainly be my motivation ...overall I think wilding is a throwback yet we harness technology to make it comfortable and work for us

 

[Fisherman]

I personally think it is a morph of DNA throwback to the days when we were hunter gatherers ....we were nomadic and followed the seasons ,people still do overrwinter o
In Spain or the snow resorts

Re the vans and particularly with wild camping we aim to be self sufficient using AIDS like solar panels there is a motivation to satisfy maslows hierarchy of needs the ultimate self fulfilment by witnessing and being part of Mother Nature .

Some people would think us crackers the reality their urge not has strong as ours and lack the same motivation

Our leader Phil and others run their business from the campers another human need for income satisfied. But on their terms and s different view from the office window each day ..good for mental well being ..Phil has never expressed that so my assumption and would certainly be my motivation ...overall I think wilding is a throwback yet we harness technology to make it comfortable and work for us

Some do think we are crackers. But when we show our friends the Motorhome some are genuinely surprised at the level of comfort we enjoy. But it’s not for most people. I get that, it’s not rational after all. I am just pleased that my wife and I love it. It has brought us even closer together, and that alone makes it all worthwhile.

 

[r4dent]

Forgive the "H" word, but we just send a few nights in a Hotel ( our excuse is that it was our Golden Wedding and the family joined us).
very nice hotel it was too, swimming pool etc etc

BUT we missed the van.

Explain it.. I can not. You ether understand or you don't.

 

[Fisherman]

Forgive the "H" word, but we just send a few nights in a Hotel ( our excuse is that it was our Golden Wedding and the family joined us).
very nice hotel it was too, swimming pool etc etc

BUT we missed the van.

Explain it.. I can not. You ether understand or you don't.

Don‘t try and understand it, just accept it, your nuts.
And congrats on your golden wedding anniversary.
Hope you got your old girl a special present, new solar panel, leather cover for the steering wheel, new upholstery, new set of alloys, the list is endless

 

[trevskoda]

I find that real girls will wild or camp but for a large amount it just is a no no as they must spend hrs in front of a mirror slapping on war paint ,hair nails etc and would never even answer the front door before all is correct as in looking like a doll in a box.
Some lads are the same with there well cut trousers shirts and fancy shoes,never road a m/bike ,camp with the scouts etc,this leaves us a smaller lot of folk who see more in life as it should be and not living a in the big picture showbiz life style,or should i say a pretend one.

 

[n brown]

as a kid i loved making dens , lighting fires to cook food [well , spuds and toast] sleeping out in the open, and anything that didn't involve being surrounded by 4 walls .that never goes away

 

[trevskoda]

Im not a tv fan but did watch father ted xmas show,i went through several sets of undies.

 

[GreggBear]

That was on nearly every day here trev, watched it around 5 nights on the trot! Classic comedy, brilliant.

 

[Nesting Zombie]

Choice, Convenience, Inner peace & Wellbeing, Circumstances, Life Work/Play Balance !.

 

[Farman]

I don't think there is such a thing as true freedom in this day and age. Van life for me gets me about as close as one can get to it.

 

[Pauljenny]

We were attracted by the opportunity to be entirely independent.
We'd looked long and hard at live - on canal boating until we realised the restrictions.
We full timed in a 6 metre coachbuilt for 5 years then fell in love with a semi ruin, 6 months after Management wanted a base.
We knew we could never settle down in U.K.suburbia.
Over the past 14 years, we've put roots down , here in the Algarve. The UK has changed so much and our reasons to return diminish, each passing year.
After setting up our base, we would travel 50% and overwinter, doing repairs and improvements to, " The Hovel ".
We changed the van every 50,000 miles .
Taking into account that we were saved council tax, utilities, 150 hotel nights per year,the costs of eating out ,etc , we could have given the used vans away, and still shown a profit.
We returned too Portugal for the 20 th time , in September 2018; having reduced the mileage because we'd slowed down our exploring and spent more time in dubious company, at motorhoming meets, the van was coming up to its 7th year.
We'd been talking about our future, the diesel situation, the hassle of changing vans, again, the number of d!ck heads that were making wild camping less enjoyable...
We were,( almost ), convinced that summer 2019 would be our last.
In April, 3 days before our Golden Wedding and 3 weeks before our planned departure date, Jenny got a severe case of shingles.
Game over.!
We've settled down to a new lifestyle, out here.
After 8 months off the road, Jenny is well enough to drive again.
The decision was made for us , we'll accept it.
New game on..!

 

[Fisherman]

We were attracted by the opportunity to be entirely independent.
We'd looked long and hard at live - on canal boating until we realised the restrictions.
We full timed in a 6 metre coachbuilt for 5 years then fell in love with a semi ruin, 6 months after Management wanted a base.
We knew we could never settle down in U.K.suburbia.
Over the past 14 years, we've put roots down , here in the Algarve. The UK has changed so much and our reasons to return diminish, each passing year.
After setting up our base, we would travel 50% and overwinter, doing repairs and improvements to, " The Hovel ".
We changed the van every 50,000 miles .
Taking into account that we were saved council tax, utilities, 150 hotel nights per year,the costs of eating out ,etc , we could have given the used vans away, and still shown a profit.
We returned too Portugal for the 20 th time , in September 2018; having reduced the mileage because we'd slowed down our exploring and spent more time in dubious company, at motorhoming meets, the van was coming up to its 7th year.
We'd been talking about our future, the diesel situation, the hassle of changing vans, again, the number of d!ck heads that were making wild camping less enjoyable...
We were,( almost ), convinced that summer 2019 would be our last.
In April, 3 days before our Golden Wedding and 3 weeks before our planned departure date, Jenny got a severe case of shingles.
Game over.!
We've settled down to a new lifestyle, out here.
After 8 months off the road, Jenny is well enough to drive again.
The decision was made for us , we'll accept it.
New game on..!

sorry to hear about Jenny, Paul.

but game on, and what a game you two have played.

its normally called a blinder, but thats not nearly good enough to describe you two.