Living in a motor home

Jackie Ward
Jackie Ward Forum Participant Posts: 1
edited March 2016 in Motorhomes #1

Can any boby tell me if they permantly live in a motor home and if there is any pit falls to doing this.

Comments

  • TanyaandMick
    TanyaandMick Forum Participant Posts: 139
    edited March 2016 #2

    http://www.motorhome365.com/forum/ & there are books to support and shape thoughts on the reality of full-timing

    i hope this helps

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #3

    Can any boby tell me if they permantly live in a motor home and if there is any pit falls to doing this.

    One major breakdown or one minor road traffic accident and you are homeless. 

     

  • triky auto
    triky auto Forum Participant Posts: 8,690
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2016 #4

    Can any boby tell me if they permantly live in a motor home and if there is any pit falls to doing this.

    Write your comments here...Having to return to the U.K for M.O.T  !!

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #5

    Brother is full time MH resident.  Summers in Eastern Europe, winters in Sicily, he's living his dream at over 70 years old.  He doesn't have a house in the UK and comes to UK for 2 weeks each year for MOT and doctors appointment etc..

  • Doug n San
    Doug n San Forum Participant Posts: 92
    edited March 2016 #6

    We are not full time but half and half, 6 months away and 6 months at home. we have been doing this for 16 years and it many good points.

    No big heating bills in the winter, this pays for the diesel there and back.

    Getting away from UK winters is good for your health

    Lower cost of living in Spain and Portugal

    If and when it getsto much age and health wise we still have a bolt hole back in the UK.

     

    Horses for coarses.

     

  • ScaniaMan69
    ScaniaMan69 Forum Participant Posts: 75
    edited April 2016 #7

    Did it for eight years, and would do so again no bother. 

    When it's off the road, you need a plan - eg a local site with a static to hire or a good friend! 

    Russ

  • golly79
    golly79 Forum Participant Posts: 205
    edited April 2016 #8

    is it not true that the insurance is different ? we want to do this when we retire 

  • Motorhomist
    Motorhomist Forum Participant Posts: 29
    edited May 2016 #9

    Can any boby tell me if they permantly live in a motor home and if there is any pit falls to doing this.

    I've been touring for a few months now in Southern Europe as do lots of locals.

    once you have filled up & emptied tanks, cupboards and fridge a few times its as routine as living anywhere else. 

     

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited May 2016 #10

    i thnk the OP was more concerned with organising various insurances, mail management, bill paying, health issues etc than topping up the larder...Wink

    like Doug n San we are away for about 35 weeks a year, usually includes two long 12 week(ish) breaks. we still have a house and currently have no need to change the 'management' of our lives to stay away as we do....

    it may be that we will be for (even) staying longer tours, but selling up and living full time is a lot different than just being 'away' for a long while.... 

    Mick's suggestion to checkout motorhome365 should provide plenty of answers.....and, perhaps, more questions.

    good luck...

  • Motorhomist
    Motorhomist Forum Participant Posts: 29
    edited May 2016 #11

    They didn't ask that. 

    I live in mine and based my reply on personal experience. 

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2016 #12

    They didn't ask that. 

    I live in mine and based my reply on personal experience. 

    sorry, that was just my interpretation of the op...Happy.

    ...the 'pitfalls' they asked about (to me) meant more to do with leaving their former life behind, rather than whether they got used to 'physically' managing to 'survive' in their van, though, as you say, this is still a perfectly valid part of the change....Happy

  • Motorhomist
    Motorhomist Forum Participant Posts: 29
    edited June 2016 #13

    ........ suggestion to checkout motorhome365 should provide plenty of answers.....

    Just seems to be mostly a group that want to spend winter in Spain amongst expats in prison camps and don't even bother asking what motorhome to buy there as they just say whatever they own except for one fool who suggests a caravan
    and pick up truck.

    Write your comments here...

  • Motorhomist
    Motorhomist Forum Participant Posts: 29
    edited June 2016 #14

    They didn't ask that. 

    I live in mine and based my reply on personal experience. 

    sorry, that was just my interpretation of the op...Happy.

    ...the 'pitfalls' they asked about (to me) meant more to do with leaving their former life behind, rather than whether they got used to 'physically' managing to 'survive' in their van, though, as you say, this is still a perfectly valid part of the change....Happy

    I quoted the part I wished to reply to in my post, didn't know I should reply to every point. 

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #15

    "Can any boby tell me if they permantly live in a motor home and if there is any pit falls to doing this."

    i dont think there were many 'parts' to this qustion, merely an appeal for the pitfalls of living in a van full time...

    i answered with those i thought were relevent, regarding the changes one might have to make to any current living arrangements.....you suggested this

    "once you have filled up & emptied tanks, cupboards and fridge a few times its as routine as living anywhere else"

    which, of course is perfectly relevant but might equally apply to a three or four week stint away as going full time.

    however, if you (personally) are living (or considering living) full time, perhaps the OP should list 'grouchiness' as one of the pitfallsWink

  • Gordon Craig Powell
    Gordon Craig Powell Forum Participant Posts: 54
    edited July 2016 #16

    is there such a thing as an "average monthly cost" to living in a motorhome? I'm still on the treadmill but am hoping this will be a way off it! Am thinking:-

    30 nights at @ £15 per = £450

    Travel no more than 400 miles per month = £100

    Annual running repairs/tyres etc.. = £150

    Insurance = £50

    Food = £300

    So realstically a £1500 per month should give us some headroom... am I way off?

    Ignoring depreciation of course.. 

  • triky auto
    triky auto Forum Participant Posts: 8,690
    1000 Comments
    edited July 2016 #17

    Craig ,you figures don't really represent a true figure !!

    Annuall running costs---Depends on how much you would have used the vehicle otherwise.

    Insurance---would be covered anyway as normal.

    Food ---you would have to purchase anyway ,at home or abroad..

    The travel has to be proportioned as to how much you would have done anyway ,U.K or E.U.

    Then again ,,,are you recieving any pension or investments income? this could set of the costs considerably too.

    Many "vanners" tour  for many months,winter and summer,U.K and E.U .It's not just the expenses of touring full time ,but a lifestyle enhancing experience too.Good luck and ENJOY  !! Pete. 

  • Gordon Craig Powell
    Gordon Craig Powell Forum Participant Posts: 54
    edited July 2016 #18

    Well there sort of real, on the basis of not wanting to compare against anything else as for example I probably drink far more coffee 'because' I work :-) just interested in how much it averages out to be in motorhomers experience.

    I read a cracking blog of a young couple doing Europe in a year in a 2nd hand panel van conversion for less than £10k... amazing.. good on them!!!

     

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
    1000 Comments
    edited July 2016 #19

    craig, it doesnt matter specifically about the numbers, they will be different for all of us....

    however, your fixed costs of servicing, insurance etc will be as they would in you were using the van on a holiday-only basis...

    similarly, your 'housekeeping' budget can be ported across...

    when we are away for months at a time, we just use our normal figures for managing the mobile household..

    of course, if you are selling up at home, you wont have those fixed costs still to cover....like we doSad

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