A rookie thinking about fulltiming

[Rookie Phil]

Negligible... nothing like as much as for my hairdryer!!

No never use regular levellers. It takes less than a minute to level the vehicle.

Hydraulic leveller - brilliant! Hairdryer - not so good. Bald as a coot!

 

[Rookie Phil]

Phil, do bear in mind that if you raise the bed up it could make it difficult to get in/out which may or may not be pertinent to your medical situation.

Thanks, Mel. It's not an agility issue (I'm super agile!) I'll get back to you later on your previous post.

 

[Minxy]

Hydraulic leveller - brilliant! Hairdryer - not so good. Bald as a coot!

Hairdryer is a lot, lot cheaper though ... you could probably have a hair transplant with the money it costs for a levelling system and then have the joy of using a hairdryer!

 

[Southdowners]

What about this one - its just arrived.



It has levellers and everything else you want.

 

[Minxy]

Thanks, Mel. It's not an agility issue (I'm super agile!) I'll get back to you later on your previous post.

Its to allow your dolly-bird 'pseudo' nurses to be able to get at ya, ain't it!

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[CazPaul]

What about this one - its just arrived.



It has levellers and everything else you want.

I would like to see that van on a weighbridge first, a lot of additional kit has been added which is very heavy, jacks, roof mounted air con, sat dish, extra battery etc etc.
I don't think the payload would be enough for fulltiming in, he would need the 60C17 chassis in my opinion, not the 50C17, nice van though.

 

[MattR]

@Rookie Phil just a thought; you may be looking to get a van for your own needs but you may find that you'll not be on your own for long so you may consder getting a van suitable for 2 people rather than just one.

 

[138go]

I also think you should look for a newish used van all the gremlins should have been sent packing by the first owner

OR

It was thrown together on a Friday Afternoon and the previous owner is so sick of all the faults never being fixed that he has just decided to get shut. Someone somewhere has a nice Pilote MH with an electric bed that WAS a pain in the neck from day one.

 

[Southdowners]

I would like to see that van on a weighbridge first, a lot of additional kit has been added which is very heavy, jacks, roof mounted air con, sat dish, extra battery etc etc.
I don't think the payload would be enough for fulltiming in, he would need the 60C17 chassis in my opinion, not the 50C17, nice van though.

It has had an upgrade to 5400kg. Most, if not all, the items you mention would be factory fitted and standard equipment on a quality vehicle such as this.

Many 3.5 tonne vehicles have the same equipment.

 

[CazPaul]

It has had an upgrade to 5400kg. Most, if not all, the items you mention would be factory fitted and standard equipment on a quality vehicle such as this.

Many 3.5 tonne vehicles have the same equipment.

I have to disagree, awnings, roof air con wont be part of any factory fitting taking into account when payloads are published. For living in you need a lot of gear, our 8.33 metre one was 6400kg and we slightly exceeded that at times.

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[Southdowners]

I have to disagree, awnings, roof air con wont be part of any factory fitting taking into account when payloads are published. For living in you need a lot of gear, our 8.33 metre one was 6400kg and we slightly exceeded that at times.

Awnings and roof air con aren't that heavy and my point is that most Concorde vehicles have those as standard and are factory fitted.

People buying a vehicle costing six figures aren't going to buy one without an awning and aircon. I would say that both are considered 'standard equipment' in this case.

You say your vehicle was overweight - well that's down to what you choose to carry. Of course there's always going to be a limit as to what you can take whatever vehicle you buy.

 

[CazPaul]

Awnings and roof air con aren't that heavy and my point is that most Concorde vehicles have those as standard and are factory fitted.

People buying a vehicle costing six figures aren't going to buy one without an awning and aircon. I would say that both are considered 'standard equipment' in this case.

You say your vehicle was overweight - well that's down to what you choose to carry. Of course there's always going to be a limit as to what you can take whatever vehicle you buy.

They maybe factory fitted but are optional and are not quoted in the payload figure, I would love to see the vehicle payload on a weighbridge of the van you linked to.

 

[Southdowners]

They maybe factory fitted but are optional and are not quoted in the payload figure, I would love to see the vehicle payload on a weighbridge of the van you linked to.

Of course they're 'optional' but would you buy a high end vehicle costing around £200,000 (unsure of the price of that particular vehicle) and not expect it to have what, to most people, would be considered standard equipment?

 

[CazPaul]

Why? As I've just said, there's nothing on it out of the ordinary for a motorhome of that type.

Because I think all 8metre plus heavy vans should have been done on the 60C chassis, especially as this thread is about someone wanting a van for fulltiming.

 

[Southdowners]

Because I think all 8metre plus heavy vans should have been done on the 60C chassis, especially as this thread is about someone wanting a van for fulltiming.

Just so the original poster can make an informed vehicle choice... and simply out of interest....

The OP stated he will be full timing but I'm not sure that a full timer would take anything more than folk would take on an ordinary extended break.

Certainly, I can't think of anything that I'd take if we were full timing that we haven't already got with us now.

Obviously, there are differences in terms of insurance, healthcare, etc. but when it simply comes down to what you'd take with you I wouldn't think there would be much difference.

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[The Returnee]

One of those drier thingies with a small electric fan and hearter...

 

[The Returnee]

There’s several mentions in this thread about hydronic levellers, but what about the ‘a lot lighter’ electric ones?

 

[BreweryDave]

Certainly, I can't think of anything that I'd take if we were full timing that we haven't already got with us now.

You don’t full time, do you..............

 

[Northernraider]

Just so the original poster can make an informed vehicle choice... and simply out of interest....

The OP stated he will be full timing but I'm not sure that a full timer would take anything more than folk would take on an ordinary extended break.

Certainly, I can't think of anything that I'd take if we were full timing that we haven't already got with us now.

Obviously, there are differences in terms of insurance, healthcare, etc. but when it simply comes down to what you'd take with you I wouldn't think there would be much difference.

Oh I don't know lol

I have 300kg just in tools on board
And every item of clothing I own.

 

[Southdowners]

Oh I don't know lol

I have 300kg just in tools on board
And every item of clothing I own.

I was thinking more specifically about what particular items a fulltimer would take that 'regular' travellers wouldn't.

When folk new to motorhoming ask for advice on fulltiming I wonder if it complicates things by stating its somehow 'different fulltiming' in terms of payload. Of course everyone needs adequate payload for their needs but I can't think of anything else we'd take fulltiming that we don't already have onboard.

I think most travellers take up to their maximum, I know we do... We have over a tonne of payload and we're just under the limit.

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[maz]

I was thinking more specifically about what particular items a fulltimer would take that 'regular' travellers wouldn't.

When folk new to motorhoming ask for advice on fulltiming I wonder if it complicates things by stating its somehow 'different fulltiming' in terms of payload. Of course everyone needs adequate payload for their needs but I can't think of anything else we'd take fulltiming that we don't already have onboard.

I think most travellers take up to their maximum, I know we do... We have over a tonne of payload and we're just under the limit.

Well of course it’s going to vary among individual full timers, but for the record if I wasn’t fulltiming I personally wouldn’t be lugging about 3 large leisure batteries and a generator for a start. Nor would I be carrying all my clothing and footwear with me. Also we don’t have any separate storage anywhere so all our worldly goods have to travel with us. In my case that includes a surprisingly large number of board games. Then there’s my other half’s surprisingly large collection of tools and diy equipment.

 

[Northernraider]

I was thinking more specifically about what particular items a fulltimer would take that 'regular' travellers wouldn't.

When folk new to motorhoming ask for advice on fulltiming I wonder if it complicates things by stating its somehow 'different fulltiming' in terms of payload. Of course everyone needs adequate payload for their needs but I can't think of anything else we'd take fulltiming that we don't already have onboard.

I think most travellers take up to their maximum, I know we do... We have over a tonne of payload and we're just under the limit.

Yes I've 1200kg payload and I had 80kg spare when I set off lol

But I got rid of a lot of stuff when over in spain as I was still carrying the two old batteries etc.

I think the more space you have the more you carry

 

[Northernraider]

Well of course it’s going to vary among individual full timers, but for the record if I wasn’t fulltiming I personally wouldn’t be lugging about 3 large leisure batteries and a generator for a start. Nor would I be carrying all my clothing and footwear with me. Also we don’t have any separate storage anywhere so all our worldly goods have to travel with us. In my case that includes a surprisingly large number of board games. Then there’s my other half’s surprisingly large collection of tools and diy equipment.

Yep everything I own I was carrying as no house or storage anywhere else.

I'm trying to minimilise now though and it's actually quite therapeutic

There's still some things I can't part with but I've ditched a lot of stuff I never use

 

[Southdowners]

Yes, you're right the generator might not be something you'd take if travelling in sunshine countries. We have brought ours with us though and have used it a lot.

A generator would be something a fulltimer would probably be well advised to have and allow payload for.

 

[maz]

Yep everything I own I was carrying as no house or storage anywhere else.

I'm trying to minimilise now though and it's actually quite therapeutic

There's still some things I can't part with but I've ditched a lot of stuff I never use

We’ve also reduced down as we’ve been on the road - which is why we now fit into a Bürstner Ixeo 680 as opposed to the previous Hobby 750.

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[Southdowners]

Yes I've 1200kg payload and I had 80kg spare when I set off lol

But I got rid of a lot of stuff when over in spain as I was still carrying the two old batteries etc.

I think the more space you have the more you carry

Yes, I'm sure that's true.

 

[Southdowners]

You don’t full time, do you..............

No, that's why I'm asking what you'd take that we don't take.

I take it you do fulltime so perhaps you can answer my question?

 

[BreweryDave]

Fulltiming, it’s not just ‘camping’ stuff, it’s everything you own, clothes for all climates, paperwork, photos, wills and legal stuff, hoover, extra fans for hot weather, heaters for the cold, snorkelling gear, surfboards, ski boots, suitcases ( for trips away from the van) ....all your nice crockery and cutlery, as well as everyday stuff, the list goes on. Proper fulltiming and living in your van essentially carry everything that anyone else would leave ‘ at home’ . Ok, the things I’ve just listed won’t apply to everyone obviously, but it makes you think!

 

[Southdowners]

So do you not leave anything at all in storage?

I'd imagined that you'd come back and re-stock depending on where you're planning to go... eg, swap surf boards for skis, etc

 

[BreweryDave]

So do you not leave anything at all in storage?

I'd imagined that you'd come back and re-stock depending on where you're planning to go... eg, swap surf boards for skis, etc

The thing is, we don’t ‘come back’ to anywhere to re stock, as we have nowhere to go back to, that’s just the point! We live in the van, that’s it. We stay in Europe full time, returning to the U.K. once per year for an MOT, and nothing more. There’s no point in having storage as long term that ends up costing more than whatever you’re storing is worth, and if you plan to store it, arguably you don’t need it. As for planning where to go, well, as we have no agenda and no timetable, there is no planning, but a lot of spontaneity. I could be bodyboarding in the Algarve one day, and decide to go skiing in the Sierra Nevada the next.
I have no doubt that we could do it with less, and like you say, you could full time with what you have in your van right now, but the point a few of us FT’ers are making is, we generally carry a lot more stuff with us all the time, as it’s all we have and what we do, as opposed to an extended tour where you can leave things at home where you will return to, and take what you need depending on the destination/route of your trip.
We’ve been full time since 2011 ( apart from 18months in an appartment in Spain) and love it. No regrets. It’s a lifestyle we don’t intend to change anytime soon ( except maybe a slight tweak next year )

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