Can you afford your Motorhome....?

[Wellington]

Afford it? Yes. Is it worth it? Without a doubt. Does it make financial sense to have a chunk of capital tied up on the drive, so that we can sit in a tin box in a field whenever we like? Maybe. Is it ‘cheaper’ than regular holidays? No.

I like how everyone has different reasons for liking their MH. We have different kinds of holidays in ours. Sometimes we camp with friends on sites I would never choose. We stay on concrete car parks because it’s a convenient stopover. Pay exhorbitabt fees for places with activities for the kids if they need to let off steam. Pay for quiet sites with views when we want peace and quiet. Freecamp if there’s a bit too much month at the end of the money. I’d like to wildcamp, but worry it’s antisocial, and about security. It all meets our requirements at the time. I smile at people who are happy to spend thousands on a van, but economise to a fraction of a penny on toilet blue or gas prices. But to each his own. I personally am happy to spend on sites when I want facilities or proximity to somewhere, but enjoy the flexibility of having all my stuff with me, and the ability to cook for my child if we choose to stay elsewhere. It’s a bit of a pain not having the flexibility of a car, and i think that’s why it’s a couples thing. It’s just too much work to pack up after kids everytime you want to take them anywhere. It’s much more slick with just adults.

 

[CazPaul]

Sounds like you got a good one!.

Three Mercedes motorhomes, two almost new and one brand new one. Great when they ran, but an absolute nightmare costing us tens of thousands in repairs.

Now run a 20 year old Fiat Hymer I bought very cheap. Never skips a beat.

Secret is the age, his Mercedes is 20 years old too, same as yours, notice the theme?

 

[EuroTrotters]

Secret is the age, his Mercedes is 20 years old too, same as yours, notice the theme?

Yes Paul, the first MERCEDES Speinter delivery van we had back late 90’s did 250,000 trouble free miles.

 

[PepnKook]

Afford it? Yes. Is it worth it? Without a doubt. Does it make financial sense to have a chunk of capital tied up on the drive, so that we can sit in a tin box in a field whenever we like? Maybe. Is it ‘cheaper’ than regular holidays? No.

I like how everyone has different reasons for liking their MH. We have different kinds of holidays in ours. Sometimes we camp with friends on sites I would never choose. We stay on concrete car parks because it’s a convenient stopover. Pay exhorbitabt fees for places with activities for the kids if they need to let off steam. Pay for quiet sites with views when we want peace and quiet. Freecamp if there’s a bit too much month at the end of the money. I’d like to wildcamp, but worry it’s antisocial, and about security. It all meets our requirements at the time. I smile at people who are happy to spend thousands on a van, but economise to a fraction of a penny on toilet blue or gas prices. But to each his own. I personally am happy to spend on sites when I want facilities or proximity to somewhere, but enjoy the flexibility of having all my stuff with me, and the ability to cook for my child if we choose to stay elsewhere. It’s a bit of a pain not having the flexibility of a car, and i think that’s why it’s a couples thing. It’s just too much work to pack up after kids everytime you want to take them anywhere. It’s much more slick with just adults.

Agree 100%. It does make me chuckle when people who have spent tens of thousands of pounds on a luxury item then talk about saving 1p a litre on fuel or a couple of quid on a gas refill!!

We're the same, in the main we'll use proper sites as I like to be able to plug in, fill up the water tank and have a little shop, a bar and a swimming pool available! There are many, many wonderful and picturesque sites throughout Europe that may cost a bit, but have every facility you could want. I get wild camping and have done it when necessary, have also been to festivals where facilities are a field.

I'd also choose to do most of the long journeys abroad on toll roads so I can stick the cruise at 130 kph and glide along an almost deserted autoroute. Usually look at doing 80% of European driving on motorways, around 300 miles in a hit, then we get to spend the quality time at each of our chosen destinations and not trundling along behind a tractor on an N road, negotiating numerous deserted town roundabouts and traffic lights and bugger the extra few euros at the toll booths! Have done the avoid toll routes before and even in a car, the time added and the inevitable delays through towns are simply not worth it. Anyone who has travelled on French autoroutes and German autobahns must be able to appreciate those moments where you look ahead and behind and not see another vehicle in sight for what looks like miles!

 

[Ivory55]

Agree 100%. It does make me chuckle when people who have spent tens of thousands of pounds on a luxury item then talk about saving 1p a litre on fuel or a couple of quid on a gas refill!!

We're the same, in the main we'll use proper sites as I like to be able to plug in, fill up the water tank and have a little shop, a bar and a swimming pool available! There are many, many wonderful and picturesque sites throughout Europe that may cost a bit, but have every facility you could want. I get wild camping and have done it when necessary, have also been to festivals where facilities are a field.

I'd also choose to do most of the long journeys abroad on toll roads so I can stick the cruise at 130 kph and glide along an almost deserted autoroute. Usually look at doing 80% of European driving on motorways, around 300 miles in a hit, then we get to spend the quality time at each of our chosen destinations and not trundling along behind a tractor on an N road, negotiating numerous deserted town roundabouts and traffic lights and bugger the extra few euros at the toll booths! Have done the avoid toll routes before and even in a car, the time added and the inevitable delays through towns are simply not worth it. Anyone who has travelled on French autoroutes and German autobahns must be able to appreciate those moments where you look ahead and behind and not see another vehicle in sight for what looks like miles!

It does make me chuckle who have plenty of money that chuckles about people who have less.

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[PepnKook]

Plenty of money? I wish! But now we've made the investment, want to enjoy every second where we want to be, not trundling along back roads in a farm machinery related traffic jam getting there. Life's too short! As someone said earlier, no pockets in a shroud!

 

[Wellington]

It does make me chuckle who have plenty of money that chuckles about people who have less.

Just like to clarify that this wasn’t what I meant AT ALL. Everyone has a budget and makes choices about where to spend it, and the priorities are completely up to the individual. I’m very lucky that I don’t have to shave pennies off prices to stay solvent, but I have been there and it’s no fun. I’m also aware that there are people who enjoy frugality and the challenges it brings. I don’t feel the same, but to each his own. Often, less hassle has value to me. It would be a boring old world if we were all the same.

 

[CazPaul]

Yes Paul, the first MERCEDES Speinter delivery van we had back late 90’s did 250,000 trouble free miles.

We have gone new for us Trev this time , a 2005 Iveco 3 litre Concorde so fingers crossed, had it a year and it's cost nowt so far, no CAT no DPF no fancy electrics.
If this one costs a lot then it will be a late 90s Hymer for sure, similar to yours, only Achilles heel is the timber underfloor.

 

[gus-lopez]

Anyone who has travelled on French autoroutes and German autobahns must be able to appreciate those moments where you look ahead and behind and not see another vehicle in sight for what looks like miles!

Yes except inJuly & august when in the car & I have been in 32km queue's for the toll booths. I don't use them in the van as it does not go fast enough to gain anything over N & D roads.

But touring abroad for any length of time have anyone thought of a major breakdown where your return date is a couple of months down the line and breakdown co will only take you to a main dealer and 8 to 10 thousand repair bill I hadn’t but it can happen?

I'd just tell ADAC I want it transported back to my house.

glide along an almost deserted autoroute.

Except in July & August in France.

 

[Wildbill]

Our old van ows us nothing it's payed for it shel over and over agane bit of work hear and thare keeps her going
Bill

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[PepnKook]

Yes except inJuly & august when in the car & I have been in 32km queue's for the toll booths. I don't use them in the van as it does not go fast enough to gain anything over N & D roads.


I'd just tell ADAC I want it transported back to my house.
Except in July & August in France.

Very true, we always try and go before UK schools break up, never travel at peak times or weekends and we've not had any issues. When the kids were still coming with us, driving through the night always worked!!

 

[Ivory55]

Plenty of money? I wish! But now we've made the investment, want to enjoy every second where we want to be, not trundling along back roads in a farm machinery related traffic jam getting there. Life's too short! As someone said earlier, no pockets in a shroud!

I bet there is an awful lot of people who have paid for their van with, pension, redundancy, inheritance, or equity release but are cash poor, so it doesn’t really matter where the pockets are if there is no cash in them.

 

[EuroTrotters]

We have gone new for us Trev this time , a 2005 Iveco 3 litre Concorde so fingers crossed, had it a year and it's cost nowt so far, no CAT no DPF no fancy electrics.
If this one costs a lot then it will be a late 90s Hymer for sure, similar to yours, only Achilles heel is the timber underfloor.

Dont forget my first dibbs!

 

[busbuddy]

'can you afford it' is a very relative term, and i dont mean your parents left you loads of money, some people can buy a fully spec'd concord and some can buy a 20 year old kon tiki but it does not make either more affordable
some people can smoke, have phones at £60 a month, have sky packages at £120 a month, pay mortgages of £1500 a month but some people will think thats a ridiculous amount of money to spend a month

the problem only comes when the people owning the concord wont speak to the person in the kon tiki or vice versa

buy what you have money for, enjoy what you have money for but dont despise the people who spend differently to you

 

[PepnKook]

Boomshanka

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[Fantini]

[QUOTE

the problem only comes when the people owning the concord wont speak to the person in the koni[/QUOTE] sorry dup post!

 

[Fantini]

[QUOTE

the problem only comes when the people owning the concord wont speak to the person in the koni[/QUOTE]

Hang on, We used to have a Kon Tiki, now have a Concorde but we are still the same people, we love to chat to everybody