How do folks afford motorhomes

[Tigger-Tim]

I don't have a £100k motorhome. But I grew up poor. I saved about half my salary most of my working life - initially overpaying the mortgage, and then later into pensions. When my work colleagues were spending on expensive cars and holidays, I was content to bring in sandwiches from home. I gave about 10% of my income to charity.

Work colleagues told me I was 'lucky' to be able to retire at 55. But it was largely down to financial discipline.

I love the fact that (mostly) everyone on a campsite is equal. I don't care if you have £1 or £1m in the bank. Whether you're in a new or a very used motorhome. Indeed, the owners of the very used motorhomes often have the best tales to tell.

 

[dunnah01]

Working stupid long hours as a professional Civil Engineer for nearly 40 years didn't earn anything like enough to buy a motorhome and wouldn't have had time to use it much anyway. It didn't help that I never got paid a penny in overtime in my whole career (I was stupid enough to go the career route rather than start working for myself at an early age). Used to be very envious of the local businessmen out on the golf course Friday afternoon whilst I was stuck in the office getting stuff sorted for the weekend shifts.
Luckily we always spent any spare time and cash on DIYing houses (and cars) so that has accumulated over the years into lots of knowledge of property and mechanical repair. So sold up, paid off the mortgage and bought the moho, moved into it and ended up buying a much cheaper dooer upper property as a project and hopefully investment.
A few bits 'n' $h1ts of pensions will hopefully pay the bills once the savings run out.

 

[dazandandrea]

I couldnt give a toss what other people drive, its their choice, their money, their life.
We have what we havevand are more than happy with it . All paid for and its ours.
What does amuse us both is how some people look down on us( not coz we are dwarves or anything) but because they have a bigger, newer van.
We have fun thats all we are botherrd about.

 

[chaser]

Me, I just buy and sell old tractors, easy money

What have you got?

 

[Coolcats]

I couldnt give a toss what other people drive, its their choice, their money, their life.
We have what we havevand are more than happy with it . All paid for and its ours.
What does amuse us both is how some people look down on us( not coz we are dwarves or anything) but because they have a bigger, newer van.
We have fun thats all we are botherrd about.

There are probably more VW Transporter Campers than anything else we loved ours and there is a good reason they are much loved. Highly practical can park almost anywhere and leaves you with Money to do other things should you choose.

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[pagey]

I am not saying on the grounds I could incriminate myself

 

[EuroTrotters]

Whilst we have had expensive vans, we chose to change to a house in Spain and an older motorhome.

How can we afford it ?. I started work whilst still at school.

by the age of 25 I was running my own business. Have done ever since.

The big mistake was not investing in property. That was the only thing I took advice on instead of just going for it.

Otherwise, I may have been driving a Morrelo

 

[chaser]

I have only just come back to this thread, I wasn't disparaging anyone , folks have what they want, just saying how do people have that sort of money spare?
That 11 grand engine repair would be out with me, not got anything like that spare, I would just have to scrap it, but how can you do that with a 100 grand motor?
But obviously I couldn't afford it in the first place.
I am not pleading poverty, all I have is tied up in houses and land and I wouldnt have any intention of selling any of them for a tin can on wheels.

 

[Jamesh]

So long as it goes stops and dosent leak I don't care what MH I've got!

When you have the open road in front of you and a mobile phone turned off it dosent matter what van your in!!

 

[Jim lea]

I was very lucky in that one of the big European construction boys wanted to buy my company. It not only provided the cash, it also freed up the time to get out a bit more.

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[stewartwebr]

Hard work and a bit of luck along the way. A bit disingenuous to say just hard work alone, as many work hard but don’t have the luck we have had. In life you need both to come together.

 

[sciac2001]

Work hard ..... then win the lottery.

 

[TheAleMan]

Work hard ..... then win the lottery.

That’s how we done it.

 

[IRHP]

Doesn’t matter what circles you move in there will always be people with more and better off financially. It’s the way of the world. You should try boating if you want to see that effect. For me I was lucky to be able to work for the one company from the age of 16 for 41.5 years. Worked the overtime when it was going, saved and invested well.

 

[Parrot Face]

I once went to buy a mattress with about £350 in my pocket and was shown mattresses up tp £2000. I asked the same question. The assistant replied "because they can sir ". That's the simple answer.

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[gus-lopez]

I really don't understand why anyone is justifying how much they paid for their van?

Your money, do what you want with it? As everyone does?

Very bizarre thread IMO.

Charlie wasn't talking about how much people paid but how they could earn that sort of money in a normal job? I'mthe same,having lived outside the UK forso long and looking in, I cannot comprehend the earnings that people have ?

its about stress free travel/holiday,

I don't find any type of travel ,especially in the UK, stress free.

 

[Puddleduck]

Hard work and then compensation from a life changing serious injury Wouldn't wish that on anyone but am determined to make the most of things.

But we don't drink, don't smoke and live in rural Scotland where a good night out might be a whist drive in a village hall. Going out for a meal is a rare treat due to diet restrictions

 

[Carolyn and Kev]

I am from a Council background and brought up amongst 10 other family members. Money was short for the family at all times. Dad and mum always pushed us to achieve our dreams . This is what we did and although it has been a really hard slog...we are more than happy with our lives we now have. Not rich by any means , and i don't suppose we will ever be? That aside...we have each other and that is the most important thing to us . What we have as Toys...they are a bonus and a means to an end should the need ever arise.

We are all equal on here ...Does not matter if you have the higher end motorhomes or the lower ones. We are all privileged to be in a situation that lets us do what we want to do when we want to . There are a lot of folks who have not got this luxury.
Just look around and I am sure you will see them everywhere.

Be grateful for what you/we have .....it can easily be taken away at any time .

Kev and Carolyn.

 

[Stealaway]

I have only just come back to this thread, I wasn't disparaging anyone , folks have what they want, just saying how do people have that sort of money spare?
That 11 grand engine repair would be out with me, not got anything like that spare, I would just have to scrap it, but how can you do that with a 100 grand motor?
But obviously I couldn't afford it in the first place.
I am not pleading poverty, all I have is tied up in houses and land and I wouldnt have any intention of selling any of them for a tin can on wheels.

I thought you had a collection of tractors instead of a fancy motorhome.

 

[haganap]

For all those that keep quoting "hard work" or " I worked really hard" etc etc.

I hate these statements.

Basically you are saying that the rest of the population don't work hard?

Hard work is to be encouraged and no doubt working hard helps you achieve goals. But don't make it sound like it's the reason that you can and others can't.

My mum came here from Portugal and worked 50 plus years as a waitress working harder than many who make this statement. She couldn't barely afford to feed us never mind buy expensive toys.

My life is completely different. Yes I work hard and have managed to negotiate my way through life to be in a position that if I choose to could pretty much buy a morello or anything else.

But it's not just hard work, there's a huge slice of luck that comes in to things as well. I too grew up in a council estate with nothing, I started on the stairs in life that were several rungs down from where others did. Taking chances in my case and suffice to say taking big gambles in life is what done it for me.

I've been in the same house for 28 years, so never chased the "dream home" 52 yrs old, no mortgage, kids have finished milking us..

But like some others have said.

"I don't care about what people drive, I care much more about the person inside"

I know people who are worth literally millions, yet still have a 10 15 year old van because they like it.

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[Puddleduck]

And it cost almost £100 to fuel our motorhome yesterday

First longish trip for 3 years ( we took our Grandson to Landmark Adventure Park in Carrbridge for his birthday treat) ...... I think future touring will be short hops and cycling rather than very long trips.

 

[dazandandrea]

I once went to buy a mattress with about £350 in my pocket and was shown mattresses up tp £2000. I asked the same question. The assistant replied "because they can sir ". That's the simple answer.

You know youve made when they call you "sir"

 

[Puddleduck]

haganap I hope what I said didn't offend you - certainly not my intention and I would never denigrate anyone who worked long hours in an under appreciated job.

I was lucky and worked throughout my University course (milk delivery - on the road between 4 and 5 to be finished before 9 so I could shower and go to lectures - bed around 8 or 9 ready to be up the next morning so no carousing for me - a 7 day week with double shift on Friday collecting money). I got a reasonable double honours degree and then took articles as it was in those days - I was still living on the money I made with the milk round because the work meant I didn't spend it. The wages for articled clerks back then was not enough to pay the rent. Most of my colleagues came from serious money - I didn't, didn't really fit in and also refused the heavy drinking and drug taking that was "normal" in the clerking fraternity. I think because I didn't take the easy path it made me appreciate that by being frugal I would be able to get what I wanted later in life. However it was the accident compensation that paid for half of the motorhome.

As I said I would not wish the accident on anyone.

 

[Clipgate]

I have been considering an alternative to my motorhome recently, one thought came to mind. Arrive in Dover undocumented and a great flight to Rawanda awaits all expenses paid. Lovely part of East Africa with a distance from the coming conflict.
Must start cutting labels out of my clothes urgently.
Would have taken the motorhome but it might give the game away.. Any ideas on that front?

 

[Spriddler]

Couldnt afford nice things when we were young now it's nice to buy new vans.

'Aint that the truth.
When I went back into motorbiking and bought a vintage motorbike after years of forging a career, paying a mortgage, bringing up my family, supporting them through Uni etc. one of my sons mocked me of trying to relive my youth. I felt it necessary to point out to him that now was the first time in 25 years that I had a decent few quid spare to spend on myself.


Then they married and needed help to buy houses.................... (Bless 'em ).

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[chaser]

I thought you had a collection of tractors instead of a fancy motorhome.

Yes but these are bought in hundreds not thousands, a night at the pub for some.

 

[Peter & Elaine]

7 days a week and working long hours mostly away from home
and a wife who worked hard plus save like hell
every spare penny went on paying of our house early
so we could retire early and enjoy

 

[Spriddler]

I thought you had a collection of tractors instead of a fancy motorhome.

Yes but these are bought in hundreds not thousands, a night at the pub for some.

God forbid that I ever wake up with a hangover and remember buying some tractors from a bloke down the pub.

 

[benellioldman1]

I think I must be in a different world than some on here, we have had various threads recently of people buying motorhomes for over a hundred grand and having all sorts of problems, and recently in a current thread someone breaking down in France and it's going to cost 11 grand to put it right, these figures are totally alien to me, I couldn't afford more than £5000 to either buy or repair a van , where do these amounts of money come from.

 

[benellioldman1]

We have a old motorhome but when we bought it it was about 5 years old. We are hurtling towards 80 years old and live on the state pension and a very small private pension, and just keep the van on the road we both work part time in very physical demanding jobs so it is all about priorities in life ie what you enjoy etc. We really enjoy our van travelling between the UK and Italy.Our married life started 40 years ago with absolutely nothing and with us going on our holiday to my mother's in Sheffield on our honeymoon, and we would always dream of having a motorhome,and now we have long may our health continue to hold up

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