Living The Dream ?

[adenough]

Blinking RAC want £89.55 for this year's recovery

Ring them up and say you are not paying it and going to the AA. They always knock the price down.

Hey Rainbowchaser! With photography down as an interest. Where are all your pictures?

 

[Loujess]

I've enjoyed reading everyones thoughts on this subject.. It seems to me its all about what you want out of life..
My husband and I are in our 40's and have enjoyed going away every other week or weekend for the last 5 years. But last year Mark was diagnosed with UC (Bowel disease) which has made him pretty ill. And even worse he was so ill that we couldn't even use the motorhome.. Slowly he is improving although going back to work is a long way off.
:shout:So this year I have decided to leave my job (which I dont like anyway) and we're going to tour England, Scotland & Wales throughout the summer months.. As Mark says he may as well be ill looking at stunning scenery than at home stuck looking at 4 walls.. So thats what we're gonna do.. We now get the best of both worlds :yeah: !!!!!
And who knows what next year will bring.. We'll worry about it then.

Well Jelzz. Yours has been the most inspiring answer and I so hope you both enjoy it. I hated my job at the end but was fortunate enough to be made redundant for the last year. I feel guilty for saying that because redundancy has been disastrous for so many younger people.

Ivy

 

[barryd]

Barry, I notice you have posted various threads about your conundrum ... just reading what you say makes it sound so much that you need to change your lifestyle that I hope you find a way to do it. Could you not go for a year initially, that's a reasonable time to let out your house but not so long that your wife will feel she has irrevocably committed.
It sounds that if you don't do this you'll regret it for the rest of your life,
Violet

Thank you Violet

Yes that is a good idea. We have just been over to the lakes for the afternoon and discussed it in the car. I fear I have become a motorhome and full timing bore both on here and at home. I suggested five years in the car! Typical of me, im not renowned for my subtlety. I am 90% certain however that I could persuade Michelle (Mrs D) to go for a year, probably in a years time but it would end up being longer. She loves the van and loved our 3 month tour last year. I would be more than willing to give it a go with the "get out of jail card" that if either of us is unhappy or doesn’t like it we come back. There would be no point in doing it if you both weren’t enjoying it anyway.

I am desperate for a life change. In my late teens I was a bit of a hippy at heart, inevitably joined the corporate rat race and all that it entails. Me, my friends and Michelle all had / have good careers and did well but in the last couple of years I have had more time on my hands and have experienced last year just whats important in life. I have lost in the last couple of years most of my family that were dear to me. One death after the other including both sets of parents and an uncle who was my inspiration behind my career and also my best friend. He was 61 and literally died on the company floor. All this has made me want to realise my dream and do it while I can. Who knows whats around the corner. My mates? Well they are still flogging themselves silly buying bigger and better houses they dont need and saving up for Austin Martins and the like. They think Im the mad one! Hmm, I agree with JJ. A simple life will suit me fine thanks.

Cheers
BD

 

[Loujess]

Oh BD! You are so lucky to have had such people to love. I'm sure Michelle will go in the end. I think you just have to go softly and sigh wistfully a lot. Sorry girls but he needs help.

Ivy

 

[barryd]

Oh BD! You are so lucky to have had such people to love. I'm sure Michelle will go in the end. I think you just have to go softly and sigh wistfully a lot. Sorry girls but he needs help.

Ivy

I can assure you categorically I have never needed help persuading girls to do anything!

Im sure she will come around and if she doesnt ill just bundle her in the van, pretend we are going away for a week and just keep going. Ill tell her Englands burned down or something and we cant go back.

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[Loujess]

Phew! A caveman!

 

[barryd]

Phew! A caveman!

I think you mean Phwoar! A Caveman!!!

 

[Pikey Pete]

This may put the cat among the pigeons (or is it canaries), but when there is so much suffering and need in the world, isn't going off 'living the dream' pure self-indulgence? Perhaps the cost of an MH could build a school or fund a hospital in Africa.

Ivy

An interesting observation. Tell you what, you give yours to charity and I'll think about giving mine.

Mind you, then I'd be a homeless charity case myself:Sad:

So the way I see it, I'm being charitable by keeping it:thumb:

Pete:Cool:

 

[sedge]

Hmmmmm.

The thing about holidays being 'finite' is that you do 'stuff' - you do it because you won't be here next week or next month (not literally - just not in France or Timbuktu or wherever you've gone for your holidays) and if we want to look at this chateau/musueum/scenery/supermarket/do this whatever, then we better get right on and do it. If not today then defo tomorrow because the day after we will most likely move on.

So you say after, that place with the river was nice, we ought to go back. So maybe you do go back, very often it's not as nice/conversely may be better/rarely is 'just the same and equally as enjoyable'.

I thought it was kinda sad that American geezer talking about his friends with the 'yard' aka garden; houses have gardens don't they? ie permanent dwellings - NOT Motorhomes??????? (we tend to sit watching other people set up and say where's the wheeliebin and greenhouse, the dog-kennel and the front gate, still in the flippin garage or are they on the roof? OTOH we do take a doormat, LOL)

 

[Mikey RV]

Really enjoyed reading this thread as i have allways wanted a rv to live in, and the reason for joining this very forum was to get lots of info etc. I am still going to get my Rv and the house is going on the market very soon, to fund it. We will for the first two years stay in Devon as Nikki (the better half) has a good job, then it will be the summer in this country and the winter somewhere warmer. I know a lot of peaple are saying your mad but I have allways said it is better to regret the things you have done than to regret the things you never did. You only live once and I beleive in making the most of it while I am here. We may hate it after a while but having allways had a van and lived in a VW splitscreen on two accasions I like that lifestyle. One life live it. Catch up with some of you soon on the road hopefully after I have found out the answers to more questions on here.

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[kontiki48]

hi, :thumb: having read the post's here i think i've made my mind up about "full timing" ., i would rather do 50-50 ,get away in the winter some where warm, then return in the spring and enjoy trip's around this country, like some of you said your chasing a dream ,and agree it suit's some but it's not for everyone and could be a costly mistake one way or another.

 

[evans88]

If you want to get away somewhere warm where do you want to go? I've tried wintering in the South of Spain and tried Portugal and the weather was awful. Now we stay until November when we nearly always decide to return home as its bloomin miserable trudging around in the dark, cold and surprisingly wet. Some enjoy it but its not for everyone.

It was a surprise to me that the weather wasn't warmer and I guess some of the posters may find this too and could be looking at this whole issue through rose tinted specs.

 

[tick59]

I think kontiki 48 you have hit the nail on the head. I have spent most of my working life living in an HGV trampping round the british isles up till about two years ago my dream was retire sell the house and move into an RV and see some of europe. Now with three years left before i retire, i am of the same mind as you travel for a few months then come HOME. this is the place i have worked and sweated to pay the morgage for and my house is called CASA DEL SUDO 'house of sweat' and there is no way i am going to LIVE THE DREAM. i will travel but i will not burn the bridges.

 

[rainbow chasers]

'The Dream' is just about freedom, escapism. We get customers 'tasting the dream' all the time. Every single one say 'i have always dreamt of getting into a motorhome and travelling round europe when I retire'

I think it is just about the escapsim and freedom that they represent - and running away from the mortgage, the rules, society and so on. Just being free.

Like you said - how many read that dream as a nightmare is quite interesting - even my in law says 'I have no desire to go abroad' - and some people don't! Some are happy to bumble along and wait until they die with no ambition.

 

[kontiki48]

If you want to get away somewhere warm where do you want to go? I've tried wintering in the South of Spain and tried Portugal and the weather was awful. Now we stay until November when we nearly always decide to return home as its bloomin miserable trudging around in the dark, cold and surprisingly wet. Some enjoy it but its not for everyone.

It was a surprise to me that the weather wasn't warmer and I guess some of the posters may find this too and could be looking at this whole issue through rose tinted specs.

hi , the best thing to do is try before you buy, if it's not what you expected and not for you, then it's back to the drawing board and a rethink, personly i'm thinking of three different option's at the moment as i am now on my own,

(1) do i keep the motorhome and use it more
(2) buy a static, caravan abroad.
(3) buy an apartment abroad.

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[roamsweethome]

living the dream

wow....lots of interesting comments.....all valid and diverse...

personally wouldn't want to burn my bridges...want the best of everything!!!!!
take the opportunities when then arise but always find a way of getting where you need to be...especially as we get older
....health comes into the equasion (cant spell that one sorry) ....eye sight suffers (no driving)...legs get wobbly.....(restricts walking) etc. etc.
all these things have to be taken into consideration i am guessing.
noticed Pete's comments about loving full timing...about having "relationships" then choosing to move on....wonders whether he has his "relationships" in bricks and mortar???? sounds a shallow way of living somehow. only 3 years on the road and loads of relationships....hope he isn't using vulnerable women on his travels...that sucks!!!!!
Don't know what I would do when my "better" half goes.....am hoping I will stay grounded...but def won't burn any bridges

 

[barryd]

If you want to get away somewhere warm where do you want to go? I've tried wintering in the South of Spain and tried Portugal and the weather was awful. Now we stay until November when we nearly always decide to return home as its bloomin miserable trudging around in the dark, cold and surprisingly wet. Some enjoy it but its not for everyone.

It was a surprise to me that the weather wasn't warmer and I guess some of the posters may find this too and could be looking at this whole issue through rose tinted specs.

Im not that fussed about getting away somewhere warm for the winter. I know a couple (members on here) who set off 6 months ago and havent followed the crowds down to Portugal and Spain (just as well from the weather reports). They went to Germany, Italy, Sicily and are now in Greece and flipping loving it. They pretty much have these places to themselves and are having as great time!

I dont see the appeal in driving down to the costas (which I dont like anyway) and staying on a packed campsite for months on end. At least if you get snowed in somwhere your in your van all warm and cosey. We managed a month this winter in Jan/Dec in the worst weather the UK had seen for years. Had a fantastic time including getting snowed in on a CL for 5 days. One things for sure its warmer in our van than our ancient house in the Yorkshire Dales!

Rose coloured specs? Probably but its still going to happen (at some point)

 

[Bulletguy]

'The Dream' is just about freedom, escapism. We get customers 'tasting the dream' all the time. Every single one say 'i have always dreamt of getting into a motorhome and travelling round europe when I retire'

I think it is just about the escapsim and freedom that they represent - and running away from the mortgage, the rules, society and so on. Just being free.

Not sure that 'running away from the mortgage' is quite correct as most people spend their lives working to get rid of it....and that means paying it off.

Anyone contemplating early retirement, fulltiming or 'living the dream' as some like to say, cannot do that with a mortgage still shackled around their necks.....unless of course they have a bottomless pit of wealth or a huge inheritance (in which case they wouldn't have a mortgage...unless they were pretty thick or stupid).

Escape from 'rules and society' I can agree to an extent as particularly here in Britain we have become more batty and barmy than ever with a never ending stream of crackpot 'rules' creeping into daily life turning Orwells 1984 from fiction into fact.

 

[bill2b]

I think we are "Living the dream" with our MH.
We are off to the Orkneys in a couple of weeks then to france in June and in between that we have plenty of other outings to look forward to.
The anticipation of the trips is our dream, yes I have the dreary "W" word (work) but it tops up the bank so we can "live our dream".
Each to their own!

 

[Bulletguy]

The anticipation of the trips is our dream, yes I have the dreary "W" word (work) but it tops up the bank so we can "live our dream".

There comes a point in everyones life where that dreary 'W' word does reach the point where enough is enough.....and in many cases 65, in my opinion, is far far too late. I'm not far off 60 now and like it or not, simply cannot do certain physical things I could easily do ten years ago without even thinking about.

As for the money side of things, i'll quote an example from personal experience which makes you think very seriously about getting away from work as early as possible.

A close friend of mine who i've known for over thirty years, took early retirement at 53 with the sole purpose of pursuing his hobby of military aircraft photography, and buying a campervan to tour on a regular basis. He's always been fanatical about his hobby and was often out every week photographing planes and this is his site; http://valleyaviationsociety.net/Coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=143

In April last year he suffered a serious stroke at 57 so can no longer drive, and as for his photography, couldn't even hold a camera let alone the lenses he used. Financially he has nothing to worry about......but is too ill to enjoy it.

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[Mandaxxx]

Hi,
When you decided to fulltime did you sell up and how did you go about disposing of all the furniture?
All help will be very useful as we are starting to get the house sorted to sell to go fulltime in the motorhome.

 

[6pm Cowboy]

This thread is based on fulltiming but is actually titled 'Living the dream' and that may not be 'quite ' full timing as you all refer to it.

Sometimes 'Living the Dream' is important, if only to avoid 'Living the nightmare'


I can see my future stretching in front of me and it is not pretty. I want to get out there for a while and build up some memories otherwise I am going to die early from terminal boredom.


But like 'Barryd' the OH may think differently.

 

[Big Momma]

We have just bought our Retirement vehicle, collect it on 1st May, however cannot retire for at least another 12 years ! May sound a bit mad but we took the decision that we both enjoy the wander lust and when we do finally retire we probably could not afford the kind of capital it would take to purchase the vehicle. So whilst both in full time employment, buy it now and it will be ours when we do come to retire. Alright it may be 12 years old but with only an average of 1,000 miles a year on it at present it will still be in pretty good shape.

So to answer the original question. We have considered selling up totally and hitting the road and we could probably live like that for 4-5 years asthere are lots of places we want to go and see. However, what happens when disaster strikes and for some reason you cannot drive any longer. Unless there is a huge amount tucked away trying to get back on the housing market could be a nightmare. So we have decided that our retirement dream will be to keep bricks and mortar in UK (Possibly downsizing to a One Bedroom bolt hole). We will lock up the bricks and mortar residence in the September once the main holiday season is ver for the schools and head to Southern Europe for the winter and join the hoards of other 'sunbirds'. We would plan to come back around Easter time just in time to re-register, service and MOT said Motorhome. After airing the permanent residence (as well as enjoying the luxury of a bath instead of showers) we would then share our time in the UK between the pemanent residence, visiting family and touring UK. Then come August it will be time to start planning the next 'sunbird' trip. Sounds good to me, just need to keep healthy and in employment for the next 12 years :Cool:

 

[tick59]

do you know how much it will cost to insure a van 12 years old to travel abroad?

 

[Snowbird]

do you know how much it will cost to insure a van 12 years old to travel abroad?

Mines 22 years old costs £255 fully comp,with agreed valuation of £15000,plus £58 breakdown cover.Total £313.

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[Big Momma]

do you know how much it will cost to insure a van 12 years old to travel abroad?

Life's too short to worry about any sort of costs in 12 year's time When we are ready to do it we will do the sums. Who knows down sizing may mean that domestic costs (very little use of Gas, Electricity, Water etc) especially over the colder months will be less expensive. Where there is a dream there is a way

 

[barryd]

do you know how much it will cost to insure a van 12 years old to travel abroad?

Same as it does to insure it in the UK. Safeguard fully comp 365 days cover for EU including breakdown cover. three hundred and something squid.

 

[scotjimland]

do you know how much it will cost to insure a van 12 years old to travel abroad?

in twelve years time ?

who knows , we may not even be able to afford the fuel in 12 years time.. :Sad:

 

[johnsandywhite]

in twelve years time ?

who knows , we may not even be able to afford the fuel in 12 years time.. :Sad:

There may not even BE any fuel in 12 years time.

 

[John & Joan]

Living the Dream

Often I see this advice given to those contempalting full timing, “ Just do it , Live The Dream” ..
but what do they mean, what do they imagine The Dream is ?

I would like to hear peoples views, those who are full time, and those who are not.

In particular.

1. How long is the Dream, where will it be in say five, ten, fifteen years time, and is there an end plan ?

2. How will it be financed?

Even modest Dreams need capital, a sustainable income.. A modest Dream may need as little as £10k per year , but more ambitious Dreams need much more .. and over a ten year period .. that's a lot of capital ..

Is The Dream to travel, to see Europe and beyond, maybe the USA .. or is it simply to retire and put your feet up.. In either case .. what do you do when you can't afford the Dream.. ?

Life without purpose is boring .. so how does The Dream fullfill this most basic of human needs ?

3.Who has tried The Dream and found it wanting and who is doing The Dream and finding it less of a Dream and more of a nightmare ?

Is fultiming not a way of life rather than a dream and if you agree.. what kind of life is it ?

For the purposes of these questions, the “fulltimer” has sold up and is living FULL TIME in a motorhome or caravan and is totally self sufficient.

We bit the bullet and are now living full time in our motorhome.

We both retired in 2006 and sold our property and rented it back. We used some of the released capital to purchase our Hymer S700 1992. We used this for a while and added extras such as Sky TV and Oyster 85cm Dish. Gasparini Energy 20 LPG generator and 1600kw inverter. 85 litre LPG tank. two 110 Ah batteries in addition to the existing 85Ah one. By using the van we found the things we needed to change or replace.

We are intending to continue for as long as our health holds out. We enjoy living in the van and having a different outlook every so often from the windows. If and when the time comes to give up we intend to return to the Darlington area of County Durham and seek rented accomodation again.

We are members of the Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club. We also joined the Motor Caravanners' Club. These give us a good range of sites and Certificated Locations to park on. We are also wildcampers but you need somewhere every few days to empty toilet cassettes and waste water and fill up with fresh water. We carry a spare cassette for our Thetford C2 so we can push a wild spell to about 4 or 5 days.

We need to use club sites or find a Laundrette to wash clothes. We are naturists but even naturists wear clothes and bedding and towels need washing.

We finance our travells out of our pensions (State and works) and find that our site fees are no more than we were paying in rent. No Council Tax, Water Rates, House Insurance, Electricity Bills. The money we used to pay for gas covers our monthly LPG usage. We do pay a bit more for Full Time Insurance cover. We use Vodafone for calls and data on the laptop. We used this before so have a saving by not having a landline phone with a Broadband connection.

Travelling will account for some of our saved expenditure but as we already used the motorhome extensively it will not be that big a difference.

We run a Smart FourTwo and tow this on a Bantam Trailer. This method we feel will save wear and tear on the car. The car then allows us to shop and sightsee without trying to find parking for a 7m motorhome at places we want to visit.

I am a radio ham and have my station in the motorhome and use the Bantam trailer to also carry a sectional 24ft mast for my antennas. Joan is interested in sea fishing and we will be looking for locations where she can fish. We are also interested in photography and drawing/painting.

We have a safari room but are still in two minds whether this is worth carrying around with us. We also carry an additional outdoor fridge but are uncertain if we really need this.
We are just starting out on our journey, time on the road will tell.

Cooking is on a Safari Chef (gas) outside and a 4 ring gas burner. We also have a Remoska, George Forman Grill, a slow clooker, a 1Kw electric kettle and a Dolce Gusto Coffee maker, all of which will run on the inverter as well as mains when available. We also have a backup gas kettle.

When off hookup the generator looks after our leisure batteries by automatically cutting in when the batteries need charging and then off when they are charged up.

Being both on medication we have so far been able to sort this out with our existing practice.

Living in the motorhome is exactly as we expected it to be. We will post more as we continue our lifes Journey.

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