Questions to the forum

[Russ3376]

We are selling up, yep everything, and leaving the carousel so here are a few questions for the experts, there's a ton of info on the interweb, too much , but I'd rather ask the peeps who live it!

How do you maintain a UK footprint (as we will have no offical home address) for GP, postal/proof of address for future return and buying a new home?

Which Medical Insurance is best?

Pet Insurance (Already have Pet passport)?

Which Security devices are essential without it adding armour plating, canons and anti personel mines, which is illegal?

Worth getting a roll of fake grass or outdoor mat?

Internet access will be essential, how does that work?

Controversial subject, generator or powerbank?

I should imagine that a lot of sites will already be getting booked up, as we are still planning, which areas welcome off site parking for a limited time only as I forsee we will struggle to get the best sites?

What is the average cost per night at an established site with ablutions, power, water etc?

We are mega serious about this, it will happen so any other recommendations will be welcome?

Thanks in advance campers!

 

[Mart 63]

I joined a couple of days ago, and got some very helpful replies. Well worth the £20 yearly subscription.

 

[Spriddler]

So he has now used his free posts, so that's it , he has either got to now pay or he can't ask anything else, it was only a bit of advice.

That was my thought too. Many questions on a wide range of subjects, each requiring more info or elaboration and needing extensive replies and many questions, (all of which have been answered in great detail many times on here), so to progress beyond the 5 posts it would be essential to subscribe.
Much of the info can be found in the dedicated 'Full timers', 'Insurance', 'Security' and other forums.

And welcome Russ3376 . The subscription is as nothing compared with the depth of knowledge available on here from those who, to use your words........... live it.
Unlike many YouTubers and Influencers, folk aren't on here to seek celebrity or income by being 'outrageous'.

 

[Bailey58]

Well given the initial welcome from some on this thread, it is hardly the best start to promote the good of being on Fun and subscribing.

As Jim states on his post….”It makes us look sad and cliquey”

Jim was referring to a particular post, many's the time Funsters suggest subscribing to access more info and help.

 

[VXman]

"We are selling up " would suggest they haven't done it yet as opposed to " we have sold up"

But does suggest it's a done deal.

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[1967bowesj]

I joined a couple of days ago, and got some very helpful replies. Well worth the £20 yearly subscription.

Would you say that you felt pressured to subscribe or did you feel you got more enjoyment and more tailored replies from your subscription?
I think that is the way most members feel that new posters really need a lot of posts to get the best replies to their questions rather than 5 free posts.

 

[Mart 63]

When I first joined, I didn't realise you only got 5 free posts, and it was well worth the money to post. There will be more questions from me when I pick up the motorhome.
I've been a member of Pistonheads for 21 years, and that was a very helpful site when I first got into TVR sports cars. That site is free, but now it's riddled with adverts.
So paying the £20 is well worth it to me.

 

[Madmag]

I didn’t realise you only had 5 free posts then needed to subscribe but the first few answers I received to my initial question made me realise that joining was the answer. Never regretted it for one minute. Saved us an absolute fortune, discovered amazing places, lots of info and although I haven’t met many of you I feel like I have made a lot of friends. I feel part of a group that in general are here to help. Never felt any pressure to join but so glad I did. Plus I recognised & met Jim the other day, parked next to him at NEC which means I must spend too much time in here!

 

[peterc10]

try to search full time abroad in the MH fun search..., but Ive got this from AI if any good. The points below assume you dont have aNone Lucrative visa or the like, but some points to consider, the Video is ok.
Average cost per night is waht you want to make it really, plenty of free park ups depending on country, then plenty sites from £ to ££££, you will soon find your feet on that one.

AI rsponse below
it's possible to live full time in a UK motorhome abroad, but there are some things to consider:

• Travel restrictions
  After Brexit, UK citizens can only spend 90 days in the Schengen area within a 180-day period. This means you'll need to leave most of mainland Europe after 90 days.
  • A passport with at least three months left until expiry
    
    
    
  • A visa for all countries you intend to visit
    
    
    
  • Your Covid-19 passport
    
    
    
  • A UK driving license
    
    
    
  • Insurance certificate for the vehicle
    
    
    
  • First aid kit
    
    
    
  • High visibility vest
    
    
    
  • Health insurance
    
    
    
  • UK number plate/vehicle identifier
    
    
    
  • Headlight converters
    
    
    
  • Warning triangle
    
    
    
  • Car/motorhome/caravan V5C (log book)
• Driving regulations
  Each country has its own driving regulations, so it's best to check each country's rules before you set off.
  
  
  
• Insurance
  Finding a policy might not be straightforward because your location is likely to change regularly.
  
  
  
• Connectivity
  You might need to buy data cards for different countries.
  
  
  
• Address
  You might need to use a relative's address because the DVLA won't allow you to use a virtual address.

and a cheeky vid from Gap decaders

You do not need visas for any Western Europe countries. Never heard of a Covid 19 passport but you do not need one now.

 

[Carpmart]

When I first joined, I didn't realise you only got 5 free posts, and it was well worth the money to post. There will be more questions from me when I pick up the motorhome.
I've been a member of Pistonheads for 21 years, and that was a very helpful site when I first got into TVR sports cars. That site is free, but now it's riddled with adverts.
So paying the £20 is well worth it to me.

I’m an early Pistonheads user too!

Also had a couple of TVR’s. 3000M and a Cerb 4.5…

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[autorouter]

Internet access will be essential, how does that work?

Obviously you won't have a land line to a router for internet, like you have in a house. There are basically four options.

Get good data packages for your phones, and use them as hotspots to connect laptops for work or TV.
Get a mifi device, that connects to a phone mast and provides local wifi in your motorhome. Needs a data sim with a good data package.
Get a router that can work with a phone mast. With its own aerials, or a better aerial on the roof. Also needs a data sim with a good data package.
Get a Starlink package.

Everyone's requirements are different, if you just do a bit of web browsing and emails, watch TV over the internet, work with a laptop with zoom meetings, etc. Will you be mostly near towns and cities, with a good phone signal, or out in the sticks where it's not so good? It sounds like you will be travelling outside the UK, which brings its own problems, again with a number of solutions.

 

[Mart 63]

I’m an early Pistonheads user too!

Also had a couple of TVR’s. 3000M and a Cerb 4.5…

I went a bit over the top. I had 2 Cerbs, 3 Chimps, 1 Tamora and finished off with a Griffith 500 and a T350

 

[Mr porky]

We are semi-retired travelling 9 months of the year, luckily we have a business storage address which we use for the electrol roll, doctors etc.
Most will use a family members address as a home address, if it's just for post there's a service called boat mail, which we haven't used but it has been mentioned on here.

Mail Forwarding Mail Scanning Redirection Free UK Street Address

Mail services for all including post for canal boat owners, expats, motorhomes, caravans et al with mail sent to UK and worldwide. Unique pay as you go service

www.boatmail.co.uk

Hope this helps.
Oh and we love our lifestyle but we do have each other to share all the ups and downs.

 

[gus-lopez]

. Never heard of a Covid 19 passport but you do not need one now

"Digital covid certificate " it was called & downloadable from your health app here in spain.still is .

 

[peterc10]

"Digital covid certificate " it was called & downloadable from your health app here in spain.still is .

But would it be a requirement for tourists?

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[hja]

I don’t think you said how old you are. A few things occur to me not having done what you are doing. What happens if it’s not for you? Are you going to have the money to go back to bricks and mortar? Health? Are you in good health? What happens if you are ill? As you get older your health will deteriorate. How will you cope if your van has a major breakdown such that you can’t live in it? Make sure you have proper insurance as a full timer.

 

[gus-lopez]

But would it be a requirement for tourists?

No I do not think anyone requires it now to eneter any country? No idea why we still even have it on the app's?

 

[peterc10]

No I do not think anyone requires it now to eneter any country? No idea why we still even have it on the app's?

The NHS app we have on our phones records everything about our health including every visit to the doctor and all the tests, prescriptions, operations, procedures and vaccinations you have had going back many years. So if any country asks about our covid vaccinations we can just get that out and show them. It will probably take a while because the records are just listed in date order.

 

[Jerrywh]

Ha, interesting thread!
All I would say, as a relative newbie, is that if s/he is intending to live in a motorhome joining MHF is pretty much de rigeur.
Oh, and yes, do maintain a UK address. do you have family? Use them, and give their address as your home one. If you don't, sympathy..

 

[movan]

It can be so lonely that you become insular... And then when you have to mix you realise you are your own best friend... and your dog's. So you find your inner self.

Ask the post office at a town, which may become a regular port of cal, for a PO address. They save your post there until you collect.. Free of charge. It allowed me to sign on at a local doctor's surgery as a temporary patient..... towns may differ.

It's also harder than you think if you are solo... Fresh water, waste, heating, low on Gaz, middle of nowhere is easy when it's a 'holiday/temporary position' but can be hard work in freezing gales, soaked to the skin, frozen shoulder setting in, etc., etc.

Take loads of good books with you.

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[PhilipLh]

It can be so lonely that you become insular... And then when you have to mix you realise you are your own best friend... and your dog's. So you find your inner self.

Ask the post office at a town, which may become a regular port of cal, for a PO address. They save your post there until you collect.. Free of charge. It allowed me to sign on at a local doctor's surgery as a temporary patient..... towns may differ.

It's also harder than you think if you are solo... Fresh water, waste, heating, low on Gaz, middle of nowhere is easy when it's a 'holiday/temporary position' but can be hard work in freezing gales, soaked to the skin, frozen shoulder setting in, etc., etc.

Take loads of good books with you.

We are selling up, yep everything, and leaving the carousel so here are a few questions for the experts, there's a ton of info on the interweb, too much , but I'd rather ask the peeps who live it!

How do you maintain a UK footprint (as we will have no offical home address) for GP, postal/proof of address for future return and buying a new home?

Which Medical Insurance is best?

Pet Insurance (Already have Pet passport)?

Which Security devices are essential without it adding armour plating, canons and anti personel mines, which is illegal?

Worth getting a roll of fake grass or outdoor mat?

Internet access will be essential, how does that work?

Controversial subject, generator or powerbank?

I should imagine that a lot of sites will already be getting booked up, as we are still planning, which areas welcome off site parking for a limited time only as I forsee we will struggle to get the best sites?

What is the average cost per night at an established site with ablutions, power, water etc?

We are mega serious about this, it will happen so any other recommendations will be welcome?

Thanks in advance campers!

One thing to bear in mind is if your van is more than 3 years old you will have to return to the UK to get the MOT done as this cannot be done in Europe.

 

[Barryh]

Health is so important. In the first year of owning our campsite we had a couple in their early sixties stay with us for a few weeks. They had sold up and were living the dream full time in their Moho. They visited the following year, however this time she was unsteady on her feet due to a neuro problem. The following year she was using an electric wheelchair and they were using sites they were familiar with and where they could fit their van with easy access to the disabled bathroom facilities, as she couldn’t get into the van bathroom anymore. They came one more year, then we didn’t see them again.

 

[Deepingvet]

Starlink for all your internet stuff, make sure you have a stack of money to fall back on as repairs and an afterlife will be required.
Living in a van full time is very different to 3-4 months.
Medical insurance you have GHiC cards. Get a dental plan in U.K. you can use in Europe ours is £6 per month.
You will soon get the hang of it.

 

[colyboy]

Please make sure you have pod to come back to . Little flat or something like that. You get fed up travelling you get very ill and then you will a need a place to come back to. And you will getting old!

 

[Northernraider]

Please make sure you have pod to come back to . Little flat or something like that. You get fed up travelling you get very ill and then you will a need a place to come back to. And you will getting old!

On the other hand living in a van is technically homeless so it makes you a bit more of a priority for emergency housing especially if over 50 lol





P.s I've not tested this theory

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[stuartholmes]

I went a bit over the top. I had 2 Cerbs, 3 Chimps, 1 Tamora and finished off with a Griffith 500 and a T350

A BIT??!?? How on earth did the company go broke so often?

 

[L' Hobo]

On the other hand living in a van is technically homeless so it makes you a bit more of a priority for emergency housing especially if over 50 lol





P.s I've not tested this theory

Good in theory but in practice, if you can walk reasonably well and your MALE, for get it!

 

[Tony50]

I don’t think you said how old you are. A few things occur to me not having done what you are doing. What happens if it’s not for you? Are you going to have the money to go back to bricks and mortar? Health? Are you in good health? What happens if you are ill? As you get older your health will deteriorate. How will you cope if your van has a major breakdown such that you can’t live in it? Make sure you have proper insurance as a full timer.

That seems a very sensible approach, I think anyone who considers selling up and full timing are very brave, I have known some who come back from living abroad, almost penniless, and in bad health.

 

[Simon G]

If you're planning on living overseas in the MH, you may fall foul of the 'UK Resident' requirement all insurers and financial institutions have.

 

[Mart 63]

A BIT??!?? How on earth did the company go broke so often?