Living in a motor home or something for a year or two

Lardlizard · 2020-07-28T10:08:53+00:00

When my kids have grown up, I wouldn’t mind renting out my house then taking a couple of years out, just daydreaming about how I could do it

Wilburgh · 28/07/2020 11:41

Do it! Check out all the vanlifers on YouTube.

Not quite the same, but I buggered off to Australia and and the US for two years when my child was young, bought a camper and lived in it (sold it when I left Australia as it was cheaper to so that abs buy another one in the US). We just travelled round. It was amazing.

Dh has just been told that they will never return to the office after Covid. So if things have calmed down end of next year, we are buying a van and travelling. We’ll have two young children with us.

Original poster

Lardlizard · 28/07/2020 13:18

That would be even better somewhere sunny

OP posts:

TreacherousPissFlap · 28/07/2020 13:29

If you can afford it, or are able to continue to work while you travel then why on earth wouldn't you?!

I would look at vans designed specifically for you if you intend to live in it long term eg. the regular bed would be a nightmare if you are 6'3", if you are a dedicated tea drinker it would be hugely inconvenient to only have an outdoor stove etc.

Nat6999 · 28/07/2020 13:34

When I was on maternity leave we lived in our caravan for 3 months, it was great, like an extended holiday. I'm thinking of buying another one at some point .

Deathraystare · 28/07/2020 13:44

I would love to do that but cannot drive (health issues). Ah well, I will have to just dream about then!

Devlesko · 28/07/2020 13:48

Where will you stay? There's fewer sites as councils are closing them.
New laws will stop you from parking up anywhere else
The new law for travellers doesn't make good reading OP.

Mindymomo · 28/07/2020 13:51

Best of luck with it. My sons are 24 and 28 and neither show any interest on moving out.

LunaDeet · 28/07/2020 13:52

I want to do the same but on a narrowboat. There are plenty of people traveling the UK waterways full time on YouTube.

Devlesko · 28/07/2020 14:03

Luna

My friends do this, I couldn't as the damp would get to me, they fill a dehumidifier in a couple of hours.
I also wouldn't like to have to move on every 14 days.

I would advise anyone contemplating travelling for any time to check the laws, they are all changing.
If you have 2 vehicles that's a car and a caravan/ trailer, you are pretty much doomed.
There are a few official stopping places throughout the country, but not nearly enough. By autumn if you are found trespassing or more than one vehicle you can have them confiscated.
Not so bad I suppose if you are a hobbyist but when it's your home and you have no alternative it's pretty barbaric imo.

Wilburgh · 28/07/2020 14:19

@Devlesko

Luna

My friends do this, I couldn't as the damp would get to me, they fill a dehumidifier in a couple of hours.
I also wouldn't like to have to move on every 14 days.

I would advise anyone contemplating travelling for any time to check the laws, they are all changing.
If you have 2 vehicles that's a car and a caravan/ trailer, you are pretty much doomed.
There are a few official stopping places throughout the country, but not nearly enough. By autumn if you are found trespassing or more than one vehicle you can have them confiscated.
Not so bad I suppose if you are a hobbyist but when it's your home and you have no alternative it's pretty barbaric imo.

That’s why I’d never do it in this country. There are van dwellers in the U.K. (not talking about travellers here, just people who want to live in cars/vans) who are treated appallingly.

Wilburgh · 28/07/2020 14:21

The people I know who do it on the U.K. are stealth campers - converted white vans instead of camper vans or caravans. So they park up anywhere and you would never know it’s someone’s home from the outside, unless you were searching the roof for solar panels.

icedaisy · 28/07/2020 14:57

I'm sure a mumsnetter set off in her retirement doing this, I recall a cat? The posts had loads of info about mail and practical stuff, can anyone remember?

Nat6999 · 28/07/2020 15:28

If you buy a caravan there are loads of Caravan club Certified locations, small sites without amenities, sometimes on farms. You can often go off grid there & during the week you could have the site to yourself.

Devlesko · 28/07/2020 15:54

Wilbourgh

That's the problem with the UK, well England to be fair, as the rest of UK look after their travellers.
I know you weren't talking about gypsy travellers, but the change in law will affect anyone travelling and homeless people as you can't have one rule for one race and another rule for another, it would mean carnage
We are hoping it doesn't come to it, but our charities have lawyers working on it now.

Wilburgh · 28/07/2020 16:21

@Devlesko

Wilbourgh

That's the problem with the UK, well England to be fair, as the rest of UK look after their travellers.
I know you weren't talking about gypsy travellers, but the change in law will affect anyone travelling and homeless people as you can't have one rule for one race and another rule for another, it would mean carnage
We are hoping it doesn't come to it, but our charities have lawyers working on it now.

Oh I know, it discriminates everyone.

I only mentioned they weren’t gypsy travellers as that’s what people always assume when I talk about my friends who chose to live in vans. They can’t get their heads around people living in vans who aren’t travellers and use that against them (wrongly).

Devlesko · 28/07/2020 16:27

The only difference is those that choose and those that don't because it's part of their culture and race.
This is the idea of the new law that will affect everyone.
If you see a petition anywhere, I'll put one up soon, please sign.

www.travellerstimes.org.uk/index.php/news/2020/07/government-set-pass-new-hostile-anti-traveller-laws-autumn