Fulltiming in a motorhome - a blog
Discussion
I think there is something interesting with fulltiming. It would be a good experience for your daughter too I suspect so good luck with it.
I think its always good to know that there are definitely people in worse situations and its nice to see you still have a great relationship with your daughter and you see her often
I think its always good to know that there are definitely people in worse situations and its nice to see you still have a great relationship with your daughter and you see her often
Glad to hear that you are settling in to being a full time Motorhomer for a year or so & really pleased that the transition went fairly smoothly for you.
With regards the Internet I use an Osprey 2 which works really well, I use it all over Europe and it always works without any problems, I have had it now for 18months, I got mine from EE.
I hope that all continues to run smoothly for you, & look forward to reading you blog as & when.
Kind Regards
KT
With regards the Internet I use an Osprey 2 which works really well, I use it all over Europe and it always works without any problems, I have had it now for 18months, I got mine from EE.
I hope that all continues to run smoothly for you, & look forward to reading you blog as & when.
Kind Regards
KT
A mate full-timed in his motorhome whilst doing a self-build and had the same issues with emptying the toilet cassette into a manhole. He fitted a length of drainpipe into a suitable size board and dropped that over the hole once the cover was pulled back. In the end he left it in place and used a plastic cap on the pipe - I remember it as he drove into it one night and I had to tow his car out.
Spuff...just a thought on your grey waste....
I have rigged up a gizmo so that mine drains away when it is OK to do so (into a nearby drain or culvert or even under bushes/into non camping land etc). We only use Eco stuff for washing up etc so our grey water isnt too badly contaminated.
Its just 6 inches of bike inner tube (from a 26inch bike wheel so fairly wide in diameter) which rolls onto the grey outlet pipe.
The other end is rolled onto a pvc blank plug from a plumbing compression range (a la Wickes...40mm from memory) into which I have cut a hole and fixed a Hozelock male plug. I then bought 30m of standard garden hose which I cut into lengths (I have 2 x 8m approx which works for me). On the end of one I have the female Hozelock adaptor which clicks into the male/blank plug/inner tube gizmo. Run this to a suitable place and then the grey just drains away.
On the other lengths I have Hozelock joiners so I can extend it past 8m if required.
The whole thing rolls up and stows in one of those bags they sell for putting your EHU cable in (I have a grey one for this set up and a blue one for my fresh water hose)...and it works a treat
One less job to worry about (provided the site is OK with you doing it). I have had zero issues using this so far. I dont always deloy it: it depends on the set up really
I have rigged up a gizmo so that mine drains away when it is OK to do so (into a nearby drain or culvert or even under bushes/into non camping land etc). We only use Eco stuff for washing up etc so our grey water isnt too badly contaminated.
Its just 6 inches of bike inner tube (from a 26inch bike wheel so fairly wide in diameter) which rolls onto the grey outlet pipe.
The other end is rolled onto a pvc blank plug from a plumbing compression range (a la Wickes...40mm from memory) into which I have cut a hole and fixed a Hozelock male plug. I then bought 30m of standard garden hose which I cut into lengths (I have 2 x 8m approx which works for me). On the end of one I have the female Hozelock adaptor which clicks into the male/blank plug/inner tube gizmo. Run this to a suitable place and then the grey just drains away.
On the other lengths I have Hozelock joiners so I can extend it past 8m if required.
The whole thing rolls up and stows in one of those bags they sell for putting your EHU cable in (I have a grey one for this set up and a blue one for my fresh water hose)...and it works a treat
One less job to worry about (provided the site is OK with you doing it). I have had zero issues using this so far. I dont always deloy it: it depends on the set up really
Thanks for the ongoing support guys, and also the tip on the grey waste, Oblio. I'm still finding my feet with the farmer who owns the campsite - once i've got to know him a bit better, I'll broach the subject of piping into a ditch.
The first week (8 nights) ended on Sunday with me packing the van up and moving it back to the family home before I headed off to Germany for a weeks Business trip. How was it?
Well, a mixture of hard and easy. The hardest bits were arguably the emotional side of things. Not being there at home to cuddle my daugther every night after work. Having her with me and making sure she was well catered for and happy - easy, but difficult knowing that she is still somewhat confused about the whole thing. On the other hand, she still views the van as an adventure, so I have been playing on that and letting her enjoy it. Just really difficult dropping her back to the house on Saturday and having to say goodbye again that night and again on Sunday when I went off to Germany. That said, Germany has been such a long-running fixture, we're sort of both used to it, but it doesn't get any easier.
The van? Well, he's holding up ok. For constant use, the shower-room with the aged tray is going well. May need to get it fixed in future, but I'll do that when it either starts cracking properly or when I have an extended time in Germany and can afford to leave it with them for a week or so. It is, however, going back to MG Caravans on Friday as there is a reasonably strong smell of gas emanating from the fridge area. Question whether a pipe has got damaged or something when the fridge was put back in after the Service. At the very least, where gas is concerned, I want it sorted before using it again.
All that said, he's proving a comfy home-from-home - albeit a bit small and requiring time spent on logistics like taking backwards and forwards from site when not in use. The batteries hold up well - four nights is more than do-able with heating on most of the time. Still on the same gas cylinder, which is great considering I've been cooking, using heating, heating water and running the fridge off it. Before I head back to site, I'll swing by the "local" (15miles away) LPG Station and fill it up to find out how much I've used over the week. That will be a good check to see how much it's costing me and utilisation rates. And pleased to have the Generator too.
As of next week when I'm back in, I'm going to try and cycle to the Station both for Fitness reasons and due to the fact I've swapped the Yeti for a leggy (75k miles) F11 530d Touring, which I'm loathed to do too many short journeys in and don't want to ruin on site. Might seem like a strange move, getting rid of the Yeti when it's perfect for pulling up on a campsite, but the new reality is such that I'm spending far more time at Weekends driving to see friends on long journeys and the Yeti with its low gearing, lack of refinement and road noise is, quite frankly, tiring. Perfect for the Job for which it was bought - a second Family run-around alongside the X3. But given I don't drive the X3 anymore - it's just too unrefined. Anyhoo - a new "purchase" (well, swap) will be good for the soul. I'm a BMW-fanboy at heart and feel like a deserve a treat given what I'm currently enduring.
So for this week I'm going to enjoy the luxury of freely running water, power-shower and 15m2 living space! And Saturday the joy of 6-cylinder motoring and comfort seats!
Got to keep looking on the positive side.
The first week (8 nights) ended on Sunday with me packing the van up and moving it back to the family home before I headed off to Germany for a weeks Business trip. How was it?
Well, a mixture of hard and easy. The hardest bits were arguably the emotional side of things. Not being there at home to cuddle my daugther every night after work. Having her with me and making sure she was well catered for and happy - easy, but difficult knowing that she is still somewhat confused about the whole thing. On the other hand, she still views the van as an adventure, so I have been playing on that and letting her enjoy it. Just really difficult dropping her back to the house on Saturday and having to say goodbye again that night and again on Sunday when I went off to Germany. That said, Germany has been such a long-running fixture, we're sort of both used to it, but it doesn't get any easier.
The van? Well, he's holding up ok. For constant use, the shower-room with the aged tray is going well. May need to get it fixed in future, but I'll do that when it either starts cracking properly or when I have an extended time in Germany and can afford to leave it with them for a week or so. It is, however, going back to MG Caravans on Friday as there is a reasonably strong smell of gas emanating from the fridge area. Question whether a pipe has got damaged or something when the fridge was put back in after the Service. At the very least, where gas is concerned, I want it sorted before using it again.
All that said, he's proving a comfy home-from-home - albeit a bit small and requiring time spent on logistics like taking backwards and forwards from site when not in use. The batteries hold up well - four nights is more than do-able with heating on most of the time. Still on the same gas cylinder, which is great considering I've been cooking, using heating, heating water and running the fridge off it. Before I head back to site, I'll swing by the "local" (15miles away) LPG Station and fill it up to find out how much I've used over the week. That will be a good check to see how much it's costing me and utilisation rates. And pleased to have the Generator too.
As of next week when I'm back in, I'm going to try and cycle to the Station both for Fitness reasons and due to the fact I've swapped the Yeti for a leggy (75k miles) F11 530d Touring, which I'm loathed to do too many short journeys in and don't want to ruin on site. Might seem like a strange move, getting rid of the Yeti when it's perfect for pulling up on a campsite, but the new reality is such that I'm spending far more time at Weekends driving to see friends on long journeys and the Yeti with its low gearing, lack of refinement and road noise is, quite frankly, tiring. Perfect for the Job for which it was bought - a second Family run-around alongside the X3. But given I don't drive the X3 anymore - it's just too unrefined. Anyhoo - a new "purchase" (well, swap) will be good for the soul. I'm a BMW-fanboy at heart and feel like a deserve a treat given what I'm currently enduring.
So for this week I'm going to enjoy the luxury of freely running water, power-shower and 15m2 living space!
And Saturday the joy of 6-cylinder motoring and comfort seats! Got to keep looking on the positive side.
Edited by Spuffington on Tuesday 28th February 11:26
Well done!!
I've been reading your almost bitter-sweet updates with a mixture of interest and sadness.
In many ways it's a shame you can't park Harry somewhere more permanent. You could then fit an awning to dramatically increase your living space and you may even have dedicated drainage and water.
We were at a Caravan and Camping site near London a few weeks ago and were parked next to a full-timing retired couple in a new Hymer. That had corner steadies (Alko chassis, I think), but these are available for most models, drainage, water and EHU. They even had a 240v spin dryer in the garage for their washing.
We bought a Kampa Air Rally Pro awning for Udo last year and that has transformed things for us on stays of a week or more. So much extra space, easy to erect (inflatable) and very robust.
Would it be worth the additional site fees for a full-time pitch somewhere?
I've been reading your almost bitter-sweet updates with a mixture of interest and sadness.
In many ways it's a shame you can't park Harry somewhere more permanent. You could then fit an awning to dramatically increase your living space and you may even have dedicated drainage and water.
We were at a Caravan and Camping site near London a few weeks ago and were parked next to a full-timing retired couple in a new Hymer. That had corner steadies (Alko chassis, I think), but these are available for most models, drainage, water and EHU. They even had a 240v spin dryer in the garage for their washing.
We bought a Kampa Air Rally Pro awning for Udo last year and that has transformed things for us on stays of a week or more. So much extra space, easy to erect (inflatable) and very robust.
Would it be worth the additional site fees for a full-time pitch somewhere?
I wondered about insurance, however most people have friends that will help, I would have thought about a storage unit that has the rest of my stuff in that would take post as well as parcels.
They offer that service with lockers for businesses to receive large items to the locker direct.
They offer that service with lockers for businesses to receive large items to the locker direct.
I suppose for me it's a little different. Although in practice I'm separated from my wife, it's not formal (i.e. we've not gone down the route of a legal separation yet). I am also not spending more than a couple of weeks away from home and I'm still registered at my home address. We're on good enough terms, and I see the little'un enough, that I pick up my mail when I go back.
My insurance has no exclusions as to the amount of time I can spend in the van. The only thing is that I can spend a maximum of 6 months in any given period in Euroland. The clock restarts once back on English soil.
@Bellini - I have considered the Camping & Caravanning sites for longer-term pitches but they're firstly hugely expensive - either for a seasonal pitch (which itself is time limited) or for a normal pitch, which is only available for up to 4wks at a time.
I looked at Cambridge C&CC site, which is close to friends and actually quite convenient for the commute too but that was coming in at >400quid per month just for a normal pitch with EHU. Then I'd have to pack everything up and move on.
Where I am at the moment, I can stay there for up to 28nights. If ever I did this, the maximum I'd be out for would be just under 200quid. In practice I'm never going to be around that long since I'll either be travelling with work (normally every 2-3wks in Germany but sometimes more frequent) or travelling for holiday. So the van will never be sat around for too long. In terms of costs, I'd never recoup the extra either. So far I reckon I've spent 2-3quid on generating my own electricity last week (couple of litres of fuel for c. 5hrs running time) and I'm sure no more than c. 12quid on gas. The Generator will pay for itself within 5months, quite easily. And that's if I don't sell the thing afterwards - in which case I'll be massively quids in.
Furthermore, once I leave the site for a few days, the clock resets. In all honesty, given I'm commuting 3hrs a day then a good 8+hrs a day at work, the time I'm actually in the van is limited.
I could of course always do with more space, but the way I feel at the moment, I'd rather have another 1m on the van and a slightly different layout (one of the large 8m "S-class" Hymers would do the trick nicely - perhaps with a fixed bed at the rear, than an awning. A Garage would certainly also be useful for the Generator and lots of other bits and bobs which are difficult to squeeze into the outside lockers, or that you might just want out of the hab area.
In practice though, Harry is just fine and the longer I have him and the more money I pour into maintenance and keeping him tip-top, the less argument there is for getting rid of him. The idea of starting again on another van - getting to know all its foibles and spending money on bits wearing out - the less interesting it is.
My insurance has no exclusions as to the amount of time I can spend in the van. The only thing is that I can spend a maximum of 6 months in any given period in Euroland. The clock restarts once back on English soil.
@Bellini - I have considered the Camping & Caravanning sites for longer-term pitches but they're firstly hugely expensive - either for a seasonal pitch (which itself is time limited) or for a normal pitch, which is only available for up to 4wks at a time.
I looked at Cambridge C&CC site, which is close to friends and actually quite convenient for the commute too but that was coming in at >400quid per month just for a normal pitch with EHU. Then I'd have to pack everything up and move on.
Where I am at the moment, I can stay there for up to 28nights. If ever I did this, the maximum I'd be out for would be just under 200quid. In practice I'm never going to be around that long since I'll either be travelling with work (normally every 2-3wks in Germany but sometimes more frequent) or travelling for holiday. So the van will never be sat around for too long. In terms of costs, I'd never recoup the extra either. So far I reckon I've spent 2-3quid on generating my own electricity last week (couple of litres of fuel for c. 5hrs running time) and I'm sure no more than c. 12quid on gas. The Generator will pay for itself within 5months, quite easily. And that's if I don't sell the thing afterwards - in which case I'll be massively quids in.
Furthermore, once I leave the site for a few days, the clock resets. In all honesty, given I'm commuting 3hrs a day then a good 8+hrs a day at work, the time I'm actually in the van is limited.
I could of course always do with more space, but the way I feel at the moment, I'd rather have another 1m on the van and a slightly different layout (one of the large 8m "S-class" Hymers would do the trick nicely - perhaps with a fixed bed at the rear, than an awning. A Garage would certainly also be useful for the Generator and lots of other bits and bobs which are difficult to squeeze into the outside lockers, or that you might just want out of the hab area.
In practice though, Harry is just fine and the longer I have him and the more money I pour into maintenance and keeping him tip-top, the less argument there is for getting rid of him. The idea of starting again on another van - getting to know all its foibles and spending money on bits wearing out - the less interesting it is.
Edited by Spuffington on Tuesday 28th February 15:58
Edited by Spuffington on Tuesday 28th February 15:58
Edited by Spuffington on Tuesday 28th February 16:03
Well done, you really do seem to have prioritised how to spend you time and what is needed to do this well, not only for yourself but also your daughter, which she is obviously very happy with even though not quite understanding quite what is happening properly.
Also its so much better if you can keep things amicable with the other half as otherwise that causes so much unnecessary friction and children very quickly pick up on this as well.
Always interesting to hear how you are doing, and when/if you choose to go back to living in bricks and mortar you may wonder if you have now done the right thing.
I at various times of my life have lived on a yacht and sailed and worked around some of the Atlantic and the Med for 5 years and still miss that at times, but since then have had several motorhomes and enjoyed them.
The one that I have now as you know I bought 2 years ago and full timed in that for 1 year whilst refurbishing our present house, at the present we have just been away for 2 months on holiday in it around Europe and are back this coming weekend, but now that we are only a few days away from the end of this break could quite easily carry on, cosy & comfy.
Look forward to reading you next installment soon.
All the very best.
KT
Also its so much better if you can keep things amicable with the other half as otherwise that causes so much unnecessary friction and children very quickly pick up on this as well.
Always interesting to hear how you are doing, and when/if you choose to go back to living in bricks and mortar you may wonder if you have now done the right thing.
I at various times of my life have lived on a yacht and sailed and worked around some of the Atlantic and the Med for 5 years and still miss that at times, but since then have had several motorhomes and enjoyed them.
The one that I have now as you know I bought 2 years ago and full timed in that for 1 year whilst refurbishing our present house, at the present we have just been away for 2 months on holiday in it around Europe and are back this coming weekend, but now that we are only a few days away from the end of this break could quite easily carry on, cosy & comfy.
Look forward to reading you next installment soon.
All the very best.
KT
All in All then Spuff not too bad. Here's an idea for you to think about. I drove 25 miles on Sunday morning and parked up here for the day, had a great walk up the beach with the dog then had a pizza at lunch time, a cream tea we took with us mid afternoon and left to go home about 4.30pm cracking day out and making full use of what MH are for. Perhaps you and your daughter would enjoy a quick trip to the sea side one day you have her in the Van depending on where you are from the beach. just an 
for a day out
DSC_0673 by flat chat, on Flickr
for a day outDSC_0673 by flat chat, on FlickrEdited by 77racing on Wednesday 1st March 13:32
One of these on the end of the upper lockers on the other side might sort out your coffee issues:
http://campervanculture.com/shop/westfalia-cup-hol...
Of course, it might mean your coffee is at the foot end of the bed.
Good luck with this. It's only going to get better as the weather improves. Lighter mornings and evenings make a huge difference.
http://campervanculture.com/shop/westfalia-cup-hol...
Of course, it might mean your coffee is at the foot end of the bed.
Good luck with this. It's only going to get better as the weather improves. Lighter mornings and evenings make a huge difference.
I saw you mention the Cambridge C&CC site, and that it is quite expensive. Not sure if you have looked at any other sites locally but Bourn golf club have a small site I have stayed at. I think there was a full timer there at the time. It has hard standing pitches, electric and toilets/showers and it was around £10 a night I think. The club house bar was ok for food and drinks too.
Following with interest as I have considered full timing although not for the same reason you are. Good luck with it all.
Following with interest as I have considered full timing although not for the same reason you are. Good luck with it all.
Thanks guys - continued support much appreciated. I'm trying to keep my chin up - some days are easier than others. But I am genuinely convinced that I have it easy compared to a lot of people. Perhaps I'm just generally a more positive person, but I'm trying to view this all as a life lesson as well as getting something out of it.
@chicken chaser - I'm doing washing back at the family home or dropping it off with my Mum when I see her.
@KT - my Uncle with the Hymer bought from Travelworld is very similar. He's spent years sailing and living on yachts, so Motorhome are just an extension of that. I sometimes wonder if he wouldn't prefer to live full time in his rather than a house.
@77 racing - really good idea, thanks for that. We've used the van to go up to Thetford Forest and used it as a day van before. But the seaside is always a winning idea.
@s2sol - that is truly brilliant. Thank you so much for point those out. I was trying to find those the other day as I've already got one which Hymer fitted at factory for the passenger side of the cab. I wanted one to match, so that it looked "factory". I will be ordering one (or maybe even two!).
@mini95 - I'll check out Bourne, thanks. At the moment, I'm settled but we'll see how it goes.
So not too much of an update here. Harry came back to the house on Sunday as I flew off to Germany. I then took him off to MG Caravans on Friday to investigate the gas leak. As it happens, there wasn't one! They pressure tested the system and it wasn't loosing pressure anywhere, so was given a clean bill of health. They were great, didn't charge for it and everyone on the same page in terms of being on the safe side with gas. Yet another A1 experience from the guys and girls there. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone in the area near Royston.
Given I was off to my parents on Sat with the little''in, it didn't make sense to pitch up Friday night, so I stayed in the marital home. That was a mistake and not one I'll be making again. Harry is back on site this evening. A bit of a rush, but all sorted. It seems I used a full bottle of LPG during the previous week and although I searched high and low locally for LPG Autogas this afternoon, it seems few stations do it anymore. I have a second bottle left for this week, but on Saturday I'll be driving down to Birchanger Services on the M11 to fill up as I know they have it there.
Only other issue which has raised its head - Harry seems to be pulling to the left when driving. I had hoped it was wind or camber, but it's there pretty much all the time. I've checked the tyre pressures and they're fine. So I rang around on Friday to get wheel alignment done. It seems Harry is too big for most tyre places, even some of the light commercials places. As luck would have it, there's a lorry/commercials mechanic shop opposite side of the farm from where we live. I popped over there on Friday and they have a fella who comes out to their site to do the alignment on the lorries. He will do mine for £90 cash in hand. Seems like a good deal. I just hope it is the alignment and not something more sinister, ahead of my forthcoming trip to Scotland.
That said, I am the proud new owner of a BMW 530d Touring. Both a bit of a treat to myself for the stuff I'm going through at the moment and because my Yeti was neither big enough nor refined enough for the longer mileages I'm now doing. But having jut done 200miles in it this weekend, I'm sorely tempted to take the 5er up to the Highlands. But that would be missing the point of the trip!!
Anyway, I'm pitched up. Did some "housework" - vacuumed the floor of the Hab area and bathroom and then washed down the floor with those disposable antibacterial floor wipes you can get in the supermarket and then sprayed the bathroom down with Thetford bathroom cleaner and wiped it all down. Harry is now as clean as a whistle and feeling like home again.
A few things which I have changed now. I have decided that rather than keep packing the generator away under the settee when not in use, I've popped it on the transmission tunnel between the front seats. I have the bed down all the time when I'm pitched, so don't use the cab area. Seems a sensible use of space and easily reachable whenever I need it. I've also pulled the bed down without folding the seats forward. It's fine for a night or two, but I noticed the side bolsters / squabs to the chairs were getting damaged by the constant compression, so I've managed to set the seats in a position where they can stay up but the bed comes down in front of them.
I ran the generator up this evening to run my microwave for the first time. Got myself a "meal deal" from M&S and blitzed some Spag Bol in my 600W microwave my parents bought me. Was really nice having a "proper" meal. The generator worked hard for the 5mins I was cooking, but settled back down just above idle to run the fridge and hot water for another hour or so afterwards.
Other than that, back to work as normal tomorrow. Shirts are all ironed, hanging up in the wardrobe. I pressed my suit trousers when at home yesterday. They're hanging up too. Off for a shower now and then early to bed.
Just hope with the rain that's coming down now, that the car doesn't get stuck in the mud. Damn - should never have sold the Yeti!
@chicken chaser - I'm doing washing back at the family home or dropping it off with my Mum when I see her.
@KT - my Uncle with the Hymer bought from Travelworld is very similar. He's spent years sailing and living on yachts, so Motorhome are just an extension of that. I sometimes wonder if he wouldn't prefer to live full time in his rather than a house.
@77 racing - really good idea, thanks for that. We've used the van to go up to Thetford Forest and used it as a day van before. But the seaside is always a winning idea.
@s2sol - that is truly brilliant. Thank you so much for point those out. I was trying to find those the other day as I've already got one which Hymer fitted at factory for the passenger side of the cab. I wanted one to match, so that it looked "factory". I will be ordering one (or maybe even two!).
@mini95 - I'll check out Bourne, thanks. At the moment, I'm settled but we'll see how it goes.
So not too much of an update here. Harry came back to the house on Sunday as I flew off to Germany. I then took him off to MG Caravans on Friday to investigate the gas leak. As it happens, there wasn't one! They pressure tested the system and it wasn't loosing pressure anywhere, so was given a clean bill of health. They were great, didn't charge for it and everyone on the same page in terms of being on the safe side with gas. Yet another A1 experience from the guys and girls there. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone in the area near Royston.
Given I was off to my parents on Sat with the little''in, it didn't make sense to pitch up Friday night, so I stayed in the marital home. That was a mistake and not one I'll be making again. Harry is back on site this evening. A bit of a rush, but all sorted. It seems I used a full bottle of LPG during the previous week and although I searched high and low locally for LPG Autogas this afternoon, it seems few stations do it anymore. I have a second bottle left for this week, but on Saturday I'll be driving down to Birchanger Services on the M11 to fill up as I know they have it there.
Only other issue which has raised its head - Harry seems to be pulling to the left when driving. I had hoped it was wind or camber, but it's there pretty much all the time. I've checked the tyre pressures and they're fine. So I rang around on Friday to get wheel alignment done. It seems Harry is too big for most tyre places, even some of the light commercials places. As luck would have it, there's a lorry/commercials mechanic shop opposite side of the farm from where we live. I popped over there on Friday and they have a fella who comes out to their site to do the alignment on the lorries. He will do mine for £90 cash in hand. Seems like a good deal. I just hope it is the alignment and not something more sinister, ahead of my forthcoming trip to Scotland.
That said, I am the proud new owner of a BMW 530d Touring. Both a bit of a treat to myself for the stuff I'm going through at the moment and because my Yeti was neither big enough nor refined enough for the longer mileages I'm now doing. But having jut done 200miles in it this weekend, I'm sorely tempted to take the 5er up to the Highlands. But that would be missing the point of the trip!!
Anyway, I'm pitched up. Did some "housework" - vacuumed the floor of the Hab area and bathroom and then washed down the floor with those disposable antibacterial floor wipes you can get in the supermarket and then sprayed the bathroom down with Thetford bathroom cleaner and wiped it all down. Harry is now as clean as a whistle and feeling like home again.
A few things which I have changed now. I have decided that rather than keep packing the generator away under the settee when not in use, I've popped it on the transmission tunnel between the front seats. I have the bed down all the time when I'm pitched, so don't use the cab area. Seems a sensible use of space and easily reachable whenever I need it. I've also pulled the bed down without folding the seats forward. It's fine for a night or two, but I noticed the side bolsters / squabs to the chairs were getting damaged by the constant compression, so I've managed to set the seats in a position where they can stay up but the bed comes down in front of them.
I ran the generator up this evening to run my microwave for the first time. Got myself a "meal deal" from M&S and blitzed some Spag Bol in my 600W microwave my parents bought me. Was really nice having a "proper" meal. The generator worked hard for the 5mins I was cooking, but settled back down just above idle to run the fridge and hot water for another hour or so afterwards.
Other than that, back to work as normal tomorrow. Shirts are all ironed, hanging up in the wardrobe. I pressed my suit trousers when at home yesterday. They're hanging up too. Off for a shower now and then early to bed.
Just hope with the rain that's coming down now, that the car doesn't get stuck in the mud. Damn - should never have sold the Yeti!
Edited by Spuffington on Sunday 5th March 20:28
Reading with interest. The thought of just selling everything, jacking work in and going off with the dog (also a Lab as it happens) often appeals.
However, you're cheating
All this talk of fulltiming yet sloping off to a house for washing, ironing etc.
On the food issue, you make it sound like a microwave spag bol is some sort of rare treat? What do you usually eat? Why dont you heat stuff up on a burner - a Microwave is pretty unnecessary imo, you could tip that spag bol into a pan and heat it?
However, you're cheating
All this talk of fulltiming yet sloping off to a house for washing, ironing etc.
On the food issue, you make it sound like a microwave spag bol is some sort of rare treat? What do you usually eat? Why dont you heat stuff up on a burner - a Microwave is pretty unnecessary imo, you could tip that spag bol into a pan and heat it?
Hi Spuff,
Glad that things are getting into a more regular routine for you now, it really sounds as though you have it all sorted without any hassle.
Except the marital home bit, sad really how these things can change so fast from what was love to the exact opposite, hope that that was a minor blip for you and that the separation stays on a more even keel for you and your daughter.
Great to hear that the BMW seems to be just what the Dr ordered in the present circumstances.
Hope that the wheel noise and pulling don't end up a major expense, hopefully just tracking
We are back into the house now and how really strange it seems to us to come back to bricks and mortar, funny thing is the dog has just fallen straight back into his old routine and remembers everything from his way of life here and is straight back in, whereas us we are just finding our feet again and haven't quite relaxed back into it and can't wait to get the next trip planned, but slightly differently next time we think.
All the best KT
Glad that things are getting into a more regular routine for you now, it really sounds as though you have it all sorted without any hassle.
Except the marital home bit, sad really how these things can change so fast from what was love to the exact opposite, hope that that was a minor blip for you and that the separation stays on a more even keel for you and your daughter.
Great to hear that the BMW seems to be just what the Dr ordered in the present circumstances.
Hope that the wheel noise and pulling don't end up a major expense, hopefully just tracking
We are back into the house now and how really strange it seems to us to come back to bricks and mortar, funny thing is the dog has just fallen straight back into his old routine and remembers everything from his way of life here and is straight back in, whereas us we are just finding our feet again and haven't quite relaxed back into it and can't wait to get the next trip planned, but slightly differently next time we think.
All the best KT
@marvtec - re: washing & ironing, there are other ways of managing this. The original plan was to be at a C&CC site, where I would have done my laundry on site. And shirt laundering and ironing would've been done at a dry cleaner in the City. Both of these cost money and although I'd have been prepared to do them (and certainly the shirt solution will come into Play when I start riding the bike to the station etc.), I'm not in any kind of competition with myself in terms of making life more complicated to prove independence in the motorhome. Life is already complicated enough right now so I settle for whatever solution makes things more straightforward or is good value. C&CC site is not good value IMO, nor longterm enough for me.
As for food - cooking up on three hob rings is challenging but fine and was done often enough on Holiday and will be in the future. But coming "home" after a long day somewhere; either at work or elsewhere, the last thing you want to do is to cook and that's where having a microwave is convenient. Again, for me, all about making my life simpler rather than adding more stress or complexity. I have a Remoska slow cooker thing which I will use on the weekend to cook healthy and tasty Food when I have more time. But at other times, time is a premium commodity.
@KT - hope everything goes well with living back at the house. I can imagine it's strange after so long travelling. Dogs love routines and somewhere familiar and although Tilly is very flexible, you can see it in her when she's back in familiar surroundings.
I'm already adjusting to motorhome living to the extent that I really appreciate the creature comforts of being in a house or hotel. Little things like not having to worry about how much water you use in the shower; running it really hot and enjoying just standing under it rather than conserving water just to get wet and rinse with. I do find I'm more aware of resources generally. When warming up the hot water bottles the other night, I emptied the water back into the kettle because I wanted to save energy heating it (i.e. better to be heating warmish water rather than cold) and also not pouring away 2-3litres of water which could be reused. I can imagine after a longer period, I'll be even more concious of doing things back at home.
I don't mind being in the motorhome. But I still yearn to be back in my house. Life's just easier in a house than a van.
But I do like the connection to wildlife - so much more aware of your surroundings.
As for food - cooking up on three hob rings is challenging but fine and was done often enough on Holiday and will be in the future. But coming "home" after a long day somewhere; either at work or elsewhere, the last thing you want to do is to cook and that's where having a microwave is convenient. Again, for me, all about making my life simpler rather than adding more stress or complexity. I have a Remoska slow cooker thing which I will use on the weekend to cook healthy and tasty Food when I have more time. But at other times, time is a premium commodity.
@KT - hope everything goes well with living back at the house. I can imagine it's strange after so long travelling. Dogs love routines and somewhere familiar and although Tilly is very flexible, you can see it in her when she's back in familiar surroundings.
I'm already adjusting to motorhome living to the extent that I really appreciate the creature comforts of being in a house or hotel. Little things like not having to worry about how much water you use in the shower; running it really hot and enjoying just standing under it rather than conserving water just to get wet and rinse with. I do find I'm more aware of resources generally. When warming up the hot water bottles the other night, I emptied the water back into the kettle because I wanted to save energy heating it (i.e. better to be heating warmish water rather than cold) and also not pouring away 2-3litres of water which could be reused. I can imagine after a longer period, I'll be even more concious of doing things back at home.
I don't mind being in the motorhome. But I still yearn to be back in my house. Life's just easier in a house than a van.
But I do like the connection to wildlife - so much more aware of your surroundings.
Spuff, what size leisure battery do you have on board. I am set to be off in the caravan for work for three weeks. Job rate will not cut a hotel and don't really want pay £27 for night!! Looking at CL's and curious how long my battery will last for. Obviously don't have the engine to charge it if needed. Might need to upgrade soon. Would love a generator but funds will not permit right now.
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