Fulltiming in a motorhome - a blog
Discussion
Thanks Oblio, feef, MB140 - I can definitely relate to what you've written too. I'd say I'm less bittersweet though about the divorce. I'm so happy with my current stuation and so well awre that although I was desperately unhappy in my marriage, I'd never have cheated even if I'd known how happy I could be, so I needed it to end to achieve the happiness I've got now. I'm gutted about the mney aspect, but I'm now so much of a believer in Money not bringing happiness, that I can reconcile that.
By way of update on the vehicle, I picked up Carrie last Friday from the Mercedes dealer. It seems they picked up not only quite a lot of the diagnostic cost which I disputed but also the cost of the new ABS sensor which was the last minute addition to the expense on Thursday. I presume somebody missed it in the original scoping of work. I ended up paying just under 4.3k for the work undertaken.
Anyway, I hoped that she would feel really different when I picked her up (given the costs involved!) and I wasn’t disappointed. From the off she felt much sprightlier. I really can now see how much a drag (literally) the binding rear brake was on the van. The autobox creep which one normally gets in a vehicle was there, but I hadn’t realized how much it had been compromised……….Carrie now really doesn’t just “creep” but almost surges when in Drive (well, that’s perhaps a little overdone, but she certainly moves effortless forward without any gas) and the pickup when accelerating feels like she’s been chipped +15-20bhp.
Once moving, the benefits of the wheel alignment are clear – she tracks the road beautifully and needs just a small finger on the wheel to keep her towing a straight line on the motorway. I think the broken spring had added a wandering also – this is now gone and I feel like I could drive effortlessly for hours in her. The brakes feel strong (probably as much the new brake fluid as the new friction material) and overall just feels “sorted”.
Obviously it should do for the money, but I’m so pleased that I can tell the difference and I am going to make sure that this wasn’t all for nothing and she gets driven properly and regularly now so that there are no more seizures of these components. I popped my head under the van when I returned and it was lovely to see all the nice new shiny components under there!
Hopefully the fuel consumption will improve as a result – I have no doubt given how much stronger the engine feels now; unencumbered by the binding brakes.
All in all, I'm very happy. Clearly I would never choose to have such an expensive repair bill, but at least I can feel the benefits and now feel like the van I'm driving cost 200k new!!
Next stop, the cheeky addition of a leather trimmed steering wheel just to complete the feel!
By way of update on the vehicle, I picked up Carrie last Friday from the Mercedes dealer. It seems they picked up not only quite a lot of the diagnostic cost which I disputed but also the cost of the new ABS sensor which was the last minute addition to the expense on Thursday. I presume somebody missed it in the original scoping of work. I ended up paying just under 4.3k for the work undertaken.
Anyway, I hoped that she would feel really different when I picked her up (given the costs involved!) and I wasn’t disappointed. From the off she felt much sprightlier. I really can now see how much a drag (literally) the binding rear brake was on the van. The autobox creep which one normally gets in a vehicle was there, but I hadn’t realized how much it had been compromised……….Carrie now really doesn’t just “creep” but almost surges when in Drive (well, that’s perhaps a little overdone, but she certainly moves effortless forward without any gas) and the pickup when accelerating feels like she’s been chipped +15-20bhp.
Once moving, the benefits of the wheel alignment are clear – she tracks the road beautifully and needs just a small finger on the wheel to keep her towing a straight line on the motorway. I think the broken spring had added a wandering also – this is now gone and I feel like I could drive effortlessly for hours in her. The brakes feel strong (probably as much the new brake fluid as the new friction material) and overall just feels “sorted”.
Obviously it should do for the money, but I’m so pleased that I can tell the difference and I am going to make sure that this wasn’t all for nothing and she gets driven properly and regularly now so that there are no more seizures of these components. I popped my head under the van when I returned and it was lovely to see all the nice new shiny components under there!
Hopefully the fuel consumption will improve as a result – I have no doubt given how much stronger the engine feels now; unencumbered by the binding brakes.
All in all, I'm very happy. Clearly I would never choose to have such an expensive repair bill, but at least I can feel the benefits and now feel like the van I'm driving cost 200k new!!
Next stop, the cheeky addition of a leather trimmed steering wheel just to complete the feel!
Edited by Spuffington on Monday 18th June 16:00
Fair play spuff, i starting reading this thread about 2 weeks ago, I split up from a long relationship eleven years ago but sold everything and mortgaged up to my eyeballs to keep the house and give my 3 kids stability, I moved on, met the woman of my dreams and have been ecstaticly happy ever since, it cost me over £120,000 but the happiness is worth far more. Last August we purchased a 1996 auto trail Cheyenne, best thing I’ve ever brought, got 2 weeks in August to travel round Devon and Cornwall, can’t wait. Look forward to your updates, really interesting read.
Still lurking and following, like I'm sure many are that are rooting for you.
Just had a look back at your post on 11th May 2017 (circa page 7) when things were low and comparing that against a little over a year later with your 2nd last post there from the middle of June - What a difference a year makes!
Heres hoping the upward spiral continues.
Just had a look back at your post on 11th May 2017 (circa page 7) when things were low and comparing that against a little over a year later with your 2nd last post there from the middle of June - What a difference a year makes!
Heres hoping the upward spiral continues.
Thanks for the nudge, chaps.
I can scarcely believe it's been 2.5 months since I last posted. Not only am I still stinging from the motorhome bill, but so much has happened, it's untrue.
In short:
- first holiday together with little'n and my girlfriend. A roaring success. They both adore each other and a solid foundation for the future has been laid.
- contracts have been exchanged on the family home and the sale completes on Friday (7th Sept).
- I have just been issued with Heads of Terms for a move to Frankfurt. Looks like I'll be transferred onto a German Contract by the end of the year and have Frankfurt as my home with the UK as a stopover when visiting my daughter every 10days.
I'm not a massive social media user, but a quick look at Facebook memories informs me that this time last year I had just spent my first "overnight"
in Frankfurt with my girlfriend just a fortnight ago. It is hard to believe what we have achieved in 12 months and how different my life looks to the same period 24 months ago when everything was falling apart around me.
I'm currently desperately skint. The mere thought of the release of hundreds of thousands of pounds from the house sale being diverted from me and solely in the direction of my ex gauls me beyond belief. That and the >£100k she'll get in maintenance over the next 13yrs. But I try not to dwell on it. With all said and done, I've learnt one big lesson through all of this - happiness does not depend on the size of your house, the amount of money you have in the bank, the car on your drive and outward expressions of wealth. That's not to say that I'm done with nice things or earning good money, but it does mean that my focus is elsewhere.
I have a wonderful daughter who I love to bits and with whom I have managed to maintain a very strong and close relationship. I have a girlfriend, the likes of whom I could never have dreamt about - a combination of beauty, intelligence, kindness, warmth and love. She’s adventurer who pushes my boundaries and makes me be the best version of me, but also a homely, loving woman who appreciates family and precious moments together. With these two women in my life, anything is achievable and I am excited at what the future holds.
In spite of all of this, I still have moments of intense sadness. There are moments where the collateral damage is so huge and the drastic change to my finances and living circumstances seem too much to deal with. But all it takes is some practical logic, emotional support from my girlfriend and some tears from me and I'm able to push ahead and keep things (as ever) on an even keel.
On the one hand I'm very excited to be trying life as a German taxpayer(!) at the ripe old age of 39 - not just pretending to work in a different country. But actually having it as my base. On the other hand, the continual commute backwards and forwards to the UK, with no practical end in sight is tiring.
I've not been able to secure a campsite beyond November for Carrie, so I have resigned myself to using my parents house as a base for the four-six days a month I will be in the UK. This will also be difficult as regards HMRC as I will be going non-dom and will have to day-count to remain under the 90day rule. The upside to all this is potentially a tax rebate which might help me in the short term. I will be taking the motorhome to Germany to use during the winter months when it’s too cold for VW camper van. We’re both really excited at the opportunity this brings and German campsites are far more relaxed in terms of "full-timing". We won't be doing so as we have a rather lovely flat in Frankfurt, but we will be renting a 200sqm pitch about 25mins drive from the City centre for 12months for EUR 1.6k which will allow us to store Carrie and then use her as and when
we have time. Much cheaper than campsites in the UK.
As if that isn’t enough, the divorce is going through (held up by some bad legal advice on my side) but I would hope for Decree Nici in the next month and Absolute well before Christmas.
That will be the final line drawn under a chapter of my life that, aside from my daughter, I’d rather forget about.
Bit of a ramble - sorry. My thoughts are such a jumble - the main thing is that the overriding emotion is happiness. Aside from the emotions relating to my daughter, I can't remember having ever been this happy, which is so strange when there are so many competing reasons to be down. But these will lessen over time and at the moment I'm just revelling in my fantastic new life.
No-one can ever accuse it of being boring!
I can scarcely believe it's been 2.5 months since I last posted. Not only am I still stinging from the motorhome bill, but so much has happened, it's untrue.
In short:
- first holiday together with little'n and my girlfriend. A roaring success. They both adore each other and a solid foundation for the future has been laid.
- contracts have been exchanged on the family home and the sale completes on Friday (7th Sept).
- I have just been issued with Heads of Terms for a move to Frankfurt. Looks like I'll be transferred onto a German Contract by the end of the year and have Frankfurt as my home with the UK as a stopover when visiting my daughter every 10days.
I'm not a massive social media user, but a quick look at Facebook memories informs me that this time last year I had just spent my first "overnight"
in Frankfurt with my girlfriend just a fortnight ago. It is hard to believe what we have achieved in 12 months and how different my life looks to the same period 24 months ago when everything was falling apart around me.I'm currently desperately skint. The mere thought of the release of hundreds of thousands of pounds from the house sale being diverted from me and solely in the direction of my ex gauls me beyond belief. That and the >£100k she'll get in maintenance over the next 13yrs. But I try not to dwell on it. With all said and done, I've learnt one big lesson through all of this - happiness does not depend on the size of your house, the amount of money you have in the bank, the car on your drive and outward expressions of wealth. That's not to say that I'm done with nice things or earning good money, but it does mean that my focus is elsewhere.
I have a wonderful daughter who I love to bits and with whom I have managed to maintain a very strong and close relationship. I have a girlfriend, the likes of whom I could never have dreamt about - a combination of beauty, intelligence, kindness, warmth and love. She’s adventurer who pushes my boundaries and makes me be the best version of me, but also a homely, loving woman who appreciates family and precious moments together. With these two women in my life, anything is achievable and I am excited at what the future holds.
In spite of all of this, I still have moments of intense sadness. There are moments where the collateral damage is so huge and the drastic change to my finances and living circumstances seem too much to deal with. But all it takes is some practical logic, emotional support from my girlfriend and some tears from me and I'm able to push ahead and keep things (as ever) on an even keel.
On the one hand I'm very excited to be trying life as a German taxpayer(!) at the ripe old age of 39 - not just pretending to work in a different country. But actually having it as my base. On the other hand, the continual commute backwards and forwards to the UK, with no practical end in sight is tiring.
I've not been able to secure a campsite beyond November for Carrie, so I have resigned myself to using my parents house as a base for the four-six days a month I will be in the UK. This will also be difficult as regards HMRC as I will be going non-dom and will have to day-count to remain under the 90day rule. The upside to all this is potentially a tax rebate which might help me in the short term. I will be taking the motorhome to Germany to use during the winter months when it’s too cold for VW camper van. We’re both really excited at the opportunity this brings and German campsites are far more relaxed in terms of "full-timing". We won't be doing so as we have a rather lovely flat in Frankfurt, but we will be renting a 200sqm pitch about 25mins drive from the City centre for 12months for EUR 1.6k which will allow us to store Carrie and then use her as and when
we have time. Much cheaper than campsites in the UK.
As if that isn’t enough, the divorce is going through (held up by some bad legal advice on my side) but I would hope for Decree Nici in the next month and Absolute well before Christmas.
That will be the final line drawn under a chapter of my life that, aside from my daughter, I’d rather forget about.
Bit of a ramble - sorry. My thoughts are such a jumble - the main thing is that the overriding emotion is happiness. Aside from the emotions relating to my daughter, I can't remember having ever been this happy, which is so strange when there are so many competing reasons to be down. But these will lessen over time and at the moment I'm just revelling in my fantastic new life.
No-one can ever accuse it of being boring!
Hi Spuff,
Well done with getting everything sorted, gradually gradually catchy monkey in your own time.
It will all come together slowly, been there and worn that T shirt many years ago.
Really really pleased for you that the way things are working out for you.
Like you I don’t get on here that much since selling our big motor homes.
Good luck with your future.
All the very best KT
Well done with getting everything sorted, gradually gradually catchy monkey in your own time.
It will all come together slowly, been there and worn that T shirt many years ago.
Really really pleased for you that the way things are working out for you.
Like you I don’t get on here that much since selling our big motor homes.
Good luck with your future.
All the very best KT
@Thurbs - ich habe Deutsch erst mal in der Schule gelernt dann Deutsch an der Uni studiert und seit den letzten c. 8 Jahren mehr oder weniger bei Firmen in Frankfurt gearbeitet.
Thanks for the best wishes everyone. The next time I write an update, it’ll be effectively to conclude my “Fulltiming” exercise. The rental contract for the campsite in Frankfurt is now signed (for 12 months) and I collect the keyfob for the entrance barrier on Sunday, the Dover-Calais ferry is booked for 4th October and we’ll be arriving on 7th October at the campsite where Carrie will be stored and used as often as possible as our holiday home for the foreseeable future. This effectively brings to an end a whacky, exciting, tough, costly and emotional adventure. I’ll try and summarise it all properly in one last blog once it’s all over. I have to confess that I’m looking forward to having the motorhome once again as a holiday vehicle and not something I need to worry about as being my primary residence and all the logistics which go with that in England. But I’ll also be a little sad given Carrie (and Harry before) has looked after me and provided me with a safe and comfortable place to lay my head when I have seen first-hand the lengths that other people in similar situations who have not been so lucky as me, have had to resort to (sleeping in their cars, for example).
Anyway – thank you again for your support and reading what now turned into a relatively epic thread! Appreciate all the kind comments and PMs I’ve received with offers of help and support.
Thanks for the best wishes everyone. The next time I write an update, it’ll be effectively to conclude my “Fulltiming” exercise. The rental contract for the campsite in Frankfurt is now signed (for 12 months) and I collect the keyfob for the entrance barrier on Sunday, the Dover-Calais ferry is booked for 4th October and we’ll be arriving on 7th October at the campsite where Carrie will be stored and used as often as possible as our holiday home for the foreseeable future. This effectively brings to an end a whacky, exciting, tough, costly and emotional adventure. I’ll try and summarise it all properly in one last blog once it’s all over. I have to confess that I’m looking forward to having the motorhome once again as a holiday vehicle and not something I need to worry about as being my primary residence and all the logistics which go with that in England. But I’ll also be a little sad given Carrie (and Harry before) has looked after me and provided me with a safe and comfortable place to lay my head when I have seen first-hand the lengths that other people in similar situations who have not been so lucky as me, have had to resort to (sleeping in their cars, for example).
Anyway – thank you again for your support and reading what now turned into a relatively epic thread! Appreciate all the kind comments and PMs I’ve received with offers of help and support.
So – that’s it, 18months after I started the thread, I’m bringing it to a close. Last weekend marked the end of my fulltiming in my motorhome and its transition from “home” to “holiday home”. The original intention was to save money, but looking at the costs I’ve incurred over that period, I could easily have rented a small flat in Saffron Walden. But although with hindsight that was possible, technically might’ve been difficult what with having been mortgaged at the same time and some of the motorhome expenditure a little more discretionary and therefore more able to be shifted around for when it was affordable.
Nevertheless, the Hymer was my home for 7months and the Concorde for the remainder. Both of which served me well but the Concorde most definitely made the difference between being able to live and just surviving. Both of them however provided me with safe and comfortable space which I could also use to enjoy elsewhere and make some memories both with my daughter and alone. The Concorde also was instrumental in allowing myself and my new partner to enjoy time together and our first trip up to NW Scotland this time last year is so special in our memories that I will forever be grateful for the time we had and how the motorhome facilitated that experience.
Therefore, it was only fitting that Carrie’s transition from home to holiday home took place together with my partner last weekend. As I’ve mentioned previously, campsites in the UK are not very accommodating of full-timers and are also very seasonal. The biggest issue with fulltiming I’ve not found in living in close quarters, but the continual logistics of having to move every 28days to satisfy planning & licensing regulations of campsites. It has got to the point where I almost have to plan all of my trips to the UK around campsites rather than maximizing my time with my daughter. As a result, the closure of Cambridge C&CC Site for the winter forced my hand in terms of finally making the decision to move the van…………to Germany.
In Germany, the concept of Dauer Camping (longterm camping) is accepted and you are able to enter into contracts for occupying pitches for longer periods from 3, 6 and 12months. Although we have the VW camper in Frankfurt, its usage will be limited during the winter just purely down to insulation etc. so it makes sense to bring Carrie over to Frankfurt so that we can make use of her on weekends away, or longer trips down to the Alps to indulge our joint love of snowboarding.
So on Thursday evening last week, I left Cambridge site for the last time (after having lived there for c. 7 months this year) and set course for Stansted Airport to pick up my girlfriend. It was strange leaving Cambridge as I have begun to view it as home. The staff there were very friendly and welcoming but at times did stick inflexibly to the rules, which sometimes made me slightly bitter about having spent so much money there. That said, I love South Cambridge and feel very happy there. As a result it will probably be the place where myself and my girlfriend settle when we come back to the UK.
In terms of the trip – it was superb. On the face of it, it was a complete farce in terms of overnights and timing, but as with everything with my “new” relationship, everything has a habit of always working out for the best and so long as we’re still laughing (which is always the case), the world is well! J
Upon arriving at Stansted, I had the joy of parking next to a whole line of National Express coaches! J I’d phoned ahead to Stansted Airport the day before and enquired about parking due to the size of the van – they told me to use the coach station. In the end, it only cost me 14quid and I got my own personalized bus stop! When I met my girlfriend and took her down to the coachpark, she found it hilarious as we had to open the gate to get into the bus stop to the van! As a result of the delayed flight, we turned up late at Canterbury Aire and couldn’t get in, so ploughed on to Dover Seafront where we parked up and slept for the night ahead of an early ferry. The ferry over was great – calm seas and upgraded to Club Lounge so we had a nice breakie and young lady had champagne with hers – great start to the day. And then headed to a little Aire north of Arras given I had to work. The little Aire was delightful – only three spaces and I got the last one. Free hookup (which is great since the fridge is still not working on gas!) and I spent the day on the laptop whilst girlfriend read and researched out next holiday. I always make a point of spending money in towns with Aires, but this was so disappointing – at the end of a long day working, we went for a walk into town to find a nice square for drinks and dinner – but the whole place was run down and felt threatening. We ended up back at the van for a bowl of pasta.
The next day we woke late and had a lazy morning – breakfast outside on the picnic benches in the neighbouring park and then set off for Vimy Ridge Canadian War Memorial & Museum. A real tear-jerker and both of us found it very difficult to cope with the stories portrayed in the museum and learning just how futile the war in the trenches was. The preserved trenches really brought home how they were scrabbling over just 25m of earth at one stage! Anyway, it was so fascinating that we lost track of time and it was 4pm before we got on the road………………the sudden realization we had to be in Frankfurt by 5pm on Sunday and we had just 25hrs to get there meant we set course for Belgium without really a plan.
After looking at CamperContact app we found a lovely little Aire on the German/Belgium border. Turning up at 8pm meant all the spaces were gone! Gggrgrr.. So set off for another just 20mins away. Sadly this turned out to just be a carpark, which was spookily quiet. Other half was not impressed and felt threatened. I tried to calm her but it was obvious she wasn’t happy and our minds were firmly made up as the local chavs in their boyracer cars turned up to do laps of the carpark at 9pm. Soooooo, off we set again. An hour later we ended up at the top of Belgium’s highest mountain (yes, really! They actually have high ground!!) and spent the night in a parking lot with around 8 other vans. In the end, we had a great night sleep and set off the next morning along a mixture of a roads and autobahns to get to Frankfurt and our chosen campsite at 5pm on Sunday.
Upon arriving there, there was a mixture of excitement and sadness from me. So excited at the beginning of a new chapter – a chapter by which the van was going to be used as a holidaying vehicle and an end to my “mobile living”. Also a period where the van is truly mine and my partners and not just my space. But sadness because it’s a place where I have spent many nights with my daughter – a refuge for both of us and a place she truly feels at home in. I felt like I’d kind of betrayed her by bringing it to Germany. But that said, I know I had no other real choice and she will also be coming to Frankfurt to visit us in December, so will get to take her to the van then and we also plan on going snowboarding together in February halfterm, so she will be with us in Carrie then too. One of the conditions of my insurance is that the van is brought back before the MOT expires in May, so in any event, it won’t be in Germany all the time. But for a moment there, I certainly felt sad for my daughter.
Staying on the trip for one minute – we used around 160litres of fuel, equating to an average of 19mpg. Best I saw was on the first tank which did the whole of the UK, France and western Belgium – nearly 22mpg (which is a record in any event in my ownership now the brakes are sorted) and the worst I saw was 16mpg on the second tank which was down to the uphill and downdale nature of Eastern Belgium and the Eiffel Mountains in Germany. But still not so bad. The whole trip cost us around GBP 300 (inc. parking, ferry and diesel). It was a wonderful reminder for both of us at how much we enjoy travelling and spending time together in our little “home on wheels”. Another reminder also that my girlfriend has, over the last 14months together, become my very best friend. Someone with whom I can share the deepest secrets of my soul but also laugh with and lark around like a child – unjudged but ever supported.
In terms of the van – well Carrie is just superb. She will always need money spending on her – both discretionary as well as mandatory. But she’s in great nick and drove brilliantly on the way down. Having had the wheel alignment done made a massive difference to the ease of driving; literally just piloting her with a thumb and finger most of the way on the autobahn and she never missed a beat. I had her serviced before I left and came back with a clean bill of health. I also had a gas certificate produced – all is fine, but still haven’t got to the bottom of why the fridge isn’t working on gas (even when the freezer is). I fear the burner needs replacing, but if that doesn’t work, then I’ll have to bite the bullet and replace the fridge. At 2k (fitted), it’s something I’m trying to avoid, but the trip was a reminder that together with the toilet, the fridge is pretty much one of the most important devices on board. I’ll try and get that sorted in Germany and when she’s back in the UK, I’m going to treat her to a full detail and some new transfers on the rear. And in the meantime, I’ll be mounting my newly retrimmed leather steering wheel to replace the crap plastic one which comes with all Sprinters.
So that’s it folks. Life is good. Not just good – it’s brilliant. Back 18months ago when I started writing this blog I had no idea 1) how many people would be interested in my plight & how much support is out there on PH, 2) how I was going to get through the next few months, let alone years and 3) what the future would look like in any positive way.
Today I’m in a relationship which is 14months old but gets better with every day. None of the magic of the honeymoon period is lost. I’m loved, supported, listened to, championed, challenged and driven to be the best version of me that I can be. I have, for the first time outside of being a Son or a Father, experienced unconditional love and I am bowled over by how it has the ability to make everything life throws at you so much easier and outlook so much more positive. My daughter loves my partner and the feeling is mutual. For the moment I remain commuting to and from Frankfurt and UK but it is no longer a chore, but the new norm. I am 39 and living with my parents in the UK but I feel like I have everything. I have managed to pay off all my accumulated debts in spite of not getting more than 5k from my house sale and last week, with the support & encouragement of my girlfriend, realized a life-long dream of buying a Porsche (MacanS)! I might be penniless, but the bank (Porsche Financial Services) still likes me!
And on that note, I shall sign off.
Thank you for all your support guys and girls. I’ve been truly overwhelmed by all the comments and PMs I’ve received.
All the best,
Spuff
Nevertheless, the Hymer was my home for 7months and the Concorde for the remainder. Both of which served me well but the Concorde most definitely made the difference between being able to live and just surviving. Both of them however provided me with safe and comfortable space which I could also use to enjoy elsewhere and make some memories both with my daughter and alone. The Concorde also was instrumental in allowing myself and my new partner to enjoy time together and our first trip up to NW Scotland this time last year is so special in our memories that I will forever be grateful for the time we had and how the motorhome facilitated that experience.
Therefore, it was only fitting that Carrie’s transition from home to holiday home took place together with my partner last weekend. As I’ve mentioned previously, campsites in the UK are not very accommodating of full-timers and are also very seasonal. The biggest issue with fulltiming I’ve not found in living in close quarters, but the continual logistics of having to move every 28days to satisfy planning & licensing regulations of campsites. It has got to the point where I almost have to plan all of my trips to the UK around campsites rather than maximizing my time with my daughter. As a result, the closure of Cambridge C&CC Site for the winter forced my hand in terms of finally making the decision to move the van…………to Germany.
In Germany, the concept of Dauer Camping (longterm camping) is accepted and you are able to enter into contracts for occupying pitches for longer periods from 3, 6 and 12months. Although we have the VW camper in Frankfurt, its usage will be limited during the winter just purely down to insulation etc. so it makes sense to bring Carrie over to Frankfurt so that we can make use of her on weekends away, or longer trips down to the Alps to indulge our joint love of snowboarding.
So on Thursday evening last week, I left Cambridge site for the last time (after having lived there for c. 7 months this year) and set course for Stansted Airport to pick up my girlfriend. It was strange leaving Cambridge as I have begun to view it as home. The staff there were very friendly and welcoming but at times did stick inflexibly to the rules, which sometimes made me slightly bitter about having spent so much money there. That said, I love South Cambridge and feel very happy there. As a result it will probably be the place where myself and my girlfriend settle when we come back to the UK.
In terms of the trip – it was superb. On the face of it, it was a complete farce in terms of overnights and timing, but as with everything with my “new” relationship, everything has a habit of always working out for the best and so long as we’re still laughing (which is always the case), the world is well! J
Upon arriving at Stansted, I had the joy of parking next to a whole line of National Express coaches! J I’d phoned ahead to Stansted Airport the day before and enquired about parking due to the size of the van – they told me to use the coach station. In the end, it only cost me 14quid and I got my own personalized bus stop! When I met my girlfriend and took her down to the coachpark, she found it hilarious as we had to open the gate to get into the bus stop to the van! As a result of the delayed flight, we turned up late at Canterbury Aire and couldn’t get in, so ploughed on to Dover Seafront where we parked up and slept for the night ahead of an early ferry. The ferry over was great – calm seas and upgraded to Club Lounge so we had a nice breakie and young lady had champagne with hers – great start to the day. And then headed to a little Aire north of Arras given I had to work. The little Aire was delightful – only three spaces and I got the last one. Free hookup (which is great since the fridge is still not working on gas!) and I spent the day on the laptop whilst girlfriend read and researched out next holiday. I always make a point of spending money in towns with Aires, but this was so disappointing – at the end of a long day working, we went for a walk into town to find a nice square for drinks and dinner – but the whole place was run down and felt threatening. We ended up back at the van for a bowl of pasta.
The next day we woke late and had a lazy morning – breakfast outside on the picnic benches in the neighbouring park and then set off for Vimy Ridge Canadian War Memorial & Museum. A real tear-jerker and both of us found it very difficult to cope with the stories portrayed in the museum and learning just how futile the war in the trenches was. The preserved trenches really brought home how they were scrabbling over just 25m of earth at one stage! Anyway, it was so fascinating that we lost track of time and it was 4pm before we got on the road………………the sudden realization we had to be in Frankfurt by 5pm on Sunday and we had just 25hrs to get there meant we set course for Belgium without really a plan.
After looking at CamperContact app we found a lovely little Aire on the German/Belgium border. Turning up at 8pm meant all the spaces were gone! Gggrgrr.. So set off for another just 20mins away. Sadly this turned out to just be a carpark, which was spookily quiet. Other half was not impressed and felt threatened. I tried to calm her but it was obvious she wasn’t happy and our minds were firmly made up as the local chavs in their boyracer cars turned up to do laps of the carpark at 9pm. Soooooo, off we set again. An hour later we ended up at the top of Belgium’s highest mountain (yes, really! They actually have high ground!!) and spent the night in a parking lot with around 8 other vans. In the end, we had a great night sleep and set off the next morning along a mixture of a roads and autobahns to get to Frankfurt and our chosen campsite at 5pm on Sunday.
Upon arriving there, there was a mixture of excitement and sadness from me. So excited at the beginning of a new chapter – a chapter by which the van was going to be used as a holidaying vehicle and an end to my “mobile living”. Also a period where the van is truly mine and my partners and not just my space. But sadness because it’s a place where I have spent many nights with my daughter – a refuge for both of us and a place she truly feels at home in. I felt like I’d kind of betrayed her by bringing it to Germany. But that said, I know I had no other real choice and she will also be coming to Frankfurt to visit us in December, so will get to take her to the van then and we also plan on going snowboarding together in February halfterm, so she will be with us in Carrie then too. One of the conditions of my insurance is that the van is brought back before the MOT expires in May, so in any event, it won’t be in Germany all the time. But for a moment there, I certainly felt sad for my daughter.
Staying on the trip for one minute – we used around 160litres of fuel, equating to an average of 19mpg. Best I saw was on the first tank which did the whole of the UK, France and western Belgium – nearly 22mpg (which is a record in any event in my ownership now the brakes are sorted) and the worst I saw was 16mpg on the second tank which was down to the uphill and downdale nature of Eastern Belgium and the Eiffel Mountains in Germany. But still not so bad. The whole trip cost us around GBP 300 (inc. parking, ferry and diesel). It was a wonderful reminder for both of us at how much we enjoy travelling and spending time together in our little “home on wheels”. Another reminder also that my girlfriend has, over the last 14months together, become my very best friend. Someone with whom I can share the deepest secrets of my soul but also laugh with and lark around like a child – unjudged but ever supported.
In terms of the van – well Carrie is just superb. She will always need money spending on her – both discretionary as well as mandatory. But she’s in great nick and drove brilliantly on the way down. Having had the wheel alignment done made a massive difference to the ease of driving; literally just piloting her with a thumb and finger most of the way on the autobahn and she never missed a beat. I had her serviced before I left and came back with a clean bill of health. I also had a gas certificate produced – all is fine, but still haven’t got to the bottom of why the fridge isn’t working on gas (even when the freezer is). I fear the burner needs replacing, but if that doesn’t work, then I’ll have to bite the bullet and replace the fridge. At 2k (fitted), it’s something I’m trying to avoid, but the trip was a reminder that together with the toilet, the fridge is pretty much one of the most important devices on board. I’ll try and get that sorted in Germany and when she’s back in the UK, I’m going to treat her to a full detail and some new transfers on the rear. And in the meantime, I’ll be mounting my newly retrimmed leather steering wheel to replace the crap plastic one which comes with all Sprinters.
So that’s it folks. Life is good. Not just good – it’s brilliant. Back 18months ago when I started writing this blog I had no idea 1) how many people would be interested in my plight & how much support is out there on PH, 2) how I was going to get through the next few months, let alone years and 3) what the future would look like in any positive way.
Today I’m in a relationship which is 14months old but gets better with every day. None of the magic of the honeymoon period is lost. I’m loved, supported, listened to, championed, challenged and driven to be the best version of me that I can be. I have, for the first time outside of being a Son or a Father, experienced unconditional love and I am bowled over by how it has the ability to make everything life throws at you so much easier and outlook so much more positive. My daughter loves my partner and the feeling is mutual. For the moment I remain commuting to and from Frankfurt and UK but it is no longer a chore, but the new norm. I am 39 and living with my parents in the UK but I feel like I have everything. I have managed to pay off all my accumulated debts in spite of not getting more than 5k from my house sale and last week, with the support & encouragement of my girlfriend, realized a life-long dream of buying a Porsche (MacanS)! I might be penniless, but the bank (Porsche Financial Services) still likes me!
And on that note, I shall sign off.
Thank you for all your support guys and girls. I’ve been truly overwhelmed by all the comments and PMs I’ve received.
All the best,
Spuff
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