what sparked your interest in motorhomes

[breakaleg]

with me it was my father, took me to bingley hall in birmingham, we didn't own a motorhome or even went camping, but i fell in love with a fiat amigo.

a romance that could never be, i was 14 at the time and 6foot 4inch tall anyone who remmbers the amigo will understand. (lol) (lol) (lol)

 

five vans and 30 years latter, were still at it, i know of at least 4 people who after seeing our various motorhomes, who have gone on to buy one for themselves.

pete

[Thai Bry]

Hi Pete

With us it was the hiring for a fortnight a Swift Royale, to go on holiday as it was too expensive to go away abroad soon after we got married.

Turned out to be one of the most expensive holidays we ever had. Soon after we got back, we started our search for an affordable starter home. Found an old Autoquest 400 at a company called Jack's Brothers in Manchester.

Some 20+ years later we're still at it, and now on our 5th van.

Thai

[kelly58]

In the early 70s an old boss bought a Bedford Campervan that he let me have the use of to take the children away for a holiday they were 3 & 5 years old at the time so we had 2 weeks in New Forest and the I.O.W. They loved the adventure so the next year we bought a large frame tent and had a couple of years under canvas.

We have always said if we come up on the lottery we would buy a Motorhome and retire , needless to say we still have not won the lottery, but because we have both worked and saved hard we were able to retire last December and on the day we retired we picked up our 1st new Motorhome and we are over the moon with it and the lifestyle it gives us.

 At the end of the day its only money and you can't take with you ,so as we are not planning to go just yet we might as well spend it and enjoy the life we both think we have earned.

[michele]

Realising that we could not do things that most people take for granted with disabled children it was a must everything on your back just like an extention of home .

[Dave Newell]

Just always fancied having one for the freedom it could give. In 1990 bought an old 1978 Bedford CF Autohomes panel van with no furniture, spent a week welding all the bits of bodywork back together then built our own furniture and away we went. Never looked back really!

 

D.

[Ralph]

As a child I had a corgi toy.

Never stopped wanting a real one.

 

[carolh]

I have always wanted one, since I was in my twenties - (just a few years ago - I wish)

 

We have camped, caravanned and now we motorhome.

 

It has always been my dream to own and travel in a motorhome, and it has lived up to all my expectations, just looking forward to retirement now - so we can just get up and go!

 

long live motorhoming!!

Carol

 

 

 

 

[Mike Parke]

On retiring from the Constabulary 10 years ago they gave us a nice lump sum and we considered : 1) a narrow boat but Norfolk is too far from the canal system. 2) A broads cruiser but with the Norfolk Broads you can only go 'out & back' as there is no loop contained therein. 3) A sea going cruiser, but as Cherry was, at one stage, a member of H.M.C.G. and had called out lifeboats to too many weekend sailors she 'pooh-poohed' that idea. 3) A towing caravan but they are difficult to use for just a day out. 4) A world cruise but once you have had it it is over. 5) A car from the 'luxury' end of the market, but, at the end of the day it is just a car. 6) A gite but that means going to the same area every year.

After many months of reseach we decided that a m'home would be the best thing to spend some of the lump sum on as they are so versatile, practical and best for our needs!!

Whatever sparked your interest enjoy it!!

Regrds, Mike & Cherry.

[chigman]

Funnily enough it was metal detecting that got me into it *-) I used to go on two day rallys staying on a farmers field under a fishing umberella and watching the upper-crust in their campers really made me wish for one.Finally 4 1/2 years later I`m just about to pick up my first. (lol)

[MandyAndy]

Had a folding camper, we where too scared to take it across the water so went with Keycamps last year. Found the driving a pleasure which was the scary bit for us.

 

While there we saw many motor homes all parked in the car parks where we were struggling to fit everything in to go back to the same site again and again. We realised then how much we like to move around and got bored easily with the same trek back to the same place each night. That started a dream, my dreams never last long, they turn quickly into yearnings. So we spent the rest of the summer wandering different dealers just feeding the dream really, then we made the mistake of the NEC and that was it. I had found a dealer on the net with one I loved that fit each category we had to have , went to dealer at the NEC and he offered us a really good deal so we took it, delivery wasn't till March so we had time to sort everything out by then.

 

Sold the folding camper on Ebay for quite a bit more than we paid and are now very happy people!!!

 

Mandy

[J9withdogs]

Kids + dogs = not much freedom at holidaytime

 

Kids + dogs + motorhome = total freedom at holidaytime

 

Toyota Hiace, followed by Bedford CF, and now Holdsworth Valentine.

[dogmad]

Freedom to take our dogs on holiday with us prompted us to buy our 1st (old) caravan 6 years ago. Liked it so much we traded it in for a new one just over a year later.

 

After a couple of cottage holidays in France decided we'd like to tour Europe and didn't fancy towing a caravan around, sold the caravan and bought our 1st motorhome last October. Went to France in May and going again in Sept and having numerous weekends away in between, so a very good decision.

[billbaillie]

Started with camping when we first got married.

Did that for about 3 years, then upgraded to a caravan.

This lasted about 12 or more years.

Then tried a variety of holiday types; hotels, holiday camps, abroad etc, but we missed the freedom we used to have with the tent and caravan.

 

Couldn’t really afford a campervan or motorhome for years, so we just looked on longingly at those who had them, but visited dealers and shows regularly to work out what we would like and what would suit us.

 

Then last year we bought on old Talbot Express Camelot to try it out and see if we really did want a ‘van. We were hooked instantly. We used it about twice a week every week for days out and about once every two months for long weekends or weeks away.

 

Finally took the plunge recently and sold the old van and car, took out some savings and bought a new Ford Duetto which we are due to pick up this week.

 

Now that we are both retired we expect to give the new ‘van plenty of use. :-D

[David Dwight]

Started Camping when I was in the Scouts. My Parents used to take me Camping on holidays to Devon and Cornwall. I got into Outdoor pursuits and then a Full Time Youth Worker lots of Camping etc. Got married in the First month of Marriage took my Wife camping at Edale in the snow (January). We eventually bought our first Caravan, several caravans later we bought our First Motorhome about 7 years ago. Now we are retired the Gypsy has realy come out. We have camped inbetween as we did not want to lug a Caravan over the Alps to Italy.

Off for a couple of months Sept.

 

David

[Mel B]

Microcars! We started off many years ago with a Bond Minicar (1965 vintage) and used to go to rallies and stay in B&B but apart from the expense it wasn't quite right as we missed out on the atmosphere on the rally site at night time. So we progressed to a tent but I got sick to death of being freezing cold and tired from not sleeping so we decided to look for an old camper of some type. In 1995 (I think!) we eventually found a lovely 1 owner from new Autosleeper pop-top on a Commer base - lovely little thing and absolutely original, needed a bit of dosh spending on it as it had been stood for about 2 years so the mechanicals needed a good overhaul and a bit of welding but the interior and paintwork were very good indeed.

 

Unfortunately even though we loved it to bits, it proved to be too small, the bed was only about 5'6" x 3'6" and had a bulkhead at one side, so it was a bit like sleeping in a sardine tin ... we couldn't move once in it ... especially when the dogs jumped on top! In 1997 we reluctantly sold it (for a profit to a local chap who'd admired it at classic car shows and who has still got it) after we'd managed to buy a C reg Ford 3 litre V6 based ex-ambulance which I converted into a motorhome over the winter - ruddy freezing but really good fun! Fortunately a local DIY store was closing at the time so all the materials were half price. We kept this for a while as it was lovely but decided that we wanted a bit more space and something a bit more modern although it had always been reliable. We wanted to trying convert another ex-ambulance but - we found a couple but just couldn't get insurance cover for the time whilst we were converting it so had to go the more conventional route of a 'recognisedr' motorhome.

 

So in 1999 we bought a nice H reg Elddis Autoquest 320 (just under 18') at what ended up as a very, very, very good price and kept that for a couple of years. Then in the April 2001, 2 of our 4 dogs died within 15 days of each other (old age for the first and pining/strokes for the second) so we then only had 2 dogs which we could take away with us on holiday and not have to worry about getting dog sitters for the other two. This was a whole new ball game and so later in September 2001 we decided to treat ourselves to a new camper, a Swift Suntor 590RS. Unfortunately we were plagued by problems with it (Friday afternoon job) and it was also too big for us to park easily at 19'7" and its heating was abysmal, so after 18 months we traded it in for our much-beloved Rapido 709F (18'3") which we kept for 3 years 9 months, only changing because we again wanted a bit more room as we were taking longer holidays abroad (I still miss it though, it was soooooooo cute!).

 

We now have a new Rimor Sailer 645TC which we got in February this year, so far it's proved to be absolutely great, despite it being 23'5"!!! Going to see 'Uncle' Dave soon to get a present for it .. cruise control!!!

 

The daft thing is with all of this ... the reason we first got into motorhoming, was microcars - now we don't have a microcar anymore although we do go to at least 1 rally a year and I look after their website, but the fun of being out and about in the motorhome has meant that we're not around much for the rallies!!! We did have a couple of Fiat 126s but as they weren't used enough we sold them, couldn't bear to see them sitting there deteriorating from lack of use (miss them as well!).

 

Sorry to waffle on ... but you did ask. (lol)

[crinklystarfish]

Loving being out amongst nature when I used to live on my narrowboat, but being frustrated by only being able to go where the inland waterway system allowed. There are more roads than waterways - but ironically fewer pleasant places to stop! I don't regret the change though.

[colin]

Started camping in scouts and air cadets, grandparents brought a caravan and we went on holidays with them, first holiday with gf was 1976 in a tent, driving to cornwall in a HA van, spent 6 months in 1980 touring europe with dutton and trailer with tent,in mid 80s after a year living in 'quality' hotels for work, borrowed a friends caravan and spent 9 months living in it mon to fri, in 89/90 went on a round world and decided to hire motorhomes in USA, NZ and Austrailia, came back to camping for holidays in europe but in 96? after a easter holiday in cornwall where it was tee shirt weather during day but had to wear woolly hat to bed decided to buy vw and convert to camper. For winter holidays somewhere warm I will rent house or if no other choise for location go in hotel, but I'm happiest when in my van.

[flicka]

After the two of us trying to sleep in Hillman Imp, following my brother around the country racing Motorbikes, we bought a tent. He slept in a Thames Van with his Bike (talk about him loving the thing are strictly untrue)

Then still no room in the car, with all the camping gear.

So I bought an old Bedford CA Ambulance and put a simple layout in for a double bed, Camping stove, water container & wardrobe.

We could also get his Racing M/B in. Ran this until it died, 5 years later but thoroughly enjoyed travelling all around the UK with it. We next converted a Bedford CF 2.3 with an aluminium Luton body. Found an advert of a guy scrapping a caravan (leaking roof had rotted the structure, but he wanted the chassis for a trailer) so fitted the CF out using his van inards for next to nothing. We had this for 8 years and 60k miles.

After the Bedford work commitments took over and we had been without a Van for over 20 years, always hankering to get back to the life.

 

After a lifestyle changing event early 2006, we got our new van last October and will not look back any longer.

 

[Lizzy]

Hubby's passion for archery. I thought if we had a motorhome we could visit areas on the Friday/Saturday and he could shoot competitions on Sundays: he could also take part in 2-3 day competitions further away. We spent 2 years enjoying ourselves, searching, debating, almost buying .......

 

Then we sat back to wait. ;-)

[catinou]

We had an old campervan which we loved years ago - until it "died" 6 months after we bought it. Were looking for bicycles in February 2006 and found the NEC "Outdoor" show on the net, and decided to see if they had bikes there!!!

 

As we stood in the shuttle bus queue and realised big motor homes were on offer, amongst other things, my husband wagged his finger at me and said "don't get carried away - you are NOT buying anything!" The guy in front turned and laughed out loud saying, "we'll see". 6 hours later we were on our way home to see if the motorhome we had fallen in love with, ordered, and paid a deposit for, would fit in our drive.........

 

In September had 2 great weeks in our new van in France & Switzerland, are completely hooked now - awaiting delivery of replacement on September 1st. - but that's another story..... *-)

[carioca]

for me i used to race motorbike many years ago at first used a car & trailer camping in a tent in the paddock after a couple of years bought a van & converted it to sleep & cook in (very basic). then got a newer van & converted that a bit better. on retiring from racing kept van for a while using it with a load of mates for weekends away getting hooked on the whole experiance on the way. over the last 14 years have bought, converted & sold several vans culminating in buying a new coachbuilt 2 years ago. as a family (2 boys 15 & 12) we all look forward to weekends away & longer breaks usually abroad B-) (lol)