Complete novices but very excited

[lezzlesvirr]

Hi you lovely people, me and my partner are due to retire in the next month and are in the process of buying a motorhome to go touring full time, sell up and go. We went to the Newark motorhome show on sunday and that really brought home to us how naive we are at the mo. We thought we could take our kettle, toaster, juicer, iron etc from home... NOT SO!!!! Apparently we need to buy all this electrical equipment new and to check that the electrical items have very low voltage!!!!! otherwise we risk blowing the electrics in the motorhome!!!! Scared or what. Can anyone give us some help, hints and tips with the items we need to buy, what sort, where from, how much etc. I cannot tell you how much we will appreciate your help which would then see us starting our journey and adventure less stressed.

Many thanks, much appreciated.

 

 

[Guest pelmetman]

Hi and welcome:D...........but there's your first mistake you can take your kettle, toaster, haidryer etc etc from home...........You just cant use them all at the same time;-)

My other tip buy an older van and try the dream before you spend thousands on an expensive mistake.............As often what you think will suit changes when used for real;-)

Best of luck its a wonderful hobby, and we cant wait to go long terming, just spent 20 years practicing so far(lol)

[flicka]

Hi Lesley & welcome to the forum & motorhoming.

To me this sounds like the Salesman was trying to boost his profit figures, again it illustrates that many Salemen do not use the products they are trying to sell. It's a question of what YOU want & how you achieve that.

 

If you intend "wild camping" you will need to consider Gas Appliances, forget any 12volt appliances, they are too slow & power hungry.

 

 

IMO - Initially take the Mains appliances, that you use in the home & see how you get on.

BUT NOT the household TV, they are too big, this is one item were it is worthwhile looking for a smaller set, even if single voltage.

If you constantly trip the Hook-up supply, review the problem by considering mains "Travel" Appliances.

Although it becomes 2nd nature, not to run too many appliances at the same time.

 

 

Using Electric Hook-up on sites you will generally be restricted to 16Amps, although some UK sites only have 10Amps & on the Continent may be as low as 6Amps.

If you use multiple Electrical items at the same time, it's easy to overload the Curcuit Breaker & trip out the supply.

Various items fitted to a Motorhome can run on Electric OR Gas. (Battery Charger, Fridge, Water Heater, Space Heater & some Hobs have dual fuel rings) so these need to be taken into account also.

A Microwave (if fitted) can be the greatest consumer of Electric, especially at start-up.

Additional items taken from the house are useable, but have a higher Wattage than "Travel" equivelents.

i.e. Household Kettles, are generally 1700/2000watt, (consuming around 9Amps) a "Travel" equivelent can be as low as 1000watt (or just over 4Amps). Similar for a Toaster.

To determine the consumption of your appliances:- divide the wattage by 230 to find the Amperes.

Regarding the Kettle, we always carry both Gas & Electric for

 

The other difference between Household & Travel appliances is their physical size, so storage space may then come into the equation.

 

 

[Dave225]

Not wishing to put a dampener on your enthusiasm, but have you really thought this through? You say your are novices so presumably have no idea of what it will be like to have to libve in a small space for the rest of your lives. Separations have come about for less. Also, have you thought through the financial aspects of this. As mentioned a new motorhome is an expensive piece of kit and the classifieds are full of nearly new vans from people who discovered too late, it was not for them Once you sell your house you are off the property ladder and although I do agree at the moment it does not seem like much of a bargain, things can change vey quick;ly and you could find you never get back on the housing ladder, and that could be a problem if one of you gets sick.

 

I would suggest yopu approach this carefully and cautiously. Go hire a van for a week or so and get an idea of what is involved. If that goes well, then consider a 2nd hand van for a starter and possibly try renting the house for year just to be sure it is what you both want. After that then you will be 'experts' and can make a better decision.

 

If you do decide that the fulltiming life is what you want then there are a number of organisations who can offer advice from people who are actually doing just that, either here or abroad.

[lezzlesvirr]

Many thanks for that, the information you gave us will prove so useful. I just need to keep logging onto this site in the meantime and posting my questions to make sure i get the right answers before we make too many mistakes, which I know we will as this is life. So looking forward to being full timers. I hope you don't mind if I post you a note in the future if I need to!!

 

Once again many thanks, much appreciated

 

Lesley and Alan

[lezzlesvirr]

Many thanks for your response, I really have appreciated all responses. You mention our research and enthusiasum. Motorhoming full time (or for however long it lasts) has been my dream since my early 30's and have been dipping my toe into the water eversince in terms of researching motorhomes. we do not intend to buy brand spanking new motorhome, as we don't have that kind of money, so a 2nd hand much much cheaper one will be our starter model which we have identified. I don't want to get to the end of my life and wish that I had tried to fulfill my dream. If it my dream turns sour, then we have made plans to come home and to rent a home, by that time, we will be too old to get a mortgage so renting will be the next best option, and, we have both rented before so know the pitfalls and the positives of renting. The one thing i have not really concentrated on was the electrical items to take with us until my dream became a reality... we are at that point now, hence the research and my asking the questions. I do sincerely appreciate your concerns. Not wishing to sound morbid but I've got more years behind me than i have infront of me, so the risk to us is well worth taking. Life is for living and if it does not go as we hope, then we shall come home... but not with our tail between our legs.

 

Thank you once again, much appreciated

 

Lesley and Alan

[horse444]

*-) we bought our van 5years ago new. after a lot of searching, the only thing the salesman suggested we buy extra was an invertor ( to give us power at short stops)and it has been great. we got the van and straight to the boat, no detailed route nothing, we just doodled thru france then to spain, and god did we make some mistakes, (we now laugh at) but I would always plan route now. on the subject of appliances, I have everything except kitchen sink. I sit every morning doing unruly hair with hair dryer whilst other half makes breakfast with Foreman (elec) gas kettle (good fast one with mess like bottom, available camping shops) when on sites and hooked up, we find no problem with TV and microwave on, I def wouldnt consider elec kettle. I also have slow cooker, dont use it often, but not a problem when we do. Eating out is the plan. My main concern was space to move about, and a fixed bed (which I personally think is a must, when away so long) so we bought a biggar van than we first intended and it has been our delight & pleasure as I say for 5 years. Every year we look at the new ones, but always end up saying, NO nothing better. My friend is on his first year with excellent second hand one(In Portugal at the moment) and he is delighted and there was so many extra's in van. U go for it and dont worry,we have all went up the wronge road, and enjoyed telling the tale. live is for living,ENJOY

[horse444]

*-) we bought our van 5years ago new. after a lot of searching, the only thing the salesman suggested we buy extra was an invertor ( to give us power at short stops)and it has been great. we got the van and straight to the boat, no detailed route nothing, we just doodled thru france then to spain, and god did we make some mistakes, (we now laugh at) but I would always plan route now. on the subject of appliances, I have everything except kitchen sink. I sit every morning doing unruly hair with hair dryer whilst other half makes breakfast with Foreman (elec) gas kettle (good fast one with mess like bottom, available camping shops) when on sites and hooked up, we find no problem with TV and microwave on, I def wouldnt consider elec kettle. I also have slow cooker, dont use it often, but not a problem when we do. Eating out is the plan. My main concern was space to move about, and a fixed bed (which I personally think is a must, when away so long) so we bought a biggar van than we first intended and it has been our delight & pleasure as I say for 5 years. Every year we look at the new ones, but always end up saying, NO nothing better. My friend is on his first year with excellent second hand one(In Portugal at the moment) and he is delighted and there was so many extra's in van. U go for it and dont worry,we have all went up the wronge road, and enjoyed telling the tale. live is for living,ENJOY

[johnnerontheroad]

Hi,

 

You might like to read some of the post and ask your queestions on this site for fulltimers.

 

http://www.motorhome365.com/forum/

 

Good Luck

 

Dave

[Arvy]

Hi, we are also novices having had our van for a year. We took a long time to decide what was best and spoke with a lot of salespeople, some good some not so giving wrong advice just to get a sale. In the end we brought private and have not looked back, as we love getting out in as much as possible. If it is your dream then do it ,dont be put off by others. As for electrical itmes others have given good advice. Have a great time. Les

[lezzlesvirr]

Many thanks for the encouragement Arvy, I really appreciate it. We do intend to live our dream for as long as we can, as I said previously, I've got more years behind me than in front of me, so we are going for it and will go with the flow until such time as we cannot do it anymore for whatever reason. I'm so pleased that you are lovvin it, here's to you carrying on lovvin it. I am really looking forward to meeting so many news friends and swapping stories and tips, it feels like my life is just beginning.

 

Ta lots Arvy

 

Lesley and Alan

[Mark McGimpsey]

Hi...also a novice.

 

I've had many of the same questions and found that if using an inverter you need a good one to run these 'bigger' items (over 1600 watts). I went for a 2000w which has to be wired in to dedicated 3 pin plugs and has heavier wiring, but it's expensive as it costs an extra £1500.

 

However one good alternative is a smaller inverter and as some mentioned don't try to use them jointly along with a quiet running generator plugged into the hookup.

[Derek Uzzell]

lezzlesvirr:

 

If I were contemplating starting motorcaravanning today, as a complete novice, I'd begin by obtaining these two books - the Motorcaravan Manual and Go Motorhoming Europe (curently in revision).

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorcaravan-Manual-Choosing-Using-Maintaining/dp/1844250474/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317192768&sr=1-1

 

https://www.vicarious-shop.com/Go-Motorhoming-Europe.html

 

These will provide basic motorhome-related background.

 

'Full-timing' is a specialised branch of motorcaravanning and, besides the website Dave mentions, there are are plenty of others that relate to the practice. Some examples are below:

 

http://www.fulltiming.info/

 

http://www.campervanlife.com/locations/europe/full-time-in-europe

 

http://motorhomevagabond.com/

 

http://www.kiteboard-europe-byvan.co.uk/post/the-cost-of-full-timing-in-a-motorhome

 

There's also a large dedicated section on this forum:

 

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/forumname-36-general-fulltiming-chat.html

 

 

 

 

[Dave225]

I have no intention of trying to stop anyone doing what they feel is the ambition of a lifetime. Yes, go for it but in my humble opinion always, always have an escape option available. Always ensure that if one partner passes away, the other is not left in a mess they cannot escape from. We have met a number of people in Spain who are in just such a position. It all looked wonderful 5 or 10 years ago and the living was easy and the money good, but when one is left alone ina foreign land and no home to return to, then it can get rough. Plus when one pension income is halved or even dries up altogether, then it can be a miserable existence. In my, again humble opinon, never sell the house. Rent the thing as long as is necessary. It will always be there if you ever need it again. Even if you never live there again, it is capital. If you need it to fund the deal, then really be careful

[Dave225]

Again, no wish to throiw any spanner into the pot but the Poster mentioned renting as an option. I would again suggets carefully looking at this. I do not know where they live but around here you will need £350 per month for a very pokey 1 bedroom flat in a poor area. For 2 beds in a reasonable area you need £600 up and if you want a house then £1200- £2500 per month is the going rate. Those are the prices today and they are not going to go down. Remember many people are buying properties as 'buy to let' so this will be their pensions, so you are paying their mortgage, and the profit on top.

 

If you have a home even with a mortgage, then it is the cheapest option for you. You can always get a better deal, or even re- mortgage to get funds. Do not pay someone elses.

[flicka]

Or if it's an option, downsize the House considerably, (even if it's only for a flat / appartment.) gives a win win situation.

You release funds for the Motorhome, but still retain a property as a fall back position.

If Motorhome does not work out for whatever reason, you will have a residence & once the Motorhome is sold - recoup some funds for a upgrade of the flat / appartment.

 

BUT remembering your Motorhome will have lost value since purchasing.

[lazeedayz]

There is another way! Why not hire a motorhome before committing to what possibly could be a very costly mistake. We deal with lots of customers every year who are new to motorhome hire, by trying a motorhome and testing different layouts, you can make an informed decision before spending that hard earn t cash

[Guest Tracker]

Everyone should seriously consider hiring at least one van before they buy even a used van.

 

There are two main reasons, firstly to see if the basic concept of life on wheels really is what you expected and can live with and two, to reduce the risk of buying a van with the wrong layout.

 

Some dealers used to hire you a van and then give you a good deal if you went on to buy one from them and others sometimes will sell you an ex rental van which you can possibly hire first and is a good way of getting a used van although most of them will be high mileage.

 

High mileage is nothing to be scared of after all the base vehicles were designed to be hammered to the equivalent of the moon and back by white van man and will only benefit from being used rather than stored.

 

However the live in part is not so durable, particularly on newer vans where 'weight saving' is marketing speak for flimsy, and it may well show signs of heavy use.

 

As long as the price is right it is a worthwhile option if only because if the van is not tired when you buy it it certainly will be after a year's continuous use and you will lose less money buying a high mileage van anyway!

 

One thing to be very aware of is payload as you will need a lot more carrying capacity for all your wordly goods than many vans designed for short term holiday use will offer.

 

Mains electric? If you will be staying on camp sites there will almost always be mains electric available but unless you have a very healthy budget the all inclusive or additional cost may outweigh the usefullness?

 

I never use electric so I don't know or much care what the amperage on sites is but it does vary and there are limits so bear in mind that a 10 amp limit would give you, for example, one 2000 watt kettle and maybe some lights and a TV. If you want to use electric heating bear in mind that you can't use both together.

 

Realistically I suppose that I would not envisage living full time without mains at least some of the time but having frequantly lived in a motorhome for up to two months at a time without any mains electric whatsoever it is perfectly feasible - at least in all except maybe deep winter!

 

Use of an inverter helps but that is only half of the story because the inverter has to be powered by batteries so if you want to use a powerful inverter you will need very powerful batteries. If you have lots of battery power and do use a big inverter a solar panel is the best way to help them survive. But it all costs and the bigger the system the more it costs.

 

You might consider a generator too?

 

Satellite TV is maybe another option for those long dark cold evenings - and that's just the summer!

 

Gas? The bigger the bottles the cheaper - sorry I meant less expensive - the gas with 13 kg size being the better option particularly if you use gas heating which can gallop through a full bottle very quickly in sub zero conditions.

 

A refillable bottle with an exchange bottle as back up might be worth considering but again it's not a cheap option.

 

I too would very reluctant to leave the housing market although it does look as if prices will not change much in the near future - just as long as you have enough capital to buy an acceptable home when the wanderlust has been sated.

 

Have a think about all that has been said before and let's see what questions arise shall we!

 

 

 

 

[malc d]

lazeedayz - 2011-10-28 4:51 PM

 

There is another way! Why not hire a motorhome before committing to what possibly could be a very costly mistake. We deal with lots of customers every year who are new to motorhome hire, by trying a motorhome and testing different layouts, you can make an informed decision before spending that hard earn t cash

 

 

Isn't this classed as an advert ?

 

(?)

[Guest Tracker]

malc d - 2011-10-28 7:20 PM

 

lazeedayz - 2011-10-28 4:51 PM

 

There is another way! Why not hire a motorhome before committing to what possibly could be a very costly mistake. We deal with lots of customers every year who are new to motorhome hire, by trying a motorhome and testing different layouts, you can make an informed decision before spending that hard earn t cash

 

 

Isn't this classed as an advert ?

 

And does the above advertised company have any connection or links with this one below?

 

http://www.lazydays.biz/

 

(?)

[Guest pelmetman]

malc d - 2011-10-28 7:20 PM

lazeedayz - 2011-10-28 4:51 PMThere is another way! Why not hire a motorhome before committing to what possibly could be a very costly mistake. We deal with lots of customers every year who are new to motorhome hire, by trying a motorhome and testing different layouts, you can make an informed decision before spending that hard earn t cash

Isn't this classed as an advert ? (?)

Maybe this ought to be on a separate thread:D but I welcome input from Motorhome businesses, as I feel interaction between THEM and US can only be of benefit to both parties;-)..................Discuss