longtemps Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 We motorhomers are generally an intrepid bunch. Bright eyed and bushy tailed is our morning mantra, is it not! However, I have often wondered what is the average age of the majority of us is and what is the intended and of course approximate time when we will be emptying our final toilet cassette and hanging up our rubber gloves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin1946 Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 What a great question,and I would think a hard one to answer,there are so many questions to answer first. I was born in 1946 (71) and this is my first year with a Motorhome and I ask myself the same question and more.Was I mad at this age?I was always self employed and had no time to play golf etc,I didn't retire until last year on my birthday at 70 .I lam slim 11 stone,no major health issues,active,I can still jump under the van and do most of my own work,I feel 50 ish,I hope to keep it until I am 80.I did have a caravan for 2 years before I retired and changed it for the Elddis ( 2004 400rl) it is under 20 feet long,easy to drive. My age is part of the reason we bought an old van as we are not sure it is suitable for us at our age starting.Are there many people still Motorhoming in their late 70's or 80's or am I dreaming. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 If you are fit and healthy - age is irrelevant. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 My current plan is to give up motorhoming when I'm 70. I'll have been motorhoming for 30 years by then. It'll be time for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomongrundy Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 We are off for a week in the Motorhome to sites in Warwickshire at the end of this month, expect to spend a week over New Year in France and one month touring France in April/May and again in July/August. How else will we keep the wine store topped up? I'm 76 and SWMBO is 71. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 I'll just keep going till I cannot do it anymore, how long that will be who knows. I had 'penciled in' plans till my 76th year, but that's a long way off and I could keel over tomorrow, so I'll take it as it comes. I had planned to retire at 60, but things changed and I had opportunity to work pretty much as and when I feel like it within reason and I find this good as my job is generally quite interesting, I had settled into this when gf announced she will be dragging me off around the world again next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoko8pups Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Wait till you get to 70! You'll still feel 55! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Kevin/1946 - 2017-10-10 9:07 AM What a great question,and I would think a hard one to answer,there are so many questions to answer first. I was born in 1946 (71) and this is my first year with a Motorhome and I ask myself the same question and more.Was I mad at this age?I was always self employed and had no time to play golf etc,I didn't retire until last year on my birthday at 70 .I lam slim 11 stone,no major health issues,active,I can still jump under the van and do most of my own work,I feel 50 ish,I hope to keep it until I am 80.I did have a caravan for 2 years before I retired and changed it for the Elddis ( 2004 400rl) it is under 20 feet long,easy to drive. My age is part of the reason we bought an old van as we are not sure it is suitable for us at our age starting.Are there many people still Motorhoming in their late 70's or 80's or am I dreaming. Kevin We started motorhoming at 70 having decided we where too old to carry on sailing to France/channel islands, and getting WET Still at it 11 years on, and just back from a 5 week trip to Spain/France We are "playing it by ear" now, It all depends on health more than any thing. I don't plan ahead any more, not even sure what we are doing for Xmas yet!! PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tall_Mike Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Kind of different issue, I am in my late 50,s. - Just started motorhome-ing in the last 18 months and enjoying it. My wife is disabled, mostly wheel chair bound, and to be honest my body feels like it's 70. - After aprox 40 years of work, the first 20 or so in manual trades, the letter 20 in front of a computer, plus a significant motorcycle accident 10 years ago, - It isn't in the best condition. The mind is very sharp but the body less so. My pension date has been pushed out to 67 by the government, don't really have the means to retire so will need to struggle on for a few years yet. How I am going to make it for those extra years - don't know. Currently doing fine, no plans to stop. - however wondering for how much longer we will be able to keep up the lifestyle, guess after a time it all becomes too much work. - I think it's all relative and will be different for each respondent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 The specific age at which you feel the need to give up will depend on health and the capability to drive a MH - and also on where you want to do your touring. I'm still enjoying Western Europe without real limitation but I've no ambition to go to Morocco and very little appetite for Croatia. I gave up motorcycling when I began to feel my reactions were slowing and I was facing more risk so I suspect an equivalent process might lead me to want to be less adventurous and to stop driving a MH abroad and perhaps also eventually in U.K., we'll see. I'm 72 now, so maybe when I'm around 80. Insurance becomes more difficult to get as you get older so maybe that will be a factor too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auditor Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 We have been motorhoming since 1980, and are both now 73. I am inspired by a number of people that we have met, during our travels, who are still motorhoming, well into their 80's, so we have no plans to stop. I remember MMM, and it's previous publication, at the time when the late John Hunt, was the editor. Each issue, was waited for, in anticipation. It was a time when there were far more "hands on" articles, for the far more prevelant diy campers, of the day. Now that I've been retired for over 12yrs, we have the time for extended trips, living in the van for nearly half of the year. The rest of the time seems to be spent servicing, and carrying out the continuous stream of repairs, that ensue. That is the price, for having a German engineered van! The Renault base vehicle has been superb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 We sold our van recently, and are now looking for a suitable lightweight caravan to tow behind our Skoda Fabia Combi . The decision was taken, not because I felt I was no longer able to drive or maintain and generally manage the van when we used it, but because I feel that I can no longer risk having to spend too much time walking about and travelling by public transport or bike.if we wish to go sightseeing etc. As I approach my 80th birthday I feel pretty good. I retired from work 3 years ago and have spent most of the ensuing time restoring this heap of stones that we bought in southern France, which has turned out to be much more physically demanding than being in full time employment, but the ankles and back now tell me when I've done enough. I felt we either had to get a car to tow behind then van, which is not permitted for French registered vehicles, or get a van to tow behind the car. I can manage everything else,it's what we do when we get there that was our problem. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin1946 Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 To AGD. We sold our Avondale Rialto 480 to buy the Motorhome,it was a perfect size caravan for 2 people,it was 4.8 meters long easy to tow,easy to heat, 2 SINGLE'S or 1 large DOUBLE,DON'T buy a van unless it has motor movers,this is a MUST.also get a 150 watt solar panel fitted,this makes it easy to use.Our van had the seating at the back with a full bathroom at the front with a full shower. The best of look Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Have you heard the expression "the mind is willing but the flesh is weak" I was lucky enough to be able to retire from full time work at age 52 , with a redundancy package that enabled us to down size our property, move back t o childhood base area, buy our retirement bungalow, and for first 4 summerseasons, undertake a summer job in France.. We have had caravans since our children were preschool age, , then changed to motorhomes in form of a Stargazer new 58 plate . Subsequent to that, we have changed several times, but now back onto an 09 plated Stargazer. approaching the age of 80 next year, and having a minor inconvenient medical issue necessitating frequent visits to bathroon approx every 3 hours , day and night, means that my driving alertness is giving cause for concern, and restricting distances travelled between necessary stops.. I am therefore in the category of mind still being willing, but ...... We did have a brief look at vw campervans a couple of weeks ago, but decided against changing..too expensive,, and recognise that we way be obliged to give up in the not too distant future. We are attending a rally at the weekend, so see how that goes. Tonyg3nwl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 yoko8pups - 2017-10-10 12:58 PM Wait till you get to 70! You'll still feel 55! I'm 59 and I currently feel 80 after 6 months of renovating our house for rental 8-) ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Come on Derek shift this to Chatterbox. Now what's the question again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-B Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 I'm well into my 80th year and the duchess is five years behind and we've just got back today from a week in Suffolk. Whilst there, we walked on four days doing a total of 60 miles and went out on the bikes another day and did just under 40 miles ( swmbo's got a Garmin Edge which can be used on the bike or when walking to track distance and route etc.. We've both been lucky so far health wise (cross everything) but we also work hard at it, we try to eat healthily and we both enjoy exercise so we don't have a time when we plan to stop. It's in the lap of the god's and the insurance companies who I hope will continue to give us cover. We're hoping to spend two days at the NEC next week and looking forward to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 We got our first VW pop-top in 1987, in our mid-30s. This year we retired to France and bought our 6th van. The plan at present is to keep using it until whenever I have to stop driving altogether, but who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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