Maybe another bites the dust?

[Buckman]

Unfortunately Mrs B now struggles to walk and can barely walk 10m due to vasculitis issue and good possibility that it is permanent. Our caravan is due at the dealer in mid Oct for the front to be replaced so cannot sell it by before that date. Hopefully by that time we will know if she will be able to manage or not. If not, unsure whether to sell once the repair has been done or wait until season starts next year even though it means paying for storage until then.

Not even sure if a a motorhome would be suitable as Mrs B may really struggle to get in and out of it. However many AirBnB places are adapted for disabled people and also allow pets so that may be a way forward?

Sad times ahead!

 

[otherclive]

Sorry to hear that Mrs B is so limited and that you may have to reconsider your hobby. I think given that the caravan has to be repaired then let time pass and see how your wife gets on. If you have to sell my approach would be to sell when the decision is made, as I think the next year might see sales and prices affected when the cost of living and January energy price cap really starts to hit. I have seen reports that MH dealers are being very picky about what they are taking either as PE, or direct purchases. So perhaps if Mrs B is able a MH good be a good deal next year, providing you are certain that the lifestyle would appeal to you......but the millions who own MHs in UK and Europe clearly like them.

But as you say there are alternatives to both caravans and MH's too.

 

[Len W]

There are some very fine drugs that the NHS can use, NTF drugs and none steroidal drugs to help your dear wife move more freely and reduce the inflation which causes the pain on moving, I myself went from being practically bedridden, to a couple of years later back walking and able to go caravanning again. it isn't immediate, although some of the steroid treatments definitely make you feel better very fast though temporary. I wouldn't hang up your keys just yet , the disease I have is serum positive rheumatoid arthritis with nodules and other stuff I still get where I'm going, just a bit more wobbly. Wishing you and your wife all the best Len

 

[Jcloughie]

So sorry to hear that Ian. My caravan problems are similar. My vascular issues prevent me walking far but I can manage 50m slowly. I find setting up the caravan very difficult and hard work. After an angioplasty 2 years ago I had a new lease of life as blood could get to my legs again. The surgeon said he would see me again in 2 years for stents to be fitted. However I have found myself at the back of the list trying to convince them the problem even exists, despite the ultra sound and CT scans saying blood flow to both legs is reduced by 90%.

We also are reluctant to go away as my son is just going through a cancer operation. We think that was successful but has started other complications which has put him back in hospital. Now on his 6th day and not been assigned a proper bed yet. They have put him on geriatrics right now. He WhatsApp’d today to tell us he was the only one in there last night to not wet the bed. We visited today. He wrote as we were going home to announce another first. He is now the first on the ward to have both parents visit him.

Earlier in the year our van was suddenly diagnosed with damp in the floor. we paid a lot of money for a repair but have to wait for the damp readings to go back down. The van is usable but we can’t use it. Also we cant sell it.

I have been looking at Air B&B. Some great places in the Italian lakes.

I really hope that Margaret improves but we have to live within our limitations.


John

 

[Buckman]

Thanks every one for the kind wishes. I guess another option is to consider a seasonal site which we were going to do when in our eighties.

There are some very fine drugs that the NHS can use, NTF drugs and none steroidal drugs to help your dear wife move more freely and reduce the inflation which causes the pain on moving, I myself went from being practically bedridden, to a couple of years later back walking and able to go caravanning again. it isn't immediate, although some of the steroid treatments definitely make you feel better very fast though temporary. I wouldn't hang up your keys just yet , the disease I have is serum positive rheumatoid arthritis with nodules and other stuff I still get where I'm going, just a bit more wobbly. Wishing you and your wife all the best Len

Thanks for words of encouragement. Sadly her diagnosis is the like the Churg Strauss syndrome however at the moment it is steriods and morphine. Earliest she can see rheumatology specialist is late September. She did have an appointment last week, but could not attend as she was in hospital.

 

[Dustydog]

Ian,
The Sun always shines!
I appreciate the debilitating affect of the vascular issue for Mrs B.
Last year I was forced into a mobility scooter because of my knee. Post surgery I can walk miles. I considered a MH. Did the score sheet and the MH idea was discarded.
Harder to get in and out.
Far less internal room , shower etc than our TA.
Zero transport to go out once pitched.
Post surgery , six weeks on the only thing I struggled with was the bungy securing the waste pipes to the chassis.

Can Mrs B travel?
You can get two tier plus steps to get in and out the TA plus grab handles.
Nothing wrong with seasonals.
Selling now , damaged may be problematic. You will have to declare it. Will the forthcoming repairs / warranty be transferable? Yours is an expensive unit. Would you buy one needing such repairs?
Whatever you guys decide take your time and consider all the options. ABN Bs still have steps and access issues.
Best of luck to both of you👍

 

[Buckman]

Thanks DD for adding to the useful information already passed onto us. Have to be desperate to sell before repair is completed and would be unfair on any buyer.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Don't write off caravanning immediately, As other have suggested wait awhile, until your OH's at least had some treatment which might actually help her mobility enough for her to be able to continue with a caravan. You will rue the day you sold it if she makes enough progress.

As others have said, Motorhomes are generally smaller inside than a caravan, and that could be a problem as mobility decreases, and they often have moor steps to climb to get inside.

 

[Mel]

Buckman, the worst part of the decision is agonising over the alternatives. Once the decision is made, then it is made, and then you are free to get on with things. You will reach a decision point, but the bit in between is painful. Be patient, make a decision at the right moment and then move on freely accepting the turn that life has taken. Good luck, and all the very best.
mel

 

[JezzerB]

Awful for you both. Wishing you all the best . Currently van less I'm sad but plotting!

 

[Beachball]

Unfortunately Mrs B now struggles to walk and can barely walk 10m due to vasculitis issue and good possibility that it is permanent. Our caravan is due at the dealer in mid Oct for the front to be replaced so cannot sell it by before that date. Hopefully by that time we will know if she will be able to manage or not. If not, unsure whether to sell once the repair has been done or wait until season starts next year even though it means paying for storage until then.

Not even sure if a a motorhome would be suitable as Mrs B may really struggle to get in and out of it. However many AirBnB places are adapted for disabled people and also allow pets so that may be a way forward?

Sad times ahead!

The hardest part when health issues are being considered is after the recovery period and what the future holds. It maybe best to wait until your wife has had a chance to recover, then see where you are. Hopefully in a better place that at present, as long as holidays and enjoyment with each other and family are still choices you have. Good luck.

 

[JTQ]

Saddened to hear how things are unfolding with its deep implications over way more than the caravanning; I have some insight into this in our own circumstances.

Unless financially off loading the van is that important in the present circumstances, I would bide our time and see how things actually work out, with a real bias to seek out what we "can do" rather than what we can't.

Hope you both find a rewarding solution, even if a somewhat different one to that enjoyed in the past.

 

[Raywood]

Sorry to hear of your problems.
If the front is to be replaced by the dealer it may be worth asking if they will give you a price to sell now and see what they say. When we had damp in our last caravan and the dealer was putting in a guarantee claim for the work the dealer did take it as a part exchange, with them to do the work needed and do the claim under the guarantee. If this is accident damage they may want to deduct the excess but that is payable anyway.

 

[Hutch]

We are going to give our caravanning another year, Mrs H's hip are getting worse. Getting around the caravan is ok but getting out and about is akward, she now has a blue badge so parking is easier, But finding sites that suite us are getting fewer. Lets get through the winter and reevalute. Cost is another factor of course.

 

[Dustydog]

Not good Hutch. A new hip perhaps? Can’t fault my new knee👍👍.
Something else to discuss at the Woosiefest 😉

 

[otherclive]

Not good Hutch. A new hip perhaps? Can’t fault my new knee👍👍.
Something else to discuss at the Woosiefest 😉

I’d agree our friend has had two new hips and one new knee within three years. All at local private hospitals but funded by the NHS. The difference it’s made to their lives is amazing. In fact since her husband has had to surrender his licence ( glaucoma) she is now the driver. Without the operations she wouldn’t have been able to take up that baton and retain their freedom to go places independentl.y.

 

[Buckman]

We are going to give our caravanning another year, Mrs H's hip are getting worse. Getting around the caravan is ok but getting out and about is akward, she now has a blue badge so parking is easier, But finding sites that suite us are getting fewer. Lets get through the winter and reevalute. Cost is another factor of course.

We paid the extra and only used sites with fully serviced pitches so the only trip is to the elsan point. No fetching or disposing of water. Means we go out less, but when we do it is for longer periods. Not sure about next year though.

 

[Beachball]

We are going to give our caravanning another year, Mrs H's hip are getting worse. Getting around the caravan is ok but getting out and about is akward, she now has a blue badge so parking is easier, But finding sites that suite us are getting fewer. Lets get through the winter and reevalute. Cost is another factor of course.

It is hard to give up a way of enjoying holidays with a caravan, but whatever you decide know your health is more important. You will enjoy the next stage of going away it is just different but less physically demanding. Good luck whatever your decision.