newbie

[davek38]

hi everyone.
just thought i would introduce myself. i will soon be a new motorhomer after being a caravaner for many years.
after getting throat cancer 2 1/2 years ago and as a result i now have no voicebox and am a total neck breather. the caravan would have been far to heavy for me to start pulling around and we have decided to get a motorhome. since my operation driving is the one thing that causes me no problems.

the caravan is already gone so we hope to replace it with a motorhome by the end of may.we will be visiting the motorhome show at peterborugh in april for a few ideas. we already had a good morning looking around wellsbridge motors a while ago (very friendly staff).

expect some stupid questions in the near future

 

[TonyJones]

Hi Dave, welcome - both to the forum, and to your new way of life.
Sounds like you've already made the first big decision - that driving is OK for you, but hauling caravans isn't, so you need a motorhome. To get the best from your new lifestyle, you need to be aware that motorhoming isn't just "caravanning without a hitch." The two kinds of vehicle have different strengths.
Caravans are brilliant for going to a place, pitching up , and staying there for a while, using your car to explore the area. Your caravan becomes a temporary "home" which you come back to each night, whereas with a motorhome you'd have to secure everything before going out for the day.
Motorhomes and campervans really come into their own for "proper touring." Doing something different, going somewhere different, each day - then going to a suitable place to stay the night before doing something else the next day. This is especially true on the Continent, where motorhomes can overnight in places a caravan would be out of place.
Of course, neither of those is rigid - both modes CAN do either, and we've sometimes stayed a week in one place in our van - but if you're really going to enjoy your motorhome it's important to understand the differences.
Choosing the right van for you is going to be important too - you'll already have realised what a tremendous variety there is out there. So give a bit of thought to how you'll use your van, and what will work best for you. There always have to be compromises, but make sure they're on the aspects that matter less to you.
And there are NO stupid questions, just questions that other people have found answers to before you did!

 

[davek38]

cheers for the welcome tony
the wife and i have really looked into it and are looking forward to getting our first motor. we both have disablities so the layout we need plus the ability to take our grandchildren has played a big part in our decisions. as our daughter lives in holland we will be traveling there on many ocasions i reckon i even got my first passport last month !!!!! i have driven on the continent though many times . when in the army 75-85 my mod 90 plus bfg driving permit was all i needed .........my son needs to take his passport to afghan with him !!! (5times) he's there now

already made our list with must haves, desirables etc. looking forward to visiting the show at peterbough for more ideas as well. we wont be able to purchase the vehcile till mid may at least as we are waiting for some finaces to appear in the bank so we want to use this time to make sure we have the right vehcile.

since the caravan went we have adapted the back garden to accomadate the motorhome when we get it .(large garden) laid 65sqmts aco groundguard turning area plus a concrete parking area. when the grass grows again through the groundguard you will just see lawn. very eco friendly with good drainage plus it will take up to 10 tons driving over it. OTT but would rather be safe than sorry.

 

[TonyJones]

I like your thinking Dave. Can't beat a bit of over-engineering!
Keep the same attitude when choosing your van. If your civilian licence goes up to 7.5 tonnes, take advantage of it. Too many sub-3.5 vans don't have a realistic payload - especially when you add in grandchildren and their "essentials!"

 

[LizziePope]

Hi Dave and a warm welcome to the Practical Motorhome forum – and to motorcaravanning!

 

[davek38]

I like your thinking Dave. Can't beat a bit of over-engineering!
Keep the same attitude when choosing your van. If your civilian licence goes up to 7.5 tonnes, take advantage of it. Too many sub-3.5 vans don't have a realistic payload - especially when you add in grandchildren and their "essentials!"

no probs with the licence as i was a hgv driver for over 20 years before going office bound

cheers for the welcome lizzie