live rent free.

sekib2003

This is the 2nd time I'm writing this as there was a problem when I tried uploading my reply last time and loss all the data....AAARGHHH

Anyway heres the much shorter second version

1) Poo in toilet like everyone else, toilet emptied in field or ditch. compare that to the zillions of tons of cow muck already there.
2) Electric from 2 leisure batteries charged from the engine, only really use my laptop so doesn't matter. no problems
3) House boat good idea but need to pay mooring fees also the moorings are hard to find.
4) Illegal!? I'm shocked to be honest that people think that way. Maybe it is, I don't honestly know...don't care really, no problems so far (many years)
5) No campsites, that would defeat the point, rather.lol
6) I use a family members address, again no problems.
7) As for doing this with kids? Not a good idea, but that's a life choice so you need to live with the consequences. sorry.
8) Internet is 3G T-mobile

All I can say is, when your actually out there doing it.....it just works. my savings are now growing healthily and in a few years I will have secured a tidy pension and ticket to a hotter climate!

I'm wish someone had said to me years ago what I'm posting now, this is my "thank you" to fate for my good luck. follow this advice or don't its up to you. Not my problem.

Nixer

What do you cook on and how do you do laundry and get it dry?

I am interested in this although I fear it's not practical for me, partner and the cat unless we had a very big van.

louiseg0151

Nixer wrote: »

What do you cook on and how do you do laundry and get it dry?

I am interested in this although I fear it's not practical for me, partner and the cat unless we had a very big van.

Motor homes have gas cookers that use calor gas. Not sure about the washing though

Jowo_2

Laundrette would be my guess...

dopester

Fire_Fox wrote: »

AFAIK living in a layby/ wild camping is not legal in Britain: this website is about saving money without breaking the law.

Former FoI Officer correspondence with authorities in 2009.

The question of whether or not there is a right to camp overnight at the roadside and/or in a lay-by is one which is raised from time to time. In an effort to clarify the situation a request for information was sent to the Department for Transport. The upshot is that there appears to be no national legislation which either specifically permits or prohibits roadside camping. Details of the correspondence are lower down this page Here.

There are, however, a number of restrictions which apply to waiting and parking. These are summarised in Rules 238-252 of the Highway Code. The text in the Highway Code contains details of the primary and secondary legislation which give effect to the restrictions. There are particular requirements for parking at night, including requirements for use of lights in some circumstances (Rules 248 - 250).

In addition, some local authorities have passed Traffic Regulation Orders which permit/prohibit overnight camping in vehicles within the area over which they have jurisdiction. The civil offence of trespass may also be committed.

http://www.motorhomeparking.co.uk/roads.htm

PasturesNew

I'm still looking for my perfect van.... it's not going well. I won't be parking in laybys though - too much of a security risk for me.

My biggest issue is how to power a laptop 24/7, or close to. Although I'll be on sites with electrical hookup, they are quite pricey, so I'd like to be able to choose a pitch with no hookup.

I'm still looking/mulling, things are tricky.... I'd like a motorhome, but realised it's not practical as I don't know the terrain/area I'd be in.... then I thought of tiny caravans, but it'd have to be something one small, weak, short, person could manage entirely on their own ... and I've been "practising towing" .... er, that's without a caravan but never going over 50mph and it's a bummer because all these huge lorries keep overtaking me and you can't see where you're going when that happens in the rain. Also, I've just had two passengers in my car, their weight is 1/4 of the smallest towable caravan ... and the car was hardly going up and down the usual local slopes at all.

Decisions ... decisions...

I'm now wondering if a little bambi van will do, but that's under 1000cc so again not practical as it won't easily do 1-in-4 (25%) hills.

dopester

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'm now wondering if a little bambi van will do, but that's under 1000cc so again not practical as it won't easily do 1-in-4 (25%) hills.

You know I like the Bambi camper.



I like that it isn't so big as to be awkward to move around, that the road tax is mega low and is cheap to insure. However I agree it doesn't have much power for long journeys, steep hills but it wouldn't bother me too much. I like to go slow and easy. It makes good use of space but might be difficult if fulltime living in one and needing clothes to store to work, which is a negative.

I'd have probably chanced my money on one of those older Renault Autosleepers - spending £100 for a mechanic to give it the once over, and if ok, taking the risk at £3700. Even spend a couple of hundred getting it resprayed a modern looking white/black if I was concerned with cred. There is some risk involved.. but at £4K.. you're not down and out if something goes wrong. Still have options from not buying the £15K motorhome.

I read your post on the other thread about the £3 elec hookup on campsites being expensive, and was going to reply but decided against it. Yes.. but maybe you wouldn't need the hookup every night after got some of your stuff charged, including maybe a spare laptop battery / batteries a couple of nights before.

And that extra little expense of £3 per night elec hookup, which you wouldn't require every night either, is surely outweighed by all the other savings you have of not paying £550pm rent (or whatever) rent for a flat + council tax + utilities.

harrup

sekib2003 wrote: »

1) Poo in toilet like everyone else, toilet emptied in field or ditch.

I'm wish someone had said to me years ago what I'm posting now, this is my "thank you" to fate for my good luck. follow this advice or don't its up to you. Not my problem.

Whoa...hold on a moment here, merry free traveller!

On the one hand, I applaud your creative rent free solution.

On the other hand you are a health hazard. What do you mean....you simply tip a whole portapotty worth of your faeces into a field or alongside a layby?

You DO know the distinction and implications between cow manure and human waste to the environment...or not?

Because it sounds like that you are just s***** all over the country akin to a dog fouling the pavements and expect us to applaud you for it. The crucial diffrerence is....a dog truly doesn't know what it is doing. But you seem like an intelligent chap otherwise.

Have the courtesy and responsibility to urgently explore a safer, more hygienic waste disposal protocol.

Other than that - stay well and wishing you calm journeys.

PasturesNew

dopester wrote: »

You know I like the Bambi camper.



I like that it isn't so big as to be awkward to move around, that the road tax is mega low and is cheap to insure. However I agree it doesn't have much power for long journeys, steep hills but it wouldn't bother me too much. I like to go slow and easy. It makes good use of space but might be difficult if fulltime living in one and needing clothes to store to work, which is a negative.

I'd have probably chanced my money on one of those older Renault Autosleepers - spending £100 for a mechanic to give it the once over, and if ok, taking the risk at £3700. Even spend a couple of hundred getting it resprayed a modern looking white/black if I was concerned with cred. There is some risk involved.. but at £4K.. you're not down and out if something goes wrong. Still have options from not buying the £15K motorhome.

I read your post on the other thread about the £3 elec hookup on campsites being expensive, and was going to reply but decided against it. Yes.. but maybe you wouldn't need the hookup every night after got some of your stuff charged, including maybe a spare laptop battery / batteries a couple of nights before.

And that extra little expense of £3 per night elec hookup, which you wouldn't require every night either, is surely outweighed by all the other savings you have of not paying £550pm rent (or whatever) rent for a flat + council tax + utilities.

I've discovered a "little known secret" about all this van/camper malarky, I'll PM it to you .... it's added to my medium-term camper strategy.

For space, I've been thinking "main vehicle, mostly", but definitely a drive-away awning is in order. Sleep in the vehicle (more secure), spread out in the awning.

The area I'd move to for a flat would cost me:
£200 credit checks
£1000 deposit
£750/month rent and bills

So spending would quickly be recouped.

It's just an issue of size. I don't feel confident that I will be able to drive a large vehicle round everywhere I might need to go. Already this weekend I've struggled to get my tiny car (5'6") into every tiny road, lane and parking spot I've needed to be in. I've criss-crossed the county, going up and down 20%-25% inclines this week in a 1.2 and wished I'd not had a full tank of petrol as the car was really sluggish, even though it was empty of goods.

I viewed a caravan last week, didn't go for it in the end as it wasn't the right one. I really need a new car though, so got ideas on that too. Maybe I should book onto a towing course and see how I feel.