Get a grip woman!

beanielou

I went for a walk with my dog many years ago & ended up buying a house!!

Suffolk_lass

beanielou wrote: »

I went for a walk with my dog many years ago & ended up buying a house!!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::T:T
Oh beanie - that has made me laugh - we got engaged that way - went to the greengrocer, walked along towards the Chinese supermarket past the Jeweller (a diamond merchant) and stopped to sparkle-gaze, only for Mr SL to say, do you want that one then? - I asked what that would mean and the response was, "well, we could get married if you want to!" - apparently he had been trying to find a way but prevaricating about how to raise the subject for some time.

Suffolk_lass

OK van alert - apparently it is a motorhome, not a campervan and after about four hours poring over it on Friday night and Saturday morning, we have paid a £500 deposit to let the people take it off the market. I have been exploring insurance, DH has been looking at getting a few age-related things sorted. I think we should use it before booking it in so we discover any things we have not spotted before commissioning any refurbishment but it is a much loved thing that is just starting to show its' age (bit like us really!)

We have been talking about it for a year (literally since getting back from last year's camping weekend and Mr SL saying he needs to be able to stand up when he gets out of bed so the tent we were using is not that tent any more). We were planning to get a hi-top minibus and convert it because DH does not like the layout of vans normally. I spotted this one on FB Marketplace and the layout looked good and it was less than an hour away so we went for a look. I will say more in due course. I do hope it isn't a money pit...

trix-a-belle

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

OK van alert - apparently it is a motorhome, not a campervan

Theres a difference?! I never knew & I spent all my childhood holidays in a caravan/motorhome/camper of one type or another.
Well done you will enjoy it. Definitely do a short run somewhere as a first voyage to get a feel for things.
Shout if you need any assistance on bits to refurb it as I do the interiors for a friend who does conversions so have a few sources for lots of bits.

Suffolk_lass

trix-a-belle wrote: »

Theres a difference?! I never knew & I spent all my childhood holidays in a caravan/motorhome/camper of one type or another.
Well done you will enjoy it. Definitely do a short run somewhere as a first voyage to get a feel for things.
Shout if you need any assistance on bits to refurb it as I do the interiors for a friend who does conversions so have a few sources for lots of bits.

The first definition I read suggests a motorhome is big enough to live in, whereas a campervan is usually smaller and more suited to short-trips or camping. However, there is a school of thought that there is a separation between the cab and the living accommodation in a motorhome, which our purchase does not have. As the people we are buying from lived in it for 18 months they were very specific that it is a motorhome. At 10 foot+ high and 8 foot+ wide, I am happy. The "bedroom" is a fixed platform at the back and the sofas are shorter and don't convert into a bed (which we like).

Karmacat

That's great news! I definitely have motorhome envy now One thing that made me feel a lot more secure financially was that I realised my best case and worst case scenario were identical. The best case was that I'd go for long trips away in a motorhome, while renting out my house and having an agency look after it. The worst case was living in a motorhome, possibly having sold my house, but more likely renting it out The couple lived in it for 18 months? Perfick, as they say

[Deleted User]

Do it. I converted my berlingo with one of those bootjump thingies and it’s seriously the best money I have spent. No spends on coffee, lunch or meals out. Sold all camping stuff and it’s paid for itself. I love it

Karmacat

Do tell, what's a boot jump? Interesting!

Suffolk_lass

I think a bootjump is the attachment to a berlingo that lets you pull the kitchen out the back (so you stand on the ground and the counters are the "right height" without using a pop-up roof. I think they usually have an awning that fits round it. It's like a trailer tent but better. I was very taken with the idea but DH is over 1.95m and wants to be able to stand up.

redofromstart

I ended up with specialist insurance due to the age of ours, and painful due to lack of spare no claims. She is too heavy for my Autoaid breakdown cover so something else to think about. Campervans are generally bed that converts to seating and mini kitchen but no toilet or shower. Motorhomes usually have more - ours has mini bathroom and kitchen area with fridge, and a thingamajig for plugging in electrics if you go to a campsite..

Most useful thing I bought to go with ours was one of those karcher window cleaners, brilliant for sorting the inevitable condensation in the mornings without having a van full of wet cloths.

ETA the swedish place was very useful in terms of kitting the kitchen out cheaply, that way she was always ready to go when we wanted to.