(NON FINANCIAL) Retirement plans/ dreams/ discussion.

bugslett

Crabby wrote: »

It's very nice, but looking at the catalogue it's only got 2 gas rings and no oven.

Other motor homes are available!

I barely use the oven in my house, so it wouldn't bother me.

mgdavid

MallyGirl wrote: »

......
A motor home is usually ........ very thirsty due to the weight. ............

It's all relative of course but I don't call 30 mpg on diesel thirsty; that's what we get from our 2015 Carado (Hymer's cheap brand). With the trailer and racecar and tools & spares etc we run regularly at around 5 tonnes GTW and still get 25 mpg. Most of it is at 65mph on autoroutes / motorways.

OldBeanz

MallyGirl wrote: »

our camper has a small hob but we will get a BBQ to cook outside so we don't stink out the van. The fridge is mostly for milk and ice for G&Ts.

Then you will end up with a smelly barbecue in your van.
The great thing about motorhomes and campers is that everyone can do their own thing - there is no right or wrong. Big/small, car park/5* camp site, Central Barcelona/Skye- our favourite feature is the central heating which heats the engine and vice versa.
We measure ours by the time we take to park, set up and drink in hand which is considerably quicker in larger vans.

Triumph13

OldBeanz wrote: »

We measure ours by the time we take to park, set up and drink in hand which is considerably quicker in larger vans.

How would you define 'considerably'? We had a transporter with the classic VW layout and 'setting up' consisted of rotating the passenger seat and setting up the table - probably 1 minute tops.

GunJack

So much to catch up with in this thread, it's been a brill read

My retirement plans include (but are not limited to):-

1. grow old disgracefully with Mrs. G-J

2. Read!! - have had so little time to read properly recently. I like to get comfy and blast through a typical novel in 1-2 days, and I'm stacking up books ready for when the time comes.

3. Motorcycling - need to get back into it after many, many years of not doing so, and will need to pass my test to take Mrs. G-J on the back (which is on her bucket list )

4. See 1

5. Get fit & lose weight - This is both a WANT and a NEED (to help with 1, 4 and 6) - I was super-fit until I bashed my knee up at 19, which (good old NHS :mad: ) finally got replaced at 48. Currently waiting for the other knee to be replaced which doesn't help, but being retired will give me chance for walking, swimming and poss tai chi - always wanted to do this, but the only local classes are daytime

6. See 1 & 4

7. Travel - we're currently, slowly, creating a UK list and a rest-of-world list of places we want to go, and will have to include at least one cruise for Mrs. G-J

8. Go and watch lots more live rugby league

9. See 1, 4, & 6

That'll keep me (and Mrs. G-J) busy for a good while but as I said, it's not definitive

Crabby

It's all horse's for courses, my mate used to take his family of four and two dogs for a months holiday to France every year, in a Mazda Bongo. My neighbours hired a six berth Roller team, for the two of them, and thought it was claustrophobic. We think an L3H2 PVC is perfect for us, big enough to live in, reasonably economical, fairly unobtrusive and small enough to fit in most carparks.
But at the end of the day you work out what you want and buy accordingly. Most importantly don't leave it sitting on the drive, use it and have fun.

paparossco

Has no one considered becoming a Magistrate or JP? I saw an advert in the Metro a while back I’m sure. No longer ‘Colonel Blimp’ types as you go through an intensive interview process and are fully trained. Give back some of your life experience!

bugslett

Crabby wrote: »

It's all horse's for courses, my mate used to take his family of four and two dogs for a months holiday to France every year, in a Mazda Bongo. My neighbours hired a six berth Roller team, for the two of them, and thought it was claustrophobic. We think an L3H2 PVC is perfect for us, big enough to live in, reasonably economical, fairly unobtrusive and small enough to fit in most carparks.
But at the end of the day you work out what you want and buy accordingly. Most importantly don't leave it sitting on the drive, use it and have fun.

My mate had a Mazda Bongo, two of them and a small dog, though she now has a VW with a pop up roof. Loved the Bongo though:)

paparossco wrote: »

Has no one considered becoming a Magistrate or JP? I saw an advert in the Metro a while back I’m sure. No longer ‘Colonel Blimp’ types as you go through an intensive interview process and are fully trained. Give back some of your life experience!

Another friend was going to be a magistrate but basically they are trying to be more diverse and attract younger people, so white and 62 didn't cut it. No idea if that was just the area she was in (South Cheshire) or it's part of a Nationwide push to be more diverse.

Anonymous101

Crabby wrote: »

It's all horse's for courses, my mate used to take his family of four and two dogs for a months holiday to France every year, in a Mazda Bongo. My neighbours hired a six berth Roller team, for the two of them, and thought it was claustrophobic. We think an L3H2 PVC is perfect for us, big enough to live in, reasonably economical, fairly unobtrusive and small enough to fit in most carparks.
But at the end of the day you work out what you want and buy accordingly. Most importantly don't leave it sitting on the drive, use it and have fun.

As other have said the size of the van isn't so important when the weather is good as you're spending a lot of time outside.


We're in the first year of owning a VW transporter and loving it so far. (Bought an old one to see if it suits us) We had the idea to use it more for long weekends and short holidays in the summer and basically as a place to doss down for the night in the winter whilst doing early starts on hike's etc

paparossco

bugslett wrote: »

Another friend was going to be a magistrate but basically they are trying to be more diverse and attract younger people, so white and 62 didn't cut it. No idea if that was just the area she was in (South Cheshire) or it's part of a Nationwide push to be more diverse.

They must retire at 70 so younger the better for sure. The selection process is very much the opposite of the old 'tap on the shoulder' that used to be the way.