{"id":38177,"date":"2020-06-06T11:33:17","date_gmt":"2020-06-06T10:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourtour.co.uk\/home\/?p=38177"},"modified":"2021-08-09T16:41:56","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T15:41:56","slug":"dreaming-the-motorhome-dream-take-action-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourtour.co.uk\/home\/dreaming-the-motorhome-dream-take-action-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Dreaming the motorhome dream? Take action now."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over the years we’ve tried to use this blog to get across the sensations of spending months, or even years, out on the road, wandering the world in a motorhome. My abiding after-the-fact sensation of our tours is a deep sense of gratitude, mixed with relief, that we took the opportunity when we could. Back in 2011, we opted to take a different path to the ‘safe’ corporate 8-to-5 lives we’d been living beforehand, and we’re so thankful we did. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’d like to use this blog post to urge you, if you’re thinking about making a similar change, to take a serious look at your own life and, if at all possible, to act now, right at this moment to make your motorhome dream a reality. Don’t delay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sleeping
Sleeping among the Borolo vines, with the Alps in the background. Heaven.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The pandemic which surrounds us currently constrains us, but it won’t forever and it shouldn’t prevent you from taking at least some of the action needed. There is no better time than right now to make the decision to change tact, to try something new, and to get started on your plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"At
In the heat by the beach below Pyrgos Dirou, Peloponnese, Greece<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why now?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To avoid the worse kind of regret, that’s why you should act now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ve met a fair few people roaming freely in Europe, or overwintering in the clement climates of Spain, Morocco, Italy, Tunisia and Greece, and we’ve heard some stories along the way. The Dutch chap who broke his back paragliding and didn’t think he’d walk again (it took a long time but he’d since gotten his legs working and had driven his motorhome to the Tunisian desert). The English lady with incurable lung cancer, travelling while she could (she’s sadly passed away since returning). The German fella whose wife was killed on the autobahn, who was in his van revisiting places in Greece they’d stayed in together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people we met were in good health, but passed away shortly after returning home through fast-acting illnesses. Life is short. Momento mori, remember death. I don’t mean this in a morbid way, I mean it in a vibrant, active way. We all have only so long on Earth, let’s make the most of it folks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"In
In daft hairnets on the Caminito del Rey in Andalusia, southern Spain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As I type Europe is gradually emerging from COVID-19 lock-down. Borders are slowly starting to open and infection rates are falling, but the virus remains among us, threatening to make hell again if we let it. As individuals there’s little we can do to control the big picture, just to adhere to guidelines set for us and to use our common sense. After months of being constrained to our homes, being bombarded with awful news day after day, fearful for our loved ones, we need something, as humans, to look forward to. The freedom of a motorhome tour is a beautiful thing to anticipate, even if it’s still some way off in the future. The time will pass quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Nearing
Nearing the end of our first 2-year tour back in 2013. It feels like yesterday.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The money.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cutting to the chase, it’s the money which holds many of us back. There’s other stuff too, like whether we’ll like being in such a small space, or if we’ll feel socially inferior ‘living in a van’, but money is the serious challenge for many. How much motorhome life costs depends on a bunch of factors but, perhaps counter-intuitively, the biggest adventures are the cheapest. A new VW California campervan, for example, might easily cost \u00a360,000, and be used for a few weekends of the year, depreciating like hell for the first year or two while the owners also shell out all the usual costs of living in a house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Nervously
Nervously taking our first motorhome for an MOT after buying him from eBay for \u00a310,500 in 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, a couple taking the full-on plunge, going-full-time and buying a well-used A or C class motorhome might spend less than \u00a320,000 (our first van cost \u00a310,500, and we toured for two years in it), and be free of all the costs of a home. We know of folks spending \u00a310,000 a year to live in this way, although most seem to spend closer to \u00a320,000 a year (lots of info on our costs here<\/a>, and the motoroamers keep detailed full-timer records here<\/a>). At the rock-bottom-cost end of the spectrum, vandogtraveller’s book<\/a> relates how he’s self-built an old van and now lives full-time on a shoe-string budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Part-way
Part-way through a year-long renovation while we got our own finances in order. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Can you make the finances stack up for you? If not, how can you engineer your assets so that they do? Do you already track your expenses to the penny? If not, get started on it, now. Ju’s been doing this for us for a decade and despite the apparent restrictive nature of this behavior, it’s had the opposite effect and done wonders for us. Simply put, freedom came at the price of tracking, at least partially. We’ve needed to make a whole series of changes to engineer our finances to allow our long-term motorhome tours: cost tracking, reducing our consumption, risking self-employment, self-education about saving and investing, and small space living. If all of this sounds too much hassle, remember the reward: unheard of levels of freedom, a life free of regret. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recommend these books for getting started on the path to financial peace and freedom (yep, we know this all sounds a bit dull, but persevere, read the books, take action and the end result is worth every minute of it – you might even enjoy it!):<\/p>\n\n\n\n