Hello from England!

[Horrorhiker]

Hi all, 

Just wanted to say hello, having just signed up. Me and the wife are currently saving for a caravan (travel trailer) and are planning to go full time within 2-3 years. (We live very basically as it is so we thought we would wait as long as we can manage and get the best van possible). 
After deciding to go for it, we obviously started researching and found Cheaprvliving on YouTube and have watched little else for the past few months. Its great to see into other people's lives like that and has given us a lot of inspiration, despite the arrangements being slightly different over here. Also Bob is a legend. 
Very much looking forward to getting involved in the community anyway.

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome from this side of the pond HorrorHiker to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you. Pictures too of camping over there.

highdesertranger

 

[RoamerRV428]

Glad you can go full time in about 2-3 yrs!! The freedom will be wonderful and you can go out and about and live your life the way you guys want. Will be great to know how you do over in England vs. the US we chat about mostly here. Do you have a bucket list of how you want to roll? Areas you want to visit? Just bank the bucks away as long as you can and then when you are ready get yourself a nice big old van to suit you guys and go for it

 

[Horrorhiker]

Thanks! We have already spent the last few years cutting back and going minimal. We live in an old cottage that has no heating, so we live super cheap and basic and have both gone part time with work. The last part of the puzzle is the van really. We have a couple of dogs so we are trying to work out what we can manage with. 
I think if we do it while our parents are still around we'll stick close to home, but we were just talking earlier about going to Scotland for an extended period of time (we are in the south, relatively near London so we don't go there too much). I want to say it's a long drive, but I can never say that to Americans ha ha. 
There is the option of going over to Europe quite easily too (if they'll still have us lol).

 

[Cammalu]

Welcome to the forum. Boy I’d love to spend about a year in a caravan over there!

 

[RoamerRV428]

wow that sounds like a great plan you set off for yourselves.

yea I got a 91 yr old mom and hubby has a near 80 year old mom with a lot of med troubles. My 91 is healthier than his 80 yr old and that blows my mind but I get ya on staying around with family.

Just do a test on space you need with the 2 dogs and you guys. You live small and basic and that is what is required in small spaces but everyone, including the dogs, need a bit of personal space so just take your time and figure out the best floorplan and size that will work for ya'll…….like me being older I must stand. I can't do any type of vehicle that I have to crawl around, crouch, sit on chair and roll and all....I need standing room but that also can be accomplished by having an outside tall screen/room tent thing to put up outside the van and use as another room.

a long drive...haha...in crowded areas a straight drive somewhere should be like 10 mins but with traffic etc it can be a 45 min drive then out in the boonies you just have to drive and drive to get anywhere and ya hope there are any gas stations along the way LOL we all got our crazy drive situations

 

[lenny flank]

 I want to say it's a long drive, but I can never say that to Americans ha ha. 

As the saying goes, to Americans 200 years is a long time. To British, 200 miles is a long distance.




I was in England a few years ago and had a great time. Visited London and Wareham, and did a tour of places like Stonehenge, Wells Cathedral, and Poole.

Mail me some pasties....?    :heart:

 

[RoamerRV428]

lol I might have read that driving thing wrong lol
like Camm I would love to wander free in a van over there into a new situation, right now my best bet is into Canada which is cool to us lol

 

[annapearl]

Welcome from another newbie! We are from across the pond, but are also anticipating heading out in a few years. The planning is really fun. Watching the videos has been a delight. We jump on every new one that comes out. There is a wealth of information here! Have fun!

 

[maki2]

but we were just talking earlier about going to Scotland for an extended period of time (we are in the south, relatively near London so we don't go there too much). I want to say it's a long drive, but I can never say that to Americans ha ha. 

A 5 to 6 hour drive spit between 2 drivers is for sure not a super long drive in America if most of the travel is on one of the interstate freeways. Seattle to San Francisco is about 11 hours and I have done it in one day but its a slog.

 

[eDJ_]

Welcome to the CRVL Forums. 

All the best in your travels and new life to come.
It should be one of the major events of your lives.

 

[Horrorhiker]

As the saying goes, to Americans 200 years is a long time. To British, 200 miles is a long distance.




I was in England a few years ago and had a great time. Visited London and Wareham, and did a tour of places like Stonehenge, Wells Cathedral, and Poole.

Mail me some pasties....?    :heart:

Ha ha, that's a great saying.  I love Stonehenge, and Wells cathedral  is is stunning. Funny enough, my brother is in Poole right now on holiday. My house is around 400 years old and from my living room window I can see the WW1 memorial for the village. Its a great place for history, that's for sure. 
I do get a little envious when watching US based YouTube stuff though. I have always loved camping and hiking, but it's so restrictive over here. You can only camp out in the wild legally in a couple of regions of the UK..I think you guys have the right approach when seeing freedom as important as you do. A lot of Brits seem desperate to give that away at every opportunity these days. 

Maybe we can do a cultural exchange. Pasties for squirty Cheese?

 

[Horrorhiker]

Welcome to the forum.  Boy I’d love to spend about a year in a caravan over there!

I can't remember her name, but there is a Youtuber from New Zealand who is doing exactly that at the moment. I think she is renting a car and Caravan. She usually full times over in New Zealand I think. If you do ever do it, dont forget your umbrella. I'm currently camping in a tent and it has rained for 6 hours and counting. Typical British summertime.

 

[Horrorhiker]

wow that sounds like a great plan you set off for yourselves.

yea I got a 91 yr old mom and hubby has a near 80 year old mom with a lot of med troubles.  My 91 is healthier than his 80 yr old and that blows my mind but I get ya on staying around with family.  

Just do a test on space you need with the 2 dogs and you guys.  You live small and basic and that is what is required in small spaces but everyone, including the dogs, need a bit of personal space so just take your time and figure out the best floorplan and size that will work for ya'll…….like me being older I must stand.  I can't do any type of vehicle that I have to crawl around, crouch, sit on chair and roll and all....I need standing room but that also can be accomplished by having an outside tall screen/room tent thing to put up outside the van and use as another room.

a long drive...haha...in crowded areas a straight drive somewhere should be like 10 mins but with traffic etc it can be a 45 min drive   then out in the boonies you just have to drive and drive to get anywhere and ya hope there are any gas stations along the way LOL     we all got our crazy drive situations

I feel you with the standing up. I have a tricky knee and things are starting to fall off/go wobbly in general really. I've just bought a new tent so that I can stand up in fact. 
This is why a caravan feels right. We plan to withdraw from our house slowly over time. Quite soon we are going to limit ourselves to only living downstairs, and perhaps even rent out the upstairs to a family member/friend. Then later, when we have a year or so to go we will stick to just the living room and kitchen, which will be around the same space as the caravan with awning will give us. That's the plan anyway. 

Best wishes to your family anyway. I definately want to be around for them as they need more help, and I guess that's the whole point of living a van life..you can be where you need to be at any point in time, which is nice.

 

[Horrorhiker]

Welcome from this side of the pond HorrorHiker to the CRVL forums!  To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.  

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.  Pictures too of camping over there.

highdesertranger

Thanks very much! I'll get working on those pics

 

[Horrorhiker]

A 5 to 6 hour drive spit between 2 drivers is for sure not a super long drive in America if most of the travel is on one of the interstate freeways. Seattle to San Francisco is about 11 hours and I have done it in one day but its a slog.

To be honest the drive is really nice. You go from my part of the world, which is as flat as a pancake, and eventually go through the Lake District, which is one of our favourite places. 

I would love to go to San Francisco. Its on my bucket list, though now I'm saving for a van, my list is suffering. I went to Sydney Australia for the whole of January (without the wife), so my bucket list credits are virtually dried up I'm afraid.

 

[RoamerRV428]

so agree Horror
with a van you are mobile. you can sit and stay, move and groove, do whatever ya want when ya want in any area ya want the big allure and draw of this lifestyle! You have the means to do it all!

remember also that a bucket list is a fantasy list in a way......while one 'tries to get so hard to a destination' they miss a ton of fab bucket list life possibilities along the journey travelled

when we hit the road in a while full time we are gonna cruise thru life as it takes us with a destination in mind, get there when we get there and if we don't, hey it was a wild and fun ride trying to get there LOL

you guys sound like you are so into walking into this new van life and you are taking great steps to make it suit you well....I like it, ya'll got a good plan going down!

 

[Cammalu]

400 year old house!!!!! To us 100 years is a very old house. You better send us pictures. That’s so way cool. What history it must hold!

 

[makenmend]

My brother in laws house in the UK has timbers recovered from the Spanish Armada, 1558.

 

[Cammalu]

Wowwwww


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