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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2020 19:07:24 GMT
I was texting an old work friend a few days ago- a Canadian who lived here for 17 years and moved back to Canada two years ago. I was telling her about my impending retirement and intention to move onto a narrowboat. She mentioned that another UK friend of hers had recently retired. This chap wanted to live a 'mobile' lifestyle, and had been pondering for a while whether to buy a narrowboat or a motorhome. He opted for a motorhome because for him, the extra freedom of movement and scope for travel that it offered was very appealing. My friend was slightly surprised that I favoured the 'nautical' option over the freedom of a motorhome, and t got me thinking again. I think I might have mentioned in an earlier post that during the last 5 years I had also intermittently wondered about living full time in a motorhome. The ability to go anywhere in the UK, Europe, or even Asia/Africa seemed a great plus to the motorhome (e.g. mountain and coastal views, plus a huge range of European cultures, cuisines and cities to explore). But staying even on small/cheap campsites could get a bit expensive (even if only done half the time), and camping 'wild' (and thus free) can be a bit tricky in the UK with our high population density, and high level of traffic/parking regulation. Plus the motorhome is much smaller and has less space than say a 55ft boat. Typically you get about 20 gallons of fresh water storage compared to 100 on a boat. So overall its a bit less comfortable a lifestyle- a bit more hardcore I guess. But for those who prioritise the travel thing, its worthwhile. For me personally the boat won, and still wins, on the basis that it offers more space, more comfort, whilst still offering a form of nomadic lifestyle (even if at walking pace). So I wondered if anyone here had wrestled with such a decision before opting for a boat, or might consider doing so in the future? And if you ever did that, what was your thought process in coming to a decision in favour of a boat?
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Post by Mr Stabby on May 28, 2020 19:13:47 GMT
I think the main issue is that anyone living in a motorhome is about as welcome as a ginger stepchild everywhere they go (other than official campsites, which aren't cheap) whereas being a water pikey is far more "under the radar".
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2020 19:22:38 GMT
We originally intended to move to a camper after boating for a while ... our kid bought a camper when we bought the boat, and we frequently met up, which was great fun. But the greater restrictions evident in the camper (water, space, warmth, storage) quickly became apparent to us, and over the years we've gone off the idea. I still believe the peripatetic nature of both will have an appeal to a similar group, and I will never say never ... but driving has become less fun over the years, whereas simply cruising remains a joy to us. Without wishing to sound too 'nerdy' on top of my many other failings, I always fancied the idea of picking a long A class road, and simply travel it to see where it takes you ... rather like the canals you visit wherever it goes. The A38 or the A5 spring to mind as throughout their length the nature of the road changes. Probably never do it now Rog
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2020 19:23:07 GMT
I think the main issue is that anyone living in a motorhome is about as welcome as a ginger stepchild everywhere they go (other than official campsites, which aren't cheap) whereas being a water pikey is far more "under the radar". I couldn't agree more, at least as far as the UK goes (Europe is much better set up for motorhome travellers). This was a big factor for me. It would wear me down to know that almost wherever I parked a motorhome in the UK, there would be local people basically resenting me being there immediately. In a boat you get 14 days along most of the towpath, no arguments. The attitude of rural folks towards motorhome and van dwellers(never brilliant at the best of times) very much hardened during late March, due to fear of people bringing corona virus with them, to the extent that many van dwellers had police visits, demands to move on, or vigilante gangs threatening them. Some canal dwellers have had issues, but not the kind of stuff that has gone on in rural areas of Scotland, Wales and England.
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Post by patty on May 28, 2020 19:29:50 GMT
I looked at motor home before i got the boat but abandoned that idea for number of reasons...didn't think I'd feel safe as solo woman..hated idea of driving on busy roads..just wasn't for me I loved my boat and its the biggest mistake I made letting her go. Loved and still do our waterways...
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2020 19:30:45 GMT
We originally intended to move to a camper after boating for a while ... our kid bought a camper when we bought the boat, and we frequently met up, which was great fun... ... I always fancied the idea of picking a long A class road, and simply travel it to see where it takes you ... rather like the canals you visit where it goes. The A38 or the A5 spring to mind as throughout theur length the nature of the road changes. Probably never do it not Rog For me there is that nagging 'bucket list' feeling about travelling Europe in a motorhome. I wouldn't want to regret never doing it, but at the same time I cant afford both (not of decent quality anyway), and I may just have to limit myself to the odd insanely expensive motorhome hire trip. They are horrendously expensive to hire.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2020 19:33:32 GMT
Europe was never my thing ... but the NC500 in Scotland ... ah now that's still tempting Rog
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2020 19:40:55 GMT
I looked at motor home before i got the boat but abandoned that idea for number of reasons...didn't think I'd feel safe as solo woman..hated idea of driving on busy roads..just wasn't for me I loved my boat and its the biggest mistake I made letting her go. Loved and still do our waterways... I quite agree about the safety thing Patty, and as a solo man I dont think I would feel particularly safe in a motorhome in many of the free camping locations you can find. And my God yes, the roads are getting worse by the year. Although I would say that as a retired motorhomer, in my case I could travel outside peak hours and avoid much of the congestion. Fingers crossed you can sort out another boat at some point in the future. The GRP boats start at pretty low prices I believe.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2020 19:49:12 GMT
The thing that always put me off living in a vehicle is that you will generally always be somewhere on a public highway.
On a boat you can get off the highway. Ok so usually you are on a towpath which will have zombie cyclists and other idiot type humans on it but it's not a road vehicle highway.
I just think you would get far more trouble from other wheel based infrastructure users in a vehicle than you do on a boat.
Might be wrong, and boats do have that awful limiting factor of only being able to go two ways.
I suppose the whole beer situation makes a difference as a single male. If you like to relax with a drink at some point during the day this can take out your options for moving if agro turns up. It's more likely the Rozzers will hit you if you are driving on a road than wrecked in charge of a boat.
Probably less of a problem for someone who does not bend the elbow much.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2020 19:50:29 GMT
Europe was never my thing ... but the NC500 in Scotland ... ah now that's still tempting Rog I must say Rog, Scotland has always been my favourite holiday destination- always. The combination of being accessible and having such incredible scenery and great people draws me back time after time. The highland midge has tried to crash the party several times, to the point where if I'm visiting the West (apart from Galloway and a few other areas), I would probably only make the trip between Sept and April. There are certain times of day when you literally cannot go outdoors without being swarmed by thousands of the little b***ds. They must serve some constructive purpose in the ecosystem, but I do wish there were somewhat less of them about the place.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2020 20:03:52 GMT
The thing that always put me off living in a vehicle is that you will generally always be somewhere on a public highway. On a boat you can get off the highway. Ok so usually you are on a towpath which will have zombie cyclists and other idiot type humans on it but it's not a road vehicle highway. I just think you would get far more trouble from other wheel based infrastructure users in a vehicle than you do on a boat. Might be wrong, and boats do have that awful limiting factor of only being able to go two ways. I suppose the whole beer situation makes a difference as a single male. If you like to relax with a drink at some point during the day this can take out your options for moving if agro turns up. It's more likely the Rozzers will hit you if you are driving on a road than wrecked in charge of a boat. Probably less of a problem for someone who does not bend the elbow much. I used to follow discussions on a wild camping forum a few years ago. When the subject of random hassle came up, many posters said they had had one or two incidents, but there was little or no mention of anything that constituted an actual threat. But to be honest, even the hassle factor of a knock at 2am can spoil your whole night, and start making it all seem a bit of a bad lifestyle choice. Typically it would be boy racers getting leery (lairy?) in isolated car parks. But the option of moving on, on those rare occasions, was off the table if you'd had a few beers. I think it wold be good incentive to cut down on alchohol consumption, so maybe not a bad thing? Hassle seemed to be very rare when in rural areas- more common around towns as you might expect. The hassle issue with fellow road users would be that impatience and abuse typically dealt out to caravanners by speedy drivers- if you have a thick skin and several black belt in martial arts it wouldn't be an issue, but unfortunately I have neither. And the general road manners seem to have declined in recent years, adding to the problem.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2020 20:17:39 GMT
The thing that always put me off living in a vehicle is that you will generally always be somewhere on a public highway. On a boat you can get off the highway. Ok so usually you are on a towpath which will have zombie cyclists and other idiot type humans on it but it's not a road vehicle highway. I think its worth adding on this that the Camping and Caravan Club (CCC) manage a network of up to 2,000 locations for camping, typically in rural areas, part of a farmers field etc, and usually with only 5 or 6 places, and plenty of space- these are called certified locations I think (CLs). This type of campsite typically has no electricity (only water), which limits their appeal to many caravanners and motorhomers. So they are often very quiet, but even better they are very cheap, most around £15 per night or less. You can stay for up to 28 days at a cost of about 300-400, mostly in really nice quiet locations, and well away from the road and its many associated nuisances. Its still not cheap compared to a CC license say, but if you do that for half the year, it could be affordable and give you a lovely quiet retreat. So its not all bsy laybys on the A1 etc, there are plenty of very quiet spots, even when wild camping. The thing about wild camping is you know that if you stay there more than say 2 days, you are going to start running the risk of getting a knock, a rude local, a gang of kids, or a bobby. So there is that psychological pressure to always keep moving.
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Post by kris on May 28, 2020 20:55:30 GMT
The thing that always put me off living in a vehicle is that you will generally always be somewhere on a public highway. On a boat you can get off the highway. Ok so usually you are on a towpath which will have zombie cyclists and other idiot type humans on it but it's not a road vehicle highway. I think its worth adding on this that the Camping and Caravan Club (CCC) manage a network of up to 2,000 locations for camping, typically in rural areas, part of a farmers field etc, and usually with only 5 or 6 places, and plenty of space- these are called certified locations I think (CLs). This type of campsite typically has no electricity (only water), which limits their appeal to many caravanners and motorhomers. So they are often very quiet, but even better they are very cheap, most around £15 per night or less. You can stay for up to 28 days at a cost of about 300-400, mostly in really nice quiet locations, and well away from the road and its many associated nuisances. Its still not cheap compared to a CC license say, but if you do that for half the year, it could be affordable and give you a lovely quiet retreat. So its not all bsy laybys on the A1 etc, there are plenty of very quiet spots, even when wild camping. The thing about wild camping is you know that if you stay there more than say 2 days, you are going to start running the risk of getting a knock, a rude local, a gang of kids, or a bobby. So there is that psychological pressure to always keep moving. Boats are a much more relaxed lifestyle. But they don’t suit everybody.
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Post by peterboat on May 28, 2020 23:40:52 GMT
I have a campervan and the boat, their are cheap ways to go camping, but its does involve buying beer and sometimes food. In the end this is my third camper and second boat, I might have more campers but I suspect this boat will be with me until I die as I love the my way of life so much
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Post by naughtyfox on May 29, 2020 4:11:24 GMT
In Norway, Denmark & Sweden you can find zillions of places to stop in a camper van. I was having a shufty on Google Maps last night for possible overnight places for us next week, but it's a bit of a waste of time as you only need to keep your eyes open. Driving on roads is easy and can be tedious, boating is always full of adventure and rarely dull. But, of course, you at the mercy of stoppages on the water.
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