LIVING IN A MOTORHOME FULL TIME IN EUROPE - Top Tips & Tricks
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- Living in a motorhome full time in Europe is incredible, but it’s not always Instagram sunsets & idyllic park-ups.
Whether it's van life, living in a motorhome, or travelling in an overland rig, full-time life on the road brings compromises, problems, and challenges.
Now in our fifth year of full-time travel, we talk openly about relationships, costs, the seasons, and the realities of full-time life on the road.
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LINK TO: What is the True Cost of Travelling Europe in a Motorhome - bit.ly/35q1wn0
LINK TO: Ten Questions About Motorhome Life - bit.ly/2Y6c1Kg
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#livinginamotorhomefulltimeineurope #fulltimetraveler #motorhomelife #motorhome #motorhomeliving #motorhomeuk #motorhomemovment #vanlife #vanlifeuk #lifeontheroad
#overlandeurope #overlandtruck #campertruck #traveleurope #motorhomelife #vanlifeeurope #travelinspiration #europeoverland #overland #overlandtruckcamper #vanlifetravel #vanlifetravelvlog
Been fultiming now for 10 years and don't regret anything. Bricks and sticks just doesn't appeal anymore but were lucky to retire early at 50 with a modest public sector pension. You really don't need bags of cash to enjoy yourselves. Fresh air, an appreciation of the natural world, and the desire to see lots of it before our expiry dates has seen us through. Also any safe set of wheels will suffice, just get out there,,,Big cliche coming.......One Life Live it!......Excellent no nonsense channel guys....Well done!
Hi Pete, couldn’t agree more, it was a big deal giving up our big jobs & materialistic accumulation but we don’t regret it for a second.
Thank you for your comment (and channel feedback). 👍😊
So excited to find this as we are looking at going full time in 4 years, we will be 66 and 69 I dont think thats too old to change our lives and go on an adventure :)
Hi, I'm somewhat late in my reply, apologies.
Thank you and... it absolutely isn’t.
It’s all about mindset - we've met so many people on our travels, in their 70's, 80's and even 90's who've inspired us and brought a smile to our face with fabulous stories.
As the saying goes, "Life is not a rehersal"
Have fun 😀🙏
I'm really happy to find your channel. I probably can't relate how refreshing it is to find "real people" (not 20 yr old Instagram wannabes) sharing their journeys and tips.
Hello and big apologies for my delayed reply.
Thank you, our pleasure and appreciate you taking the time to comment 🙏😀
No mention of tips to manage/optimise the 90 in 180 rule for non Schengen citizens. Maybe you covered this somewhere previously.
This was always a loose overview of life on the road in Europe.
However we’re putting together a very specific video (about the nitty gritty), where we address in detail the important real world longer term travel issues such as the 90/180 topic.
We’ve already written a post about it in detail, see link -
bit.ly/3co7ack
Appreciate the feedback 👍😊
Very helpful and informative 👍
We’ve been living in our Motorhome fulltime for 6 months now and agree with all the points you made especially regarding rising costs. It’s very expensive to stay in campsites in the UK compared to Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Love your relaxed conversational style and some of your park ups look amazing.
Have a great New Year travelling, Peg & Rob.
Hi both, thank you so much. if we’re ever in the same proximity give us a shout. We're always up for meeting like minded people on the road. Safe travels & Happy New year 😀
Now in our 4th year on the road and you are the only youtubers that I still watch and consider a source of information.
Hi Paul, thank you. Really appreciate you saying so. 🙏😊
Interesting and candid video 👍
We have considered many of these questions but chosen to retain a base - for many reasons.
It is a very individual choice, and I can only say that I hope whatever is your choice, that it works for you. There is no right or wrong.
Couldn’t ago more, it’s a big call & the only person who can make it is you 😊
Enjoying your videos guys, and thanks for these insights. We are still 7 years away from the full time but it is the dream in planning. We will be starting off shipping to Canada and doing North America. Europe will definitely be more complicated.
Thank you, it'll soon fly in. Canada & the America's is definitely on our list, be it a few years down the line. 😀
As always great info folks. We’ve been on the road in our camper for 18 months now and can identify with all you said. 😂
Re Comms. We use Tiekom. Their sim covers a lot of Europe including Turkey. We pay €40 for 300G a month.
Stay safe 👍🏽👍🏽
Thanks both, we’re aware of Tiekom & are probably going to use it next year. It would’ve been no good for us this year as we spent too much time out of Europe & you can’t pause it.
Excellent deal, how’s the coverage?
Always enjoy your videos guys. You two have been and continue to be so helpful and supportive with advice tips etc so thank you so much x
Hi Amanda, thank you & I hope we haven’t put you off (bit late now) 😂
That was one of the best videos we've seen on travelling full time in a truck. My wife and I are awaiting delivery of a new EuroCargo 4x4 to build into an Expedition Truck. We are based in Australia and are working on a long term plan of travelling full time. Keep the informative videos coming.
Thank you & very exciting, love the Euro Cargo 4x4. Will do 🙏😊
Looking to change my life and start living in a motorhome in Europe. There's a lot to learn, but instead of living in an expensive 1 bed apartment, I think I can happily trade that life in for one in a motorhome.
I'm 52 years old, so should be a great experience for a few years. Why not?? 😁
Lots of research to do and lots to learn, but looking so forward to it. I hope to start for real in a couple of months.
Thatnk you for the wonderful video
Love to see a video in the full cost of living full time in a motorhome! And also a full tour!
Hi thank you, yes we're fully intending to do a video on full-time costs very soon, we've already done a full tour of the truck, just select videos or playlists and you'll see it 🙏😀
Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s really useful 😃
Our pleasure, appreciate the comment 🙏😀
Thanks for sharing 👍
Great very informative video thank you x😊 Just found you on UA-cam just subscribed and off to watch your other videos 👍👍
Hi Claire, thank you so much 😀
First time watching.Enjoyed honest content.👍🏼
Thank you and really appreciate the feedback. 😀
Really useful insight peeps - thank you. Have you already done something with focus on 'Schemes' - ACSI, Portugal EasyCamp etc?
Hi Eddy, we haven’t...but you’ve got us thinking & great suggestion. It may take a little while as it’s been a big travel year & we’re desperately playing catch up. but really good shout, appreciated. 👍😀
Great thing to do. Envy your courage. How did the kids feel about you selling their inheritance ? Tony
I'm sorry for this silly question, but is the average montly spending by traveling and living in a motorhome like that - for two people? What is the toughest obstacle one faces on such adventure? WHAT AN AMAZING FEELING OF FREEDOM YOU HAVE BY DOING THAT!
Hi Carlos No such thing as a silly question. Yes, that's for two adults - you can find more about budgets in this post on our website thegapdecaders.com/cost-of-touring-europe-in-a-motorhome/ The biggest obstacle (I think) is spending a lot of time with each other, especially over the winter months. You have to have a pretty solid relationship. Hope that helps :)
Thanks guys ❤
Great video guys 🎉
Thank you, just playing catch up with the messages. 👍🏻😀
Cheers guys
Looks great, as does your partnership, which as you mentioned, is fundamental to success! Can I assume that neither of you has any major health issues? Nevertheless, how have you prepared for any unexpected medical emergencies, particularly as you cross so many national borders?
Hi both, apologies for the delayed reply.
Thank you and yes we have a strong partnership, but quite honestly, we've had our moments 😀
We both carry a GHIC card whilst in Europe and take out medical insurance when that doesn’t cover us in Asia etc.
We always have our dental work carried abroad and find the level of professionalism, hygiene and cost to on par, if not better than the UK.
Have a look at True Traveller insurance. 🙏
Great video. We are from the US. Thinking seriously about doing this as we have already lived this lifestyle. My big concern/ question is we do enjoy a midsize town, and without being there and getting into it, how relaxed are countries allowing you to park up behind that supermarket? Or is there campgrounds relatively close to towns? We are open to non Schengen countries as US citizens, we would be limited to 90 days out of 180. We like both wild settings and town life so trying to decide if we can put that together. Don’t really anticipate towing a car. Thank you!
Hi Stephanie thanks for your feedback :) There is lots of camping, free park-ups and designated motorhome places (aires) across Europe and many of the towns and cities have campsites close by. Some people use public transport and others carry e-bikes or a scooter to get around. Most supermarkets are happy for you to park in their car park overninght if you pop your head in and ask. I hope that helps :)
How do you deal with the need for an MOT every 12 months? Head back to the UK?
That was great guy's 👊😎
Thank you, appreciated 👍🏻😀
Star link ❤ is a must if your traveling.
Hi Sandi, we have Star link at our house in Spain and agree, it's fantastic.
And although there's an RV version, it can't be used on the move (or Morocco) so we're holding out until the cost of the "on the move kit" comes down in price (currently over 2k US dollars).
It's definitely on the cards and the speed is superb & it's something we're considering for our new build truck next year.
Hope you’re well 🙏😀
Top tips both 👌to true about the whole Instagram issue, too many just show the lovely images and not the reality, the rubbish and carpark park ups! It's definitely not always glamorous. Also the information about the motorbikes was super helpful and has scuppered some plans we had, need to do some investigation! Politics 🤣
Hi guys, thank you & really appreciate the support 🙏😊
Hi , love the channel. Hope you don't mind me asking , but what cameras and mics do you use ? ✌️
We use a GoPro with the standard mic mod. But we're looking at better options for the future.
I've had a look to see if you've a video posted on how you sourced Tonka, is there one? Many thanks
Hi Meurig, I wasn't doing UA-cam at the time so I'm afraid not.
We found Tonka on eBay, it's a good place to search the marketplace. Thank you 👍🏻
@@TheGapDecaders Thank you, appreciated. Looking forward to following your new project
cheers, appreciated 🙏@@meurigjones2469
Jackie and I were wondering who are your friends on motorbikes that got fined in Turkey 🇹🇷 🤔 🤣 🤣🤣🤣
Great video guys!
Chat soon! J and D
🤣🤣🤣, some Irish Italian biker nomads we met in a random car park 👌😁
Thank you guys
hi, how do you travel europe regarding the schengen zone 90 day rule?
Hi Paula, apologies for the delay, it's been a bit of a hectic this week.
I (Phil) have an Irish passport and under the EU legislation allows Izzy to travel with me providing we don't exceed 90 days in any one country. 👍🏻
Very informative video. Thanks.
Hope you don’t mind a couple of questions.
How do you avoid finding yourselves on treacherous roads, or roads unsuitable for your vehicle? Also, does your vehicle size make it more challenging to access park ups off the beaten track?
We’re selling up and moving to full time ‘van life’ but are struggling with the choice between the convenience of a van conversion versus the comfort of a large motorhome or truck.
Safe travels!
Hi Kenny, thank you.
We have a truck sat nav which helps us navigate the questionable tight European towns and villages, alongside that we run Google maps or Maps.me, with the later able to recognise most tracks. I suppose we enjoy treacherous roads so it doesn’t reallyphase us too much.
In terms of accessing those off the beaten track park ups, that’s exactly why we bought a 4x4 truck with decent ground clearance. We'd get frustrated in the motorhome and felt limited when we couldn’t access an incredible overnight spot.
Full Timing - some people are happy enough in a small'ish van however, there’s no such thing as the perfect van, there'll always be compromise.
Small is cheaper to run and nimble, but you’re limited in space and will probably be overweight.
Try to keep it under 9m long, a lot of camp sites won't be able to accommodate anything much bigger (if you use campsites).
Running a truck will cost you significantly more than a van or large motorhome, our tyres are £900 each, we get 12mpg and please enquire into the cost of full time insurance, depending on your vehicle it'll be around £2k
A bit of a scatter gun response but there's so many variables, understand your needs first and go and look at as many options as possible.
We've written books and articles on weights and the transition into full timing, it's on our website if it’s of interest. 👍🏻😀
@@TheGapDecaders Thank you for such a prompt and detailed reply. This will be really useful in helping us make the right choices and compromises. I’ll definitely check out your website. Safe travels and thanks again.
@@KennyMcC Hi Kenny, no problem and good luck.
This is exactly my quandary!! I worry about too big a vehicle for the narrow rds ( Greece) & more of an eyesore when trying to sneak around dor the night. Great info.
I'm going solo..female.. a little worried about reality vs fantasy.
How does it go with regards to Brexit and the amount of time your allowed to stay outside the UK ?
Hi Steve, apologies for my late reply. We've covered the Brexit 90 days in a subsequent video but basically unless you or your partner has a EU passport between you, you can only stay within the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days within a rolling 180 days. So yes it is a pain for many people and it requires a little planning. I (Phil) am fortunate to have an Irish passport and under EU legislation allows Izzy to travel with me. Hope that helps.
@@TheGapDecaders Hi , thanks for your reply and the info. Good luck to you on your Journeys.
This is something me and my partner are really interested in but how do you get insurance and visas without a home Address if you have sold your home? Do you have to use family or friends addresses?
Hi, we use Izzy's mum's address... we're registered there to vote, banking, insurance etc.
We've written a post about it on our website with other suggestions, I'll put the link below.
thegapdecaders.com/living-in-a-motorhome/
What are you going to do when you eventually decide to stop travelling?
lol, I think by the time we stop travelling at the age of 97 we might stick to gardening.
Joking aside, although it’s pretty tiring, we can’t see a point in the future when we won't travel, we may travel differently & have chatted through different options (motorcycle, backpacking, renting a place for three months in Malaysia eg) but we enjoy exploring so much & meeting fascinating people, why stop.
We work on the road and at some point we may feel like a break, we’ll see. Great question 🙏😀
Great video guys! Check out Tesla's Starlink internet for RVs! The price has come down hugely this year. Unlimited internet from around 65eu/month depending on what country you order it from. Keep the videos coming!
Hi Mark, apologies for the late reply. Yes it’s a great bit of kit and we’re tempted but the RV version can't be used on the move and therefore a non-starter for us. The newest technology released Dec 22 with the flat new performance dish cost $2500 and they don't guarantee connectivity, they state they try they’re best.
Hopefully in time the coverage/connectivity will improve & it’ll get somewhat cheaper.
Appreciate the feedback 😀
@The Gap Decaders Hi guys, we seem to be on different pages! I just double-checked the Starlink page, and the 1-off setup cost is about 400 euro and the RV setup is about 70 euro per month. The RV setup is specifically designed for use on the move, although I understand that it is not recommended for using while driving as it needs to keep finding new satalites. I believe you can still technically use it while driving though. I would recommend researching it further and check on youtube for videos on coverage in Europe. Most of Europe is quite well covered now and the coverage is going up almost monthly!
...this is for the flat performance dish!
@@TheControversyChannel Hi Mark, you’re quite right about the coverage being constantly improving and the tech ever refined and therefore always good to keep up to speed.
From what I can see (UK prices Dec 22) the RV kit is £460 and £95 monthly but this doesn’t include the IN-MOTION kit - this is the important part, we want to use it whilst physically driving and without that it would invalidate the warranty.
At the time of research the $2500 was taken from a forum in which the user stated by the time they had all the various bits to keep the warranty as per Starlink's spec it was $2.5k US.
We would have opted for it by now but it only covers the Continent in which it’s registered in, so when we go to Morocco in January for three months we wouldn’t be able to us it, & will only be available in Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan (Asia) from 2023 hence us holding off.
The coverage across Europe at present is very good and I think if you like to go somewhere & haul up for long periods it’s an excellent option.
This is a hot topic and one we're keen to keep up to speed with so if you have any updates this year we'd appreciate the comm's.
Thank you for the support on the channel & have a great New Year 👍😀
@@TheGapDecaders Hi Guys, yes, I now understand you predicament! Using a VPN in Czechia gets the monthly and 1 time fee down a bit, but as you say, this does not let you use it on the go. I will keep looking into it and I will let you know if I find a
break-through! I wish you both a great a new year!!
How do you manage with the vehicle m o t if you are away do you come back for the mot many thanks
Hi Matt, unfortunately there’s no way around it so yes, once a year we’ve gotta make the trip back. More specific detail coming in a Future video. 🙏😊
@@TheGapDecaders I would recommend registering you truck in Czechia or somewhere similar where you can get a 2 year 'MOT' and you don't have to go back to the UK each year.
Hi Mark, yeah Germany’s the same (2 year TUV), but that mean’s importing the vehicle, having an address there, we’ve tried Gibraltar & even a voluntary ITV (in Spain) but annoyingly it’s a non starter. 👍😊
@@TheGapDecaders I see. I will send you an email about possible ways to navigate this. 👍👍
@@TheControversyChannel Great, you’ve got my attention, appreciated 👍😀
Let's say if I go to a country .. & intend to fly back home (let's say for 2 month) .. I can't park & leave the vehicle there for two months ..?
What's the other options do we have .. to fly back home & after that .. fly back to where we last stop with the vehicle ..?
Hi Azlan - It really depends on the country where the vehicle is registered and which country you're in. We know its the case in Turkey, but it's very hard to find out this sort of information, especially if there is a language barrier.
@@TheGapDecaders thanks for the info
Closing in on 1000 subs - lets hope its soon for you.
Park for Night - how to find abused park-ups full of rubbish and stinking of p1ss ..... at least in the UK.
Hi Kev, cheers & nearly there. I think we’ve been spoilt with incredible park ups (especially this year). The UK’s just too small.
Please could you add subtitles in Spanish? we like your videos thanks
Hi Nuria, thank you so much. I'm still new to video editing/UA-cam, let me see if I can work it out 😀
How much should you budget per month?
Hi, there's obviously lots of variables such as the countries you're visiting, the milage you wish to cover and if you're happy to off grid camp.
It's better to work it out over a 12 month period and work it out from there. Our annual budget is £18-20k so an average of £1583 per month.
Hope that helps ☺
@@TheGapDecaders Do you own your vehicle and buy in in Europe?
We own it, the cost of long term rental would be astronomic.@@MoveForwardKV
@@TheGapDecaders So if you are coming from the states, best to buy one in the UK vs shipping one over. Correct?
@@Kvivian very possibly, the cost of shipping a Sprinter van (eg) right now is around £10k and closer to £20k (one way) for a larger overland rig, so I suppose it depends on how long you intend to stay. Some people ship to the Canada, do the America's for a few years then sell there.
16:09 About the data: did you try Starlink already?
We did, thank you. We have a small off-grid house in the mountains of Spain where we have it and yes it's excellent.
We need to use it on the move and so we're keen to wait until the on-the-move dish comes down in price.
Regardless, we will be fitting one to our new truck build next year. Thank you 👍🏻😀
are you Irish citizens, and therefore can stay in Europe for longer then 90 days ??
Hi Izzy, I (Phil) have an Irish passport and under EU legislation am entitled to the right to a family life. This therefore allows Izzy (UK only passport) to travel with me as my wife/spouse beyond the 90 days.
😎🍷🚍⚓️🇬🇧👍
Just about to start this with my 5 pets
Brilliant and Wow. We see it all the time, full timers with dogs, cats, parrots, rabbits, reptiles. 😀
I have several questions. The first is how do you manage as far as Banking is concerned. Obviously you use an address, the same as Insurance for the van. Is it a post box, family member or a friend. I am of older mature years of my life and am considering living in the van on my own and travelling in Europe and further. 😉🍷🚍⚓️🇬🇧?
Hi Roger we use my Mum's address for everything - we are registered on the electorol roll there too. Pot box is almost impossible with DVLA, but they will allow under certain circumstances - you can find out more here thegapdecaders.com/living-in-a-motorhome/
@@TheGapDecaders problem I have is both parents dead 🥴
In that case, DVLA may be your best route.
Did you read the article?@@rogerjob2780
How do you deal with the need for an MOT every 12 months? Head back to the UK?