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ScotJimland

Hi Liz

I broadly agree with all the good advice given so far, we are also going fulltime this year and have bought a 36ft RV ..
Our first motorhome was a 7mt C class, great for touring, get into any site, no problems with narrow lanes .. but, try living in it for an extended period especially in winter.
At the moment we are trying to empty our house and take only essential items.. our RV is starting to shrink .. Shocked

Take a look around your home, look into all the cupboards, shelves, book cases etc then try to figure out what you must dump and what you can take.. It's a daunting task, cupboards full of crockery, wardrobes full of clothes, bookcases full of ,.... well you get the idea..
Some European vans are quite big but as already stated have a poor payload due to the fact they are nearly all based on the same base vehicle..
Another factor is durability, European vans are not built to be lived in full time, the furniture and fittings isn't the same quality as you have at home.. RVs on the other hand are, they are also built for BIG people ..not midgets.
Do you really want a toilet cum shower cum washroom that you couldn't swing a cat in .. or a bed that needs to be made up every night from your sofa .. no thank you .. an RV is the only tool for fulltiming ..
There are other considerations, fresh, grey and black water storage, the novelty of emtying a porta poti every few days soon starts to pale.
Last year we toured Northern france and Germany with ours, in Keiths words it can be quite entertaining and as Zaskar pointed out ... it's a challenge you either love or hate.. We love it !
Whatever you decide take your time ... changing vans can be a costly business..

Edited PS

Having now read your intro post I now realise that little of this applies as you wont bring much on a plane .. Laughing

Have a great holiday .. JIm