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Hi there, we are a couple who are planning to take early retirement in 2013 and travel around Europe for as long as possible. We plan to sell our house, and put a certain items into storage. We need lots of advice!
Firstly, there is the selection of our motorhome. We would like either new or nearly new, and something which offers a decent amount of comfort. We intend to live full-time for a while. There will be two of us travelling but we would also like to be able to accommodate our daughters visits comfortably. We also have a mid-sized dog. We both like the idea of fixed single beds at the rear, and a drop down at the front. A good sized garage would also be nice. We have seen both Burstner and Hymer in the flesh, and although it appears that Hymer are thought to be the best, I cannot get excited by them. I am currently looking through the Rapido catalogue, and they seem to have a good range. Then there is the question of Fiat/ Mercedes? We may consider towing a small car, although I have a full motorcycle licence, and a bike may suffice.
Is it worth trying to import at the moment?
How is it full-timing with a dog?
I am beginning my research now, and would like to purchase the vehicle in the first half of 2012.
I would appreciate any input, particularly on the choice of motorhome.
I am sure I will add further questions in the near future, but will drop them into the relevant forum.
Cheers.
Andy
. . . "We have seen both Burstner and Hymer in the flesh, and although it appears that Hymer are thought to be the best, I cannot get excited by them" . . . .
Andy
A bit like saying a £10 pound note is less exciting than a10euro note !
comfort/build quality/personal taste is what really matters
welcome, sounds like you've planned things well so far, and done the right thing by subscribing!
Can I suggest that you PM the boss - Nukeadmin (Dave!), he did just what you want to do a few years back, not as an early retirement, but he sold up & went off.....
______________________________________________________________ Still sat here in front of the computer - it may be in the office, or on the laptop if I manage to get away from the office.
As far as I know, the only motorhoming Oxford United supporter in Bognor.
This time last year we were in almost the same position as you but not contemplating full timing. We also looked at Burstner and Hymer as well as Autotrail and Chausson - then we came across Adria which is the one we bought!
But as others have said, it's really down to what suits you.
Paylod is vital, but in many cases can be increased from the standard spec.
Alan
I lived in a Euramobil for a couple of years and can vouch for their build quality (We had a 690HB)
We also travelled with a dog (Bradley our Labrador)
Full timing with a dog is superb albeit it does offer a few restrictions
i.e. if you are in mountains then take him/her out for lovely walks, but if in towns where there is sightseeing to be done / museums etc where dogs are not allowed then what ?
You can leave them in your van for short / medium periods alone but will they be too hot etc ?
but apart from that its a lovely life for both you and your canine friend
Any other questions fire away or feel free to PM me
Hi again, and thanks for all the replies. Quick update. Carried on looking at different manufacturers (mostly online) and I think it's fair to say, that the more I looked the more confused I became. Then I noticed the Manchester Show last weekend. Although it looked a little small, I thought I would give it a go as it's only 20 minutes away. That is where I saw what I think is a very good candidate for our MH. The Burstner Ixeo Plus 875, was being launched by Emm Bee Caravans (who are two minutes from where I live). Although not an "A" Class, which is what I had thought would be right for me, it seems to have everything we need (wife, me and now two dogs) for full timing in Europe. The layout is just what we were looking for, but there are a few things I need to check? Firstly "Payload" which is what everyone seems to mention. This particular MH has one of 1150 kg. Is this sufficient to carry what we need? Second: The max towing weight is shown as 1600 kg, the MTPLM (Gross) weight is 5000kg and the Unladen weight (MIRO) is 3850. How does all this compute into real understandable language.
One other thing I am not sure about is: This vehicle is slightly longer that the others we were looking at, and we were planning on towing a small car. Does anyone have experience of towing with a MH 8.76 metres, and does something of this size, limit where you can get to? I have attached a link to the Emm Bee website for pics of MH. Thanks . Andy
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