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Post by jamflem on Dec 16, 2007 21:40:25 GMT
Hi all - my first post so be gentle with me... have pretty much answered all the usual questions for converting a coach to live in - great site thanks... just can't find anything on what it is like? i want to tour europe for a year or so but don't want to stop in campsites too often, has anyone got any experiences or advice for living in a big motorhome? what is the responce from locals like when you pull up and stay in their village for a few days? where do you leave the bus when you want to go into a city for a couple of days? are you likely to attract the local police and be moved on within 5 minutes as i imagine it is like in the uk? the bus will be fitted out as much as possible not to need water or electric hook ups too often. thanks. James.
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Post by Jonathan Smith on Dec 17, 2007 18:03:11 GMT
Hi, welcome to the site.
I find the best places to stop are HGV car parks, they tend to be flat and hard standing.
Many campsites cannot cope with a bus conversion as the floor plan isnt suitable and the pitches are not built to cope with the weight.
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Post by BruceH on Feb 22, 2008 1:59:50 GMT
__. Hi, Jam. I'm in the US so things are *completely* different but living "off-grid" means either doing without water, lights, and heat/air con or generating enough power to provide this. Add to this you'll have the issues of finding fresh, clean water to add to your tanks and a place to dump waste water. All this adds up to substantial costs. Basically you'll provide the energy to charge "camping" batteries, pump water, etc. from fuel -- which isn't cheap. So, do a LOT of research, get facts and info from others who have done it, and make sure your sums are double-checked. It's doable, but it takes good planning and a real discipline to make it work. Plus, you'll be away from home and your usual support systems so you'll have to be self-contained in your conversion and your attitude.
Good luck, BH, North Carolina USA
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Post by albiondave on Oct 21, 2008 11:49:46 GMT
I've been in europe since ' 94 , with a 7.5 ton 3.5m high furniture lorry & have never gone anywhere near a campsite as i'm not a Traveller , not a tourist ... so am completely autonomous as far as power's concerned & watch water consumption so make 80L last 3/4 weeks ..
As for finding spots ... if I don't know a town I tend to pull into the first hypermarket without height barriers and go looking with my pushbike , ditto for the countryside ..layby's / carparks are fine for one night but not pleasant for longer .
As for locals/ police reaction .. in general its a lot less hysterical than the uk , there's never been the widespread politically inspired anti-traveller whitch hunt , so I've never had to think about being vigi'd with stones/petrol bombs/ guns as the uk .. but there is an increased risk of being robbed in france & spain ... the obvious thing is not to leave flash tat lying around , i don't have a dog , but other folks swear by them ..
I've left mine in lorry parks , industrial estates and hidden in the hills for a week or so at times without ever getting problems if I wanted to go off somewhere ..its all a question of luck ?
In fact most of my problems tend to come from whichever country's attitude towards its gypsy population ... resulting in large rocks / ditches etc blocking off a lot of suitable spots , or the current one towards the 'plastic-fantastic' camping car invasion thats screwing up fast the remaining spots in other areas & height barriers sprouting overnight as towns perfer to fleese these tourists by forcing them to use paying sites ..
dave
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