On the road with health issues.

ian72 · Member

On the road with health issues.

Possum3 · Guru

Ian, If it were me; I wouldn't be rushing in to purchase any RV. I would load up my current vehicle with some camping gear and wander off into a remote location. Sitting beside a body of water and contemplate my impending choices whilst letting the mind meander off whilst staring into the camp-fire.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Physically write in a text book ideas & thoughts, it helps get difficult things off your mind which often turn into smaller problems. Use the equipment you have now. Don't spend big money for 12 months.

ian72 · Member

Thanks Possum3. I reckon that would make me rush off to the nearest yard & buy the first rig I saw lol. It is mainly not wanting to wait the last 12 months for final clearance of a health matter & border closures that are causing me to be cautious about making the move.

-- Edited by ian72 on Sunday 10th of October 2021 11:13:47 AM

Mike Harding · Guru

If, like me, you will not have a house to which you can return as a base then I am absolutely adamant than a caravan and tow car is a far more suitable vehicle(s) than a motorhome. Motorhomes are fine for holidays but not for living in.

This will be a massive change for you so don't underestimate its emotional as well as practical impact.

Fitness wise: I have a rule of thumb I mention to others of our advanced years who like the idea of this (living in the bush) lifestyle; it can be physically demanding and I suggest you need to be able to carry 25L of water 25m, load it into a car and do that four times. If that is beyond your ability then I think you will find this life very hard.

I wish you well in your choices.

Wannabe nomad · Senior Member

I'm with possum on this
It's a big decision to not have a home base, and they do say not to make huge life decisions for at least 12 months after a major life change like separation.
But I get that you could really do with a change and don't want to wait for another year 'life's short' and we've already lost so much time because of Covid.
I gather you live in Qld; I would be loading up your current vehicle and going somewhere in Qld ASAP go somewhere you haven't been before, see new sights, meet new people 'feel the serenity'. Take some weeks to rediscover yourself as a single while the country gets a handle on the Covid situation.
Whatever you do be kind to yourself

ian72 · Member

Thank you.

dogbox · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:

If, like me, you will not have a house to which you can return as a base then I am absolutely adamant than a caravan and tow car is a far more suitable vehicle(s) than a motorhome. Motorhomes are fine for holidays but not for living in.
This will be a massive change for you so don't underestimate its emotional as well as practical impact.
Fitness wise: I have a rule of thumb I mention to others of our advanced years who like the idea of this (living in the bush) lifestyle; it can be physically demanding and I suggest you need to be able to carry 25L of water 25m, load it into a car and do that four times. If that is beyond your ability then I think you will find this life very hard.
I wish you well in your choices.

mike being a young man trying to impress us with his physical prowess doing 25 litrs x 25 meters x 4 ,you can get 10 liter cans ,park closer, an take all day. more than one way to get the job done

roker · Veteran Member

Hi ,I would as others suggest ,pack your gear in present rig,go for trip to somewhere you have not seen.

Try to meet people,take it easy and have a good think about things.

Rv ok for holiday ,You will need a base /house to come back to if medical situation gets worse.Big decision to make .take care Roker

ian72 · Member

Thanks for the advice.

I am surprised there a need to cart that much.

In the past (with 2 on board) I had 2 x 90 litre tanks fitted, (plus toilet & hws), 3 jerry cans, 3 collapsible spare cans filled before I set up camp should see me right for a few weeks and an old golf buggy for the cassette.

Drive if I choose a split rig.

I am into energy (mine mainly) conservation ha ha.

I do take your point about the fitness level required though.

Mike Harding · Guru

The 25L x 25m x 4 is,of course, merely an indication which occured to me recently when chatting with someone who was interested in this sort of lifestyle, nevertheless it is, I feel, indicative of the sort of effort required on a daily basis.

As dogbox suggests one can reduce the water container size, as I have done to 15L, but one cannot reduce the weight of the generator (30kg in some cases) or the 25L of petrol or the logs one hauls back to camp... you get the idea. A 50 year old friend who is a fitness person recently stayed with me for a few days and commented he was surprised how much exercise I took each day simply through camp chores.

All this is, of course, good for a body but it is a factor to consider before adopting this lifestyle.

Regarding Roker's comment about needing a house in the case of illness: I considered this before embarking upon my current course a few years past and I don't see why a house is a necessity in the case of illness. Should illness eventuate my plan is to check into a decent caravan park and hook up to power and water, other than having to empty my toilet once a week there is not much difference to a house.

Plain Truth · Guru

Sometimes you might have to carry water,most times you can just pump it.

Just turn on the tap and instant water,to easy.All you need is a pump and a battery

ian72 · Member

Mike,

Thank you very much for your experienced input which is what I was seeking.

My preference is to spend time at fewer places rather than travel most of the time, so am very much leaning towards a caravan for this next stage.

I understand the physical requirements and have seen that this list of labour saving devices has grown since I last toured. Items such as Trail a Mate jacks that can be left on the A- Frame, slide out shelves to mount a Generator &/or washing machine on, 12v Drivers to wind legs, 12v Chain Saws which are lighter, Collapsible crates on wheels to cart Toilet Cassettes, timber etc so while it is all extra to carry (and I am still adding the weights & costs up), I am optimistic that I can offset physical deficiencies as they creep up on me.

You have also addressed my main concern which was the situation whereby I needed to "hole-up" for any treatment & recuperation & staying at a decent caravan park is a good solution. On reflection, I have encountered people in this scenario, so thank you for reminding me.

I have now been dealing with this project for about 6 months & as I doubt that I will get much younger, the time is rapidly approaching for me to get set up. Happily the signs of border openings appears more positive & it always seemed to be a good time to "hit the road" after the log week end in January, so that will be the target.

See you :"on the Wallaby",

Ian

Wannabe nomad · Senior Member

Sounds like a good plan
Happy travels

Mike Harding · Guru

Hi Ian

My style of living on the road is also one of staying in one place for a lengthy period with a couple of months being quite common for me.

There is much which can be done to mitigate the physical effort involved in camping but it's not possible to eliminate it - I don't wish to focus on or exaggerate it but it is a reality.

> "hit the road" after the log week end in January, so that will be the target.

Excellent! :) I hope it goes well for you.

Do not underestimate the emotional impact of such a huge life change, it took me a few weeks for my emotions to fully settle down. I found something which was very important to me was to turn my caravan into my "home" ASAP. I'm not quite sure how to explain that and I suspect it's different for everyone but for me it meant organising things properly so everything was put away and the van tidy but also that I knew, for example, which cupboard things were in and I could cook a decent meal... just making it a "home".

In total I think it took around one year plus before I was totally comfortable with my new lifestyle. You *will* make mistakes, you *will* waste some money so don't beat up on yourself for so doing, it's just a learning process we all have to go through.

Feel free to stay in touch, my e-mail address is in my profile, or PM me if you wish.

dogbox · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:

Hi Ian
My style of living on the road is also one of staying in one place for a lengthy period with a couple of months being quite common for me.
There is much which can be done to mitigate the physical effort involved in camping but it's not possible to eliminate it - I don't wish to focus on or exaggerate it but it is a reality.
> "hit the road" after the log week end in January, so that will be the target.
Excellent! :) I hope it goes well for you.
Do not underestimate the emotional impact of such a huge life change, it took me a few weeks for my emotions to fully settle down. I found something which was very important to me was to turn my caravan into my "home" ASAP. I'm not quite sure how to explain that and I suspect it's different for everyone but for me it meant organising things properly so everything was put away and the van tidy but also that I knew, for example, which cupboard things were in and I could cook a decent meal... just making it a "home".
In total I think it took around one year plus before I was totally comfortable with my new lifestyle. You *will* make mistakes, you *will* waste some money so don't beat up on yourself for so doing, it's just a learning process we all have to go through.
Feel free to stay in touch, my e-mail address is in my profile, or PM me if you wish.

excellent post

SoloMC · Senior Member

Good on you Ian

10 plus years ago, I decided to sell up and hit the road fulltime. I wont ever return to a house so Ill die on the road somewhere

I've had motorhomes and caravans and would not recommend a motorhome due to the lack of liveability.

Everytime you need to go somewhere, you need to pack up everything. PIA

As others have said, water is your main consideration. I use 3 x 25 l containers that I take with me when I head to a waterpoint/town. Of course I cant left the 25l container anymore but you dont have to fill up. Just 10l will suffice

I also had a long hose with inline pump/filters fitted to draw water from rivers but you will need to add flocc to settle the junk and also need purification tablets/chlorine

Health issues will also be a consideration but the treatment at rural hospitals is pretty good.

If its something major, they will send you to a major hospital for the best available treatment.

The ambos recently told me that it they thought I was having a heart attack, then they would chopper me to a major centre immediately

Anyway, get out there and enjoy the last ¼ of your life )

I'm surprised that I've lasted as long as I have and wouldnt change it for the world

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Some like caravans. Mostly those who have them.
We would not have a caravan if you gave us one. Just watching people manoeuvring into position, reversing, levelling, winding legs up and down, unhitching and then repeating it all again is enough to put us off. We would be having our first beer before most caravanners are backed into position, let alone unhitched. But that is just us. We do none of that.
And we don't lift and carry anything except the cassette and that could be on wheels. Next build will have a composting toilet. Empty once a month (for 2 people).
Water is all pumped. 300L of water tanks. 300L of diesel. A winch for the spare wheels. Solar and no generator. Lots of battery capacity. Central heating. Diesel hot water. Compressor fridge. Separate compressor deep freeze. Next build will have an induction cook top and no gas.
We can stay away remote from the shops for at least a month and in places that caravans simply can not go. Plenty of free camps if you can get away from the caravan crowds. And a solar/diesel set up is lower cost per week than gas.
Most caravans do not have the load capacity to do that.
One vehicle not two, one rego and one insurance, 4 tyres on the road not 8. It all adds up to a lot of difference.
Cheers,
Peter

roker · Veteran Member

Hi Peter,That is the way to go. blankstare .cheers roker.

Mike Harding · Guru

Motorhomes are fine providing one only holidays in them - they have *major* limitations if one is living in them.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
Motorhomes are fine providing one only holidays in them - they have *major* limitations if one is living in them.

We, and many others, don't think so.

Cheers,

Peter

Mike Harding · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:

We, and many others, don't think so.

But you don't live in it Peter, so how would you know?

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
We, and many others, don't think so.
But you don't live in it Peter, so how would you know?

Many times 6 or 8 months on the road both in Oz and in Europe. That is living in it.

Almost no one tours in caravans in Europe. 90%+ motorhomes, except for the UK which is higher and a few Dutch, but they typically go from home to a destination, stay for a few months and go home again.

So do you have any REAL data for full timers in Oz? I suggest that motorhomes are a bigger % of full timers than the total % of motorhomers.

Mike Harding · Guru

You're a tourist Peter. You have a home to which to return, we nomads do not.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
So do you have any REAL data for full timers in Oz?
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Mike Harding · Guru

"REAL data"?

What are you wittering on about man?

Come on Peter, pull yourself together!

STRETCH ARMSTRONG · Senior Member

I've been on the road full time in Australia coming on five years. Nearly all the nomads without a home base that l have met, have caravans.

Must travel · Newbie

Hi Ian ,All the best for the future . I would be thinking caravan as if your motor home needs repairs you may find yourself homeless for a long time
cheers Chris

Tony Bev · Guru

If I had no base to go home to, I would probably chose a caravan before a motorhome

One main reason, is that as we get older, health issues will arise

With the caravan parked up, it is always easier to get around in a tug, than a motorhome, for medical appointments etc

All the best with your health issues, Ian

Rob Driver · Guru

Hi Ian,

My view is not so much wether you want to be a *Man in a Van* or an *Okie in an Oka*, your situation has changed if you are now not well.

Health problems bring an entirely new set of circumstances.

Where a healthy fella might be happy spending his time in more isolated areas and travelling to town on occasions for supplies and business activities this will be difficult if poor health is introduced into the situation.
When we retired we thought briefly about a motor home compared to a caravan and we went the way of the caravan.
When we left home we had no real plan but to go where the roads took us.

Five years later and now without a house, I find myself with an illness that requires doctors and hospital visits on a regular basis.
I could not begin to imagine the inconvenience to have to pack up the Okahome just to get to the hospital or doctor or even go to the chemist and the shops for general supplies.
No one knows what the future will bring, particularly when it comes to health. Five years ago I was as fit as a fiddle.
We leave our van and travel in the tow vehicle to attend shops as well as hospital and doctors visits with absolute minimum inconvenience.

At times I talk to motorhome owners and with no exception they all state having to pack up to travel to the shops is just outright painful.

Like almost all on this forum I have no real data of permanent nomads owning motor homes over caravans but I do have perceived data and in my view the numbers of permanents in caravans outweighs the permanents in motor homes.
This perceived calculation of mine is brought about from actually staying at times in towns and tourist parks as opposed to jumping in the Okahome and camping on remote track with little contact with others.

If you dont have a home base you would be considered a permanent nomad. If you go home you are a tourist.