Seriously thinking about buying a campervan and giving up my rental home

Bretrick

Bretrick

SF VIP
Location
Perth Western Australia
I can buy a half decent one for $20,000.
Currently I am paying $20,000 a year for rent, power and water.
This will rise to $23,000 from May.
I need to do plenty of research regarding the pros and cons of van life.
Cost of maintenance, hygiene re showering etc, legal parking, must have air conditioning for extreme heat.
 

IDK Bret, it sounds like a young person's dream and an older person's burden.
You would always need to stay in campgrounds that have toilets and showers, and most sites are very close to others, and it can get pretty cramped in a van, and hot. Besides, what happens if the engine or transmission blows up, and where would you sleep if it took a week to repair.
Maybe you could share rent with someone in a house, or find a family or person to rent you a room (Which usually means use of the kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor space. You would have privacy in your room, and you could go on outings to the park or library, or wherever you want. Just a thought.
 

Bretrick said:
I can buy a half decent one for $20,000.
Currently I am paying $20,000 a year for rent, power and water.
This will rise to $23,000 from May.
I need to do plenty of research regarding the pros and cons of van life.
Cost of maintenance, hygiene re showering etc, legal parking, must have air conditioning for extreme heat.
Click to expand...
Do you plan a nomadic lifestyle? Without a permanent address you would need to arrange somewhere for your mail to be delivered to. Don't forget, if you receive pension payments and anything official, a permanent address may be required. You don't have to live there, but as not all mail is electronic, a permanent address will save you headaches, especially if you need medical care at some time in the future.
 
bobcat said:
IDK Bret, it sounds like a young person's dream and an older person's burden.
You would always need to stay in campgrounds that have toilets and showers, and most sites are very close to others, and it can get pretty cramped in a van, and hot. Besides, what happens if the engine or transmission blows up, and where would you sleep if it took a week to repair.
Maybe you could share rent with someone in a house, or find a family or person to rent you a room (Which usually means use of the kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor space. You would have privacy in your room, and you could go on outings to the park or library, or wherever you want. Just a thought.
Click to expand...
@horseless carriage
It is an idea I have been tossing around for 6 months now.
There are many cons to take into account. Maintenance costs could be high with an older van. I would need to rent a Post-office box.
The more I think about it, the more I am turned off. The number one reason being the extreme summer temperatures here in Perth and Western Australia.
 
I have thought about it too. But I hate to drive and I have mobility problems and think it would be difficult. I watch all the videos about that life and find them interesting. No matter how many say they live cheaper that way than in an apartment they never live cheaper than me. I love having a big shower and a full size kitchen. There are a lot of people older than me who live that way and love it. Most of them use solar to run air conditioners and heaters because they "boondock" due to being able to camp on BLM land out west at no cost. Nope, not for me.
 
You may have to have a small car or a motorbike to haul with you for when you
need to get into town and not waste fuel in the camper for short trips and possibly
losing a great resting spot. So taxes and tags on either of those and maintenance.
Then there is the praying that wherever you camp at has emptied their tanks for waste.
I have owned one RV in my life and it was parked on 70 acres we bought for getaways and hunting
seasons.
 
It's not as cost saving as you might imagine. As you mentioned, you need to do more research.

Will your campervan have it's own bath and toilet? If so, where will you dump the tanks if not staying in campgrounds?

Will you be in a campground? Most these days are quite costly.

Most times the AC can keep up with the hottest temps. Some have two roof units. The other question, is how cold are your winters? That is when it gets challenging keeping things from freezing.

We lived in a motorhome for several years with two large dogs, two cats, hubs and I. There is without doubt a learning curve.
 
Bretrick said:
@horseless carriage
It is an idea I have been tossing around for 6 months now.
There are many cons to take into account. Maintenance costs could be high with an older van. I would need to rent a Post-office box.
The more I think about it, the more I am turned off. The number one reason being the extreme summer temperatures here in Perth and Western Australia.
Click to expand...
You need to evaluate what you want against what your needs are. For example, in retirement my wife and I plan to attend a number of vintage events held over weekends and public holidays. We would like to go in our vintage MG, but attending such events in an 80 year old car is not really a sensible idea. Our plan is to buy, or maybe rent whenever needed, a single car carrier like this:

20598675-01.jpg
It will carry our old classic car and the towing knuckle at the back is ideal for hitching a touring trailer like a caravan.

caravan.jpg

It's a plan that is on ice at present, my wife's recovery from heart surgery continues. Once she feels strong enough we may trial the idea by renting at first, just to see if we like it and if it throws up any problems that we might have overlooked.
 
It might be a good transition from what you have now for something new and different.

You’ve talked about moving.

Taking a year on the road checking out your options and deciding what is important to you might be worthwhile.

My concern with a totally self contained van would be having to ‘drag up’ and break camp every time you need a quart of milk or loaf of bread.

Maybe a small car or truck and a camping trailer or maybe a moped or bicycle to venture out on errands and side trips. 🤔

Lots to think about.
 
Bretrick said:
@horseless carriage
It is an idea I have been tossing around for 6 months now.
There are many cons to take into account. Maintenance costs could be high with an older van. I would need to rent a Post-office box.
The more I think about it, the more I am turned off. The number one reason being the extreme summer temperatures here in Perth and Western Australia.
Click to expand...
Yeah, a van could turn into an oven very quickly. What about getting a $10,000 boat and living on that and just anchoring in a harbor. It would give you more space than a van, and if it gets too hot, you could just take a dip or set up a solar powered mister. You would even be able to catch all the fish you want for dinner or sell some surplus to the locals for extra money. Captain Bretrick kinda has a nice ring to it, and even the sunsets would be awesome.
 
This is the first time I have posted about this. I have been mulling over it for at least 6 months and gotten nowhere.
Because it is a huge step, to go from the safety of a fixed, permanent address to the unknown of campervan life.
The reality is, the more I think about it, the less likely I will follow through.
The extreme heat of our summers has me wavering.
More likely than not, I will not go through with it.
Might simply be time for me to move away from Perth and the relentless heat.
I have been here for 38 years now.
One does get used to hot days, the real problem is that those hot days go on and on.
Rain is becoming scarce, sometimes Perth receives no rain for 2 months.
Might be time for me to go east to Melbourne.
 
I knew a couple who sold their home when they retired and bought an RV, looking forward to traveling all the time. That might sound exciting when health is good, but when / if either one of their health fails, it could be miserable trying to manage life in one of those.
 
Jules said:
An older rig in your heat would be a challenge and even more so to maintain as it ages.

I think you’re right to back off this plan, but others have mentioned those.

Have you checked the rental prices in Melbourne. They may be no different than Perth.
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I have been offered a place by a friend. Sharing his house at $100 a week less than I am paying now. Utilities included.
So plenty to think about.
 
Bretrick said:
I can buy a half decent one for $20,000.
Currently I am paying $20,000 a year for rent, power and water.
This will rise to $23,000 from May.
I need to do plenty of research regarding the pros and cons of van life.
Cost of maintenance, hygiene re showering etc, legal parking, must have air conditioning for extreme heat.
Click to expand...
In your research determine where you will connect to utilities and perhaps a parking location. Those won't be free. If your camper has a shower, sink, and toilet, you will waste to dispose off, and a need to refill a water tank. Think about storms, extreme weather isn't very kind to non-permanent structures. I grew up living in a trailer (now days they are called mobile homes) I can assure you it wasn't all it's cracked up to be. Good luck if this is your dream, I would look at it more as a flashback or nightmare.
 
I think if you live in a climate where you can spend a lot of time outdoors year round, it would not be too bad, if that lifestyle suited you. But if the heat is staggering, you will spend a lot of time cooped up, unless you are able to travel to a cooler place.
 
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