How to Live in a Motorhome in the UK: The Beginners Guide

How to Live in a Motorhome in the UK. Motorhomes suit the needs of a roadie who loves to explore different parts of the county. It can be a challenging task to build a motorhome and opt for an unconventional home. Therefore, we've decided to help all those people out there who are travel enthusiasts. In this article, we'll be covering different aspects to make a roadie’s experience be the best.

To start, one has to go through planning on how to live in a motorhome in the UK. First thing first, we have to see how many people are traveling with you. Are you single or have a family or care to take friends along with? If nothing like that, then do you have pets? If yes, how would you accommodate their needs? In that regard, we must keep a checklist. That list will eventually help you in finding out the solutions and queries. Also, that will assist you through and regarding the needs of people and animals in the motorhome.

Questions that might worry you regarding how to live in an motorhome in the UK could be regarding policies and legal aspects, affordability, types of motorhomes, and if you are allowed to live in an motorhome as permanent living. Well, you can live in an motorhome legally. There is no restriction in traveling in the motorhome as a full-time living place.

Phases of Living in an Motorhome – Full Guide for UK Residents

There are always some steps and phases based on when you start a plan. Likewise, when you decide to live in an motorhome full-time or even temporarily, it is a must to check all the phases. Below are some phases on which we will rely upon.

Phase 1: Research – Complete Planning and Layout of Strategies

In this phase, you decide whether living in an motorhome is out of recreational purposes or you want to do it for the betterment of the family. You see there are different factors that make us decide something, right? In the same way, you must know what pushed or motivated you to start living in a motorhome.

Secondly, what you should do in this phase is to find the answers to the following questions. In case you are not sure how to get research done, we can help by giving some tips and tricks.

Questions:

• What kind of setup do you need- vehicle-tow or motorhome?
• Where to stay in the motorhome?
• How will you deal with friends who want to meet?
• How much does it cost to make a permanent living in an motorhome?
• Can you take pets with you in a motorhome?

Let’s address all these questions separately... shall we?

· What kind of setup do you need – vehicle-tow or motorhome?

Living in a motorhome means changing your lifestyle completely. Therefore, it is a must to know the best setup according to your needs and requirements. Now, the question is whether it is better to own a vehicle-tow or motorhome. If you are picking a motorhome and not a tow-vehicle then it's okay. But you must know everything about it – advantages and disadvantages.

When you pick having a motorhome without the towing feature, it becomes a bit daunting. Nevertheless, it has many perks attached. This is why many roadies fantasize starting to live in a motorhome. There are some questions though.

What you will compromise in an motorhome’s full-time living?

Selling a house and downsizing to live in a motorhome will be a risky choice. Main reason being, there is very limited space. Also, you can’t take everything to an motorhome. There will be many things in the house which will be discarded. However, the living could be more fun and full of entertainment.

· Where to stay in the motorhome?

Another question you might worry about aside from how to live in a motorhome in the UK, is where you’ll stay. Where it can get parked? For how long it can be parked in one spot? All these questions are mandatory to be answered. Otherwise, it will only make you more irritated and frustrated.

So, the answers are mentioned below...

Motorhomes are parked in the slot where rigs are parked. Secondly, you can park an motorhome in one spot for as long as you want. Interestingly, you can call an motorhome the home. Hence the word, motorhome. Last but not least, motorhome owners prefer an “off the grid” lifestyle.

· How will you deal with friends who want to meet?

Visiting families and friends on a motorhome resident is fun. It is easy and convenient to meet and greet others. But the question is, “is it fun for others to come to the motorhome?” Likewise, parking in the family’s parking area is pretty interesting. But honestly speaking, it can become tough when you have to find parking space. You need to be sure this lifestyle suits you or not.

· How much does it cost to make a permanent living in an motorhome?

Budget is another aspect to look into before deciding to change the lifestyle. Does it cost the same, less or more to live in an motorhome (as compared to a conventional house)? Can you save money in an motorhome?

Answers to all these questions are given in one sentence: it is a lot more affordable to live in a smaller space (i.e. a motorhome). So, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that families or people who are looking for downsizing are more drawn towards living in an motorhome.

· Can you take pets with you in a motorhome?

Many of us love animals. So, when we tend to go on to a totally different lifestyle, we want to be sure if it is okay to take pets along. Well, it is true that there will be more challenges. It might take some time to train a dog or cat in a new setting, before they get accustomed to the situation. However, it may take time in which it would become tough for you to manage everything simultaneously.

Therefore, we would recommend you to take things slow. Take time out to familiarize your pet with the new environment. Then, take the pet for a day out in the motorhome. And then, finally, start making them live with you. This strategy works for many owners who brought their pets inside the motorhome.

Phase 2: Renovation of the Motorhome

It is a daunting task to buy a Campervan, or Motorhome, for full-time living. You can simply buy a campervan and start living. But, it calls for a huge budget. That is why people look for other options. Renovating a van into a campervan or van into a motorhome is a much-sought option. This is because you can bring in all that is required. Doing renovation will take time but surely you will get all that you want on a reasonable budget.

Frequently Asked Questions – How to Live in a Motorhome in the UK?

Other tips that could easily make living a pleasant life are mentioned below. We know the entire shifting from a conventional and traditional lifestyle to a motorhome is based on compromise. If you want to bring a drastic change to your lifestyle, we would like you to answer the following questions. Not just to consider how to live in a motorhome in the UK, but is it right for you.

· What living in a motorhome offers?

Sometimes it takes a lot to digest reality. So, be honest to yourself while deciding. Some trivial questions that might get you thinking are mentioned below. If you have answers to them, then according to us, you are ready to start living in a motorhome.

· Is your motorhome big enough to accommodate a family of 4?

Imagine it is 3 AM and one of your family gets sick. How will you call help? Also are you ready to live in an motorhome during winters? Most of us will not be able to answer these questions. Reason for it is simple: we are accustomed to living in a conventional house. We can call in help and seek medical assistance in an emergency. But we certainly can’t find paramedic assistance in a remote location. That being said, to look for the perfect motorhome it is best to get prepared with all these questions. Gear yourself for the worst. Know the answers to the situations before they come in front of you. That will surely make it easier to live in a motorhome.

· How good are you at compromising things and your lifestyle?

To achieve a dream, you have to give up on a lot of things. Asking yourself if after selling your house's possessions, do you feel good or not, knowing this answer is necessary. It will tell you a lot about the lifestyle you’re about to choose. Another question that can help you in determining if living in a motorhome is meant for you or not is: can you live without all these old possessions? In the case you are fine with selling all the belongings then yeah, you are ready to start a new lifestyle.

· What is your vision and goal of living in a motorhome?

There is always a reason as to why one wants to leave conventional housing. To some, it is the financial drift. Others find it hard to stay with family and want a space to themselves. apart from these reasons, other reasons could be work pressure or something trivial bothering them. Campers, therefore, find it difficult to handle such situations and think it is best to live in a motorhome.

Besides that, it is very important to know the outcome of living in such an environment. It is true and understandable that one would find an motorhome best for roaming in Europe. But it is not just about that when you have to live in it forever. That is the reason why we find it more convincing if and when someone knows the expected outcome from a compromised lifestyle.

· How are you going to take care of the entire lifestyle?

Questions like the ones which are mentioned below are mandatory to answer. What will happen if you don’t take care of these questions? Nothing. Literally, nothing but you will be more focused on the outcome, lifestyle and the standard you have to maintain, etc. Therefore, we have to have the answers.

First thing first, it is always about finance. How are you going to finance the motorhome life? The answer could be an eye-opener. See, living in an motorhome in the US is a lot more expensive than living in a motor home in the UK. Understanding the budget of a motorhome is something you have to work on there and then. What comes in the budgeting or finances? Everything. Medicines, food, and grocery are basic though.

· If you sell a house and start living in an motorhome, which address will be used?

What will you need to live in a motorhome or camper? Other than all that we have mentioned above, you've got to have an address. For that, there has to be a fixed address to get the driving license. Other than that, you will also require a V5 document. That particular address then has to be used for insurance. therefore, it is a much-needed factor to think about as it has the potential to increase risk factors. Renting an address is a service in the UK that you can go for. But for that, you have to pass eligibility to get rolled. Another thing you must know about such addresses is that they will be documented and recognised by the UK authorities.