The time we bought a motor-home in Ireland
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325693)
Rockingham, Australia
July 13, 2020 5:12am CST
From time to time, we have had the most incredible luck. One incident involved the motor-home which we purchased in Ireland. The story needs to be a certain length so I’ll break it into two parts.
In 2015, we planned a trip to Ireland to see our son. We planned to stay several months. After we booked the flights, we learnt a nephew would be getting married in England but after we were due to come home. We decided to extend our trip to take in the wedding. The next problem was how to live overseas for five months without breaking the budget.
Our son and his wife are unable to have us stay apart from a few days at a time and staying in hotels or bed and breakfasts for such a long period of time was beyond our means. So we bought a motor-home. We now had accommodation and could self-cater. This would save a heap of money on meals and cups of coffee. While a motor-home is expensive, we would get some of our money back as we intended to sell it again at the end of our trip.
We duly purchased a 2001 Iveco motor-home for 10,000 euros. It had done 45,000 miles when we bought it and we added another 20,000 miles (over two different periods). It was designed with a bed over the cab and lounge affair at the back which could also become a double bed. We used the top as storage as we didn’t like climbing up and down the ladder in the middle of the night to use the toilet. The cushions which made up the downstairs mattress weren’t very comfortable until we added a mattress topper.
I’ll tell the rest of the story next time.
The photo is of our motor-home in France. Check out the view behind our trusty vehicle.
27 people like this
29 responses
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
13 Jul 20
I've never slept in a motor-home. I did a lot of camping, though, when I was young.
The photo shows the most primitive tent I've ever slept in. It was in the mid-1960s. The mattresses were self-made from cotton cloth and bicycle tubes.
The paddles show that I was on a tour with the local canoe club.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jul 20
We camped in tents like this too when I was young. We'd go to a campsite near a beach for several weeks each summer. We would gaze in awe at anyone who had a caravan. I guess you let the tent collapse when you needed the oars. lol
@moffittjc (118433)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jul 20
That was such a smart idea to purchase a motor home for your time in Ireland. I probably would have never though to do such a thing. With my love of camping, I probably would have purchased a tent and figured out where I could camp the majority of the time I was there.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118433)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Jul 20
@JudyEv I have always enjoyed camping, and although I mostly backpack and hammock camp now, every now and then I still pitch a tent when I go camping. So I would have no issues whatsoever about spending an entire summer camping in a tent if that was the way to go.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Jul 20
@moffittjc Tents nowadays are very lightweight and so easy to erect compared with days gone by.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
14 Jul 20
Buying a motor home would be the way to go if you can afford it and if you are planning on staying for a long time.
We will eventually purchase a camper that is suitable for our needs. One that is preferably lighter weight so towing won't be a problem. We had one that we were going to purchase from my nephew, but decided to give it back when he asked for it back.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
16 Jul 20
@JudyEv we just want something that will provide us a place to sleep and cook. We spend the day outside the camper unless it is raining.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Jul 20
@ElusiveButterfly That's what we felt with our camper. We just wanted somewhere to sleep and to be able to cook our own meals.
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
13 Jul 20
I was mesmerized by the photo although you said it is in France and not Ireland.
1 person likes this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
13 Jul 20
@JudyEv from Ireland to France with the motor home?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jul 20
@Alexandoy We put it on the ferry.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
13 Jul 20
We travelled last year, but stayed in motels along the way. Usually we went out for one meal a day. Lunch was a picnic we provided ourselves visiting a grocery store every couple of days and breakfast was usually include in our room rates. We looked for budget accommodation and most of the rooms were adequate...some were exceptional.
2 people like this
@Lignitecityabishek96 (7110)
• Cuddalore, India
14 Jul 20
Interesting idea. Are motorhomes easier to sell?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Jul 20
@nawala123 we had five months in 2015 and another three months in 2017.
1 person likes this
@LowRiderX (22907)
• Serbia
14 Jul 20
This is my dream,you probably know how much I love to travel. But that traveling house as I call it is very, very expensive here
and I will probably never be able to afford it
and I will probably never be able to afford it1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Jul 20
@LowRiderX We saw a lot of country while we had it.
1 person likes this
@LowRiderX (22907)
• Serbia
21 Jul 20
@JudyEv They are even used a lot of expensive here. As for Europe, I think they are the most popular in Germany ... just yesterday I talked to a girl how I would like to have that house on wheels
1 person likes this
@piyushbhatia1 (11698)
• India
14 Jul 20
There are no motor homes available in my country. Hmm do people like it?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jul 20
Yes, they are very popular here and we saw a lot overseas too.
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jul 20
@piyushbhatia1 Yes, I guess that is the case.
1 person likes this
@piyushbhatia1 (11698)
• India
14 Jul 20
@JudyEv but the pandemic must have slowed down their business as well
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62111)
• United States
13 Jul 20
What a gorgeous view! Oh, there’s an RV in the picture????? 
What a view.
What a view.1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73396)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
14 Jul 20
I love the idea of traveling in motor homes. That is an amazing view.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Aug 20
It was amazing. That road was sometimes used as part of the Tour de France bike race and we saw a lot of cyclists along the way, including a big bunch of Australians.
@DocAndersen (54413)
• United States
13 Jul 20
wow that is an awesome story, and over five months a bargain!!!!
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54413)
• United States
13 Jul 20
@JudyEv i am as they say waiting on pins and needles
1 person likes this
@Lavanya15 (12888)
• Chennai, India
13 Jul 20
Good decision you make, motor home give all needed infrastructure besides this.
I read lot of articles about it, but don't see sprightly.
Can I know in your motor home, you having all facilities my friend??
1 person likes this
@Lavanya15 (12888)
• Chennai, India
13 Jul 20
@JudyEv oh that's great. I read about it but don't have personal experience with it. That's why I ask you hear.
1 person likes this
