RTW Forever on £500 a month
 

Ok Here is the question I spin my head around constantly.

I have worked hard and am in the position where i could pack work in and set off indefinitely around the world in a unimog based camper. Which I am currently building.

The catch is, I'm 47 years old, single, have a good job with a decent salary and a pension.
To do the trip I would rent out my home and get 500 pounds a month to live on.
I would be living onboard so would have no accommodation costs.
I would have no time scale so could simply stop and let the funds build up when they run low.
Once I hit India/asia my living would be cheap. = food and fuel when I need to move on.

I would always have the house to come back to in the future or equally an asset to sell if the time came.

So the question is. Can I do it on 500 quid a month with a 5 grand panic fund? And should I before I die of old age still thinking about it.

Genuine question from a man on the edge of something great or something dumb, I just don’t know which is which. doh

(Ps any single millionaire’s daughters are welcome to come along and navigate.):thumbup1:

The saying goes............
Ten years from now, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do, not the ones you did.

It will Boil down to How Much you want to do your trip.

If you can live on your budget then go for it.:thumbup1:

Goal..?
 

FWIW... I'd think of a goal. What's your plan? Literally just to bum around the planet or to circumnavigate the world?

For £500 per month, maybe the first couple of months would eat away at your cash until you got into a rythmn as to what mileage you wanted to do and whether you wanted to work and top up your funds every so often.

yeah, Europe etc will cost you a fair bit but if your not extravangent then why not. I'd personally start with a good couple of grand to start with for startup costs then slide into the £500 a month whilst on the trip.

If it's not for you, you'll never know until you try it..!?!

Hi,

500 Pounds are more then double of what i spend traveling per month so it will definitly be enouth even your unimog will take more petrol then my bike does. If you run out you can allways spend some weeks at nice beaches untill the next money comes...you are so lucky to have unlimited time :)

Have fun, Tobi

Thanks Guys,
I would simply drive down through western europe in no rush but Ive done it to death on the bike for many years so would not be spending long
or too much money, Fuel would be my main cost for the first few months.

I was thinking of getting east and then seeing where the road took me. i would love to spend a few years exploring India, Nepal Laos, vietnam, Cambodiam Thailand and so on further south Malaysia Philippines even to Aus and see my sister.
Once in asia the pace would slow as would the costs.

I would be looking to maybe do some work along the way to top up the funds, but dont want to rely on having to.

Ta rider- I am of the same mind as you, park up in a nice spot and relax for a while until the money builds up a little.

Geoffshing- I would be buming around while circumnavigating the world if that makes sense.
It would apear all I need is a little planning and the bottle to do it.

Daz- You are so right. :thumbup1:

I don't want to come across as negative but I think those who say your travels need some sort of purpose do have a point, in my opinion.

And I think that because travelling round the world is incredibly easy. If you've worked hard in an adult job it may well turn out as not particularly challenging.

I've only done two big trips, one driving home from the Middle East and 1 to Cape Town, both of which had clearly defined purposes and both lasted quite a few months. Endlessly driving around looking at things with no purpose might not have seemed so worthwhile to me, without a clearly defined aim.

500 quid isn't enough in my opinion. Its only 16 quid a day and whilst you may have several very cheap days in a week, petrol/repairs/visas/ferrys/entry fees/beer very quickly add up

But rent the house out and go somewhere. Yes absolutely. Definately. 100%

yes you can do it !!!
 

Hola majorbumsore,

yes, you can do it !! and you know it.

just two things that came to my head.

First, make sure the people renting your house pay and they dont destroy it. I have met many travellers over the years that tried the same, but it is not easy to deal with all the problems once you are far away ... I cant give you the perfect solution, but you need somebody trustworthy at home that will take care of things once they go wrong.

Second, to travel in a car can be expensive if you have to ship it / repair it / get a carnet ... accommondation in Asia is cheap. The only continent I would travel again and maybe use a car would be Africa, but I am a biker ;-)

Enjoy and start as soon as you can ...

Saludos
mika

Major, at ease!
 

Stop the doubt and go for it. Life's too short to waste another minute.

Would 500 be enough? I don't know. It can bring you a long way, perhaps even further than you expected or perhaps not that for as you would have hoped for. In the end it is not the miles you travel that determine the pleasure, it's your experiences.

Main thing is that you can in the end look back at as something you accompished with great,positive feelings and memories. Trying to live a dream can never result in failure.

Would you be able to do it in the UK (only looking at expenses you will incur while on the road eg food, diesel). If you think you can, then you should be able to do it while on the road...

Which mog? Pics please!!!!

With ours, if we were forced to buy our tyres new they're about 10p per mile. Fuel in the UK is about 50p per mile. If you did stay in the UK £500 won't be enough to drive around, and since theres no wildcamping in England you can't afford to stay still either :(. France is better with free aires and cheaper diesel, Morocco cheaper again and maybe possible there. You may have to use a campsite in some places to fill with water, empty waste or just where they won't let you park where you want? Will you never need to recharge the camper batteries?

Is the £500 the total income, or just what you know you will always get? Our house was managed by the rental agency for 10% on top of what we asked for and was no hassle, but the occasional requirements of the tenants were unforeseen expenditure. Some friends who ran a rental agency reckoned the industry average was you would get 8 months rent in your pocket out of 12.

What it may boil down to is you can't actually afford to go where you want just because starting her up will cost you, so detours are a no-no, just shortest route please Mr GPS. Maybe work out your cost per mile, and see what your plan will roughly break down to, 150 euros per tank fill is no fun for tarmac bashing.

Personally I think I would save a bit more until I was sure I could do it? If you could pick it up and plonk it somewhere cheap then maybe?

Have you looked at the Mog bit of Benzworld too? Motorhome Facts for general Euro camper travel? Vicarious Books for Euro Aires guides? May get some info on those?

Good luck

:)

How many People think just that ? then never do it !

so cool oh i wish i could do the same i am 46 and mad to go. Don't wait of you go and enjoy every minute and the best of luck to you:funmeteryes: bier

I'd pay close attention to Grizzly10 above. It's obvious that what you're describing is theoretically possible.....but it's a rare individual who could actually pull it off, whether possible or not. Rarer still: the individual who could sustain it over time. Maybe you're that person, but the overwhelming majority of us are not.

I'm not, for example. I've spent more than that on every extended trip I've ever taken, even those without a vehicle. With a bike there are lots of added expenses; with a Mog, more so. How will you get the Mog from India onwards? Not via China, and not shipping it to SE Asia or Australia either on that sort of budget. You're really talking about a trip through Europe and the Stans into India then?

I'd pay less attention to those who say that's their dream too, therefore you should do it (even though they can't). That's not the voice of experience in any sense; it's the voice of people who want you to live out their dreams. You've got enough on your plate figuring out how to live out your own dreams.

On the other hand if you've got a backup plan--also known as an escape hatch--then why not try? Throwing off a secure job and situation in order to travel for a while is not as big a deal as it sometimes seems--I've done it several times. But you might want to find a way to dip your toe in the water without risking a whole lot before you fully commit.

I'd think carefully about cutting things too close with your rental income: as indicated, things sometimes go off the rails in a hurry if you're not there to keep tabs on it. I've traveled all over the world relying on rental income, with and without motorcycles; when it works, it's great. The idea is to have a plan for what to do when it all falls apart.

Hope that's helpful. Good luck!

Mark

You could always try pm'ing Maja (Mike), I know he covers a respectable distance every year for up to 10months of the year while his house is rented out so he would have good info on monthly costs...especially beer

been leasing houses for 20+ years in USA. laws are different but principles are the same.

for instance it's much better to find tenants that are not helpless. state up front you are looking for tenants that are able to fix minor issues like leaking faucets, etc. in return lease house for a bit less than market value.

write it into the lease that tenant is responsible for the first $75 of every repair. major repairs will costs you no matter what. most can be taken care of before you leave. drawback is tenant gets lazy and maintenance gets deferred until you get back. leasing at below market value means tenant are more likely to stay long term.

think about this... if house goes empty, not only are you paying to put house back into lease-able condition. you are losing rents while it's being repaired. then add down time until a suitable tenant is found. average downtime could be 1-3 months rents lost forever. makes giving a good tenant a break in rents look down right cheap.

besides not losing any rents from being empty... another huge advantage of receiving a 90 day paid notice. one is able to show the house before current tenant moves out. an occupied house if it's not torn up will almost always show better and be easier to lease. another tactic is to have new tenant take house in "AS IS" or with a limit list for you to take care of. keeping in mind that you are leasing house for market rates, so you are expecting a few things in return. New tenant will LOVE it, because house is offered at below market rates.

be very careful at only offering above to a quality tenant that you have thoroughly checked references on.

all my leases contain a requirement that tenant give a 90 day paid notice before moving. otherwise lease will auto renew under same terms and conditions. this takes the work out of renewing leases. since house is being leased at below market value. highly likely they will stay anyways.

only use lease forms that an attorney specializing in real estate has given blessings to. feel free to PM if you have questions that need to be off line.

Thanks for all the input and advice from everyone; I love to hear people’s opinions, that is the wonder of this and similar sites.
I have toured many tens of thousands of miles by motorcycle and loved every minute but for a trip with no end date I have decided the Mog and small motor bike option is the one for me. I hope to set off when the time is right, but the date depends on selling a house etc. I have a house which is rented and has been by the same family for 4 years without issue, they look like they are staying put with 3 small children in local schools etc. My sister manages it for me along with her own properties as I work away a lot (currently in the stans) I have done 2 round the world trips before as a hitch hiker, first setting off in 1980 which lasted about 11 months and again for 2 years in 89-90. At that time I used hostels and camping, as well as renting while based in Aus for a while.
I understand the comments which say an objective is important, and I agree, if an end to the adventure is factored in.
My objective would be to live life, and feel free, without and end date or goal. I can’t imagine a single person on this site who has not dreamed of the opportunity to just travel. To set an objective is to set a limit or an end.
I hope to have a panic fund of 5 to 10k for emergencies. My rout would get me to Asia as quickly as possible, via whatever rout is the best at the time. I would factor in the ‘launch’ costs so would only start living on the rent money when I got to Asia.
So what do you think guys..... Am I on the right lines or raving bloody mad..... Cos I’m dammed if I know either way.

I too have thought about doing something like this and even I applied for redundancy to make it happen (failed). We reckoned we needed about £2000 per month to fund an endless biking trip with 2 bikes (me and missus), food and camping, an ocassional hotel or hostel, and enough contingency for repairs, shipping and other lumpy costs, and even at that it would be very tight.

I would be concerned about the pointless drifting and that £16 per day is bugger all. Split that say 50:50 between fuel and food/other stuff and you have about 2 gallons/10litres per day or less, so about 30-40miles perhaps, some decent grub (important) and probably a small contingency of a couple of quid for ocassional extras. The £5k contingency would soon get eaten up in Visa's, insurance, and shipping as you travel. There's also a Carnet to think about = expensive.

As others have said, it is probably do able but I think progress would be frustrating slow, it would be a constant penny pinching trip and to my mind not much fun. I think it depends on your outlook - it wouldn't suit me on that low a budget.

Whatever you decide have a great time doing it and either way, dont regret the decision - it was the right one at the time.

Actually, I've already done this quite a few times with mixed results. At the moment I've concluded it's not what I'm after, and as a result I'm not looking for more long trips, with or without objectives or limits. I don't think that this is uncommon.

The thing is, most folks vote with their feet. In other words, they talk about how much they'd enjoy life without plans or obligations, but in actual fact they accumulate responsibilities rather rapidly because there are real rewards to be had in commitment over time, in becoming a part of families, in embedding in communities, and in orienting toward goals.

It's convenient to complain and say "If I only had the money, I'd throw it all aside and take the endless motorcycle (or Unimog) journey," but the reasons that most people never actually accomplish this are for real, and worth considering realistically. It's very often not about lacking the funding: most people around here spend more per year supporting their giant televisions, stylish clothes and humongous American cars than I've spent on yearlong trips throughout the world no matter how profligate.

Whether this applies to you specifically is an open question. I'm just pointing out that I don't think your generalization is true.

Your central question, which I understand to be whether your budget will suffice, has been answered by a few posters already, and I'm sure others will chime in. It sounds like maybe you're looking for something else; what is it? "Am I crazy?" doesn't really narrow it down.

As always, ignore any or all of the above if it's unhelpful or doesn't apply.

Mark

Be aware that £500 per month in Europe goes nowhere even with free accommodation and that some people become travel weary after about a year.

If you rent your house 100% occupancy is hard to achieve and also you will have to give tenants a contract which means you wont always be able to return at a moments notice.

Other than that just go for it - better on a bike IMHO

:nono: everyone has dreams about things they want to do and for me i will be on the road soon just got kids to bring up first and as for planning anything this big that this man wants to do plan and double plan info is key i ve been planning my trips for the last year. hoping by 2015 first big one. you know the old saying read between the lines happy biking :thumbup1:

I am not sure if this is strictly allowed or not but i took 250 liters or red diesel in the back of my landy last trip away. I didnt use any of it until i got out or the UK as i know that isnt allowed but once i wasnt on UK roads i couldnt see the problem. It saved me a few hundred on fuel costs to get out of Europe too.

I dont know what other people think about that? Try and find a co pilot though it will half your costs.

Hi majorbumsore
sounds like a fab trip and with all your previous travel knowledge, you seem fairly set to go.....
you say you have a decent job, could you take unpaid leave for a longer period of time so that you can "test the water"?
having knowledge of a job waiting back in the UK may make leaving a bit easier - you could always hand in your notice whilst away....... not many companies would force you to return to work the notice period - it would cost too much to take you to court for breach of contract.
However, read the small print. My last company offered up to 18 weeks for a career break but wouldn't guarantee a job, only an interview......

Good Luck!

Thumbs up to just meandering and bumming around. :thumbup1:

Not every trip needs to have an end point or an aim, sometimes I think people are so results focused they often miss out on the trip itself. I've met so many people on the road who seem like they are just ticking 'the big trips' off, like people once knocked big game off on safari.

If you don't know exactly where you are going, then you are never lost, and you are never late.

Birdy

PS - Awesome advice from Mark.

I would like to suggest that £500 a month would be sufficient, but it wont be.
It won't be enough in UK, it wont be enough in Europe, it could be marginal in many African countries.
For example, a 100 liter fuel tank (just keep it simple) would average cost you £145 most in Europe, it's not that different.
For 100 liters, I guess your Mog would get you 500km at best, 350 miles before your' needing another £145 or so fuel pit stop.
That is looking like a £145 fuel hit at least once a week, taking it easy, having lots of rest days.
At 60km/h thats only an 8 hour drive for you, then the 100 liter tank could be on empty.

If you split your £500 two ways, food v fuel £200 v £300
£300 fuel buys you about 210 liters, 1000 km maybe?
So you could be restricted to 1000km a month?

On a recent trip around Europe last summer, we would guzzle £100 fuel every day, effortlessly in a Land Cruiser, which has a far better economy than a Mog. OK, we were doing the miles.

Seriously, £500 a month is nothing, and you would be so restricted, and constantly asking yourself "can I afford to turn the key"?

Jeeeeezzz, even food was costing an arm and a leg,

Sounds a great idea, but so many great ideas have been trashed of recent, due to the high fuel prices.

Sounds a great idea, but I would want at least double the £500 a month before setting off.
Repairs ? now that is a whole different kettle of fish, and Mogs do break down.

vette

let me throw this at you, i leave next year to continue riding around the world (by motorcycle) this topic came up on ADV a while back, i threw in my 0.02 -

...and that was try doing it at home...put your budget in your pocket for the month and see how it goes, if you can do it in your own environment then you can do it on the road, eat how you would and what you would on the road, travel equivalent miles etc.

...but personally i think you need a little more, i live on $40 max a day (so in pounds around 750, but i get 60 mpg) on the road to give you an example and just finished 38,000 miles thru the Americas

the pound isn't what it used to be. i think you'd be restricted to india / nepal / SE asia for a long time.

shipping will cost a bomb, so will the carnet.

in asia, accommodation is about $5 a night for room, a/c & ensuite if it looks like you're staying more than a night or two. why would you want to stay in a 'mog?

my suggestion FWIW, sell / forget the 'mog & take a small bike - you aren't in a hurry so power / speed / offroad capability don't matter, you just want your independence. this will cut fuel, carnet & shipping to the bone.

lastly, i wouldn't want to retire knowing i'm gonna be eating spaghetti and tuna cooked on a petrol stove for the rest of my life. i know you're a brit and i'm an aussie, but what would life be without steak and beer?

I will throw a suggestion out there...would it be an option to sell the house?

I would personally rather not have to worry about tenants and the possibility of not having an income. With the house sold and the money in the bank (assuming you own it outright) you would have a stress free travel and could spend as little or as much as you would like.

Drawbacks are obviously you lose your asset and cant travel indefinitely, but you could budget £1000 a month = £12000 a year, much more reasonable. 10 years travelling for £120k, now that's a long travel! :funmeteryes:

Unfortunately I'm 26 and have zero savings and zero assets so this is a long long way off for me :(

I am planning heading to NZ, buying a camper van and touring for long as I can with what i can save by Christmas, if i find somewhere I like I can try work to effectively live in that location for "free".

Dave

£500 is currently about $800 US. When I lived in Mexico for 3 years, I did okay on about $650-$700 a month - but I was living in an apartment. I would think to travel around on that kind of budget you would be living in a tent most of the time, and not have a lot extra for emergencies, hotels, luxuries, etc.

I think you can do it, but you will be living on the cheap and probably need to have an emergency fund stashed away.

Ditch the Mog for nice RTW bicycle. That way you might actually be able to save money and not eat into your savings. Its always good advice to live below your means.
The big advantage of a bicycle is you can take it with as luggage on airplanes, trains, or busses. And you got some money to stay in a hostel once in a while. Even travelling by motorcycle you would be stretching the budget. I figure is costs roughly $50 per 500 miles to keep my KLR in service in South America were fuel is cheaper than EU.
I saw a couple of those unimog things down in SA, frankly they strike me as being a bit grotesque. Especially when you consider how much fuel they gobble.
I'm fixing on ditching the motorcycle for a bicycle. I want to get to London where they will fit you for a RTW bike.
Santos Bikes

When you think about it a bicycle makes a lot of sence.

I have to admit I'm not speaking from personal experience here, but I'm not sure that spending big money on a specialist bike and equipment isn't unneccassary and counter productive.

I met plenty of cyclists whilst in Central Asia, many of them doing China/India to the UK. A few were quite vocal about their choice of a simple and cheap bike.


Certainly in the spectrum of motorcycles I'd be pretty confident of asserting that expensive specialist equipment is probably more of hinderance in the long run (more paranoid of it being nicked, and when it breaks harder to repair).

Hi,

Wow i traveled Southamerica excluding Flights for €200 per Month (one Year) and around Africa wasnt much more expensiv (Visa insted of flights + €1000)

Selling the house is not an option aslong as you cant live in a tent. Hotels are to expensive...

Motorcycle trip through Venezuela and Brazil - part 5

Just my opinion, Tobi

just my two penneth
i dont think that there is any formula for working out if £500 a month is enough to live on ?
as month to month situations change from one extreme to another and the same is of people some will naturally spend more than others .
i am about the same age as you single and thinking along similar lines bike + Landrover
Rent your house give it a go, nothing to lose ( except time )
put an emergency fund by to get you home
personally i would be putting more time into the reliability of vehicles.

going to india next year overland on motorcycle maybe ill see you about.

Good luck on your decision

Reality
 

Interesting thread. We just returned from 14 days on the road, from near A Coruña, Galicia,Spain to Alicante, Valencia Spain Pais Valenciana and return.

We kept exact records of expenditures. We ride 2 BMW G650-GS , traveled exactly 2,200 K each and spent almost exactly 300 euros on fuel (150 euros each) , and exactly 25 euros a day each by camping 10 nights and staying at hotels like Gaudi Hotel in Astorga, Spain for 65 euros breakfast included for 3 nights.

We ate at moderate restaurants once a day - campground cafes in Spain
are excellent...

We have a small wood stove plus a gas mountain stove for coffee and tea and toasting bread or melting cheese and heating meat... we eat almonds and dried fruits for snacks - we drink water from fountains en route.

Total cost 14 days on road 2,200 K for 2 BMW 650 - GS = exactly 1000 euros or approx 1,300 USD (total) that is for 2 people and 2 motorcycles!!!

We (a relatively young, attractive, very educated female and me -male - now 65 years old) have also recently ridden 6 countries in South America 34,000 K each on 2 NX400 Honda Falcons and expended about the same on fuel and about half for lodging and food. We frequently bush camp in South America - sometimes with cocoleros , bandidos, narcotrafficantes and even with the rural police. Never had a problem , zero tolerance for being ripped off and it never happened. I carry a boludometro , (my invention) and about 20 inches of a very thick broom handle tucked obviously under the straps of my tail bag.

Good Roads and Fair Weather xfiltrate

Europe By Camper: Touring Europe for a Year - What does it cost?

This couple drove 23,044 miles around Europe from April 2011 to March this year. 66% of the time wild camped in their campervan, ate out 101 times.

£28.83 per day for them both total cost.

Their fuel cost £4k. Fuel for the same trip in my Unimog £13k.

So £500 a month possible for a trip? Maybe.

In a Mog? No.

Yes but no but......
 

Stop worrying, the worst case scenario is you stop off and get a job for a month.
I'd sell my soul to do the same/ £30 a month and a bicycle if the choice was available.
Yes the MOG is a great vehicle though thirsty.
Good luck.....:D

I second to what Road2Manchester said ... you might want to think about ditching the Mog.

My personal favorite would be getting a clean Ford Connect van and transfer it into a mini camper van. We run a Connect at our business and I have nothing but praise for it. Easy on fuel (8 liters / 100 km), fits in every parking lot, does not stand out.

You could either slap a roof tent on top and use the transportation compartment for your gear and as a living room, or you could relatively easily convert the van to live and sleep in it. It is a bit on the short side (1.8 metres) but that can be overcome by pushing the drivers seat to the front once you stop for a night´s rest.

Our van is euipped with a trailer hitch and it tows quite well. So even a small camping trailer or a gear trailer would be a possibility.

The drawback is of course, it is not a 4x4. But then you could take a C90 along and use the van as a base camp while you run the dirt roads with the light bike.

Just my two (€) cents ...

rtw
 

Well, I am doing a similar thing later this year. I will not mention numbers, as it is easy to spend as much or as little as you want.
First off; I am selling up completely, and doing the trip open-ended. The points which reduce my costs are that I will be wild camping 5 to 6 days per week; I already have a motorcyle; I do not plan to do "big miles", but just drift along and stay a few days at a time in the tent; I'm "veggie", so low food costs; Oh, and I'm a rabid minimalist.
No GPS, no fancy camera, no computer.

Also, there are not many sure things in life, but taxes, old age, and death are worth betting on.

I would prefer to try it than not to, but it is really up to each indidual.

Oh, and remember Ted Simon. He set off with costs planned, and then the Middle East war kicked off, and petrol went through the roof. He still went, and the rest is history.

And finally, I have become careful of too much advice, so just best to ignore me, and go with your desires!

Slightly off the original cost question, but hope it helps.

OK, everybody can shout at me know!! Oh, I'm cutting off all subs as the days tick away, so only on the e-mail on library visits; thus my replies are quite slow.

I met a nice guy with a LandRover 101 in Senegal who was carrying 200kg of spares, but of course not the ones he currently needed to mend the gearbox. He'd been stuck there for several weeks waiting for a DHL delivery which--like Billy Bunter's postal orders--never arrived.

To borrow an expression from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the Unimog could become an albatros round your neck. Too valuable to leave behind, no way of transporting it.

The Unimog is also waaay too heavy on fuel at 18-20 litres/100km. Pete3's suggestion is good and 8 litres/100km is a great saving but this is still more than double the fuel cost of many sub-800cc motorbike.

For free camping in France with a camper you need francepassion, google it, €20 membership and hundreds of places to stay, same idea in Spain and Italy...

Lastly howabout down size property to a one bed flat, still on the property ladder and maybe can realise some cash from the sale...

What ever you travel with, make sure you love it - the rest follows...

£500 a month??
 

£500 ... IMHO No!!

Stopping somewhere to get a job that pays enough to get a Mog moving .... You'll be parked up in Asia or Sth Americas a looooong time!!!!

A few other considerations -

Rice and beans every meal .. could you live on that?

We rent our house out while we are away. In the last financial year we had 3 months where the house was unoccupied, unforeseen repair bills i.e. Central Heating Boiler replacement = £4000 plus other day to day costs which left not a lot to go towards the trip.


Taking a stock of Red Diesel with you could cost .. You could be charged by Customs for importing it into whichever country if it was discovered. You would also have problems with Customs and Excise back in the UK if you got a pull for a fuel check, Red Diesel leaves a trace in your tank which takes a long time to dissipate and would leave you with a lot of explaining to do. They do pull private vehicles.
Apart from that, even if you were allowed to carry Red Diesel you would need to be towing a 40' tanker to make it worthwhile.

Just a few thoughts, not intended to put you off.
Good luck to you however you end up doing it.

Traveling is not expensive, traveling at speed is, if you can sit around and let the fund build when you need to then get on the road man!! Europe would be hard work on that kind of money and I'm sure America would also, but you get to buy super market food and have no accommodation costs, so i really think you will have enough cash.

But you might find 2/3 years on the road and you want to head back for a bit, i know Big Tom went back after his first year and a half for a bit then came back out and he's well into year 3 now.

Either way good luck to ya!

More than 600 €...!!

What a luxury life are looking into??:palm:

I'm travelling more than 3 months now, and spent 2 in Italy (one of the most expensive countries in Europe! in living and gas... :( )

With 10 - 15 Euro I come along very easy, but I'm sure your car will have not a good milage, then my bike:scooter: 3,8 litre/ 100km :)

But considering a world wide health insurance for 500€/ the 1st year and around 800 for the following and the insurance for your vehicle and Visa and some unexpected parts and so on... I still think 600 €/ month is a very good value for travelling, considering by leaving Europe expenses drop down tremendously!

I'm looking for work along the road, whenever I get the chance! So i spent 2 weeks in Italy working, what got me 600 Euro and now I think I'll make it to Greece and look further there...:mchappy:

My suggestion is: "Stop thinking about the maybe's and what if's and just go! Because you will make it work somehow down the road, for sure..."

Ciao and a good take off!!

Greetings from Croatia

Alex

unimog camper
 

The unimog camper is a serious investment, both for initial outlay and running costs, and it will eat up your budget big time. On the plus side it is an outstanding machine and you will have plenty of room and load carrying capacity, so living in it for an extended period will be comfortable enough. Now for the bad news, if you want to use campsites in europe your budget will evapourate,so wild camping is the order of the day, and finding a suitable place with a large truck has it challenges and becomes a real pain, a mog is not discreet, and if you hurry through europe, you burn your budget in fuel. What I'm trying to say is, do you really need a mog ? how often will you need the off road capabilities ? on surfaced roads it will be slow and thirsty. Using a car/van based camper could save you a fortune over the term of the trip but will not be as capable on the rough. For our next trip I will be looking to use a landrover/hilux or somthing similar with a box on the back for living space. Vehicles aside if I were you, I'd just go and do your trip, the worst that can happen is, you dont like it so you come back ! don't worry about setting objectives etc you will automatically do this as you go (places to see things to do etc). Whatever you decide I hope you have the time of your life......cheers

Some good advice here, I have lowered the rent to encourage a good tenant to stay. Somethings are different in the UK depending on what type of tenancy you have but usually after six months the tenant has the right to give a months notice and leave.

I am not sure that you can make them liable for the first amount of any maintainance, only damage that they have caused, I have had tenants who have gone ahead and made repairs themselves without bothering me and others who have screamed down the phone at me to fix something that they could do in 30 seconds but won't, good luck with that one.

As for your basic question, £500 a month, I think you can live on that in many parts of the world if you freecamp and find cheaper places to lay up, but it will be things like shipping, does your uni fit in a standard closed top container by the way? travel and motor insurance, the carnet which will have to be renewed every year and other expenses which will cost more.
If you have not already, just go and see what happens, it is the only real way of answering the question.

£500 per month
 

A couple of points:

£500 a month in Europe/North America would be fairly tough in Unimog, depending on mileage, but elsewhere you should be ok, shipping would be the budget buster..

&

Better to be a "when I" than a "I wish I...."

So

JUST DO IT!

:scooter:

You might want to get info from:
vandweller

This guy and his wife are living a travel orientated live in a van. While I don´t agree about everything (like freeloading at bars and eateries) there is plenty of good info to be fund. IMO well worth the money.

go for it
 

Something great for sure. I am only doing a short 6 month trip and have been on the road for 3 and love it more than anything I have ever done and wish I could carry on forever.

GO FOR UIT and hell 500 a month is plenty, beaurocracy unforeseen bike troubles and visas will cut a chunk out of this but camping and cheap counties will make up for that :)
ENJOY and write a blog so we can all follow your adventures

At 500 GBP a month, money won't be an issue. Only your will to carry on will be what starts or stops you. Get on the road and just keep going... if you love it, keep doing it, if not try something else.

I think that 500GBP per month will be enough for you to travel around the world, excluding The Scandanavian Countries and North West Europe, Netherlands etc. Plus Switzerland (plus avoid Europe in the peak summer months, everywhere is expensive then). Also excluding Australia, it won't last you there. To cut it short, check out this map and avoid anywhere with dark red tags World Map of Consumer Price Index (CPI) for 2012

Get on helpx, couchsurfing and you will be ready to go.

If you have a diesel heater and can show you are using the red diesel for that, then you are OK, but as far as I know, red diesel is scrutinized, and is illegal for propulsion (engine use) in northern Europe, such as France. This I know from taking a boat through France and learning how sailors get questioned about large tanks of red diesel. A large UK barge can have diesel tanks of several thousand litres, but the owner has to show it is for use as heating fuel, not engine.

By the French inland waterways, which cover the whole of France, there are free govt funded 'Halte Nautiques' which are small parking for camper vans with water, electric hook-ups (for a small fee to local agent), waste disposal and showers. They are by locks, bridges, villages and very quiet and rural.

Realistically ..... No! Your choice of vehicle is completely wrong for your budget, as others have said. Of course you can do anything if you put your mind to it, but in general, The Mog is a rich mans toy.

Either do it on a bike, or if you need a roof, any Mercedes......or a Landy.

Fuel is the killer. I am in my 5th year in a Merc based motorhome, and a budget bigger than yours. Fuel is the number one consideration. Everything else is secondary. Of course you can stop, work, stop etc ......

However, in the spirit of being positive, may I suggest that you try a shakedown trip to Morocco and the Western Sahara. Fuel there is cheap, it's a paradise for a Mog, and you will meet lots of others and learn loads. Head for Dakhla for starters.

Good luck!

I agree with much of the reports opinions.
 

Having a rental property ,i agree with a previous post you can count on income of about 8 months.there will always be a chance of change in tenants ,unexpected problems(hot water system crapping out eg) Increases in insurance premium (ours has over doubled in the last few years)Speaking of insurance costs will rise when you are no longer owner occupied .
The truck if it does a transmission ,it could cost around $10000 aussie dollars
Engine $20000
Now im not trying to be negative just presenting the facts as i see them.
I have an idea, how about taking people on legs of your trip to help with costs?
Making some thing (i know of a couple who paint and sell their works as they travel)
volunteering work some where,this will let you funds accumulate.
I wish you well with your endeavors .Noel:D

MajorBumSore never posted on this thread again, so I think he never walked out the front door. :-( But, I would say nearly impossible to do in a Mog. I did it for five years in an old Chevy van with crap gas mileage while I worked on the road - barely. I'm the first person to cheer on wild ideas, but in a Mog? I really don't think so... all too pricey a vehicle, especially if you'll be shipping.

I'm enjoying this thread so far.

I'm actually considering something similar. Only I don't have an asset such as yours. I'm in my late twenties and looking to develop a business that requires minimum input from myself but that can make me around £650 per month. Add that to About £17,000 that I will be trying to save over the next few year, and I should have enough to set off.

Key differences being that I would expect to come back to Europe (not necessarily the UK) within 36 months. And I'm hoping to do it on a motorcycle with at least 50mpg.

I think as others have said, you probably have the wrong choice of vehicle for your budget.

If you save £10k and have £500 a month coming in, that'll give £777 a month for 3 years, which is more reasonable, but that's a best case scenario.

I think you'd probably want to have a credit card with a nice limit on it for contingencies.

I would love to hear about the type of business which requires minimum input.
Maybe you don't want to give specific info but I'm always curious when I hear about people travelling and running a business at the same time.
I'm imagining it would be difficult to do any business on the road with minimum input unless you have a partner, great staff etc.

I have been thinking of this myself for a couple of years but as a firefighter I don't really have any portable skills (well I was a clinical Massage Therapist at one time)

Generally those where you put up the time in advance.

I'm a digital marketer by trade, so all my examples are online based.

Once such idea might be creating articles. For example as a test I created an article on how to open a business bank account with a bad credit rating. This is on my blog and attracted over 1,000 visits a month, earning the site some advertising revenue. I could have gone further and created similar interlinked articles on web 2.0 sites such as Hubpages and Squidoo.

Whilst one article isn't going to get you far, times that by 10, 20, 30 etc.. and it all adds up. I know of ex-copywriters who have made a living this way.


Another method is through running an affiliate marketing site. Again the initial outlay here is the time and investment it takes research your niche, create your content and market and develop your site. I flirted with this back in 2008 with limited success, but I again I know of people who make a living this way.


Yet another way is to create a virtual company. The best example of this is Nike. It outsources manufacture, outsources marketing, outsources logistics. Pretty much all they do is design sportswear. That too could be contracted out.


I employ a similar strategy with the company I set up. An online research panel, that pays members to take part in online market research surveys. Each time someone completes a survey I'm paid, and in turn share some of that with the user. The amounts here are tiny, so it's all about scale. Now I could source my own clients, but instead this is managed by a multi-national company. This way I have a constant stream of surveys coming in to keep my panellists interested, and they get to take part in surveys for well know brands such as BT, Barclays, CNN etc.. The technology is provided to me by another company, which means that my involvement is mainly marketing and recruitment.


Basically it's all about identifying your skillset and investing the time up front to create an asset that will reward you over time. My examples aren't necessarily the best way or the only ways to go about this, but I can only write about what I know.

I'm not successful yet, and might never be, but i'm trying. At the moment I make about £200 this way, so i've a long way to go. Just make sure you list it on your tax returns, or there'll be trouble.

Hope that helps.

hahahaha got the money planning my first big one london to nepal bierbier:D

Dear Major!

Just remember that 'the joy is in the journey' and once you find the right pace for the available funds it'll all fall into place.

Do it mate and remember that you're a long time dead!!

Enjoy

Get a small car
 

You could make a compromise. A smaller car with the possibility to sleep when wanted or necessary combined with small cheap hostels where available. In warm climates, even in southern Europe, you don't need a big mobile "house", just a bed as you can live outside the car all day.

I have a 1999 Ford Galaxy with a camping bed in the rear, a small folding table and a folding chair. A water can with electric pump, that can be placed on the roof for showering. Auxiliary battery and 12V to 230V inverter and a solarpanel. Contrary to just a mattress, the camp bed gives you a lot of storage space underneath it.
I have a small gasstove, a spirit stove(its so silent) and a folding barbeque.

The big advantage of a totally normal looking car, is that nobody will send you away, as they just see a parked car and NOT a camper car or mobile home. In France it will go under the 2meter "gates" they have erected on most parking places.

Driving normally it goes 16km/liter, driving maximum economy it'll do 21km/liter on diesel. Thats as good as many bikes but you'll have the comfort of a car.

The Galaxy has an option of "offroad" springs, that will give you about 8 cm more ground clearance.
There is also a 4WD model(it might be the VW Sharan, which in the diesel version is the same as the Ford)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N.../IMG_0055a.JPG

500/mnth is on the low side, but might be possible. The biggest unknown variable being the cost of repairing whatever breaks down on your Mog.

Diesel will probably average 80p once you're out of Europe and visas average GBP 50-100 per entry, food will often run about GBP 35-50 per week. Do the math, and you'll end up spending about 500 a month just staying on the road, with little margin for unexpected extra costs.
A panic fund is smart, but the Unimog will have to stay trouble-free which - afaik - is a fantasy. And you might have to spend the better part of a year on the beach in India while waiting for your funds to grow sufficiently to ship to Oz.
We share your dream, but previous travels (with a 14-tonne Merc) have taught us that Murphy's Law will happily follow you wherever you go, and that ample financial reserves are an absolute must. Just regular maintenance can be a financial challenge - and often whatever breaks down along the way turns out to be both hard to find and expensive.

The short answer = YES you can.

If you stick to the third world - Africa, Asia then you're £500 will enable you to live almost like a king.

In the first world, your £500 budget is a little on the low side.

Remember even some parts of Eastern Europe have an average wage of less than £200.

In Africa most live on about 2 Dollars a day!

£500 will be easy in those places providing you stay well away from Western style 4/5 star hotels.

Keep to mid-range guest houses and the hotels the locals use (take a cotton sleeping bag inner with you).

If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking at touring somewhere like INDIA - Probably the most interesting place you will find in way of cultures etc. It's big enough to spend years touring on 2 wheels and above all it's probably THE most cheapest country in the world to live in. I have heard Thailand is also dirt cheap?

My advice - go to Goa to start with and get used to the way of life etc. Then start to tour the rest of India. It will take years to take in all the sights worth seeing. The country is HUGE! Most importantly, it's a pretty safe place to travel (stay well away from Pakistan and it's border with India) and in general, the people are very friendly towards Brits & Westerners. £500 there is like £5,000 here!

£500 flight to Goa (return). Buy a Indian copy Baja Honda (100cc) and off you go......

I hope your dream comes true.

Another 2 pence
 

While the desire is admirable, I agree the RTW traveler should have a goal/gimmick in mind. Think of being a pilgrim during the Crusades. Do you want to see the world or experience it? After the trek, will having driven through be enough? From past travelling, what evoked your most pleasant memories?
Think about being questioned in ..... by a policeman who inspects your camp set up. Do you say that I going around the world or do you pull out your camera and show proof of your quest having visited every soccer stadium on the planet?
How much money to bring is a lot like asking, "How much money do you need to get married? It all depends. Do you have any other sources of income or possible emergency stash?
If you are a survivor, you can always get by. Use your language skills to act as a tutor. That might get you a meal or two. Any other skills or what about that watch that granny gave you? Could you pawn it in an emergency?
Just an additional though or two.

Dave

Welcome to the HUBB forum Dave. :welcome:

First post eh?

Now get posting in earnest........:thumbup1:

yo estoy de acuerdo plenamente con mark.. hay que pensar bien eso antes de tirarse a la pileta por decirlo de alguna manera..creo que seria mejor hacerlo con un rspaldo mas grande economicamente hablando..es facil que las cosas salgan mal y todo lo que sale mal de una u otra manera cuesta dineros...suerte
ivan

My cousin sold a house he had been doing up at the beginning of this year. he bought a camper van and him and his missus are travelling around Europe following the sun. They have been on the road 6 months now. They live on 450E a month and at that rate they can keep going for as long as they want. He has worked out the Spanish writing on drain covers so he knows what drains he can empty his waste into. He has made an attachment to fit onto the shower heads on the beach for fresh water (although they say not drinking water, it comes out of the same pipe as the drinking water fountain next to it!!). They have solar panels so are completely self contained.

you just have to be a bit creative.

Their camper is of course a lot more economical than a unimog, and costs depend on how many miles you cover in a month and how long you stay in one place, but they are in Europe. Get into Eastern Europe, Africa or India and fuel is dirt cheap.

Go further afield where the cost of living is less and yes, you could easily live on 500E a month

You would need to keep a contingency though for unexpected expenses and mechanical problems.

Personally I wouldn't take a mog, I would convert an old Mercedes truck. When it's your home and your life depends on it you won't be doing the sort of offroading a mog can do and a truck can take huge fuel tanks so you can fill up where it's cheap. A good sized truck tank will easily give you a range of over 1000miles.

Something like this maybe
http://suchen.mobile.de/wohnwagen-in...eatures=EXPORT

or
http://suchen.mobile.de/wohnwagen-in...eatures=EXPORT

Alternatively could you mix with Cooking OIl if its an older disel engine then it should cope no worries

Hi there,
don't ask if you should do it - find out if YOU WANT to do it! Everyone has a different outlook on what is possible and/or important so if you ask 10 people you get 20 opinions.
Me and my husband have taken on the trip even though we have two mouths to feed and in a lot of places we have no option but to find accomodation on the way as there is no camping (only wet rice paddys) - a problem you do not have. Our funds are neither as big nor as secure as yours but what the hell - we will find ways. We are 47 and 60 and decided it's now or never. Who says you have to go all the way - you'll find out along the road if it works or not. You will either enjoy it immensely and then you will probably find ways to make things work out or not - then you might turn back and have the pleasure and security of the knowledge that you tried it but it was not for you.

In our case (we are on the road for 6 months now) we can safely say this is the best time of our lives and every possible alley we can take to make it all the way - we will. But we are also sure that there are limits to this attitute and when these are reached we have to give up - but hey until then we are having our personal big adventure and don't want to miss a single minute of it.

Greetings
K+K Holford

K+K Chaostours Startseite - holfordsaufweltreise Webseite!

I'm not sure I would be able to do it, certainly with a camper, that is sure to eat up a huge part of your budget. Traveling the world is one thing, doing it on 4 wheels (or more) is quite another.
I would suggest to make a list of why specifically you want to do it on 4 wheels, and even more so with a camper, while balancing the advantages and disadvantages. Saving on accommodation will only work in the western world, not in the developing world.
Perhaps look also at alternative 4-wheel transport, like a small van with 4WD (like Subaro) or a jeep-annex-tent. Even with a motorbike, shipping and admin costs (carnet) can be steep, so with a 4-wheeled vehicle it could be prohibitive.
If you have all the time in the world, the easiest form of transport would certainly be a simple bicycle. No border restrictions, no driver's license restrictions, easy repair/replacement, etc. While in the beginning you might crawl along at 40-50 km per day, you'll gradually build strength for larger distances.
Actually, the slower you go, the more you get connected with the worlds you are traveling in. What you loose on speed/range, you win on experience. And if you ever get stuck, or just want to skip a certain part or country, it's never a big deal taking a bicycle on a flight, or bus or train trip.
If you set your priorities right, and manage to choose the right mode of transport for your budget, the dream could become a lot more achievable.