# How long can you last?



## Bob_ed (Jun 23, 2009)

Evening all,

I am full of admiration for those people that go off on long tours or even full time in their MHs. 

We have recently returned from 2 weeks in Ireland and that's about our limit. Not because we find the space too small, or the facilities too limited - there is only one reason we can't last any longer and that's because we just get on each others nerves!

Now I love my wife dearly and I think (hope) she reciprocates, but we just start to get picky and bicker after a couple of weeks together in a small space. Nothing serious - just niggles.

So, how long can you last and do you have any good tips for prolonging the holiday?


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## Codfinger (Jan 11, 2008)

Depends on the weather, if we have to stay inside because its horrible outside not long!!!


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

We had long holidays of up to 6 weeks in the van from purchase in 2006. We then went full time in February 2010 and we are thoroughly enjoying it together.

When we had a house our only reason to return to check on it. On out last extended trip around Scotland we decided it was a liability so came back and got rid of it.


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

We normally fall out before we leave our village.  
Usually due to me driving too fast, too near the edge, too close to the vehicle half a mile in front, the fact I didn't help to pack, the fact that I tut at her for taking so long to pack, the fact that she goes on and on and on (get the picture) about did I lock the front door, did I turn down the heating, did I cancel the papers, have I got every conceivable piece of document I may be required to produce in the event of an inevitable incident, the list goes on.

Give me strength.

I love her really.


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## Bob_ed (Jun 23, 2009)

Yes John - but there's so much more room in a house - you can avoid each other for hours or even days if you put your mind to it!


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## jimmyd0g (Oct 22, 2009)

We try & do different things, occasionally, to give each other a bit of space. I like going for a run every couple of days (30 minutes or so when Mrs j. has a bit of peace from me) & we don't always have to walk the dog together. You don't have to have separate holidays within the holiday to find those times when you aren't living in each other's pockets.


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## 96299 (Sep 15, 2005)

Bob_ed said:


> Evening all,
> 
> I am full of admiration for those people that go off on long tours or even full time in their MHs.
> 
> ...


I just make sure i have plenty of beer on board, to cancel out any bad vibes. 

Steve


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## CaGreg (Mar 28, 2007)

We get on better when in the van than when at home. There is always a bit of techy in the hour or so before we get off, but we are always grinning like two kids after five minutes down the road. Not getting on would never make me turn around to come home, that is for sure. 

Ca


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## chubs (Jun 5, 2010)

Grab a beer and go fishing


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

What sad reading   

We regularly go away for a month at a time and thoroughly enjoy every single minute !! Just wish we could stretch to a six month trip (sadly I suspect our employers would not be as keen as we would be!! We have been married for just coming up on 35 years so its certainly not a case of "first flush" keeping us from each others throats. 

In fact I suspect we have fewer "issues" whilst away than when we are at home. In fact after our last month away in August last year we decided that our current house was much to big (having spent a month in a small tin box) so we have sold up and downsized considerably. Less outgoings, less maintenance which equals MORE time away in "Myrtle The Motor Home"   

I dont think there is any "magic trick" to getting on in a small space, we just do !


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

Bob_ed said:


> Evening all,
> 
> I am full of admiration for those people that go off on long tours or even full time in their MHs.
> 
> ...


I agree with you Bob. Me and your wife tend to bicker after a couple of weeks together as well. :lol: :lol:

To her credit, she never lets me leave without a good breakfast inside me. :lol:

On a more serious note. We enjoy being away together ( *my wife* I hasten to add). There does come a point on a longish trip when it just feels right to turn the van round and head home. At a leisurely pace of course. 

It is uncanny how we think the same things at the same time but that is 42 years of marriage for you. :lol:


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## waz (Jan 5, 2008)

My wife and I have worked together for the best part of 40 years and always got along with each other. When we moved to Spain and got to make new friends who had moved to Spain we noticed how many of them complained about there partners. The problem we found that although some had been married for years they only saw each other for a few hours a day and weekends and also how much they did not have in common. We find it important for to be able to do your own thing, wife goes to dog shows,I go round the auctions. When we do sit down together then we have something to talk about.

Waz


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## Bob_ed (Jun 23, 2009)

747 said:


> I agree with you Bob. Me and your wife tend to bicker after a couple of weeks together as well. :lol: :lol:
> 
> To her credit, she never lets me leave without a good breakfast inside me. :lol:


So it was you!!


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## rugbyken (Jan 16, 2006)

motormouth said:


> We normally fall out before we leave our village.
> Usually due to me driving too fast, too near the edge, too close to the vehicle half a mile in front,
> you must be married to my wife!! there is also, regardless of turning left or right "oh your going this way then" luckily only takes a couple of hours in the van for her to chill out , i think tom tom helps if i ignore tom she just say's "turn round when possible" previous i would have had a map thrown at me with the advise to "read it myself" or words to that effect,
> usually find after a couple of week's we're tuning in to each other .


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

I recently had a visit from a couple of Jehovahs Witnesses and I find them a bunch of people I have sneaking admiration for because they practice what they preach.
Well anyway as soon as I opened the door the lady said " wouldn't you like to spend eternity with your loved ones".
I always try to show respect and gave some though to her question.
When I said no, eternity would be pushing it a bit, she and her companion were lost for words and left. 
I wasn't trying to be funny or clever just honest.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

jimmyd0g said:


> We try & do different things, occasionally, to give each other a bit of space. I like going for a run every couple of days (30 minutes or so when Mrs j. has a bit of peace from me) & we don't always have to walk the dog together. You don't have to have separate holidays within the holiday to find those times when you aren't living in each other's pockets.


I think this is us too. We've been together nearly 20 years, and in some ways, living in the van is much simpler, and less stressful, than that at home. We went away for 10 weeks this spring, but we'll be away for longer next year.

It's all down to how you are as people. Are you independent people? Do you need your own space?

Gerald


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

We get on well together but we also give each other space and , as a couple of others have said above, go our own way occasionally and do our own thing.

It's also important, I think, to remember that things do go wrong and it helps if you don't hold grudges or blame your partner. When you are in a space only 6.5 m long you need to be friends and should not maintain hissy silences for long and certainly not overnight !

G


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## Scolds (Jul 26, 2010)

I agree with the comments about giving each other time, for example when we go in to town shopping I am happy to sit in a cafe reading the paper while she looks around the shops.  That is said in a light way but how often have I seen really miserable blokes following their wives from one rack of clothes to another. Remembering when asked what we think we normally say the wrong thing :lol: 

We plan to full time in 3 years and I cycle to try and keep fit, so have agreed I will do an hour to 2 hours a day. I have been warned that if things get bad I may find myself out for 8 hours a day  

Not sure that if you fall out after a couple of weeks then maybe a MH is not the right thing for you!

Robin


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## grandadbaza (Jan 3, 2008)

rugbyken said:


> motormouth said:
> 
> 
> > We normally fall out before we leave our village.
> ...


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## Codfinger (Jan 11, 2008)

motormouth said:


> We normally fall out before we leave our village.
> Usually due to me driving too fast, too near the edge, too close to the vehicle half a mile in front, the fact I didn't help to pack, the fact that I tut at her for taking so long to pack, the fact that she goes on and on and on (get the picture) about did I lock the front door, did I turn down the heating, did I cancel the papers, have I got every conceivable piece of document I may be required to produce in the event of an inevitable incident, the list goes on.
> 
> Give me strength.
> ...


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: sounds like us


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## mags52 (May 9, 2010)

I'm interested to read the responses about coming back and deciding that the house is too big and too stressful. That's exactly how we felt this year. We love the sense of freedom and lack of stress that being in the MH gives us and we completely relax. Right now the big house feels like a liability.
My partner and I don't fall out at home or in the MH but we do relax better when we're away. 
We're fancying the idea of selling up, having a year away then thinking about what we might buy to live in permanently.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Bob_ed said:


> Evening all,
> 
> I am full of admiration for those people that go off on long tours or even full time in their MHs.
> 
> ...


Bob, you need a bigger van like 12m. or tranquillisers.

We used to manage an amicable 6 to 8 months in the RV stateside. But somehow it's more volatile back home.

Ray.


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

Bob_ed said:


> 747 said:
> 
> 
> > I agree with you Bob. Me and your wife tend to bicker after a couple of weeks together as well. :lol: :lol:
> ...


Yes Bob it was me........sorry. 

I wore out a lot of tyres on me pushbike travelling down to Wales from Gateshead. Cost me a bloody fortune.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Hubby says it helps that we've beds at the back and he can get in behind the curtain and thumb his nose at me!

I _think_ he's joking, but if he's not, and it works for him....

We do things independently as well as together, and this certainly works for us.

We're just back and I keep saying to folk 'We've had 6 months in that wee tin box, using only what's _in_ that wee tin box, so why do I need all this stuff?'

So I've started on a huge clear-out and hopefully we'll rent out our home in a year or so and go full-timing.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

We're fortunate as both the Missus and me are both ex-submariners and are use to being cooped up with others.......ain't that right Fred?.

She got a right good slappy hand too


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

chubs said:


> Grab a beer and go fishing


This

You both need a bit of space however well you get on 

We had very few cross words during our month + in Portugal 

I'd guess it shouldnt be any different in yer van than yer house


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Think*

Done 2wenty odd years so far so good.

TM


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## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

An interesting thread,we had never been away for longer than 2 weeks until earlier this year when we went to France for 3 weeks.It went very well and I think we would both have been quite happy to go on for longer.

It does help when you have been married for over 30 years though I think,we know each other so well and don't very often fall out.

If it hadn't have been for family commitments back home I think we could have continued for as long as we wanted,

I often used to wonder how the full timers and long termers managed to live together in such a confined space for long periods but I can see the attraction now,not that we would do it for that length of time but a couple of months is now a possibility.


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## Bob_ed (Jun 23, 2009)

747 said:


> Yes Bob it was me........sorry.
> 
> I wore out a lot of tyres on me pushbike travelling down to Wales from Gateshead. Cost me a bloody fortune.


Blimey 747 - you must be fit!! And there was all that cycling as well.


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## busterbears (Sep 4, 2010)

We're about to head off next week for our first long trip (2 1/2 weeks) at most we've been away 5 days together since getting the MH last year as well as lots of weekends. I'd have to win the lottery to buy hubby and I the one thing we don't have - time! So I'm really looking forward to the time we can spend together, disagreements included


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## BritStops (Mar 3, 2011)

We spent 3 and a half weeks touring France with our two teenage sons and 11 year old daughter.

Sons were *not *keen from the start, so we told them we'd only be away for a week or so... :twisted:

Astonishingly we all got on wonderfully, even the boys lightened up a lot once they'd locked into the "alternative" lifestyle of waking up in the morning and deciding where to go that day.

Now the boys don't come with us any more we wonder how we all fitted in, and marvel at how well it went!

As for us two, we can't wait to get out on the road again, and like mags52 have even started looking for a smaller house with room for a motorhome to spend more time on the road.

Steve


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## Bob_ed (Jun 23, 2009)

Well well, some very good advice - but also a few really serious replies with even a suggestion that maybe motorhoming is not for us!

Perhaps I should mention that we have been married for 39 years and have been tenting, caravanning and now motorhoming very successfully during all those years.

We don't come to blows and we don't really have arguments - it's just that 2 weeks is about right for _us._

Apart from anything else we have commitments at home - namely elderly parents and young grandchildren - so we would be pushed to stay away much longer anyway.

So thank you all for your advice - some good ideas there which deserve serious consideration.

Just had another thought - I wonder if the partners of those people who mentioned they never fall out or argue, read this forum too? :wink:


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