Full Time Caravanner Stories

I am also considering the permanent camping thing very seriously. I am now 62 years of age and the time has never been more right than now. I just want to put more light on the finance side of this. Look, we raised our children the best way we could and financed their further studies and or development to a point where they have to take full responsibility for their own lives.

When we decided to hit the road 5 years ago, we had no idea what was in store for us. Ken and I have learnt so much about our family of campers, made friends with people who are like minded and seen parts of the country that leave one breathless.

A long time has lapsed since our last post but we have been exploring the great area of Mossel Bay. We are currently parked at Riverside Resort in Little Brak River and enjoying it immensely.

We were very excited to read the article by Lynn and Ken Finlay in the February issue, as we’ve been planning for our retirement as full-timers for some time.

My caravan experience started forty-odd years ago as a 22 year old with a wife and two year old son, living in a old rented 3 bedroom house in a northern suburb of Cape Town.

My wife and I have just become full-timers. We spent two full months at Forever Resort Tshipise, and loved every moment of it. The weather was exceptional, with day temperatures about 25 - 30° and evenings around 14 - 15°. The facilities were great and all the things to do there kept us on the go. Highly recommended! An orchid for them.

I’d been in contact with the Finlays for many months – Ken and Lynn are great writers and regularly send submissions through to our Campfire pages. I also enjoyed a lot of correspondence with them while working on the article they wrote for our February 2014 issue, on how to be a full-time caravanner.

After two years on the road as permanent caravanners, Lynn and Ken Finlay had been asked by so many people (including non-campers) how they were coping with life on the road that they decided to write an article about their experiences.

My husband, Des, and I read Ken and Lynn Finlay’s communications with great interest, as we had badly wanted to go full-timing. We have been caravanning for more than 20 years, spending our holidays at the coast either in Natal or the Cape. Our rig consists of a Fortuner diesel auto and a Jurgens Palma.

Full Timer Advice 1
My wife and I have decided that we want to change our lives. Despite being only in our 50s (and not being wealthy at all) we have come to conclusion over the last few years that it is time for us to do something different and smell the ‘roses of life’ instead of the ‘roses of money chasing’. Our grown-up kids think we’re utterly mad, but maybe this is a sign that we are on the right track!

We’ve been at Montagu Park since February 1, and have met some really fabulous people that have been doing the permanent thing for years. Our next stop is Riverside at Klein Brak, on the advice of some of the couples we’ve met here.

My wife and I have been camping for many years. We love the freedom of it – if you’re well-organised it isn’t an onerous experience. We both read the Finlays' article and both decided that while it sounded attractive, the full-timer camping life wasn’t for us.