The Costs of owning an older Motorhome

Today my sleep was done in shifts 😂 I woke at 4am to a noise & a light, nothing major, but my brain is wired to listen for these things.

After thankfully getting another couple of hours sleep, I’m thinking about the closure of this season & how I’ve managed to keep the vehicle on the road, on an extremely tight budget. The fuel bills continue to roll in each month, but thankfully they are significantly reduced, as my travel has halted.

There’s a saying amongst people who own these mammoths of the smooth (ish) paths…they cost less than a house to own. And in a sense, that’s true, if you owned a house. There are a lot of people out there, in the shadows of the wild, who aren’t, in that position, like me.

Lady of Autumn

Owning a white maggot, as we are apparently labelled, but those who travel impatiently behind us, can be an exercise in the outpouring of the wallet, on a continual basis. This is definitely the case with me. Every week I’ve had to put the majority of my income into a fund for the beast. She’s going to need another COF next month at $178.50 every six months, the Road User Charges (RUCs e we call them) come in at $244 for 3000kms, then there’s registration of $175 each year…& that doesn’t include things that breakdowns, servicing that can cost thousands, & there are different services for different parts of the motor, each being scheduled at different mileages. Thankfully I’ve never had an insurance claim! 😅 

The sun will shine again

The fuel bill is significant for a vehicle like mine, that has the advantage of power for the hills in New Zealand, but also the cost of that. My eight horses have done a splendid job of hauling me around the North Island, & I dearly wish I was going to be able to take her to the South Island as well, but it isn’t to be. That’s where the upgrades to the solar system, battery & the horse power would have shone. Not to mention the diesel heater that’s magnificent in its performance.

But I’m thankful. She’s been an awesome beast, & has the shiny coat to show how well I’ve looked after her as well.