Why wait until retirement to get a campervan?
For this instalment of Life & Pension, we spoke to Sander Mooij in Bennekom. Sander is a measuring technician at Marin and enjoys going on holiday in his campervan in his spare time. Something he plans on doing when he retires too.
The love of travelling around in the campervan came about quite suddenly, says Sander. ‘We wanted to go on holiday to Norway in 2016 with our then-one-year-old daughter and soon decided to travel around in campervan. So, we hired one and absolutely loved it. When our second child was born, we started thinking about what kind of holidays we would have over the years to come. We tried hiring a tent, but it wasn’t as nice as a campervan.’
Never dreamt about being campervan people
‘My wife doesn’t like camping, but the camper is very comfortable. You sleep higher up, you stay dry, it’s soundproof, and we really like having the flexibility to travel around. And you can easily decide where you want to go the next day, at least in Sweden and Norway. In France, it’s a bit different. For the really good campsites, you have to book a pitch well in advance. We never thought we would buy a campervan ourselves, but opportunity knocked, and we didn’t want to wait until we retired. We also like taking the campervan out in between holidays.’
‘As soon as it’s April, we set off in the camper, and in less than half-an-hour’s drive, we’re in Oosterbeek or Otterlo. It’s beautiful there. So, we don’t have to go far.’
What do you like most about it?
Sander says how practical it is that the campervan is very well equipped, with a double bed, kitchenette, bunk bed for the kids, and even a bathroom. The fact that you always have a toilet on hand is ideal, he adds. He explains enthusiastically, ‘When you set up camp, you don’t really have to do anything. For example, this one time we arrived at a campsite in Switzerland, and it was pouring with rain. We didn’t even get out; we just cooked indoors and played games. Come morning, the sun was shining, and we were able to put the chairs out.’
When asked what his favourite part of the campervan is, Sander has a surprising answer. ‘The best thing about it is are the seatbelts. The kids can just sit at the table buckled up and playing or colouring while we’re on the move. That makes it so much easier to drive long distances.’
‘We’ll still have a camper, even if it’s a smaller one, but there’s nothing like travelling around that way.’
What about when you want to retire?
Sander doesn’t have to think long about that, even if it is a while away. ‘We’ll still have a camper, even if it’s a smaller one, but there’s nothing like travelling around that way.’ Besides, retirement isn’t at the forefront of Sander’s mind... he’s too busy thinking about the here and now. And he doesn’t want to wait until retirement to do fun things. In fact, he’s got another wonderful holiday planned soon. This summer, the family are going to the Vosges and the Ardèche in France. ‘The children want to stay in one place for a little longer, but we want to travel around. So, this year we’re going to three different campsites, each with a pool. That way, we have a nice mix.’
Good to know: Your choices when it comes to your pension
Did you know you can retire earlier than your state pension age? This is ideal if you enjoy, let’s say, travelling around in your campervan, and you want to draw your pension earlier. You also have the option of high/low retirement pension payment for the first five or ten years. Useful if you need more money to travel. After those five or ten years, the pension you receive for the rest of your life will be reduced. Or you can do it the other way around.