[Closed] Finding reasons not to have what you want

It wont get better 😁..why not just do it and then lie there having buyers remorse ..

Which is the lesser of the two evils ?

I do know where you are coming from though ..I feel exactly the same before any major purchase ..

Objects of desire rarely have longevity. The guilt of knowing that there were much more sensible things you could have done with the money, rather than pursue the cathexis, blindly, single-mindedly, to the exclusion of all reasonable logic, the same guilt that turns and morphs into shame, as you reveal your moment of madness to friends, family and possibly the world via social media or a cycling related forum.

Ive absolutely no idea what that might be like...

Lifes too short to be overly sensible, JFDI 😃

You only die once, may as well die knowing you gave it a go.

When junior left home we thouhgt we'd buy a T6 Cali to replace the T2 we'd had as a young couple. the reasons for the non-purchase:

We used to overnight on St Jean de Luz sean front, Biscarrosse lake and various places that overnighting in campers is now banned sometimes with a 1m80 height barrier. If it was a nice free place to stay you can't anymore.

All the best piticehes on campsite are now occupied by mobile homes and bungalos, the worst pitches are the gravel bits for the campers.

They're filthy things which produce loads more CO2 than Zoé.

Our T2 was broiken into five times, things haven't improved.

Camper ghetos are shit, the one in St Jean de Luz is between the railway and route nationale.

If you still have doubts consider how many interesting alternative holidays you could have with the money and how often you'd use the extra space compared with your car. I thought about that for the last van we had. In the last three years it was carrying big windows twice. Hiring a van for the day to do that would have cost peanuts compared with running the van.

Camper people are dicks. If you want to meet interesting sociable people buy a tent or stop in places using Booking. All those entitled, Brexit-voting, xenophobic dicks on the ferry can be seen driving off in their camper vans. Ts are driven by younger dicks, often with hipster looks but an eaually entitiled bad-ass f-you attitude. The surfers are an exception but then most surfer types are self-centered, bragging entitled dicks of a different variety - it's my wave..

They're money pits. The traffic just needs gearboxes now and then but the Ts are lightweight components used in a heavy van and unreliable in so many aspects that something will probably go  wrong somewhere along the way. Now add a load of gadgets, ghizmos, heaters, extra batteries and electrics and you have something that will go wrong lots.

Don't hold back now, Edukator! 🤣

self-centered, bragging entitled dicks of a different variety

Didn’t have you down as a surfer...

Dirty sex pool! Big purchase. At the time I was waking up in the night thinking it's a lot of money.

Some two years on don'  regret it one bit.

I do it a lot for myself. Last week i bought the wifes ZX6R a new Leo Vince exhaust, this week i'm just waiting for some new 1 piece leathers for track to arrive today.... for her..

However, justifiying similar purchases for myself, i struggle with a lot at times.

These are quite small purchases compared to a new vehicle of course, but just the first things that came to mind.

Camper people are dicks....

......Ts are driven by younger dicks, often with hipster looks but an eaually entitiled bad-ass f-you attitude...

Some of the nicest, most caring, do anything for you, helpful, and genuine lifelong friends I have, were met through VW camper shows and events over the last 20 years.

But I’m sure those people you’ve never spoken to on the ferry can be used to generalise effectively 👍

https://psychologenie.com/why-are-humans-never-content

There’s nothing wring with rationalising a purchase and the desire goes away, what else could you do with the money?  And once you have your new object, apart from “having” it, what does it achieve for you?

Watches are a classic - don’t get me wrong I like shiny watches too - but smar****ches aside there’s a large variation in the amount your wallet will be emptied to which end all do the same - tell the time.

But I’m sure those people you’ve never spoken to on the ferry

No need, they speak loud enough for anyone sitting near to follow every word of the conversation. Two camper owners shared their views on the refugees trying ot get on the ferry in Caen at a volume anyone in the queue with a window open could hear.

VW camper shows and events over the last 20 years

And I'm sure you're not in the slightest bit biased or lacking in objectivitiy. (How do you do a thumbs up?)

Two camper owners...

You should have said earier, I didn’t realise you’d done thorough research. 👍

I’ll bow to your extensive knowledge 😜

Stop being tight.  Are your children going to go hungry, or are you in massive dept?  If not, buy the van.  You could get run over tomorrow (by a van).

I don't remember the OP saying that it was a camper van he wanted ?

That's a pretty sweeping generalisation Edukator ..with regard to camper van owners ...my father had to sell his last year his third in a twenty year period and it broke his heart ( due to health reasons surrounding his broken heart ) ..a less showy / loud person you couldn't meet and a true outdoorsman ..

I've had the misfortune to be camping in places where my fellow campers have ramped up the decibel level to a stage where my blood was boiling ..funnily enough I never heard a squeak from the motor home owners on the same site ..

I’m happy being a massive dick because I have a van thanks Edukator 😉. It’s something I’ve wanted for years - I can afford it as some of my mum’s inheritance and I think she’d approve. I get the potential moneypit thing but this is a nice one with few miles so hoping a good ‘un - I guess it’s always a bit of a lottery buying any used vehicle though.

If you are offended rather than acting offended I think you need to remember that this is a thread about the reasons for NOT owning a van, Neal. And my just slightly OTT rambling (the anecdotes are ture) has clearly bypassed your sense of humour.

There were two racist camper owners talking loudly in the queue, a group of xenophobic camper owners in the bar, some French-school-children-hating camper owner dicks in the restaurant... . If you want to meet some camper owners even you would disown I suggest taking the ferry to Brittany early Spring when it's really cheap and the just-retired-and-bought-a-camper people are on the move bringing joy to parts of Europe they want nothing to do with apart form the sun and cheap booze.

When junior left home we thouhgt we’d buy a T6 Cali to replace the T2 we’d had as a young couple. the reasons for the non-purchase:

We used to overnight on St Jean de Luz sean front, Biscarrosse lake and various places that overnighting in campers is now banned sometimes with a 1m80 height barrier. If it was a nice free place to stay you can’t anymore.

All the best piticehes on campsite are now occupied by mobile homes and bungalos, the worst pitches are the gravel bits for the campers.

They’re filthy things which produce loads more CO2 than Zoé.

Our T2 was broiken into five times, things haven’t improved.

Camper ghetos are shit, the one in St Jean de Luz is between the railway and route nationale.

If you still have doubts consider how many interesting alternative holidays you could have with the money and how often you’d use the extra space compared with your car. I thought about that for the last van we had. In the last three years it was carrying big windows twice. Hiring a van for the day to do that would have cost peanuts compared with running the van.

Camper people are dicks. If you want to meet interesting sociable people buy a tent or stop in places using Booking. All those entitled, Brexit-voting, xenophobic dicks on the ferry can be seen driving off in their camper vans. Ts are driven by younger dicks, often with hipster looks but an eaually entitiled bad-ass f-you attitude. The surfers are an exception but then most surfer types are self-centered, bragging entitled dicks of a different variety – it’s my wave..

They’re money pits. The traffic just needs gearboxes now and then but the Ts are lightweight components used in a heavy van and unreliable in so many aspects that something will probably go  wrong somewhere along the way. Now add a load of gadgets, ghizmos, heaters, extra batteries and electrics and you have something that will go wrong lots.

Look how happy it has made Edukator.  Surely you don't want to miss out on that?

If you are offended rather than acting offended I think you need to remember that this is a thread about the reasons for NOT owning a van, Neal

Its neither of those as it happens.

I was just pointing out the errors in your daft generalisation.

“I once saw a guy in a Renault Zoe chuck a McDonald’s wrapper into a hedge... so all people who drive electric cars are dicks?”

Well it made me smile tying it, some people clearly haven't twigged the spirit in which it was written. If I did the same for the owners of Harley Davidsons, watches (as kryton rightly includes in the less than objective wants), customs-shop guitatrs, top-end hi-fi, splitting axes... would it become clear. And consider for an instant if rubbishing my honest experiences is credible or simply conforting my stereotype.

If you want to meet some camper owners even you would disown I suggest taking the ferry to Brittany early Spring when it’s really cheap and the just-retired-and-bought-a-camper people are on the move bringing joy to parts of Europe they want nothing to do with apart form the sun and cheap booze.

You've shared a ferry with my father and step-mother then?

Camper people are dicks. If you want to meet interesting sociable people buy a tent or stop in places using Booking. All those entitled, Brexit-voting, xenophobic dicks on the ferry can be seen driving off in their camper vans. Ts are driven by younger dicks, often with hipster looks but an eaually entitiled bad-ass f-you attitude. The surfers are an exception but then most surfer types are self-centered, bragging entitled dicks of a different variety – it’s my wave..

I like that, sums up my experience with Camper owners too.

You forgot the Dog owning ones in that rant, can you add those in too... ta 🤞

“I once saw a guy in a Renault Zoe chuck a McDonald’s wrapper into a hedge… so all people who drive electric cars are dicks?”

It's simply the irony .. (good example though) .. buy an electric car and save the planet ... whilst buying products from the people responsible for more than anyone else for deforestation and then chuck the wrapper in a hedge..

It may well have nothing to do with camper vans and just be the Brittany Ferry but for some reason there are  more than average very loud and vocal people on the way to Europe being loud and vocal about how they hate Europe...

Having a camper they can drive round the UK and moan every time they see a foreign reg just seems to make it more ironic.

“parts of Europe they want nothing to do with apart form the sun and cheap booze.”

There the only good things about France once the ski seasons over. Your wines overrated crap as well.

Neal, I owned a T2 for five years (we lived in it for a year), a Ducato for many more, have travelled widely in the things, been a neighbour to camper van owners more than most (we get three months holiday a year). I challenge you to find someone more qualified than myself in terms of nights with camper van owners as neighbours to comment on the the camper van experience, its evolution over 50 years and where it is now.

As recently as yesterday I was sharing space with the T set (camping Montañesa, Ainsa, Spain).

The manufacturers sell a dream that's at least 30 years out of date. There are still places you can use a van as intended but they are fewer and further apart, Portugal, parts of Spain... and many more if you stay away from beaches or centers of population. However, if you want to leave the thing it's best to leave it on a campsite as there's less chance it'll be broken into (we were broken into on a campsite in Italy), campsites aren't what they were and campers are often put on hard standing unless you pay for a tent pitch which camper owners seem reluctant to do as they're tight as **** despite having spent 60k on the van.

So the dream is flawed, like many dreams, you may be happy to live the compromise (we were on a campsite yesterday and quite happy - it had a jet wash for the MTBs a swimming pool and no-one was bothered by noisy filthy mountain bikers). However, the "want" is the dream and the people who buy into the dream often coform to stereotypes - just 50 years of observation.

Edit:

There the only good things about France once the ski seasons over. Your wines overrated crap as well.

You've never tasted a good beaujolais nouveau ... and nor have I.

I've no interest whatsoever in vans but this...

most surfer types are self-centered, bragging entitled dicks of a different variety – it’s my wave..

...is spot on as is the rest of the rant. Worse, they won't shut up about their ****ing vans 😁

To placate Edukator, you could get a van (well, its a caravelle so every toll booth and MOT are told its a car)  and a tent. It's a nice combo, get a smaller easier to pop up tent, tarps, screens etc and you can tour better than a camper really - don't have to pack the crockery every time you nip out for a baguette.

Can you do one about custom shop guitars though, I've never really got them (unless you're a session guitarist maybe, when its a tool). A nice old one every time for me 😀

“You’ve never tasted a good beaujolais nouveau … and nor have I.”

Nothing but the finest Blue Nun for me!

There were two racist camper owners talking loudly in the queue, a group of xenophobic camper owners in the bar, some French-school-children-hating camper owner dicks in the restaurant…

It's the reason I no longer wear tee-shirts, I once overheard two men in tee-shirts making loud and obnoxious comments about stuff. Most tee-shirt wearers are obnoxious fascists with beer-guts and arms burned red by excessive exposure to the sun / The Sun.

I am not a troll or pointlessly argumentative, I just tell it like it is 🙂

I am not a troll or pointlessly argumentative, I just tell it like it is

Says the man who posted a thread about a new battery for his Mac Book Pro. But that was such obvious trolling you only got one reply despite bumping your own thread twice. 😉

All those entitled, Brexit-voting, xenophobic dicks on the ferry can be seen driving off in their camper vans. Ts are driven by younger dicks, often with hipster looks but an eaually entitiled bad-ass f-you attitude.

Yep, very true! You see them with 'Love Europe, hate the EU' stickers on queuing for the Chunnel.

Educator , that is the bestest most eloquent rant ever to grace these pages.

However my brother has a camper and really enjoys his French holidays.

Every point you make is still valid though.

Award yourself a beer.

And for custom-shop guitar haterz I have the Gibson Firebird Slash at $7699:

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2017/Custom/Slash-Firebird.aspx

Way back when Gibson needed a plank guitar to rival Fender's collection of rather good plank guitars. Fender having patented the features that made their planks good the Firebird was never going to be as comfortable to play but hey! It looked the part. In fact it was a pretty good guitar, Brian Jones played one and he was a bit of a... . You can still buy a Made in USA Firebird, spend some time or give it to a luthier and:

Fit some Duncan Slash Humbuckers

Change the machine heads

Clean up the bindings and polish the frets

Set the thing up,

Wire it to your taste

Do all that and you'll still get change from $2500, and it won't be tatty, dinged and scratched.

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2016/USA/Firebird.aspx

So what makes someone "want" the custom shop "collectible" Slash Firebird? Work that out and you'll be safer from things you might "want" in your dreams but are flawed in reality, because even if you buy the corresponding Slash Marshall AFD amp and Slash Marshall 1960V cab you're unlikely to ever make it sound like Slash..

I like wearing t-shirts ..but in my defence I have never read The Sun ( is it still published ? ) since they stopped putting fit birds flashing their tits on page 3 ..

Is Fiona Bruce still in it ??

This thread went off the rails pretty quick 😀

On the original subject though, I'm a master of thinking of reasons not to buy stuff I want. Millions of nagging doubts or niggles, and comparing alternatives, checking reviews. In the end I don't buy anything and make do without. Despite the cost not usually being an issue. Very much not an impulse buyer. I even go to the shops, see something that looks great but then I'm on the Internet on the phone checking out reviews and then I'm thinking I need to go away and research it first. Just buy the damn bloody thing and be done with it! I say to myself 😀

Likewise on chucking things out. Rather than chuck out and buy a better replacement, I find reasons to just keep with what I've got.

This all gets worse when you have young mouths to feed, and young feet to get shod, doesn't it…

..I challenge you to find someone more qualified than myself...etc

Never has any forum member typed anything that so accurately sums up my vision of how they are ALL the time, than this comment ... 😂

It's all in the pseudo

Ignoring all that motor home stuff up there, I hardly ever treat myself to things & when i do they are pretty modest compared to a lot of stuff people buy themselves, but I always end up making a decision & then almost talking myself out of it.

In January I bought a 3D printer. I had a modest unexpected bonus at work & figured I could buy a printer & give the rest of the money to my Wife for her to spend on whatever she wanted. It only cost me £225 and came from money that I wasn't expecting in the first place, but I still ummmmed & aaaahed for days about whether or not I should actually get it. And the new IKEA desk that I want to put it on - it's gonna cost about £50, but I still haven't got round to allowing myself that little extravagance....

Same with my new phone that I bought in early 2017. It was a £200 phone. My phone at the time was on the way out after 4 years of hard use. And £200 on a phone is not exactly a great deal, but bloody hell - the indecision & thought that went into buying a new phone was ridiculous!

I'm currently in a similar boat with replacing my POS Garmin Edge 500. Many people get on fine with them, but I just think it's a rubbish device. It works as a bike computer, but the breadcrumb trail navigation side of it (which is one of the main reasons I bought it) has never worked very well, or given me any faith it will get me where I am supposed to be going. And, I've got over £80 of Wiggle vouchers, plus some birthday money, so it will almost cost me nothing to get a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt. But, I still can't find it in myself to press the buy button.....

What a saddo.....

The fun is in the looking and deciding what you want .... I drag it out for ages.

Once the item is bought that's it, the fun is over .... and its just another possession.

The dream is in the dreaming !!

Good luck.