Plenty of people dream of owning a campervan – the lure of the open road and the freedom to go anywhere at the drop of a hat appeals to many. But not everyone makes it their mission to save enough cash to achieve their motoring goal. Joseph Seager, 33, a photographer, did just that. “I wanted to be able to go to bed and wake up on location, rather than having to leave home several hours before sunrise to catch the best shots,” he says.
Seager and his wife, Amy, dreamed of owning a campervan ever since they met at university 15 years ago. But with three sons, aged six, three, and eight months, they needed something suitable for family life.
“The classic hippy VW campervan was never going to work for us – we needed something that could safely take the children’s car seats in the back,” he says. “We researched what type of van would suit my photography work and still be compatible with family holidays and, after lots of research, we decided on the Mazda Bongo.”
The couple, who are both self-employed, opened a savings account and agreed to put away 10% of everything they earned. “When you’re self-employed you never know when you’re going to get paid, so we had to be quite regimented about it,” says Seager. Within 18 months, they’d saved £3,500 and were ready to start looking for their perfect campervan.
Joseph Seager, all set for the open road
It took a further 10 months of disappointing test drives before Seager found the van that would eventually be his. “We really struggled to find the right one – we took one for a test drive and the exhaust fell off before we’d even made it out of the garage,” he says. “Then, one day, everything fell into place. We went to look at a van, and it turned out that the owner worked with one of my childhood friends, although we didn’t figure that out until we got there. I also discovered a specialist mechanic based two junctions down the motorway from us, which put my mind at rest about getting the van serviced and putting it through its MOT.”
The couple agreed to buy the vehicle there and then, and drove it home that day. Two years on, the campervan has proved to be a sound investment. Seager has taken it on photographic trips around Scotland, north Wales and the Lake District, and says the family have enjoyed many happy holidays in it. “Our van is part of the family now. We go and visit my parents in it, which turns the trip into an adventure, and a couple of years ago we had Christmas in the van,” he says. “We parked up at Lytham St Annes and ate our Christmas dinner in it. So many people commented on what a fabulous idea that was, and several people asked if there was enough room for them to join us!”
Despite not being mechanically minded, Seager has also enjoyed learning some new skills, including installing a new car battery and changing the fuses. “Everything’s in Japanese, so it’s quite the learning curve, but our middle child’s godparent is a mechanic, thankfully, which helps.”
Joseph setting up in Scotland
Having discovered how easy it can be to save – they had £5,000 by the time they found the right van – the couple continued putting aside 10% of their income towards the costs of running and maintaining the van. “It’s surprising how quickly even a small regular saving adds up,” he says. “Our most recent service was fairly expensive, and it was great to have the cash set aside for that.”
Jill Waters, retail director at NS&I, says: “Team work is great to start a lifelong savings habit. The joint impetus between Seager and Amy ensured that neither of them lapsed in their mutual goal for the campervan that has benefited the whole family. The children will also gain longer term by hearing their parents talking about what the family have gained from saving for something special and will, in return, start their own savings goals that they can take into adulthood.”
Getting the perfect van took longer than Seager expected, but he says it was well worth the wait. “A Mazda Bongo isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but ours is extra special to us,” he says. “We honeymooned in Tokyo, so the van is our precious little piece of Japan.”
Having something to save towards can make putting money aside easier. With the help of NS&I, you can reach your goal too. Visit nsandi.com for more information.
