Motorhome Life Derry & Benone Beach

Ah, the glamorous life of a motorhome dweller. Spoiler: it’s not all drone shots and #vanlife sunsets. Sometimes it’s standing in an industrial estate in Derry wondering if your e-bike’s inner tube is mocking you. Welcome to motorhome life in Derry & Benone Beach.

E-Bike Woes in Derry

The day kicked off with a puncture. Rear wheel, of course – gears, linkage, motor, and about as much fun as open-heart surgery in a gale. Could I have fixed it myself? Technically yes. Did I want to? Absolutely not.

Enter Tim from Yocks Scooters in Springtown Industrial Estate. An absolute gent. He deals with high-end scooters and e-bikes all day, so my scruffy wheel was child’s play. I half-expect he just slapped a patch on and pocketed my cash, but either way, the bike was rolling again and that’s all that mattered.

Roof Leaks & Tape Solutions

Next up – the van roof. The skylight has more cracks than my patience, and let’s just say the “temporary” tape job is starting to feel very permanent. The bodywork guy shrugged it off for at least another year, which is useless when you live full-time in the thing. So, more tape it is. Practical? No. Instagrammable? Definitely not. But it keeps the rain out.

Benone Beach: Million-Pound Views, Diesel-Priced Parking

Finally, the reward. Benone Beach. Parked up side-on so Mrs. M can open the blinds to a sea view. That’s the whole point – million-pound views for the cost of a litre or two of diesel.

Overnighting here is always a calculated risk. The tides creep further than your mother-in-law’s Facebook comments, and depending on the moon cycle, you could wake up floating. We play it safe, sticking to the edge of the concrete path when needed. Still – it’s peaceful, safe, and beats paying for a packed site.

And thanks to Starlink, we now have signal where before we had nothing but seagulls for company. Remote work actually works here now, which is nothing short of a revelation.

Side Note: TikTok & Perfectionism

Mrs. M roped me into an interview about her journey to sobriety (which I’m insanely proud of her for). Filmed it last night, and of course, I was locked to the laptop until it was edited for release today. She hates that I’m a perfectionist. I hate that she’s right. More on that later once the video’s live.

Watch the Video

If you’d rather see the chaos unfold with moving pictures, here’s the YouTube version of the day:

Things That Keep Us Sane on the Road

• E-Bike Bags – because carrying shopping in your hoodie pocket isn’t practical

• Electric Pump – saves swearing and hand cramps

• Zettum Bike Cover – This has stood the test of time in protecting my bike!

• Eskute eBikes – I’ve had one of these for 2 years and they’re offering £50 off with code: AFGF50430