novice cushie shooter Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Thinking of buying one as got the caravan bug and fancy going out and about but can anyone tell me how expensive they are to run.ie insurance servicing, pitch prices etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Pitch prices vary from place to place and also depend on seasons. Insurance I have no idea as mine is foreign and 1970s retro and they wont insure such an old van apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferguson_tom Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Pretty cheap to be honest if you got somewhere to store it. I used to keep mine at a local farm and was £250 a year the proper storage sites are around £450 a year. Insurance i never bothered with as only had a cheapish van £2000 but only a couple hundred quid for something more top end. Servicing i did it all my self as only going through greasing wheel bearings etc on new vans they are sealed for life wheel bearings. Main thing to look out for is damp when buying one take a damp tester and prod everywhere. My colleague at work has a 3 year old swift and has damp all down one side luckily they have taken in as is a manufacturing fault. Even if you had to store on a proper site pay for servicing and insurance you would still have a lot of change from £1000 per year. Touring sites vary greatly depending on what facilities they have but say a site with just pitches and electric hook up about £10-15 a night, the parks with entertainment and activities you can be looking easily 40 a night with a couple of kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 (edited) I used to belong to the Caravan Club and used their sites extensively. Might be an idea to have a look on their website to find out what they charge these days. There's also the Caravan & Camping Club too. I used to store mine at home until I moved and then used to keep it at a local farm who did storage. The farm has several night time visits from passing caravan dwellers and quite a few stored caravans, including mine, were broken into and damaged. If you're going to keep it away from home make sure you remove anything of value from it whilst stored. Edited May 10, 2013 by PhilR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloke Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 If you have a family they can be a cheaper option, but if there is only a couple, it can be more expensive. By the time you factor in cost, depreciation, insurance, maintenance, extra fuel/larger car to tow, site fees, hook-up to mains, etc etc, it can become cheaper for a couple to have budget holidays abroad. Having said that, I loved my caravan, great memories of holidays when the kids were younger, and of course, with a caravan, you can pack pushbikes and telly/dvd/electronic games etc, and your meals can be cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delburt0 Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 (edited) Try e&l leisure for the insurance always found them cheaper than anyone when we did touring , stopped a few yrs ago due to the British weather , so many nice places in england but no good if your getting wet,, hence my typing this from a taverna in rhodes drinking ice cold ai beer 28 degrees with my vest and shorts on Edited May 10, 2013 by delburt0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobt Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 dont join the caravan club, they support the RSPCA, join the camping and caravan club, just paid £150 to insure our van valued at £8k, pitch fees go from a fiver a night in a field only water provided, to £30 upwards, a decent pitch can be had for £15 -20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TbirdX Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Van circa 12k, insurance circa £300 (new for old), storage at home £0, elsewhere £250-£600, last service circa £200, gas at £25 for 6Kg which will last you anywhere from a weekend to all year depending on usage and who you believe , sundry extras £0 - £1500+, C&CC membership about £40 for a couple, site fees from £5 - £35 a night depending on place and extras (No, not that kind). Then you need a tow vehicle and all that goes with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
novice cushie shooter Posted May 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Thanks guys. I got a crv with towbar 2 months back thats whats making it possible otherwise i probably wouldnt do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobt Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 check what the CRV will tow before buying anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abacist Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 The caravan maximum laden weight should not exceed 85% of the kerbweight of the car to be safe otherwise the caravan will dominate the car and you risk getting into a terminal snake and writing everything off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outlander Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 (edited) You wont regret getting a caravan,we love going away in ours sadly not often enough though. And I would say you can get insurance/ servicing/storage and quite a few breaks for less than 1k a year. Have a look on here http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk theres all you ever need to know about caravaning on there. Outlander Edited May 10, 2013 by Outlander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abacist Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Caravans have both gas and mains electricity installations and so need to be maintained to be safe. Gas exhaust fumes produce deadly carbon monoxide so the rubber pipes need to be replaced regularly and the other parts of the system tested for leaks etc. A full service from a professional fitter to cover both mechanical and habitation aspects on a home visit need not cost more than £160 plus parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
novice cushie shooter Posted May 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Thanks all useful stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delburt0 Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 Caravans have both gas and mains electricity installations and so need to be maintained to be safe. Gas exhaust fumes produce deadly carbon monoxide so the rubber pipes need to be replaced regularly and the other parts of the system tested for leaks etc. A full service from a professional fitter to cover both mechanical and habitation aspects on a home visit need not cost more than £160 plus parts.we always used electric free from the site, not been tight but I always felt safer from a carbon monoxide point of view had a big George formby rather than a camping stove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 we always used electric free from the site, not been tight but I always felt safer from a carbon monoxide point of view had a big George formby rather than a camping stove Don't know any places that give you a free electric hook up. We charge from £3 to £5 per night depending on season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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