Thinking about caravanning.

muddyl

Hi all,
Due to having 4 children and the poor economy, I cant see us having many holidays in the near future.
So, i'm thinking about getting a cheap (at least to try this out) 4 berth caravan and awning, but i'll be totally new to all of this.

For those that use caravans, how much does it usually cost to stay somewhere for say, a long weekend (4 days?). Just trying to work out if this is feasible. Dont want my kids to go without holidays for years.

Any comments/suggestions more than welcome.

Thanks, mark

greenface

Dont get me wrong here and as a caravan owner for the past 16 years Its not a cheap holiday .... because you go more often because you can. If you dont your not making full use of your caravan or family time if you cannot do this due to work .you dont want a caravan. Look around £20 per night pitch awning & hook up on a decent pitch on a site thats not all singing & dancing . But sometimes look around and you can find £8 per night in a working farm etc. Add up the price of caravan /awning, goods, bedding, tow bar extra petrol /storage if you havent got it spare or familys. Water storage aqua rolls .hook ups . renewing awnings after a few years.All adds up .We sometimes spent about a quarter a year in our caravan (most weekends and all holidays march-nov) we loved it although sometimes hard work always worth it and kids loved it

missindecisive

you will easily find somewhere to stay for around £100 or less for a short 4 night break.

consider though, where you will store it, on the drive or will you have to pay out for storage somewhere? How much it will cost you to insure it and maintain it...you will need tyres/servicing etc.
how you will tow it. is your car suitable / a friend of mine had to change her car as her vauxhall wasn't quite right engine size.

I think you could have some really good family holidays with the kids with a caravan, they will love it ! lots of family friendly sites through the caravan club.

if its not feasible with the finances, you could consider camping in a tent:rotfl:

daveyjp

As greenface says it's not necessarily a cheap holiday. We have been camping for almost 20 years and have noticed that a lot of sites now charge for the pitch and then for each additional person, with four children this adds to costs significantly.

What was our favourite site (!) now charges £29.00 - £32.50 a night in school holidays (includes two people, extra people £3 per night).

Another we have been to (again quite basic) would be £47 a night for yourself and four children with power hook up.

Have you thought about starting with a tent?

muddyl

Thanks for the replies, its given me a lot to think about.

daveyjp wrote: »

Have you thought about starting with a tent?

My two youngest would be a little too you (this time next year they would be 1 1/2 & 2 1/2), though my wife and I wouldnt mind that, we cant do it with them.

missindecisive wrote: »

consider though, where you will store it, on the drive or will you have to pay out for storage somewhere? How much it will cost you to insure it and maintain it...you will need tyres/servicing etc.
how you will tow it. is your car suitable

I'll have to check with storage. Theres room to the side of the house thats partly paved, will check what the width of it is. |(how much room do you normally need width ways?)
Could also put a gate in my back garden fence, plenty of room there but not sure if i could get out easily as there is an earth mound just after it that may be a little too steep (could level it but there would be a few ton to move).
May not insure it to start with if i get a cheap one and servicing would be done by myself or a relative who is a mechanic (so tyres would be cheap too).
Have a Citroen C8 to tow with. 2.0 HDi with towing capacity of 1850kg (1454kg @ 85%)

greenface wrote: »

We sometimes spent about a quarter a year in our caravan (most weekends and all holidays march-nov)

Would not be able to manage that often, but could manage quite a lot.
I work at a college, and when its closed to students (summer holidays etc) i can take holidays in big chunks. Would also try to do bank holidays/long weekends when possible. We would try to get the most out of it.

rolo-polo1965

muddyl wrote: »

Hi all,
Due to having 4 children and the poor economy, I cant see us having many holidays in the near future.
So, i'm thinking about getting a cheap (at least to try this out) 4 berth caravan and awning, but i'll be totally new to all of this.

For those that use caravans, how much does it usually cost to stay somewhere for say, a long weekend (4 days?). Just trying to work out if this is feasible. Dont want my kids to go without holidays for years.

Any comments/suggestions more than welcome.

Thanks, mark

I camp with my children using a tent which is the only way my children get a holiday what with being a single parent.

My youngest was 3 weeks old when we first took her camping and it is something we have done every year since!

Don't let the fact that you have young children put you off camping!

We have a large tent now that is a dome tent and is suposed to sleep 12 so we have loads of room for my self 3 children still at home and the dog!

daveyjp

Young children don't care where they are so one option is to find a site with lots to offer not too far from home where you can leave a caravan all year, pay a fee for storage and a further fee when you use it.

Use it at the weekend, with the option of a longer summer trip to a different site if you fancy a change.

This way you don't have the hassle of towing and setting up, then striking camp and towing home a few days later. This can take longer than you think, especially with an awning, and four children soon get bored.

DollyDabbler

We camped for years with a frame tent and trailer, and then moved to a caravan and have had some great holidays with and without the kids.

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/

The site is free to join and has others in the same position, debating whether to buy a caravan.

It took DH a long time to decide to go for a caravan, but he's the first to admit he loves it and should probably have done it a few years before we did.

4Xchaos

I also have 4 children aged now 8-13. We got our van almost 10 years ago, and it was 12 years old then. We have a 5berth Abbey which even now all 6 of us can sleep in comfortably.

Yes there are costs, storage being the biggest after purchase. Insurance for an old van isn't excessive (we pay less than £60). We usually have to "fix" something every outing but that just goes with the fun.

Would we change it. Absolutely NOT. The kids love it - it doesn't matter whether we travel for 7 hours or 7 minutes to get to the campsite - they just love being outdoors. They've (and we have too) made some really good friends through camping/ caravanning ... now they like to sleep in a pup tent when the weather (site) permits.

We usually go for basic sites ... they cost far less than sites that have everything, in fact some of our favourite sites are fields that cost £5/£8 per night ... we then treat them with swimming and other activities.

If its any help, my youngest two started camping and/or caravanning at 4 weeks.

stevefoss

You could have a look at joining either the camping and caravanning club or the caravan club, in the region of £38 a year. this opens up the possibility of using certificated sites (no more than 5 caravans) which are a cheaper option than commercial sites. most have electric hook-up and many also have shower and toilet facilities.
there is also rallying, which suits some people and not others! - but is cheaper still.
as others have also said, there is the cost of storage if you can't keep the van at home, and insurance, plus the pther bits and pieces you would need (aquarolls etc) but ebay is a good place to look.

we have had a caravan for several years having started out with a tent then trailer tent, and really enjoy using it.

a cheap(ish) van is a good way to start out and find out if you love it or hate it!

muddyl

Well, got a few things to look into then.

Main one to start with is where to keep it.

How wide a space do you usually need to store one? Have a space at the side of the house (would change a fence to some sort of gate for access) but now sure if it would be wide enough.

Then i'll look at what is available within my price and towing range.

Will also have to look into a trailer course. My wife would be ok to tow it but the licence laws changed four month before i got mine, so i'll have to get it addedd. Courses seem to be around £400 for a 3 day one, not sure id need that long though. Not towed caravans/trailers with a car much but used to tow with a forklift, but not for a few years now.