Caravan owners??

liz-paul

Hi folks, I have been considering buying a caravan recently but I don't know much about it. I live in NI and I think that with a caravan we would manage a lot of weekends away and also some longer weeks fairly cheaply if we had a caravan. We used to camp regularly before we had kids and have done a bit with the kids but tbh it is quite hard work (kids are 6 & 3) and it makes me feel like I'd rather just stay at home!!!! Also the actual camp site fee's are usually similar whether you have a caravan or a tent.

What I'm wondering is how much a caravan costs to use/run? They seem to be a few thousand £'s for a semi decent 2nd hand one but are they expensive to look after & keep in good condition? Do they use up a lot more petrol than driving alone (e.g. does it double petrol costs to tow a caravan)?

I think we would get good value for money from it assuming I haven't missed a load of hidden costs involved in owning a caravan.....
Thanks for any help/thoughts you have :beer:

caris

Hi

I think you may get a better repsonse to your questions on the ukcampsite forum.

Own_My_Own

We have a folding camper. It is in my opinion better than a caravan. The cost of towing is cheaper than a caravan and they are a lot easier to tow.On setting up you will have 2 double beds( 1 at each end) and a decent living area in the middle.

daveyjp

I don't see it as a cheap holiday. You need to buy the van, a few hundred to tens of thousands and you also need a car which can tow it which means higher car ownership costs.

Despite this if you are committed to using it on a regular basis it is a way of getting plenty of weekends away at relatively low cost. You do need to be organised as they require an element of packing and unpacking everytime you use them.

An alternative is to use a site with a "store and stay" service where you leave the caravan at the same site most of the year and pay extra on the nights you stay in it.

greenface

its not cheaper it becomes a way of life . Your always trying to getaway for a long weekend or bank holiday. It adds up to much bucks . I have owned a caravan for about 15 years and turned down lots of overtime and weekend work just to getaway too. so money spent and money not gained . Love it though .Must have some gypsy

Quinny_2

caris wrote: »

Hi

I think you may get a better repsonse to your questions on the ukcampsite forum.

This:

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk

In the caravans and camping forum.

ian103

definitely not cheap holidays but we used to have every other weekend away from April - November which we wouldn't have done if we didn't have a camper van or caravn but I would never had said cheap but still great funa nd very relaxing.

liz-paul

Thanks folks for the replies. It is not on the immediate horizon anyway as we don't have te money this year. Some things to consider here though. Only thinking cheap in terms of weekend at a hotel = £200 + for room V campsite fee's £40 + for a weekend.... Thanks again folks

Buzby

You are staying in the wrong hotels! I aim to have an early booked room for £40 max per night - campsites are nearly £20pn, so in the current climate, I'd say no - you are building up a liability and if you have nowhere on your own property to store it - an expensive liability.

chergar

Regarding the cheapness of holidays i think it depends on what you are looking for. We have a touring caravan and have been on so many holidays that we could not afford to go on otherwise. We have taken the children to many different places that would have cost a fortune otherwise.

For an example we have been to Butlins in Skegness with our tourer twice, we paid £187 for a full week there (sat-sat), you have use of the exact same facilities as those staying in a chalet, we priced a s/c chalet for us for the dates we were going and it was coming in at over £900. Now I realise that we could choose not to go to Butlins but it was something we wanted to do and doing with our van it cost a great deal less (plus we had the benefit of knowing our accommodation would be clean lol!) However I would not recommend buying a caravan just because you want cheap butlins holidays!

Other than Butlins we have been to G. Yarmouth, the Lake District, York, Blackpool, North Berwick, Northumberland, Uttoxeter (just outside alton towers), Bristol area, ayrshire, Loch Lomond.
Yes taking a tourer does add fuel costs on and if you are having to pay for storage that is another expense, luckily we have a long driveway where we keep our van so no extra cost for us there.

As you are in NI you would need to consider where you would be going with the 'van, ferry costs can be very high so would you be happy in NI and the Republic?

Maybe draw up a list of how much a 'van will cost and if yiou need a new car to go with it, then the extra fuel costs and storage fees. Work out how many nights away you want to get and the nightly fees then divide the true cost by nights away and see how much you are paying per night or if going to cheapy hotels would be more cost effective. It is a lot to consider and not something you can just dive into but in all honesty I love caravanning, our van is older and wasn't too expensive so has paid for itself already but what suits us might not suit you.