One for the caravan people - how much?

muddyl

Hi all,

As with a lot of you MSE's, I'm always looking to make my money go further.

Last year my family went away with a Sun holiday and we are doing the same this year. But I'm wondering, how much do those who have touring caravans tend to pay when they use children friendly sites?

I know the cost of sites as risen over the last few years but I'm wondering if buying a cheap caravan may provide more "bang for my buck"?

The cost of a caravan (even a cheap one, circa 1k) would be a big stretch, but I think it could pay for itself in savings in a couple of years plus we'd have the opportunity to just pack up and go over bank holiday weekends (my job means I'm off every bank holiday).

This year our Sun holiday is costing about £450 for a week for 6 of us in a static, which is a good price, but I wonder what it would have been in a tourer?

I'd have a few things to factor in like paying for storage (house deeds in our street prohibit keeping caravans on driveways,though it may fit down the side of the house ), and I'd need to do my trailer licence as I missed out by one year though my wife would be fine.

Anyway, enough if my waffling, how much do you caravaners usually pay for family friendly sites?

Norman_Castle

A good tent would be cheaper and a trailer, if needed, would be easier to store.

dibuzz

That's a good idea Norman, we had a trailer tent when the kids were younger, far easier to tow than a caravan and easier to put up than a normal tent but a modern tent and ordinary trailer would work fine too. They are much easier to put up these days.

greenface

Prices for a decent pitch in the summer range from 20/30 per night .more on all singing dancing with lots of stuff and less on quieter more rural sites . The £450 sun hols is that for the kids summer school holidays . We have owned caravans since our eldest was a babby (about 20 years) its not as cheap as staying at home . but for quality time with fambo and if you can getaway often its really good way to enjoy your weekends/anytime you can . We are merseyside and travel within 90 minutes for weekends (wales-derbyshire-lancaster etc . Longer on our hollybobs and longer stays. A tent or trailer tent is easier to tow and a little less comfy IMO but if storage is a issue then a good tent or trailer tent could be the answer .

kaya

Check up on your need to do a towing catagory, I read an article recently that states on a new standard licence you can tow but are restricted to a gross combined weight of 3.5t , if this is correct you could legally tow a small caravan with something like a mondeo , but you couldn't tow it with a bigger car like a 4x4

muddyl

Hi and thanks for the input everyone.

As sorry a tent for trailer tent, I don't think we would go there. Main reason is we have small children and my wife has a thing about keeping them safe. If your in a caravan you can lock the doors or if using an awning they can be inside while I sleep in the awning. As a one off thing it would be OK but I know she wouldn't want to do it on a regular basis.

As for the towing limits I think I'd have to do the test. As there is 6 of us we would need a 6 berth or 3/4 berth with awning. Couple that with both our cars (a people carrier and a big saloon) and wed be over the limit.

troutyjo

how about joining the caravan club, they run rallies from £6 / £15 pound a night depending on the venues. Loads of families join, so plenty of company for the kids...

keigcf

Why not try a smaller Cl/Cs Site which would be cheaper than a all singing and dancing site, but one which is near a town with swimming pool and other child friendly bits? Cl's tend to be around the £10 a night mark and most now have better facilities than in the past. :j

muddyl

keigcf wrote: »

Why not try a smaller Cl/Cs Site

That all sounds very good, if only i knew what CI/Cs stood for!


At the moment im trying to run the figures to work out if its a viable option.

It would be a stretch to buy a caravan right now but i believe it would pay for itself in a few years and as has already been mentioned in this thread, it would be great to be able to just pack up and make the best of bank holidays etc.

All the input is great encouragement for me! :T

flea72

Alot of the sites used for sun holidays also have campsites attached, but they arent cheap. Expect to pay over £30pn for a pitch.

If worried about safety in a tent or trailer tent, then just sleep an adult in each room with kids. However the sound of a tent zip opening is enough for most parents to rouse, if in a separate room. Personally we have never locked our caravan overnight, as the fear of being trapped in a fire, is worse than kids wandering off in the night without my knowledge (thankfully neither has ever happened)

£1k also will get you quite an old caravan, with a fairly short lifespan. Sizewise as a family of 6 with growing kids, a 3-4 berth wouldnt be much fun. A 6 berth would just about be functional, but still sardines

Factor in insurance and maybe storage costs ontop, the sun holdiays will prob be more cost effective

laurel7172

I am not a caravan owner, but my parents are and I practically grew up in one. I second the caravan club rallies for kids (though it was a long time ago for me)-had a whole different set of weekend friends who were always available in a new place to explore every week. Utterly. Brilliant

However, caravans aren't cost free to run-they need servicing and repairing (you aren't going to risk your family with an unmaintained gas appliance, are you?). I think my parents spend a good few hundred per year maintaining a newish van, and, like a car, I don't suppose the costs drop as the vehicle ages(you'd be looking at a very elderly van for £1k). Plus tow bars and electrics (an extra few hundred if you need them), insurance, fuel (you burn a fair bit more when towing), paying for your own gas and doubtless quite a few other things I haven't thought of. What's more, a lot of campsites charge by the person, which frequently makes a hotel or self catering apartment a cheaper option for my three person family...

Personally, I think a caravan is a luxury buy: great if you want one and can afford to use it to go away more often (my retired parents spend months a year happily pottering around Europe in theirs), but I honestly can't see you saving money on a £450 annual holiday.