Campernomics?

Car_54

Nebulous2 wrote: »

As I said above, you weigh up the advantages and disadvantages and make your own choice. In some ways I agree with you. Our current caravan cost less than most caravanners pay for a motormover. We've been in France / Spain with it 3 times for 3 weeks at a time, with dog in tow. We use an ACSI card off peak for 12 or 15 euros a night.

A bit cruel, surely?

lincroft1710

fred246 wrote: »

Caravans are far superior. No insurance, servicing or MOT costs.

So you don't insure your caravan against fire, theft or accident damage? Nor do you have it serviced, which is what most touring caravan owners do.

facade

I tried to insure my caravan this year, and to get insurance I would have had to had to pay £250 for a "service" which is little more than checking the date on the flexible gas line, looking for damp patches inside, counting the lights, greasing the steadies and cleaning the brakes.


And this is the norm.


Does no-one do even the simplest things themselves anymore? Talk about raising an unskilled generation...


The upshot is with the price of a service and the insurance, the odds drop from 40:1 to 10:1, so 10 years avoiding setting fire to it or having it stolen pays for the caravan. I've done without.

fred246

lincroft1710 wrote: »

So you don't insure your caravan against fire, theft or accident damage? Nor do you have it serviced, which is what most touring caravan owners do.

A trailer is insured on the vehicle's insurance while towing. I don't pay for insurance. I service it myself which basically is just the cost of new tyres every few years and a few single shot nuts. Very cheap.

Jackmydad

lincroft1710 wrote: »

So you don't insure your caravan against fire, theft or accident damage? Nor do you have it serviced, which is what most touring caravan owners do.

There was something about having to get trailers MOTd a while back wasn't there?

Looks like they binned it.
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/whats-on/caravan-club-news/no-mots-for-caravans-and-light-trailers/

Friend of mine used to service trailers and caravans. I used to pop in to see him occasionally. Inevitably he'd say "Look at this Jack" before showing me the latest horror. Brake plates rotted out. Tyres bulging. All sorts.
He said more than half he had in were in an appalling state mechanically.

So a service every year is a must.

fred246

I wondered if we would get the "I am a fully qualified caravan service engineer and everyone will die without an annual service".

Jackmydad

fred246 wrote: »

I wondered if we would get the "I am a fully qualified caravan service engineer and everyone will die without an annual service".

Never been a caravan service engineer. Fully qualified or otherwise.
I've serviced my own trailers with brakes.
I still reckon an annual service is s good idea. Otherwise it "goes on". "It's OK I'll do it next year"
And then you end up with some of the dangerous messes my mate used to get in.

facade

Jackmydad wrote: »

I still reckon an annual service is s good idea. Otherwise it "goes on". "It's OK I'll do it next year"

I always give the brakes a service, grease everything and get the lights working after the Winter lay-up, I'm just not paying someone £250 to give me a headed receipt so I can buy the insurance.


As it is, I'd be giving someone £250 to do very little as I already fettle it, whereas if I didn't touch it and paid to have it done every 25 years I might get better value for money with the bulging tyres and seized brakes!

Jackmydad

facade wrote: »

I always give the brakes a service, grease everything and get the lights working after the Winter lay-up, I'm just not paying someone £250 to give me a headed receipt so I can buy the insurance.


As it is, I'd be giving someone £250 to do very little as I already fettle it, whereas if I didn't touch it and paid to have it done every 25 years I might get better value for money with the bulging tyres and seized brakes!

Quite agree. I always did my own. Like giving a car a service, it ain't rocket science even these days and it's MSE!
Must say I've got lazy with the car these days though. I'd still do the trailer / caravan though.

fred246

facade wrote: »

I tried to insure my caravan this year, and to get insurance I would have had to had to pay £250 for a "service" which is little more than checking the date on the flexible gas line, looking for damp patches inside, counting the lights, greasing the steadies and cleaning the brakes.


And this is the norm.

I have just requested a quote from the caravan club after seeing your post. They don't even ask if it has been serviced. £50 for the year. I am tempted because the second hand value of caravans seems to have increased and it seems worth more now than a few years ago. Our friends admittedly don't have a great driving record and their insurance is over £1500 for their motorhome.