Thinking of giving up our membership
We have been caravanning for 28 years and have been members of the CC for 15 years. But with site fees becoming so expensive, due to the high and mid seasons being stretched, also we used to take the grandchildren away for a 'free' week in peak season using
our credit card site night vouchers, then we could only use them for 5 nights, using any others later in the year but sadly now no more. Also we are getting older and tend not to take the van so far these days. It seems more of a hassle getting it home from
storage, packing it and getting away than it used to. However, we love our van, it has taken us all of these years to find our perfect layout and awning. Anyway we are now considering giving up and buying a static van in the area we usually visit. I know the
pitfalls - the ground rent, being at the mercy of the owners of the site,probably loosing money on it. But the family can use it, we can go whenever and whatever time of the day we want and best of all we can just pack up and go. I know it is up to us but
does anyone out there have or has had a static van and what do you think? Answers greatfully received.
Comments
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Not something that we have considered ourselves, and unlikely that we will. But we do have friends and neighbours that enjoy their static. I think in the end it will be your own private decision, once you have weighed up your options. If you only use Club
Sites, and like full on site facilities, then perhaps you are right to look at this option. But if you are more flexible, not concerned about doing without one or two things, and enjoy the variety of holidaying in different places, then I would suggest trying
a few CLs (that have the facilities you need) at a better price, before you give up totally on touring. It is a big decision, so I hope you get it right for yourselves!
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We have been caravanning for 28 years and have been members of the CC for 15 years. But with site fees becoming so expensive, due to the high and mid seasons being stretched, also we used to take the grandchildren away for a 'free' week in peak season using
our credit card site night vouchers, then we could only use them for 5 nights, using any others later in the year but sadly now no more. Also we are getting older and tend not to take the van so far these days. It seems more of a hassle getting it home from
storage, packing it and getting away than it used to. However, we love our van, it has taken us all of these years to find our perfect layout and awning. Anyway we are now considering giving up and buying a static van in the area we usually visit. I know the
pitfalls - the ground rent, being at the mercy of the owners of the site,probably loosing money on it. But the family can use it, we can go whenever and whatever time of the day we want and best of all we can just pack up and go. I know it is up to us but
does anyone out there have or has had a static van and what do you think? Answers greatfully received.It appears that you really like your caravan and awning but you are not so keen on towing it any more. Have you considered siting it somewhere that you really like and using it like a static?
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Cant answer you directly, within my circle of friends 2 have statics, both gave up touring, oh I should add we are all in our early fifties so still work, but another placed his tourer on an all year seasonal site, maybe this is the happy compromise.
All 3 say they have done the right thing for them.
Regards
Brian
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I am not sure I understand the logic of your argument regarding high site fees. Surely if you are going to buy a static the fees for that are likely to exceed the site fees you pay to the Club each year even if you think them expensive.
Least you think that is an arguement against going down the static route then its not but the decision has got to be made, in my view, of you being tired of touring and happy to have always in the same place. If that is the case I can see the attraction
of having a static especially if the whole family can make use of it, even b etter if they can contribute cost wise.David
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Oh one more thought,
Have you considered storing your caravan on a caravan park?
The benefits or obvious so i wont say, the pitfall is you still have to book a pitch, but this is the cheaper option.
Regards
Brian
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Sorry to hear you are thinking of giving up touring. Have you considered buying a motor caravan. They are childsplay to drive, don't need to be put in storage and if you go for a modest sized van, it can be used for day to day travelling, days out and shopping.
Many older caravanners go for that option.
We looked into the finances of buying and maintaining a static van on site for our extended family to use, but were put off by a few things. 1- The actual cost of the static. 2 - The annual service fee including site fee over which you have no control, as written into the contract we viewed, the site operator is within his rights to increase those annual charges as they see fit. 3- the on site contract was for a period of 10 years when they had you over a barrel as you would have to remove the static off site at your own cost or buy a new one. Please look carefully at what the site owner has put in their contract, if you are going down the static route.
K
K
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Thanks for the replies so far. It's nice to hear that people's friends have statics and like them. The problem with the site fees David is that 15 years ago they seemed more reasonable and in that 15 years I haven't seen many new toilet blocks or refurbished
ones. More pitches are being squeezed in and many hard standings need 're-graveling as it wears away over time, so I am not sure it is value for money at longer. OH would like a Motorhome but would want to tow the car with it and it's really not for me.0 -
if you think club site fees are expensive just wait until you start getting static charges then factor in huge and I mean eye watering depreciation. I agree with one of the posts above put your van on a seasonal pitch. Just my opinion but statics on a decent
site on a decent area will cost a bomb.0 -
We've just returned from a few days on a CL near Hornsea (San Tropez!) which charges £10 a night inc awning and electrics.
We saw several static parks on the coast advertising ground rents from £2995 a year...presume you have then fixed water and electricity charges and insurance. We wouldn't do it or pay it but we do have a friend whose static van is near Bridlington. She loves
it and is there nearly every weekend with her family. To each their own.0 -
My brother and his wife have a tourer on a seasonal pitch, they love it and it still gives them the freedom if they decide to move on, they put it in storage October to March. It works well for them and might be a good opportunity to test the water if that
is the life for you though understand you might not be able to get it exactly where you may get a static, and saves a big payout if you decide to carry on 'Vanning...or bite the bullet and get a Motorhome we have never looked back since getting ours, in
our opinion a lot easier to get out and about than with a 'van, but of course apart from the cost to buy it, it has its own running costs.....lots to think about.good luck.0 -
We started off with a tourer about 33 years ago and although we loved it, when we had 3 children under 5 we decided to buy a static on the site we always visited at the Lake District. We thoroughly enjoyed it and were away nearly every weekend in season. However we wanted to go elsewhwere for some of our holidays and missed being being able to tour and had to rent cottages, static vans and use hotels. After a couple of holidays in France, hiring a static and using hotels en route we decided to return to a tourer and have been all over England and France at much cheaper prices. We got vitually nothing when we gave up the static - they do not keep their value as much as a tourer. However we have loved the tourer and our holidays in it. As time went by with the static we wanted more and more to be off to new places rather than the same site and the same pitch. Since our children have grown up we have seriously considered taking up a seasonal pitch at Troutbeck and just taking the van off to France in the middle of the season. That is still a cheaper option than the annual fees on a static.
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Any fixed base can eventually become a bit boring. We've owned an apartment in Spain for 13 years which we have now put up for sale. It's a nice bolt-hole but you do run out of new places to go and things to do other than sit around and chill.
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DEBSC - if finances can stretch to it, why not go for the best of both worlds? When I retired we decided to invest in a static down in Perranporth, an area we used to tow down to every year. It's on a small, family run site, only 15 statics and it's available
for use by us and family members or friends for 11 months each year. We get down there about once a month, everything is set up ready and the journey is so much easier. Yes, there is ground rent and fuel to pay for but tonus it's worth it.But we also like visiting other areas of the UK, so since we had the tourer anyway and it would have little trade in value we decided to keep it. Again there are costs (storage, insurance etc) to consider though.
We realise how lucky we are, but, hey, you have to spend your money on something, don't you and we don't go in for lots of expensive foreign trips or cruises etc.
Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you research your options first and enjoy whichever you go for.
(PS my email address is in my profile. Do feel free to get in touch if you want to chat about things.)
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I can see why people buy statics (to be able to just go away, without all the preparation) but I can also see the disadvantages.
My biggest fear would be to end up surrounded by the 'neighbours from hell' on site and not being able to do much about it. There is also the cost, if course. As someone once said to me 'buying a static is a lifestyle choice, not an investment'.
Some friends have a static in N Wales and it would drive me mad going there every end and turn (but then again, I wouldn't chose that area).
I think that I would go for a seasonal pitch, to see how I liked it. Or even cheaper, storage on a site I liked. You still have the option of touring and the depreciation is much less.
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Any fixed base can eventually become a bit boring. We've owned an apartment in Spain for 13 years which we have now put up for sale. It's a nice bolt-hole but you do run out of new places to go and things to do other than sit around and chill.
Agree with that sentiment. We have a timeshare in Madeira but don't use it every year for the same reason. However, some people like the familiarity of returning to the same place every time.
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It's a good point you make about neighbours, Ian, and definitely one to be considered. We're lucky on our site. Most of the vans are occupied by folk who have sold up and live on site permanently - some are still working and hire a cottage nearby in February
when the site's closed, others jet off to Tenerife or somewhere else warm. It's a nice little community.But there were other sites we looked at - larger holiday camp sites - where that wouldn't have been the case. At one in particular, when we asked which plot we could have the reply was "take your pick, most of the plots are holiday let's". We beat a hasty
retreat from that one!
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I think Kennine sums up the main problems that would put us off a static apart from the fact we like touring. The ten year lease is a major problem though. On one site we know of after ten years you will be told your caravan is now too old and needs replacing,
an Irishman will then turn up and offer you £750 for it and you get no other options to get rid . If you accept this could happen to you then would you invest?You may find that in your case the owner is fair and trustworthy but in thse next ten years he could sell up and you cannot be sure what the new owners will do.
Frankly as far as we can see statics are nothing more than a money pit and the economics unless you are renting them out just do not add up.
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Thank you for all your replies, especially Moulesy. It really comes down to head or heart. We would like to do it but how will we feel paying out the ground rent each year. But as someone said, life is for living. We will certainly find out how old caravans
can be before being asked to move as we are not looking to buy a newish van. The area we are looking at is Stratford upon Avon, so not cheap but an area we love and know well. Lovely living in Devon but a long way from some things we like to do, closer to
the NEC for shows, Stratford is more vibrant and places around there we like to visit. So best of both worlds. Also we have 3 grandchildren here and 3 in the London area so a good place for us all to get together. We have decided to visit next week, look around
the site further and ask a lot of questions.0 -
Another option would be to keep your Tourer stored at a site where they will tow your van from the storeage to a pitch for the times you want to use it. You can then take the Tourer out of storage 'on tour' to other sites on the odd occasion, if you wish.
This gives you the option.I don't know if the Club will take your van and site it for you on a pitch if you store it at a CC site, but the are plenty of sites who will have this flexibility.
David
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I have just found Newlands Caravan Park, near Stratford upon Avon and they have a storeage site next to the caravan park. I don't know if they will site the caravan for you, when you want to go, but it could be a question well worth asking?
David
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Having once done exactly what you are considering, I would certainly agree with most of the advice offered so far with regard to the pitfalls. We were very lucky to find a vacant pitch on a site right where we wanted to be, and were even able to go and buy
a new static from wherever we wished with no fee going to the site owner. So far so good. The contract was typical and not too worrying as they promised at least 10/12 year ownership before having to replace the van. Site fees were about the same as we were
paying annually whilst touring, so all looked good.We kept it for 5 years and initially loved it, but the neighbour's became the problem! Some seemed to always be there and eagerly expected to party & socialise the moment we arrived. Our immediate neighbour turned out to be a noisy "full timer" who had
a succession of dodgy lady friends, all with noisy terriers. That really was the only problem, and we were lucky to get out and only lose about 50% of what we paid for the van.Personally, I think the neighbour problem is potentially the biggest, but there are other aspects that you can't change once you get there. At least you can move on when touring.
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I have just found Newlands Caravan Park, near Stratford upon Avon and they have a storeage site next to the caravan park. I don't know if they will site the caravan for you, when you want to go, but it could be a question well worth asking?
David
That's an over and above piece of research ? CT at its best. Not something I would hgave considered without this prompt.
Whatever your decision I wish you all the best.
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Thank you David, that was good of you to look. That may be an option. I looked at their website and like that they have hard standings and that the bus to Stratford stops at the end of the lane. This would save us towing etc. We are looking at the other
site next week so will also go there and have a look. Just goes to show it is worth posting on here sometimes.0 -
The problem with seasonal pitches for a touring caravan is that they are not easy to get. The demand seems to outstrip the supply on the Caravan Club sites in this area of the south coast.
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Well we have done it! We have spent some considerable time viewing sites and also viewing their Terms and Conditions and their contracts. We have found a site that suits us, we have a very long lease. We appear to have very nice neighbours - been in for
a cuppa while viewing the site. Spoken to lots of other people on site, who recommend it, saying they are happy there. We take ownership of our static van in September. Grandchildren all excited, as are we, and looking forward to all spending time there. We
did look at sites where we could pitch our caravan, as suggested by some other posters on here, but it wouldn't have worked for us. Only sad part is we will now have to sell our lovely Cadiz and superb kampa awning.0
