Help - Unable to tow
Hi,
Me and my wife are looking at getting a touring caravan however my liscense does not allow me to tow. Does anyone have any recommendations of sites that allow you to leave your caravan all year and will store? or any other ways around this without paying out loads of money?
Thanks in advance
Comments
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Your licence does allow you to tow, it's just that if you've passed your test recently (post 97?/98?) you can only tow a combined weight max of 3.5 tonnes & your car cannot be lighter than the trailer. ie your tow car can be 1600kg & your caravan's gross weight can be 1400kg.
There's a bit more to than that, but that's the gist of it.
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If you intend to tour then it would make sense to take a towing course, and then take your B and E test - then you can tow without problems.
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Hi Adam
There are certain club sites that offer storage, you also might like to check out the CL's as some of them also offer storage, of course you would have to get your van there if it is above your tow limit. But the best choice would be to take your B+E test, most HGV trainers offer this service. After all the object of a touring caravan is to be free in your choice of location. Hope this helps
Paul
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As MM said, you can tow. There may be restrictions but you can tow.
However, have you considered a static caravan?
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I guess it’s a question of what area you would like to site the caravan & how you are going to get it there if as you say you are not eligible to tow. As said some club sites have storage & seasonal pitches & seasonal pitches are also available at other sites for members. A couple of ideas. - Sites where you pay for winter storage & pay for a seasonal pitch to use when you wish. Sites where you pay for storage, pre-book holiday dates, pay for those & they tow the caravan onto a pitch & back to storage when you go. Tows on & off pitch, if available, are probably chargeable. Costs will vary dependent on area & site facilities provided. There may also be sites that have age limits on caravans. Good luck.
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I store on a site which has an attached CL site. They will move your caravan to and from the CL site as required.
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Before folk can make recommendations or suggestions Adam they need to know either which areas you are considering or your whereabouts and how far you wish to travel to site.
I am not sure why you say that your licence does not allow you to tow.
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I think you need to do a lot more research before you even decide to purchase anything. As someone new to the pastime I certainly wouldn't buy a touring van before checking the facts regarding the law, licence requirements, towing etc, etc. To buy a van an plonk it on a seasonal pitch would be quite expensive then you would probably have to pay storage costs, someone to tow your van to the site etc., etc..
Suggest that after taking the advice of all the above you research properly.
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There are plenty of sites who would store your caravan and then pitch it for you for the duration of your stay. The one that is always on the tip of my tongue is Globe Vale, just outside Redruth in Cornwall, but it really all depends on where you want to go? An idea of the area would give folk something to go on.
If I were in your position, I would probably site is as you describe and then make provision to get your B+E driving licence. I can't imagine us wanting to site our caravan on the same site for long - we get so much more going to different places - including abroad.
David
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I know that, if I was unable to drive and wanted my caravan siting, I have a couple of neighbours who would gladly do that for me. I would not choose somewhere more than 50 miles away as OH does drive but is not a keen driver and further might be a pain and also far enough to ask as a favour.
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Because it is over £600 to take the lessons and test.This was a few years ago now.Just how many people on that age group could afford that.
Now I understand they possibly did not need to take this test due to the gross weight of car and van being under 3.5t.
I hate grey areas.
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Mollysmummy has it right, but without knowing what car the OP has available to him, the only possible answer to his question is YES - now where do you want to go ? Here are two scenarios both real:
A work colleague bought a brand new Swift Challenger & as part of the deal arranged for it to be delivered to a site on the North Yorks coast where he arranged a seasonal pitch. He had the van for 2 years & never towed it once arranging with a tow company to put it in & out of storage during the winter.
A family member doe not have B+E on his licence, but can still tow a Avondale 630 with his Ford Cmax & stay within the 3500kgs gross train weight limit.
Different strokes........
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Now where are stars when they are needed . . . ?
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+1, leaving an LV all season & storage won't be cheap. I'd have thought the better option over the long term was the extra test if needed
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Have to agree about getting a +E entitlement.
I did do what the OP is suggesting (permanent storage & site) many years ago at Wallingford. we used to give them a call during the week and they would put the van on a pitch for us. That was back in 80's though. We were lucky in that the site was along side the Thames and we loved it there but still on the odd occasion took the van off site to tour.
Adamf, have you any idea about storage cost, I live near Wimbledon Stadium in London and have to store my caravan on a CaSSoa Gold site in Orpington, about 18 miles from my home and an hours drive. for this privilege I pay just over £1000 a year. so if you have somewhere to store a caravan then £600 for a course and test don't seem that bad and its a one of cost once you pass the test.
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