When can we use our vehicles?

DaveT
DaveT Forum Participant Posts: 174
100 Comments
edited February 2021 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

My van has been sitting in the dealership having had some warranty repairs. I would like to collect it to clean it and load it before I travel to my chosen site on 12th April. The club don't seem to know if I can legally do this, apparently not something they can advise on. I guess I won't be the only member in this position. At the moment, the government website is still advising against travel unless essential. If this is the case, there will be a number of site bookings which will have to be cancelled on 12th April.

Have I interpreted the rules correctly?

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Comments

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited February 2021 #2

    just go & collect it .... 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #3

    Where do you normally keep your van? 

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #4

    I thought sites were not able to open until the 13th Apr, so are you allowed to travel on the 12th Apr to get to your site?, who knows, but i bet you would not be the only one laughing

    "officer it is essential that i travel today because I have just spent £35 for a night in my caravan at X and if i dont travel today then i will not be able to make it to X and loose £35" might work laughing

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited February 2021 #5

    ... "officer it is essential that i travel today because ...."

    which is assuming you actually see a copper on the road. I wouldn't think a copper would give DaveT a passing glance if he saw him on the road, and even if he did, Dave just needs to say he was collecting it from being repaired .... same as if he was collecting his car from being repaired or MOT

  • DaveT
    DaveT Forum Participant Posts: 174
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    edited February 2021 #6

    Thanks for such a speedy response. I think EmilysDad has a point because it will, in effect, be returning from repair. Although I don't need to collect the van yet, I am just planning ahead. A few days at home to sort out the water system, load it etc would certainly make life a lot easier.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #7

    Club sites in England are opening on 12 April.

    From 29 March the stay at home rule will be relaxed although we are encouraged not to make unnecessary journeys. 

    Where's your problem, Dave?

  • DaveT
    DaveT Forum Participant Posts: 174
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    edited February 2021 #8

    Thanks Tinwheeler, I missed the 29th March transition.

  • Kasspa
    Kasspa Club Member Posts: 359 ✭✭✭
    edited February 2021 #9

    https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/reopening-our-campsites/

     

    I think the clubs recent updated statement is quite self-explanatory.....

    we just have to wait & see when we can access 'shared facilities'  & from the government statement on 22nd I would imagine this to be 17th May unless we get special treatment.....

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #10

    I am certainly planning on taking ours for a 20 mile or so run round on the 29th..

  • Hedgehurst
    Hedgehurst Forum Participant Posts: 576
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    edited February 2021 #11

    Useful information here.
    Meanwhile our caravan's booked in for a service on March 16th and if I re-schedule it'll be late May before our engineer can fit us in.  I prefer him to service it here rather than in storage, but am wondering on whether towing 15 miles home for that purpose will be OK by that date.

    Thanks.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited February 2021 #12

    Can you not have it serviced at the storage

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #13

    I don’t think so but I don't know which country of the UK you're in. 

    This applies to England -

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021-summary

     

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #14

    Same here.  We will head out to the coast where we can park, walk and have lunch in the van.  Probably do about a 40 mile round trip.  

  • Hedgehurst
    Hedgehurst Forum Participant Posts: 576
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    edited February 2021 #15

     We're in Northamptonshire.

    Thanks for the link... I'm not yet finding anything specific there about movement of vehicles for maintenance purposes, though it's quite possible I've missed something.

    Hmm, maybe I'll just have to get the guy to visit the Storage place after all, once I've visited myself to take the cover off the 'van.  I find it much more useful getting feedback from him on the spot, but I'd rather have it serviced.

    Thanks again,

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #16

    Effectively, on 16 March you will still be governed by the 21 Jan rules of only Ieaving home when necessary for essential reasons.

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

    The only changes coming in on 8 March bear no relation to your situation, HH. 

     

  • Hedgehurst
    Hedgehurst Forum Participant Posts: 576
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    edited February 2021 #17

    I've just read the advice on p66 of the March Club magazine, which includes. "If taking your vehicle for a service [ .... ]  It's usually permissible to travel to businesses which are allowed to be open" etc.


    And from the link to gov't advice:
    "Essential activities
    You can leave home to buy things at shops or obtain services where necessary." 
    "Where necessary" is a very grey area,  isn't it?

    We also need some sealing work done, and I spoke on the phone to the guy, likewise local, whose workshop we plan to use for that. He's had customers bringing their own vans in throughout, and no reports of any being stopped.  So that seems to offer hope, though I suppose it still depends on how reasonable Mr Plod is feeling.

    I'm currently inclined to follow JVB's suggestion of the service engineer working at the storage site, (15 miles from here), but taking the 'van myself to the bodywork workshop, which is less than 10 miles from here.

  • marchie1053
    marchie1053 Forum Participant Posts: 584
    edited February 2021 #18

    The Association of Chief Police Officers have maintained a line since the first lockdown of the rules being almost impossible to enforce and this was reiterated around December when the legal requirement to wear face masks was introduced.

    The Police interventions have largely been confined to breaking up large gatherings, house parties etc at a time when the transmission rates were going through the roof.

    There has long been a recognition by the behavioural scientists advising SAGE that mental health will suffer; the need to avoid hitting the NHS with a shedload of mental health referrals within 5 minutes of the pandemic subsiding to manageable levels makes it unlikely that any heavy handed policing will take place. Very much a case of 'don't take the Michael', I suspect.

    Steve

  • Porkpielander
    Porkpielander Forum Participant Posts: 13
    edited February 2021 #19

    Click and collect is legal....

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #20

    Personally, I would take the line that, if the dealership is open for service and repairs, then it must be permissible to take and collect vehicles.  Otherwise there wouldn't be any point in them opening - if folk weren't allowed to take and collect vehicles, the service/ repair department wouldn't have any vehicles to work on....

    David

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #21

    On our beach front at Tichfield Haven there are currently 5 MH's, in the car park at Stubbington, which i pass on my way down, there are a further 4, I am sure there would have been more but the LC have put large stakes in the grass verges where MH's used to park wink I suppose they could say that is their regular and only mode of transport ?undecided

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited February 2021 #22

    There were half a dozen in the car park at Port Solent the other day as well. I would consider Hillhead as "local" for me for exercise to give me a change of scenery from trekking around Portchester Castle but the obvious crowds have discouraged me from trying to find a space for the MH. 

  • MikeyA
    MikeyA Forum Participant Posts: 1,072
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    edited February 2021 #23

    I would suggest that the distance to the dealership is an important factor -10 miles may be acceptable but 100 miles wouldn't be.

  • allanandjean
    allanandjean Forum Participant Posts: 2,401
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    edited February 2021 #24

    I agree entirely.

    Whilst I am a club member feel that people need to make their own decisions, based on what they understand are the rules, and not constantly seek 'approval' from others.

    We may agree but be the only ones that do!

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #25

    +1

    Lowdhams closed there service department, otherwise I would have driven it the 12 miles from storage for its annual service.

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #26

    Whatever date the restrictions are lifted I can see being a very busy day for the breakdown services!

  • Briang
    Briang Club Member Posts: 670 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #27

    Can you take your caravan to the dealers when you have p/x your van and collect your new van which is 30 miles away. This is wales. Is this click and collect

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #28

    Me too laughing.

  • LLM
    LLM Forum Participant Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #29

    So many people trying to find ways around the rules and justify doing what they want - just wait.  Feck it up now and we will all be stuck in lockdown for the foreseeable.  

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #30

    To be honest, it would seem that for many in our car parks 30 mile radius is fair game, and this morning it was good to see so many children out in their canoes, tide just on way in, fortunately i dont have to worry about finding a car parking space laughing and there is nearly always space to walk on the beach from Hill Head to Lee on the Solent away from the crowdslaughing

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,138 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2021 #31

    Good point.

    I think people should ask themselves if what they want is a safe thing to do rather than question or wriggle within the rules. If everyone kept themselves safe, we'd all be safe.

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