Can someone explain static caravans to me?
Posted by hubble2bubble@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 66 comments
Looking for perspectives of people who’ve done this in the past or do it currently. I just don’t quite get it! I’ve stayed in one before for a few nights and it was either freezing or boiling. Do you live in them year round? How often do you go to yours/ a rental? Why would you choose static over a caravan/motorhome?
Zal_17@reddit
It's a sense of freedom you don't get with other holidays
Ricky_Martins_Vagina@reddit
It's a sense of shitting in a cupboard you don't get with other holidays 🤨
hubble2bubble@reddit (OP)
Heard that the main building floors are excellent for skidding
Crafty-Strength1626@reddit
Everyone gets some
Open-Butterfly-5288@reddit
You know house with wheels?
Wheel fall off, no move
Sirlacker@reddit
Usually cheap, in country, holiday homes.
They're not meant to be fancy, they're meant to be a step up from a tent. Basic amenities,.so no communal things, but not a house or hotel. You're not supposed to spend all day in them. You can, but that's not the point of them.
limpingdba@reddit
People get them because they're sold the dream companies that they can rent them out when not using them, and they effectively pay for themselves. However, there's obviously overheads like maintenance and cleaning that make it a fair chore, but it probably does work well for some people.
thecockmeister@reddit
During 2021 my company was putting us up in static caravans, as we needed accommodation for away work. Since everyone and their dog was holidaying in the UK, rather than going abroad, it was very difficult to find the usual short-term lets that we usually stay in Monday-Friday. It was costing north of £1500 for three people to stay in one, for four nights, each week of the summer holidays.
I could absolutely see you making your money back over time, even with those inflated prices, but some sites have age limits on caravans so you'd be shelling out 30 grand every decade or so, not counting fees to have it there.
stevoknevo70@reddit
The cost of new vans has shot up in the last 5/6 years (just like everything else!) you're looking at close to double that or more depending on spec! (we bought one in 2020, we've got a new for old insurance policy and upon renewing a couple of years ago the insurers informed us we'd need to up the policy value because a like for like replacement was roughly 45% more expensive than what we'd paid 3-4 years before!)
Still-BangingYourMum@reddit
I think it was Haven that started the 10 year caravan thing. Before that, you would see caravans of all ages on most sites, obviously those older caravans owners didn't buy a new caravan every few years and therefore must be forced into the position of buying a new caravan or getting kicked off site and loosing their pitch.
dglcomputers@reddit
Haven certainly don't have a 10 year limit, it just has to be in good condition (i.e. not falling apart) and is safe, any owners van over 7? years might not be able to be sub-let through haven but it's not a hard rule as some caravans are still excellent units even after a few years.
Still-BangingYourMum@reddit
I was told by retired friends that have had caravans for many years that the 10 year rule was started by Haven.
But I am happy to be corrected thank you.
double-happiness@reddit
I was brought up in a 40-foot caravan. It didn't even have water or power to begin with. Two words - cold and damp. On the plus side it was nice to sit on the verandah and watch the sun set or view a storm under the shade of a massive softwood tree.
hubble2bubble@reddit (OP)
Did those few highlights make up for being uncomfortable the majority of the time?
Repulsive_State_7399@reddit
I have been on many a caravan holiday, but the caravan isn't the main appeal. If you have young children, then taking the somewhere with a beach, a playground, a fairground, an arcade and a venue full of very loud entertainment is heaven for them. Its a caravan or a butlins chalet..
hubble2bubble@reddit (OP)
Having been to Butlins mine head twice it feels like a barracks with the building layouts. They’re also incredibly shit and dated inside. Plus the food in the canteen is horrendous and then the on-site fast food/restaurant options are overpriced because of location
Vernacian@reddit
Very few people live in them all year round.
They're basically a relatively affordable way to have a little second home, typically for people who live in cities far from the coast, that are in countryside/coastal areas. Most people who have them are car owners who get one within driving distance (~2 hours).
People choose to get them because they like the countryside/coast but don't live there and can't relocate there. They are very practical if you have younger children or dogs, compared to the alternatives (flights overseas, rented accommodation) while being much more affordable than owning a house elsewhere.
Isn't it silly having a caravan that doesn't move? They're caravans as a quirk of British planning regulations - it's much easier and cheaper to get permission to open a site of caravans than it is to build a similarly sized neighbourhood of actual buildings. That contributes to why they're cheaper (as well as being cheaper construction).
Bibblejw@reddit
Just tacking onto the point of "caravan that doesn't move". We got our static after having a touring caravan that we simply didn't use.
For us, there's an entire setup and closedown process for a touring caravan, coupled with the ordeal of towing it (and the camp sites are always at the end of the worst roads) that basically disincentivised taking the thing out at all.
For the static, we've got it loaded up to the point where, even with the dog, we basically throw some things in the back of the car and get on the road, and we're drinking wine on the sofa within about 15 mins of arrival.
Some hotels might be cheaper, but booking in advance and finding ones that we like and that take animals baiscally wipes that out.
For us, it's having the option without requirement. If it was a hotel or other booking, then there's the obligation to "make the most of it". For the van, it's there, and we get to work out if we want to do anything "good" with the time, or just relax and decompress.
MindTh3Gap@reddit
Would be interested to hear your cost per year associated with it
stevoknevo70@reddit
My nephew stupidly bought one on a Butlins type park just as the first lockdown eased...I figured out it was costing £175pw just to wipe its own arse, and everyone around him had 'to let' signs up - he realised he'd been duped and ended up removing it to a smaller private site with much more reasonable fees but the whole ordeal probably cost him £10k+ thanks to his impulsivity and him knowing best!
Ours is on a farmer's field of twenty or so 'vans that's private use only and no site amenities, runs a seven month season of start April/end October and costs us roughly £1450pa including gas/electricity - three bed, DG & CH, no one in front of us so a stunning view, and unlike commercial parks that make you replace your 'van at 10/12 years old, ours doesn't (although we replaced our nearly 30 year old one in 2020) An hours drive from home in a tiny village in the the arse end of nowhere, our kids are basically free range and go paddleboarding/swimming/jetty jumping/crabbing/out on their bikes etc - we spend most weekends/holidays there, pitch up with a supply of clothes/grub and everything else we need is already there.
simon-g@reddit
It’s this. If you have school age kids and use it every holiday plus some more weekends then the cost can make sense. Can keep stuff there so minimal packing to just nip off for the weekend. It’s your space, your bedding and towels, your pots and pans.
Some people really like routine. It’s not for me but I can see why some people like it.
GlumAd9856@reddit
Are you talking about just staying in a static caravan on holiday in general? You know that you've lived a different life to others when people are confused about the topic!
There were very few holidays I went on as a kid that didn't involve a static caravan. I guess we went during the summer months so heating wasn't as big of an issue - but I still remember having to put the gas fire on occasionally. They actually improved a lot over the years, and the last time I stayed in one it was perfectly fine - probably on par with a hotel room.
Lots of people dream of buying a caravan so they can go on holiday for 'free' - but they don't realise just how high site fees can be. My friend's parents were quoted £8.5k a year on one in Cornwall. And, yes, you can hire out the place during the school holidays for a pretty penny - but then you're denying yourself the ability to use the caravan - which kind of defeats the point.
hubble2bubble@reddit (OP)
Either or. That’s a damn steep annual fee! Although I think if you’ve not got kids/grandkids, the idea of being in a caravan park in peak school holiday season is not attractive
hubble2bubble@reddit (OP)
Appreciate everyone’s comments and responses here. Feels like it’s definitely an older generation thing. No idea what the current market is like for static caravans and if it’s booming or in decline. I understand that it’s nice to escape your usual day to day environment to somewhere different, if you can’t afford to go abroad or don’t want to/can’t.
What I don’t think I’ll ever grasp though is when caravaners/campers drive several hours to sit in a different living room watching TV. Especially the awning caravan/motorhome type of people who then create a living room encapsulated by plastic tarp to watch TV/read within that.
I also didn’t realise how expensive they are. Sounds like a hotel/air bnb in an area you like is cheaper, but can be a lot more impractical if travelling with kids because of all the extra luggage/toys
Ceejayncl@reddit
Not many people live in them year round, you have to be on a site that allows for that, and in turn also pay council tax on them.
If you have a good site then they are a good option. I’m sure my family who live elsewhere in the country would have bought one near me for the right money in order to be closer to some of their family members and friends from where they used to live.
Newer models are just like ordinary homes, they can be well insulted now, meaning it’s not either freezing cold or too hot. They can often if the site allows for it, be connected to mains gas, as well as electricity and water.
Honestly if it wasn’t for the fact that most of the sites have an age limit of 15 years for a caravan, I’d consider living in one, although I am a single male.
hubble2bubble@reddit (OP)
I can’t imagine the dating scene at a caravan site is particularly good, despite what Jay from the Inbetweeners claimed
GeordieAl@reddit
In the 80s my parents bought one three miles from our home. It was in a field in front of a farm, there were about 15 caravans there, most owned by folks from Newcastle and surrounding urban area.
There was no facilities there, no electric, no running water. We just had gas cylinders for the stove and gas lamps, a car battery powered a small black and white telly, and we could fill a water tank for the sink and toilet.
The reason they bought it was just as an easy bolthole. At the time they were working as butler and cook/housekeeper at a large country house and we lived in the servants wing of the house which meant if they were home they could end up getting called upon to do something. By having the caravan they could escape for a weekend and be completely out of contact with their employers.
I loved it there as it was right on the edge of the Otterburn training camp so there’d often be army on maneuvers in the area and there was a small army assault course that I’d play on when the army weren’t there.
The best time though was one day when the army set up a camouflaged camp on the edge of the woods which backed onto the caravan site.
Me and a mate whose family also had a caravan there snuck through the woods to watch the goings on. Some army guys spotted us and invited us to have a look around their camp, they showed us their whole setup and the best part was they had a Seaking helicopter there and let us get on board while they fired it up
hubble2bubble@reddit (OP)
Some great memories there for sure! Sadly in the days of blame culture and HSSE none of that stuff with the army would be allowed today. If only everyone had common sense
pickindim_kmet@reddit
When I was a kid they were so much fun. We had sunny holidays in Spain too, but these were more fun in a way. I've always seen it as not quite as committed as camping, but a bit more adventurous as a B&B. It didn't matter that it was static, it was just like a cheap second home. One weekend we went to bed in woolly hats. It was just part of the fun.
I think it used to just be a cheap weekend away. Send the kids to the kids club, let them play swing ball outside, beans on toast for tea, bag of 2p coins for the arcade.
It's a different world now though, so expensive.
hubble2bubble@reddit (OP)
Not sure I’d ever class wearing a woolly hat to bed as ‘part of the fun’ 😂
GoldenArchmage@reddit
My family had a static caravan for decades, which they visited on a regular basis It was on a small private park in a very picturesque spot just off a rocky beach in West Wales. You couldn't visit out of season however, so it was always empty from November to March.
I can tell you there is nothing like the sound of heavy rain on the metal exterior skin when you're tucked up in a cosy bed, or a hearty breakfast sitting outside in the summer with the sounds of waves crashing a couple of hundred feet away - I have very fond memories of that place.
mrpeagrub@reddit
I really like them, I actually prefer staying in a static caravan rather than a hotel. They can be dirt cheap at times. I think a lot of hatred towards them can be snobbery at times.
bobbos2020@reddit
It is snobbery. A bit like the top comment in this post who makes it clear he wouldn't be seen dead in one.
pollypetunia@reddit
Most of my childhood holidays were spent camping or in a static caravan, as that was what we could afford. My parents still go to the same (small, no entertainment, but lots of beautiful surrounding countryside) site twice a year and hire a static there each time. It's perfect for them as they can take the dog, the caravan is pretty cosy, and they can bring and cook their own food. My mother has a lot of tricky dietary requirements such that eating in restaurants etc is a source of a lot of stress for her, so it's better that they have access to a kitchen.
sundance464@reddit
I'd never choose one but know a few people who have them - slightly more comfortable than a tent and cheaper than a hotel
Some people also really like routine and going to the same place again and again, they get to know their "neighbours", go to the same bars and eat the same takeaway every time they visit
Again, absolutely not what I want to spend my spare weekends or full holidays doing but each to their own
MoodyBernoulli@reddit
I’m not sure it would be cheaper than a hotel.
Last year we stayed in a friends static for a weekend for free and quite enjoyed ourselves.
When we found out how much they cost we abruptly decided it wasn’t worth the small fortune and would prefer a city break to Barcelona for less money.
SilyLavage@reddit
I think statics are aimed at the type of people who see a long weekend walking around Barcelona as a chore rather than a holiday
MoodyBernoulli@reddit
Even still, I could find a half board to Spain to lie by a pool for the same price, or maybe even cheaper.
sundance464@reddit
They do vary a bit - there's also a lot of outright scams and legal rip-offs because a lot of the target market is older or otherwise more vulnerable people
OrangeBeast01@reddit
We get it, it's not for you.
sundance464@reddit
Ha, I did inadvertently offend a couple of friends before becoming more zen and accepting that staying in the same freezing piece of corrugated iron everytime you get a break is just a choice other folks make
OrangeBeast01@reddit
Each to their own. I just came back from a giant all inclusive hotel with a waterpark, evening entertainment etc etc, you get it, and I had a few people telling me they'd never spend a small fortune to just go and hang around the same complex for 10 days.
But it suits my family.
Sudden_Hovercraft_56@reddit
I lived in one for a few years while the housing bubble burst. I would not recommend it.
Freezing in winter, boiling in summer, rarely a comfortable temperature in between. Could hear everything outside, Got broken into and robbed, then sold it after 3 years and lost £10k.
Nielips@reddit
NFT's for people in their 50's.
discoveredunknown@reddit
That is fucking hilarious lol. Some of them around me (nowhere near the coast) are like £350,000?!? What the fuck?!
fezzuk@reddit
They actually exist. So no dont be so dumb.
volster@reddit
The static caravan itself I don't have much problem with
They're slightly better setup than a mobile caravan - more spacious, the fittings generally a bit better, you e got a real sink / oven / toilet etc etc
In some ways they're ideal as holiday homes. Great for a couple of weeks, but you probably wouldn't want to live In one.
The part I'm entirely unsold on are those giant Holliday parks where there's an endless sea of them all crammed together
Mr-Incy@reddit
I personally don't own one, but I know a few people who do.
The people who have them in a holiday park use it a few times a year and when they aren't using it they rent it out to other holiday makers.
Opposite my house there is a row of static caravans that are retirement homes, over 50's, the people living in them buy the static and then pay ground rent, they are all connected to the electric and water the same as a regular house. The more modern the static the better the insulation so they aren't affected by the weather as much.
There are a few static caravan parks around the area I live, and I am pretty sure they are all for over 50's only.
Makes for a cheap way to live out your retirement and is something I am considering when I get older, I will rent my house out and live a life of luxury with the rent money on top of my pension and savings.
NoCold3997@reddit
Don't shuffle your feet around with slippers on then touch anything metal 👍
4oclockinthemorning@reddit
Wiggle the aerial a bit, that sometimes helps
fezzuk@reddit
Wear a jumper.
Adorable_Orange_195@reddit
My parents have one as it allows them to : Get away regularly now they’re retired (health issues mean insurance for going abroad is a lot so they’d rather do this and just go away 1-2a year).
They can have the grandkids somewhere with entertainment, so the kids can have more choice of activities.
They can choose to cook or go out/ order in for food on their doorstep. Plus entertainment available for them also. Parents both likely undiagmosed Autistic and ADHD, so when they like something they are happy doing that for long periods of time, they both have a group of friends they know up there and enjoy it.
Plus means they are also half way between their home and the rest of the family to break up the longer trips.
They love it and it’s definitely got them more social and more active having one.
They downsized moving from one county to another to a 2 up 2 down a few years ago and bought it then. They only really know my sister and her family plus a couple of neighbours in the village they have a house so spend more time at the van than they do there but have to be out for 2-3 months over winter, so just go home then.
My sister and I think the fees are extortionate however they are only a couple of years off paying off the van, so once this is done the fees will be more manageable on their budget.
Plus we have all (myself, siblings and their kids) made use of it at times & regularly visit the parents there.
So although it depreciates hugely the quality of life and usage has been very good since having it.
Alongside the fees being very high, moving your van is incredibly expensive too and there have been issues with the people disconnecting (as it has to be the onsite teams) damaging or deliberately breaking sockets, connections etc & then people report it being hard to get this covered via insurance.
So there are definitely pro’s and con’s but it depends how often you’d use it and how that impacts your life.
1Marmalade@reddit
It’s a sense of freedom you don’t get with other holidays.
Lidlyogurtlover@reddit
Isn't the whole point of a caravan that it... moves? Never understood it myself
PracticeNo8733@reddit
The whole point of a static caravan is that it could move... so for legal/planning/building regs/etc purposes it's not a fixed structure. For some parks now they seem to get permission to make basically the same thing but fixed as a "park home".
KeyJunket1175@reddit
Does the same apply for shipping containers, or it must have wheels attached?
limpingdba@reddit
It moves from the place it's built to the place it remains
cryptowi@reddit
My parents have a static up in Northumberland (not at a big caravan park), there's an on-site cafe and bar. You actually can't live in the ones at my parent's site, something about council tax so they have to leave for a period in the year (it's roughly a month or two per year).
Works well for them, they go up on weekends and they enjoy the peace and quiet.
VOODOO285@reddit
Don’t know as an owner but we’ve had a couple of nice Holidays at a Haven in them.
They’re pretty decent to be fair. Always been clean and well appointed. You use it as a base for going off doing other stuff so you’re only really in it to start and end your day and not too much more.
Actually family time chatting, playing games, eating and watching TV can be really fun in them.
I used to think they were rubbish before I’d been in one but have grown a healthy respect for them.
morbid909@reddit
A lot of people I know can’t afford a house but can pull together maybe 20k for a half acre of land and a static. 5K caravan in very good condition, 15k on a little parcel of land. Make friends with everyone local, attend parish meetings, chuck a few chickens and a goat in your yard and in a few years you can be putting foundations in.
BurkesRoad@reddit
There's a guy in my road who lives in a wee caravan in his brother's garden. It was all he could afford at the time, but now he loves it and wouldn't change it.
Electronic-Stay-2369@reddit
I know someone who lives in one all year round. Just a small house really.
Bibblejw@reddit
Speaking as someone who currently owns one (and intends to be there tomorrow evening), ours is a holiday deal, so we get there for the time we get away (holidays, weekends, etc.). There are residential sites, but most are holiday ones (the difference comes to council tax and availability).
For our van, we don’t have any major temperature issues. The heating is enough to warm it in winter, and the ventilation is enough to cool it in the summer.
For us, with the dog, it’s a way of getting the ability to get away from the house and responsibilities relatively easily and at short notice. There are costs, but, when we compare them to even slightly equivalent holidays, it rapidly becomes a good deal.
CraigL8@reddit
I bet a big factor will be children’s entertainment on weekends
Mysterious_County154@reddit
I have one in my garden as a spare bedroom/extra storage because it was a fuck ton cheaper than a house extension and I didn't need to screw around getting planning permission
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