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morning robbie

what would you like to know?

we used to own a couple a few years ago.

ask away and i will try to help

Hi Robbie

Depends on whether you would like positive experiences or not.  Our experience was not a good one, we much prefer to go touring.

Chel & Dave

Quote: Originally posted by willerby on 05/3/2008

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I currently have one, got there via a permanent pitch tourer...let me know if I can help

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Quote: Originally posted by Two Tense on 05/3/2008

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Hi Robbie

Depends on whether you would like positive experiences or not.  Our experience was not a good one, we much prefer to go touring.

Chel & Dave

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Quote: Originally posted by swiftsure on 05/3/2008

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morning robbie

what would you like to know?

we used to own a couple a few years ago.

ask away and i will try to help

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Quote: Originally posted by willerby on 05/3/2008

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Hi Robbie.
Just been loking at costs for my last one. had it for eight years until I changed it last year for a new one.
It cost me around £3,000 a year , including depreciation and site fees, gas , electric, etc.
It sounds a lot, but used it every weekend for about 10 mths plus extended Bank Holidays, annual holiday etc.
I suppose if you take depreciation on a tourer /motorhome and nightly site fees, it aint too bad.
agive me a shout if you need any more info

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Hi Robbie

We bought a secondhand van, great site but, they following season they decided that they wasn't getting enough profit I suppose and they put the annual fee up by 30% which was disgusting.  We also had a contact that would get us gas cylinders in at a reasonable rate & had been doing so for other residents for years, but they also put the stop on that and said we had to buy off them only with an added £15 per cylinder.  So we thought 'no way' cos who knows what they would charge the next year, so we sold.  They also wanted a % of the price we sold the van for !!!!!

However, my mom & dad had a van for years, and were able to keep it longer on the site than agreed because it was well looked after and they never had any problems.

I guess we were just unlucky, the main thing to do I think is research where you want your van and ask the people who own vans on the site.

Our kids love to visit different places, different adventures.

Post last edited on 06/03/2008 14:02:17

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Dave & Chel

He who laughs last, didn't get the joke!

Speaking from bitter experience in my own family - wouldn't buy a static van with someone else's money.

You are at the mercy of the site owners who can change their rules at will.  You could buy a van on a well run, fairly operated site and then the site is sold to unscrupulous people and you can do nothing about it - large increases in yearly rent, badly run services, etc. etc.

A static van is only worth money to anyone if it is sited - therefore it follows that the person who owns the site is holding all the cards.  Most sites limit the age of the van, after which time you have to sell it back to them or they take a big percentage of the sale price.  Talk about a "win/win situation" for the site owners.

The only trade association I have seen that operates some kind of regulation of the industry is there to protect the interests of the site owners - not the caravan owners.

All in all, my view is static vans are a bottomless pit into which you must pour large amounts of cash and, as I say, I speak from experience.  At least with a touring van, if you don't like the pitch you are on for whatever reason, just hook it up and take it somewhere else!