I would love to be able to afford a brand new static caravan on one of these family orientated sites with clubhouses and bars and swimming pools and golf and cycling and on and on (you get the idea!) but I can't, so...
I understand alot of these sites have a 10 year rule and force owners to replace their caravans after 10 years with a brand new one.
I would like to buy one of those old caravans and move it a site that allows older vans. I know these tend to be older sites with little in the way of facilities but if there is somewhere for the kids to play or explore and somewhere (flat) that we can all go cycling it would make a great weekend retreat.
I am looking for somewhere within say 90 minutes of Glossop (which is in North Derbyshire half way between Manchester and Sheffiled and nearer to Stockport than Derby!) I have visited the caravan sites on the way to Ashbourne, Callow Top, Highfields, Bank Top Farm etc without luck.
I don't mind where, so could go Chester/Wales way or down to Staffordshire or up to West Yorkshire. Does anyone know anywhere that might be worth investigating please.
Sorry cannt help with finding you somewhere but would suggest you ask the parks you find how long they do allow caravans to stay on their parks and if they have any for sale that are already on the park. Our limit is 20 years, although as you say most are 10 or 15 years. Often the parks that sell the vans off park sell direct to the dealers and not the general public.
You'll be hard pushed to find a site that'll take a "used" van - ours was 12months old and on our doorstep when we moved so we wanted to put it on a new site.....thats when the fun began! Best thing is don't phone round as they dismiss you too quick, go in person and have a nosey at the site first and chat to them, that way you appeal to their better nature,they get more so they told us taking new vans only....our site is right on the beach and has no age limit as long as the van is maintained - some are 30yrs plus...
Thanks for the advice, first indications are that it is going to be diffulcult. The van i want to buy is 13 years old but has been used comparitively little in that time but the site wants it off. One of the owners told me the site sells them to sites in France where they are quite happy to take older vans.
I have found one place but is actually a bit too close to home, hardly worth going.
I'll keep looking but if anyone else knows anywhere please let me know.
There's a nice site near to Boston in Lincolnshire - is that too far for you?? We left there at the beginning of this year because we decided to , but up to us leaving the site, he was taking static caravans on (we had ours moved on there). It's called Chapel Hill Marina, right at the side of the river, no facilities but very pretty and a pub / shop 2 minutes walk away.
What a shame, sounds lovely, it is probably 21/2 hours maybe a bit longer so a bit too far for 1/2 night breaks, it sounds just the sort of thing i am looking for though, just need one a bit nearer, thanks