Hello all,
We are looking for a seasonal pitch for next year (Worcs, Herefordshire, Mid/South Wales where we can leave our caravan and allow our grown up children (with families) to use.
The couple of organisations contacted so far (CAMC and Forestry England) would only allow our family to stay if we were there as well! Something to do with insurance we were told.
The whole point is that the caravan is available for the family to use when they want.
Anyone else come up against this and/or know sites that would allow it?
Many thanks
DH
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You can rule out any club sites unless they all join and pay membership fees. So you will have to look at commercial sites, but some of those you will have to put name on waiting list. Probably be easier purchasing a static and split costs between family.
------------- 2023 Swift Archway Woodford, MK3 Kuga ST Line X 190 ps AWD Auto
Now 52 years Caravanning completed.
Quote: Originally posted by birdman101 on 01/11/2023
Probably be easier purchasing a static and split costs between family.
Do read the Static forum before going down this route. Many times the advice there is not to buy a static but to get a caravan. (Almost impossible to move static to another site, have to replace it at a certain age & buy new from the site owner, poor security of tenure etc)
I have been on Club sites where the reg plate of the car does not match the reg plate on the caravan, so either the owners have 2 cars (entirely possible) or the person staying is not the owner. As always, read the Ts&Cs.
I am presently on a commercial site which I have visited for over 20+ years and there are several caravans that never move off the pitch. Some of them car arrives for a day or so and then leaves,non of them with tow bars. There are 2 twin axle caravans that we see delivered by a dealer brand new about 6 years ago and never been moved and owners of them turn up at weekends,again cars with no towbars. Caravans are just used as static. This being a commercial site and fees for 12 months paid looks as your family could use whenever as there is no site barrier but just one closed after 11 pm.
------------- 2023 Swift Archway Woodford, MK3 Kuga ST Line X 190 ps AWD Auto
Now 52 years Caravanning completed.
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
Some sites have a tow and store system. They store the van when not in use and tow it out to the pitch when you want to use it. You pay a storage charge and a small towing fee plus a normal touring caravan pitch fee when pitched.
This should work out much cheaper than a seasonal pitch (van permanently on pitch) and may overcome the objection of site owners allowing family to use it as well. The more people use it the more pitch fees they will have.
We were looking at seasonal pitches last year and found that sites vary widely in terms of what they will allow. Some that we found only allow the 1 named couple to use the caravan, others allow 2 named couples and some we found allow you to pay extra to have additional named couples added or allow others to stay in your caravan for a daily charge that looked to be about half the standard pitch price for a tourer. Your best bet would be to find a number of sites you like the look of and then start phoning around to see what their terms and conditions are.
I think what sites are doing is trying to stop people using their caravan as an Airbnb with different people coming all the time so they limit who is allowed to stay.
As has already been mentioned, many seasonal sites will now be fully booked for the 2024 season so you may have to go on a waiting list. All the ones I tried last year around this time had long long waiting lists so we ended up not bothering and just continued touring. We may have to reconsider in a few years as my husband is getting to the point when towing is becoming too much for him.
If you use Facebook, there is a Facebook group called Caravan Seasonal Pitch Availability UK where sites with available pitches can advertise them and people can ask others if they know of any sites with availability. You might have some luck there.
We were on a site in September and while in reception a couple were inquiring about a season pitch for nex year. They were told if they stored their caravan on the site storage over this winter coming they could go on the waiting list,for next years seasonal pitch if any become vacant. They were told there was no guarantee though that they would get one.
------------- 2023 Swift Archway Woodford, MK3 Kuga ST Line X 190 ps AWD Auto
Now 52 years Caravanning completed.
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!