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Interesting post! BUT cost can be reduced!

We had a 4 X 4 (Nissan X Trail, great tow car) and two others before, which did about 38mpg but 28mpg towing.BUT as already said you have extra road tax,insurance,servicing and fuel costs etc etc.When I retired at Christmas we wanted to continue caravaning but reduce our costs where possible, so we ended up buying a Toyota Avensis Tourer (estate model) 2.0 TR Diesel ,which has proven to be an excellant tow car and giving much better fuel consumtion both towing and not towing.

Our road tax is MUCH cheaper, insurance is cheaper, it does 46 mpg and 37mpg towing, we stay at CC sites only if necassary, but usualy at CC CL or smaller sites.Also we shopped around 'like for like' on Caravan insurance, the CC insurance may be good, but they are not the cheapest by far! we saved over £100 shopping around with an equal 'Like for Like' insurance with another reputable  co..

So life can go on, even for pensioners!

Mike

Quote: Originally posted by ashwellgirl on 13/8/2010

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I agree with you that for 2 people it is probably cheaper to stay in a hotel for a weekend, and easier :)

For us as a family of 5 it is certainly cheaper.

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Agreed - our 2 weeks to the Vendee (from tomorrow ) is going to cost us about £1000 all-in including petrol, tolls, site fees, Eurotunnel (mostly paid for with Tesco vouchers, admittedly) and food.

Just to get to my mum's flat in Spain would be £1,200 in flights alone, before you add in car hire and food etc. The difference on this one holiday has paid for my storage and insurance for the year.

If you went for a cheap holiday package for a family of 4 for 2 weeks in the summer holiday, you're looking at a minimum of £2k, self-catering (I just did a quick search on Thomas Cook website for this time next year).

To be honest, what makes it more expensive personally, is the fact that we go away much more often. I will have had at least 35 days holiday this year and we always have more meals out and visit expensive attractions when away...

Money has nothing at all to do with our preference for caravanning. We are free to do exactly as we please, and don't have to run our lives according to someone else's clock.

Jim

Quote: Originally posted by Greendemon315 on 13/8/2010

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Money has nothing at all to do with our preference for caravanning. We are free to do exactly as we please, and don't have to run our lives according to someone else's clock.

Jim

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That's not strictly true.  We can only arrive on many sites after a certain time, we then have to leave those sites by a certain time, often midday. While we're o9n the sites we have to keep to any number of rules.   We have to book our vans in for servicing at the dealer's convenience, and increasingly we are being told that our vans have to conform with this regultion, and that rule - all at our expense.

Years ago, caravnning used to free and easy - but it's not necessarily like that any more.

Then there's the weather 

Quote: Originally posted by caravancaz on 13/8/2010

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This may be true is some cases! But out of season, and with sites that you are regular too, you can still do want you want - with permission of the owners of course! We often stay over and turn up early. Servicing is up to you, I've done my own for the last 3 years! not cost a penny, because nothing needed doing. Granted it was new 3 years ago, but - I would of paid out £550 for nalt! Get ya local sparky and plumber to sign it off - one hour each £50.

Anyway best everyone stopped caravanning because its bed for your health!

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