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To avoid misunderstanding, we really do like caravvaning - and we've been doing it for over 20 years.

But it is, and has always been, an expensive caper It's all very well people advising the purchase of a 6, 7, 8 year old van to keep costs down - but the truth is that a van of that age is almost certain to be damp.

That's the main problem - the caravans are so badly made that they're really only good for three or four years.  After that, you're going to get damp and rot.  So, if you buy a van of that age you could well be throwing money away, and if you keep part exchaning them for new vans, well that's going to cost an arm and a leg as well.,

Then, if you buy the van on finace, there is the cost of that, plus site fees that are getting ridiculous, petrol/diesel prices that show no sign of coming down, escalating insurance costs, club membership fees, rising gas costs, and outrageously high costs for replacement items in the caravan (which are flimsy, and usually need replacing after a couple of years)

For instance - £60 for a Truma water inlet, which probably cost 75 pence to make!

All in all, it may not be getting beyond everyone's ability to afford it - but it's getting beyond ours.

We will be genuinely sorry to give up - but, more and more, we're thinking tthat this season will be our last.

Quote: Originally posted by leegilbert on 15/8/2010

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I think it all depends on how you use your caravan aswel... we have ours on a seasonal pith which costs 1k pa (inc winter storage) so with insurance its probably costing us around 100.oo per month, but we do use it an awful lot so for us its great value for money!

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Quote: Originally posted by Surfer01 on 15/8/2010

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When I did the calculation for cost per month I never included awning and associated equipment so that be over and above the £300 mentioned. Zorro queried the £200 mentioned but when you take into account insurance, storage, servicing and the cost of getting to a site and cost of site for the two nights, then you get very clsoe to the £200 mark.

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H iagain Surfer, just wanted to clarify I wasn't querying the sum of £200 - I'm sure you know what it costs you ! I can see how it might have seemed like that, but no, I was actually agreeing that it was a hefty amount of money ! However....

My point was just that you did say you were away in your caravan a lot, and I would think equivalent time in hotels etc would surely be more expensive than £200 a month.

Quote: Originally posted by Is that all,60mph!! on 15/8/2010

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Well for me the wife and three hungry children, A holiday in st ives at ayr campsite(which is quite possibly the most expensive site in the world!!!) Round about 600 of your finest english pounds.mmmmm! holiday for 5 at this price in peak season. Oh and the fuel and food price make it up to less than 2k and that is eating out more than a few times. Depends on your circumstances wouldn't you think.

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Well, yes - and  £2,000 is more than I would want to pay for a holiday.

But are you also taking into account the 'hidden' costs?

If not, when you include the cost of the caravan (either monthly repayments or loss of interest on the capital sum) , servicing, accessories, servicing, insurance, storage (if you need it) and all the other expenses involved in caravanning - then that £2,000 would be a *lot* more.

It's tempting to spend a weekend on a CL and think, "Well, that only cost 20 quid in fees" - when the *real* cost is probably more like 200 quid!

As you say, though, it's down to personal income and value judgements - but we have an income which is pretty reasonable, and increasingly we're coming to the conclusion that the expense can't be sustained.

When things get *really* tough in the next few months it will be interesting to see how many more people come to the same conclusion.

I'm also quite interested to see what happens at 'The Lawns' this year - I doubt if there has ever been a caravan show taking place before the implementation of such dire government economic policies.  What effect these will have on the caravan market will be well worth seeing, I think.