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Hi all,

Probably a slightly different question to the norm on here as it's all good times and holidays usually, but I am considering buying a caravan to live in over the summer season whilst working away from home.

I will be working around 200 miles from my home over the next 6 months (and possibly longer, but I'll cross that bridge later), and the norm would be to rent a room(around £400 pm) in a shared house, but this does not allow my wife and kids (6 & 2) to visit. A self contained flat in the area is around £700 pm + council tax, bills etc.

Now, we have camped in our pennine pullman for the last 3 or 4 years and am considering buying a caravan for me to stay in during the week normally but allowing them to visit me during the school holidays etc, as I do miss them dearly (it's just there are few jobs in my field in the midlands, and easier to find in the south - engineering ).

I think i've found a site with availability, although it is that new that the toilet block hasn't been built yet - I could even give him a hand building it over the summer evenings . And he didn't have a seasonal price or a clue what we were talking about initially, but I think he got the idea eventually. Some of the other sites we phoned had a four page waiting list  for a seasonal pitch.

So, my main question is, what's the view on people staying in caravans, by caravanning folk, for work purposes?

Anybody here do it? What are the pitfalls?

Best type of van for a seasonal pitch? Hobby?

On a side note: I usually leave for work at around 5am on aMonday morning and am suprised by the amount of builders vans with a small caravan on the back recently, where do the pitch up, do they pitch up on the work site?

Hi last year while on the grand tour we found lots of campsites around essex full of workers from the north the campsites were charging them around £100 a week all in which was more than they charged us  

but one campsite owner moaned to us that recently his electric bill was 6 grand and it was easy to see why every workers caravan had a baby belling and  full size fridges in the awnings

So i would check the site fees out first

I know one person who did that and also another person who has lived in his 'van full time.  He goes away every month or so so that he isn't living on that site permantly :)  I don't know how much the one who lived in his caravan while working away was charged or even if he was on a site but the one who lives in his 'van full time stays on a caravan club site.

I know it's what i'd consider doing as it's your own home rather than a rented room where your family can't visit.  I'm sure your kids would love for their Dad to live in a caravan which they could visit :)

site in hinkley i last visited had mojority of vans used by local workers.

I although different too you only really use my van for work related trips

i only tend to do weekends away with the exception of 1 or 2 jobs

i bought a cheap van and made it homely its now got to the stage where wife n kids come with me on most jobs.

i think your making the right choice,saving a few quid in the long run,getting to see the family as and when it suits,and still have a holiday home at the end of it.

Thanks all, seems very positive so far.

Yes, the value is having the ability to have the wife and kids be able to visit me for school holidays. If he would like help with his building work then it wouldn't be a problem.

Any negative comments, please feel free to add, I'm not afraid of critism . Does anyone think that people in my situation are ruining it for the normal campers? I'd like an all round view.

I wouldn't have thought 'workers' staying on a site would ruin it for other campers - you're not exactly going to be having late night parties if you have to be up for work the next morning!

The site you've found sounds ideal - if it's new & unknown you could poss get a good rate plus you're offering to be hands on & help the owner develop it.  You could end up with a good deal & a mate to spend some time with which'd help with missing your family.

A 5 berth twin dinette layout might be a good one for you - you could leave the rear double made up during the week so you're not making a bed up every night & then when the family are there you've also got the double at the front or use the front seats as singles for the kids.  As long as it's dry & everything works it'd be fine.

I deliver to a lot of sites where workers use touring vans to live in, they're normally in the site compounds with all faciities laid on for them includin power, water shower/toilet blocks  & even drying rooms. They all seem to have normal touring vans & it all looks very cosy.

I know a couple who have sold their house & had the house they bought fall through. They've moved onto a site & are living in their van for a while until they find another house to buy. I've also seen several vans on the site we use in Cornwall with one of the people leaving for work in the mornings. I think some sites would not welcome sign written vans but otherwise I don't think you'll have a problem.

What part of the ountry are you going to be working in? I hope it all works out for you.

BB

dont forget thoiugh that some sites are only licensed for 'leisure' use, CL sites in particular could have their 'permission' removed if being used for other than leisure.  I would have thought that anything other than a CL site would be ok,

i actually did the same thing for two years, a seasonal pitch on a all singing/dancing site, kids loved it in the holidays and i had the comfort of my own space when they went back home, it worked really well. i would even think of getting a cheap static, if finances allow, even if it means selling it on later, especially as you are effectively living in it full time?

plenty on ebay !!!

How can you be ruining it for others

We like going to these sort of sites. The workers are decent hard working people who got off their a$$$e to try and make a living

and they are a laugh in the pub

There is a man in the next van to our seasonal pitch doing the same thing - as others have said, why should anyone have a problem?  We certainly don't.  The only thing that struck me was your saying that you have to leave for work at 5am.  The site we are on does not open the gates until 6am so you might have to leave your vehicle on the "late arrivals" car park if the site you are looking for is the same. Might be worth checking out.

I agree with all of the above. Every site I've worked on has its resident workers, we love em, they pay on time, they are generally not trouble makers and most visitors to the site dont even know they are there, after all they are at work all day.

One thing you will have to take into account is the site probably has a 28 day rule imposed by the local council. You and/or the site owner will have to keep records showing that you do not exceed the maximum time allowed each month. How accurate those records have to be will depend on how dilligent the local officers are and what sort of people use the site.

Quote: Originally posted by geoff+emmy on 03/4/2011

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Hi last year while on the grand tour we found lots of campsites around essex full of workers from the north the campsites were charging them around £100 a week all in which was more than they charged us  

 

but one campsite owner moaned to us that recently his electric bill was 6 grand and it was easy to see why every workers caravan had a baby belling and  full size fridges in the awnings

So i would check the site fees out first

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The original one fell through as he had already allocated the pitches for the main summer weeks. We have found another site but, as geoff+emmy said, they want near £100 per week for a pitch. It's possibly more cost effectve to live in a shared house and then have a family room in a hotel for when the missus and kids stay.

I was looking forward to spending the summer in a caravan. Ah well.

I live permananetly in mine and work from it but my work is all over europe. Many campsite owneres will offer you a discount for staying longer! Ihave been very discreet the fact that I work from mine and everyone seems very happy. I have a van where there are 2 large sofas up front and a fixed bed in the rear. It certainly works for me. We love it that much we dont know whether we could vere live in a house again! Enoy!

Ps Housework??? Whats that? 5 mins once a week to shake the rugs-theres more to life!