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Topic: Tourer as a static

RichTea70

04/11/2017 at 3:59pm
Location: Berks
Outfit: Bailey Pegasus Turin

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Hi all,
I've returned to the forum after quite a few years as we had a couple of tourers when the children were younger but as they grew up we traded the caravan for more all inclusive holidays abroad!
We've now come full circle, with the children grown up and doing their own thing, and the wife and I with a bit more time on our hands.
So I started thinking about a static/park home to be able to shoot off for a weekend or two whenever we fancied it, not having to worry about planning in advance or worrying about the weather. However a bit of research showed me that whilst static homes are very nice, they appear to be a bit of a money pit, with no guarantees around future values etc.
So I am now thinking of going for a nice tourer (with fixed bed), to leave on a seasonal pitch (with winter storage also). Whilst it probably won't be as comfortable as a static, it seems as though it would be a good compromise.
I'm thinking with the advent of super pitches with electric/water/drainage we wouldn't be far off static luxury (apart from emptying the loo!) but with the lower costs. Also a tourer would retain a certain value and you'd be free to move to our pitches if you wish.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone had had similar ideas in the past and how it turned out or whether I've missed anything in my assessment?
Thanks

Ronni54

04/11/2017 at 6:10pm
Location: Shropshire
Outfit: None Entered

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We did this for seven years. We had previously had a static and had to sell at a considerable loss due to family illness. We sold the tourer this year as have moved into a Park Home. Sold privately (10 years old) for much more than we got for our 7 year old 3 bedroom static!

Ideally, look for a site where the van stays on it's pitch all year and you can check it during the winter months. We could leave our awning up during the season but always took it down in October to avoid snow/storm damage. We also put additional poles to strengthen the awning for when we were not around.

You can search on the camp site search on here for sites with seasonal pitches.

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Ronni

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Colin21

04/11/2017 at 7:20pm
Location: East Herts
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I have often recommended this idea as an alternative to a static. It's certainly what I would do if I wanted to holiday repeatedly in a place I really liked. The only way I would ever holiday in a static is to rent one when I needed it, and we have done this, but I certainly would never buy one unless I had my own land to put it on. Static sites generally are a total rip-off, and a static without a site is worth little more than a packet of crisps.

Many years ago, before the law changed, we lived in a Park Home, and back then they were treated virtually the same as static holiday homes. Fortunately things have moved on from those days, and I'd have one now in a flash if I could afford it.

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Best Regards,
Colin

Bob61

04/11/2017 at 7:36pm
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This is something I have considered in the past but I would take a look at how much it costs for a seasonal pitch.

One popular site in Dorset which shall remain nameless charges £2340 for a seasonal pitch from March to October. That does not include electricity which you have to pay for extra by using a top up card and there is even an admin charge of £15 to supply you with the card. If you use an awning which is over 8' wide there is another £40 charge.

In the winter the caravans are removed into storage (I don't know if that's an extra charge) and if you want to use them in the winter they will tow them back onto a pitch (for a fiver) and then you have to pay the normal nightly tariff.

...and they don't even provide breakfast

My thoughts were that it wouldn't cost me anywhere near that to use B&B's throughout the year for the number of times I go camping although if you want to practically live in the caravan all summer it might be a reasonable charge.

I think I will stick with my tent and maybe a couple of winter trips to B&B's.

yotanka62

04/11/2017 at 8:57pm
Location: Milton Keynes
Outfit: Kia Sorento + Sprite Major 4

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We have a tourer on a seasonal pitch in Somerset and love it. It runs from March to middle of November and they store over winter.
We add a Dorema awning and likewise added another 2 roof bars and it was as solid as a rock.
We have all the mod cons including what they call outside carpet on the floor and it's like having a sitting room.
Ours includes a certain amount of electric units and not many people go over.
The annual cost is broken down over 10 months so no large amount to pay out in one go.
We absolutely love it and have just closed it down last weekend and can't wait the 119 days till we go again, not that we are counting.
I can recormend this as it's just a case of turning on the water, gas and electric and the kettle is on within 5 mins. Yes it is a serviced pitch.
Love it, love it, 😍

RichTea70

04/11/2017 at 9:13pm
Location: Berks
Outfit: Bailey Pegasus Turin

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Thanks for all your replies, much appreciated.
So it looks like this is the approach we will take. All I need to do now is find a site and a caravan!

If anyone can suggest a decent/recommended site towards the south coast (we are in Reading) which offers a decent pitch, that would be a bonus

RichTea70

04/11/2017 at 9:17pm
Location: Berks
Outfit: Bailey Pegasus Turin

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Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 04/11/2017
One popular site in Dorset which shall remain nameless charges £2340 for a seasonal pitch from March to October.

Whereabouts would this be? Dorset is at the top of my location list,
Thanks

Bob61

05/11/2017 at 12:29am
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Quote: Originally posted by RichTea70 on 04/11/2017

Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 04/11/2017
One popular site in Dorset which shall remain nameless charges £2340 for a seasonal pitch from March to October.

Whereabouts would this be? Dorset is at the top of my location list,
Thanks

You could try Birchwood at Wareham Forest near Swanage. They apparently have seasonal pitches

UPDATE...I think I remember reading there is a waiting list for 2018 but give them a ring and ask.

Post last edited on 05/11/2017 00:44:43

RichTea70

05/11/2017 at 7:15am
Location: Berks
Outfit: Bailey Pegasus Turin

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Will do, thanks

Wibsey

05/11/2017 at 6:59pm
Location: West Yorkshire
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We are using a seasonal pitch, into our 3rd year next year. We love it and use it most weekends, and all the school holidays (I work in a school).

Our season runs from March to end of October, we do bring ours home in the winter, as we use it for touring then.

RichTea70

05/11/2017 at 9:40pm
Location: Berks
Outfit: Bailey Pegasus Turin

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Quote: Originally posted by Wibsey on 05/11/2017
We are using a seasonal pitch, into our 3rd year next year. We love it and use it most weekends, and all the school holidays (I work in a school).

Our season runs from March to end of October, we do bring ours home in the winter, as we use it for touring then.

Can I ask, have you had it on the same pitch for the 3 years? I'm just wondering if the appeal wears off if you keep it in the same place?

Wibsey

05/11/2017 at 10:15pm
Location: West Yorkshire
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Yes we have had it on the same pitch, we are very lucky as both me and hubby mountain bike, and the site we are on is close enough to Dalby forest to ride into it. I guess that is the big appeal for us, some of the other people on the site have been there 15 years plus.

Delberthot

06/11/2017 at 8:05am
Location: Falkirk
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From my limited experience some sites won't give you a seasonal pitch unless they already know you - i.e. you've stayed before and they know you can behave on the site and stick to the rules.

We had tents for 3 years and stayed on the same site before asking to have our name put on the list for a seasonal pitch there.

We expected to have to wait 3-4 years but within about a month we had a call and not only had a pitch but a caravan as well.

Our van stays where it is all year round.

The site is closed from the end of October until the 2nd or 3rd week of March but we can still go into the site and check everything is ok.

alan29

06/11/2017 at 9:08am
Location: Wirral
Outfit: Swift Freestyle 520 on seasonal pitch

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We have done two years on our seasonal pitch in Bala on the edge of Snowdonia. Best thing we have ever done. We use the van almost every week. Snowdonia has enough variety to never get boring. And it is full of the kind of roads that a biker like me loves to ride.
We no longer think of it as a caravan. It has become our little place in the country.

Martin Gover

07/11/2017 at 9:41am
Location: South Wales
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Agree with all the comments about seasonal pitches and using a tourer not a static. A consideration is space and how you combine this arrangement with an awning and small trailer (see below). We have 2 dogs, 2 children and 2 of us so need space. We have a large heavy (very strong) awning and as long as you are not on a windy site (at the moment we are) you can use the awning and caravan combined and have as much space as you would in a small static - 21 feet caravan length X 17 feet wide - the combined width of caravan and awning. If site also has storage, you can move on and off your pitch, putting caravan into storage on same site when not there. We use a CL site that has storage at £200 a year and pitch fee when on pitch £10/night with EHU. Plus we can visit other sites for trips away / France etc as well, so not tied to one place. But we do not want to pack u caravan with a wet awning and all its contents. So to avoid packing and unpacking caravan when away, we use a separate covered trailer to pack the awning and our camping 'furniture' into, plus luggage, then tow trailer home. Awning can then be dried out at home if wet and left at home if not required. This means the caravan is not full of 'stuff' and can be occupied immediately. We just move it between pitch & storage in 20 minutes - a quick set-up on arrival. Awning goes up next day at our leisure when required. So a useful idea is awning & trailer moves to & from home, caravan stays inn storage on same site when not on pitch. Same awning / trailer system can be used with seasonal pitches of course.

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Martin Gover

homebird2003

07/11/2017 at 10:00am
Location: Southampton
Outfit: Elddis Magnum 505 Conway Countryman

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We couldn't afford a seasonal pitch and due to ill health we couldn't use our caravan much either so we plumped for store and pitch. Ours is at the Inside Park in Blandford. Storage is cheap and for a small fee they will put the caravan on a pitch for us whenever we want to camp.

I enquired at Birchwood - you are restricted to only using your caravan there which didn't suit us as when in full health we like to rally.

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Homebird

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