Advice For Caravan for home weekend use

[Paulb79]

Hi everybody, i am a complete novice and would greatly appreciate your help (please go easy on me).
Bit of a long story but will cut it short.

I am mulling over whether to buy a cheap caravan to put down the side of my Mum's house for me and partner to stay in at weekends.This will enable us to have our own space until we can get enough money together for a deposit for own place for a while.

Is it possible to run the fridge, heating and oven from the mains?, or is this not advisable?. I have seen a caravan connector to three pin plug converter, would this be ok, and is this simple enough?. How good is the heating system in a caravan these days for winter nights?.

I am extremely grateful for any advice you can give.

Thanks guys

 

[Martin24]

Some will depend on how cheap and cheerful. The heating on an older van may well be gas only and insulation may not be to modern standards. Not sure how you would stand for planning permission etc if living in the van. The oven will be gas not electric. Yes it is that simple to plug into the mains.

 

[Jaydug]

Is it possible to run the fridge, heating and oven from the mains?,

Yes - fridge and heating would run off the mains but any oven is likely to be only useable on bottled gas. Also you would need to ensure that any vents were not being blocked by close proximity to walls. Providing you had an onboard battery and a functioning charging system, 12 volt lighting and facilities could be used.

Caravans built before the '90s only had a single plywood floor of around 10mm thick so would loose heat through the floor.. Vans built after the 90s have composite floors - two sheets of ply with a core of polystyrene. All vans have built in permanent ventilation - through which there's heat loss but it's not advisable to block any ventilators or floor vents.

And I don't know how the local council would view semi permanent habitation..

 

[Paulb79]

Thanks for the prompt replies!.
As i say this would only be weekends. I'm in a really tough situation at the moment because of the ridiculous cost of housing. I'm in IT an job only earning 19k which i only marginally improved from the last job i had. Trying to save what i can and make the best of my situation and hope things improve.

I assume the 12v system wouldn't last that long if it was powering the fridge, heating and lights, and i would be better off using mains?.

What sort of price range would i be looking at for what you have suggested and what i need?. I have a budget between 1-3k really.

Finally, do you think the council would frown upon what I'm considering?. Just to add this won't be every weekend.

Thanks again in advance, i appreciate your time and input.

 

[Beehpee]

Regarding the council position it's straightforward enough, just don't tell them, if some nosey git reports it to the council it would probably take them 6 months to do anything as most council departments are a waste of space by which time you could be out of there, I know I wouldn't be allowed to live in a caravan at my house but when we purchased a run down bungalow that wasn't habitable I parked the caravan in middle of front lawn and we lived in it 24/7 for about 4 or 5 months and never heard a peep from the council jobsworths so my advice is just go for it if it's what you want and good luck with finding a caravan in your price range which shouldn't be too difficult.

BP

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

I think you can legally use a caravan parked on your own drive as an extra bedroom, without the need for any permission. Similarly I think you can use a garden shed as well.

 

[Paulb79]

Excellent, thanks once again for all your input.

Thankfully i can stay inside in the week at my mothers, but for weekends this would be a great way for me and my partner to have our own space, until we get some more money behind us to buy a place of our own.

I do find there is a bit of snobbery sometimes when it comes to caravans in this country but to be fair they've come a long way (since i was a kid) and have pretty much all mod cons these days, from what i have seen.

going back to what was said about hooking up to the mains indoors. I presume this is safe and ok to use?.
As i say the heating, lights and possibly fridge and a laptop will be in use. As jaydug said the oven i can use on the gas, if need be.

http://www.halfords.com/camping-leisure/caravan-motorhomes/electrical-power/camping-caravan-motorhome-uk-hook-up-adapter-plug
Thanks in advance

 

[Hutch]

Paul, we are on a site at the moment and the leccy supply is on 10 amps, your house supply is 13 amps , so you will run everything ok, when we have our van at home everything is plugged in and runns well.
We have used our van as a spare bedroom when we have a lot of peope stay, .nice to see some one thinking of ways to get money together and still have a life, go for it.
Hutch.

 

[Jaydug]

I assume the 12v system wouldn't last that long if it was powering the fridge, heating and lights, and i would be better off using mains?.

.

The fridge won't work off 12volts unless the caravan is being towed by a suitably wired car. When pitched it only works off gas and 240volts. Also heating needs to be mains or gas (most important that the gas system has been tested before use.
As for a connection to the house mains-you will need a mains cable with a suitable connector for the caravan and a 3-pin plug for the house mains. I have a similar connector which I plug into the garage socket.

 

[Paulb79]

Are there any reputable caravan sellers in the south east (Essex) that you guys would recommend?. As i say I'm a complete novice and don't want to end up out of pocket.

Thanks guys!

 

[Mel]

Have a look at the caravanfinder website and autotrader. The thing you most need to avoid is Damp. If you are buying privately or from a dealer with no warranty, it is a good idea to get an NCC approved mobile caravan engineer to check it out for you before you buy. That way you will avoid the dreaded damp and know that the safety critical stuff (gas and leccy) isn't going to kill you. Hooking up to the mains is easy and even easier if your mum has an external socket in the garden or garage.
happy hunting
mel

 

[Paulb79]

Thank you all for being so heplful!. And have a great bank holiday (what's left of it)

 

[Parksy]

Hi Paul, welcome to the forum
There are some good used caravans available on the market at your budget, both from caravan dealers and via private sales.
If you purchase from a dealership or commercial trader the law provides some protection if the sale is misrepresented.
When buying privately, quite often there appears at face value to be better value for money, but there is little or no legal comeback if things turn out not to be what they seem.
Decide which layout suits you best, perhaps a fixed bed 4 berth with a lounge area at the front will give you plenty of space, and remember that the overall condition of a used caravan is more important than it's age.
Click Here to have a browse through the Caravan Buyers Guide, never buy a caravan without inspecting it or if distance prevents a personal inspection you could engage the services of an approved mobile caravan engineer to check for you for a modest fee.
Good luck, if you have any questions just ask and you never know, you might even come to enjoy caravanning away from home :lol: