Well I must say having just dought our first caravan it's been rather a steep learning curve Firat of all sorting out storage some will only take single axles some will take double finding out security they have and what the insurance company want then the insurance as a newbie no Idea what half the stuff means thank fully the dealer i bought it of Newport caravan's were extremely patient and very helpfull as I mentiond before I havent got a tow car at the moment so they agreed to tow it to a site for us at a charge witch I thought was very reasonable Steve The gentleman who towed it helped us setup every thing and explaind every thing to us we had a lovely week in south Devon after all the stress the campsite will store it for us and bring it out when we need it it's not ideal but it works for us looking forward to many more advetures next one will be learning to tow the beast as it's a six berth double axle we will be taking lessons
First caravan First Trip
- Thread starter Elliott34
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Welcome to wonderful world of caravanning!
A 6 berth twin axle is going to require a pretty substantial bit of kit to tow it with! Think in terms of a hefty sized SUV, something like a Disco, BMW X5, VW Touareg etc I would imagine.
First thing you need is to know what the caravans MTPLM (maximum technically permitted laden mass, better described as maximum gross weight) is. Once you have that you can start looking for a towcar that can legally pull that weight. A saloon car is unlikely to be up to the task.
A 6 berth twin axle is going to require a pretty substantial bit of kit to tow it with! Think in terms of a hefty sized SUV, something like a Disco, BMW X5, VW Touareg etc I would imagine.
First thing you need is to know what the caravans MTPLM (maximum technically permitted laden mass, better described as maximum gross weight) is. Once you have that you can start looking for a towcar that can legally pull that weight. A saloon car is unlikely to be up to the task.
Mel
Moderator
Well done. It will get less daunting. Store and pitch is a great way to enjoy Caravanning. Some people only ever do this. Enjoy your next stay.
Mel
Mel
Store and pitch is great way to go and gives you a wonderful caravan break and more holidays to come enjoy
I would expect the overall cost of doing that would be greater than hiring a cabine/glamping pod/static as and when desired! Think of the capital cost, insurance, servicing, depreciation etc compared to the cost of hiring something. Unless of course you visit your (not quite static) caravan a lot rather than a 2 week summer holiday and a couple of weekends.
When people ask if I have a holiday home I reply yes. When asked where it is I say "Wherever I choose it to be" and that, to me, is the whole idea of having a caravan, the ability to enjoy a wide variety of places rather than returning to the same place every time.
Well that's why I have a caravan anyway
When we found our ability restricted to use the caravan for touring we decided to book a seasonal pitch in the Forest of Dean. It is only a 90 minute drive and would have been accessible 24/7. Unfortunately covid put paid to that idea. But I see nothing wrong with the OPs approach. They intend to get a suitable tow car so touring is an option. Life isn’t all about costs and spreadsheets and hiring alternative types of accommodation., is quite expensive particularly in this country. We have a cottage hired for two weeks in September at £1200, a 25% deposit was taken on booking and the balance on 3 July with quite strict cancellation terms. But it’s located where we wanted to be and excellent quality. But you might take a closer look at the prices and TCs as some of the options offered by you to the OP.
Mel
Moderator
When we were seasonal, the site also did store and pitch. The cost of secure storage was at the higher end of Cassoa gold storage rates but was not excessively high in comparison. The owner then charged the normal pitch fees for however many nights your van was on a pitch plus one £15 fee for each tow on and off. Hence not much more than keeping the van in storage and towing to a site. If you factor in the extra fuel used when towing, then this might well off set the £15 fee. Given the OPs situation while sourcing a tow car, it would seem a cost effective solution to me.
mel
This is really a horses for courses thing, whatever suits you is fine and many people are very happy with these store and pitch arrangements, and if it works for you then that is all that matters. If it costs more than a regular storage site you can offset the cost of towing, which should close the gap a bit.
thanks every one for your comments as I explaind in a earlier thred waiting for a tow car so rather than missing the summer withe the caravan in storage and the warranty running down this seemed a good alternative as we can see if there is any problems with it
This reminds me of something BB may have done a few years ago.
Whilst for me a caravan is purely for touring to various places I can understand the OP thoughts.
It will give him a chance to familiarise with the new baby. Last year we were overlooking Lundy Isle at a lovely site Westward Ho! Two elderly couples stored and used their caravans as described by the OP. They loved the site , the views ,the tranquility and the ability to still, keep their personal touches rather than the sanitised interior of a rental. The pitches were FSP.
If my health gave up I would certainly consider the OP option.
Whilst for me a caravan is purely for touring to various places I can understand the OP thoughts.
It will give him a chance to familiarise with the new baby. Last year we were overlooking Lundy Isle at a lovely site Westward Ho! Two elderly couples stored and used their caravans as described by the OP. They loved the site , the views ,the tranquility and the ability to still, keep their personal touches rather than the sanitised interior of a rental. The pitches were FSP.
If my health gave up I would certainly consider the OP option.
There are lot pluses to this method.
If you need to pay for storage then no savings having it close to home except to work on. Don't need large expensive to live with tow vehicle, just hire one every so often for weekend to move to new campground. Easy to travel 2-3hours after work for long weekend with no caravan in tow plus cheap on fuel if using small car.
Can still hire tow vehicle for touring holiday.
If you need to pay for storage then no savings having it close to home except to work on. Don't need large expensive to live with tow vehicle, just hire one every so often for weekend to move to new campground. Easy to travel 2-3hours after work for long weekend with no caravan in tow plus cheap on fuel if using small car.
Can still hire tow vehicle for touring holiday.
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