It is perfectly legal to use a postal address which is different to your residence address even for regsitration of V5 and change of address of driving licence. This must be made clear to the authorities. Remember the Registered Keeper is not necessary the owner of the vehicle. Both our vehicles were registered to my father's address. The insurance company was aware that the postal address was different to residential address.
Using a care of address is fine for registering a car and insurance, even your driving license can be registered. All that you have to do is ensure that everyone understands the situation. Which is what I did with my caravan insurance etc. the address on the form stated C/O 123 avenue road etc etc. Plus you enclose a statement letter detailing that you are using that address for all postal comunications as you live full time in your caravan at various sites. Obviously on a car insurance form you don't put that you keep the car at home in a garage, but stating that it is parked on the highway is as close to the tick box as you can get. At least that was how my insurer saw it. Those are the sort of creative form filling I refered to.
Another way to overcome the postal issue is to have a collect at the sorting office arrangement. This can only be done if your last uk address is in the post sorting office area. It is a free service offered by Royal mail. it is simlar to a redirection except that you do the picking up.
Jonny G is about right.
Just because we have chosen to live in our caravan full time, we have found several situations where one does have to be carefull to comply with legislation that is not fleable enough to work properly without a fixed address.
At no time have I quoted practical caravan as a source for any of the information or methodogies of ways that I have first hand experience of having to circumnavigate. Also it is very clear to all that they have to satisfy themselves that any advice or tip is a viable offering for them. I don't think there is anyone who would jump out of a plane at 5'000ft without a parachute just because someone on a forum said it was ok. If there is such an element of nievaty, then perhaps PC should stop printing a safe loading plan of a caravan just in case someone follows it and has an accident and then tries to claim for misleading information.
My point is, I think as grown adults, we can all think about things, ask questions and make informed decissions, and if in doubt ask a citizens advice beuro, or a solicitor if need be before we jump in with both feet.
Another way to overcome the postal issue is to have a collect at the sorting office arrangement. This can only be done if your last uk address is in the post sorting office area. It is a free service offered by Royal mail. it is simlar to a redirection except that you do the picking up.
Jonny G is about right.
Just because we have chosen to live in our caravan full time, we have found several situations where one does have to be carefull to comply with legislation that is not fleable enough to work properly without a fixed address.
At no time have I quoted practical caravan as a source for any of the information or methodogies of ways that I have first hand experience of having to circumnavigate. Also it is very clear to all that they have to satisfy themselves that any advice or tip is a viable offering for them. I don't think there is anyone who would jump out of a plane at 5'000ft without a parachute just because someone on a forum said it was ok. If there is such an element of nievaty, then perhaps PC should stop printing a safe loading plan of a caravan just in case someone follows it and has an accident and then tries to claim for misleading information.
My point is, I think as grown adults, we can all think about things, ask questions and make informed decissions, and if in doubt ask a citizens advice beuro, or a solicitor if need be before we jump in with both feet.
'Fudge the Cat' asked the question about caravan insurance:
Full time domestic use would mean that completely different risk factors would affect such a policy which is probably why F.T.C. had been told by insurance companies that cover cannot be given to caravans being used as permanent residences.
A 'creative' answer is all well and good but all material facts should be disclosed otherwise the policy is a waste of money because it would be void.
It's not an offence to waste money by not disclosing all of the facts to insurers but it would be illegal to make a claim against such a policy if material facts had been witheld.
It's up to the individual what arrangements they make but to neglect to inform the caravan insurers that the caravan is being lived in full time would mean that a policy would be issued for a caravan which was used for leisure touring.fudgethecat said:
Full time domestic use would mean that completely different risk factors would affect such a policy which is probably why F.T.C. had been told by insurance companies that cover cannot be given to caravans being used as permanent residences.
A 'creative' answer is all well and good but all material facts should be disclosed otherwise the policy is a waste of money because it would be void.
It's not an offence to waste money by not disclosing all of the facts to insurers but it would be illegal to make a claim against such a policy if material facts had been witheld.
Oops didn't mean to cause a stir, thanks for the advice though Steve
I haven't actually called any insurance companies yet, I was trying to do it on line and there only seemed to be a static caravan quote or a touring caravan quote and when I looked at the T&C's of the touring caravan ones they mentioned that it was not covered if lived in full time, the confusing part for me was that it asked whether it was on the road touring on sat at a site full time, so as I ticked that it was sat on a site full time I was bit confused as to why it then said it didn't cover me, but having researched further I find that people do leave their caravans on site all year, mainly by the coast but as I'm land locked I've never seen that practice.
I am actually going to call a couple of insurance companies and tell them of the situation, I'm not 100% certain that we will stay in our van all year, we may not like it but until we try we won't know. Therefore, it will be used as both a tourer, a permanent residence and possibly not used at all and sat on a driveway during the next 12 months, so in some ways I wouldn't really be lying anyway, but I'd rather be upfront. Mind you, I've noticed on some insurance's I've taken out in the past they don't actually listen to what you say anyway, i.e. I live in a rented private accomodation, always translates to I own my own home, when I quite clearly clicked on the rented box and the confirmation I received via email confirms this, but the paperwork sent in the post does not
I am going to use my parents as a c/o address for the time being for my post etc., as far as driving licences etc go, I don't suppose it really matters where you live as long as they can find you and my mother would always let someone know so no hiding out for me
Thanks again all, once I've looked into I will let you know the outcome. I have found your tips Steve very helpful and I hope that as I work my way through this I can also provide others thinking of doing this with some insight, be it good or bad
I haven't actually called any insurance companies yet, I was trying to do it on line and there only seemed to be a static caravan quote or a touring caravan quote and when I looked at the T&C's of the touring caravan ones they mentioned that it was not covered if lived in full time, the confusing part for me was that it asked whether it was on the road touring on sat at a site full time, so as I ticked that it was sat on a site full time I was bit confused as to why it then said it didn't cover me, but having researched further I find that people do leave their caravans on site all year, mainly by the coast but as I'm land locked I've never seen that practice.
I am actually going to call a couple of insurance companies and tell them of the situation, I'm not 100% certain that we will stay in our van all year, we may not like it but until we try we won't know. Therefore, it will be used as both a tourer, a permanent residence and possibly not used at all and sat on a driveway during the next 12 months, so in some ways I wouldn't really be lying anyway, but I'd rather be upfront. Mind you, I've noticed on some insurance's I've taken out in the past they don't actually listen to what you say anyway, i.e. I live in a rented private accomodation, always translates to I own my own home, when I quite clearly clicked on the rented box and the confirmation I received via email confirms this, but the paperwork sent in the post does not
I am going to use my parents as a c/o address for the time being for my post etc., as far as driving licences etc go, I don't suppose it really matters where you live as long as they can find you and my mother would always let someone know so no hiding out for me
Thanks again all, once I've looked into I will let you know the outcome. I have found your tips Steve very helpful and I hope that as I work my way through this I can also provide others thinking of doing this with some insight, be it good or bad
This insurance business seems to be really complex. so you phone around for cover, and as soon as you disclose that you intend using your touring caravan for full time living, cover is declined? Just got me wondering on what grounds would they refuse, would it be because they deem a touring caravan as not being robust enough to sustain continuous use?
If that is the case the parts that are prone to wear such as seating, cooker, fridge, water heater are not normally covered under normall liability insurance. I would have thought it would have been a more favorable risk, as it is in a permanent location there would be less chance of being involved in a road traffic accident, as opposed to the likes of me who take to the road on a regular basis with the van on tow, including our regular sortie over the water. Then if we look at it from the theft point of view, what better deterrent can we have than someone living in it 24/7, much better than any tracker or alarm, or am I barking up the wrong tree, if so can someone explain to me where the risk is so high for living in your van that they will not insure you!
If that is the case the parts that are prone to wear such as seating, cooker, fridge, water heater are not normally covered under normall liability insurance. I would have thought it would have been a more favorable risk, as it is in a permanent location there would be less chance of being involved in a road traffic accident, as opposed to the likes of me who take to the road on a regular basis with the van on tow, including our regular sortie over the water. Then if we look at it from the theft point of view, what better deterrent can we have than someone living in it 24/7, much better than any tracker or alarm, or am I barking up the wrong tree, if so can someone explain to me where the risk is so high for living in your van that they will not insure you!
The risks which insurers base their policies on vary but in order for them to correctly assess that risk for a particular caravan they need to know what they call 'the material facts'. After the insurers have correctly assessed the risks based on these material facts they can issue a policy or decline to do business if they assess the risk as being too high. A caravan used as domestic living accommodation for instance might not present a big risk of it being stolen. The insurers might decide however that the risk of the caravan being damaged by fire, hailstone damage perhaps or from internal flooding through full time winter use might be higher.
Insurers base their policies on the probabilities of risk so to calculate the probabilities correctly they have to be given the true material facts.
The problem is that if these material facts are not given the insurers will still accept payment on a policy but they might decline to honour that policy if anything goes wrong and they get an inkling that they were not given the true material facts when the policy was agreed.
If something went wrong and the insurers did honour the policy and pay out and then subsequently find that material facts were not disclosed the policy holder might find themselves up in court on deception charges.
This is why when advice that might be questionable or of dubious legality is given on this forum moderators have to intervene to point out possible pitfalls.
Insurers base their policies on the probabilities of risk so to calculate the probabilities correctly they have to be given the true material facts.
The problem is that if these material facts are not given the insurers will still accept payment on a policy but they might decline to honour that policy if anything goes wrong and they get an inkling that they were not given the true material facts when the policy was agreed.
If something went wrong and the insurers did honour the policy and pay out and then subsequently find that material facts were not disclosed the policy holder might find themselves up in court on deception charges.
This is why when advice that might be questionable or of dubious legality is given on this forum moderators have to intervene to point out possible pitfalls.
I agree that you have to make every address required party and insurers fully aware of your situation.
But IMO, your car is just as safe as being parked on your drive in a rural village as that is often where the caravan sites are located.
On my Rover the car alarm also monitors the 7 pin trailer socket so I plug an extension into the van if I'm worried about security. You see, if anyone cuts the wire or unplugs it with the car alarm active, it goes off instantly.
Your caravan is more secure as such because you visit every day and stand guard inside it every night. Also in my van I have a dog on the premesies, so i have dutifully put up the beware of the dog sign.
It is actually an offence not to have your current address on both paper & photo card licenses but again you can use C/O 123 on it so long as you make the DVLA aware. Funnily enough the one I thought that would be the most difficult to overcome was my UK passport. But as it doesn't carry any address details on it and you pen in next of kin contact details it was a sinch to get that renewed. I even had to go to the passport office in Newport to do it. I only had to show my UK birth certificate and a uk bank account statement as adress proof. Even registering with the Inland Revenue as self employed was just as easy.
But IMO, your car is just as safe as being parked on your drive in a rural village as that is often where the caravan sites are located.
On my Rover the car alarm also monitors the 7 pin trailer socket so I plug an extension into the van if I'm worried about security. You see, if anyone cuts the wire or unplugs it with the car alarm active, it goes off instantly.
Your caravan is more secure as such because you visit every day and stand guard inside it every night. Also in my van I have a dog on the premesies, so i have dutifully put up the beware of the dog sign.
It is actually an offence not to have your current address on both paper & photo card licenses but again you can use C/O 123 on it so long as you make the DVLA aware. Funnily enough the one I thought that would be the most difficult to overcome was my UK passport. But as it doesn't carry any address details on it and you pen in next of kin contact details it was a sinch to get that renewed. I even had to go to the passport office in Newport to do it. I only had to show my UK birth certificate and a uk bank account statement as adress proof. Even registering with the Inland Revenue as self employed was just as easy.
Hi Parksy, I still cant understand why they would want to decline cover once all the facts have been disclosed. Hailstone damage will occur regardless whether you are in the van full time or not, I can understand that there is an obvious increased fire risk, flood risk I would have thought more favorable with permanent residency, having suffered said same when we had been out for the day and a pipe decided to blow off from the kitchen sink, had we have been present I could have turned off the pump, and with hindsight that is common practice for us now.
Then with my home insurance I have to inform them if we intend to leave it unoccupied for more than 30 days, because for obvious reasons the risk increases with an unoccupied property. I know if I was in insurance I would favor some one on guard 24/7, or could it be that those that live in there caravans full time are in such a tiny minority that the insurers in there ignorance view them as slightly odd ball, would be nice to know the caravan clubs take on this.
And of course we also need to know has Steve disclosed all the facts to his insurers, and if so has this increased his premiums, or has he kept stum and insured his caravan just the same as all the rest of us as a normall tourer?
Then with my home insurance I have to inform them if we intend to leave it unoccupied for more than 30 days, because for obvious reasons the risk increases with an unoccupied property. I know if I was in insurance I would favor some one on guard 24/7, or could it be that those that live in there caravans full time are in such a tiny minority that the insurers in there ignorance view them as slightly odd ball, would be nice to know the caravan clubs take on this.
And of course we also need to know has Steve disclosed all the facts to his insurers, and if so has this increased his premiums, or has he kept stum and insured his caravan just the same as all the rest of us as a normall tourer?
cookieones said:
NOOoooo!!!
Thats my whole point, what Steve or anyone else does is nobodies business but their own.
The Terms & Conditions for the users of this website state that forum users agree not to disseminate any material which encourages conduct that may be considered a criminal offence or give rise to civil liability in any country in the world;
If Steve or anyone else had done what you said, and I'm not inferring that they have, we can't allow any details or even hints of it to be posted onto this forum because it could give rise to a criminal offence.
Further to that particular T&C another condition of forum use which would apply is that members agree not to disseminate any material which does or may bring Haymarket or any of its brands or subsidiaries into dispute or in any way damage their reputation;
It wouldn't do the reputation of Practical Caravan much good if forum members were allowed to encourage others to provide false or misleading information to insurance companies which is another reason why moderators are all over this topic at the moment
An interesting twist on the insurance has arisen out of our discussions.
If you choose to leave your caravan on a site fulltime, but not live in it fulltime, an insurance company will cover the van for all loss's
But if you reside in same said caravan on same said site fulltime, they won't cover you.
How on earth can they actually decide what constitutes fulltime. Ok 365 days a year might well be fulltime. But if like me you get sick of seeing the same 36 pitches for months on end and so you take a pun 4night cheapo holiday away from the van even once a year, have you not satisfied sentence 1 above? Technically you have only lived in the van 361 days out of 365
So by the fact that you could provide a holiday booking form and recipts, you could prove where you have been. As for using your parents address, what did most of us do when we first got a car etc. Register it to your parents address.
Now before I get pounced upon by the mods, I'm not advocating, instructing or advising people to follow my suggestions or comments. As parksy has already clarified, it is upto the individual to decide what to do and not to implicate PC in any way.
I'm sorry to have to print disclaimers but as we are quite obviously talking (and that is all it is) about a subject that is touching a few nerves (heaven knows why), I feel that as it is a valid caravanning point to be discussed. After all, soon we will see insurers limiting the days of occupation next I expect, in a simlar way to the 28 day ruling on certified locations.
If you choose to leave your caravan on a site fulltime, but not live in it fulltime, an insurance company will cover the van for all loss's
But if you reside in same said caravan on same said site fulltime, they won't cover you.
How on earth can they actually decide what constitutes fulltime. Ok 365 days a year might well be fulltime. But if like me you get sick of seeing the same 36 pitches for months on end and so you take a pun 4night cheapo holiday away from the van even once a year, have you not satisfied sentence 1 above? Technically you have only lived in the van 361 days out of 365
So by the fact that you could provide a holiday booking form and recipts, you could prove where you have been. As for using your parents address, what did most of us do when we first got a car etc. Register it to your parents address.
Now before I get pounced upon by the mods, I'm not advocating, instructing or advising people to follow my suggestions or comments. As parksy has already clarified, it is upto the individual to decide what to do and not to implicate PC in any way.
I'm sorry to have to print disclaimers but as we are quite obviously talking (and that is all it is) about a subject that is touching a few nerves (heaven knows why), I feel that as it is a valid caravanning point to be discussed. After all, soon we will see insurers limiting the days of occupation next I expect, in a simlar way to the 28 day ruling on certified locations.
During the aftermath of the Cumbrian floods many homeless were provided with touring TA caravans . Some people remained in these temporary homes for two years. The loss adjusters / Insurers struck deals with manufacturers and dealers to purchase large numbers in bulk. To the best of my knowledge very restrictive guarantees were offered on the basis the caravans are recreational vehicles not semi permanent homes. In part this supports Damian's earlier point although I can see nothing in my Bailey handbook that restricts usage.
When the Cumbrian caravans were sold on mostly 18 -24 months old , most dealers offered no more than 30% of the original market value.
So , when Steve comes to sell his well used caravan will he have to declare it has been used almost every day of the year??
Will its value have been eroded like the Cumbrian ones??
Just a thought
When the Cumbrian caravans were sold on mostly 18 -24 months old , most dealers offered no more than 30% of the original market value.
So , when Steve comes to sell his well used caravan will he have to declare it has been used almost every day of the year??
Will its value have been eroded like the Cumbrian ones??
Just a thought
"Caveat emptor" One of the downsides of buying a caravan secondhand I would have thought Dusty, unlike a car there is nothing to record how much use a second hand van has seen, but I'm sure there is some folk out there that have got an absolute bargain.
I bet the dealers didn't pass the discount to the buyers.
Buying anything second hand has pit falls. That is why you buy with your eyes and not your ears being bent by the sales person.
When I was looking for my Rover, I was offered a 2001 model with 85'000 alledged miles. But why did it have a front bumper pebbel dashed with stone chips? In fact you'd of seen less pit holes had you hammerited it. Then there was a saggy driver's seat and well used back seat. Get the picture. Taxi anyone?
To be quite honest my dealer special Abbey is wearing very well. The upgraded 150mm sprung foam seats are still in good shape. The fixed bed has got a good quality topper on it to spread the load. The biggest give away is the loose door handle which I'm replacing this year.
Having been a process technition, I've got a service plan for the whole van and every month I do a check to make sure maintainence isn't left to fixing broken items (known in the trade as PPM's).
Buying anything second hand has pit falls. That is why you buy with your eyes and not your ears being bent by the sales person.
When I was looking for my Rover, I was offered a 2001 model with 85'000 alledged miles. But why did it have a front bumper pebbel dashed with stone chips? In fact you'd of seen less pit holes had you hammerited it. Then there was a saggy driver's seat and well used back seat. Get the picture. Taxi anyone?
To be quite honest my dealer special Abbey is wearing very well. The upgraded 150mm sprung foam seats are still in good shape. The fixed bed has got a good quality topper on it to spread the load. The biggest give away is the loose door handle which I'm replacing this year.
Having been a process technition, I've got a service plan for the whole van and every month I do a check to make sure maintainence isn't left to fixing broken items (known in the trade as PPM's).
The big move day has come around again..
Today is the day we move from our winter site at Moreton on Lugg where we have had a very pleasant 7 week stay. It is a real pleasure to stay at this site in the winter as the owner works tirelessly every day to ensure his site is in the best condition possible. This year the site has been quite busy and nearly full at weekends. Even with all the activity, Adrian has installed gravel awning standings to complement the concrete hard standings already in place. All this work has been done by hand and he has shovelled 25 tons of stone into his trailer to accomplish this.
So today is the day we pack the van and take down the awning, drive 20 miles and then put it all back up in the same day. I only wish it was as easy as that
.
The only saving grace is that today has good weather so we won't have to clear 3" of snow off the awning like we did in january
We move each year to take advantage of a seasonal pitch on a very quiet site with good wash facilities that is close to the wife's mother as she needs daily care following several mini strokes.
Moving day is the only day when I feel stressed. This is because we are decamping one site and moving to another where you don't know your secure and accepted until you get there. Plus we have to wrestle the all year awning down and pack it into the roof box and then errect it again an hour later. For the average person that wouldn't be an issue but for me with arthritic shoulders and a compressed disc in my back, I have to be very carefull how I do things. Fortunately, I have my 18" long handled paint roller frame to reach the pole screws and my awning companion to stretch the poles on assembly. For the donky work of moving the van I have my trusty motormover ET jocky wheel mounted mover, as we have to turn the van 90 deg back onto the standing and get it out to the car.
My other secret weapon is the kids (22 & 28), who when plied with sausage & bacon butties do a grand job of the heavy lifting the pegs and carrying the heavy stuff. It's so satisfying to know that we have brought up two caring kids who offer their services freely every time we move.
Then there's our Chocolate Labrador to consider. He has loved being at our winter site as he has chickens, 2 ponies and a donkey to play with. He knows we are moving hence him waking me at 4 am today. He will be just at home on the seasonal site once he's settled in. but we usually have a week of early rising from him to contend with.
But I've saved the biggest hurdle for last.
The Herefordshire Council.
Despite us moving every year to and from the same sites for the same reasons I end up having to speak to the housing benefits dept manager to rectify the amneasia of one particularly obstinate housing officer. She always takes 6 weeks to process the 18 page forms despite the council proclaiming to be able to process the form inside 14 days. Then I have to remind her about the policy of paying interim payments, otherwise she would stop paying any benefit. It's like "groundhog day" everytime we move.
Once I've sorted the council though, we can then settle back and enjoy our caravanning lifestyle and the comaradery of fellow caravanners.
Today is the day we move from our winter site at Moreton on Lugg where we have had a very pleasant 7 week stay. It is a real pleasure to stay at this site in the winter as the owner works tirelessly every day to ensure his site is in the best condition possible. This year the site has been quite busy and nearly full at weekends. Even with all the activity, Adrian has installed gravel awning standings to complement the concrete hard standings already in place. All this work has been done by hand and he has shovelled 25 tons of stone into his trailer to accomplish this.
So today is the day we pack the van and take down the awning, drive 20 miles and then put it all back up in the same day. I only wish it was as easy as that
The only saving grace is that today has good weather so we won't have to clear 3" of snow off the awning like we did in january
We move each year to take advantage of a seasonal pitch on a very quiet site with good wash facilities that is close to the wife's mother as she needs daily care following several mini strokes.
Moving day is the only day when I feel stressed. This is because we are decamping one site and moving to another where you don't know your secure and accepted until you get there. Plus we have to wrestle the all year awning down and pack it into the roof box and then errect it again an hour later. For the average person that wouldn't be an issue but for me with arthritic shoulders and a compressed disc in my back, I have to be very carefull how I do things. Fortunately, I have my 18" long handled paint roller frame to reach the pole screws and my awning companion to stretch the poles on assembly. For the donky work of moving the van I have my trusty motormover ET jocky wheel mounted mover, as we have to turn the van 90 deg back onto the standing and get it out to the car.
My other secret weapon is the kids (22 & 28), who when plied with sausage & bacon butties do a grand job of the heavy lifting the pegs and carrying the heavy stuff. It's so satisfying to know that we have brought up two caring kids who offer their services freely every time we move.
Then there's our Chocolate Labrador to consider. He has loved being at our winter site as he has chickens, 2 ponies and a donkey to play with. He knows we are moving hence him waking me at 4 am today. He will be just at home on the seasonal site once he's settled in. but we usually have a week of early rising from him to contend with.
But I've saved the biggest hurdle for last.
The Herefordshire Council.
Despite us moving every year to and from the same sites for the same reasons I end up having to speak to the housing benefits dept manager to rectify the amneasia of one particularly obstinate housing officer. She always takes 6 weeks to process the 18 page forms despite the council proclaiming to be able to process the form inside 14 days. Then I have to remind her about the policy of paying interim payments, otherwise she would stop paying any benefit. It's like "groundhog day" everytime we move.
Once I've sorted the council though, we can then settle back and enjoy our caravanning lifestyle and the comaradery of fellow caravanners.
We know the feeling having done it several times. At least at this time of the year it is expected not like when you have to move very quickly in July when the river is rising and threatening to flood the site. Nothing like a 4am start!
I got my dunking in 2007 floods too. We were working at Ripple Jcn1 M50, building chicken sheds in the rain as you do!
It took us 10 hrs and about 100 miles to get back to leominster. We had to make the air intake on our van water tight and push it through 3ft + of water on several occassions to get home. The journey normally was 37 miles taking 45 mins.
It's a nightmare having to evacuate in a rush.
It took us 10 hrs and about 100 miles to get back to leominster. We had to make the air intake on our van water tight and push it through 3ft + of water on several occassions to get home. The journey normally was 37 miles taking 45 mins.
It's a nightmare having to evacuate in a rush.
Hello Steve,
I hope the relocation went ok.
I have had a thought on your recurring housing officer problem.
As I am sure you have documentary evidence of the protracted time it takes the said officer to shuffle the papers, and that it has occurred several times, and in each case it is a re-run of the same scenario, I suggest you consider writing to the councils chief executive to complain about the councils in efficiency and inconsistency with their stated policy of 14days, emphasising the stress and hardship it causes.
You could also point out that it is the councils site licensing that causes the problem.
By all means name the official, but don't make it personal, make it the council's problem.
I hope the relocation went ok.
I have had a thought on your recurring housing officer problem.
As I am sure you have documentary evidence of the protracted time it takes the said officer to shuffle the papers, and that it has occurred several times, and in each case it is a re-run of the same scenario, I suggest you consider writing to the councils chief executive to complain about the councils in efficiency and inconsistency with their stated policy of 14days, emphasising the stress and hardship it causes.
You could also point out that it is the councils site licensing that causes the problem.
By all means name the official, but don't make it personal, make it the council's problem.
Steve you have made my day.
We returned from a very muddy North Devon on monday. The awning is in the conservatory drying out but the mud will take hours to clean. I'n taking the caravan back to the farm this afternoon , all that hitching, undoing and refixing all the security stuff , mirrors etc. OMG I need a rest just thinking about it.
And I thought I was having a chore.
You remind me of that TV programme MASH. Al that packing and unpacking.
I hope the move went well and you stayed dry.
We returned from a very muddy North Devon on monday. The awning is in the conservatory drying out but the mud will take hours to clean. I'n taking the caravan back to the farm this afternoon , all that hitching, undoing and refixing all the security stuff , mirrors etc. OMG I need a rest just thinking about it.
You remind me of that TV programme MASH. Al that packing and unpacking.
I hope the move went well and you stayed dry.
Hi all
Firstly Steve I hope your move went ok and you are starting to settle back into your seasonal home.
We are about to embark our little adventure, all of our furniture is going into storage this weekend, we then have a week to clean and make amends to any of the paintwork in our rented house and on the 11th we are moving into our caravan, well officially we are moving into it on our drive tomorrow as we will no longer have any furniture in the house.
We picked up our Compass at the weekend and have spent this week putting in all of the plastic crates of clothes, tinned food stuff, toiletries, cleaning products etc., all under the bed and seats so we have back ups of everything we need. The TV has been put on a wall mountable bracket to give us an additional storage space where it would have been housed, bed is all made up and home touches are being added, it just looks like a small flat but on wheels, we are both very excited about it all.
We are intially going to try it for 3 months as that is how long our goods are paid for in storage and how long our caravan insurance gives us to use it without having to declare we are using it for any longer periods, this then falls nicely in line with a two week holiday to the states, and the place we are staying at provides storage so we can vacate the pitch and allow them to let others have it. Ours is quite easy to move as they do not allow awnings so only the van to move. We have an all wheel drive mover which is fantastic, had to teach hubby how to use it as it was slightly different from the single axle one we had and he got in a bit of a tiz with van out in the road and no cars being able to pass so I dug out the instructions and helped : )
Have now got my mobile broadband up and running so hope to post more when we are settled in, if there is no broadband signal where we are going then we will have to move as I work from home alot and don't want to give up that luxury because i've moved into my caravan.
At least we are now coming into the milder weather (she says with the gas central heating turned up, lol), but we stayed in our van last weekend when it was very cold, stuck the heating on electric so we didn't have to pay for it and I ended up having to get up out of bed in the night to turn it down cause I was too hot, you don't catch me doing that in the house.
Its been a lot of hard work deciding what to keep with us and what we put in storage, I have also split my storage space up so I can get to things I need urgently quicky and all the things we don't are in another unit which hopefully we won't need to open until we move back out of the van (if we do). We are very lucky and found a storage facility only 1 mile away from where we are staying so if we need anything it is a quick trip.
Well wish us luck and I'll be in touch soon.
Firstly Steve I hope your move went ok and you are starting to settle back into your seasonal home.
We are about to embark our little adventure, all of our furniture is going into storage this weekend, we then have a week to clean and make amends to any of the paintwork in our rented house and on the 11th we are moving into our caravan, well officially we are moving into it on our drive tomorrow as we will no longer have any furniture in the house.
We picked up our Compass at the weekend and have spent this week putting in all of the plastic crates of clothes, tinned food stuff, toiletries, cleaning products etc., all under the bed and seats so we have back ups of everything we need. The TV has been put on a wall mountable bracket to give us an additional storage space where it would have been housed, bed is all made up and home touches are being added, it just looks like a small flat but on wheels, we are both very excited about it all.
We are intially going to try it for 3 months as that is how long our goods are paid for in storage and how long our caravan insurance gives us to use it without having to declare we are using it for any longer periods, this then falls nicely in line with a two week holiday to the states, and the place we are staying at provides storage so we can vacate the pitch and allow them to let others have it. Ours is quite easy to move as they do not allow awnings so only the van to move. We have an all wheel drive mover which is fantastic, had to teach hubby how to use it as it was slightly different from the single axle one we had and he got in a bit of a tiz with van out in the road and no cars being able to pass so I dug out the instructions and helped : )
Have now got my mobile broadband up and running so hope to post more when we are settled in, if there is no broadband signal where we are going then we will have to move as I work from home alot and don't want to give up that luxury because i've moved into my caravan.
At least we are now coming into the milder weather (she says with the gas central heating turned up, lol), but we stayed in our van last weekend when it was very cold, stuck the heating on electric so we didn't have to pay for it and I ended up having to get up out of bed in the night to turn it down cause I was too hot, you don't catch me doing that in the house.
Its been a lot of hard work deciding what to keep with us and what we put in storage, I have also split my storage space up so I can get to things I need urgently quicky and all the things we don't are in another unit which hopefully we won't need to open until we move back out of the van (if we do). We are very lucky and found a storage facility only 1 mile away from where we are staying so if we need anything it is a quick trip.
Well wish us luck and I'll be in touch soon.
Hi fudge, dusty and everyone.
The move this time went very well. We did get stuck at our seasonal site though. I tried to be clever and drive across the adjacent row to drive onto the pitch to save reversing. But I was thwarted by the 3" stone build up of the hard standing to the grass. The car went over fine, but the van weighing 1439Kgs MGW stalled at the step. Then promptly sunk to the rims in the grass/mud. I gave traction control a try but no go. So I unhooked and got Carlton & Jo the site workers to get the tractor out. We were well stuck because even the tractor wheel spun. But thankfully that was the only drama of the day.
Fudge you seem to have a well planned van and are going forward with a clear view. I do hope you have a great time. On the mobile broad band issue, don't be taken in by what the phone shops say as far as signals are concerned. I was told 3 was the one for our location, but it wouldn't work. Fortunately I had got my dongle from Argos and they allow a 30 day return policy. So I swapped to T mobile which should of been naf but at the time we were getting great signal strength on our phones, so we thought we'd try it. We get a strength 4 on average and with their 30 day package on pay as you go, it works out to 50p a day. The site charge 6.66 times that at £2 a day. Quite a saving for a supposed non workable setup.
We find December and early January the worst time of year, but having said that. So long as you put jackets on the barrels and lag the pipes you usually keep water flowing. We had 7 days of no pumpable water in the coldest december for 100 years. The static vans on our site were all froze up from november to 7th january as their water supply is not dug deep enough under ground to avoid the frost zone. So touring wins again.
Being the first van on site has it's advantages too. We can get our van set up and watch all the "townies jess" having their initiation to cold weather from being cosy by the fireside all winter. You'll soon spot the full timers cos they just carry on despite the rain.
Have fun and make the hard time fun. Thats my key to happy caravanning.
The move this time went very well. We did get stuck at our seasonal site though. I tried to be clever and drive across the adjacent row to drive onto the pitch to save reversing. But I was thwarted by the 3" stone build up of the hard standing to the grass. The car went over fine, but the van weighing 1439Kgs MGW stalled at the step. Then promptly sunk to the rims in the grass/mud. I gave traction control a try but no go. So I unhooked and got Carlton & Jo the site workers to get the tractor out. We were well stuck because even the tractor wheel spun. But thankfully that was the only drama of the day.
Fudge you seem to have a well planned van and are going forward with a clear view. I do hope you have a great time. On the mobile broad band issue, don't be taken in by what the phone shops say as far as signals are concerned. I was told 3 was the one for our location, but it wouldn't work. Fortunately I had got my dongle from Argos and they allow a 30 day return policy. So I swapped to T mobile which should of been naf but at the time we were getting great signal strength on our phones, so we thought we'd try it. We get a strength 4 on average and with their 30 day package on pay as you go, it works out to 50p a day. The site charge 6.66 times that at £2 a day. Quite a saving for a supposed non workable setup.
We find December and early January the worst time of year, but having said that. So long as you put jackets on the barrels and lag the pipes you usually keep water flowing. We had 7 days of no pumpable water in the coldest december for 100 years. The static vans on our site were all froze up from november to 7th january as their water supply is not dug deep enough under ground to avoid the frost zone. So touring wins again.
Being the first van on site has it's advantages too. We can get our van set up and watch all the "townies jess" having their initiation to cold weather from being cosy by the fireside all winter. You'll soon spot the full timers cos they just carry on despite the rain.
Have fun and make the hard time fun. Thats my key to happy caravanning.
Pleased all went well for you Steve and the oh, and you are settled in OK and looking forward to the sumer months where I am sure you will benefit from the warmth on your aching joints. I suffer to with buggered shoulder joints having undergone surgery last year on my left shoulder, and to be honest with you it seems worse now than before the operation, and I am once again back on anti inflammatory tablets and strong pain killers, no fun I know.
Re you having no running water for several days, would it not be possible to install an inboard water tank? or is space at a premium, the reason I ask is that on my California we have said same with an inboard pump, the only problem we suffered at - 17 was the pipes freezing solid inside, but I put that down to the fact that we were not in the van all the time, had we have been with constant heating we may have got away with it, but again our boiler at home less than a year old (condensing) also froze on the approach to Christmas, and what a nightmare trying to get Bosh Worcester out to it!
My son also had his first taste of "full timing" but not in a caravan but on a boat he is renovating down in Worcester, having sold his house and pursuing a change in career, and so far he is loving it, bad winter and all.
Allan.
Re you having no running water for several days, would it not be possible to install an inboard water tank? or is space at a premium, the reason I ask is that on my California we have said same with an inboard pump, the only problem we suffered at - 17 was the pipes freezing solid inside, but I put that down to the fact that we were not in the van all the time, had we have been with constant heating we may have got away with it, but again our boiler at home less than a year old (condensing) also froze on the approach to Christmas, and what a nightmare trying to get Bosh Worcester out to it!
My son also had his first taste of "full timing" but not in a caravan but on a boat he is renovating down in Worcester, having sold his house and pursuing a change in career, and so far he is loving it, bad winter and all.
Allan.
Having been caraving for over 20 years including winer breaks , I thought I was prepared for fulltime vanning when I moved into the van last November, I quickly found out that there is a difference between holidays and living in the van. This has been the coldest winter for years and he indoor tank proved its worth, but frozen pipes can stil happen, to avoid this I leave the cupdoard doors (where the pipes run) open at night and the electric heater on low. Also I have carpeted the floors under the seats and in cupboards to avoid cold spots (without blocking air vents). Where water pipes run next to air vents I have laged them. Whilst the floor and walls are well insulated the wheel arches are just plastic , so here I have cut carpeting to shape and attatched it with double sided tape. At night if it is forecast to drop below zero I pour a cup of salty water last thing down each drain to avoid them freezing.
Always fill the kettle each night and keep a bottle of water in the van.
If you dont have an inboard tank make sure you put a flattened cardboard box under the water container to insulate from the ground and use something to lag the aqua roll ( I used to use a water tank jacket, dont forget the pump between the aqua roll and the caravan. Can also be wise to empty the waste container each night.
Even things like choosing the right pitch can make a difference, on advice of other permanent vanners I now try and get south facing pitches and not under trees.
I have no regrets moving into the van and every day is like a holiday.
Always fill the kettle each night and keep a bottle of water in the van.
If you dont have an inboard tank make sure you put a flattened cardboard box under the water container to insulate from the ground and use something to lag the aqua roll ( I used to use a water tank jacket, dont forget the pump between the aqua roll and the caravan. Can also be wise to empty the waste container each night.
Even things like choosing the right pitch can make a difference, on advice of other permanent vanners I now try and get south facing pitches and not under trees.
I have no regrets moving into the van and every day is like a holiday.
There are lots of things we do as fulltimers that might be trivial to tourers. For instance, I have pitched close to the water taps. This is because I'm no longer able to easily move the aqua rolls, so being able to fill with a hose is a great benefit. We always have a can of water indoors to guard from frozen taps. The pipes in our van go behind the fridge, cooker and circumnavigate the fixed bed and shower, all of which are cold spots and difficult to insulate.
We have located the van the opposit way round to last year so that the awning catches the evening sun. It makes a totally different aspect of caravanning having a warmer awning.
The aqua rolls are lagged with XXL size puffa jackets from a charity shop and the pump handily goes down one sleve to insulate that.
We have located the van the opposit way round to last year so that the awning catches the evening sun. It makes a totally different aspect of caravanning having a warmer awning.
The aqua rolls are lagged with XXL size puffa jackets from a charity shop and the pump handily goes down one sleve to insulate that.
Let's hope that the wost of the cold weather is behind us now, the evenings are becoming noticeably lighter so good luck to all full timers who will now hopefully begin to enjoy the benefits of the springtime
I often wonder how many people across the country have had to take up living full time in their caravan due to circumstances and those that have done it through choice.
Facebook
Twitter