Static Caravans

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fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
We've had just less than 3 months use out of ours this year. Site gone very quiet as we were chucked out of Wales with another 2 months to go. We did hammer the visits over the 3 months though.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
We've had just less than 3 months use out of ours this year. Site gone very quiet as we were chucked out of Wales with another 2 months to go. We did hammer the visits over the 3 months though.

Pleased to hear you've had some use, not least because it's a lot of money spent if you hardly get to go there.

My site is closed - again - although I am allowed a maintenance visit.

By the time this lockdown ends the weather may not be so good, and just as importantly, daylight will be in short supply.

Realistically, that's me until the spring.

Having all but missed a season, I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of static caravanning next year.

Hard to come up with any positives from Covid, but at least it has reinvigorated my interest in the van.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
I did manage to WFH at the van a few times, including WFH in the passenger seat of the car whilst driving to see the Red Arrows at RAF Valley (and finished the meeting with the laptop on the car boot from a field just before the aircraft took off). Can't do that from an office. At least I may get some more flexibility out of Covid and can WFH a bit more. Really would love 2 days a week at home. Fridays will be easy as we never have any academics in on a Friday, so no meetings.
 
That was the biggest downside to covid for me, stuck at home furloughed for 3 months in glorious weather but unable to spend it at the van. Absolutely balmy that i could drive as far as i wanted to spend time in a crowd on a beach but couldn't sit in my own property with all private amenities.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I went to my site to complete winterisation and bumped into the owner while I was there.

Seems we are to be given the option of buying an extra year's licence as compo for the site being shut during the lockdowns.

My van will now be booted off in 2027, meaning I will have had 21 years on site.

Reasonably happy with that - not that I have any choice in the matter.

It also means I will get seven seasons out of my shiny new £2k wooden deck, which just about makes it worth doing.

The green plastic one fitted originally is just about still standing, but is looking tatty and could fail at any time.

I'm told the plastic stuff is repairable, but it costs a lot to do so partly because parts are hard to obtain and expensive due to it being a very limited market.
 

Salar

A fish out of water
Location
Gorllewin Cymru
The combination of us living in Wales and our van just over the border in England has meant we've only stayed once in the van this year.

We did get a reduction on ground rent, six months licence extension and £50 worth of vouchers to use in restaurant.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
We did get a reduction on ground rent, six months licence extension and £50 worth of vouchers to use in restaurant.

Seems reasonable if not exactly generous, as does what I've been given.

Neither of us have received the service we paid for this year, but that's not the fault of the caravan site owner.

I shall be happy enough if the worst impact of Covid on me is some 'lost' ground rent, given that some people have lost their jobs, health, or even life itself.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
We got £300 back onto our 'account' and 2 months extension for free, to be taken 2 months this year, or split 1 month this and next - that bit never happened as we shut the van at the end of September knowing we'd not be allowed back in the country.

Our's isn't a cheap site, but glad they don't chuck vans 20 years or older off - ours still looks new.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Our decking is mainly timber, but plastic deck. The balustrades are plastic, but it's all timber under the deck, and the legs are timber covered in a plastic 'tube'. We had to replace a small section of the deck under where water collected and rotted one of the decking joists.
 

gavgav

Guru
I would recommend the area just north of Barmouth. We have a van on one of the sites and it’s a lovely coastline, nice for cycling and walking if that’s your cup of tea and Barmouth is a nice town, plus not far from Harlech, Coed y Brenin, Porthmadog.
 

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
I would recommend the area just north of Barmouth. We have a van on one of the sites and it’s a lovely coastline, nice for cycling and walking if that’s your cup of tea and Barmouth is a nice town, plus not far from Harlech, Coed y Brenin, Porthmadog.
Lovely area. We tended to holiday north of there (porthmadog and Beth Gellert) but always made time for days around there.
 

Brads

Senior Member
Money sinks. Be prepared to say goodbye to every penny you spend buying it. You will be tied into contracts making sure you don't get anything back on it.

If it's worth that to you then it's a bargain.

I looked, then bought a tourer.
 
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