Caravan Wales

There are many reasons why people seem to prefer going on tour with their caravans and with campers. Maybe because the experience is unique, or maybe because it is a great way of seeing all the beauty of a country, which is imposible when travelling by train or by car. A very good reason is also that you do not depend on travel tickets or hotels reservations. You just get up in the morning and choose your next destination. And that is the best part of it for sure!

If you choose to travel by caravans, you become very attached to your vehicle and most of the caravans owners try to make them as comfortable as possible. Adding an awning to a caravan or to a camper changes much of the looks of it, but also helps to keep a constant temperature in the caravan. Thus, you can keep the sun from changing the cool air inside the caravan or camper.

Besides these comfort considerations, an awning can also give a personal touch to the place the camper stops his or her caravan, be it day or night. You can have the privacy that you want wherever you go. You just sit back and watch nature surrounding you from every corner.

Choosing an awning for campers and caravans may seem an easy task at first glance, but it sometimes proves to be rather difficult, as awnings come in so many different styles, with prices matching almost every pocket. The size of the awning makes the difference in prices, the top price being that of awnings made for a certain camper or caravan.

If this is what everyone does nowadays to have fun on their vacations, then it is perfectly normal that sales increase from year to year. Not every person can go travelling in a camper or a caravan, as they seem to need a lot of other things to be relaxed and to enjoy freedom. They probably dont know what they are missing! Sometimes simple things make perfect moments. And if the whole family is there beside you, there is nothing else in the world you can wish for.

Both The British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) and the National Caravan Council (NCC) have recently agreed with the government run Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to offer fairer terms and conditions for those looking to buy a static holiday caravans on uk parks

As the leading industry bodies representing membership from a high percentage of UK holiday parks the BH&HPA & NCC have approached the OFT to discuss a template of best practice terms and conditions relating to purchase and licence agreements for a static holiday caravan pitch.

This agreement forms the key legal contract between vendor and buyer and many disputes relate directly to key issues which are covered within the proposed improvements, including pitch review and sale of static caravan.

These template terms aim to give more transparent terns for customers and will include;

Increased clarity of rights and obligations of both parties concerned
Increased clarity of expected behavioural standards.
Fairer rules with reference to the owners rights when selling a caravan.
Faire terms with reference to termination terms should an owner wish to cancel and agreement early.
An improved process for pitch review.
Preservation of owners rights when a park wishes to move static caravan due to site developments.
Improved dispute resolution service.

The OFT also publish a leaflet called A Fair Pitch for your caravan to help customers seek guidance on unfair terms and conditions in purchase and licence agreements provided to customers by park owners at the time of purchase. For more information visit the OFTs website.

October saw the final results from the annual static caravan ownership survey.

This annual survey targets feedback from new static caravan owners who have purchased a holiday home on a UK holiday parks, and is seen by many as the most comprehensive survey of its kind.

With the launch of many new luxury specification caravans the average sales value of static caravan holiday homes continues to increase. New sited static caravan prices now range from 15,000 to well over 100,000.

Many new owners have reported that Static Holiday Caravan ownership has brought many lifestyle benefits over the past year including;

Encourages more breaks with friends and family
Gets my husband away from the office
No more packing everything we need is kept in our caravan
Friendship and community with other owners
Children love caravans!!!!

The survey results also gives help and support to prospective new owners as they are able to learn from people with real life experience. Suggestions included;

Find the best pitch
Location, Location, Location
Facilities on the park are crucial to owners
Dont buy more than one and a half hours from your home
Why not buy with friends

As with previous years the main negative feedback came from owners who have sold their static caravan a short time after purchase and have been subject to heavy depreciation.

Other concerns included damage to van when subletting, high site fees and the inflexibility of some holiday park ownership contracts.

A spokesperson advised Many people enjoy huge lifestyle benefits from static caravan ownership whilst subletting to subsidise the cost of ownership. We urge prospective customer to complete as much research as possible prior to purchase to ensure they make the right long term decision. As with any capital purchase (such as a new car) if you make the wrong choice and wish to sell a short time after purchase, depreciation becomes a major factor.

If you are an owner of a static caravan holiday homes you should consider insurance to cover the caravan as well as the contents. There are two levels of insurance for your static caravan; the static caravan itself and the contents within the caravan.

Insuring the static caravan will cover against loss or damage to the static caravan itself. The insurance can extend to a new for old policies were the caravan can be replaced with a new model should it be damage to an extent which is beyond financial repair. If this is the case some insurance companies will replace the static caravan if it is under 20 years old. The age under which new for old applies will vary from policy to policy. Some companies will only offer new for old for caravans which are less than 10 years old. It is worth checking with the insurance company to determine their exact terms of policy.

The content can be insured under a general policy where by a value is given to the entire content. If you have individual items which are valuable the insurance can also be taken out against such items to given suitable cover.

Below are examples of cover:
Replace new for old
Alternative accommodation costs
Debris removal and resiting costs
Fixtures and fittings
Public Liability
Fatal Accident

Consideration should also be given to the excess which applies to the policy as this will vary from company to company. Also check the policy details to determine the new for old cover and additional cover offered.

When obtaining quotes ensure you receive at least three, the more quotes you obtain the more likely you are to achieve good value for money. Getting quotes online can be a quick and simple method to obtain multiple quotes.

Buying a static caravan on a UK holiday park is now more popular than ever with people in the UK taking more eco friendly UK short breaks.

When using such holiday homes safety is of paramount importance when traveling with your friends and family, especially the LPG gas supply used as fuel for heating, hot water and cooking.

Some holiday parks are now converting to central storage of LPG gas supply that is linked to all static caravans on the site to improve safety, however most static caravans in the UK still have independent LPG cylinders stored adjacent to the caravan.

Many owners consider large red LPG cylinders to me unsightly, often spoiling the view from idyllic holiday locations. Most LPG cylinders have had a very hard life with dents and flaking paint and make even the most recent models of static caravans look unappealing.

These cylinders currently have no protection from the elements or from tampering and vandalism.

Some owners we have spoken to have tried to box in these cylinders, however there are many rules and regulations regarding issues such as ventilation and advice should be gained from a Corgi registered engineer before completion.

As a result of these issues an innovative UK company has produced the first Gas Cylinder Cover designed for Static Holiday Caravans.

This product is designed to keep 2 LPG Cylinders safe and secure whilst using a range of colour options to help owners match with their static caravan.

Should this product be a success there will be an instant improvement in the look and feel of many static caravans based on UK holiday parks, especially if supported by the park operators.

We could also see an extension in the life of LPG Cylinders, reducing costs and helping the environment.