Caravan Wales

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.

When choosing a static caravan you will probably look for the holiday park which meets your requirements and then move onto the caravan. Selecting the right holiday park is vital to ensure a long term ownership.

Now for the caravan and looking for the right caravan to suit your needs. Most of the Parks will deal with majority of the manufacturers. If buying directly from the park you will probably deal with a salesperson instead of direct with the manufacturers. You can collect brochures direct from the manufacturers to research all the models and specifications which will not only ensure you choose the correct model but also help you to understand what to look for and choice of different models. To see the caravan you can visit them at key caravan exhibitions as most top manufacturers will display there, see events.

The static holiday caravan has been designed for holiday use instead of full time living. With its modern construction and use of high quality materials the static caravan should be built to British and European standard: BS EN 1647 but some luxury caravans are built to BS 3632 confirming to residential standards.

Normal static caravan can come in either one or two sections with width up to 22ft and 60ft long. If you have a one piece model this is a single unit and the two piece is known as a twin and usually assembled on site.

Decide on how many bedrooms you require as most caravans can be from 2 to 4 bedrooms but up to eight berths. Manufactures will normally have their own layout but will offer a number of ranges depending on your budget.

When it comes to size and specifications you should not only look at all of your own needs but if you are sub letting then there maybe other requirements. This decision should be looked at before purchase, maybe make a list of what you need and what is needed for sub letting.

Budget will normally make your decision also how often you use the caravan and again if you going to sublet. If you will be there for long periods of time then it may be worth spending a little extra to gain more living space or an extra bedroom but if only there for short periods and subletting you may opt for the standard size and specifications hopefully providing you with a better return.

After caravans made history centuries ago, became associated with the hippy lifestyle. Nowadays the caravan is having a surprising recovery.

Knights used the caravans in Crusades and the people who afforded to have one used it as tool for moving around. The conquest of Wild West is probably the one who made the caravans famous. What would it have been like to cross the Rocky Mountains without the covered wagons? The alternative was a cold draughty ride on a horse or tramping along in the mud. Only a hundred years ago you could see brightly painted horse-pulled Romany caravans on our roads.

But what about now, when you have roads and maps and so many means of getting where you want? What would be now the role of caravans? You can find the answer in the need of freedom people are still having.

In the last century motor-car ownership took off but the same thing happened to caravans and soon drivers found themselves queuing behind lines of caravans on the way to the coast. For decades the typical image of motor-caravanners was probably that of a hippy family in an old VW. Nowadays the image of caravans is so much improved and in many cases caravan became a luxury home-from-home with a price to match.

By the time more and more people that had money to spend became interested in having their own home from home that could give them the freedom to travel all over the place in good condition, the static caravan took off. These uncool and static caravans located by the sea or by the wild forests are now history.

Lately caravanning became one of the country’s most popular holidays. Celebrities enjoy this way of traveling or more accurate this way of living. Actresses like Helen Mirren and Tracy Shaw, singers like Mark Owen, Chris Evans and even Sir Jimmy Saville are owners and satisfied users of caravans. And now we can talk about fancy, luxury and styled caravans.

The classic old hand built caravans, such as the Stirling and the Carlight, used to be expensive – the top of the market. Back in the fifties, these caravans were bought and run by owners of the Armstrong Siddeley, Lagonda and Rover cars. The owners thought nothing about embarking on overseas trips with them of thousands of miles.