It’s nothing more than an idea at the moment, but having had a really nice weekend with the family camping on the N Yorks Moors, on a really nice site, which accepts seasonal pitches for £1500 a year, a thought crossed my mind.

Would it be possible to buy a caravan to put on a seasonal pitch, to suit 5 plus dog, around the £3,000 mark.

There wouldn’t be a lot of pulling it around, maybe at the end of the season to a local store.

Thinking that even if we got three years out of it, maybe a year at different sites, it would ‘probably” work out cheaper than booking self catering accommodation and would serve as a handy bolt hole for weekends away.

The only downside I can see is with a cheap used caravan being problematic but knowing nothing about vans, looking for advice and experiences.

Do they have any rules about the age and appearance of the caravan to be sited on a seasonal pitch? If so that may have an impact on prices.

I know most sites are strict with this when it comes to static caravans so there might be some similar with seasonal pitches for tourers.

Would it be possible to buy a caravan to put on a seasonal pitch, to suit 5 plus dog, around the £3,000 mark.

So really you’re looking at a 6 berth van which will likely be quite heavy. I know you won’t be towing it regularly but what is the towing limit of your car?

Not sure what £3k will buy you but it will be pretty old and probably smell a bit musty 🙂

We have a van on a seasonal pitch, it’s bloody fantastic.

£3500 would get you this for example, 15 years old though.

We have been pondering the same thing, we have a camper and invariably end up at the same place – has everything we need ! Pondered a cheaper van on site for season.

I don’t think they have any rules on age. It’s quite a small, quiet site but has clean facilities and is in a good location.
That eBay linked one looks a decent size so maybe it is doable but there must be loads of dogs around that end of the market.
Not sure on the towing limit of the car as this is very much speculative. If push came to shove, I could employ someone to move it.

BTW, it’s a 1.9 Touran diesel, the 110bhp version.

Highly unlikely you would be able to tow a 6 berth caravan then, 85% will be around 1300kg.

Can you employ people to tow caravans? Dealers will do it but at a caravan at that price there’s going to be a cost and then every time you want to take it to storage there’s going to be a cost, probably around £150.

Best bet would be to find a site where you can either use the van all year or store it there off season.

I don’t think they have any rules on age. It’s quite a small, quiet site but has clean facilities and is in a good location.

We had a family static van on a lovely, informal sit overlooking Howgills.
My father bought it for £11k on the site – but within two years, despite ‘no rules’, the owners started hinting at needing a newer van and then four years in just out right asked about it being replaced with newer. I would have conversation with site.
That £11k static he ended up giving away – no other site would take an old van, self builders all wanted double glazed etc…It is now hidden up in Galloway, as temporary summer accommodation for staff at an outdoor centre – and due to be scrapped this winter.
While we owned it it cost insurance, gas checks, a couple of small leak repairs and then council tax for last year.
It would have been waaaaay cheaper to have booked family holiday’s in cottages IMO – or to have used that £11k as a deposit on a house somewhere and let it properly.

Thanks Matt, that’s the sort of heads up I need to have in mind.

Think it’s the same for a lot of static sites isn’t it?
We’re just about to take our old Fleetwood caravan on to a site. I’ve just about finished doing it up. It had the usual spongy floor, water coming in here and there which seems to have been cured(fingers crossed 🙂 ) and it’s got a complete new shower with a decent pump. Should be ok for a year or so until we get the newer one.

The site I have in mind doesn’t take statics. The seasonal pitches are grass and it does appear quite informal, maybe until the negotiations start though!

I’ll +1 Matt’s warning about age rules. My parents sold a static caravan for buttons when the site owners said it was too old. I’d suggest getting any conditions in writing at the start. My parents recollection was that they had never been told about the age rules. But they had nothing in writing, a verbal contract …..

That said they had several years of great use as they were retired and could go for weeks at a time. The rest of the family used it as well. So in the right place a caravan, static, or mobile is worth a look.