After a weekend away camping the wife told me she loved every aspect except the camping and asked when I was buying her a caravan.

Hell hasn’t frozen over yet so I am still safe for a while.

The other caravan thread on this forum did make me wonder though. I looked on freebay and there was a 4 berth for £200 that was a bit tired but didn’t leak but I wondered about storing it. The owners were selling because it had been on their from garden for the last three years.

I don’t want one. I especially don’t want one stuck on the drive or garden. Are there any special restrictions on where I can park a caravan?

Can I find a nice quiet street somewhere with no parking restrictions and just dump it there until the two weekends a year MrsWCA decides she wants to use it?

not worried about security but just wondering if there were special rules?

Can I find a nice quiet street somewhere with no parking restrictions and just dump it there until the two weekends a year MrsWCA decides she wants to use it?

No.

hire one when you want one?

No place to store it? Bummer because you were SO looking forward to getting one. Result.
Although you could look for a folding caravan, there’s one which can be tipped on it’s side for easy storage (can’t remember the name of it but do remember being threatened with the same thing)

It’s illegal to park a caravan on a street when it’s not attached to a car tow bar.

We used to rent a place in a storage yard which was £30-£40/month.

There are places (normally farms) that will store caravans in shelters (for a fee of course).

Just stick it in a nice field

Can I find a nice quiet street somewhere with no parking restrictions and just dump it there until the two weekends a year MrsWCA decides she wants to use it?

Seems to work that way around me.

It’s illegal to park a caravan on a street when it’s not attached to a car tow bar.

Buy a cheap tow bar and attach it to the caravan?

BTW – have you considered a bell tent – when threatened with a caravan I picked up canvas bell tent, 4M in diameter, around 3M high, now fitted with wood burning stove, home comforts in include inflatable bed and electric cool box (stuffed with freezer blocks seems to be good for 24 hours when not powered).

Either local friendly farmer or proper storage place. You’ll need insurance but it’s peanuts, the storage place would be £20/mo ish.

I looked on freebay and there was a 4 berth for £200 that was a bit tired but didn’t leak

Sceptical.. I’d expect to pay £1500 for a four berth that doens’t leak. 2 berths are a lot cheaper, if there’s only two if you you’ll get a better van for better money. Got a link?

Towbar on your Merc?
Fiver a week at my place, you know where I am…

It’s illegal to park a caravan on a street when it’s not attached to a car tow bar.

Apparently not.

http://m.askthe.police.uk/content/q629.htm

Yeah but from that link:

The caravan MUST be lit at night if it is parked on a road

Which effectively means having it hooked up to a car, because unless you start messing about with the wiring the lights will be run off the car.

Or just a battery. Running 4 LED marker lights.

No need for the battery to be wrapped in a car.

That’s what I said – messing around with the wiring. Would not be hard, but you’d have to light it with the legally required lights. You could very easily do this by tapping into the tail light wire, cos the car does all the controlling of the lights. But you’d also want a decent sized solar panel to provide enough power. And a light sensor.

Seems a lot of work for a £200 van, but it would be cool and quite easy.

Don’t worry – I showed her a motorhome and she decided she liked that instead. I suggested we rent one for a weekend before we commit.

It was £780 for Friday – Monday and she went off the idea

🙂

I guess I could always build my own detachable. I have a Navara Pick up truck

Motorhomes are out, if you are on a budget. They are stupidly expensive.

If I were you I’d budget for a grand if you want something reasonable for two. But you should find someone who knows what they are looking for to help you. I’m happy to help if I can 🙂

If you’ve got a pickup definitely get a demountable. Possibly not build one…

Cheapest – local farmer, we used to pay £5 a week for undercover for a horsebox, the caravans were all outside but thats probably because no one wanted a tricky reverse uphill into the barn.

Cheaper – Proper storage place

Not so cheap but convenient – storage at a favourite campsite, owner tows it out to the pitch for you, or you collect it en route to another site.

If you are really against ownership, tried a static caravan (hire) for holidays?