Using a touring caravan as a site brew room and more

[Olly P]

We are hoping to start our build in the next few weeks and We are very lucky to be able to stay living in our current bungalow while we build our new one on our site around 2 minutes drive up the road. 

 

I would like to buy  a fairly old 4 berth caravan that's in great condition and is dry to use as a  place for my wife and I and 3 boys to use  maybe have some meals in  the kids coulld watch TV or whatever rather than have to go home from site earlier than I would like to.  It has heating, a fridge oven toilet etc

 

I would like to hear what others have done in a similar situation. Good idea or not? 

 

 

[ProDave]

Definitely a good plan.  It will have a toilet as well which satisfies your obligation to provide a site toilet for the workers, though you will have to empty it. 

[joe90]

I had a static van on site fir “builders facilities “, we still had our old house 130miles away which my wife lived in as she still worked there. Council “asked” me to pay council tax on the van but I proved we still had another house which we lived in so they gave up. In reality I lived in the static 5 days a week and week ended back in our old house. I think it’s a very good idea, it will give you somewhere to relax (if that’s possible) and have your family around you on site ?.

[nod]

Definitely a separate toilet 

No one will want to eat in there after a week ? 

[Temp]

Our builder provided a shed like building as a site van. Just a table in it and a porta loo round the back. No chairs, no heating etc When I commented that it wasn't very luxurious he said it was deliberate, didn't want people getting too comfortable in it or no work would get done when he's off site.

[dnb]

I bought a £250 touring caravan (even came with an awning!) for exactly the purpose you describe. During the initial stages it's been really useful. I've been able to get out of the rain, make coffee, eat lunch etc. The awning has been useful for site meetings and the like because I put a large table in there so we can look at plans.

 

I have a separate toilet that has a clean and empty contract on site now that there's a small team of professionals working on site, but they're using the caravan for making drinks and keeping out of the heavy rain. Once the team gets larger (during the SIPS erection) I will have to get a welfare pod for a couple of weeks simply to have sufficient space.

 

All in all, it was £250 well spent even if I get none of it back. (and I expect to get a lot of it back even if I weigh in the aluminum from it, sell the fittings and build a trailer for taking my Lotus to the track from the chassis!)

[Randomiser]

Are there any security concerns with using a standard caravan?  OK if you are using it to live on site in, but if left empty almost everynight is that a concern?  Having looked at site facilities that can be rented they all look more like a maximum security prison building.

[joe90]

39 minutes ago, Randomiser said:

Are there any security concerns with using a standard caravan?  OK if you are using it to live on site in, but if left empty almost everynight is that a concern?  Having looked at site facilities that can be rented they all look more like a maximum security prison building.

if you leave nothing of value in it, what’s to steal, remove the wheels and tow hitch and it can’t be knicked . If you spend £250 on a van it’s not worth knicking ?

[dnb]

I think there would be a trail of parts leading to the caravan thief if they tried with mine!