Convincing my wife that a static caravan makes sense

[flanagaj]

So the wife has come around to the idea and we will shortly be in the market for a static caravan.   Budget is < 10k and ideally looking for one that has winter pack and gas CH.  There seems to be a wide range of unit quality on the market.   Most look absolute **** for < 10k, but you occasionally come across a tidy one.   Just wondering whether the trade sellers who offer free delivery are best avoided and you are better off sourcing it privately and getting your own transport arranged.

Any recommendations to sellers that people have used in the past would be welcomed.

 

[ProDave]

First look around for hauliers that will move one for you.

 

Up here it is a bit of a closed shop, and the only 2 caravan dealers near here will only transport what they are buying or selling, claiming that is all they are insured for.  On our first build when we sold the 'van privately, the buyer had to get a haulier from about 50 miles away as the nearest one that would quote for the job.

[Tony L]

We got ours from O'Leary caravans OX2 9BY.  It's a 37 x 12ft.  They told me how to prep' the site then they delivered it, moved it into position, levelled it.  My partner did all the negotiation & bought it.  I didn't see it until it arrived, but I was very pleased when I first saw it, & it's been a good buy.  Perhaps it helped that she has Irish roots & an Irish name, but I'm giving these guys 10/10 for customer service & value for money.

 

It looked great on the outside, but very tired on the inside.  We removed all the built in furnishings & redecorated.  We turned the master bed room en suite into extra storage.  We replaced the built in seats with our sofa from the old house + an armchair.  Flowery curtains replaced with pale grey roller blinds, no more flower prints on the walls.  It now looks very modern inside. 

 

If I'd had more time, I'd have crawled underneath to fit insulation, starting with the middle section where all the pipes hang down.

 

I must add that, although it's a great place to be when the weather's right, we both have other places where we can stay, so we're not there all the time.  Ours didn't come with a boiler & we're just making do with oil filled radiators.  Good luck.

[ProDave]

If you are doing "upgrades" my best one was fit a wood burning stove.  1 month of electric and LPG heating convinced me I needed something a lot cheaper.

[saveasteading]

3 hours ago, Tony L said:

removed all the built in furnishings & redecorated.  

Ours was farm accomodation and was free with the building. Using as a site office. So not in great order.

 

When I gutted out the folding bed and some other boxing it showed its years of use by way of dust and droppings. So yes, do a big clear out.

[SteamyTea]

4 hours ago, ProDave said:

If you are doing "upgrades" my best one was fit a wood burning stove

Why not a cheap A2AHP, get cooling that way.

 

Well worth insulating under the floor.

 

 

Down here, for 10k, you can get one on a site.

 

Edited March 16 by SteamyTea

[Nickfromwales]

11 hours ago, flanagaj said:

So the wife has come around to the idea and we will shortly be in the market for a static caravan.   Budget is < 10k and ideally looking for one that has winter pack and gas CH.  There seems to be a wide range of unit quality on the market.   Most look absolute **** for < 10k, but you occasionally come across a tidy one.   Just wondering whether the trade sellers who offer free delivery are best avoided and you are better off sourcing it privately and getting your own transport arranged.

Any recommendations to sellers that people have used in the past would be welcomed.

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

In the winter make a skirt for it, as these things are bloody baltic cold in the winter unless you've got gas CH and it's on constant.

Stayed in one massive one on hols, not in winter, with oil filled radiators.....and wife was paranoid the gas fire would kill us all in our sleep so that was only in use when we were conscious.

 

NEVER EVER AGAIN.

[kandgmitchell]

13 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

In the winter make a skirt for it, as these things are bloody baltic cold in the winter

I'd agree there! Can't enclose it entirely though as any propane leak from an appliance ends up down there via the small grids in the floor under them. Transporting these things are a specialist job and we could only find those dealers who sold statics were set up for the job so had to buy from one of them.

 

Glad we did it as it gave us more investment in the plot that was to be our home, we met the neighbours, started social contacts and could keep an eye on the work. Would never, ever, do it again though!

[JohnnyB]

Ours is up for sale for £3500, Thanks @Nickfromwales for linking to it above.  I can find out about transport if you are interested in keeping the costs down and doing a bit of insulating yourself.

We moved into ours in April and managed to get out by the end of November so we avoided the coldest months, frozen pipes etc. that some people have issues with if they don't insulate it underneath.

We used electric heaters and it worked for us. It doesn't have central heating of double glazing, but we didn't want to spend more than £10k on one.

WOrking and living on site was great, it made things so easy. I wouldn't want to live in one during the coldest months but for most of the year it was the best place for us.  If we hadn't have been far enough forward by Christmas we were going to move in with friends or rent for a couple of months to avoid the worst of the weather.

 

I built a large shed as the first job on site and we used that for extra storage, washing machine, big fridge freezer etc. as well as site storage, tools  workshop.

[Tony L]

17 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

In the winter make a skirt for it.

That's been on my to do list ever since the 'van arrived (ie make a skirt on a lovely warm summer's weekend, to feel the benefit in the winter) - I know that's what you meant.

[Nickfromwales]

4 hours ago, Tony L said:

That's been on my to do list ever since the 'van arrived (ie make a skirt on a lovely warm summer's weekend, to feel the benefit in the winter) - I know that's what you meant.

Dangerously close to cross dressing lol. But yea, just on the ends and one side where the prevailing weather hits it hard. Will make a big difference as otherwise it blows a hoolie through a ‘van. 

[flanagaj]

9 hours ago, JohnnyB said:

Ours is up for sale for £3500, Thanks @Nickfromwales for linking to it above.  I can find out about transport if you are interested in keeping the costs down and doing a bit of insulating yourself.

We moved into ours in April and managed to get out by the end of November so we avoided the coldest months, frozen pipes etc. that some people have issues with if they don't insulate it underneath.

We used electric heaters and it worked for us. It doesn't have central heating of double glazing, but we didn't want to spend more than £10k on one.

WOrking and living on site was great, it made things so easy. I wouldn't want to live in one during the coldest months but for most of the year it was the best place for us.  If we hadn't have been far enough forward by Christmas we were going to move in with friends or rent for a couple of months to avoid the worst of the weather.

 

I built a large shed as the first job on site and we used that for extra storage, washing machine, big fridge freezer etc. as well as site storage, tools  workshop.

Thanks, but I'm trying to source one with DG/CH and winter pack as otherwise, I suspect it will be utterly miserable in winter.

[Russell griffiths]

8 hours ago, flanagaj said:

Thanks, but I'm trying to source one with DG/CH and winter pack as otherwise, I suspect it will be utterly miserable in winter.

You need to do some additional work to make this a happy place, build a 4x4 wooden building in front of the main door, use this to keep boots, work clothes in, washing machine and freezer, small woodburner to dry all the work clothes, small deck area and lots of gravel. 
no mud, I can’t understand the amount of builds I see with them swimming in mud to save £200 on a truck of stone. 

[Jenki]

A side note on the transport, since the restrictions on Red diesel and limited to agricultural use only a couple of companies up here in the far North used to move statics with large tractors and low-loaders, all legitimate, but this cant happen now as they would have to use white diesel so they have stopped moving them. I expect this is the same in all rural spots.

[SteamyTea]

18 hours ago, flanagaj said:

Thanks, but I'm trying to source one with DG/CH and winter pack as otherwise, I suspect it will be utterly miserable in winter

I lived in one during the winter of 82/83, never thought it was particularly cold. 

I suspect that even basic ones are now better insulated than new ones from 40 years ago.

 

As I said earlier, get an A2AHP fitted and an induction hob  that way no need for gas.

[Jenki]

21 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

As I said earlier, get an A2AHP fitted and an induction hob  that way no need for gas.

Yes to the A2A HP(This was our route) ,  hot water for showers and sinks will be more affordable with gas. 

[SteamyTea]

7 minutes ago, Jenki said:

hot water for showers and sinks will be more affordable with gas

Not by much though.

Most people will learn how to shower with a 2.5 lt/min flow.