Site worker facilities -caravan?

[curlewhouse]

Having looked at the cost of hiring a portaloo and "welfare facilities" has anyone just used a caravan? I've been looking at the price of some cheap caravans and have been quite surprised at just how cheap some reasonably condition vans are - was thinking that in one go you've got a loo, hot and cold water and cooking facilities and somewhere warm and dry for site workers for as little as £400 or even less in some cases. Plus a bit of storage in the bedroom.  Sell it on at the end for even pennies. Obviously I'd have to deal with the chemical loo, but it's not such an unpleasant task as it used to be (flashback of the sound of friends dad retching whilst emptying bucket type loo many years ago!  )

[Grosey]

I've just done exactly that, £300 for a caravan that was traded in at a local dealer. 

 

I said to the bloke "I need a cheap caravan to use as a site office"

 

Bloke "Yes sir, I may have something for you, we just accepted it as a trade in, we were towing it back here and the wheel fell off!"

 

Me "that sounds like just the caravan for me - I'll take it!"

 

The deal is cash on delivery, so if the caravan makes it to site it's sold, if it falls apart on the A38 it's not my problem ?

 

Fully working kitchen and and running water, do have the same issue as you regarding emptying a toilet used by builders though! And exactly where to tip it?!

[jack]

We used a horrible small broken down old caravan that we won for something like £180 locally on ebay.  The deal was similar to yours @Grosey - it had to be delivered (this thing seriously didn't look like it would make it!)  

 

We had it onsite over winter and it was great, actually.  It was so small and flimsy that a small column heater would get it quite comfortable within an hour even on a cold day.  It was falling apart so we didn't fuss about the inevitable knocks and filth due to muddy-booted builders coming and going.  Once we had windows and doors in the house, we were able to move inside and stop using the caravan.  In the end, we had to chop it up and get rid of it, which I think cost another £100.  Still not a bad deal overall.

 

Given the way builders tend to treat these things, I'd be reticent to assume it'll be good for anything but scrap once you've finished with it, so factor that into your sums.

 

Re: a portaloo, having to regularly empty a chemical toilet used by builders is a false economy in my opinion.  I'm not squeamish but I had better things to do onsite than deal with this every other day.  I'd pay the fee to get one onsite, serviced weekly, and use the time not spent emptying it to do something more productive.

[worldwidewebs]

I did look at getting a caravan but most I saw were pretty crap and certainly insecure if you wanted to part use them as storage. In the end I'm getting a 50/50 office/storage container for 25+vat/week - decent space for the guys and secure storage for some gear. Delivery is 125 each way

[Crofter]

I got an old but towable caravan for £90 off a Facebook local small ads group. Was in pretty sound condition, in fact the seller had been using it as extra accomodation on AirBnB at £40 a night! It seemed a real shame to do a Clarkson to it but as I actually wanted a long, light trailer for carrying lengths of timber, I chopped off the top and converted it into a flatbed. I've now done two return trips to inverness with it, plus local trips, and it is going just fine.

Disposing of the top half was a bit awkward- I bashed out the front and back walls, and then the whole thing flopped over sideways. The four main panels all stacked up on the chassis, and the roof kind of fell to bits. I kept the aluminium from the roof 'just in case'. Took the rest to the local tip and manhandled it into a skip. Would have been fairly easy with a helper.

[Bitpipe]

9 hours ago, worldwidewebs said:

I did look at getting a caravan but most I saw were pretty crap and certainly insecure if you wanted to part use them as storage. In the end I'm getting a 50/50 office/storage container for 25+vat/week - decent space for the guys and secure storage for some gear. Delivery is 125 each way

 

I bought one of these on ebay for £1500 - been a great asset (we have the phone lines terminated here) and will sell it on soon hopefully for what I paid for it.

[nod]

Iv  bought a porta loo for £200 Its in pretty good nick

I stopped a guy at traffic lights who was driving one of the suction vehicles He gave me his mobile number and said he would empty it and fill it back up with chemicals for £40 a time

Its not that expensive to do every couple of months I should be able to sell the loo for what I paid at the end of the job

eing   

[PeterW]

9 hours ago, nod said:

Iv  bought a porta loo for £200 Its in pretty good nick

I stopped a guy at traffic lights who was driving one of the suction vehicles He gave me his mobile number and said he would empty it and fill it back up with chemicals for £40 a time

Its not that expensive to do every couple of months I should be able to sell the loo for what I paid at the end of the job

eing   

 

You would be surprised how quick they fill up - fortnightly service on a site will be needed if there are 3 or 4 people about for most of the week. 

 

On the site hut thing we've gone for an 8x6 shed with a worktop across one end which will get moved when the build finishes to a new home in the garden. 

[jack]

We got ours serviced weekly.  I think it was £20 a go on a long term contract (might have been a minimum of two months or something).  £20-£25 seemed to be bog (ha!) standard around here (Surrey/Hampshire borders).

 

That was usually often enough, but there were a few busy weeks where frankly it was pretty grim by the time the week was up.  We rarely had more than about 5 or 6 people onsite at any one time.

 

That's part of the reason I wouldn't have gotten involved with the caravan toilet situation.  I imagine it would need emptying every day or maybe two.  I don't know how much the chemicals cost, but even if they were free, £20 a week seemed a decent price to pay to have it completely taken care of by someone else.

[ProDave]

I have mentioned before, we didn't provide anything. we live just 2 doors away from the new build so told the builders the toilet there was available. Only two ever took up that offer (presumably for a "No 2") otherwise they "made their own arrangements" no doubt taking advantage of all the trees on site.

 

That's actually quite common up here, the new build I am wiring at the moment has nothing. You just walk into the woods for a pee, and remember to do your No 2 at home before going to site.  None of the trades seem bothered with this arrangement.

 

 

It's only now that the house is nearly finished outside that I fnally have the treatment plant connected and can use the toilet in the static 'van at last.

 

[Barney12]

On 30 August 2016 at 09:07, ProDave said:

I have mentioned before, we didn't provide anything. we live just 2 doors away from the new build so told the builders the toilet there was available. Only two ever took up that offer (presumably for a "No 2") otherwise they "made their own arrangements" no doubt taking advantage of all the trees on site.

 

That's actually quite common up here, the new build I am wiring at the moment has nothing. You just walk into the woods for a pee, and remember to do your No 2 at home before going to site.  None of the trades seem bothered with this arrangement.

 

 

It's only now that the house is nearly finished outside that I fnally have the treatment plant connected and can use the toilet in the static 'van at last.

 

 

+1 

our garden is well watered  

 

dont read any further if you are having your tea..........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

......ok you were warned:

 

when we first came to this plot we had no connection to the mains, well we did but the pipe had collapsed and the 1950's bog didn't work and had long since dried up. So, I used to place a carrier bag in the bowl. Do what I needed on the rare occasion i need to make a deposit. Tied the bag and chucked it in the fire bin. Simples  

[Declan52]

Bet you didn't do burgers over them hot flames.

[ProDave]

Put another log on the fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SORRY.