Due to the cost of living crisis in the Uk I am looking and considering moving into my caravan full time. Would anybody recommend some touring campsites that are contractor friendly and happy for a semi permanent resident. I love the idea of travelling the UK im happy to relocate anywhere which is suitable.
I saw a similar forum to this from the early 2000s I think this could be a fun topic and source of information for the site. Stay safe, happy caravanning!
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Hello and welcome.
While your idea is perfectly possible, and already being done by some (especially contractors that need a temporary home from home when working away), your first problem is finding a site that will actually admit to allowing residency as opposed to holiday/temporary dwelling.
Sites operate under both licensing and planning, and no touring site will have a residential licence, all will be licensed for leisure/holiday use - if they publicise the fact that they turn a blind eye to people using their tourer as their permanent home, they risk a very large fine and the loss of their licence.
For this reason, even the sites that DO turn a blind eye will ask you for proof of a permanent residence elsewhere, so that if the licensing council checks they can say that nobody is living on site.
Therefore if you have a residence, but need to live in your tourer for the duration of a work contract, or major home improvements, then it should not be a problem to find somewhere (depending on the site open season).
If, as it sounds from your post, you want to give up your existing home and live entirely in your tourer, it is going to be more of a problem.
I assume that you have already considered what you will do for things that need to be posted to you - you won't get a postal address on a holiday or touring site - and what address you will use for things such as your driving licence, insurance, bank etc.
As said, it IS possible - but it will be a very uncertain lifestyle.
If you are happy simply moving from place to place, it will be simpler as you simply move on every so often (sometimes in a few weeks, sometimes after a month or so) - but bear in mind that no all sites will be open in the winter, so before starting this, think of a fall back position if the worst should happen - sickness, another lockdown, unable to find an open site, etc.
Whether it will be cheaper to live full time in a tourer could be a whole new debate.
Plus, being of "no fixed abode" could count badly against you later on if you need to take out anything that checks your credit history.
To the OP, it might be a good idea to at least join the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC), then you could use their Certificated Locations (CLs), 5 van sites, some have loos and showers, some don't. You are only supposed to use 1 site for 28 days, but not all sites adhere to that rule.
This topic does crop up so often that it could be pinned. I’ve seen plenty of folks on sites using their caravan as home, when they head off for work but go home for the weekend - a way of avoiding the 28 day (or so) rule.
For starters, use the Site Search & tick on Seasonals if you’re ok being based at one place all year. Otherwise, if you need to move around with your work, some sites accept a “white van” but others don’t; a towcar generally seems to be a potential problem only if it’s got advertising. Again, that’s a common topic here.
If using CAMC or c&CC sites you need to move every 21 days so that is out for a start. We stayed on a commercial site for 10 months of the year and then moved to another site for the winter months. Perfectly doable.
Biggest issue is you need an address for mail and for driver's licence, registration of car and also insurance purposes. We used my Dad's address.
We stayed in our caravan for 2 1/2 years and were very happy as many worries like council tax, utilities etc were no longer an issue.
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Contractor friendly campsites
via mobile 23/2/2023 at 11:46am
