I have just bought an old van off my brother - Elddis Wisp 450. It's currently in his field and I have spent a couple of nights in it with the kids. Caravanned as a kid, went every weekend to a seasonal pitch and loved it.
So I will be using the caravan mainly by myself (female) with 2 kids (6&8yrs) in school holidays and at weekends.
I am going round in circles trying to decide what the best option would be
Seasonal pitches (expensive and it will be June before I get it sited) but at least I can go as and when and on a whim and will be able to stay all day Sunday
Store and stay - This appeals to me as it's cheaper than a seasonal, but it will mean pre booking all the time, in mainly the high season and at weekends I will still need to be off site by lunch on Sunday, waste of half a day.
Store & tour - Put the van in local storage and get a tow bar put on but then am I going to be able to unhitch,hitch up, site it, set up etc by myself?
Any experiences or advice to help me make my decision?
store and tour for definate for me, I travel all over the peak district and its no hardship pitching up, I have a set routine on arrival and it goes perfect everytime try and work one out for yourself and involve the kids in it as well, I am usually all set up and having a brew within half hour, most sites have link weekends where you can leave the van over, usually costs about £2.00 a night. I have left my van for a month at a time at some sites, the ony thing about seasonal pitches you can get bored going to the same place and there is usually at long waiting list. I would recommend a winter pitch though, it saves towing in the bad weather,
Iam sure you and the kids will enjoy what ever route you decide to go down
we have had our caravan just short of a year and to be honest i wouldn't want to be going to the same site every weekend as there are so many great little sites hidden away that we can get to in less than an hour (we live in birstall,not too far from leeds). It is tempting to keep it on one site so you don't have to tow but once you've taken it out a couple of times you soon get the hang of it and there is always someone on site willing to give you a hand reversing & setting up if you need it, i wouldn't worry about hitching & un hitching on your own as its quite easy, if the caravan is already in a field can't you drive your car on and try a few reversing manouvres and even practice hitching & unhitching, that way you can get used to doing it without worrying about looking stupid.
We "store & stay", gives us the best of all worlds, it's way cheaper than a seasonal, yes we have to prebook but with a little forward planning it's no hassle at all, it's £180 for the season then £12 a night when we're there.
We get to choose a different pitch each time so if you don't like your neighbours you don't have to put up with them for long plus the sunny pitches vary throughout the season and you get a different view each time.
As it's on our favourite local site we can go every weekend and have no guilt about taking it away for a week or 2 if we fancy a change as we're not losing ££££ by not being there.
Regarding being off site by lunchtime the majority of site owners would let you stay late, some charge a small fee but most just let you stay on providing they're not fully booked which is probably unlikely, most arrivals are on saturdays.
We've never got bored of our site, in fact after 2 years we like it more than ever, we don't get fed up of going to the same place either, we know the area, know the pubs, good dog walking areas, shops etc, it's so convenient plus we know that the site is lovely, there's no nasty suprises or disappointment.
We used to keep it at a local farm then tow it to various places but by the time we'd driven to it, got through the security gates, taken all the locks off, hitched up, back through the security gates, driven to site etc it was very time consuming just for a weekend plus the extra cost of fuel when towing. Now though we are ready to go at 4pm on a friday after work so throw clean undies in the car and a bag of food for that nights tea and we're there and sat down by 5.
we have experienced both sides of vanning (touring and seasonal) and tbh we prefer touring especially now we are part of a rally group who meet up regularly. Just had a fab weekend at Fort Paull in Hull and the fact that we socialise with like minded people which is a stark contrast to being on a seasonal where we hardly saw anyone about as a lot of the vans were empty. We also got sick of driving the same roads to get to the same location. We enjoy the change of scenery as much as the weekends away
------------- -x- Diane -x-
May 13 - Cala Gogo, St Cyprien (didn't go, hubby too ill to travel)
May 14 Ranc Davaine
August 14 Les Sablons
August 13 - Camping Playa Brava, Pals
Its very much personal preference, we are on a seasonal pitch which we love. The main reason for this is we love caravanning but hate the towing due to been involved in a traffic accident which wrote off our 1st caravan.
I very much appreciate the points of other regarding see new places etc but for us presently we are getting far more use out of the caravan as its only 45 mins away in York so we often just decide a the last min to go, or if I am working my wife will go on her own with the kids.
The kids love the site and they have made great firends, i would say 50% of the site is seasonal and we have also met some great people.
"Store & tour - Put the van in local storage and get a tow bar put on but then am I going to be able to unhitch,hitch up, site it, set up etc by myself?"
It doesn't matter if you are a couple or a man or woman alone with kids, if you need a bit of help with anything you only need to ask - most caravanners are more than happy to help.
Dont take this the wrong way but is that not what statics are for, the clue is in the name Touring caravan...............You have the option to see different places, all you seem to be missing is the confidence, trust me that will come...
Have a go touring first even once and see how you go, it's true someone will always help you on site if you need help, I've been away on my own with my son, and although I normally go away with my husband and help out I was a bit stuck, and I was touched by how many came and helped me set up.
Try it once if you think it's not for you, then site it, good luck though in whatever you decide.
------------- "I'm a fool for my dogs"
Adopt a rescue, rescue dogs make great pets, don't support puppy farms.
The road can be tough and rough,but what you put in you get back 10 x more.
Thanks everyone for your input, I think fleetwood has hit the nail on the head, I do lack confidence in doing it myself, especially the towing down narrow lanes!
I have spoke to a site about an hour away who will store (and site the van if I want). They only charge for the storage used and if I take it out there is no charge so my plan of action is to get a tow bar on, put it up there and have a few weekends just getting used to setting up all the bits, trying out the awning etc and getting confident with the basics. Then in the summer hols I will try to be more adventurous and head off somewhere different. I think if I only have to worry about getting there it won't be as bad worrying about getting there and worrying about setting up!
Having recently purchased our 1st touring van, we would suggest you give it a go and are sure that you and the kids will love it. Practice makes perfect when it comes to hitching, unhitching and you can always use your local supermarket carpark after closing time for practicing your reversing.Other caravanners are more than happy to help out reversing on site for you or putting up an awning etc. Go somewhere close to home on your 1st trip and if you then feel its to much with just you and the kids,then atleast you can say you tried.
We are now converted and take off most weekends to chill out and are learning as we go.
Whichever option you choose,we hope you and the kids have fun.
We have done both but for financial reasons I had to let go of the 4x4 and we now store and stay. We are sited in a great spot in North Devon and have a little Citroen C3 diesel to tootle there and back in. So for us at the moment this is our best option. I would like to get touring again but not until our finances improve. You can spend an awful lot of money on this hobby & it's really down to your own personal situation as to what you decide to do. After all it's getting away that counts.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Bought a caravan - tour or site?
