Thinking of giving up our membership

My brother and his wife have a tourer on a seasonal pitch, they love it and it still gives them the freedom if they decide to move on, they put it in storage October to March. It works well for them and might be a good opportunity to test the water if that is the life for you though understand you might not be able to get it exactly where you may get a static, and saves a big payout if you decide to carry on 'Vanning...or bite the bullet and get a Motorhome we have never looked back since getting ours, in our opinion a lot easier to get out and about than with a 'van, but of course apart from the cost to buy it, it has its own running costs.....lots to think about.good luck.

We started off with a tourer about 33 years ago and although we loved it, when we had 3 children under 5 we decided to buy a static on the site we always visited at the Lake District. We thoroughly enjoyed it and were away nearly every weekend in season. However we wanted to go elsewhwere for some of our holidays and missed being being able to tour and had to rent cottages, static vans and use hotels. After a couple of holidays in France, hiring a static and using hotels en route we decided to return to a tourer and have been all over England and France at much cheaper prices. We got vitually nothing when we gave up the static - they do not keep their value as much as a tourer. However we have loved the tourer and our holidays in it. As time went by with the static we wanted more and more to be off to new places rather than the same site and the same pitch. Since our children have grown up we have seriously considered taking up a seasonal pitch at Troutbeck and just taking the van off to France in the middle of the season. That is still a cheaper option than the annual fees on a static.

Any fixed base can eventually become a bit boring. We've owned an apartment in Spain for 13 years which we have now put up for sale. It's a nice bolt-hole but you do run out of new places to go and things to do other than sit around and chill.

DEBSC - if finances can stretch to it, why not go for the best of both worlds? When I retired we decided to invest in a static down in Perranporth, an area we used to tow down to every year. It's on a small, family run site, only 15 statics and it's available for use by us and family members or friends for 11 months each year. We get down there about once a month, everything is set up ready and the journey is so much easier. Yes, there is ground rent and fuel to pay for but tonus it's worth it.

But we also like visiting other areas of the UK, so since we had the tourer anyway and it would have little trade in value we decided to keep it. Again there are costs (storage, insurance etc) to consider though.

We realise how lucky we are, but, hey, you have to spend your money on something, don't you and we don't go in for lots of expensive foreign trips or cruises etc.

Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you research your options first and enjoy whichever you go for.

(PS my email address is in my profile. Do feel free to get in touch if you want to chat about things.) 

I can see why people buy statics (to be able to just go away, without all the preparation) but I can also see the disadvantages.

My biggest fear would be to end up surrounded by the 'neighbours from hell' on site and not being able to do much about it. There is also the cost, if course. As someone once said to me 'buying a static is a lifestyle choice, not an investment'.

Some friends have a static in N Wales and it would drive me mad going there every end and turn (but then again, I wouldn't chose that area).

I think that I would go for a seasonal pitch, to see how I liked it. Or even cheaper, storage on a site I liked. You still have the option of touring and the depreciation is much less.

Any fixed base can eventually become a bit boring. We've owned an apartment in Spain for 13 years which we have now put up for sale. It's a nice bolt-hole but you do run out of new places to go and things to do other than sit around and chill.

Agree with that sentiment. We have a timeshare in Madeira but don't use it every year for the same reason. However, some people like the familiarity of returning to the same place every time. 

It's a good point you make about neighbours, Ian, and definitely one to be considered. We're lucky on our site. Most of the vans are occupied by folk who have sold up and live on site permanently - some are still working and hire a cottage nearby in February when the site's closed, others jet off to Tenerife or somewhere else warm. It's a nice little community.

But there were other sites we looked at - larger holiday camp sites - where that wouldn't have been the case. At one in particular, when we asked which plot we could have the reply was "take your pick, most of the plots are holiday let's". We beat a hasty retreat from that one! 

I think Kennine sums up the main problems that would put us off a static apart from the fact we like touring. The ten year lease is a major problem though. On one site we know of after ten years you will be told your caravan is now too old  and needs replacing, an Irishman will then turn up and offer you £750 for it and you get no other options to get rid . If you accept this could happen to you then would you invest?

You may find that in your case the owner is fair and trustworthy but in thse next ten years he could sell up and you cannot be sure what the new owners will do.

Frankly as far as we can see statics are nothing more than a money pit and the economics unless you are renting them out just do not add up.

Thank you for all your replies, especially Moulesy. It really comes down to head or heart. We would like to do it but how will we feel paying out the ground rent each year. But as someone said, life is for living. We will certainly find out how old caravans can be before being asked to move as we are not looking to buy a newish van. The area we are looking at is Stratford upon Avon, so not cheap but an area we love and know well. Lovely living in Devon but a long way from some things we like to do, closer to the NEC for shows, Stratford is more vibrant and places around there we like to visit. So best of both worlds. Also we have 3 grandchildren here and 3 in the London area so a good place for us all to get together. We have decided to visit next week, look around the site further and ask a lot of questions.

Another option would be to keep your Tourer stored at a site where they will tow your van from the storeage to a pitch for the times you want to use it.  You can then take the Tourer out of storage 'on tour' to other sites on the odd occasion, if you wish.  This gives you the option.

I don't know if the Club will take your van and site it for you on a pitch if you store it at a CC site, but the are plenty of sites who will have this flexibility.

David