Pitching full year in Spain (1 Viewer)

Dancers

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Hi Folks, we are considering leaving our RV in Spain on a site and travelling out to it for the winter, but we have heard that we need to return to the UK for an annual MOT. please, does anyone know of a way around this, and any suitable full service sites in the sun? ?
 

jumar

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Great idea, many have done this in the past, however restrictions that are due to arrive might change your mind...for example, the 90 day stay rule, thats due to scupper many, if its SORN, is it insured in another country.....what about the possibilty of winter renting an apartment, drive out in a car, stay for 90 days...some places can be got for the cost of a Spanish campsite, we own and live in a Penthouse apartment, in Spain...nearby some renters only pay 300 pcm....cheaps as patatas fritas (Chips)..worth a look at.
Another matter is if you want or could keep an RV 365 days on a pitch, you might get it cheap in the winter, but pay premium rates in the summer, just to leave it there until you visit for your 90 day stay, unless you put it into storage, in the heat of the summer...just some of my views, you will no doubt get loads more from others....

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flatpackchicken

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Hi Folks, we are considering leaving our RV in Spain on a site and travelling out to it for the winter, but we have heard that we need to return to the UK for an annual MOT. please, does anyone know of a way around this, and any suitable full service sites in the sun? ?
No way round it !!!! Also you have to register you RV in Spain after 6 months there or any other country come to that, And that’s a massive problem, but up till now most have got away with it but after brexit the police maybe looking at all vehicles long term, as they are already doing this in Portugal since Feb 2019 as police and customs officials raided the campsite I was on and those that had been there with British registered vehicles including cars that had been there for over 6 months were in big trouble with big fines and the problem off having to try and register there vehicles in Portugal!!!!!!!!
 

flatpackchicken

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Have you thought of a fifth wheel trailer?

Craig
Only possible problem with a fifth wheel trailer is it is my understanding now that all trailers over 3.5t now have to be registered with VOSA and need a number plate affixed to back of trailer, therefore it will be on record when the trailer left the UK so you won’t be able to leave it for over 6 months in any country !!!! Unlike caravans that have no number plate as all caravans are under 3.5t so don’t need to have number plate therefore cannot be tracked
You must register commercial trailers over 750kg and all trailers over 3,500kg before they can travel through countries that have ratified the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
 
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Only possible problem with a fifth wheel trailer is it is my understanding now that all trailers over 3.5t now have to be registered with VOSA and need a number plate affixed to back of trailer, therefore it will be on record when the trailer left the UK so you won’t be able to leave it for over 6 months in any country !!!! Unlike caravans that have no number plate as all caravans are under 3.5t so don’t need to have number plate therefore cannot be tracked
You must register commercial trailers over 750kg and all trailers over 3,500kg before they can travel through countries that have ratified the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
Caravans do need a number plate when.

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mikebeaches

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As everybody has said, there are, unfortunately, lots of issues with your plan.

- Foreign registered vehicle allowed in country maximum 180 days per annum.

- Foreign individuals allowed in country maximum 90 days every 180 days, on a rolling basis.

- British-registered RV would indeed need to return to the UK each year for an MOT

- Motor insurance will be a challenge

- And finally, not healthy for an RV or any motor vehicle to sit permanently on a campsite

We take our camper to Spain for six months each winter, store it indoors at a commercial garage near the airport, and fly backwards and forwards to use it - works for us. We manage our various timetables to stay legal.

As others have mentioned, you might be better with a caravan.

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Jul 18, 2009
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As everybody has said, there are, unfortunately, lots of issues with your plan.

- Foreign registered vehicle allowed in country maximum 180 days per annum.

- Foreign individuals allowed in country maximum 90 days every 180 days, on a rolling basis.

- British-registered RV would indeed need to return to the UK each year for an MOT

- Motor insurance will be a challenge

- And finally, not healthy for an RV or any motor vehicle to sit permanently on a campsite

We take our camper to Spain for six months each winter, store it indoors at a commercial garage near the airport, and fly backwards and forwards to use it - works for us. We manage our various timetables to stay legal.

As others have mentioned, you might be better with a caravan.
Which company do you use for indoor storage please ?
 

mikebeaches

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Which company do you use for indoor storage please ?
Chris Parking - less than a couple of miles from Alicante airport.


You can have any duration: a day, week, month, quarter or year and anything in between.

We pay 400 euro for 6 months, to include all transfers to and from the airport and putting the van on hook-up whenever we want to condition the batteries.

First class service - German family-owned business. However, they have become very popular and at some times of year cannot always accommodate new motorhome customers, so we heard a couple of weeks ago.
IMG_20191108_090011.jpg
 
Jul 18, 2009
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Chris Parking - less than a couple of miles from Alicante airport.


You can have any duration: a day, week, month, quarter or year and anything in between.

We pay 400 euro for 6 months, to include all transfers to and from the airport and putting the van on hook-up whenever we want to condition the batteries.

First class service - German family-owned business. However, they have become very popular and at some times of year cannot always accommodate new motorhome customers, so we heard a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks, we use seguro for the car but looking for something under cover.

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2657

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We have a 5'er permanently sited on a site in Portugal, toured with full time for 5 years, on this site 6 years.

No longer have the pickup so moving the 5'er is now problematic, if we were to do this again it would be a large caravan and awning, doesn't need to be expensive and would not need insurance, a CCI card would cover 3rd party risks.

There are several RV's and motorhomes permanently sited here, the RV's next journey will most likely be to the scrapyard due to no MOT etc unless they can be sold onsite.

The motorhomes may still have some value if possible to re register over here but this is not an easy or cheap process, impossible if hab door on UK side, shipping back to UK for MOT would be very expensive.

My advice would be to use a caravan, if not permanently sited it could be stored and moved onto a reserved pitch when needed, many storage companies offer this service.

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mikebeaches

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Under cover is for motorhome !

Price €200 for 2 months
I just tried 6 months on the website calculator and it came to €438 for our van (up to 7.5 metres), but perhaps we get a special deal as a regular? I recall, when we first contacted them, Chris said why don't you pop in some time for a chat - and that's what we did and he offered us €400 for 6 months and the price hasn't changed in two seasons.
 
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I just tried 6 months on the website calculator and it came to €438 for our van (up to 7.5 metres), but perhaps we get a special deal as a regular? I recall, when we first contacted them, Chris said why don't you pop in some time for a chat - and that's what we did and he offered us €400 for 6 months and the price hasn't changed in two seasons.
So you have to return to uk for mot if van is over 3 years old then,,BUSBY.

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mikebeaches

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So you have to return to uk for mot if van is over 3 years old then,,BUSBY.
Yes, van had its first MOT last summer. So we drove into Spain at the beginning of October, and will be out early April, travelling back to Blighty.

In fact, we just flew down this afternoon and picked the van up a couple of hours ago. Went like clockwork as usual. Now pitched up and dinner on the stove. :giggle:

As an aside, Chris Parking was rammed today. Speaking to Chris, he said over Christmas and January he'd had to say sorry to about a dozen punters wanting MH parking - but he should be OK for the rest of the year. (y)
 
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2657

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Won't it need it's own ficha técnica and have to have an ITV though if it's towed with a Spanish registered vehicle?

Not if it's towed by a UK reg vehicle.

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Jul 18, 2009
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Chris Parking - less than a couple of miles from Alicante airport.


You can have any duration: a day, week, month, quarter or year and anything in between.

We pay 400 euro for 6 months, to include all transfers to and from the airport and putting the van on hook-up whenever we want to condition the batteries.

First class service - German family-owned business. However, they have become very popular and at some times of year cannot always accommodate new motorhome customers, so we heard a couple of weeks ago.View attachment 358956

Thanks mikebeaches

I have car/motorhome parking booked at Seguro until 31st July, But will be booking Chrisparking under cover from then - September
 

Sundowners

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My understanding is that we cannot tow British trailer with ( in our case) Portuguese reg car. And visa versa.
You cannot sorn a vehicle that is out of UK I believe.
That's just as we understand it!!!! (And why we sold our trailer!!!!!)

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Jul 18, 2009
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My understanding is that we cannot tow British trailer with ( in our case) Portuguese reg car. And visa versa.
You cannot sorn a vehicle that is out of UK I believe.
That's just as we understand it!!!! (And why we sold our trailer!!!!!)

I was not expecting to need my car that is in Spain, so I wanted to SORN it. I did not have doc ref from V5 so rang DVLA. They said you cannot SORN a car in Spain and you cannot class it as export. Wanted to put me through to a "Special Department". So I hung up.

Obtained the ref number another way and SORNED it. I have 9 Vehicles at the moment and we can, between the two of us only drive one at a time. I pay enough RFL as it is.

Turns out I am going to use it so will have to re-tax it.

*BEWARE*

Last month when I was dropping people at the Airport. I was stopped by the Police. They were checking that it had an MOT, Tax and Insurance. Which it did.

TM
 

BONZO

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Great idea, many have done this in the past, however restrictions that are due to arrive might change your mind...for example, the 90 day stay rule, thats due to scupper many, if its SORN, is it insured in another country.....what about the possibilty of winter renting an apartment, drive out in a car, stay for 90 days...some places can be got for the cost of a Spanish campsite, we own and live in a Penthouse apartment, in Spain...nearby some renters only pay 300 pcm....cheaps as patatas fritas (Chips)..worth a look at.
Another matter is if you want or could keep an RV 365 days on a pitch, you might get it cheap in the winter, but pay premium rates in the summer, just to leave it there until you visit for your 90 day stay, unless you put it into storage, in the heat of the summer...just some of my views, you will no doubt get loads more from others....

that rent sounds good. Can you let me know the name of these rental places as we are looking for a good deal.and what part of spain they are in cheers .
john
 

jumar

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that rent sounds good. Can you let me know the name of these rental places as we are looking for a good deal.and what part of spain they are in cheers .
john

Hi, if your enquiry is genuine can you start a conversation with me....the area is known to us as inland Murcia, about 25 minutes from the med.

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