Would like to go full time but need your advice.

[Densesky50]

Hi All

With the recent ending of a long term relationship now is the perfect time to open a new door and do something I've always wanted to do. Travel the UK and live full time in a motorhome. However I (like I'm sure many new people) am struggling to actually find places that will do pitches/servicing at a reasonable cost. I'm still working so for 5 days of the week most of the time I will be in the same place. Is anyone else in a similar situation? i'd like to be based somewhere near my most of the time but spend my holidays roaming.

What are your costs for semi permanent pitches? where and how do you find them? I can obviously see campsites but most are pretty expensive so I would think people find alternatives.

Thanks
Ed (Milton Keynes)

 

[Jim]

There are a plenty of those pitches, but they are not advertised as such. These will almost always be CL's, which are small 5 pitch sites on farms and the like. For a permanent pitch plus leccy you should budget for at least £300 a month, but depending where you stay it could be a little less or a lot more. If you give us an idea of your location, I'm sure someone can help.

Meanwhile, welcome to the fun

 

[Densesky50]

Thanks
Ed (Milton Keynes)

Thankyou, it probably wasn't that clear (because I put it at the bottom) but Milton Keynes area is where I would like to be. Where would one typically find CL's?

 

[Densesky50]

I found some listed on the Caravan and motorhome club website, any other sources?

 

[Googlebot]

You really need to use the local CL’s and see what suits. We often find people doing as you would like at CL’s and normally they are regulars that become semi permanent.

If I had a CL, this is how I would do things as it gives you both an opportunity to try before you buy so to speak.

In fact, the CL we are on this weekend has a new semi permanent resident.

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[Eggs]

As said use CL's and CS's, you can stay legitimately for 28 days then move on to the next one. Don't mention you want somewhere semi permanent to start with, leave that until you've known the owners for a while. Where I am in Suffolk there are 4 CL's or CS's within 10 miles so easy enough to move between.

If you are thinking of fulltiming soon it gives you time to move around a few sites which will get your foot in the door for when winter approaches, then ask the site owners if you can over winter there, one of them will say yes.

 

[Janine]

Some privately-run campsites will give a discount for long-term users. The one that my son is on (Oxfordshire) charges £10 a night less and there are quite a few full-timers on there.

Worth finding a site you like and asking the owner?

 

[SGNV]

I had the van a year before I moved into it and tootled around the area, exploring CL's, CS's and campsites. You get to know people. I'm glad I did my homework and tried to find solutions to all those kind of things before taking the step. I'd also advise to think about the reality of spending winter in a van in the UK. I've done it 4 winters now, but if your experience/idea about living in a van is about sitting outside in the sun ... Personally, damp is the biggest problem, cold I can cope with. BTW, I work on a campsite, solves the issue of a pitch!
Good luck, I wish I had done it much earlier.

 

[adonisito]

Find a friendly CL. We stayed over a year on one. It’s great in good weather, winter is different. I worked full time from there.

 

[hja]

To use the C & MC CLs you need to be a member. I know some people say the owners never ask, but a lot do.

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[Jamesh]

Also look up property guardians, farms, marinas on the grand Union canal where you might be able to stay and provide them a bit of security.

Cheers James