Caravan Storage Sites in the UK: A guide to Caravan Storage in England, Scotland & Wales

 

 

What to do with your caravan when not in use?

Whether you have a brand new shiny caravan or something a little more mature, when you are not staying in it you need to have somewhere to keep it safe.

Caravan storage at home

For many, certainly those with enough space, the easiest and cheapest option is to keep their caravan outside their home. Clearly there are other advantages of this in terms of cost and of course it is always close by for maintenance and loading/unloading. However storing a caravan at home does bring other potential issues and problems including it's difficult and expensive to to provide complete security from theft, it is a clear sign to potential house burglars when you are away and it is not always popular with neighbours and can breach your property covenants/deeds.

Caravan storage sites

As there are a number of disadvantages to home storage and for many its simply not a possibility due to lack of space, caravan storage sites have become increasingly popular. In fact you will now find many former farms have converted to caravan storage because they have the space and it has become a profitable business.

Good caravan storage sites provide higher levels of security than you could hope to afford at home as well as a convenient place to keep your caravan. The services offered by caravan storage sites differs widely but the first and most important distinction is whether they are offer outdoor caravan storage or undercover / indoor caravan storage.

Outdoor caravan storage

As the name would suggest your caravan is kept in the open air in a secure area or compound. Compared to covered storage this is the cheaper storage solution as it does give you a secure place to leave your caravan but it is going to open to the elements all year round. For many this is not an issue, after all caravans are meant to be outside, but exposing it all year round will mean it gets little protection over the freezing winter conditions of driving rain, hail, and snow.

If your caravan is being stored outside it is also worth taking in to account whether it will be standing on 'hard standing' such as tarmac or gravel or in a field. While this doesn't seem a huge consideration in the summer, come winter trying to pull your caravan out of a muddy field is at best messy, at worst nearly impossible!

Under cover caravan storage

Under cover storage provides security and protection from the elements although it will be more costly than the other caravan storage option. The definition of under cover storage can also vary considerably and so you will need to check this more closely. Undercover can be fully indoor although more often this may be a 3 sided barn with a roof but open front.

Pick up/Drop off at caravan storage

As well as the type of storage you choose it is also worth taking in to account how the storage site operates in terms of caravan pick up and drop off. For example, some sites get the caravan out and put it away for you which has the advantage that your caravan is less likely to be damaged by other owners moving their caravans around on the storage site and ideal if you don't like moving your caravan in tight spaces. However, this also means there may be some restrictions in when you can pick up and drop off your caravan.

If your caravan is being stored outside it is also worth taking in to account whether it will be standing on 'hard standing' such as tarmac or gravel or in a field. While this doesn't seem a huge consideration in the summer, come winter trying to pull your caravan out of a muddy field is at best messy, at worst nearly impossible!

 

Storing your caravan on a site all year round

If you tend to visit the same caravan park regularly another option may be too simply arrange to leave the caravan there all year. The costs of this will vary by caravan site (those that do it) so it is worth discussing with the owner as they often appreciate a regular/guaranteed income. Security of this solution will also depend heavily on the caravan site.

 

Caravan Storage Security

The security of your caravan when being stored is paramount as caravan storage sites could be an easy target for thieves if the owners haven't invested properly in security. The security of the storage site will also have an impact upon the price of your caravan insurance as insurers are well aware that this is where the caravan is for most of the year.

Storage site security

Although the type of security required at a storage site will vary by location, some things to consider are:

• Is the site fenced
• Is there single point access which is locked securely out of hours
• Do the owners live on site
• Is there CCTV and/or 24 security
• Is owner/site access monitored - swipe cards etc
• Will your caravan still have wheel clamp and hitch locks fitted.

Storage security ratings

One way to identify the security levels at Caravan Storage sites is through the nationally recognised body Caravan Storage Site Owners' Association (CaSSOA). This body works with site owners to achieve higher levels of security and have 3 levels of security awards that they issue to sites: Gold, Silver and Bronze.

As you would expect the Gold award sites offers the highest levels of security but Silver and Bronze awards also demonstrate good levels of security and a desire to continue to improve standards.

 

Adding your Caravan Storage site to the Directory

If you would like to add your East Scotland caravan storage site to this list simply contact us (Beach Hut Studio) with the details such as name, address, e-mail, website and on-site facilities and we will do the rest.