Un manned caravan park - would it work??

[Doing it for the kids]

have just over half an acre of land that I can't do much with, I would probably get planning for a 5 pitch site though.

Water and sewage is there, electrics is not to far away. If I could run this half heartedly for a few years it may open the door to something more interesting down the line.

I don't know much about the lifestyle though. Could it work? Access is superb for main roads, could it be done remotely with cctv and some sort of app for payments etc? I only live half a mile away but don't want to be up there all the time.

Was hoping a locked gate could do the job with combination given to those who have paid. I have all the kit and materials to put n a hard road, just trying to decide if it's worth some more thought? What are others charging for such services?

Location is Oxfordshire, close to all main roads and motorways in the county.

TYIA

 

[TeaBread]

it wont pay as you will need to fit electrical hook ups and get them tested. Unless you are an electrical engineer.
There used to be 5000 caravan club certified locations (5 van) but gradually dropped off to now 3000.
Investment in road gate cctv loo/chem disposal electric grass cut collect wil not yield well at £10-20 per night per van.
We have run a cl for 45 yrs. People want to be welcomed and engaged. Chat as on holiday. If not, bad reviews and no recommendations.

 

[wasted years]

You don't need planning for up to 5 vans, I used to have a 5 van site and we didn't spend much time with folk, in my area I wasn't ever bothered by folk going without paying, some just put it through the house door if they hadn't seen me.
Taking payment automatically my work, we are all used to it these days and your customers will be of a certain age so won't want to trail about looking for you.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Thanks for the responses.

This is just a concept at this stage, I am not expecting to get Rich out of it but a £1000 a yr would go towards running it and mainly open the door to something more fruitful on the site in years to come

 

[Woolgatherer]

We have a caravan and we like to stay on quiet sites. We usually pay in advance so that if we want to leave early morning we can instead of hanging about waiting for someone to come. We normally pay about £22 per night for hard standing (cleaner in rainy weather), electric hook up, a water tap not too far away from the pitch, chemical loo disposal and grey water drain. We're not bothered about talking to the people who own the site, we'll speak if we see them, and the same with our "neighbours" on the other pitches but we don't spend much time on the site.
A barrier with a combination to raise it, or a key fob, might be better than a locked gate - if it's bucketing down no one wants to get soaked opening gates and fumbling with padlocks, it's hard to get clothes dry in a caravan.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

We have a caravan and we like to stay on quiet sites. We usually pay in advance so that if we want to leave early morning we can instead of hanging about waiting for someone to come. We normally pay about £22 per night for hard standing (cleaner in rainy weather), electric hook up, a water tap not too far away from the pitch, chemical loo disposal and grey water drain. We're not bothered about talking to the people who own the site, we'll speak if we see them, and the same with our "neighbours" on the other pitches but we don't spend much time on the site.
A barrier with a combination to raise it, or a key fob, might be better than a locked gate - if it's bucketing down no one wants to get soaked opening gates and fumbling with padlocks, it's hard to get clothes dry in a caravan.

Ah ha, I've infiltrated the lifestyle, thank you for your response!

In my head there are two types of sites, those designed to be relaxing and nice, longer term stop overs with flowers and pretty lawns and then a stop over which is practical no thrills sort of stuff for those goingnfrom A to B.

What I proposed was no frills but practical, keep grass mown but no rose beds kind of a site, how far off the mark am I!?

 

[chaffcutter]

We used to run one on a bit of grass near the house, it was normally just a stop-off overnight for folks on longer trips, but had quite a lot of regular users. Nothing fancy at all, but it used to keep the kids in shoes and clothes!
We had electric hook ups on 3 pitches but I think you need the full monty now to get the licence, maybe toilets as well?

 

[Woolgatherer]

We've stayed on both sorts and to us there's no difference because we use the facilities and don't hang around to look at the pretty flowers! We park up and go off each day so the caravan is really just somewhere to sleep! I think the main thing would be to make sure that your customers know what to expect and what not to. The camping and caravan club might be a good thing for you, they have the certified sites and advertise for you in their publication. We're members because their site fees are usually cheaper than independent ones!
You also need to think about dogs, a lot of people who have caravans also have dogs. Often that's why they have caravans!

 

[Steevo]

Ah ha, I've infiltrated the lifestyle, thank you for your response!

In my head there are two types of sites, those designed to be relaxing and nice, longer term stop overs with flowers and pretty lawns and then a stop over which is practical no thrills sort of stuff for those goingnfrom A to B.

What I proposed was no frills but practical, keep grass mown but no rose beds kind of a site, how far off the mark am I!?

If you're prepared to make it work....you will be successful.

It's perfectly possible.

 

[B R C]

I thought you could only operate a 5 pitch site through the caravan club or the camping and caravan club, is this not the case?

 

[Woolgatherer]

I thought you could only operate a 5 pitch site through the caravan club or the camping and caravan club, is this not the case?

You could be right, I've only ever been a customer!

 

[Badshot]

I thought you could only operate a 5 pitch site through the caravan club or the camping and caravan club, is this not the case?

Correct.
They have negotiated to police it.
No membership, no site permission.

 

[Wheatonrotty]

We run a 5 van site with the camping and caravanning club and we have our own van so see it from both sides. The site is near our house but we're often at the other farm so people drop money through the letterbox when we're not about. We've had to go to a house away from the site to pay in some places we've stayed so that's no problem especially as a lot will be happy to pay online now.
Some guests like to chat, some aren't worried. We're quite happy to be left alone when we stay somewhere and normally pick a quieter more remote site.
I think both clubs now want hookups for all pitches so that costs abit to set up, plus you need to charge enough to cover electric use. Most now will have electric heating, hot water, kettle, microwave and often an electric ring on the hob so they can get through a fair bit when it's cold.
You can put a noticeboard up with instructions of payment, rubbish etc.

 

[B R C]

@Wheatonrotty if starting from scratch would you say it would be worthwhile, what occupancy do you have. I realise that the area you are in will affect how busy the site is but would be useful to know. Do you have to be open year round? Do you offer toilet facilities?

 

[Wheatonrotty]

We do about 1000 nights a year, but this can be quite variable as we get at times we get regulars that will stay for 28 days at a time but over the years they come and go so you get one winter with a couple of units about a lot then the next there may not be many at all. We're not very touristy round here so tends to be people visiting family or just away for a couple of days so don't want to go to far.
Our sites about .5 ha on the north side of a spinney and is on proper Bedfordshire clay so any return is better than the crops that didn't grow there.
You don't have to be open all year, we are because I put a track and hardstandings round as otherwise it lay so wet that we would struggle to be open for more than a month or two. We've got electric at each pitch as well as a grey water drain and tap. You don't need the tap and drain at each pitch but while the trench was out for the electric it seemed sensible to put them in. The electrics have to be inspected annually as well. We don't have a toilet block just an emptying point.
It's worth doing but will never pay massive amounts, especially in a non touristy area. We've also let it out a couple of times for weddings as it's in a lovely spot with great views (for Bedfordshire!). Weddings pay better than caravans.
Don't forget if it's going through the business there's vat on the pitch fees.

 

[B R C]

1000 seems pretty good to me, what advertising do you do? Sorry about the Spanish Inquisition! Think I need to get the grass sown first!

 

[Traffic dodger]

We like the small sites and are happy with out electric as we have everything onboard. Heating is gas, electric is 12v for which we have solar or generator if needed to top it up. Hard standing extends your season or even all year. You would be surprised how many still want to get away in the winter.

 

[Wheatonrotty]

To be fair 1000 a good year. Don't really do any advertising apart from being in the club sites book and it's on our website as well as one or two other free sites. We rely a fair bit on a few regulars so if one or two drop out or clear off round Europe for a couple of months you notice it.

 

[Jerry]

I'll reply in more detail later.

We have a 5 van CL site, and have one of the longest running sites in the C&CC. Dad started it over 50 years ago.

It's very doable and worthwhile I think.

Ours is in an old orchard of aBout an acre.

We are full Easter/Christmas and from June thru to October.

Out of season 1 or two vans most nights.

Best earning acre on the farm.

 

[Traffic dodger]

If you have a bit more field to use , even once a year you could contact a club and offer it for them to run a rally. Lots of different clubs out there, swift or other make names etc the list is endless