I live in a caravan. AMA

[chitofftheshovel]

Just that really - might be interesting to some!!

was it a sudden idea or had you been thinking about it for a while?

does anyone else live near you?

what do your family and friends think?

Anything that surprised you or you didn’t know before moving there?

No, not really, although I suppose it is for an easier/simpler life.

Not necessarily here until old age but probably in this caravan.

We have a washing machine and a tumble drier and are connected to mains. We can also run on solar and gas.

A relative lived on a narrow boat for years and I'd say living in a caravan is a lot less hard work/maintenance than a narrow boat. There is certainly no risk of it sinking as theirs did once!
In many ways it is less hard work than living in bricks and mortar - less space to clean, everything close at hand - that was especially useful when I was post surgery and moving was difficult!

Not me or a relative but a local landowner/farmer. I believe I'm correct in saying they are allowed x number of non permanent dwellings on their land for workers.

A converted double decker bus would be amazing!! Maybe one day (when your gremlins have grown up!!)

I'd been thinking about it for a while, sick and tired of living in sub-standard accommodation whilst lining someone else's pocket.

There are a few other people closish by.

One half of my family are pretty well to do and quite frankly snobs. I don't imagine I come up very frequently during their "success" stories during dinner parties or whatever. They are over 500 miles away though and I couldn't really give a shiny shit what they think. The other half have lived in statics/motorhomes whilst building houses so I guess think it is normal.

Apologies Autumn, I didn't realise it was called AMA-IWRRN. I started this honestly out of boredom and to distract myself from pretty debilitating pain. Turns out I was exhausted too and fell asleep.
Live on a farmer/landowners land and nothing nefarious about why I really live here. Cheap and easy living, I see no downsides. We own the caravan.

I follow Fifth Wheel Living on Instagram which follows a couple who live in a big RV. I could definitely do RV living but not so sure about a caravan. I really admire someone who chooses to live a different/unconventional life though. All power to you!

Are there loads of spiders?

Do you never crave space indoors? If it’s 12 foot it’s a pretty standard touring caravan, how do you fit a washing machine and tumble drier ?

Probably less spiders than the last house I lived in!

I can honestly say I don't crave indoor space. The washing machine and tumble drier are in the awning.

Do you pay council tax?

Me too!

My PIL used to own a static caravan and we had loads of lovely times there. I am even looking at booking Haven for a holiday next year with DH and DS!

I would absolutely love to do this do you have wifi

You seem happy with your decision, but what are the negatives of it if you had to name some?

How did you find out about the option to do this?

I am seriously thinking of doing this - what practical advice could you give re. finding a suitable/willing location? Thank you in advance!

Does your partner work for the landowner/farmer? So it’s basically tied accommodation?

What happens if/when you want to move on or the landowner wants you to move on? Do you think it will be easy to find another place to site your van?

I do know two people who have lived in a caravan. Both women - divorced. One 52, one 63. The 63 y.o. was in a shitload of debt and sold her 3 bed cottage to pay it off, and bought a caravan. Had the caravan on a site in West Wales. She has to leave 4 weeks of the year for 'site maintenance,' and also when the caravan is more than 10 years old she has to buy a new(er) one. Rules of the site she's pitched on.. Rules of many sites actually.

Her current caravan was already 5 years old when she moved in in mid 2019, and cost some £34K. So in about 18 months she will have to sell and will probably only get £12-15K, and have to pay minimum £40K again (for something similar to what she has now, but newer.)

She pays rent to the site owner of £250 a month, she has a portaloo that need emptying daily in the block 2 minutes walk away, and she has no mains gas - has calor gas canisters that cost much more than mains gas cost her in her house, and it's freezing in winter. When it rains, the pitter-patter bashing on the roof is infuriating and deafening.

No matter how much she tries to heat the caravan, she is freezing in there from mid Nov to Mid Feb, THEN she has to find somewhere else to live for a month for the maintenance. She also has families with up to 5 kids staying in the caravans around her causing noise and mess from mid May to late September.

I do have to say having a washing machine and a tumble drier in a caravan is very unusual. (And it's odd to have it in the awning IMO.) As is knowing someone who has land that you can pitch it on indefinitely, so you don't have to pay £250 a month or so for site fees, and you don't have to leave for a month, while they do 'site maintenance.' I have to say, it's very VERY unusual for someone to let someone stay indefinitely on their land free of charge. (The 63 year old btw is selling her caravan in the Springtime and going into private let. She's had enough.)

The 52 year old woman I knew some ten years ago. She moved into a caravan after her marriage broke down too. She and her husband were left with nothing after the house sale. Didn't see her after she moved in to the caravan, but 2 years later, she was with another man, and they were renting a council flat. So she clearly didn't get on with caravan life! Great for a holiday yes, but living in one permanently. No thanks.

You may be happy in your caravan @chitofftheshovel and good luck to you, but unlike a few other posters here, I don't envy you one bit. I think living in a caravan in great for a holiday, but living there permanently would be a different matter. I can't imagine it being much fun long term. Having a small bungalow is much more preferable.

Good for you OP, I'm glad it's working out for you.

Good friends of mine lived in a static caravan for about 2 years on their land while they built a house, and they loved it - but it was definitely cold in the winter.

I would love to do this in the future, but instead of a caravan it would be a tiny house on wheels. They are basically an upgraded caravan - like a wooden framed house but on a trailer, properly insulated and therefore liveable all year round. They are obviously more expensive than caravans, but quite popular in Australia, New Zealand and Canada (where people survive harsh winters in them). People usually live on family land, or rent from farmers who have a spare field. In some states in the US there are tiny house communities where you can rent a space.

You can also have proper appliances and a wood burner to keep extra warm in the winter. Would love to be off grid but I realise that's a lot of work, but I will definitely look into doing this in the next few years.
Living in an apartment or normal suburban house long term doesn't appeal to me, plus where I live a housing crisis means they are extortionately expensive, and I don't fancy having a huge mortgage hanging over my head for 40 years.

I think younger people are definitely more open to these kind of options, as houses get more and more unaffordable.