Is there a graveyard somewhere for old static caravans to go to? No, of course not. They will break them up for scrap, put what’s left through a recycling process to salvage any useful materials.
But let’s talk about how long a static caravan lasts for. For a start, where some people see an old static caravan, others still see life and years of use.
Table of Contents
How Long Do Static Caravans Last?
Most people buy a static caravan because they want a permanent holiday home, they call their own. Because it’s a sizeable investment, they naturally want to know the lifespan of a static caravan. Of course, the answers vary wildly, and many factors can affect the answer.
First is it a new static caravan, or a used one. If it’s used how old is it when you bought it? What condition was it in? How many years does the Park licence have left to run (we’ll come to this further on in the article)?
Is There A Projected Life Expectancy Of A Static Caravan?
It’s a valid question, isn’t it? I mean, if you buy a car you know within a few years how long it will last. Rarely does anybody buy a new car and keep it until they send it to scrap. But, while we might buy a few cars over our lifetime, a static caravan is likely to be a once or twice only purchase.
And they cost a lot more money than the average car.
The amazing thing about static caravans is whatever the lifespan expectancy was originally, extending that year after year is certainly possible.
If a caravan has been correctly and regularly maintained it’s not unusual to see 30-year-old vans still in use. They’re probably not in use as a holiday home, more likely they will find use on a construction site somewhere, but someone somewhere can still find a use for it.
You can replace or refurbish most parts of a static caravan, while ever it’s financially and practically viable to do so.
What About The Park Licence?
Before you buy a static caravan, you need to have some idea where you want to site it. This usually means in a Park in an area of the country you want to holiday in every year.
This is very important. Because if you buy new from a factory, you will have to transport it to the Park. If you have a Park in mind, it probably means you are familiar with the area. If not, it will pay you to visit there and the Park.
While there you might see the Park themselves have brand new caravans for sale with plots available. If the deal is good, it makes sense to buy from them because they will sort out everything for you.
Part of the arrangements will deal with the Pitch Licence. This gives you the right for your static caravan to be in their Park and use the various facilities, etc.
If you’re buying new, then your pitch licence will be between 15-20 years, probably. If it’s a used van and you’re buying from the Park, the pitch licence will be whatever is remaining on the original licence.
The pitch licence will never be the same time as the lifespan of the static caravan. There’s a good reason for this. Park owners want their park to look the best it can. They need to attract new owners and make sure existing owners are happy to stay on site.
What Happens At The End Of The Licence Period?
The Park also wants to know how long a static caravan will last because they need to fix the time in the pitch licence. Now they don’t know you, so they don’t appreciate how you will maintain your caravan.
They will have safeguards for this, of course, but it’s still a factor in the pitch licence. They will usually arrange for a licence to run 15-20 years for new caravans.
So all good, but what happens when you get to the end of your licence?
Negotiate An Extension
This is an option. Of course you will have been in negotiation a year or so, at least, before the end of your licence. If you maintain your caravan and you are a good licencee, then there shouldn’t be any issues. They may require you to extend every year. They might also request you move plots. It could be they want a new static to be on your spot.
Sell Your Static Caravan
You may decide it’s time to sell yourself. There are trade buyers that will come along and offer you a price to buy your van. Don’t take the first quote, try to get 3 or 4 to appraise your van.
The Park Will Help Sell Your Static Caravan
The Park themselves may step up and buy from you and they will offer it to the trade.They will be in a better position to do so than you will. They may take a cut or hand over all the money, depends what you negotiate.
Part Exchange Your Static Caravan
You may still want to holiday in the same Park for years to come. So a good option is to part exchange your static for a new one with the Park.
You might not get as much as you would if you sold privately but, if you intend on staying at the same Park, it’s an attractive option.
The Park will handle all the hassle. If you’re in a really great plot and want to stay there, this is a good way to make that happen.
Is There A Static Caravan Value Guide?
They establish a static caravan’s valuation using a Glasses Guide.
Much like a car trade guide. It lists most static caravan models for the previous 20 years, and they release it every 3 months.
Summary
We hope this has answered the questions of what happens to old static caravans and how long they last. If you need any more information, please contact us, we are happy to give you what advice we can.