The Retreat blog

Photo at page bottom of our static holiday caravan on it's pitch followed by a Buyers Guide for Idiots 101.

Welcome to The Retreat blog. Written by the owners of a static holiday caravan located at Cherry Tree Holiday park, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. We are very near to the Norfolk Broads and Sandy Beaches just south of Great Yarmouth. Comments and opinions expressed here are those of the writer.

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Background on this blog's writers: A mature couple, we have enjoyed static caravan holidays (often with our dog('s)) for many years when not traveling abroad on holiday to Africa, Spain or Italy. In the past we had booked and used parks on the beautiful Lizards (nr lands end) in Cornwall. One park in particular on a cliff top overlooking Kennack Sands and the sheltered bay (a natural sun trap, golden sandy beach), Sea Acres Holiday Park . This is a must holiday location if you have never been down there to enjoy all the natual beauty this area (cloves to explore and fishing villages to visit) has to offer.

Of recent years we decided to stay closer to home and try parks in our own backyard of Norfolk. At the encouragement of our eldest daughter, who lives nearby the park, we booked up at Cherry Tree for 2007.

For some ten plus years we had discussed the idea of buying our own static caravan sited on a good park. Here our journey ends and the real adventure in static caravan ownership begins. We hope you enjoy our blog and if you too are thinking of buying you may find some details beneficial. Static Caravan ownership as a second home or retirement retreat is well worth investigating. Getting the full picture is often difficult unless you know a van owner and know someone familiar with park services and fees helps too. Here we try lay it out before you, van ownership, as best we can.

One of us is now physicall disabled and this does not have to stop you enjoying a van. The 12' wides are best for their wider hallways, larger bathroom and master bedrooms enabling more manouvering room for anyone physically challenged. For someone who is totally dependent on a wheelchair the van would need to be modified somewhat. Ramps are easily fitted to verhandahs. Get out and enjoy a park of your choice in your own van, it's worth the work.

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Summer 2008 entry:

The Retreat is a pleasure to come home to be it a chilly March/April, mild May/June, hot July/August. Park entertainment is good value for money, stage shows are better than expected and the new entertainment director is very good. The entire month of August has been set aside to spend at The Retreat and park.

One of the best things about this park is the park shop, a Costcutter shop. Prices are good, merchandise is well displayed and stocks are kept fresh, packaged foods, newpapers, drinks, snacks, frozen foods, hot baked goods, gifts, and a friendly staff. The best park shop we have ever encountered and we have been to a host of them over the years. It was not a factor when we selected this park, but it is a nice bonus!

Still have one problem that Owners Office has yet to respond to after ten months and four formal requests to 'fix-it' properly please (electric meter is on the ground and was never re mounted on its spike when this van was sited in June 2005). We have had a problem related to van security and the master (park) key to our van (trespassing issue by unknown staff member's using the van) issue being monitored.

Spring 2008 entry:

Booked this years Corgi van Gas inspection. Getting SKY at this new van is high on our priorities for spring 2008. That said here is some info if you want bSKYb at your van...especially with the Digital conversion of TV broadcasting in the UK. Terrestial Digital is good, we elected to have Satellite digital TV at the van for better reception and channel selections.

There remains confusion on SKY at vans, if and how you can get it. "Provided your park has no restrictions on SKY Satellite dishes" you can order a SKY package option addition to your present home viewing contact for installation at your van (the van becomes a second room of the home plus another dish installation is needed with cable('s)).

You can order this as part of your home package (second room option) and you must tell MDTV that it's actually for your van not for your residense, plus and here is part of the confusion when you may hear NO YOU CAN'T from others, SKY will charge you a one off payment of 25.00 (at present) for the No-Land-Line and you must provide them with a mobile number for the contract. Again many are not aware of this option and it is not advertised as such. It took us several phone calls in early 2007 to get to the bottom of this issue and the facts.

The box they will install is the basic box  due to No-Land-Line. By land line they mean a BT type phone cable & connecton at home. The basic SKY box is without the hard drive used for delayed viewing or programme recording. If you want this extra feature you must provide the upgraded box yourself (purchase online or bring from your home with you each trip), ... ensure you tell the MDTV call centre & MDTV installer your intentions as a second cable (from the LNB on the satellite dish to the upgraded box) must be installed for the hard drive unit to see SKY channels and work for you, it's like having a phone on a seperate phone line at home for the kids to use while you use the main phone and it's phone number.

You can DIY this project by obtaining your own second SKY box, necessary video cable with connectors and another SKY dish assembly ... setting it all up with the aid of a Meter to find the bSKYb Bird (satellite) and brining your viewing card with you each trip ... but we didn't say that did we!

2007 blog entries----

August 2007 entry:

We had booked early in the year at the popular Cherry Tree Holiday Park and now traveled over to Great Yarmouth for our Summer Holiday break. Gt. Yarmouth and the surrounding area have much to offer and still offers value for money not found in many of the popular holiday locations in the UK. You want to avoid the centre of Gt. Yarmouth mid day during the high season as traffic crawls and delays are encountered. We have found if you want to be a "Tourista" enjoying the many sights and fun things for the entire family, Gt. Yarmouth wont let you down. The Pier & it's Theatre is another attraction making this area so popular and good value for your holiday money.

Once at the park we found our van was ready for early occupancy and we moved right in with all our gear, two weeks worth to support us two and our two small dogs. We played it smart and used our little utility trailer for all the gear we brought along. This years rental van was not in the main holiday van area, rather one of only a handful to be found in amongst one of the private owners areas of the park. Must have been fate ensuring we got the message "check this park out, it may be the one"!

We struck up conversations quite easily with neaby owners in their vans, "wow what a friendly lot these" we concluded. We noted all the facilities this park had to offer and their condition plus that of the park in general. It's location is ideal and the layout is good. The staff are friendly and professional. Overall we gave the park a high rating in all areas we look for as holiday makers. At night we found the club noise almost non exhistant a short way away from the building and late night walkers going past our van heading off for their beds were quiet for the most part. A nice surprise this politely quiet late at night. If we had small children with us, and they were in bed, it would have been another + rating for the park.

About mid way throught the first week we started looking at vans around the private owner areas and noted two with little "for private sale" signs. Over coffee (it was actually a glass of wine and a pint of beer I think) one afternoon in the van we began talking about and decided to look at the idea of having a van on this specific park, and to have a good look at new vans for sale from the sales office plus private vans for sale by owners on the park.

As part of the process you have to look at locaton, location, locaton of the pitch the van is or will be sited on. Location is almost as important as the van itself, keep this in mind as it's important after you buy a van be it new or used or a private sale. Tip, very few parks allow you to bring your van onto their park...the van normally has to be purchased from / through their sales office (new, used & all private sales must go through the sales office at the point of the actual sale and signatures on the necessary documentation). The park gains a commission from "ALL" sales, the private seller pays the park at time of the sale.

We made notes of the pitch locatons we prefered (be it a tree, the lot size and shape, etc). Relocating a van from one pitch to another (vacant pitch) will incure charges from the park to move the van and set it up again on the new pad with it's utility connections. Unlike many, this park, thoughtfully, has all the utilities underground making it look better overall and safer.

September 2007 entry:

Mid month we learned of a 2005 Willerby 12x2x35, double glazed, central heating, extra winter insullation package, lagged pipes that was just going up for private sale that week due to ill health ... know the brand well and like their vans, pitch area was good and on our listing with a 6' fence at the back of a nice lot plus two sheds and a 'double' verandah, asking price was reasonable ... yeah sleepless night that one, awoke with a decision made followed by a phone call that afternoon to the owners making an offer. We had first refersal agreement on the van subject to our pending inspection visit.

October 2007 entry:

First weekend of the month we met up and made our inspection ... results were positive and off to the office we went to make the purchase and exchange the contract. Afterwards we went back to spend our first weekend in our own van ... that was a nice weekend all round.

Went back two weeks later for a working weekend of clean up and add our touch. Pressure washed the two verandahs, cleaned the gutters, hoovered, dusted, kicked back and just enjoyed the van. Took a power shower in the walk in shower, whew, talk about real pressure ... take the skin off this could on high. Lot's of stuff to the skip that we don't want or need or just unwanted stuff. A good tidy up that weekend from under and behind the van and sheds.

Awoke Sunday morning and we felt so relaxed, walked the length of the van just grinnin like kids at their birthday party. Coffee tasted extra good that morning! Dogs settled this trip, knew this was their other home now and played a lot. They still are suspecious of the metal decking and walk it with mistrust. Both like the long walkies in this park, lots of sounds (birds) and smells new to their noses. Wonder what a park smells like to them?!

November 2007 entry

Two more weekends spent at the van.

First of did a little DIY and just kicked back then ... walked, said 'hello' to neighbors, got the paper from the shop and talked about the weather with folks and what kind of winter we would see this year. Found we cant replace a blown bulb as one ceiling fixture, small bdr, refuses to open as directed ... save this till spring rather then waste time as we want to enjoy the fall at the park this weekend.

Noted one of our Grandaughters partner had done the gardening for us, good job actually, cut down overgrowth, thinned and made the place look very nice and ready for winter.

Verandah gate (a diy gate) needed replacing with 'same as' the verandah railing used at installation. Before driving down this visit we contacted the company for a quote and ordered the replacement work. Before we left this trip we went by the park sales office and paid for the work (park get's a commission and pays the service provider we contracted by invoice). Larry's brother had his verandah installed by PVS Holdings a few years ago and they are quite pleased with the verandah, excellent job there as well. More see PVS Holdings www.pvsholdings.com .

Our second weekend of the month and last weekend at the van this year (2007) was for an extra long weekend. Noted the new verandah gate was installed, looked like it had been there since the verandah was installed, excellent job by the company.

We thoroughly enjoyed the van and the park every minute of this trip, did very little and just soaked up the peace and quiet of the park and location.  Found out (by a nice note left behind) that we had moved neighbors plant boxes thinking they were ours...oops! Put them back on the neighbors pitch. Have to re design the garden plants and put in, should be fun next sping and summer. Verandah faces south full length, this makes plant selection a little easier and we are in a partially sheltered area from the coast winds. Previous owner added an outside water tap and hose onto the back end of the verandah, this will help greatly for watering the garden.

Spent last morning preping the van for winter shut down, laid down moisture absorbing crystal drip trays (ordered the crystals from Wilkinsons Online, good prices) and took used bedding home to wash. Put everything up and away for winter storage inside the van. Park is closed to sleeping in your van December thru February. We will ask our eldest daughter to check on the van as needed. About a one hour job in total to prep the van inside and underside for winter.

Read up on van company winterizing instructions and drained the water lines (hot and cold), vans design made it easy to access and do, put standard automotive antifreez in the goose necks and toilet tank and toilet bowl. Keeps these pockets of water from freezing and doing expansion damage if it gets super cold during the shut down period.

As we used so many crystal - drip trays we didn't need to pull the furniture away from the walls, like standard vans. Ours is double glazed, extra insulation and lagged pipes (std for our model). This makes the van quieter, cooler in summer, warmer in winter, more eco friendly and cheaper to heat using the central heating system (not room electic heaters) or the heat efficient gas fire in the living room.

As we drove away we reflected in hind sight that we had make a good decision to buy, the price was fair, the park was excellent, the pitch was good and we both got a little sad as we passed the park exit gate until 1 March 2008.

N.B. Security at this park is particulaly good, no nonsence is tollerated full stop, at this award winning family park. Our daughter accidently tested our vans security device this month and got a quick response visit from one of the park guards responding to the vans silent alarm system. In today's uncertain world we found this to be a most reassuring bonus feature of this excellent park. Our van insuance is less too due in part to the Ramteck wireless system. Visit www.ramtech.co.uk .

The Retreat of Larry & Audrey.

Terminology:

Pitch = pad & lot it is on, thus when you see us use pad or lot we are talking about the Pitch as a whole.

Fees:

Cost to purchase your van and set up fees for setting up the van on a pitch

Annual Ground Rate for Vans Pitch (area the van is sited on and the park leases to you)

Annual Van Insurance

Annual Council Rates for Van (water, sewer & trash collection)

Annual Utilities used at Van (Electricity by meter & Gas by meter)

Annual Gas safety check & Certificate (mandatory).

Every three years, Electrical safety check & Certificate (mandatory).

Optional extra's:

Ramtech wireless security system

Verandah (non wood)

Digital TV antenna & cable

SKY Dish and cable's (ensure your park allows a Sat Dish at your van)

General Notes:

Shop around as you would for any other major purchase, static caravan ownership is a considrable investment and commitment.

When buying look for a van that meets all your needs and anticipated future needs. Test out the van for a weekend. Is it really livable for long term enjoyment and those lovely long holidays in it. When you find the right one you will know it!

We didn't want to buy then upgrade in just a few years time, we knew we wanted a 12 wide unit with double glazing and central heating (helps you enjoy it in the fall, winter and early spring when it's cool). We are very glad we went high on the budget to get a van that will be our second home for many, many years to come.

Consider the park location, park business history, park services and facilities, plus condition and general maintenance of the park at large, attentive and friendly park staff, after sales service reliability, upkeep of the van itself.

Verandah's are costly, but...they do enhance the livability factor of many van designs.