Winter caravan holidays – is your static caravan up to standard?

Many static caravan owners will visit their unit each weekend or plan a stay in the winter months.

And more and more holiday parks are staying open over the winter months as holidaying over the Christmas and New Year period increases in popularity! But before you take that extended winter break, it’s worth checking your static caravan is built to the right standard so it can be used efficiently and extensively during the colder weather.

A variety of new statics will come with double glazing and central heating – allowing you to take advantage of using your caravan in colder weather.

The different build specifications

Most static caravans are built to the holiday home specification EN 1647, which means they’re only designed to be used as temporary or seasonal accommodation, not for permanent all-year round use.

Lodges and some static caravans are built to a residential build specification BS 3632. These units have extra insulation in the walls, flooring and roof, as well as double glazing, and can be used all year-round.

Is it okay to use my static caravan in winter?

First of all you’ll need check your park’s licence. If it has a full 12 month holiday licence then you’ll be able to enjoy a winter stay. Just remember to make sure you winterise your caravan according to your insurance policy when you leave so you remained covered and don’t invalidate any warranties.

If your caravan isn’t built to a residential standard it will be given a thermal rating that assumes it isn’t used when temperatures are very low as it won’t be as well insulated as a ‘bricks and mortar’ home or a caravan built to BS3632 standard.

If you want to holiday in your static occasionally in the winter months, you could upgrade to double glazing and central heating if your caravan doesn’t have these features already. Some manufacturers will offer thermal upgrades – Willerby’s Therma-max upgrade provides the same level of insulation and window specification as a residential caravan or lodge. Make sure your heating system is well maintained and in tip top condition so you can enjoy a warm stay in your caravan.

If you want to spend lots of time in your holiday caravan or lodge in the winter then it’s worth buying a model that is built to Residential Standard BS 3632. You can then be confident that your caravan is well insulated, has an effective central heating system, energy efficient double glazing and enhanced ventilation.

Willerby’s technical team said they recommend using BS3632 units in winter because of their increased insulation to floors, walls and roofs.

If your static is built to a holiday caravan EN1647 specification and you want a winter break then you’re going to need some extra blankets, hot water bottles and possibly some extra portable heating for colder nights.

Condensation can also a problem in the colder months so it’s worth placing bowls of salt or dehumidifier crystals around the caravan to soak up excess moisture in the air.

Am I still insured for winter use?

Here at Leisuredays, we recognise that some customers will use their static caravans and lodges throughout the year. If you’re a current customer your caravan or lodge must be sited on a licensed holiday park registered with the local authority for you to remain covered in the winter period, and you must drain down from November 1^st to March 15^th if you’re not using your unit and your park is closed. If your park has a residential licence and not a holiday licence then you need to take out our park home insurance instead.

If you do spend most of the year in your caravan or lodge you might also want to consider extending your personal possessions and emergency accommodation insurance cover as you’re likely to have more high value high risk items with you, such as jewellery.