Largest Tourer

[Guest Surfer]

Speaking from experience, we lived in our Lunar Lexon 640 touring caravan for 2 1/2 years and stayed on the same site during that time except for the month of January when the site closed. No council tax, no electric, gas or water worries. It cost us £240 per month and we were very happy. We really do miss living in the caravan on a permanent basis more so the wife as we found it to be very sociable.

In other words been there, doen it and got the T-shirt. There are many large caravans, bu8t the ones favoured for living in are the smaller british twin axles becuase the continental caravans which are bigger very seldom have island beds and seperate bathroom and shower, i. e. Hobby. With the awning up we had plenty of room, probably more so that we have in the 1 bedroom flat we now live in. In the awning we had a small fridge, a small deep freeze, gas heater and a 32" TV. We could sit in the awning all year long even in the worst weather as we had good insulation on the floor.

Don't worry about counciul tax regulations as they do not and will not investigate and even if they did all you do is move to another site and the area loses your spending power which is why they leave it. In essence your council tax is included in your pitch rental by the site owner.

If we could, we would move back in to the caravan on a permanent basis tomorrow so that we could enjoy the freedom from stress that it offers as there are several less bills to worry about. I would say go for it and if you have any concerns please feel free to ask.

Ian

[colinicky]

Probably because the 7m and 12m limits for trailers don't include drawbars.

 

Yes but a goods vehicle using a fifth wheel is allowed 13. 6m trailer body length .

[kevinktwo]

Council Tax pays towards services such as police, fire, refuse collection and, schools, street cleaning, environmental health and food safety, meals on wheels, adapting homes for disabled people, flood defences, and many others. These are important to me and I believe everyone should pay a share. So what you are saying is help me find a loophole so you don't have to pay for these services, there will be a shortfall which means Council Tax goes up and we pay your share. Yes right, of course I'll help you.

Kevin

[George & sharon]

Council Tax pays towards services such as police, fire, refuse collection and, schools, street cleaning, environmental health and food safety, meals on wheels, adapting homes for disabled people, flood defences, and many others. These are important to me and I believe everyone should pay a share. So what you are saying is help me find a loophole so you don't have to pay for these services, there will be a shortfall which means Council Tax goes up and we pay your share. Yes right, of course I'll help you.

Kevin

 

 

Thank you for your input.

[jan69c]

George & Sharon

I am very sorry that you feel so bad about your current situation. However as I see it no matter where you live in the UK there is no way around paying for Council Tax, utilities etc. .. Just moving out of the country may not be the answer either. No matter where you live, if you want to live in a decent, ordered society you have to contribute. None of us like it, but we do it. It is easy for me to say, but just take a step back and think about what you want to do. No matter how cheesed off you may be right now, things can only improve.

Unless you want to live outside the law, you will have to pay some form of local taxation.

[George & sharon]

George & Sharon

I am very sorry that you feel so bad about your current situation. However as I see it no matter where you live in the UK there is no way around paying for Council Tax, utilities etc. .. Just moving out of the country may not be the answer either. No matter where you live, if you want to live in a decent, ordered society you have to contribute. None of us like it, but we do it. It is easy for me to say, but just take a step back and think about what you want to do. No matter how cheesed off you may be right now, things can only improve.

Unless you want to live outside the law, you will have to pay some form of local taxation.

 

I am not turning this into a pro or anti council tax debate. l am planning on spending some months in France and some months here and do not want to be overcharged by the council for something they are not entitled to and l should not be paying.

[jan69c]

I am not turning this into a pro or anti council tax debate. l am planning on spending some months in France and some months here and do not want to be overcharged by the council for something they are not entitled to and l should not be paying.

I may have misread your previous posts, and if so I apologise. My understanding is this, if you have a permanant address here you pay council tax. If you live abroad, but visit here you dont. People who live in caravans full time are required by law to have a 'permanant' address for correspondance. Hope you get sorted.

By the way I was made bankrupt at the age of 23. Took me a long time to sort myself out, it isn't funny, and you feel like the world is against you.

Best wishes.

[Lee E]

George & Sharon

I am very sorry that you feel so bad about your current situation. However as I see it no matter where you live in the UK there is no way around paying for Council Tax, utilities etc. .. Just moving out of the country may not be the answer either. No matter where you live, if you want to live in a decent, ordered society you have to contribute. None of us like it, but we do it. It is easy for me to say, but just take a step back and think about what you want to do. No matter how cheesed off you may be right now, things can only improve.

Unless you want to live outside the law, you will have to pay some form of local taxation.

We dont pay any form of council tax in NI.

 

Regards

Lee

[jan69c]

We dont pay any form of council tax in NI.

 

Regards

Lee

I know that, I forgot. Wifey will beat me up she is from there. .........

[Elephant]

Sorry, but you have turned in into a debate with your comments throughout the thread about not wishing to pay them, more than once!

 

It's not about pro or anti. ..

 

Just a couple of questions that have been raised purely by your comments, why don't the council deserve it? and why shouldn't you pay it? I work for one of the emergency services, who receive a contribution from council tax, so I see it as paying for myself!

 

Incidentally, if my next door neighbour put a caravan on their land, and somebody lived in it permanently, I would be well impressed, especially if it was a way for somebody to "play the system", as I would see it.

 

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it would be impossible not to pay council tax (for whatever reason) and avoid using any council services whatsoever, which is ideally what should occur. If you ain't paying in, don't take anything out!.

[RogerL]

We dont pay any form of council tax in NI.

 

Regards

Lee

But you pay Regional Rates and District Rates instead.

 

Council Tax is effectively just a renaming of Rates.

[jan69c]

But you pay Regional Rates and District Rates instead.

 

Council Tax is effectively just a renaming of Rates.

They dont pay anything like we do, as far as i know. I could be wrong, and I dont want to be kneecapped.

[Elephant]

And the English don't pay as much as the Welsh, as the proposed rebanding/revaluing never took place a couple of years ago, unlike Wales!!

 

But then we get free prescriptions, so it ain't that bad!!

[jan69c]

And the English don't pay as much as the Welsh, as the proposed rebanding/revaluing never took place a couple of years ago, unlike Wales!!

 

But then we get free prescriptions, so it ain't that bad!!

I get them, I am diabetic

[Elephant]

. ..and we get free school milk!!

 

No, seriously, Rates/Poll Tax/Council Tax have all been unpopular, but whatever the name, how else would a household using services such as refuse, swimming pools, libaries etc, pay for these, other than a "tax" on the people living there?

[neil]

And the English don't pay as much as the Welsh, as the proposed rebanding/revaluing never took place a couple of years ago, unlike Wales!!

 

But then we get free prescriptions, so it ain't that bad!!

 

Hi Elephant

 

My mates Bronwen in Liverpool and Ronaldo in Mold would disagree with that broad statement as it is more to

do with where a person lives rather than place of birth surely ;-)

 

neil

[Lee E]

But you pay Regional Rates and District Rates instead.

 

Council Tax is effectively just a renaming of Rates.

Quite right. They are lumped in together - simple known as 'the rates'. They do not apply to any tourer or static (unless lived in for 12 months of the year). Our rates are also much lighter on the pocket than council tax.

 

The reason we dont have council tax is because of our 'troubles' legacy.

 

Regards

lee

[Brecon]

http://www. dethleffs. de/dethleffs-megaron/...animation=false

 

If you want large,look no further,,,god knows what will tow it though

 

And you may just have some issues on some Cornish roads

Edited February 19, 2009 by Brecon

[Guest Surfer]

Council Tax pays towards services such as police, fire, refuse collection and, schools, street cleaning, environmental health and food safety, meals on wheels, adapting homes for disabled people, flood defences, and many others. These are important to me and I believe everyone should pay a share. So what you are saying is help me find a loophole so you don't have to pay for these services, there will be a shortfall which means Council Tax goes up and we pay your share. Yes right, of course I'll help you.

Kevin

Obviously you have not read my post as I stated that the council tax is included in the pitch price so in effect you are paying council tax in an indirect way. The police and fire services form a minor part fo the total bill but IMHO they should be paid by central government not local. The site owner normally has private contractors to remove refuse. If you are living permamently in a caravan it is unlikely you will have kids with you and anyway you probably pay some sort of school fee. Meals on wheels are normally done by charities. Adapting homes is up to the local housing office and not the taxpayer. If you live near a river that floods constantly that is your choice!

 

Secondly council tax has become a total rip off and an increasing tax. Your wages go up by 2. 5 - 3% annually yet council tax goes up by 6 - 9%. I hardly call that fair especially when the councillors throw bashes for themselves and go on fact finding tours around the world at our expense but the potholes in the pavements never get fixed! Also do not forget, that whatever money the permanent caravanner is earning is probably being spent in the local community keeping another business afloat and if that business survives they pay council tax which in turn should keep the bills within perspective. Anyway what is the point in paying council tax if they invest the money in some foreign bank only to lose it all. Secondly, if they have money to invest, why are they continously increasing the annual tax? It stinks of a rip off, scam or someone lining their pockets!

[Fenester]

Obviously you have not read my post as I stated that the council tax is included in the pitch price so in effect you are paying council tax in an indirect way. The police and fire services form a minor part fo the total bill but IMHO they should be paid by central government not local. The site owner normally has private contractors to remove refuse. If you are living permamently in a caravan it is unlikely you will have kids with you and anyway you probably pay some sort of school fee. Meals on wheels are normally done by charities. Adapting homes is up to the local housing office and not the taxpayer. If you live near a river that floods constantly that is your choice!

 

Secondly council tax has become a total rip off and an increasing tax. Your wages go up by 2. 5 - 3% annually yet council tax goes up by 6 - 9%. I hardly call that fair especially when the councillors throw bashes for themselves and go on fact finding tours around the world at our expense but the potholes in the pavements never get fixed! Also do not forget, that whatever money the permanent caravanner is earning is probably being spent in the local community keeping another business afloat and if that business survives they pay council tax which in turn should keep the bills within perspective. Anyway what is the point in paying council tax if they invest the money in some foreign bank only to lose it all. Secondly, if they have money to invest, why are they continously increasing the annual tax? It stinks of a rip off, scam or someone lining their pockets!

The levels of waste in local government are horrendous. Surfer states some sensible comments here.

 

I get tenders for local authorities sent daily from supply2 gov and some of the projects they fund beggars belief. What we have is local group of officials and civil servants who have lost sight of reality take loads of our money and feed it into the shredder.

[Alan J]

Gentlemen

We are going off topic quite considerably dont you think??

 

Certainly for my area I can have a Caravan parked up on my property but can only have anyone staying in it for a max of up to 4 weeks pa - this covers relatives on hols etc. I am sure that the same or very similar applies elsewhere across the country and for very good reasons.

 

I am positive if I should have someone living full time in my garden then I would soon be shopped, quite rightly, and I would do the same if my neighbours had a permanent habitation in a caravan/shed.

 

The only certainties in life are Taxes & Death - so do not think there is a way around council tax - and IMHO there should not be as it is for the upkeep of our "Local Communities" and if Everyone paid it then it would no doubt be cheaper or better facilities. ^_^

[Fenester]

Gentlemen

We are going off topic quite considerably dont you think??

No not really, the point of the OP was to ask about the size of a van to get a sensible size to reduce living costs. .. interesting debate I think.

[beejay]

Yes but a goods vehicle using a fifth wheel is allowed 13. 6m trailer body length .

 

 

That's an articulated vehicle with semi-trailer not a drawbar trailer. And the maximum semi- trailer length is 12 metres from kingpin to rear with 2. 04 metre from kingpin to front. Complicated ain't it

[colinicky]

That's an articulated vehicle with semi-trailer not a drawbar trailer. And the maximum semi- trailer length is 12 metres from kingpin to rear with 2. 04 metre from kingpin to front. Complicated ain't it

Yes & even more complicated than that, as 13. 6 metre max on a semi trailer involves certain radius circles from the Kingpin position so even your 2. 04 metre from kingpin to front is incorrect for a 13. 6m trailer & as the op said he will tow it with whatever is neccessary so if he really want to do it cheaply then he could buy a artic unit & a semi trailer living van like the fairgrounds use & park on an industrial estate every night . No nightly pitch fees to pay

 

p. s. my figures may be a little old as I retired from the haulage & trailer industry 3 years ago but spent a lot of time finding legal ways round maximum size "problems"

Edited February 19, 2009 by colinicky

[jan69c]

http://www. dethleffs. de/dethleffs-megaron/...animation=false

 

If you want large,look no further,,,god knows what will tow it though

 

And you may just have some issues on some Cornish roads

I want one