Legalities of leaving a caravan on the road?

Legalities of leaving a caravan on the road?

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C0ffin D0dger

Original Poster:

3,440 posts

159 months

Wednesday 10th July 2019
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Unfortunately our drive isn't really big enough for our caravan and the street we live in can be a bit tight to access due to idiots double parking so we therefore store it at a proper caravan storage place. Only problem with this is that it's a good 20 minutes away from home and sometimes in the opposite direction to wherever we're going. Buy the time we've got over there, rearranged it, hitched up and got back to the motorway it's about an hour or more lost where we could have been making headway on our journey.

I was wondering if I picked it up the evening before and left it in the road at the end of our road, which is wide and has plenty of space to park, if that would be okay or not? I'd likely leave the car attached and from a security point of view would have the hitch and wheel lock on. It's not a particularly new caravan (2008) so I suspect less attractive to the travelling fraternity. Is it legal to do so? As it would only be there one night it's unlikely to attract attention or have anyone complaining about it? It's a fairly quiet but residential road.

Edited by C0ffin D0dger on Wednesday 10th July 14:36

sherman

14,371 posts

229 months

Wednesday 10th July 2019
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Its just a trailer esentially. Apart from the security issue for you. You can park your trailer anywhere its legal to park.

oblio

5,490 posts

241 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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We used to leave our motorhome outside our house for 1 or 2 nights when we lived in Cirencester, either prior to a trip or coming back. I appreciate its not a trailer as such but it was 8.7m long.

We had no issues at all and the neighbours were fine about it too.

smile

Badda

3,163 posts

96 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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If you’re genuinely worried about upsetting the neighbours why not ask them if they’d be bothered...rather than us?

GSalt

298 posts

103 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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As above, speak with your neighbours. You can legally park it on the street, but neighbour/street problems are rarely rational or about absolute legalities.

I've got the Hymer parked out front on the street at the moment as I plan on fitting the solar panel at the weekend. It's a tight street with a lot of parked vehicles in the evening, but neighbours opposite and either side are very supportive - I think they're a bit jealous tbh! Always asking where we've been and where we're going.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

204 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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sherman said:
Its just a trailer esentially. Apart from the security issue for you. You can park your trailer anywhere its legal to park.
https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q629.htm

BaldOldMan

5,007 posts

78 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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C0ffin D0dger said:
the street we live in can be a bit tight to access due to idiots double parking........

......left it in the road at the end of our road, which is wide and has plenty of space to park, if that would be okay or not?
So quite some way from your house and immediate neighbours then ?

As above - completely legal to park an attached trailer wherever you can park a car unless there are any specific displayed restrictions (unlikely) - so I can’t see a problem with leaving the night before if not blocking anyone or anything.

anonymous-user

68 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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Someone round the corner from us keeps his huge twin axled caravan parked on the road all the time, apart from when he drags it off on holiday somewhere. It is not a big road and parking is tight as it is, in fact so tight, he has to put a bin out to keep his place when he moves either of his two vans or people carrier. The caravan isn't even parked outside his house, instead he parks it further down the road outside some offices and offices, which then restricts their parking. It's current stay has been so long that the grass verge has been cut a couple of times and as he parks one side on the kerb, long grass has grown up the side of it. It has been brought up on the local FB group, but, despite the covenants for our estate saying no caravans to be parked, the parish council and Police say it is ok. It helps that he is the local handyman and his wife is a bit of a do-gooder, but it only take one or two other people to decide to save their storage fees and park on the road and the place looks like a travellers camp. So in short, it appears to be legal, but I'd speak to your neighbours to keep them on side.

Europa1

10,923 posts

202 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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Grahamdub said:
parking is tight as it is, in fact so tight, he has to put a bin out to keep his place when he moves either of his two vans or people carrier.
That would wind me up. "Has" to put a bin out? "His" place?

GetCarter

30,130 posts

293 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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There's one permanently parked (and lived in) by a 'No overnight camping' sign in the village here hehe

anonymous-user

68 months

Friday 12th July 2019
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Europa1 said:
Grahamdub said:
parking is tight as it is, in fact so tight, he has to put a bin out to keep his place when he moves either of his two vans or people carrier.
That would wind me up. "Has" to put a bin out? "His" place?
It does wind me up. There is a shortage of spaces due to his huge caravan and collection of cars / vans. However, my dog does occasionally relieve himself against the bin just to make me feel a bit better laugh

C0ffin D0dger

Original Poster:

3,440 posts

159 months

Monday 15th July 2019
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Thanks folks.

The information in this link is about as clear as mud biggrin

300bhp/ton said:
Sounds like for what I want to do, i.e. leave it ~150 yards away from home on a quiet street for one night only it'll be fine. Doubt anyone will bat an eyelid. There's even a Scout hut with small car park there and my missus knows the person who looks after it (kids go to Cubs / Rainbows) so might ask if it would be okay to park in there for the night just in case.

shovelheadrob

1,564 posts

185 months

Monday 15th July 2019
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My biggest concern would be security, having seen first hand how easily most hitch or wheel locks can be overcome by the "do as you likey" brigade. It can be gone in under a minute. If it's on a public road out of sight from your own home...........

saaby93

32,038 posts

192 months

Monday 15th July 2019
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C0ffin D0dger said:
Thanks folks.

The information in this link is about as clear as mud biggrin

300bhp/ton said:
Sounds like for what I want to do, i.e. leave it ~150 yards away from home on a quiet street for one night only it'll be fine. Doubt anyone will bat an eyelid. There's even a Scout hut with small car park there and my missus knows the person who looks after it (kids go to Cubs / Rainbows) so might ask if it would be okay to park in there for the night just in case.
Theyve both answered the question rhetorically = it would be ok to park provided it's legal.
Which unfortunately it isn't - it's an obstruction under construction and use regs
Whether the police will enforce it will depend on how much it winds up the neighbours wink

A suitable move it or it will be towed sticker usually avoids the need for enforcement.


Edited by saaby93 on Monday 15th July 21:11

Wacky Racer

39,704 posts

261 months

Monday 15th July 2019
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GetCarter said:
There's one permanently parked (and lived in) by a 'No overnight camping' sign in the village here hehe
Yes, but the nearest police are fifty miles away...laugh

troika

2,022 posts

165 months

Monday 15th July 2019
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If there are any likeys anywhere near the area, no chance. They’ll have it sold on before you’ve had a cup of tea in the morning.