Tried many routes to find new home for old caravan but neglect means needs new chassis or much welding as well as interior rebuild. Even too far gone for a caravan breaker who suggested using a reciprocating saw rather than an angle grinder to tin open the metal exterior- safer and quicker.
Little bit further down the road and reallise breaking up a caravan at home risky, takes time and cost of a skip and worry about what materials could be hiding in it – asbestos which might be present in fridge (if there is one), tiles, sealants and chassis. Have tried finding someone who might want it but chassis is very bad and even caravan breakers want newer caravans.
Even further down the road and many more phone calls. Our solution after talking to many people including breakdown recovery, council, environment agency, caravan breakers, caravan technical support and garage sis a recovery service with a flat trailer and winch taking it on its final journey to a mixed rubbish processing unit.
It will be taken to a recycling center and hand pulled apart – recycling as much as possible at cost of £225s + VAT/tonne and cost of recovery to get there – another £225s plus VAT. The caravan weighed about 0.48 tonne and minimum weight is 0.5 tonne for recycling is £225 + VAT. The aluminium skin we’ve bee told will be shredded and sent to the East and wood will go to somewhere near Chatham.Some money in the metal chassis too
Total cost to recycle for us is £540s. Think this is something the Council should help with to stop people saving money and leaving old caravans besides the road.
One other suggestion was to take it to a field and set fire to it. Love to do this but sure we would be in trouble if we did. Or drive a tractor over it.
The story of this caravan never ends. This morning heard the recycling center we were hoping to have the caravan taken to – is on fire and 30 firemen tacking it.
More than a week later – the caravan is still with us but teh recycling center is open again and today, two recovery trucks are coming to get it – a smaller one with a winch to toe it out and a bigger one to drive it away.
Finally out on the road thou its tow bar has broken off but the two men will lasso it onto the trailer (before it can escape) and drive it away – probably.
sunnypolarbear 