Although many caravan owners try to avoid it due to its costs, getting your caravan serviced regularly is important. People often ignore regular caravan maintenance until something goes wrong. However, in the long run, regular service checks can help you avoid spending hundreds, maybe even thousands of pounds on repairs. Like your car, your caravan also needs regular service to ensure it’s in good shape. It is also vital to remember that the purpose of the service check is to ensure that your caravan is safe to use on the road. Regular service checks ensure that your caravan is fit for use and won’t be a safety hazard to you, your family, or your friends.
On average, a full touring caravan service costs £177 for a single-axle caravan and £200 for a twin-axle tourer. We spoke to several service centers to determine the average cost, which we explain in more detail later in this blog post.
Although the costs may seem high, once you break it down into all the services that your local caravan service centre offers, then you can see what your money is going towards. In this blog post, I will break down the costs of different types of services from three local caravan service centres and discuss some factors that may affect the price of caravan services.
This blog post will discuss the following:
- Why regular caravan service is important
- Factors that affect service costs
- Roughly how much does a caravan service cost?
- Conclusion
Why regular caravan service is important
You should always aim to get an annual service check from qualified experts. It is recommended to service your caravan every 10,000km it has travelled or annually. There are many checks done on your caravan during caravan services. The standard service list includes everything from seals on the roof to a general overall caravan inspection. Booking your caravan in for a service is important as it helps prevent more significant damages. Even caravans you don’t use very often still need to be serviced to avoid expensive repairs and ensure they are safe to use.
A typical service check includes checking the tyre condition, age, and pressure, the condition of the battery, if the lights and electrical connection between the car and caravan work properly, the condition of the gas hoses and regulator connectors, the water hoses, ventilation and gas drop out vents. If any parts stop working, getting them fixed as early as possible is important to prevent further problems.
Factors that affect service costs
Although the initial price for servicing your caravan is similar for most service centres, some factors can increase this initial price. I spoke to Neil from Caravans North to learn more about the costs of servicing your caravan and some of the factors affecting the price.
Neil explained that some of the significant factors that can affect the price of the service costs are:
- The cost of the parts needed
- Labour costs
- The demand
Depending on your caravan’s issues and what part it needs, the service cost will be affected. This is because the service centre has to add the additional cost of acquiring the specific part for your caravan before installing it.
Labour costs are another factor that can affect the price. If your caravan has many areas experiencing issues, it can take much longer for the mechanic working on your caravan to finish servicing it. Therefore, more work hours require higher labour costs for the service centre to pay the mechanic.
Like any other industry, supply and demand are other factors that are considered here. Since many service centres are independently run, the costs can also be increased if your caravan is in high demand. However, this depends on each individual service centre as some prefer not to add additional charges based on demand.
Here are some other interesting questions I asked Neil about service costs for caravans:
Q. Are service prices the same for every caravan, regardless of the make or model?
A: “Usually, the prices are the same, but because of the recent boom in caravan sales, we’re getting a lot of older caravans coming in to be serviced that are not in the best condition. Because of this, we have to restructure the pricing for older caravans since they take longer to service. I would say that caravans up to 10 years old have a fixed price; however, older caravans tend to be more expensive to service as we have to spend a lot more time on them.”
Q: Does the value of the caravan effect the price of getting it serviced?
A: “No, I would say it doesn’t. It’s the amount of work and the parts it needs that affects the price; it’s not the value of the caravan itself.”
Q: Does the location of where the caravan was manufactured have an effect on the price of getting it serviced?
A: “No, I wouldn’t say it does, but some service centres find it difficult to find parts for caravans that are manufactured in places such as Germany. So the availability of the parts for these caravans can affect the price sometimes, but it doesn’t affect things to a huge extent.”
Roughly how much does a caravan service cost?
As discussed above, several factors can affect the total price you pay to get your caravan serviced. However, the price will also depend on what kind of service you would like to receive. For example, if you want a full service, the price will differ from a habitation service or a damp report.
To get an average price of some of the services offered by three local caravan service centres, I have compiled some tables with the pricing of the following services:
Full service
A full service consists of the mechanic checking everything in your caravan, such as the road chassis service, electric and gas equipment check and damp deport.
The table below demonstrates the difference in pricing for a full service from three local caravan service centres.
| Service Centre | Price |
|---|---|
| Service Centre 1 | Single Axle: £170 Twin Axle: £190 |
| Service Centre 2 | Single Axle: £175 Twin Axle: £205 |
| Service Center 3 | Single Axle: £185 Twin Axle: £ 205 |
According to the prices from these three service centres, the average price of a full service for a single-axle caravan is approximately £177, and for a twin-axle, it is approximately £200.
Chassis service
A chassis service checks the operation and lubrication of the handbrake, hitch and towing mechanism, brake linkages, corner steadies and a general inspection of the chassis condition. A visual inspection is carried out of the tyres and gas pipes for signs of deterioration, and tyre pressures are checked. Mechanics also check that wheel nuts are torqued to the correct torque. This service ensures your caravan is suitable for being on the road and includes brake drums, damper and exterior road lights. It includes a visual brake and drum inspection and brake adjustments.
The table below demonstrates the difference in pricing for a chassis service from three local caravan service centres.
| Service Centre | Price |
|---|---|
| Service Centre 1 | Single Axle: £130 Twin Axle: £150 |
| Service Centre 2 | Single Axle: £130 Twin Axle: £155 |
| Service Center 3 | Single Axle: £115 Twin Axle: £ 135 |
According to the prices from these three service centres, the average price of a chassis service for a single-axle caravan is approximately £125, and for a twin-axle, it is approximately £147.
Habitation service
A habitation service checks the operation of all gas and electrical systems, including appliances, water system operation and a damp report.
The table below demonstrates the difference in pricing for a habitation service from three local caravan service centres.
| Service Centre | Price |
|---|---|
| Service Centre 1 | £130 |
| Service Centre 2 | £135 |
| Service Center 3 | £132 |
According to the prices from these three service centres, the average price of a habitation service is approximately £132.
Damp report
A damp report tests your caravan for signs of water ingress, and a detailed report will be supplied.
The table below demonstrates pricing differences for a damp report from three local caravan service centres.
| Service Centre | Price |
|---|---|
| Service Centre 1 | £50 |
| Service Centre 2 | £53 |
| Service Center 3 | £48 |
According to the prices from these three service centres, the average price of a damp report is approximately £50.33.
Conclusion
Although many caravan users often delay booking their caravan to be serviced, it is an incredibly important part of owning a caravan. By delaying this, you could potentially be making the condition of your caravan worse and, as a result, have to pay much more in the long run when it comes to repairing a damaged caravan. This is why getting your caravan serviced at least once a year is recommended to ensure it is safe to use.