Getting a remote caravan quote: why we ask for photos, not a site visit
It's a fair question, and most people ask it in the same breath as their first message: "shouldn't someone come and look at it first?" Fair enough, it's a caravan, not a toaster, and you want the number you're given to actually hold. A remote caravan quote, priced from your photos rather than a site visit, isn't us cutting corners. It's the reason our rates are the cheapest in the UK, and it's worth explaining rather than just asking you to take our word for it.
Can you really get a caravan quote without a site visit?
Yes, for most touring and static caravans. A set of clear photos tells us almost everything we need to price the job accurately, and we only rely on that route when it genuinely holds up. What actually needs to be in those photos is covered properly in our caravan condition photos guide; this page is about the bit before that, why we work this way at all.
The maths behind why we don't send someone out to look
Here's the bit most companies won't spell out. If we sent a person out to every single enquiry before quoting, that visit would have to be paid for somehow: a wasted afternoon on the motorway, fuel, someone's time. The only place that cost can go is onto the price, spread across every customer whether their caravan turned out to be straightforward or not. A nationwide service that priced that way couldn't stay cheap. Photos let us skip that step for the caravans that don't need it, and that saving goes straight into keeping the quote you're given as low as it can honestly be.
It also means we're not tied to how far a surveyor can reasonably drive in a day. Someone in a remote part of Wales gets the same speed of quote as someone twenty minutes from our nearest depot, because a phone camera doesn't care about postcodes.
What a photo can tell us that a visit often can't do faster
A visit gives someone a look at your caravan for a few minutes, once, on a day that suited their diary rather than yours. Photos let us examine the wheels, the hitch, the roofline and every damp patch for as long as we need to. You can send them the moment you think of it, rather than waiting for an appointment slot. That's not a lesser process. It's usually the more thorough one.
Once a price is confirmed from photos, it's firm on that basis. How a quote can move if what's on site turns out to be genuinely different is explained fully in what changes your caravan quote.
When we do ask for more: video, a call, or occasionally a visit
Photos cover most caravans, but not every one. Sometimes a static caravan sits on an awkward pitch. Sometimes access involves gates, steps or a narrow lane that a photo can't judge properly. Sometimes something in your description just doesn't quite match what we're seeing. In any of those cases, we'll ask for a short video walk-round or a phone call before committing to a number. A video does what a photo can't: it shows depth, scale and how things sit together, which matters more on a cramped static pitch than on an open driveway with a touring van on it.
Very occasionally, usually for a large static in a tight spot, we'll arrange to look in person. That's the exception, and we'll tell you why before we ask, rather than turning up unannounced.
Why the confidence differs by job type
A towable touring caravan is the easiest call to make from photos alone: wheels, hitch and chassis condition are visible, and collection typically runs £350–£450. A non-towable tourer is a different job. Whether it's broken up on site or moved on a tow bed to be broken elsewhere, that's priced £500–£850, and the skip for the waste is on you to arrange rather than included in the figure. Telling a photo of a towable caravan apart from a not towable one is a judgement call our team makes every day, which is why the exterior shots matter so much.
A static caravan is the most involved of the three. We break it up on site and take the waste away, priced £1,800–£3,980 depending on size and condition. If we can burn the wood on site, that brings the figure down a few hundred pounds. The bigger and less accessible the job, the more we lean on photos of the pitch and access, sometimes alongside a video, to get it right first time.
Once you've got your quote, book it quickly
We'll level with you: we're always busy, and collection dates get taken. Once you're happy with a quote confirmed from your photos, book within 24 hours if you can. Leave it much longer and you may be looking at several weeks before we can get to you. That's just how heavily booked the diary tends to run, not a push to rush you.
Common questions about quoting caravans remotely
Can I send a video instead of photos?
Yes. For anything with awkward access, or a caravan you're struggling to photograph clearly, a short video walk-round often gives us a better picture than stills. Send whichever gets the detail across, or both if you're not sure.
Will you ever need to see my caravan in person before quoting?
Occasionally, mostly for large statics on difficult pitches where even a video leaves a genuine question mark over access. If that's your situation, we'll say so early rather than stringing you along on photos alone.
Do I need to be there when you actually collect it?
Not always; that depends on access rather than on how the quote was priced. The full answer is in do I need to be there on collection day.
If you're ready to find out what your caravan is worth to collect, send us a few clear photos and we'll come back with a price. Get a quote and we'll take it from there.