Why we turn caravan jobs down — and what we do instead

Most enquiries end in a booked collection. A few don't. It's rarely because the caravan is too old, too damp or too far gone — we take vans in every state. When we do turn a job away, it's usually one of four things. Access we genuinely can't work with. Ownership we can't be sure of. A site that hasn't said yes. Or a caravan that turns out to be a different job to the one we quoted for. Here's why we turn caravan jobs down, and what happens instead of us just showing up and hoping.

Get a quote and we'll tell you honestly if yours is one we can take.

The honest answer: we don't take every job

No — not every caravan we're asked to collect gets a yes. Most do. A job gets declined when we genuinely can't get equipment to it. It also gets declined when who owns the caravan isn't clear, or when the land it's sitting on hasn't given permission for us to be there. The same goes for a caravan that's too different from what was described to price honestly. Turning a job down early, on the phone or from photos, is better for everyone than a crew arriving and finding out on the day.

Access we genuinely can't get equipment to

A static caravan needs a crew and kit on site to break it up. That's not a job you can do with a van and two people. Sometimes there's no way to get that kit onto the pitch. A gate too narrow for anything larger than a car. Ground too soft to risk a vehicle on. Or a static wedged between two others with inches to spare on either side. When that's the case, we'll say so rather than turn up and find out the hard way. Touring caravans are more forgiving, because they can often be towed out rather than dismantled where they stand. But a tourer buried nose-first in brambles down an unmaintained track can be just as undoable. If access is even slightly in question, tell us before you send photos of the caravan itself. A photo of the route in is often what decides whether we can quote at all. Our guide to caravan collection and access problems covers the specific things that trip a job up.

Ownership we can't be sure of

We ask who owns the caravan before we book anything, and we need a straightforward answer. We won't take the job if a caravan's been abandoned on land that isn't yours, or if it's tied up in a dispute between family members. The same goes if a park asks us to remove one without saying whose name it's under. This isn't us being awkward. Taking a caravan that turns out to belong to someone else is a problem for you as much as for us. The same goes for one a park had no right to have removed. Get that settled first, and the rest of the process is simple.

A park or landowner who hasn't said yes

If a caravan is sitting on a park, a storage yard or land that isn't your own, we need the site's go-ahead before a crew turns up, not after. Some parks only allow contractors on an approved list. Others restrict which gates and days removal firms can use. Arrive without that sorted and we're turned away at the barrier, which wastes your slot and ours. If you're not sure what your site requires, ask them directly before booking. Our note on caravan parks and approved contractors has more on what parks typically want confirmed.

When what's described and what's there don't match

This is the one that catches people out most. It's rarely anyone being dishonest — it's usually that nobody's looked closely in years. A caravan called "roadworthy" over the phone turns out to have no floor once someone's inside it. A "small crack" is a wall panel coming away completely. We price from what we're told and shown. If the gap between that and reality is too wide, we won't just charge more on the day and hope you're happy about it. We'll stop and requote properly, or decline if the job's turned into something else entirely. Our piece on why caravan removal quotes vary explains this from the other side — what makes a quote accurate in the first place.

What it costs when we can take the job

Pricing depends on the type of caravan and whether it's towable or not, confirmed once we've seen your photos:

These are the same prices whether the job is straightforward or one we've had to think twice about. A non-towable tourer or a static costs more because it's genuinely more work. It's not because access was awkward or the caravan wasn't quite what we expected.

What we do instead of charging for a wasted visit

If any of the above applies, we'd rather say so from your photos. That's better than sending a crew out and charging you for the privilege of being told no on your own driveway. That's the whole point of asking for clear photos first, of the caravan and of the route in, not just a view from the road. It costs you nothing to find out early. It also means the only visits we make are ones we're confident will end in a job actually getting done.

Send clear photos and we'll tell you straight

Send photos of the caravan itself, inside and out, and photos of the access: the gate, the pitch, the lane in. That's what lets us give you an honest answer rather than a guess over the phone. We're always heavily booked. If your job is one we can take, book within 24 hours of your quote to get the soonest realistic date. The slot that's open today isn't guaranteed to still be open next week.

Frequently asked questions

Will you still charge me if you turn up and can't take the caravan?

No. If access, ownership or permission is sorted out before we book, we won't arrive to a job we can't do. That's exactly why we ask for photos of the route and the paperwork situation up front, not on the day.

Can I get a second opinion if you've said no?

Yes — if something's changed, such as access being cleared or a park confirming permission, send updated photos and we'll look again. A no today isn't necessarily a no next month.

Does a difficult job cost more than a straightforward one?

Not automatically. Pricing is based on whether a caravan is towable, not towable, or static — the same tiers apply whether the job was easy to arrange or took a few calls to sort out first.

What should I photograph if I'm not sure whether you'll take the job?

The caravan itself, any damage, and the full route in from the road — gates, gaps, slopes and anything narrow. Send those before you worry about anything else.

If you're not sure where yours stands, send clear photos and we'll give you a straight answer, or read more about the full caravan disposal process first.