Britain's most-struck bridge changes how to sell my caravan Ely

Selling My Caravan can provide a condition-based valuation and direct cash offer, often on the same working day when clear details and recent photographs are supplied. Typical offers are £100 to £700, with collection arranged from Ely once the caravan, paperwork and access have been checked.

Ely has one collection problem that cannot be brushed aside. The A142 railway bridge at Station Road, beside Ely station, has only 8ft 10in, or 2.7m, of headroom. A typical UK touring caravan stands roughly 8ft 6in to 9ft tall, so guessing whether it will fit is not sensible. Network Rail named it Britain's most-struck bridge after 18 recorded strikes in 2023–24.

Selling My Caravan is a direct touring-caravan buying service covering Ely, with valuation, payment and collection agreed before the caravan moves.

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Selling My Caravan buys complete, towable touring caravans from owners who want a clear exit rather than weeks of adverts and missed appointments. Older, unused and damp caravans can still be considered. This is not a scrap-removal service, and static caravans are not included.

Where is the best place to sell a touring caravan in Ely?

The best place to sell a touring caravan in Ely depends on whether you value the highest possible price or a quicker, more certain sale.

A private sale may suit an owner who is prepared to clean the caravan, write adverts, answer messages, arrange viewings and manage payment. A direct buyer suits someone who wants a clear offer, an agreed collection date and a defined end to the process.

Selling My Caravan is aimed at the second group. It does not promise market value, trade value or the highest offer available. Typical offers are £100 to £700 because many enquiries involve older caravans with damp, wear, missing history or limited resale demand.

Around £4,000 may sometimes be possible for a notably better caravan, but that is a rare exception rather than an expected result.

Comparing direct caravan buyers, dealers and private marketplaces

A private advert gives you control over the asking price, but you also carry the work and the risk. A dealer may offer more for a clean, recent caravan that fits current stock demand, yet may have little interest in an older or damp example.

A direct buyer values the caravan as it stands. The offer reflects age, condition, paperwork, collection cost and resale risk. It may be well below a later retail asking price because the buyer must allow for transport, checks, repairs, cleaning, storage, advertising and the possibility that the caravan takes months to sell.

Choosing between buyers covering Ely, Cambridge and Peterborough

A buyer covering Ely should confirm collection from Ely itself, not merely from a nearby city.

Ely is 14 miles north-east of Cambridge and 24 miles south-east of Peterborough. Give the exact storage address and say whether the caravan is at a house, farm, yard or storage compound. Selling My Caravan also explains its wider county coverage on the Cambridgeshire caravan-selling page. Owners comparing nearby pages can also read about selling a caravan in Wisbech, 22 miles north of Ely.

How the A142 railway bridge affects caravan collection in Ely

The A142 bridge beside Ely station can make the direct route unsuitable for many touring caravans, so collection should be planned around it in advance.

The bridge's 8ft 10in clearance falls within the normal height range of many touring caravans. A driver must know the caravan's full height, including roof lights, aerials or air-conditioning units. GOV.UK's guide to low bridge signs explains how height restrictions are marked and why the full vehicle and load height matters.

Why the 8ft 10in bridge is too low for many touring caravans

Many touring caravans are simply too close to the 8ft 10in limit for that route to be sensible.

A caravan listed at roughly 8ft 7in may appear to fit, but that leaves almost no margin for road level changes, suspension movement or roof fittings. There is no prize for testing a brochure measurement by three inches.

Provide the make, model and year before collection, and mention anything fitted to the roof.

Using the Ely Southern Bypass instead of Station Road

The Ely Southern Bypass gives collection vehicles a practical route around the low bridge and Station Road level crossing.

The bypass opened on 31 October 2018 for that purpose. The A10 runs through Ely between London and King's Lynn, while the A142 reaches Ely from Newmarket. The final approach still matters, so mention narrow entrances, locked gates, soft verges or limited turning space.

Collection from CB6 and CB7 homes, storage sites and rural addresses

Selling My Caravan can consider collection from CB6 and CB7 homes, suitable storage sites and rural addresses where the caravan is complete and towable.

Send photographs of the entrance, gate, turning area and tow hitch. State whether another vehicle blocks access and whether the caravan rolls freely.

Ely is a cathedral city in East Cambridgeshire with a 2021 parish population of 20,574. Busy roads around the station can change the practical route, so the collection plan should be agreed before the driver sets off.

How much is my touring caravan worth in Ely?

A touring caravan's value depends on its age, condition, model, paperwork, access and likely resale demand.

For this service, most offers are £100 to £700. Around £4,000 is possible only in rare cases for a notably better caravan. That higher figure is not a guide price or typical result.

Give the make, model, year, berth and layout, then add clear photographs of every side, the hitch, tyres, roofline, lounge, kitchen, beds, washroom and any damage.

How age, condition, model and service history affect the offer

Age affects the offer, but a complete, dry older caravan can be easier to buy than a newer one with serious water damage or missing parts.

Outdoor storage can increase damp risk. Describe musty smells, staining, soft wallboard, soft flooring, leaks and previous repairs. Say where the damp appears and whether it worsens after rain. A damp reading is useful if you have one, but an honest description is better than pretending the caravan is dry.

Service records, manuals, keys, CRiS information and receipts can help. Extras such as a motor mover, awning or solar panel may add value if they work.

Do touring caravans hold their value?

Touring caravans can hold some value, but age, damp, condition and demand make a large difference.

Popular makes, practical layouts and good maintenance tend to perform better. Older caravans lose value quickly when repair costs approach or exceed what the finished caravan is likely to sell for.

Retail adverts can mislead. A caravan advertised at £3,000 has not necessarily sold for £3,000, and the seller may still reduce the price or spend money before a buyer appears.

What is the 10 year rule for caravans?

There is no single national rule that makes a touring caravan unsellable once it reaches ten years old.

The phrase usually refers to individual site policies. Some sites restrict the age of caravans they allow to remain pitched or apply extra conditions after ten years. Check the agreement for the specific site rather than assuming the rule applies everywhere.

What does a buyer need before making an offer?

A buyer needs accurate caravan details, recent photographs, the storage location and honest condition notes before giving a useful offer.

Send the make, model, year, berth, layout and postcode. Explain whether the caravan is complete and towable, and mention damp, damage, missing items, old tyres or problems with the hitch, brakes or lights.

Photographs, caravan details and any safety or habitation records

Recent daylight photographs help a buyer assess the caravan without relying on guesswork.

Include close pictures of faults, not only flattering angles. A current habitation or safety check is not always required before an offer can be discussed. Share any records you already have and ask whether anything else is needed.

Paperwork needed to sell a touring caravan

Useful paperwork includes proof of identity, evidence of ownership, CRiS details, service records, manuals, receipts and finance documents.

Gather the keys and alarm controls as well. Missing paperwork does not always stop a sale, but it can delay checks or reduce the offer. The Cambridgeshire caravan-buying page gives more information about the related direct-buying service across the county.

Selling with outstanding finance and getting the lender's permission

A caravan with outstanding finance needs the lender's permission and a current settlement figure before the sale can complete.

The finance agreement is in the seller's name, so the seller normally has to contact the lender or authorise the buyer to do so. If the offer exceeds the settlement figure, the balance can be cleared and the remainder paid to the seller. If the finance is higher than the offer, the seller may need to pay the difference first.

What costs or restrictions can apply before collection?

A seller should check site rules, commission, storage fees and access charges before accepting an offer.

Ely sits on a roughly 23-square-mile island of higher ground within the Fens, the historic Isle of Ely. That does not make every storage entrance easy. Farm tracks, soft surfaces and tight gates still need checking.

Site commission or sole selling rights on a pitched caravan

A pitched caravan may be subject to site commission of 10–15% or a sole selling clause.

The actual charge depends on the site agreement. Ask the operator to confirm any commission, permission requirement or removal rule in writing before the sale is agreed.

Storage, towing and access charges to confirm before agreeing the sale

Storage arrears, site moving fees or difficult access can affect whether collection can proceed as planned.

Explain if the caravan is behind another vehicle, on soft ground or facing the wrong way with no turning space. Selling My Caravan only buys complete, towable touring caravans. It is not a scrap-removal service.

How can sellers avoid unclear offers and unresponsive buyers?

Sellers can reduce confusion by asking for a named contact, a response time and a written next step before agreeing a viewing.

Being ignored after sending photographs or arranging a date is a common complaint. Some people fill in a form and receive no reply at all.

Getting a free valuation with a named contact and clear next step

A useful valuation should state who is handling the enquiry, what the figure is based on and what happens next.

Ask whether the offer depends on an inspection, whether collection is included and whether the figure could change if the caravan differs from the description. Keep a copy of the details and photographs you submitted.

What to do after being ghosted once photographs have been sent

Send one short follow-up asking the buyer to confirm by the end of the next working day whether they are proceeding.

If there is still no reply, treat the enquiry as closed and contact someone else. If a form received no response, check the spam folder, confirm the contact details were correct and make one direct contact attempt. Do not send identity documents, finance papers or keys to an unresponsive contact.

Why a trade-style valuation may be lower than the eventual resale price

A trade-style offer is lower because the buyer takes on collection, repairs, cleaning, storage, advertising and resale risk.

Damp creates extra uncertainty because the visible mark may not show the full repair needed. This is why an offer of £300 can sit beside a later asking price of £1,500 without the figures representing the same thing.

How do collection, payment and the final handover work?

Collection should happen only after the route, date, payment method, paperwork and included items have been agreed in writing.

Remove personal belongings and place the keys, records and controls together. Tell the buyer if the condition, access or finance position changes.

Confirming the route, collection date and bank-transfer timing

For Ely collections, confirm that the driver knows about the Station Road bridge and plans to use a suitable route, often via the Southern Bypass.

Share the postcode, entrance photographs and a working phone number. State any gate codes or site opening hours. Agree when the bank transfer will be sent and check your own account before treating the funds as received.

What "sold as seen" means after the caravan has been collected

"Sold as seen" usually means the buyer accepts the caravan in the condition available for inspection at the time of sale.

It does not protect a seller who lies about ownership, hides finance or deliberately misrepresents a known fault. For a genuine completed sale, the paperwork should record the caravan, agreed amount, date, parties and condition. Keep the signed receipt and messages after payment has cleared and the caravan has gone.

For other locations and the wider service, visit sell my caravan.