Sixty seconds doesn’t sound like much. It’s barely enough time to make a cup of tea. But it’s roughly how long it takes an experienced eye to spot the difference between a static caravan that’s ready to relocate and one that’s about to become a very expensive lesson. Here’s the Logan Haulage checklist, and why skipping it costs far more than the minute it takes.
Why the rush doesn’t pay off
Site fees have a habit of stacking up the moment a move is delayed, so there’s always pressure to get a caravan off its pitch and onto the low-loader as fast as possible. That pressure is exactly how corners get cut. A caravan that looks fine from six feet away can be hiding a cracked chassis weld, a rotted floor bearer, or a gas connection that was never properly capped, and every one of those becomes a far costlier problem once the unit is mid-lift rather than sitting quietly on its blocks.
What the quick check actually covers
The chassis and blocks. A fast visual sweep underneath tells you whether the caravan has settled evenly or whether one corner has sunk into the ground over the years. Uneven settling puts twisting stress on the frame the moment it’s lifted, which is precisely when hidden weak points fail.
Skirting and decking. Anything still attached needs to come off before the low-loader arrives, not on the day itself. A caravan turning up to be lifted with decking still bolted on isn’t a quick fix, it’s a delay, and delays are where site fees quietly creep upward.
Service connections. Water, waste, gas, and electric all need confirming as fully isolated. This is the one check that isn’t really optional, since a caravan moved with a live gas connection isn’t a minor oversight, it’s a genuine hazard. Thirty seconds with a torch under the unit is the difference between a routine disconnection and an emergency call to the gas board.
Windows, doors, and vents. Anything that can open needs to be properly secured shut. It sounds obvious, but a window that pops open mid-lift can crack against the frame, and repairing that after the fact costs considerably more than checking it beforehand.
Loose internal fittings. A quick walk-through, checking cupboards latch, nothing’s balanced precariously on a shelf, and furniture is roughly secured, saves an unpleasant surprise on arrival. Static caravans handle differently to houses when tilted even slightly during a lift, and unsecured contents shift more than owners expect.
Access route confirmation. Not strictly part of the caravan itself, but checking the route from plot to low-loader is clear of overhanging branches, parked cars, or newly installed site furniture takes moments and avoids a hold-up that racks up time-based fees fast.
The site fee maths
Here’s the part that makes the 60 seconds worth it. Most holiday parks charge site fees by the day, sometimes by the week, and a caravan that’s been earmarked to leave but hasn’t quite gone yet is still accruing charges. A delay caused by an unremoved skirting panel or an unconfirmed gas isolation isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a bill. Multiply a missed check by even a modest daily site fee and a “quick look later” habit becomes genuinely expensive over a season.
Why specialists do this automatically
For a haulage team that moves static caravans regularly, this checklist isn’t a chore, it’s muscle memory. It happens before the crane or gantry even arrives, precisely because catching a problem on the pitch is cheap and catching it mid-lift is not. Owners who understand what’s being checked, and why, tend to have far smoother moves, mostly because they know what to sort out themselves in advance rather than discovering it on the day.
The bottom line
Sixty seconds under a caravan and a walk around the outside isn’t excessive caution, it’s the cheapest insurance policy in the entire relocation process. Skip it, and the savings you were chasing by moving quickly tend to evaporate into a longer job, a bigger bill, or both.
A caravan that’s been properly checked moves once, moves cleanly, and doesn’t come back to bite anyone’s site fees later.