In 1996, the National Association of Caravan Owners (NACO) was founded to address a growing imbalance within the holiday parks sector. Static caravan and lodge owners were investing significant sums into their leisure homes, yet protections were inconsistent, agreements unclear, and routes to redress limited. Nearly 30 years later, NACO remains the independent consumer voice for holiday caravan owners across the UK.
…BUT THE STORY OF NACO IS NOT SIMPLY ONE OF LONGEVITY. IT IS A STORY OF PERSISTENCE.
In the early days, the organisation was built from the ground up. Terry O’Dell, whose roots in the caravan industry stretched back to childhood, understood both the commercial realities of park operations and the vulnerabilities of consumers. Alongside his wife Mandy, he travelled to parks, met owners face-to-face, distributed leaflets, and slowly built a foundation of trust. There was no instant credibility – only determination.
At the time, the industry was shaped by a culture that often left consumers feeling powerless. Owners who questioned decisions were sometimes met with the blunt response: “If you don’t like it, get off.” NACO challenged that imbalance. Not through confrontation for its own sake, but through letters, advocacy, casework, and an insistence that caravan owners deserved fair treatment.
“Prevention, as NACO has long argued, is far more effective than dispute resolution ”
The early 2000s were marked by significant legal battles. Some cases were settled at the last moment, leaving no formal precedent but demonstrating that consumer challenge could not be ignored. Others, such as the well-known park closure case in Cumbria, highlighted the limitations of the law at the time and the financial risks involved in pushing for change. Even where outcomes were difficult, they reinforced NACO’s resolve: this sector needed improved clarity and greater fairness.
Over the decades, NACO has worked constructively with regulators, park operators, manufacturers, Trading Standards and national consumer bodies. When official guidance on unfair terms in holiday caravan agreements was published, NACO was chosen as the national conduit to distribute accompanying consumer information. This role cemented its position as a recognised intermediary between consumers and the wider industry.
Today, NACO occupies a unique and carefully balanced space. It is consumer-first, but commercially realistic. Constructive rather than adversarial. Policy-aware, yet grounded in the real-life issues members experience every day.
Through decades of frontline casework, recurring themes have emerged: unclear written agreements, pitch fee escalations, resale restrictions, faulty goods disputes, short term rolling contracts, relocation clauses, and tied service arrangements. These are not abstract regulatory questions – they affect real families who have often invested life savings into their holiday homes.
The modern caravan market is increasingly digital and commercially sophisticated. Sales platforms, finance providers and manufacturers operate in a fast-moving environment. Yet consumer confidence remains the cornerstone of sustainable growth. Clear agreements, transparent terms, and early access to guidance are essential. Prevention, as NACO has long argued, is far more effective than dispute resolution.
“Clear agreements, transparent terms, and early access to guidance are essential… ”
After 30 years, NACO’s ethos remains unchanged. It exists to help caravan owners “stick their head above the parapet” when power imbalance arises. It understands the regulatory landscape. It understands park operations. And above all, it understands that a thriving holiday parks sector depends on trust.
Three decades on, the message is the same as it was in 1996: caravan owners deserve clarity, fairness and a voice.
And NACO continues to provide it.
