Selling a BK Bluebird Static Caravan: Value, Age and Your Options

If you own a BK Bluebird static caravan and are wondering whether to sell, the first thing to know is that no new BK Bluebirds are built today. Every one on a park was made either in Poole before 2009 or in Hull by Willerby after that, so yours is an older caravan by definition. Plenty still have real value. What that value is depends less on the badge and more on the age, the condition and whether it can stay on its pitch.

As Static Caravan Buyer, we buy statics and lodges across the UK, including older BK Bluebirds. This guide starts with the questions sellers ask us most, then explains why the Poole or Hull build matters, what buyers check and the model names you are likely to find on the plate. It is general guidance, not a quote for any one caravan, and your own licence agreement is what applies to you.

Selling a BK Bluebird: quick answers

• Can I sell my BK Bluebird? Yes. The company no longer exists, but used BK Bluebirds are still bought and sold, on parks, off-site and for export.
• What is it worth? Mostly down to year, size, condition and whether it can stay on its pitch. A Hull-built 2010s Bluebird will usually be worth more than a 1990s Poole build in similar condition. A free valuation gives you a real figure.
• Can it stay on the park? That is your park's decision. Many parks have age policies; see our guide to park age limits.
• Will the park charge commission? On a sale where the caravan stays on the pitch, many parks charge commission at the rate in your licence agreement. Whether anything applies when it leaves the park depends on your agreement, so ask in writing.
• Can a trader collect it? Usually, yes, within the park's rules on hauliers and disconnection. See traders vs direct buyers for the difference.
• What if it is old? Older Poole-built Bluebirds that no longer suit UK parks may still have value off-site or through export to Europe.
• What fees and removal costs apply? Typically any outstanding pitch fees, a park disconnection charge if the park makes one, and transport. Ask your park for its figures before you agree a price.

Poole or Hull? Why it matters when you sell

Bluebird in Poole

Bluebird Caravans was based in Parkstone, Poole. Grace's Guide records it becoming a private company in 1940, and by 1961 it was producing 16 models, from small trailers to large residential caravans. In 1963 Bluebird merged with Alperson Products, the business that then became Caravans International. Caravan historian Andrew Jenkinson notes that Bluebird dominated the holiday caravan market for some years, and that in the 1980s Bluebird introduced uPVC double glazing and central heating on some models, either as standard or as options.

B.K. Bluebird Limited, the company behind the later BK Bluebird badge, was incorporated in December 1987, with its registered office at Mannings Heath Road in Parkstone until 2009.

Closure in Poole and the move to Hull

By the late 2000s BK Bluebird was owned by Willerby, the Hull holiday home maker. In March 2009, as the recession hit holiday home orders, the Poole factory closed after around 60 years of making mobile homes. The Bournemouth Echo reported that staff numbers had already fallen from about 400 to 87 over the previous year.

The name did not disappear for long. Later in 2009 Willerby relaunched BK Bluebird as a division of the main company, building at its Hedon Road site in Hull. BK had its own stand at the Lawns Show in September 2009 with four ranges on display. New models followed over the next few years, and a three-model Bluebird range was still being offered by Willerby for the 2015 season.

Where things stand now

B.K. Bluebird Limited was dissolved in April 2023. In practice, that means there is no longer a BK Bluebird manufacturer to contact. Any BK Bluebird you own was built either in Poole before 2009 or in Hull as part of Willerby, and the newest examples we found in trade press date from the mid-2010s. If you own a Hull-built one, our Willerby brand guide gives useful background on the parent company.

There is one more link worth knowing. Nigel Heslington, a former managing director of BK Bluebird, went on to lead the team that set up Regal Holiday Homes in Dorset in 2009.

What moves the price on a BK Bluebird

Age and park limits

With most BK Bluebirds now ten years old or more, park age policies matter enormously. If your park wants older caravans replaced, a private buyer on that pitch may simply not be an option. That does not mean the caravan has no value. It means the buyer is more likely to be someone who will move it. Our guide to park age limits explains how these rules work.

Condition and damp

On older units, condition outweighs almost everything else. Damp, soft floors and chassis rust can turn a tidy-looking caravan into a project. Be upfront about any problems you know about. Our articles on selling a caravan with damp and how condition changes your offer price go into more detail.

Park rules and fees

Check your licence agreement for selling rules, commission and removal requirements. If pitch fees are due soon, the timing of your sale can matter. Our guide on how site fees affect selling is worth a look.

Haulage

Moving an older caravan takes care. Hauliers check the chassis, wheels and drawbar before a move, and a caravan in a tight spot costs more to get out. All of these costs come off what a buyer can offer. You can read more in the secret life of a caravan haulier.

The checks a buyer or haulier will make

Chassis

This is the big one. Several Hull-built models, including the Carnival, Grosvenor and Seville, came on a coated black chassis as standard, with galvanised as an option. Leisuredays recommended the galvanised upgrade for coastal pitches at the time. The 2014 Caprice moved to a fully galvanised chassis, and the Poole-built Sherborne was reviewed on a zinc-coated chassis. On an older caravan near the sea, buyers will look hard at the chassis for rust.

Roof, cladding and seals

Many BK Bluebirds had aluminium cladding and a steel pantile roof. After years of weather, seals around windows, doors and roof edges can fail. Look for staining, soft spots and tide marks inside.

Glazing and heating

Some models had single glazing as standard, with double glazing and central heating as extras. A BK Bluebird with working double glazing and central heating is easier to sell than one without.

Floors and furniture

Older caravans often show their age underfoot. Soft spots near doors, the kitchen and the shower are common worries. Tired upholstery and mattresses also date a caravan quickly.

Bluebird model names to look for on the plate

These are names we could confirm in trade reviews or used sale listings. Years show when each appeared in those sources, not full production runs.

• Pre-2009 examples (the Poole years): Charisma (a 2000 example on a used listing), Breeze (2007), Contessa (2008) and the Sherborne, which was new in 2009 and won an award at that year's Caravan Industry Constructors Awards.
• Calypso: a familiar name on used listings, with 2008 examples from the Poole era and 2012 examples from after the move to Hull.
• Parkstone: another BK Bluebird name that still turns up on used listings, though we could not confirm its years.
• Willerby-era examples: Carnival (reviewed at the 2009 relaunch), Grosvenor (new for 2010), Seville (new for the 2011 season), Caprice (new for 2014) and the 40ft x 13ft Linear (reviewed for 2015, with a BS 3632 residential option).

If you are not sure which you have, find the manufacturer's plate. It will usually show the model, year and size, and a buyer will want those details.

How we value a BK Bluebird

A cash buyer looks at what your BK Bluebird is worth once it has left the pitch. That starts with realistic demand for its size, age and condition, then takes off the cost of collection, transport and any repairs.

Older units do not always suit UK parks, but some still have a market elsewhere. We also export to Europe, where buyers can be more interested in sound older caravans. You can read about that in our European export guide. We help with the park paperwork, and payment is made on collection day before the caravan is loaded.

How the Bluebird name is seen today

BK Bluebird is a name with heritage, and many buyers remember it fondly. Trade reviews of the Willerby-era models called them good value, and the Sherborne won praise for its flair. Some owners also like the fact that the Hull-built units came from the same stable as Willerby.

The honest picture for sellers, though, is that heritage does not hold back the calendar. Most BK Bluebirds on parks are now well into middle age or older. Buyers judge them on condition, layout and remaining life on the pitch, not on the badge.

Before you ask for offers

1. Find the plate and note the model, year and size.
2. Look underneath if you can do so safely, and note any chassis rust.
3. Check for damp around windows, doors and the roof line.
4. Deep clean inside and out.
5. List the extras, such as double glazing, central heating or a galvanised chassis.
6. Gather paperwork, including your licence agreement and any service records.
7. Speak to the park about age rules and removal.

BK Bluebird FAQs

Is BK Bluebird still trading? No. The Poole factory closed in 2009, the brand continued for some years as a Willerby division, and B.K. Bluebird Limited was dissolved in 2023.

Was my BK Bluebird built in Poole or Hull? Generally, units built before 2009 came from Poole and later ones from Willerby's Hull site. Your plate and paperwork should confirm it.

Is an old BK Bluebird still worth selling? Often, yes, depending on condition. Sound older units can still have value off-site or abroad.

Can you collect from any park? We buy across the UK and arrange collection when we agree a purchase, working within your park's rules on hauliers and disconnection. Payment is made on collection day before the caravan is loaded.

Free valuation for your BK Bluebird

If you are ready to find out what your BK Bluebird is worth, ask us for a free, no-obligation valuation. Tell us the model, year, size, park and condition and we will give you an honest figure. We help with the park paperwork, and payment is made on collection day before the caravan is loaded. If your caravan is too old to stay on its park, it may still have value off-site or through export markets in Europe. We aim to contact you within 24 hours and aim to make an offer within 48 hours after contact, but we do not guarantee either.

Call 0800 644 5000 or request your free valuation online.