Willerby Dorchester Static Caravan Guide: History, Specs, Value and Prices

Last valuation guide update: October 2026

Introduction

Looking up a Willerby Dorchester value, or wondering how a 2020 or 2022 Dorchester compares with today's list price? Willerby has used the Dorchester name more than once. Older Dorchesters from the late 1990s are 12 ft wide caravans of around 36 to 38 ft, while the Dorchester Willerby sells today, first shown in 2020, is one of its biggest single-unit holiday homes: a 14 ft wide, 2-bedroom caravan with a bath in the ensuite. New list prices and park adverts for it are high, which is exactly why owners need to keep those numbers separate from what a used Dorchester sells for to a trade buyer. This guide covers what is documented about both generations, how to tell them apart, and how value works.

Willerby Dorchester quick guide

Model history

There are at least two quite different caravans called Willerby Dorchester. We have not found a Willerby brochure or factory archive for the older one, so the years below are dated examples we found, not confirmed production years.

Older 12 ft wide Dorchester (late 1990s)

• 1997: a dealer sold a 1997 Dorchester at 37 x 12, 2 bedrooms, sleeps 6, with double glazing, central heating and winter insulation. Another dealer advertised a 1997 Dorchester at 37 x 12 with 3 bedrooms, double glazing and central heating, and a dealer listing on a classifieds site gave a 1997 Dorchester at 36 x 12.
• 1998: the same first dealer sold a 1998 Dorchester at 38 x 12, 2 bedrooms, sleeps 6, with an ensuite, describing it as "the very top of the Willerby range" when new, with a winter pack.
• 1999: a 2011 private advert listed a 1999 Willerby Dorchester, 4 berth, as a holiday let.
• Undated examples: other dealers list Dorchesters at 37 x 12 (2 bed, with a WC ensuite to the master and electric panel heaters) and 38 x 12 (3 bed, double glazed with gas central heating), and Irish adverts show 35 x 12 and 37 x 12 examples.

From the trade, we have seen older 12 ft wide Dorchesters with a front bay window, a curved roof, horizontal aluminium cladding and a side entrance door, typical of Willerby styling of the period. Specification looks to have varied, so treat any one listing as an example rather than the factory standard.

Current 14 ft wide Dorchester (2020 onwards)

Willerby's February 2020 show line-up listed a Dorchester at 43 x 14, 2 bed, as a "brand new special" for the show. It shares the name with the older caravan but is a different, much larger product.

• 2020: a park listed a 2020 Willerby Dorchester, 43 ft x 14 ft, 2 bedrooms, sleeps 6, with double glazing, central heating, a galvanised chassis, double sliding patio doors, two freestanding sofas, a stove-style electric fire, a separate five-burner gas hob, a large pantry cupboard and an ensuite with bath and overhead shower. We cannot tell from the listing which items were standard and which were extras.
• 2021: a dealer sold a new 2021 Dorchester listed at 43 ft x 14.5 ft with "Lodge Spec": residential specification, front doors and Mist Grey CanExel cladding.
• 2022: Leisuredays reviewed the Dorchester (15 February 2022), calling it the largest unit in Willerby's holiday caravan range at 42 ft x 14 ft. It describes a two-section kitchen with a walk-in larder, an ensuite bath with over-bath shower, a separate shower room and a fully galvanised chassis, built to EN 1647. A "Dorchester Lodge specification" option added BS 3632 residential insulation, CanExel cladding, coloured window frames and a Lodge badge. The review's only minus point was the lack of a 3-bedroom version. It quoted an ex-works price of £72,700 in 2022, without stating whether that included VAT.
• September 2023: Willerby unveiled refreshed versions of the Malton and Dorchester at The Great Holiday Home Show in Harrogate. Later dealer copy describes a heritage green and grey palette with black kitchen cabinetry, a different look from the country-style interior in the 2022 review.
• March 2024: Willerby announced the first all-electric Willerby All-E Dorchester on a Cumbrian holiday park.
• Now: Willerby's Dorchester page lists one layout, 43 x 14, 2 bedrooms, sleeps 6, and calls it the largest holiday home in its range. Options include BS 3632 (2023) residential specification, air conditioning to the master bedroom, an electric fire, a mattress upgrade and a Hive thermostat.

Some dealers add their own labels, for example a 2026 park listing headed "Dorchester Resi MK3". Willerby's own page just says Dorchester, so do not treat a dealer's "MK" number as a factory generation.

How to identify a Willerby Dorchester

• Start with the paperwork, then check the caravan. Check the manufacturer plate, serial or chassis information and original paperwork, then confirm the model against the dimensions, layout and specification. Willerby's help centre says it may be able to find a home's age from the serial number, although it does not hold records for every home.
• Which generation? Width and year settle it. A 12 ft wide Dorchester of around 35 to 38 ft is the older generation (dated examples we found are late 1990s). A 14 ft class body of 42 to 43 ft (often quoted 43 x 14.5) built from 2020 onwards is the current model. A 13 ft wide caravan does not fit either pattern we found, so check the plate and measure it.
• Older 12 ft generation. Look for a front bay window, curved roof, horizontal aluminium cladding and a side entrance door. Expect 2 or sometimes 3 bedrooms, a corner or wraparound lounge, often a WC ensuite rather than a bath, and gas central heating or electric panel heaters.
• Current 14 ft model, layout. Two bedrooms in every source we checked. Master with king-size bed, walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite bathroom with a bath; twin room; separate family shower room.
• Current model, kitchen. A large pantry or larder cupboard and a separate five-burner gas hob are strong clues.
• Current model, front. Double sliding patio doors rather than a bay window. Lodge-spec examples may have CanExel cladding and coloured window frames.
• Heating. Most have gas central heating; All-E Dorchesters are all-electric.

Specs and typical layout

Older 12 ft Dorchester (dealer listings, dated examples 1997 to 1999):

• 36 x 12, 37 x 12 or 38 x 12; 2 bedrooms (sleeps 6) or 3 bedrooms
• Double glazing, central heating and winter pack or winter insulation in several listings, although a dealer may have added some of these
• Ensuite to the master in some examples, a WC ensuite in at least one
• Front bay window, curved roof, horizontal aluminium cladding, side door
• No factory specification sheet found, so check what is actually fitted

Current Dorchester, 2020 to 2022 (park listing and Leisuredays review):

• 43 ft x 14 ft (2020 listing) or 42 ft x 14 ft (2022 review); 2 bedrooms, sleeps 6
• Fully galvanised chassis; EN 1647 build standard in the review
• Freestanding sofas, one with a pull-out bed; stove-style electric fire
• Two-section kitchen with larder cupboard, five-burner hob, integrated microwave and dishwasher
• Master: king-size bed, walk-in wardrobe, ensuite bath with shower over; twin room; family shower room
• Options in the review included BS 3632, washing machine, sound system and a wine cooler

Current Dorchester (Willerby page and a park's 2026 standard list):

• 43 x 14, 2 bedrooms, sleeps 6
• Willerby standard list: fully galvanised chassis, premium aluminium, brushed chrome sockets and USB, large pantry cupboard, ensuite bathroom
• A park's 2026 list adds graphite PVCu double glazing, double sliding patio doors, combi boiler central heating, integrated appliances and a separate five-burner gas-on-glass hob. That is a dealer's list, not a factory specification sheet
• Match any BS 3632 claim to the caravan's own paperwork and the standard year printed on it

How much is a Willerby Dorchester worth?

Individual valuation recommended. We do not publish a fixed trade-value band for this model because the name covers two different generations. A late-1990s 12 ft Dorchester and a 14 ft Dorchester built from 2020 onwards are different caravans in size, age and specification, so one band would mislead in both directions. Within the current model, a 2020 holiday-spec Dorchester, a Lodge-spec 2021 and a 2026 residential-spec or All-E example are not one product either. For an older Dorchester, condition, heating, glazing and whether it can still be sited count for more than the name; for a current one, specification and condition matter more than age alone.

What would SCB actually pay?

We price the individual caravan: year, specification on the paperwork, heating type, extras still fitted, condition and access for collection, which matters most for a 14 ft wide body. Our offer is for the caravan alone, collected by us. It is not a list price or a park package price.

Online prices and price context

• Manufacturer RRP (Willerby price list effective June 2026): Dorchester 43 x 14 2-bed at £97,900 ex VAT, £8,221.15 VAT, £106,121.15 inc VAT, as published. Willerby says prices are subject to change. Parks add transport, siting and their own margin.
• Historical ex-works price (2022 review): £72,700, VAT basis not stated. The same review spotted a 2022 Dorchester sited in Cornwall advertised at £97,800.
• Sited park asking prices (checked October 2026): £109,995, reduced from £114,995, for a new 2025 Dorchester 43 x 14.5 on a holiday park; £100,995 for a new 2026 residential-spec Dorchester 43 x 14 ft 5 in (marked sold subject to contract). A 2023 Dorchester was advertised at £99,000 with no site fees until January 2028, although that advert gives a size that does not match Willerby's figures.

The park figures include the pitch, licence, fee offers, siting, connections and the park's margin, and their VAT treatment is not stated. They are not what a used Dorchester fetches when sold for removal, and all relate to the current 14 ft model, not the older 12 ft caravan.

Retail vs private vs trade: what the numbers mean

• Manufacturer RRP or ex-works price: what a new caravan cost from the factory or its price list in a given year. VAT treatment is not always stated, and siting, transport and connections are extra.
• Dealer or park retail asking price: what a seller hopes to get. A sited park price usually includes the pitch, siting, connections, sometimes decking and site fees, and the seller's margin. An off-site dealer price usually includes refurbishment, warranty and margin.
• Private asking price: often lower than retail, but the seller carries the risk, time and transport, and many parks restrict private sales on the pitch.
• Trade or cash buyer value: what a buyer such as Static Caravan Buyer pays for the caravan alone, collected from the pitch, with the buyer taking on transport, refurbishment and resale. It is lower than retail because those costs and risks move to the buyer.

An asking price is not a sale price, and none of the online figures in this guide is a trade value.

What affects Willerby Dorchester value?

• Generation and year. An older 12 ft Dorchester and a current 14 ft one are valued very differently. On the current model, pre- and post-2023-refresh interiors look different.
• Residential (BS 3632) or Lodge specification, backed by paperwork.
• Cladding. Standard aluminium versus CanExel on Lodge-spec examples.
• Heating. Gas central heating or All-E, and whether it works.
• Extras still fitted: wine cooler, washer, air conditioning, Hive thermostat.
• Condition: damp, patio doors, roof, flooring, kitchen and bathroom wear.
• Collection. A 14 ft wide body in particular needs good park access and suitable transport.
• Pitch included or not. Most online Dorchester prices are pitch-inclusive.

Known features and quirks

• One name, two generations. An advert for a "Willerby Dorchester" could mean a 1990s 12 ft caravan or a 2020s 14 ft holiday home. Check the year and width first.
• Size is quoted three ways on the current model. 42 x 14 (2022 review), 43 x 14 (Willerby) and 43 x 14.5 (many dealers) describe the same body quoted differently, not three models.
• Bath in the ensuite. Unusual on a single-unit holiday home.
• The pantry cupboard. Mentioned in almost every description of the current model from 2020 to now.
• Lodge, Resi, All-E, MK3. Lodge spec was a Willerby option; "Resi" usually means BS 3632; All-E is Willerby's all-electric specification; "MK3" is a dealer label. Record what your paperwork says.
• Sleeps 6. Willerby says the current model sleeps 6. Some directory pages say 4; go with the manufacturer.
• List price shock. New money is not second-hand money.

FAQs

When was the Willerby Dorchester introduced?

The name is older than the current model. Dated examples we found of an earlier 12 ft wide Dorchester are from 1997 to 1999; we have not found a brochure confirming when it was made. The current 43 x 14 Dorchester was shown by Willerby as a brand new special at its February 2020 shows, and dated examples of it run from 2020 onwards.

What size is a Willerby Dorchester?

It depends on the generation. Older Dorchesters are listed at 36 x 12, 37 x 12 or 38 x 12. Willerby lists the current model at 43 x 14; you will also see 42 x 14 and 43 x 14.5, which are the same body quoted differently. Measure yours.

Is there a 3-bedroom Willerby Dorchester?

Some older 12 ft Dorchesters are advertised with 3 bedrooms. The current 14 ft model is 2 bedrooms, sleeping 6, in every source we checked.

How can I tell an old Dorchester from a new one?

Check the year on the plate and measure the width. A 12 ft wide Dorchester with a front bay window and curved roof is the older generation; a 14 ft wide body with double sliding patio doors, built from 2020, is the current model.

Is the Willerby Dorchester residential spec?

Only if it was ordered that way. Check the paperwork, including which BS 3632 year it was built to.

How much is a used Willerby Dorchester worth?

Individual valuation recommended. The list price is for a new caravan, and park adverts include a pitch, so neither is a trade value.

Selling a Willerby Dorchester

Leaving a park, a slow private sale, or a park that wants to handle resales itself are common reasons to look at a direct sale. We buy Dorchesters of both generations, from older 12 ft caravans to Lodge-spec, residential-spec and All-E examples. Photos of the plate, any residential certificate and the park access route help us give an accurate figure first time.

SCB process

1. Call 0800 644 5000 or use the free offer form on our website.
2. Tell us what the manufacturer plate and paperwork say: the year, size, bedrooms, heating and glazing, condition and where the caravan is sited. Photos help.
3. Our team normally aims to contact you within 24 hours, and aims to make an offer within 48 hours of that contact. These are aims, not guarantees.
4. If you accept, we arrange collection on a date that works for you and the park.
5. Payment is made on collection day before the caravan is loaded.

There are no estate-agent fees and no commission.