Pitch allocation at Rowntree
Comments
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And I say again, Rochelle......why would increasing the spacing between pitches, to allow more awning pitches, suddenly make them too short (front to back) for a twin axle caravan?
Look forward to your explanation, Rochelle......
The minimum spacing between rear corners of vans in that situation is supposed to be 3m, so often not possible to go right back to a hedge that runs behind/between rows of pitches.
A possibility I would think if space is tight?
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No Rochelle, I'm afraid it doesn't answer the question at all.
You are confusing awnings (width and spacing requirements) with length of a unit. The introduction of more awning pitches has nothing to do with the length of a caravan.
Also, the new layout was in place for most of last year and reserving of pitches was not apparantly required all of last year. It appears to be a new thing.
Ian we have also used this site numerous times ,and I think your idea of "All"pitches will take TA vans is a bit "clouded" as the last time we were there ,without obstructing the exit road a TA would not have fitted on the pitch we used, and opposite but
a bit further down a M/v was in at an angle to clear the roadWrite your comments here...I agree, we don't have a twin axle and our van only just fitted on the pitch ! Kellysmum
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If you mean one of the central rows, they all take a twin axle.
Are all twin-axle 'vans now the same length?
Well, the maximum permitted body length for towing is 7 metres, so most don't exceed about 7.9m overall......and they would fit on any pitch......
...Except at Rowntree Park
Which pitch on the current site layout wouldn't a twin axle fit on then?
Write your comments here...pitch no 4 won't. It barely fit my single axle 3 weeks ago
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And I say again, Rochelle......why would increasing the spacing between pitches, to allow more awning pitches, suddenly make them too short (front to back) for a twin axle caravan?
Look forward to your explanation, Rochelle......
The minimum spacing between rear corners of vans in that situation is supposed to be 3m, so often not possible to go right back to a hedge that runs behind/between rows of pitches.
A possibility I would think if space is tight?
Even if the spacing allowed, you could not have gone right back against a hedge with the two vans we have owned, both have had the steady winders at the back. I don't know if any vans are any different. Our current van also has the toilet access on the back.
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And I say again, Rochelle......why would increasing the spacing between pitches, to allow more awning pitches, suddenly make them too short (front to back) for a twin axle caravan?
Look forward to your explanation, Rochelle......
The minimum spacing between rear corners of vans in that situation is supposed to be 3m, so often not possible to go right back to a hedge that runs behind/between rows of pitches.
A possibility I would think if space is tight?
Even if the spacing allowed, you could not have gone right back against a hedge with the two vans we have owned, both have had the steady winders at the back. I don't know if any vans are any different. Our current van also has the toilet access on the back.
...Note who is not understanding things
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We have had concerns with our t/a van at Rowntree on the old centre pitches where the back of the van has been almost up against the hedge but more of a concern was the tow hitch being right up to the road..
peter.
...That info will not be accepted by "someone"
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We have had concerns with our t/a van at Rowntree on the old centre pitches where the back of the van has been almost up against the hedge but more of a concern was the tow hitch being right up to the road..
peter.
It is true, Peter that some of the pitches on one side of the central rows are slightly shorter than the other side......but a twin will definitely fit on them, as you have found.
I agree that it might not be ideal, but is certainly manageable, as you found
But I still don't think that some members should be given priority over others. First come, first served.
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We have had concerns with our t/a van at Rowntree on the old centre pitches where the back of the van has been almost up against the hedge but more of a concern was the tow hitch being right up to the road..
peter.
It is true, Peter that some of the pitches on one side of the central rows are slightly shorter than the other side......but a twin will definitely fit on them, as you have found.
I agree that it might not be ideal, but is certainly manageable, as you found
But I still don't think that some members should be given priority over others. First come, first served.
Write your comments here...if the wardens know that larger units are due to arrive it Makes sense that they save a pitch that the unit can fit on, if not they would not be able to stay, on pitch 4 the back of my single axle van was up against the bushes
and the hitch was very close to the road. A large motorhome or TA would not have fit on it hence others were reserved.0 -
The thing is, some of the complaints are coming from owners of large units / twin axles. They are saying that they were forced to select from only a couple of pitches and that their allocated pitch was very small......and smaller units were free to take
larger pitches nearby.Barmy!
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We have had concerns with our t/a van at Rowntree on the old centre pitches where the back of the van has been almost up against the hedge but more of a concern was the tow hitch being right up to the road..
peter.
It is true, Peter that some of the pitches on one side of the central rows are slightly shorter than the other side......but a twin will definitely fit on them, as you have found.
I agree that it might not be ideal, but is certainly manageable, as you found
But I still don't think that some members should be given priority over others. First come, first served.
Write your comments here...if the wardens know that larger units are due to arrive it Makes sense that they save a pitch that the unit can fit on, if not they would not be able to stay, on pitch 4 the back of my single axle van was up against the bushes and the hitch was very close to the road. A large motorhome or TA would not have fit on it hence others were reserved.
Makes absolute sense, having read this thread with interest, I can't understand what the issue is? At the warden's discretion, they are deeming some pitches unsuitable for large units. Exactly the same thing happens at Bladon Chains where on arrival you are told by the wardens not to park on certain pitches as they are too small for your unit. So you find a pitch that IS big enough. There's no point arguing that all pitches are suitable for large units, the wardens think otherwise and they are the one's who are paid to manage the sites. It's their decision. You could argue that another colour coded peg would solve the issue, but then you would be comdeming a pitch for long units only, regardless of the number of long units arriving on site on any given day. So, it has to be down to the wardens to manage, they are the ones that can see on the CC system how many long units are due to arrive at there site and then juggle that number with the pitches available/already taken. I've never been to Rowntree so can't comment on that site in particular, but it's not the only site on the network with pitches that are possibly to short for an 8m + unit. I for one am not best pleased if the only pitch left available means I have to crawl through a hedge to wind the rear jacks down, just to avoid the hitch being on the road, when on another side of the site, a tiny two berth is on a pitch with room for another van the same size in front of it. On sites I've been to, Bladon Chains being one, I think the wardens manage this issue well, with a hint of common sense you might say.
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I'd agree with you on Bladon Chains, Nigel.....some of those pitches aren't big enough for twin axles (why they don't make them so is a mystery).
But as you say yourself, you haven't been to Rowntree park - and it's different there.
Funny how it was never a problem with the previous wardens - we never saw the cones out then, except for one or two pitches reserved for less able-bodied visitors.
See also my comment just above yours.
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But Ian I saw coned off pitches for larger units when I was there last year - previous wardens.
I often wonder how much notice is needed for this. Do they just cone off the biggest pitch on the day of arrival and this is why smaller vans end up on big pitches?
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I'd agree with you on Bladon Chains, Nigel.....some of those pitches aren't big enough for twin axles (why they don't make them so is a mystery).
But as you say yourself, you haven't been to Rowntree park - and it's different there.
Funny how it was never a problem with the previous wardens - we never saw the cones out then, except for one or two pitches reserved for less able-bodied visitors.
See also my comment just above yours.
At Bladon Chains, to make the pitches longer along the fence line would either mean moving the fence back, or digging up the road and re-laying it... to do this, you'd have to run it past the Duke of Marlborough, it's all his land, and that includes the site. It's easier and a hell of a lot cheaper, to manage the site arrivals. From experience, the wardens do this very well. It's hardly rocket science
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But Ian I saw coned off pitches for larger units when I was there last year - previous wardens.
I often wonder how much notice is needed for this. Do they just cone off the biggest pitch on the day of arrival and this is why smaller vans end up on big pitches?
Thinking about it, a busy site like Rowntree is possibly quite tricky to manage IF there are pitches that could be considered too small for some units. If a short unit is arriving for a one week stay and during that time, an 8 metre unit is due to arrive,
perhaps only for a two night weekend stay, do you still allow the short unit to park on a long pitch? If the site if fully booked, what choice is there? As we all know, bookings change all the time, right up to 72 hours before any given arrival day. There
will be occasions therefore, that a short unit will be on a long pitch but it's not something the wardens could foresee if the unit has been there a fortnight and someone with a long TA has booked in that time, to stay for a weekend. With a site that is constantly
booked to capacity, it could be a real headache to accomodate everyone appropriately. In an ideal world, all sites would have pitches big enough for long units but trends have changed, more and more caravanners are buying bigger units compared to say 20 years
ago. To adapt sites to have all pitches available to all kinds of units would be unfeasable, both in planning constraints and cost0 -
The thing is, some of the complaints are coming from owners of large units / twin axles. They are saying that they were forced to select from only a couple of pitches and that their allocated pitch was very small......and smaller units were free to take larger pitches nearby.
Barmy!
Ian .Thats a change from your stance yesterday both the posts from Jayess and I noted wardens pitching vans in the last 3yrs, although you did not seem to agree,or that some pitches were/are to small for TAs
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I now get the distinct impression that the odd couple of folk, would wish every site to be an exact carbon copy, a clone, of each other. All having identically sized, fits all pitches. Maybe this is modelled on some commercial site which the poster finds
particularly endearing to themselves and their own specific needs. Not only that, I also think that if this uniformity of dream could ever be achieved, they would wish for an equally identical set of rules, regulations, guidelines and operational procedures
be applied to all.Thankfully, in the real world, like the sites we visit, they have a wide variety of pitches. Also, we members too may have a few similarities but equally, many differences. We all possibly exhibit and require very differing needs and requirements, we are
not all the same. One hard and fast set of rules engineered and applied across all sites would, in my opinion, be very detrimental to our pastime. It would only serving to narrow the satisfaction of the wide customer base and also inhibit the management of
those individual site specific attributes. You can't please everyone all the time and you can't legislate for every wish or need. I for one enjoy that uniqueness that individual sites bring. I'm all for choice and diversity and to commit all to the same identical
model layout and operational procedures, not that I believe that is possible, would, to a very large degree, eliminate choice, variety and ultimately, experience and enjoyment for many if not all of us! Long live variety, differences and choice!0 -
I now get the distinct impression that the odd couple of folk, would wish every site to be an exact carbon copy, a clone, of each other. All having identically sized, fits all pitches. Maybe this is modelled on some commercial site which the poster finds particularly endearing to themselves and their own specific needs. Not only that, I also think that if this uniformity of dream could ever be achieved, they would wish for an equally identical set of rules, regulations, guidelines and operational procedures be applied to all.
Thankfully, in the real world, like the sites we visit, they have a wide variety of pitches. Also, we members too may have a few similarities but equally, many differences. We all possibly exhibit and require very differing needs and requirements, we are not all the same. One hard and fast set of rules engineered and applied across all sites would, in my opinion, be very detrimental to our pastime. It would only serving to narrow the satisfaction of the wide customer base and also inhibit the management of those individual site specific attributes. You can't please everyone all the time and you can't legislate for every wish or need. I for one enjoy that uniqueness that individual sites bring. I'm all for choice and diversity and to commit all to the same identical model layout and operational procedures, not that I believe that is possible, would, to a very large degree, eliminate choice, variety and ultimately, experience and enjoyment for many if not all of us! Long live variety, differences and choice!
You put your point across very well. It would be very dull if all sites were like Centeniary
Indeed the site network is very diverse and with that lies a great deal of appeal. Many sites are a lot older than others and are located in many varying locations, from city centres to disused airfields. Whilst our caravan buying habits have changed over the years with many more larger vans now on the roads, it can't be expected for the sites we enjoy to adapt in the same way. Whilst I posted above how infuriating it can be to arrive on a site and for me to struggle to get my 8m TA on a small pitch, with a little thinking, I can understand why it happens. I wouldn't want to see the club sites dramatically change to a one design fits all either. Many would lose their endearing charm and with that their popularity. It is very easy to slam the club if something doesn't suit your own personal preferences and desires, especially on a forum like this, but , in the grand scheme of things, the club is trying to appeal to a very wide ranging set of members, all with different expectations. 0 -
With all this agonising over jumbo vans it makes me glad my 4 berth is 4.7m. What you lot do with another 3 metres of space is a bit beyond me unless you are accommodating the next generation of CC'ers.
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With all this agonising over jumbo vans it makes me glad my 4 berth is 4.7m. What you lot do with another 3 metres of space is a bit beyond me unless you are accommodating the next generation of CC'ers.
It's a matter of choice, the same could be said of a couple living in a 4 bedroom house when a 1 bedroom flat would suffice. My car has 5 seats, I've driven it once in the last four years with a passenger on the back seat, does this mean I should trade in
for a two seater sports car? Of course it doesn't. I caravan with only my other half and two dogs, all year round and on average 16 times a year. I choose to have a 8m TA becuase I love caravanning and like the additional space I can afford. We're all different.0 -
With all this agonising over jumbo vans it makes me glad my 4 berth is 4.7m. What you lot do with another 3 metres of space is a bit beyond me unless you are accommodating the next generation of CC'ers.
It's a matter of choice, the same could be said of a couple living in a 4 bedroom house when a 1 bedroom flat would suffice. My car has 5 seats, I've driven it once in the last four years with a passenger on the back seat, does this mean I should trade in
for a two seater sports car? Of course it doesn't. I caravan with only my other half and two dogs, all year round and on average 16 times a year. I choose to have a 8m TA becuase I love caravanning and like the additional space I can afford. We're all different.We caravan very much the same as you just the 2 of us with our 2 dogs and go away at least once a month.
The size of van is our choice, i choose an 8 meter van for the space it gives us and have been allocated a pitch on more than 1 occasion, no problem with that at all, wardens must try and manage the sites how they see fit
you cant please all the people............
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I know the attraction of Rowntree Park is its proximity to the city, but are there not several alternatives in the area for anyone anxious about not getting just the right pitch? And an excellent Park & Ride from several points outside the city?
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I know the attraction of Rowntree Park is its proximity to the city, but are there not several alternatives in the area for anyone anxious about not getting just the right pitch? And an excellent Park & Ride from several points outside the city?
We stayed at Beechwood Grange during Le Tour, cracking site with a P&R into the city very close by. Also, it has some very big pitches
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I know the attraction of Rowntree Park is its proximity to the city, but are there not several alternatives in the area for anyone anxious about not getting just the right pitch? And an excellent Park & Ride from several points outside the city?
There is Beechwood Grange which as far as I know has all the pitches large enough for almost anything but a wide mix of types and some very large ones. It is to us a far nicer site but probably better for caravans if you want to go into York as I would not
want to leave a large motorhome on the park and ride car park and getting accross the roads to the service bus is not easy.There are several good commercial sites around the area, we have used Naburn Lock which is a good site and a bit cheaper but more like a C&CC site than a CC one.
The C&CC do also have a site nearby. It looks nice from the road but we have not used it and it is a fair way out.
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We use Rowntree for its proximity to the city and if you have a dog just turn right out of the site and just go for miles(as long as you are aware of the river),turn left and you are in the city centre in ten minutes, and even a nice bus service to Whitby via the North Yorks Moors ,,,Beechwood is ok but smallish dog walk, and transport needed for P&R , local bus is over busy road,
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I know the attraction of Rowntree Park is its proximity to the city, but are there not several alternatives in the area for anyone anxious about not getting just the right pitch? And an excellent Park & Ride from several points outside the city?
Of course there are. It all depends on what one wants from a site. Comparing the site that we used earlier in the year, and it wasn't Beechwood, to Rowantree I know for certain that we chose the right one as far as we are concerned.
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With all this agonising over jumbo vans it makes me glad my 4 berth is 4.7m. What you lot do with another 3 metres of space is a bit beyond me unless you are accommodating the next generation of CC'ers.
the shipping length of your van will be over 6m though. Ours is a 4.7 internal length - total length is 6.6m which was too long to fit on one of the pitches at Rowntree leaving enough room at the back for winding steadies down.
These jumbo vans only have about 1.5m extra length than my two berth
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We use Rowntree for its proximity to the city and if you have a dog just turn right out of the site and just go for miles(as long as you are aware of the river),turn left and you are in the city centre in ten minutes, and even a nice bus service to Whitby
via the North Yorks Moors ,,,Beechwood is ok but smallish dog walk, and transport needed for P&R , local bus is over busy road,But aren't you a bit restricted in the city itself with dogs? You can't take them up on the walls and many of the attractions are not at all dog friendly? Yes, the river walk is great but you can get on to it from several other points.
Not knocking Rowntree, BTW, we've never stayed there, used Beechwood Grange last time we went.
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