Motorhome service point keys
Hi perhaps a daft question but here go's
We were at Southport club site at the weekend and on arriving at the service point there were 3 grids that needed lifting with the grid keys
I managed to open the one we neededopened.with a.set of screwdrivers but was wondering do I need to buy a set or are they available from reception to borrow .
Comments
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Ha,ha. Its just one of the ways that the CC make it easy for us motorhomers!!! They useually have rings in them to aid lifting. All service points should have open grills and this is in the plans but it will take several years. I am not really sure how the
Club expect is to lift heavy drain covers. I did source a long hook (see picture) from e-bay but even that is heavyDavid
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Lifting a drain cover every 3 or 4 days can't be that difficult!!!!
I can assure you many of us do have issues that make it difficult to lift the heavy drain covers on Club site. My wife has not long ago had major heart surgery and I have a knee problem that affects my abilty to bend. It wouldn't be so bad if they attached a length of chain to them so that you could get some purchase on the covers.
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David....obviously if people have specific problems they have my sympathy....and if appropriate I would certainly assist.
However, the vast majority that moan seem to spend time looking for excuses.......it seems to be a CC thing!
I have a caravan, not a motorhome so the problem doesn't affect me, but it does seem that a manhole that you have to lift is exactly what you DON'T want when you're draining a tank. The obvious answer to me is an open grid across the road or at least something
like a giant shower tray.0 -
The new motorhome service point that has been installed at Seacroft is superb, with a wide metal grid that you just need to drive over and empty. I assume that any new service points will be installed like this. I very rarely use the drain cover type.
I carry a Fiamma Roll tank and use that to drain the water. No doubt I will be accused of being a wanabee caravanner by some doing it like this, but it works for me.0 -
Won't help those with dodgy knees, as still requires a bit of bending, but a length of rope to loop through eyebolt?
When we were at Ferry Meadows, we saw a MH empty down a grid type drain (probably a water run off drain) that was next to heavy covers specifically provided. Seemed to be what most did, providing their drainage
came out via correct side of MH when pulled onto service point.0 -
I too can't understand why a new facility has old-style lift up covers that are heavy.
A drive-over grid is such a simple and obvious solution it begs the question, why do the CC always seem to take the complicated / awkward route when the rest of Europe does it the easy way without problems.
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My drain point is at the side, between the front and rear wheels. If I drive over the manhole cover I can't get at it to lift it. If I take it off first, then I have to be very careful that I don't reverse into the drain. Madness! Yes, let us have a
grid instead, soon! If those in head office worry about a smell, they can always have a light cover over the grid.Also many sites require you to drive twice round the site, out of the exit barrier, back in through the entry barrier and for heavens sake don't overshoot! You will have to go round all over again! I am thinking of Pembrey Country Park and Chirk for a
start, both otherwise excellent sites.0 -
As mentioned before, it is not so much the emptying points but the stupid positions of the outlets on most m/vs,why they are not at the rear ,or close enough to the side of the vehicles with a clip on extension pipe the same as nearly all R/Vs or fuel or
ceptic tank vehicles which would eleviate 99% of the problems as there would no need of the see saw comedy on sites0 -
Sorry JVB66 but I think you've rather missed the point. We're talking about the ridiculously heavy lids rather than the sensible option of a drive-over grid.
The majority of motorhomes have tanks mounted between the axles for reasons of basic physics, draining to one side or the other.
Some do have a clip-on pipe, but unless you carry 20ft of the stuff you still need to get near the grid.
And you can't safely do that if you've first had to lift up a heavy awkward lump of metal. leaving a 2ft square hole to drop a wheel into.
Quite how members who are less able are meant to achieve this task I really don't know.
The question remains, why are the club installing something that is fundamentally dificult and awkward when the rest of Europe opts for a much simpler and easier solution?
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I agree that the lift off lid type arrangement is not the best, especially for the less able. Don't hold your breath about things getting any better. I have spent the last 12 months watching the installation of the new motorhome
service point at the Brighton site. What a mess they have made of that, and I think it may now be on around Rev 5. Granted it is a drive over type with no hatches, but the initial design had the camber of the area running into the pitches across from it. Therefore
someone with a bad aim and did not hit the drain properly led to the dirty water running across the road onto the adjacent pitches. You would think the CC would be the UK industry leaders in this area, it’s there bread and butter.My van was supplied with a 2m hose which attaches to the waste outlets. I have seen the hoses available online and they are not expensive. It means you don’t have to be right over the top of the cover so helps with the removal in that the hatch is
not wedged under the van and you have to pull at a very awkward angle to remove, Perhaps an option for some?0
and people ask why do you use a waste container when you have
