Best MHSP Ever - Should CAMC Follow Suit?
Comments
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Steve
Some seem to be forgetting that the possible life of Baltic Wharf as a CMC site is limited although it currently seems to be a moveable feast. So it would make no sense what so ever to replace the service point until a more certain future was known. Far better to spend the money on another site.
David
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I would have thought trying to wash a large dog at waist height is likely to get everyone soaked!!! Far better at ground level. The purpose of the dog wash is not to give your dog a shampoo and set but just removed the muck from the adjacent forest where you have just enjoyed a nice long walk. Personally I would want to keep motorhome emptying and other vehicle washing totally separate so I think the Club have come up with a good solution.
David
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Yes I'd lose pitches to improve it but with closure due soon there's no point.
That's why I believe learning from poor examples is vitally important or we end up being fed the story that it's all that can be done without losing pitches.
If pitches have to be lost to provide decent facilities that don't impact on other site users then so be it.
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The BW one is probably one of the worst from the site users point of view in that it's right in front of a pitch, unpleasant to say the least. It is an ad hoc small site that was developed in a previously derelict dockyard area, there are some old pics in reception. Must be a few sites like this which are quite difficult to improve.
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As a caravanner, I often use the MHSP on sites abroad to empty the Wastemaster, as generally they do not seem to think it is necessary to provide sensible grey water disposal points for caravanners.
IMHO, the best ones have a central grid, either long and narrow with the conctete either side sloping inwards, or a square grid, or even no grid, with the concrete on all 4 sides sloping down to the drain. Impossible for the waste not to end up in the right place.
All the ones I have used were off the road, some in a remote corner, others near the entrance/exit, so nobody need walk over them unless they are there to empty grey water.
This is one thing that they certainly do better on the Continent than here.
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We have some friends who live in France and when I think of the village where they live, there were no main sewers it was all cess pits and soak aways,but there was some years back from Central Govenment an edit that all such systems were to be done away with , and all to be as in most areas of the UK run into a Proper sewerage system, but as the local "Mayors"are a law unto themselves it did not happen at local level,and as is mentioned on here that mvsp over there,seem are in other than busy areas ,it may be that they are mostly useing the soak away system to "dispose"of the waste which then would not need the amount of pipe work that would be required over here hence the m vsps are close to existing drains
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Has anyone noticed what the Caravan Club is doing to lobby the manufacturers and importers of motor caravans to establish a UK standard for vehicle waste outlets?
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Why?
It would be like telling motor manufacturers where they have to site the fuel tank filler on a car or where the exhaust should be. Or caravan makers where the water outlet should be.
The problem we are talking is bad design of service point, design it correctly and it does not matter where on the vehicle it is you just drive fully onto the pad which is out of the way, open valve, fill up fresh, empty WC and off you go.
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Micheal, yes, it really is that simple....
however, even if there were a 'std' design/location for waste outlets, it would be estremely likely that very few (none?) of the current CC 'versions' would accommodate it, so they'd all have to be redesigned, anyway...
so, given that, why not leave the manufacturers alone to get on with what they do...and get CC to agree a simple one size design that can be rolled out (in good time) and will accommodate all MH.
if the CC weren't committed to changing their MHSP i wouldn't give a fig, but having decided that its something they want to do, why not do it right first time...
dont they ever listen to their customers?
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Brue, thanks for the link....i just went through every area and found 6 references to updating MHSPs....which os obviously a good thing.
however, with 200+ sites (apparently?) this would take 33 years to complete...66% longer than DK's earlier post suggesting 20 years!
i realise its a big job to update the whole network but......
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Brue
I counted 6 specific mentions of motorhome service points being upgraded. Whilst this is good news there does not seem to be any separate programme to upgrade service points on their own so it seems it could years before we even have half the sites converted? I appreciate that the Club would not want to invest in sites that are on short leases but I had hoped that progress would have been a bit quicker.
David
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It does seem somewhat ridiculous. Looking at the one here at Hawes it does not look that complexed a job. If they had not of been revamping the rest of the site, I don't see why it could not have been carried out in about a week with the site open and minimal inconvenience. A contractor has been replacing the gas mains on our estate. This takes about a week per road, inc digging / filling holes, and replacing pipes and entails minimum disruption of supply. I would not think replacing a MHSP would be any more complex.
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I could quite happily store our van here all year, on a pitch of course, at a reasonable fee. That would avoid me polluting by towing and is an initiative I could support. Perhaps we will see more of that sort of thing as our current tow vehicles become a thing of the past.😀
Probably could just about get here on a charge in an electric car.🤞
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we also had the gas main replaced, minimal disruption, a proper plan and schedule for each road/house etc.
i made a point of praising the group that did our road for the professional manner in which the progect was conducted and implemented.
compared to the National gas project, we arent really talking mega construction with a roll out of MHSP, just some sensible scheduling and the desire to make it happen.
while i understand each installation will have its own issues re drainage/location etc, we (the customers) should just see the bit 'above the water'....an agreed, uniform, fit for purpose design.
i apperciate the work thats being done, but tying this work into other, larger projects, means that the MHSP work is held back to fit the larger (much longer) plan.
as I (and DK) gleaned from Brues link, at a rate of 6 a year (tied to other projects) this will take forever.....
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I think a statement from HO might help to clarify if they are only upgrading as and when the sites are refurbished or actually doing them as a separate programme.
I recently complained about the one at Thetford and was told it would be changed this winter, I consider it a H&S issue as there is a real chance of running over someones foot whilst they direct you over the drain, then you having to squeeze up the side of the van between the fence that surrounds it to lift the man hole cover off.
I wonder if someone injured themselves lifting a cover or it was not replaced correctly and a van went down the hole if that would accelerate the programme especially if the clubs insurers took a hit a few times?
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We had new gas pipes in the last few years. We are currently having our roads and pavements redone. I too have praised the contractors for their workmanship.
Our road is partially complete but suspended for the school holidays while they work on other roads in the area. Disruption to us householders has been as minimal as it is possible to be. Pavement has coloured graffiti, everyone had a letter earlier in the year with general outline and when your turn comes you get letter stating dates your drive out of action, guys cone off a section remove old stuff, relay, allow to dry and remove cones when all sorted. Interesting that they allow between 24 and 48 hours before allowing vehicles on the relaid area! Everyone parks in areas not currently effected and all are happy.
Our road is on a bus route sometimes the bus is held up for a few minutes whilst road blocked by machinery, but generally only minutes. Rubbish is collected 4 different lorries a week. Kids walk to and from school.and people can still walk, cycle and drive the road.
I find it amazing that this can and has to happen in residential areas but not on campsites. Surely it could be achieved? A warning on dates it would apply so anyone booking would know it was happening. If you want to sit on a site you wouldn't book if you spend day out you can book and use the site - simples 😉.
It would be nice if our comments regarding the design of MSP could be passed to the appropriate team for comment as has happened on other threads 😆.
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Well hers a suggestion. Years ago when we hired a MH in the USA, one of the sites we stopped on did not have a dump station. The owner had a tank / pump mounted on a trailer, which he towed round to empty your waste tank. Surely with the size of the CAMC it could invest in such a set up and move it round the country as service points were converted. Perhaps they could even stretch to more than one, which would speed up the process even more,
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I think it would be easier and cheaper to us a wastewater,no different to emptying the bog.
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whilst the 'technical' definition of a MH might be ',motor caravan', their design and usage is a long way from a caravan sitting on a pitch, with ownerss walking out and back to water point for collection of fresh water and the dumping of waste water.
Their MO is for far more regular moving around, often stopping at places that may not even have 'facilities'....hence the large fresh and waste tanks, which it makes sense to fill and empty in one go, where services are available.
while is is necessary to fill/empty in a piecemeal fashion in some areas, this is not typical.
so, when MHers come to a site (where presumably there are decent 'facilities') they expect to be able to dump waste and refill with fresh water in one go in one place.
to expect MHers to fill/empty large tanks in many trips shows a lack of understanding the usage patterns of a large proportion of the membership.
if a MHSP were some complex, vastly difficult project to implement, MHers might have a more open mind to the length of time this 'program' might take to complete....
as mentioned by several posters, a separate program, independent of other site refurbs, might see faster progress....
20-30 years is a long time to wait for decent MHSPs across the CC network.
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Rather interestingly I noticed in the latest magazine a very tiny note on Motorhome Waste Points which said:-
"We are working hard to install the new open grille-style motorhome waste points on as many of our UK sites as possible. We plan to introduce this facility on many of our sites over the next three years. Watch this space."
That seems to suggest the programme is being accelerated?
David
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