Noisy site tractors & mowers
We have been using CaravanClub Sites for many years, and I have often noticed that the relaxation, peace and quite is spoiled by one of the Club Site tractors or petrol lawnmowers.
The operators/drivers have to wear ear defenders, yet one of the reasona for coming to a camp site is to be able to relax and be close to nature,
Given these machines are only used on site and there is plenty of plumbed in electric why are the Caravan Club not converting to quieter, more sustainable e-technologies with less carbon emissions?
Comments
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I have some sympathy as our recent three days at a Club site had the drone of tractors/mowing every morning. The trouble is that these are essential duties for site staff in order to keep sites looking good. I wonder if the reason the Club seem to be sticking, for the moment, with ICE tractors is that they may be more versatile than electric vehicles? It would be interesting to have an update from the Club to see their thinking on this subject.
David
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A fair bit of the noise is not the engine but the cutting mechanism. Could we all put up with sheep dropping though?
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Perhaps the machinery will be replaced by electric versions over time when the present gear has had its day but I suspect it would be a very expensive venture to replace all the equipment in one fell swoop, even assuming suitable electric versions are available.
The purchase of expensive equipment could reflect in site fees so it's as well to be careful what you wish for.
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Every now and again people post on here about the grass being too long and the bins not being emptied regularly and then people post about tractors and mowers being out too much. Personally I like a tidy site and see the need for jobs to be done and don't mind the noise.
As to whether the club should be changing to electric tractors and mowers that is a question for the club to answer and maybe they are when things need replacing and might cost too much given the lost income in the last two years for it to be done all at once?
But I've just looked into a battery powered mower and they are generally more expensive and have about 20 to 30 minutes cutting time and not as powerful.
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This subject has been raised before but no answers as yet.
The club did a small experiment with battery mowers and some hand tools but did not proceed with any purchases, perhaps they should try again as there are many companies now doing the above items, but again with the losses of the last year and part of this year expenditure for sites will be looked at to try and save money.
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The golf buggy type collection vehicles used on one or two sites (I think Hillhead is one example) are a great advancement on noise reduction. No viable quiet grass cutters seem to be in use although on sites with less expanses of grass it might be feasible?
What I don't understand is the need for a bowling green effect, we were on a C&CC site recently and the mower was taken repeatedly over the same areas until 6pm in the evening.
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numerous site have some battery hand tools blowers and hedge trimmers ride on mowers and hand mowers are replaceby the most economically ,available contract on regular intervals and red diesel is still quite cheap, compared with. the cost of electric ride on mowers and as stated in above posted is not the sound of the engines but the mower bladed andv grass collection equipment that is where the noise comes from hence the decibel reducing ear defenders needed by the operator,
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Electric buggy used at Whitewater park for site maintenance/bin emptying etc, I think they will become more widespread in use as the ICE tractors need replacing. As for the mowing of grass the wardens can't win can they! moaned about if it's too long and moaned about if they are cutting.
To do a one off job they would need an empty site, but have to jump in when for the short time a pitch becomes vacant, or the car is not on pitch as in our case where we returned to a mowed grass 'finger' and around our pitch. So yes, these wardens were showing empathy towards their customers.
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Literally logged on here to post about this. We are on Broadway site at the moment and the M6 would be more peaceful.
2 hours the loudest mower has been going round . On a bank holiday ...cutting the already really short grass ! Really ?
The grass is so short anyway . Unfair .Cars tanking round at way over the speed limit too .
makes you wonder why we are paying already high prices for this .
yep its a moan ...but the sound is deafening and the grass doesnt need cutting
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I wonder if anyone posting of their discontent has ever asked a warden why they do things the way they do? Hearing the other side of the story, and learning what instructions are issued to staff, could go a long way towards aiding understanding.
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I have an electric lawnmower and consider the drone of the engine, the noise of the rotating blade to be as loud and intrusive as a petrol driven one.
Of course my neighbours also have differing machines and although i can tell which is petrol and which electric, when they use them, I think the latter are as noisy as the former.
Granted, I don't have a decibel meter to verify my contention..
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We have recently been on a site ,where grass cutting was minimal ,the side effect seemed to be there were more weeds than grass ,as the dandelion flowers were now in seed, , which I was told by a groundsm an would mean they would in time make for more weed than grass if not kept under control, by regular cutting in the growing season(as now) "one year in the air seven years to keep growing in the ground he said, and the site we have recently been on I can see what he meant
Weed killer cannot be used and as seen on the TV advert for weedol there is truth in what I was told
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Yes, mowing machines and site tractors do disturb the peace if you're staying on site but the staff have jobs to do.
My biggest irritation is the b*****y pointless (and noisy) blowers they insist on using. What happened to a brush and shovel? Blowing either grass or gravel off the roads is a waste of time because, with the next breeze or pedestrian, it all ends up back on the road unless picked up.
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Ah yes, more "weeds" than grass but it's possible to leave some areas uncut and give nature the benefit. We're doing that at home now, it won't get cut till the seeds set and we can see all sorts of meadow life emerging. It wouldn't hurt to do this on some of the sites with expanses of grass. Plymouth Sound has a good system going leaving natural areas in place.
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... My biggest irritation is the b*****y pointless (and noisy) blowers they insist on using. What happened to a brush and shovel? Blowing either grass or gravel off the roads is a waste of time because, with the next breeze or pedestrian, it all ends up back on the road unless picked up.
That's what I said the other year but I was shouted down .... it was suggested that she was practising as the site had recently opened for the season!
It's laughable at Chirk when they spend all afternoon/morning clearing leaves form the site approach road which is tree lined ....2 -
There was a campaign recently to encourage people "Not to Mow in May" Given how wet it was I don't suppose many managed to mow anyway! I digress, the idea being for Councils not to mow verges in May to allow wild flowers to grow to attract insect life. Apparently there has been a massive drop in insect numbers in recent years, just check your front number plate! The Club may well already be doing this but they could set aside areas that are not immediately used by people on pitches to encourage wild flowers. Could even save some time and money?
David
PS Brue, the dog seems to prefer the long grass, pity he can't complete a survey as that could lead to big changes on site
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JV, going to court & suing is sometimes the only way to get some companies to accept responsibility for dangerous systems. It isn’t a litigious society because-if the person loses they pay a big price🤷🏻♂️
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David,, we just come off a small commercial site where they are leaving the edges uncut, especially around the camping field, and there were notices about the No mow in May scheme.
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I guess on some sites they have to take every opportunity they can to do ground work. We all know what the weather is like in the Lakes for example. Weekend or not, bank holiday or not, if the conditions are right then go for it. Sites appear full regardless of our workday patterns, we are a 7 day working week society these days so make hay when the preverbal shines may just be the order of that day!
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This thread is food for thought for us🤔 One of the main reasons we stopped using Marazion Club Site, and opted for a CL was we got utterly sick of being mown round every couple of days whilst trying to have outdoor meals. We are back there for first time in years in September, I somehow don’t think our visit is going to be a peaceful one.
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The Club needs to get onboard with wildflower areas, it can be done, it can save money and look absolutely lovely. South Yorkshire has miles of wildflower verges now, and it’s lovely to drive through. Ok, it does mean living with slightly untidy looking verges when they are scarified, every couple of years, and as Brue says, cutting back has to be carefully timed to ensure things can naturally reseed, but for months on end the rewards are so lovely. See link....
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48772448
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Totally agree, bee corridors can be created where just a single mower width at either side of the road edge leaves swaths of flowering plants for insects and other wildlife. Just needs a sympathetic mind set. Saw this approach adopted on the driveway down into Troutbeck Head last year.👍
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JV that was happening around 5/10yrs ago, the ambulance chasing days are all but gone due to incurring costs🤷🏻♂️
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