Late night returners
What is the situation if I return to a site after the barriers are closed eg after a concert? I will already have booked in.
In principle I’d like to go to events in the local town which may finish at say 10:30pm. I don’t want to use public transport (if any) or walk solo late at night.
Do sites allow us to park in the late arrivals area until the morning?
Comments
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If it's a club site then there will be no problem at all. The barriers are activated by a key fob given when you book in that you press against the required place from your car or MH as you drive in.
There's no set times for club sites you can leave and arrive and at time day or night once you're booked in. We've come back after midnight and left before six - not with the caravan and not on the same day I should add!
Some sites have no barriers and some even have ANPR that opens the barriers automatically. Obviously drive slowly and go in quietly or use the site car park.
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Your answer might be a bit old school @peedee to be honest. Most of the sites that have barriers/gates, they are shut in the day, never mind the night, and as @Cornersteady says, they open on anpr or key fob. We have done some very late returns on sites and had no issues. I would simply ask the site staff on booking in just to confirm, then remind them on day. As said, go back in as quietly as possible if very late.
CLs will be different, but it’s polite to inform the owners what you are doing. We have done 1-2am arrivals on some CLs, but always with the consent of the owners.
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Even if you could come and go as you please, out of consideration for others I would not drive onto a site after 11p.m.
Even if you have a key, barriers, including ANPR, can be coded to not operate between certain hours. My understanding is the Club discourages vehicle movements in unsocial hours but I may be out of touch because over the last few years my use of Club sites has been declining.
peedee
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I was once sent on a 3 day training course held at a famous Cambridge college, and we asked the porter the very same question . He took us to the back gate on Queens Road and pointed out iron railings 4 or 5 metres high with revolving spikes on top. He said this is where tne young gentlemen get in late at night, and invited us to practise. I was nearer 50 than 40 years old at the time and found campsites with simple five barred gates no problem at all.
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Times have changed and after 11pm to midnight or later is now no longer a late time for 'return to camp'. Leisure and entertainment events that campers use sites for often finish quite late nowadays.
Barriers can or could be coded but they are not, and I've looked this morning on club site rules and other leaflets and there is nothing about entry or exit times, only in section 4 about Noise: Be mindful of the noise levels on the pitch at all times, ensuring in particular that you do not disturb other guests after 10pm.
I think driving onto your pitch is just something people have to live with on site at all times, unless you have a particularly noisily old diesel. Many a time I've woken up at 10am to find both outfits next to me have gone.
I suppose it also depends if there is a car park and if it's raining.
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thanks all for your helpful and encouraging comments. I guess I need to check with the site admin for their local rules.
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Don’t forget not every Member is in a car/caravan, there are plenty of us with small Mh’s and Camper vans who use our outfits off site every day. It’s not going to be practical or even desirable to leave that parked outside the gates. It doesn’t get dark in Summer while 10pm, and places like pubs and restuarants often don’t close while nearly 11 pm. Not to mention when some events finish. I fully agree folks out late (and those up very early) need to respect others around them (I think most do) and be quiet, but at the end of the day, we are talking holiday sites here. Just liaise with staff prior to staying out late.
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A pleasure, forgive me but you appear new, you can download or look at the site map before arriving and if you're just there for a weekend or one night say, pick a pitch on arrival close to the entrance to minimise disruption when coming back in, and you can change your name from ScreennameF…. unless you like it of course?
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I think that is the point TDA is making.
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@peedee yes that’s my point. The barriers have to allow folks back onto site, to be able to leave a site, at any time of day really. That’s once you have booked in of course, when you will get a code, a card, whatever opens the barriers. If I couldn’t come and go at whatever time I needed to on a Club Site, then I might think twice about using it. My OH has picked me up really early from stations when I have commuted, likewise he has got back onto sites late after dropping me off. Most Club Sites have a leaflet that might give details I think.
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All club sites I've used in the the past 26 years have either had no barriers or key fob access 24/7 and was surprised to hear about Alderstead, but do not doubt Dave's account. Exit has always been automated with the usual warning about not forgetting to hand in your key fob.
And I agree with @Takethedogalong post above.
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I unless its changed Alderstead Heath had a system I have not seen on other sites where they had a rising barrier from the road (probably not a good description?) If that is still in place it might require a different way of doing things?
David
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What a contradiction!🤷🏻♂️
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We’ve slept in many a pub car park😄 Legitimately, and with the good wishes of the pub, and for free. If I had booked onto a Club Site, booked in and gone out for an evening, then I wouldn’t expect to be charged £40+ to sleep outside a barrier. Although to be honest, I don’t think the Club would do this. It’s only if you are later than 8pm on the day of arrival you have problems.
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