Wiping down the caravan
Just back from Southport where an assistant warden told me not to clean the caravan. In fact I was wiping of the road spray from the front of the van with half a bucket of water a sponge and no additives to the water. I know that a full clean of the caravan is prohibited using water and shampoo etc. I showed the aw my half bucket of just water and explained what I was doing. She said she would have to check and let me know. She didn't so I wiped down the dirty area. Has there been a rule change or was the aw inexperienced or just trying to be officious?
Comments
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Sounds a bit OTT doesn't it and misinterpreting the 'washing of caravans not being allowed' rule. Not sure if Southport has had a change of wardens in the latest review.
I would always want to wash off road dirt on arrival at a site, rather than let it dry on and stay that way for a week or more.
I've done the same as you at various sites, Southport included and I'm afraid I'd carry on doing it.
I usually do my car windscreen and lights as well.
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I suspect the Club are not very clear in how they issue instructions to their warden team? We all know, or should do by now, that washing a caravan/motorhome with cleaning products is no longer allowed on Club sites. However the Club cannot expect us to
leave our outfits covered in mud if removing it only takes a little water and a cloth to rub it down. That logic would suggest we can't clean windscreens which is a safety matter.David
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True David. What the OP was describing is no more than what would happen during a heavy downpour of rain.
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Thanks for all the comments, I agree with all that has been posted. I think David is right in suggesting clarity of instruction is at the root of the matter. I'm at Southport again at the end of April and if as is likely the van will be splattered again
I will again continue to wipe down any affected areas using a cloth, sponge and water. If I am approached again I'll ask them to phone HQ.0 -
We do the same, couple of micro fibre cloths and water. One to get the worst off the other to wipe over with clean water. Van is coated, so does not take much cleaning. Not had a problem to date. Have even been chatting to warden while cleaning.
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Typically British thing this, making up silly rules so someone can tell somebody else off. Without wishing (please please please) to get another Them v Us debate going I have been on sites (whispers) on the other side of the channel that have a washing area
for Caravans and motorhomes to use.We'll carry on sluicing off the muck picked up en route and ask the wardens to stop their birds using our van for target practise.
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I think this has been discussed before and Rowena posted that new guide lines had been issued re washing vans, but cannot find the thread at the moment.
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Washing caravans is banned but the problem is that it is difficult to decide wherea full wash ends and a rinse begins. As a result we are bound to have some differences of interpretation but i have seen things very close to a full wash being attempted without
complaint. My feeling is most wardens have enough problems and unless this is causing a nuisance or the pitch is waterlogged most will turn a blind eye.0 -
Have I missed something. I've looked in the Caravan Club Handbook and on the website for the Southport site. Could somebody point to me where in the rules, bye laws, risk assessments or anywhere else where is says that cleaning vital parts of the caravan
cannot be carried out. I cannot seem to find them. The only potential link I can find is under the Club Bye Laws Code of Behaviour paragraph 10.5 or the Club Site Rules paragraph 2b.Taking this to the extreme what about cleaning caravan external lights and the registration plate? Are the Caravan Club then supporting members breaching the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 and the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Mark) Regulations
2001 when member leave the sites with dirty lights and registration plates.After a bit of digging I found the following thread, which I think was referred to by HelenandTrevor, in which a member of staff clarifies the position that to wipe down with a sponge and water is okay if no chemicals are used.
http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/community/discussions/club-talk/club-membership/New-Rule-/rt/1024428/
Have things changed since December 2014?
Pity, as usual things seem to have been lost in communication.
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I carry a spray bottle made up with the correct dilution of Fenwicks Caravan Cleaner. When on a CC site, after arriving, clean the front using this by spraying on and then wiping off after a minute or so with a cloth. No run-off onto the grass or H/S so
there should be no complaints from warden re cleaning the van. Cloth is easily washed out in the van for later use.0 -
This has been discussed before and I seem to remember that Ro wrote that a quick clean for road lights and the front of the van was allowed but not using any chemicals? As the warden didn't come back she must have found the same advice.
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I thought after much debate on this topic quite some time ago the rule was no washing of outfits on site using any means. I seem to recall Rowena agreeing it would be accepted, on grounds of safety, to wash the driving vehicle windscreen. Then more recently
there were other comments about UK laws on washing anything into the water table anywhere in the UK and the washing of vehicles had to be done so the waste water went into a mains drain not a surface water drain. Regards Roy0 -
I think that common sense has to play some part. If I use a bowl of water and a micro fibre cloth, not much of the water goes on the ground and most of the dirt from the van, including diesel particulates, is wrung out into the bowl. If I let the rain do
the job, the rain water and dirt it is carrying runs off onto the ground. I would think me cleaning it is marginally less polluting. Although in either case pollution levels are so minimal as to be hardly worth considering.0 -
What Rowena said in the linked thread above was:-
"have just checked with the site team and it's fine to have a wipe down with a sponge and water in the bucket but we ask that no chemicals are used and people don't slosh the water onto the pitch. "
That would seem to coincide with what the OP of this thread has said he was doing. Given that it was the second lot of information obtained by Rowena in the first two pages of posts in that thread it seems more than possible that the information given to
wardens was far from clear.David
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What Rowena said in the linked thread above was:-
"have just checked with the site team and it's fine to have a wipe down with a sponge and water in the bucket but we ask that no chemicals are used and people don't slosh the water onto the pitch. "
That would seem to coincide with what the OP of this thread has said he was doing. Given that it was the second lot of information obtained by Rowena in the first two pages of posts in that thread it seems more than possible that the information given to
wardens was far from clear.David
Hence why the warden at Southport never returned to the OP
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how can people get so hung up about a caravan that's dirty when they arrive at site. Ours got splashed up the front nearside within the last couple of miles of arriving at the CL .... it's still there ..... we went on holiday, not to clean a 'van & I've
been in work since we got back. But if I'd wanted to wash it, there's a bucket in the front locker.0 -
how can people get so hung up about a caravan that's dirty when they arrive at site.
I quite agree. It is just as likely to get dirty on the the way home so why not leave it until back and then wash it?
If it really bothers you, why not buy one of those ridiculous ful fit front covers.
peedee
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The moral to this tale is to only travel in fine weather.
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Southport, well that's one to cross off my list for later in te year
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Thanks for all the comments, I agree with all that has been posted. I think David is right in suggesting clarity of instruction is at the root of the matter.
I'm at Southport again at the end of April and if as is likely the van will be splattered again I will again continue to wipe down any affected areas using a cloth, sponge and water. If I am approached again I'll ask them to phone HQ.I'm there too from the 24th. Lunar Quasar 462 - no awning and no vehicle and I usually look for a pitch in the old part of the site between the toilet block and the entrance to the new part.
Make yourself known. I always have the kettle on and cake or biscuits - or wine and crisps.
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how can people get so hung up about a caravan that's dirty when they arrive at site.
I quite agree. It is just as likely to get dirty on the the way home so why not leave it until back and then wash it?
If it really bothers you, why not buy one of those ridiculous ful fit front covers.
peedee
When we are away I usually wash the front if the windows are spattered.
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Sounds really OTT to me......cleaning caravans when on holiday!!!!!!!!
Ridiculous!
You wouldnt say that if you toured Scotland in the wet, the Sheep S**t on the roads can very badly stain the front of a van and if you dont get it off fairly quickly you are in for heck of a job. We witnessed an altercation between a member and the warden
at Altnahara last year on this - warden was concerned about water on the pitch as the site was a total bog - given that the weather was like the Indian Monsoon a little extra water on the pitch was hardly going to make any difference.0 -
I have been known to clean the front of the caravan if it has been sprayed with muck on the journey and if we are there for more than a few days - saves peering through the grime when doing all that 'curtain twitching' that people talk about
I usualy use a sponge and a bucket of water with fairy liquid in it......takes about 10 minutes and keeps Mrs H happy
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