HS or Grass - Essential?
The one thing that comes across in the Service pitch thread is the antipathy to non HS pitches. They are a relatively recent innovation. Did people previously caravan with gritted teeth and had they not been introduced would you have given up caravanning?
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I remember York before it had all hardstanding pitches. I suppose in the days before hardstandings became the norm many of us had smaller caravans, we were younger, so it was easier to get a van off a muddy pitch. Once when we were at Clumber Park we had
two inches of water in the awning after heavy rain.David
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Prefer grass in the dry months, HS in the wet. However if like last weekend we were on grass at a CL, we put 3 interlinking foam tiles around the steps to take boots off before entering the caravan.
I'm not too happy with churning up pitches
and tend to not use grass for that reason when the ground is not firm.0 -
Would most of us still go to sites without EHU? Yet many did years ago (my wife as a child), yet now it is the norm. Yes years ago most did without HS (but perhaps didn't use their outfit over the winter months) but now it is becoming the norm.
Everyone has their own preference but personally I won't go to any site where I may end up on grass.
Also are they that recent? I've been using them since 1999 when I started caravaning.
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Why the antipathy against grass pitches ??. The CC has wonderful "all grass" sites at Dunnet Bay and Loch Naver. I have been at both many times and never seen any problems with the pitches either for M/Homes or Caravans .
The CC has been wise in choosing the appropriate ground for those sites, ensuring proper drainage - Well done the CC.
. What is needed is the same wise thinking being applied to other CC sites with grass pitches.---- Conversely if the CC is not prepared to drain those sites properly, they should do what many on here are advocation. Make all their sites H/Standing only.
A higher proportion of C&CC sites are grass only like for example Rosemarkie and once again I have been there many times and never seen any pitch problems.
The CC cannot please everybody but they do their best.
Cheers K
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Mostly grass before. Now most prefer HS.
Once every working class prson used a tin bath ............ times change, I only firsy installed electricity into a caravan that I had around 19 years ago. Didn't go away from early November until mid March at that time. The only reason that I installed
it was that on most sites that I was using I was paying for it whether use dor not, I fitted 240 volt spotlights and it meant that I could extend the season using a electric heater. I still had the existing 12 volt lights and water pump running from a cable
plugged into the back of the car. I was still happy to be on a site without EHU or on one holiday to wild camp. Nowadays would not dream of being off EHU for more than the odd summer evening.As for how recent HS are; there weren't that common in 1980
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I don,t use CC sites that often so mainly camp on grass. When I do use a CC site though I usually choose HS and if the HS was bookable then that is what I would book. Grass pitches can be used in wetter months if they are well drained or on sandy soil. The
trick with a MH is to plan your route off before you pitch and park on grip mats.0 -
We are thirty plus years into touring. Always toured all year around, but we were always prepared for what weather might throw at us. Smaller vans of course, but towed with a beefy 4x4, that we knew how to use properly to help avoid getting into difficulty.
Always carried some sort of track mat, still do. Never owned a motor mover, no idea if these help or hinder on soft ground.With MH, have to admit we have started to look for HS pitches in Winter, unless we know the CL well and what the ground under our wheels will be like. Bought some heavy duty waffles, and if on dodgy grass, always park drive wheels on these. Our MH is only
small.Grass preferred in Summer, hate that nasty steel slag chippings Club and a lot of sites use, evil underfoot and looks dark and gloomy. But if weather is looking to be foul, then we will look for HS if possible, or ask a grass site if we can find some way
of keeping drive wheels on something firm.If the touring world was grass only, we would still tour, would compromise and manage as we have always done.
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I prefer grass in most cases.
What really irritates me about the CC HS pitches is that the HS covers not just the area where the 'van wheeels are, but the awning area. This makes it a real pain to get pegs in and underfoot it's not very nice.
I'm surprised that the CC doesn't use stabilisation mesh or paving grids.
http://www.matsgrids.co.uk/40-truckpave-grass-paving-grids Easier and cheaper than what they do now and much more user-friendly.0 -
Never had an aversion to using grass and still haven't even though we changed to a motorhome 16 years ago. I will admit though that the thought of ending up on a muddy pitch is not something I relish and if hardstandings are available they are preferred.
peedee
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We use CC sites nine out of ten times and its always on HS.We rarely use an awning these days but if i do its still HS.We just prefer too use them.We used grass in th early years but if its wet its a total mess and i,m afraid its not for me.
v9
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35 years ago we started out with a tent, then 5 years later we bought an oldish van. Then we were happy to pitch in a field, with quite a long walk to the shower block. But back then the field wasn't that busy, we could pitch where the grass was lush and
thick and we paid a small fee for a night's stay. Now we have a lovely van and we don't want mud and grass walked into it. Almost all grass pitches end up with a bare muddy patch where you step out because of so much use. Also now we are expected to pay a
premium price to stay for a night. Times change, caravans are more expensive, holidays are more expensive. If there is a good chance we will have to have a grass pitch then we don't go.0 -
Would most of us still go to sites without EHU? Yet many did years ago (my wife as a child), yet now it is the norm. Yes years ago most did without HS (but perhaps didn't use their outfit over the winter months) but now it is becoming the
norm.I remember when all sites did not have electric hook-ups and it seemed quite a boast in the sites directory that there are (number of) hook-up points on this site. I wonder if they had the same issue with electrics then as we now have with booking hardstandings?
David
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H/S every time for me in this country, just don't trust the weather and the pitch preparation. If pitches were prepared properly then being on grass shouldn't cause the issues you see time and time again on club sites.
We are currently at Old Hartley, love the location of this site but oh boy do they need to invest some money in it. Don't mind that it's all non awning but the pitches are awful uneven, not just a slope but side to side aswell, not a great issue for caravans
but for a motor home it can be challenge. To add to the challenge you can only access the gravel area by driving over grass, grass that is soft, dips just before the road so trying to get off is also a challenge why
not just extend the gravel by 3 feet, you know it makes sense CC.0 -
Grass or HS?
I'll use Cirencester as an example. We visit at all times of the year, mostly go for HS as this site can become very muddy when wet due to the underlying soil type. However, if it's dry conditions, don't mind the grass - most of them are level!
We've been on grass at Malvern too, again a site prone to be muddy, and had to be really careful, particularly when driving off.
so, yes, HS every time if we get a choice
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Just to add to Steve's point about Cirencester we go there quite often and will usually opt for a HS.
But very often early and late on in the season they take some of the grass pitches out of use but leave others, usually alternate pitches. So you can end up with a double width pitch in effect and particularly in the area over near the dog walk it makes
for a very pleasant stay!0 -
I like to move with the times, modern caravan, use it's facilities, don't want to live in the dark ages.
Yes, it was a novelty lighting the gas lamps and operating a foot pump for water, starting the car with a starting handle, but hey, life moves on or we'd be discussing this in the letter pages of the CC magazine.
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Nice ducks
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That's very nice. Much better than horrible gravel. Even having the plastic mesh to run the caravan onto pitch makes it look less than car park like! Is it a UK site AD? Am guessing otherwise, but if it is please share?
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Grass pitches every time, my unit is not heavy, I am not heavy, axle weight is perfect, I have no need for a hard standing, they are the cancer of caravanning.
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