Would you help
we have just returned from arwo week holiday touring round cornwall, we stayed over night at a cc site near birmingham, we packed up butld not could not get the caravan to huck up to the car, we are new to this and could not see what we were doing wrong,
so i went to see the warden and asked if he could advise us were we were going wrong, he did within minuets the jocky wheel was not low enought, we were doing our chacks ie lights, mirrows when a female from over the other side who had been watching said are
you ready to move as we are wanting to go, how rude may be if you had offered we would have been off sooner,
Comments
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That scenario did cross my mind as well. Generally I hook up and tow off straight away and do my light check, open heater drain valve and check mirrors once I've got the van in a straight line and where other stuff can get round me.
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We always do our light checks, drain down etc while on the pitch. We then pull off and when the car and van are in a straight line we check our mirrors. We even have a check,list which we use which is in the handbook to make sure we have not missed anything,
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I wouldn't have battered an eyelid at the comment. It seems a perfectly reasonable question from someone who wants to get on their way. I may have asked for their help and explained we were new to this. Of course, if she grabbed me by the throat and spoke
in a nasty tone, then that would be different.When we caravanned, we did our lights check and mirror checks where we didn't block in people.
Don't worry, though. The vast majority of people on CC sites are pleasant enough.
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the caravan was still on it pitch, we pulled the car in front, they could not get out as he could not get his car in front of his caravan due to use being there, i always do my mirrows and lights a straigt line so we get a proper picture, and then check
the lights, ten minuets earler we had been approched by a gentleman and his wife it was there first time and had blown there elctirc, we help them, and we now not a lot, i hate stuffy people who think they own the place, i abide by the rules and am resposible
and quitre we were struggerling and dont like to obstruct people and try our best not to, but some times things dont go to plan, and we all need a little help at some point.1 -
Totally agree with you OP, if the woman was so desperate to leave then why not offer to help? Some people eh!
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to all those who drain down on the pitch hope they do it only on hard standing as hot water on grass kills it. A friend who had a CL on grass had in the end to tell people when they moved on to the CL that draining down and dropping the hot water tank wanot
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Tracy - the lesson from all this is to never be afraid to ask for help on site. We all had to start somewhere and we've all had various problems or done stupid things I'm sure (we once drove off and left one of the dogs behind on his corkscrew!)
Folk on site are rarely the same as they can appear to be on CT!
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I am sorry if the lady was rude, with that question it is all in the way she spoke. There are a few people who can be a problem on site like anywhere else in life but the majority are friendly and helpful.
I am pretty sure if we were opposite you we would have asked if you needed help but some people do not feel able to do that.
Do not be afraid to ask for help as most of us are only too happy to help.
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We are new as well and have had a few probems, lights wouldnt all work on one site, jockey wheel caught the road and dislidge caeacan pulling off spitch on a other, pitching in tight areas a few times, as we havent been able to afford a mover yet the latter has been the most common issue we've had.
On the most members have been very helpful, including when asking for help getting her out of her storage when the wardens ouldnt help, so Ken went knocking on doors.
However there have been times when we have met members on sites who either refused to help when asked politely explaining I've had a stroke so was at the time was unable to push or pull thd van, we've been told to move pitches on one dite by a member because she didnt like dogs, were shouted at by obe guy whose son was standing imnediately in front of our awning with his pitbull, (they were less than 2ft from awning on grass of our pitch, past our towbar about 4ft from rd), I hadnt noticed them opened the awning door with my iwn dogs on lead, who immefiatelt started barking, their pitbull snarled pulked yhe boy over as he jumped to go for my dogs I was pulling inside as soon as they saw the dog, boy hurt himself so his dad had a right go at me for not having my dogs under control so that they atracked his son and his 'family dog' attacked to protect him, and by another because, and here will make you laugh, because we have a "witches welcome sign" she was worried we would either curse her or act "inappropriatelty towards and in front if her children" she even went to the wardens about that
While the attitude of members does change from area to area, (in London noone wouId evenanswer hello if you spoke, on the whole they are few and far between, and we have made some good friends from members we gave met. more often than not members are more helpful than some wardens we have come across
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So I guess you won't be renewing your membership, K & L.
You seem to have been particularly unlucky as, without casting any doubt on your statements, I can honestly say I have never had any such experiences in 45 years of caravanning and I am amazed by your post.
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Please don't be afraid to ask for help , people are more than happy to assist & don't be afraid to accept .
If we hadn't had help hitching up at Buxton last year , we would probably still be there .(we changed caravans mid season from winterhoff hitch to an alco one & i just couldn't get it on ,it was our first outing )
Lovely member helped us & we were soon away 😇 if I think anyone needs help on site , I always ask them....... That's the way we should all roll .
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Tracy. Some people seem somehow to forget that they were complete novices when they started out. If they were honest and looked back, I bet that they may have held back somebody. Take it easy, learn from your mistakes (we all make them and still do) and be heartened that most people are only too glad to help.
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You have had some bad experiences since you started cannot remember that many in our years as members,and your point about no one talking when staying on sites in London i would think that the majority were from other areas rather than London
We find that the majority of people on sites are more than willing to help,but have noticed a lot more people are becoming more "in their own world"
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I drain down on pitch but never damage the grass. Before moving I turn off heating and empty the aquaroll by running the hot tap. I usually leave the sink plug in to get a good head of hot water which then helps to flush the waste pipes as it gushes into wastemaster. I repeat until aquaroll is empty and by then the hot water tank is full of cold before draining.
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I would certainly help within the restrictions of my ageing body! Even if it meant directing operations rather than physical effort. Not long ago I met a Swiss couple in a layby with a hired car and torn tyre (great big tear in the wall made by a rock fallen on the road) - I just helped them find the security nut which they knew nothing about and also deflated the offending wheel to fit the space left by the spacesaver spare. Sadly I forgot that my caravan steady drill would have helped but they were very grateful for the instructions and even more grateful I refused a tip!
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I have no idea what happens on Club sites, but where I go I just unhitch the Caravan and lean hopefully on it, but it rarely moves. Then burly Dutch guys appear from all sides and push. I get the beers out and hand them round and make new friends. Don't you get Dutch guys on Club sites? Seems not?
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Our experience of CLs is rather like this. Anyone got a problem, usually help is there. Agree regarding Dutch folks, always very nice.
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As a motorcaravanner, I don't have all this palaver of draining down, hitching up etc.. but I have at times been frustrated by caravanners going through these procedures.
A site that I often use has a one way system. On more than one occasion I have been delayed by a tow car across the road while the owner hitches up, checks lights etc.. Within a few minutes, I have witnessed a queue of units (of all types) waiting to exit the site.
Thankfully, I have never witnessed any ill temper or rudeness, but I can't help thinking that there must be better / more considerate ways to do things.
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If possible I powermove the van right to the back of the pitch, so I can hitch up out of the way of everybody. Unfortunately this is not always possible and you have no option but to block the road. Given that you have to line up with the hitch, lower it on and check it is securely attached, this is bound to take a few minutes. However, I would move out of the way to check lights, rather than hold folk up further. I always have a look to see if anyone in the vicinity looks like going before blocking the road, but if anyone comes along afterwards I am afraid they just have to wait.
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A site that I often use has a one way system. On more than one occasion I have been delayed by a tow car across the road while the owner hitches up, checks lights etc.. Within a few minutes, I have witnessed a queue of units (of all types) waiting to exit the site.
Life can be hard
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