Awning or not
Caravan/motor home it's your choice, I don’t mind. But when you take up an awning pitch and don't erect an awning it then makes the chance of someone who uses an awning, like us for their dog to sleep in, almost impossible. We have just spent 4 nights at Lower Wensleydale without an awning because of irresponsible members. I had a walk around and I noticed 13 awning pitches out of 40 being used by motorhomes, some with, and some without awnings, that is almost 33% of white peg pitches unavailable for members who want to use an awning. If you consider the pitch as three units(car caravan and awning) then why do motorhomes, who only use two units (motorhome and awning) insist on a three unit pitch. One of the awning pitches was being used by a single gentleman with a Romahome, which was no bigger than my car. The club know what unit the member has, caravan or motorhome, so is there no way of ensuring that they are allocated appropriate pitches. If you suggest it is because of fire regulations then the distance between pitches has not altered, it is only the type of vehicle.
Comments
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I think the thing is, we all have the choice of booking an awning or a non-awning pitch and whether one decides to put up an awning is entirely left with the individual. That is the system the Club have decided to use. I guess it would be difficult to 'police' if the Club insisted that all awning pitches had to have awning errected. Not only would it put an extra job to the site staff, but there are so many 'ifs and buts'.
If someone arrived very late on an awning pitch, they could very well decide not to put up an awning until the next day. Then there are those who would take dawn the awning a day before departure - in order to make sure they can leave comfortably and not in a rushed fashion before midday. There may be those who would not decide on whether to put up an awning until arriving on site. Then there are weather related issues. Some may decide to put up or not to put up an awning according to the weather forecast - too windy/ storm/ rain. Similarly awnings may be taken down at different times because of weather. We have often taken an awning down towards the end of our stay to avoid having to dry it out at home, if rains forecast.
Personally, I take the line that if I can't book an awning pitch I wouldn't book one at all. I guess one could take that line if you wanted to.
Just a few thoughts. I don't think any system will be perfect. Personally I would be happy to see the Club phase out non-awning pitches over a period of time, or alternatively put a price differencial between awning and non-awning pitches. The latter would certainly throw up problems, but I won't go there in this thread.... 😂
David
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An answer I have given before. I don't own an awning so I booked a non awning pitch at Wyatts Covert - I got number 20 - right in front of where the motorhomes slop out. A inelegant pitch. Never again.
So now I'm the guy with the little Eriba without an awning on an awning pitch. I don't mind upsetting dog owners at all
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You must have known on booking that an awning pitch was not available, if it's so important to you why did you take a non awning one.
Until there is a price differential between the types I will always book an awning pitch unless I know the site, I like space just like everyone else.
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I agree with David above and would add nothing new to add to his post.
However I don't think it is at all appropriate to call those who book an awning pitch and decide for whatever reason not to put up an awning, or never planned to, as irresponsible.
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yes, fully agree.
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I only recently realised that white peg pitches are the same as blue peg. So I now only book white peg for the greater space.
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Once upon a time, and not too long ago, (a few years?) all club pitches were awning pitches. The size of the pitch didn't stop them remaining as awning pitches but the distance from one pitch to another, or more precisely the distance from one part your outfit ( choose one from car, MH, caravan, awning) to the next part of someone else's outfit ( choose one from car, MH, caravan, awning). This distance has to be at least 3m in any one direction, and the distance between adjacent walls of your caravan or MH and the next caravan or MH has to be 6m. If a pitch could not have that separation it became a non awning pitch. That is the essential difference in awning and non awning pitches.
So a non awning pitch may be exactly the same size as an awning pitch but not always.
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Given that on a lot of non awning pitches you have to park in front of the van. Leaving nowhere to put a table and chairs. Even if we don't want to put out our roll out awning, why would I not opt for an awning pitch, it gives me a choice. At LW site, given there are so many trees and it is in a quarry, there are only a few pitches that you can get a satellite signal on. By the OP's logic are folk who take those and don't use a satellite irresponsible? I am afraid the whole OP is farcical.
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This surely can't be a serious post, but if it is, then I admit we are irresponsible members. Moreover, we have a motorhome as well, so more irresponsibility on our part! It is over 7m in length though, and there are 2 of us, so perhaps some redemption there, as opposed to the single gentleman in his Romahome (more occupation of our pitch). And I must admit that we don't always use our wind-out awning, so perhaps we should be ousted from the CAMC forthwith
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I usually choose an awning pitch... I may use my wind out canopy .....
(classed as an awning ) or I may not, but I need to be on an awning pitch so that I can use it if I want to :-)
If the OP thinks that I'm irresponsible then so be it.. I thought I was being sensible, and as I get no reduction in price for a non awning pitch I am unlikely to change.
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We never use an awning, as ours is too big for CC pitches despite our van being very small.
We book our pitches depending on the site we're going to, but generally book an awning pitch as there's usually a better choice.
If we're going to Chatsworth in the autumn, and we'll be arriving after dark, we'll book a service pitch, but not use it as intended.
Do we feel guilty for depriving someone of an awning or service pitch, no
We pay the same as everyone else.
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"Irresponsible?" I think not, but then we've been through this before haven't we? Doesn't matter whether it's awning/serviced pitches, it's just down to personal choice and getting yourself organised. We're only using two club sites this year - we booked an awning pitch both times. At Moorhampton over Easter we put the awning up because there was a possibility of rain. At Chatsworth the forecast was fine so we didn't bother. Does that make me irresponsible? Does it make me feel the slightest bit guilty? Err......actually, no! I'm not sure how far in advance the OP booked - if I couldn't book a pitch that was really important to me, I'd just look elsewhere - there's no shortage of choice in most areas!
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The only site where I don't think too much about awning or non-awning is Baltic Wharf where most pitches are non awning and it's just a case of getting a pitch. Otherwise I book awning pitches in the hope of a bit more room.
All our recent site bookings have been non Club and we've been able to book the type of pitch we wanted. There are much better systems around.
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Here we go again 😱 we usually booked an awning pitch at every CMC site we visit , but probably only ever put up a awning /sun canopy up 50% of the time .
Its my choice .......no one else's , am I irresponsible....... ah no just realistic .😇
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Cameron, I feel insulted. How dare you suggest fellow members are irresponsible simply for booking the pitch type of their choice within the club rules?
Have you never noticed that a lot of sites have very few non-awning pitches? Should we MH-ers go to a different site simply to accommodate your wishes?
Please stop trying to change the way the rest of us prefer to camp simply to suit yourself. You could, of course, book earlier.
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. . . and what about all those equally irresponsible motor caravanners who book a pitch and then go off and drive about all day leaving the pitch unoccupied?
If you were daft enough to book an non-awning pitch, that's just your hard luck. As someone said further up the thread, you can go elsewhere, but please, not the C&CC sites as we use them as well.
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I read the OP's rant and nearly felt sorry for him and nearly burst into tears for him, but I didn't.
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Could this be a kite flying exercise from the management...next .....increase for awning pitches😇
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Considering the CAMHC's claim to have its origins in the early part of the previous century, is it not more a case of running up a flag and seeing who salutes . . . ?
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IMHO the OP must be a “wind up”. We all pay the same amount for membership no matter what leisure outfit we have so can choose whatever type of pitch from those available at the time we book.
EasyT - Recently saw a comments book with the new logo in an info hut so some are around unfortunately can't remember which site.
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Oh dear Cameron. Sorry the Club isn't for you.
Bye.
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We always book a standard awning pitch, perhaps the term should be changed to standard pitch without any mention of awnings? I have a motorhome and tend only to put the wind out awning out in very sunny conditions, so usually less than 50% of our time on sites. The reason I book a standard awning pitch is that I know I will have a greater choice of pitch. One site I looked at only had four non-awning pitches! Another issue is that non-awning pitches are often, but not always, tucked away in corners. If my choice of pitches on any site was only a non-awning pitch I would look elsewhere rather than commit to the unknown. The exception would be Old Hartley where there are no awning pitches but because I have been before I know what to expect.
David
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Over there...... or over here 👍
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