Caravanning with snow this week

charlie25
charlie25 Forum Participant Posts: 100
First Comment
edited March 2018 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

We are at Morten the Marsh this week and although we have all the water pipes frozen on the caravan we are still warm and cosy with the Aldi heating. The shower block is near our pitch, so we still have water, showers and toilets. We have Bladon Chains booked for Sunday but might have to stay at Morten until it thaws. 

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Comments

  • TonyBurton
    TonyBurton Forum Participant Posts: 269
    edited March 2018 #2

    We were booked to go to Chatsworth tomorrow but they rang to say the lane was blocked by snow. So here I sit at home, caravan out of storage and on the drive, ready loaded and nowhere to go.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #3

    There's plenty of late available pitches on other CC Sites. Isn't there one  near a major route within striking distance you?

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #4

    Sounds like a good plan, charlie. We're in a similar situation as you, hoping to move down from White Water to a commercial site York on Sunday.

  • ForestR
    ForestR Forum Participant Posts: 326
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    edited March 2018 #5

    We are at Rowntree Park and only a few arrivals today with site still almost half empty.  Never ever seen it this quiet. Lot of snow earlier in week and very cold but only waste outlets froze on caravan and all now defrosted and working. All site taps were also frozen except one near shower block.

    City main  roads all good now but many pavements very slippery as are site roads except main entrance road which has been gritted by wardens. Approach roads well gritted except last part of Terry Avenue near site entrance.

    Still been good week with caravan more warm and comfortable than last week at home.

     

  • Chrystal
    Chrystal Forum Participant Posts: 231
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    edited March 2018 #6

    During a -10  some years ago we defrosted our Caravan pipes with a fan heater.

  • Tigi
    Tigi Forum Participant Posts: 1,038
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    edited March 2018 #7

    Caravanning - best done in shorts, teeshirt and a sun hat!

  • moonchip
    moonchip Forum Participant Posts: 106
    edited March 2018 #8

    Where's your sense of adventure :) 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,046 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #9

    Don't just sit there with a ready to go van, if you have the tow car, investigate a route and go for it! Even if it is somewhere local. Winter touring is great fun, but you do need to be prepared, and able to cope with a few things not quite normal! laughing

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #11

    There's a guy in the next van to us who's been wearing shorts outside ever since he arrived 3 days ago. Rather him than me.

  • Simon100
    Simon100 Club Member Posts: 666
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    edited March 2018 #12

    Deleted User User, I totally agree with you. Red and Amber warnings of snow and ice with high winds are not the conditions to be towing a caravan in. If snow ploughs and emergency vehicle can't manage the conditions, what chance a car and caravan!

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited March 2018 #13

    Anyone who ventures out solo or towing needs their heads examined including tomorrow. Think of others that you may endanger as well.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #14

    It looks like a lot of us who have been away over the last few days have been frozen up, can't say that bit is much fun but we've enjoyed our break. It's the first visit to York where the crowds have been missing and having easy access to everything in spite of the snow has been great. Glad to read ForestR has experienced the same, don't know where you are on site but greetings!  Everyone has been friendly and the wardens have been working hard to keep things going. Oh, one good thing the big drill had to stop so no building noise. wink

  • allanandjean
    allanandjean Forum Participant Posts: 2,401
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    edited March 2018 #15

    In Feb 2012 we set off for Alderstead and a visit to our daughter and Grandchildren. There was a forecast of snow showers but not the frequency or seriousness of the current ones.

    We had a clear near 300 mile tow till leaving the M25 when there was a bit of snow and then arrived at the site entrance to be faced with app 4-6 inches of uncleared snow.

    We had a great stay and the biggest challenge was getting about on site where the one way system was abandoned if for no more reason that you could not see where the road was!

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #16

    So far we've managed to avoid having our pipes frozen and the water in our aquaroll has not yet frozen either. I've been taking the pump in of a night just to be on the safe side.

    AD et al we will not be moving if there is any chance of the roads being iced up, or if there are high wind. Our route, apart from 1/2 ml off site, will be all on major trunk roads that are running freely as per the road reports..

  • Phishing
    Phishing Forum Participant Posts: 597
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    edited March 2018 #17

    2500 people did a wild camp on the M62 last night.

    Dont think many were club members though.

    Van is parked up until the big yellow thing starts to put in a better appearance.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,046 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #18

    Common sense has to be applied, I wasn't advocating doing something stupid. 

     

  • ForestR
    ForestR Forum Participant Posts: 326
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    edited March 2018 #19

     Brue we are in the middle halfway between the service points and yes it's great that the building site has been closed by the weather for three days.

    We have been all year caravanners for 40 years and have come to York around this time for over 20 years. This isn't the first time we've had snow but it's certainly the longest. We had the easiest journey across the pennines last Sunday in years and don't intend to go home until the roads are clear. Despite the weather we have enjoyed our stay the only down side being our friends from Warwickshire have not managed to get here  yet after car problems last weekend and then the weather stopped them.

    I accept winter touring isn't for everyone but it's the easiest time to get on Rowntree  Park and York always has some great attractions. There is also no doubt that Winter in the modern caravan is very cosy and comfortable compared to when we started in a poorly insulated, single glazed and gas only caravan.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited March 2018 #20

    Bit like most postmen all year thenwink

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited March 2018 #21

    I drove to Wigan this morning in my 4 wheel drive, to go to work 25 miles away. I'd never dream of not trying to get to work. Is that irresponsible? I also crossed town yesterday to collect my grand daughter, because I wanted to collect her as usual & to allow my lad to go to work. Does that count as irresponsible too? Most of our snow has gone now anyway. 

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2018 #22
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited March 2018 #23

    I'm sure folks can manage without their can of Beanz,  but I'd prefer not to have manage without the day's pay.

    I think its irresponsible for our Plod to keep people over night on the M62 ..... I'm not prepared to believe they couldn't stop more cars entering the motorway and turn round those already on it and get them away if they'd wanted to.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #24

    We tour all year round and have lived in countries, where what we experiencing now is the norm for winter. However I would not even think about taking to the road while its like this.

    Slightly different  if you are already out and about like Nellie is, he has the commonsense to get to a facilities site and stay there until its considered safe to leave. 

    Maybe its because we have spent many years in countries where its the norm that we have a respect for adverse weather. Maybe its because my OH is one that has, in winters past, been out there helping to rescue the irresponsible ones. Those  who just cannot and will not listen to the authorities when they say " stay off the roads unless its an emergency or you are an essential worker" you only had to listen to some of the folk that got stranded. Complete fools some of them setting off on a journey after a RED Alert has been advised, idiots.yell

     

  • briantimber
    briantimber Forum Participant Posts: 1,653
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    edited March 2018 #25

    We tour all year round as well, was out last week, but m'home parked up outside our garage at the mo, fully "winterised" with EHU connected and CTeck charger connected to main battery. Should be ok in a couple of weeks.

    Yes TG, you talk of "complete Fools" setting off on journeys after severe warnings, well I saw one on the news complaining that he had been stuck for hours without any information coming from police etc.yell

    What part of "Red Alert" don't they understandyellyellyell

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2018 #26

    Probably like me and don't watch TV or,now I am not working, rarely listen to radio. 

  • briantimber
    briantimber Forum Participant Posts: 1,653
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    edited March 2018 #27

    Thankfully people like you are in the minority ET

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2018 #28
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • Extugger
    Extugger Forum Participant Posts: 1,293
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    edited March 2018 #29

    We had booked to go to Broadway last Thursday for seven nights and due to adverse conditions, didn't travel. Rather than cancelling the entire trip, each day I've contacted the wardens (on their advice) to be given the latest updates. Very kindly, they've also shortened our stay each day whilst weather conditions and alerts remain in place (this should ensure we don't get our knuckles wrapped from Grinstead Towers!)

    The good news is that yellow warnings for our part of the country are lifted at 11.00hrs today and weather forecasts suggest if we travel tomorrow (Sunday) it will be 'positively tropical' for this time of year @ 5C

    We are fortunate in that we can travel any time, so a curtailed trip to Broadway is not even a minor inconvenience. However, the safety of SWMBO, to me, is paramount as it is for my fellow road users.

    There will always be some that ignore amber/red warnings and there will always be the good souls who walk 10 miles to work, through the blizzards, because they care and have responsible jobs. Thankfully, we still have these good folk. Are they Club members?

     

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #30

    If you were planning to go away towing the caravan, one would assume you would have checked out the weather forecast before hand though.

    Once doing so you would have then made an informed decision to cancel given the forecast over the last week. I'm pretty sure you are not one of those fools who put other folk and themselves at risk.

    Heard the other (not sure where) "its ok I have a 4 x 4 " reply was "but do all the other cars" laughing 

    When did this nation become such an undisciplined one. Saw on the news this morning of folk getting off a train onto the lines as they were fed up waiting, the line in question was an electric line. The power then had to be turned off for hours causing more disruption.

    Fools are everywhere be careful out there.

  • Monkey104
    Monkey104 Forum Participant Posts: 55
    edited March 2018 #31

    I am so jealous!

    I planned on going away for a week a so in the snow, unfortunately A motorcycle accident means I am going stir crazy and I live on a main road so see outfits going past quite often.

    I have become a caravan spotter!

    Enjoy your time in the van in the snow.