Multi Surface Pitch
I am just about to book the Tewkesbury club site for one night in July as a stopover on our way home from the ferry in Plymouth. I have got as far as select a pitch and there are the usual standard with and without awning pitches and a serviced pitch option but there is also an option for a multi surface pitch which I have never come across before. It isn't mentioned on the page which defines the pitch types so I was wondering if anyone knows what this might be?
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Found it - not my cup of tea
This pitch type offers a hardstanding pitching area for your outfit. When ground conditions permit, (typically between May and September), or as indicated by the site staff, you may also erect an awning on the 3m grass area within the pitch area however this cannot be guaranteed at all times. Awnings cannot be sited on the block-paved hardstanding area at any time.
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I suppose the advantage over the standard pitch with awning is that there is less chance being cancelled at certain times, due to weather. Standard pitches can be either HS or grass, so when open, it is pot luck what you get. At lest with an MS you are guaranteed a Hard standing pad for your van.
However, given the reason for not continuing with pitch type booking was member confusion, adding this level of complexity to the booking process is crazy.😉
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Well, for me, this type of pitch is neither fish nor fowl. I am grateful that it is bookable as I certainly do not want one. Might appeal to some motorhomers?
I don't mind caravan or car on grass. I prefer to step out of caravan onto stoned hard stand rather than grass or mud following pitch damage
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I agree with ET on this. It's my least favourite pitch type but it's not uncommon outside club sites. I'll certainly not be booking one but it's very interesting to see that the club have introduced it as a bookable pitch type
I suspect it's less to do with the surface and more to do with the fact that it may or may not be an awning pitch
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After the claims of member "confusion" stopping the trial of booking hard standing or grass/mud, this could just be a marketing way of introducing the concept again without The Club embarrasing itself about having been in the wrong.
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Ah, yet another colour of peg.
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Site plan has not been updated yet, so there is no indication of where the service or MS pitches are. I would have thought it one of the first to be done, before sites that have not changed. Hopefully they will have it available for opening day in a weeks time.
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not that I have one, but (if I did) I wouldn't want the awning to be sited on a hard area, would I? wouldn't I want it to be a little forgiving underfoot?
id want my little tootsies with a lovely velvety grass sward underneath, wouldn't i...?
as I don't 'awning' actually don't know but I can't see that I'd want (say) a tent pitched on 'rubble/chippings' (as this, to me, would be uncomfortable to walk around and possibly damage the ground sheet.....or whatever it's called....) so why would I with an awning?
seems perfectly logical to have the van (MH or caravan) sited on a firm surface and any attachment based over something more 'comfortable'.
perhaps all these thoughts is part of me not being at all interested in an awning?
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Ah but BB you,ve spent so much time "over there" where the sun always shines (literally) that you've forgotten that it rains here most of the time (although not the last 3 weeks or so) so awning owners will be stepping out into the wet/muddy grass.
Not something I would want to do.
When we had a caravan & awning we had an awning "carpet" to go down on the gravel and make the stones soft underfoot.
We don't bother with any of that now, it was all too much trouble.....
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I wouldn't want the awning to be sited on a hard area, would I? wouldn't I want it to be a little forgiving underfoot?
No idea on your preferences BB but as I would possibly be wearing slippers hard standing would not trouble me. Never used a carpet in the 6 year period when I did use an awning.
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hmmm, yes all too complex, I'll leave them to those that do.....
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If only it did!
We are finding, both in UK and elsewhere, that very little notice is being taken these days of keeping grass in good condition. Caravanners with awning groundsheets are not lifting them to give the grass a chance, and it seems that the majority of MHers are also laying groundsheets outside their entrance door whether they have an awning or not.
This results in bare earth which quickly turns to mud if there is any rain at all, so the next user of the pitch covers it up with their groundsheet, and so it goes on.
Give me a nice clean gravel pitch any day over that!
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The concept of a hard pad and grass to put your awning on, does seem a little flawed. At least with all grass there is some scope for the wardens moving the peg about, to even out wear.
Although depending on the design of these MS pitches and where you put your car, back in or front in may be an option. In which case there would be two areas in which to put your awning.
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Good old gravel all round
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Surely the answer is to replace the natural grass (with all its problems) with artificial grass, always available with minimal maintenance.
A win/win situation.
I am happy to receive my design fees in cash or by bank transfer.
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well luckily I believe there are a few grass pitches left over the network
Just shows we're all different, and long that may continue
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As said up-thread earlier, awning carpets and groundsheets seriously damage the grass. Therefore it would be sensible to only allow awnings to be pitched on large boring gravel pitches.
The idea of a hard standing for the Caravan /Motorhome with grass beside it is a sound one. It's aesthetically pleasing, takes away the Supermarket Carpark look and enables, in particular, the Motorhome to leave and return without becoming bogged down during wet spells. It also recognises the huge increase in Motorhomes as people change up from trailer caravans and is providing for this in each site upgrade.
K
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You have lost me there K. Yes they may be more aesthetically pleasing. However, how is providing MS pitches recognising the increase in MH usage, any more than increasing the number of hardstandings during a site refurbishment.
Oh by the way, it is not just MHers who want hardstandings and not grass. Why else did the CAMC decide not to go ahead with surface type booking, and no it wasn't confusion.
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How resilient will it be to awning pegs? Hardstandings are a PITA for pegging out awnings, either that bl**dy compacted that the pegs won't go in or they won't stay in once you've got them in due to being loose chippings.... Southport's new barren waste land side being a prime example.
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Until someone tries it we will never know.
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I love grass but it doesn't work well with the rigidity imposed by the dreaded CC pegs.
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The Club does now seem to have become aware that pegs have been moved in the past. Anyone wishing to do so in future will require to provision themselves with two cans of paint - one green and one yellow.
The yellow to mark the new position of the peg, and the green to obscure the yellow paint on the original location.
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