Reserved pitches

sky183151
sky183151 Forum Participant Posts: 5
edited September 2018 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

Is it fair for large pitches to be reserved with cones for large units thoughts please

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  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #2

    I think its best to let the warden manage the site as he/she feels best ,if that means putting cones on a pitch for large units ,then so be it …..

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited September 2018 #3

    Why not,  if there is a pitch size problem ,the staff on site must be allowed to manage their pitch availabilty

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #4

    Yes, if the unit is within the size limit for the site, but there are only certain pitches that it will fit on, to fulfil the booking the warden has to set aside a long enough pitch.

    This happened with us at The Firs, where we had booked a serviced pitch a few years back.  Some of the serviced pitches are short, the site was busy, so the warden had selected one of the long ones to reserve for us.

     

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #5

    Yes.

    It also of course works both ways. Although they have a reserved pitch, they are not free to choose from all available, as we are.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,431 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #6

    yes +1

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #7

    + 2

    It’s common sense. Otherwise a booked 8m unit could end up with a 7m pitch. 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited September 2018 #8

    The size of units these days are getting bigger but lighter than in the past,and sites including storage that have been in operation for decades and without a lot of remodelling will continue to have problems accomadating big twin axle caravans, fifth wheel units,and big motor caravans,

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited September 2018 #9

    Choosing your own pitch and not having it allocated by On Site staff is why many people visit CMC sites.  It means that all customers are equal and there can be no jiggery pokery or favouritism in pitch allocation.  

    If somebody buys an overlarge outfit that won't fit on all of the site pitches then tough.---- Find another site where even the smallest pitch is big enough for your accommodation.

    smile

     

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #10

    The Club indicates what the largest outfit that can use a particular site. Even if the site can accept larger outfits that doesn't mean every pitch will accept a long outfit so therefore pitch management is essential.The question I think I would ask the OP is what would you do if you ran the site?

    David

  • Dawn F
    Dawn F Forum Participant Posts: 167
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    edited September 2018 #11

    seems a bit of a strange question to me, what is your suggested alternative?

    Surely if I arrive at 7.30pm in my 8.0m motorhome and the only pitch left is a 7.0m one then I will have to block the roadway and this will be a hazard to others on site.

    Often the reserved pitch is not a good pitch.  We were reserved a pitch at Bladon chains earlier in the year I'm pretty sure no one would have chosen the pitch at is was surrounded by trees which prevented an awning being used although it was booked as an awning pitch.

    Luckily we were only there for the weekend and don't use an awning 

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,390 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #12

    Often the reserved pitch is not a good pitch. We were reserved a pitch at Bladon chains earlier in the year I'm pretty sure no one would have chosen the pitch at is was surrounded by trees which prevented an awning being used although it was booked as an awning pitch.

    Sounds as though we had the same experience as you there. I also declined that pitch and opted for a more open grass pitch.Fortunately with hydraulic leveling, with a good range of adjustment, I don't have to worry too much about uneven ground.

    peedee

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #14

    Agreed. I just go for the first vacant pitch that takes my fancy, but then we only have a small van. Whatever happens on other pitches doesn't bother me at all!  smile

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,431 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #15

    +1 to the two above

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,582
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    edited September 2018 #16

    The club have no choice but to reserve a pitch for a larger unit if not all pitches on that site will accept it.

    The club ask the length of your outfit when taking the booking and then complete a contract for the pitch on accepting this. Having a contract for a long outfit means they must make sure there is one to take it, and so reserving a pitch is the only way to make sure they can fulfill this on some sites.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited September 2018 #17

    The fact that you did not like the reserved pitch is irrelevant. It simply meant that you had a guarantee of a pitch and were at liberty to choose an alternative if a suitable one was available. 

  • Dawn F
    Dawn F Forum Participant Posts: 167
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    edited September 2018 #18

    The relevance was the fact that it is shown as a pitch for awning and it clearly is not big enough so should be a non awning blue peg.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited September 2018 #19

    It was however classed as an awning pitch. If you are having a pitch reserved 'just in case' there is no need to reserve the best awning pitch. You can always choose another if it doesn't suit. If there were no others available that would have been unfortunate but if the pitch really wasn't suitable for an awning then as far as the warden is concerned it might as well be you as somebody else.

    As I said previously you did not have to use the reserved pitch. It was a reservation and not an allocation

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #20

    Those extra large pitches may not be in the best position (what ever that is). When pitches are 'reserved' for those 'exception units' these folk may not get a choice of pitch at all, they may well have to take that which has been 'allocated' for them! The only advantage I can see is that at least everyone booked on a site will have a pitch which they can fit on. Only the staff can manage such things. I trust all those with exceptional units actually do phone ahead, afterall it makes sence to talk!

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited September 2018 #21

    We are on a large pitch now (after changing with wardens ok)as it will not be required for a large motor caravan until Thursday (we leave Wed pm)and have been asked if we would put the cones and reserved for large vehicle sign on the pitch when we leave

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #22

    K....really!?

    We have a twin axle 7.95m long, we would not try to book a site where the max length was less than 8m.  There are only a handful of Club sites where that is the case.

    I would not consider that our UK twin axle Sterling van is "oversize".

    However, not all pitches are equal, the warden knows his site, knows which pitches are longer.

    Often we may feel that the hard standing is quite short, but we then  go as far away from the road as possible, which may mean overhanging the grass behind the pitch......so be it.  Not a problem to us.

    But there are some sites where the pitches have hedges or fences behind, so it is sometimes not possible, as at The Firs, so the warden reserved a pitch that we could fit on.

    Are you seriously suggesting that they should not have bothered and should have turned us away when we arrived?    I think not!

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited September 2018 #23

    "Oversize" however one defines it comes with downsides. Quite a bit of Cornwall becomes a no-go area for instance. The benefit of the extra luxury and space has to be assessed by the owner and then accept the downsides as well. There is much to be said for 'small is beautiful'.

    Anyway, who wants a 'reserved' pitch. Let's have some 'uninhibited' ones.

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited September 2018 #24

    Seems to be a bit of Me Me Me attitude to special treatment when arriving at a site.  

    Pitches are all charged at the same rate and in fairness to customers every empty pitch should be available on a first come basis.  No matter if the customer has a VW camper van or a massive caravan.  Why should the VW camper van driver be told he/she cannot use certain pitches ? As a customer they have the same rights as anybody else. If people buy units that are too large for most of the site pitches then they should not be treated as special cases and given special treatment over everybody else.  . Every customer should be treated equally. ---- No matter what they choose for their accommodation. 

    smile

  • Randomcamper
    Randomcamper Club Member Posts: 1,062 ✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #25

    I'm totally flabbergasted............

    I actually agree with K on something........!

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,582
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    edited September 2018 #26

    Sorry but if you take a booking for a large unit, then you are duty bound to provide a pitch that it will fit on. If you do not provide a pitch the unit will fit on then you are in breach of contract. On that basis you cannot allow the free for all we normally get and in normal circumstances the loss of one pitch from several is not going to be a big deal.

    You could argue that a small unit taking a big pitch is a bit of a dog in a manger attitude.

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,685 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #27

    When we arrived at Sandringham in March, a pitch was coned off, obviously expecting something. Later that day, this arrived and I'm not surprised that the pitch had been reserved - could hardly have had that driving around the site looking for a suitable pitch! (Think it was someone from the nearby circus).

  • Randomcamper
    Randomcamper Club Member Posts: 1,062 ✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #28

    So perhaps those larger pitches should be priced at a modest premium like a serviced pitch then......

    Why should someone who has bought an inappropriately large unit expect the rest of society to be moved out of the way to make way for them.....

    If I was to drive up the high street in a large 4x4 should a suitable sized parking space have been reserved for me....?

    When I had a large boat there wasn't always a space for me at the jetty, sometimes there was a pauper there in a rowing boat.....

    If I ride into town on my large Adventure Tourer motorbike sometimes there's only space for a tiddling 125 in the bike parking area, how inconsiderate of the council to have not saved me a space.....

    If you buy an outfit that is too big, that is your problem, I don't expect to be squigged onto an inferior pitch to make way for you...

    At the very least, charge for and make bookable an oversize pitch, the precedent already exists for service pitches....

    All hail Kennine for his common sense attitude to a self inflicted problem......

     

     

    innocentinnocent

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,390 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #29

    I don't have a problem with different charges for different sized pitches ithough that might result in differnt charges for non awning and awning pitches. Don't think that would go down too well with the majority of the members?

    There is another solution, make all pitches capable of accommodating outfits up to 9m

    What size is your motorhome TT?

    peedee

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited September 2018 #30

    Another post when you seem to  have changed your position yet again or have you as usual posted without reading previos posts including yoursundecided

    PAGE ONEcool

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited September 2018 #31

    Even the much "praised" Haven do not have all pitches on their sites that will take the "larger"size LVs

    Ps according to the sales manager of the Two Haven sites here touring units are a necessary for now "evil" that costs them money compared to their main target customersurprised