Proportion of Serviced v Standard Pitches
Comments
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If one has a a caravan/motorhome with all the facilities/home comforts, a service pitch seems to come into the category of paying for the same thing twice. Somewhat akin to Merve's approach to EHU.
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+1 to your last paragraph there TW. Even if a 'windfall' allows you (one) to buy that expensive outfit it is rather odd to not think of the future running costs (including site fees) when you've bought it. Even odder, in my mind, is then to have to scrimp and save on other things to allow you to use it?
Still it's your (one's) money and your choices.
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then if you feel that way don't buy a SP.
Actually I'm not sure what all the home comforts have to do with using a SP and paying for something twice?
If you had said using a site with facilities then yes I can see your point but a SP?
What 'twice-ness' are you paying for? All a SP allows is not to do the daily (or whatever) trip to the water/waste points, or worry about the water running out or wastemaster needing emptying.
In my view that is worth every penny, I'm on holiday.
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except that you do that (focusing on UK site costs) as you wish to tour abroad for an extended time and costing many thousands of pounds each time (using your own figures) and not because site fees here are expensive, it is just that you prefer to spend your money in that way?
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Exactly my feelings. It’s not the same as having bought an LV in more affluent times and having to redraw one’s budget in later years but my point is about the short sightedness of splashing out big money on an LV when using it is outside of one’s financial ability.
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To those on here who seem to find it odd or indeed bizarre that everyone doesn't do as they do and pay to use a serviced pitch, i.e. £4 per day just to save having to fill or plan to fill their water. I find it equally odd that people ARE prepared to pay £4 just to save 10 or 15 mins work, not scrimping or saving, just a complete waste of money in my opinion as it is such a simple and easy thing to do, but as ever we are all different eh..
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my point is about the short sightedness of splashing out big money on an LV when using it is outside of one’s financial ability.
I don't think anyone in this thread has actually even implied that is why they won't use a serviced pitch. The general gist I get is most are like me, why pay for something not needed.
peedee
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Agreed, they haven’t said that, PD, and that isn’t what I said.
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I don’t find either stance odd, J2, because people are all different, as you said. Some like the added convenience of having a SP and some don’t see the point. Neither is odd in my book.
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Serviced pitches have been a great addition for anyone who needs to avoid some of the heavier work on site or as an extra choice. But whether we will be encouraged to use them (and pay extra) on a site like the new one at Cayton Bay, which is nearly all serviced, remains to be seen?
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I started by booking serviced pitches as a means of securing hardstanding. As a result, I now find I quite like them. Apart from the convenience, it means that, not only can I use the caravan for a shower (otherwise I wouldn't), but it means I no longer have to take my aquaroll or wastemaster. Not only does that save 'bulk', but it saves weight too. Having just had an axle replaced, I'm very conscious of the amount of stuff we put in our caravans and I am doing what I can to shed unnecessary equipment. Every little helps.
We all have a choice - we are all different.
David
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but it's the final amount that is important. The SP supplement is added on to the basic pitch + people price, Yes you can have a cheaper SP supplement as you suggested but if the basic pitch prices is higher anyway that will cancel it out.
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Quite a few of us, given good ground conditions and clement weather forecasted, would much prefer grass to gravel. The ability to choose on arrival helps this greatly. I can however see the issue of being faced with no option mind if the forecast is not good.
On a similar note lots of folk book awning pitches, even some who never intend erecting one, in the misguided belief that they are always bigger and in prime places on site. I think when there are non awning pitches which are not 'booked' that being able to change from awning to non awning on arrival is helpful. Obviously this can only be promoted when there are non awning pitches which are not 'booked' out on the system for the duration of ones stay. The ability to do such a swap should be encouraged more by club and sites in my opinion.
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But the cost of a SP, however much, comes in addition to the basic pitch fee. So, logically then, I assume you'd be happy for the club to whack up it's basic pitch price by a fiver and drop the charge for a SP by a couple of quid?
The simple fact is that the total cost at Carnon Downs is higher?
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all spending in life has the pass the 'value' test.....the test can vary depending on how much desire (heart) or need (head) is brought into it...
spending a large amount on a nice MH, caravan or tow car will still be subject to this 'scrutiny' as will (independently) that of something smaller like a SP.
to me, our van has been wonderful value.....of the 30 weeks or so we are away from home each year, around 25 are spent in the van...the others are 'away holidays' or cruises...
also, to me, the price of £3.90 for a service pitch hold no attraction at all...
as CY mentioned, if I filled the van at the MHSP and then parked on a SP I'd be paying for a service I didn't need....if I wanted to fill the van it would take the identical effort to put the hose Into the hole and wait until full, irrespective of whether I did this at the MHSP or on the pitch.
however, doing it at the MHSP costs nothing but for a 10 day stay (a single full tank will cover this) I'd be charged nearly £40 for not using the tap.
none of this has anything to do with whether I can afford to be on an SP or not, it's just not necessary nor, for us, any sort of benefit....
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I’m currently sitting outside our caravan on a very nice, spacious, serviced pitch at Swiss Farm, Henley. Great facilities, if that’s your thing, spotless ablutions block, hardly any passing traffic because of the lack of one way system, hedges between rows of units, so you can’t even see the ones behind. We’ve stayed at the CAMC site up the road before, and very nice it was, but chose to stay here this time, and we’re very happy with it. Wouldn’t hesitate to come here again, but you pays your money & makes your choice, as the saying goes.
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are you there for the Regatta, BG?
.....we will be moving from Oxford to Henley later this morning after coffee....have a great time there, weather really picking up now....
like you, we chose SF over HFO as, for us it offered more....(we've used both sites previously)...and our pals wanted to try it, too.....
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Perhaps some enterprising youngster will offer a "fill your aqua roll and empty your wastemaster, guv. Special price £1.50"
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As we had a caravan at the time we booked several service pitches for this year. When we switched to a MH I did think of trying to change them, but left things as they were. Even with a MH having a service pitch made things easier and quicker. Straight to the pitch and fill up when we wanted, no queuing or having to move the van later on. Similarly with emptying, just coupled it to the drain and left it to empty while packing up. Again no waiting and wrestling with heavy manholes. Now as to wether this is worth £3.90 extra per night, that's for the individual to decide. However, I certainly think we will still use some service pitches in the future. Particularly where it guarantees a hardstanding pitch.
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At the moment, since last year, our focus is on UK site costs as we are only touring in UK due to taking on looking after our little grandson 2-3 days per week, childcare is amazingly expensive it seems!
In the past we have usually had 2-3 months abroad plus maybe 6 weeks away here, this year we hope to have 3 UK trips of 3-5 weeks, so about 12 weeks in all. But, as SIL is a teacher, so is only home to look after his son in school holidays, we are now faced with peak prices here.
Hence our increased use of CCC sites, where peaks are shorter, and we get the reduced rate, and CLs, to keep our average below £20 per night, which is the amount that we are comfortable with. More than that we do not consider to be value for money anywhere.
We are avoiding peak as far as possible, but it is impossible to avoid peak periods altogether.
We do have a "holiday budget" but this is a maximum, not a target, and we look to make savings wherever possible, especially when we are also having less time away in the van.
If I remember correctly, we have discussed that club site prices have been rising a good bit faster than inflation in the last few years, for whatever reason, so with my pension not rising at the same rate, the choice is to either have less time away or reduce nightly costs.
At the moment we are doing a mix of the 2 options and saving any savings to help with rising prices and miserable bank interest rates.
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To get back to David's OP. I think that 22% service pitches, as at Chatsworth, is about the limit. If you look at awning pitches, the number of available days for July are broadly similar for standard and service. Although for non awning there are many more standard. Particularly in the cooler months, service pitches are often still available when standard are booked, although will eventually sell. Therefore any increase above 22% at less popular sites, where the service pitches won't sell at the last minute, is likely to be counterproductive.
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I saw one on site today. A bargain at a mere £2 😂
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Troutbeck Head has about a third SP
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