Booking pitches
Comments
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we like HS (and SP even better) as like ET, I don't like mud, or rather it is fun when out and about but do not like it being brought into the caravan. On a good HS you can safety go out to the car/shower block... without having to change shoes and/or wipe feet.
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Site I have just used in Dorset, non club, the HS base was chuckies.
The base was big enough for caravan and awning, ideal as less chance of getting a wet ground sheet when it rained, with a large patch of grass for parking car, sitting out etc, was fully svcd, but not charged as fully svcd as pitch was deemed to be graval rather than HS, and it made the section we were in look more like a camp site than a car park as some sites with HS concrete pitches tend to be. The only problems was foxes trying to sneak into the awning looking for food, Rufs soon sorted them out, and the lack of hedging between pitches, but as the pitches were so large, privacy was not an issue.
On a good HS you can safety go out to the car/shower block... without having to change shoes and/or wipe feet
get yourself a good pair of crocs or flipflops and keep a watering can by the door
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get yourself a good pair of crocs or flipflops and keep a watering can by the door
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Obviously difficult to say with any certainty but I would reckon, observerving the posts of such groups, that motorhomers are in a minority as most of the questions/posts are about caravanning. How much of a minority I can't say. If I am right that it is predominately caravanners then the demand to be able to book a hardstanding is coming as much from caravanners as it is motorhomers and perhaps more so. My mind has certainly not changed from being a caravanner to the point where I became a motorhomer, I always wanted to be able to book a hardstanding. My fellow mod David (DSB) has long been an advocate of being able to book a hardstanding and he is a caravanner.
David
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Obviously makes sense to arrive as soon as you are allowed in order to get the best choice of pitches. However it might well depend on the style of touring. We are nearly always away from a site by 10.00am, usually a bit earlier but it depends on the distance and road types you get to the next site. We also now tend to shop en route as its easier than leaving it until we are on site. During September we have used four Club sites and by the evening they have all been pretty full with a few nights with the full sign at the entrance. On a couple of those sites we have been lucky in getting one of the last few hardstanding, had we been half an hour later perhaps we wouldn't have been so lucky!
David
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Hear what you are saying and cant argue with that, and each to their own. As i dont use club sites very often i am perhaps not in a position to judge whether the club should change its booking procedures or not, but from the sites i do use in the UK i would say that predominatly the HS and even the svcd pitches are occupied by MH owners, in fact the last site i was on in Dorset the total occupancy was probably in favour of MH owners, probably because it was slightly out of season and at the risk of getting my head chopped off, can I say that MH owners do tend to be of the older generation, and some are less mobile so i see why they go for a HS/svcd pitch and would probably like the comfort of knowing they can book such in advance, just my observation
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I suppose with a motorhome shopping enroute makes sense. We have just come back today from a 30 night, 6 site trip. Often, on sites with 12 O'clock arrival times we we set up and go out. This time however we have been lazy and sat in the sun on 5 of the sites after arrival and the weather has been kind. Our shopping is usually done on the way back to site after a day out. Departure from site has been around 10 am (or earlier) to suit arrival times - one reason why I dislike using C&CC sites is arrival time but we used two this trip. When heading home we usually aim to be off site by 9am.
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you must be the model caravanner, and every wardens dream, just wish i could be so well organised, and i say that in the nicest possible way.
But getting back to the topic and something that may have been discussed before, if the club changed the booking procedures to allow the booking of hard standings in preference to grass, would perhaps MH owners book these in preference to svcd pitches . which they book just to get a HS, thereby freeing up svcd pitches to them who gain the most from using them ???
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It's interesting that you say you don't use Club site very often which I assume you mean that you use either CL's or Commercial sites? Invariably with the latter you can usually book a hardstanding pitch? I think you will find that motorhome owners come in all ages!!! Wanting a hardstanding pitch is nothing to do with age but more to do with the fact that if you get stuck on a grass pitch there is no support (on Club sites) to help you off the pitch.Another issue with grass pitches is that they are usually around the periphery of the site which means crossing quite a distance of grass before you get to the site road.
David
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I agree with the last part of your post we stay on club sites for best part of 200 nights a year and the "older generation"by far out number the younger ones who travel in motor caravans ( and quite a few are being financed by Equity Release or pension pots (survey carried out in the on site "mens shed") ,it is the VW camper style that seem to be mostly younger owners "leasers"
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It's interesting that you say you don't use Club site very often which I assume you mean that you use either CL's or Commercial sites? Invariably with the latter you can usually book a hardstanding pitch? I
Mainly commercial, and yes you can normally book whatever takes your fancy, our choice mainly based on weather conditions, I also like a site with a pool either indoors or out and you tend to find these are more prolific on Commercial sites, club sites for us have lost there appeal. however, we may just go to the IOW middle of October, club have a good deal with ferry company, and we can almost see our bungalow from Osbourne house on the IOW
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we stay on club sites for best part of 200 nights a year
as i have said "each to their own" but i cant ever envisage sitting on a club site for 200 nights, dont answer this if you dont want to, but do you by any chance get free pitches, i have heard that once you have been with club for certain number of years you get free pitches, maybe just hearsay ??
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Wanting a hardstanding pitch is nothing to do with age but more to do with the fact that if you get stuck on a grass pitch there is no support (on Club sites) to help you off the pitch.Another issue with grass pitches is that they are usually around the periphery of the site which means crossing quite a distance of grass before you get to the site road.
so what are you advocating, more bookable hard standings to cater for MH owners ?
I think we can already see a case where elderly MH owners are booking svcd pitches because they are in the main nearer to the facilities block, therefore less walking needed, and i dont say this in a discourteuous way, not there yet but maybe in the future who knows. 0 -
You do not have to pay a membership fee after 50yrs membership
other than that there are no other concessions
Ps Max stay is 21nights although we do not ,
Pps We use club sites as over the years in the areas we want to visit it is very rare to find commercial sites in our price range, or up to the standards we know we can expect on club sites, ,which can be seen by the amount of money being spent on the latest commercial sites that have been bought by the club to get them up to the standards that members expect
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Many caravan users also want bookable HS, Rufs, so it’s not just about MH-ers. For the same reasons too, ie not wanting soggy mud underfoot and wanting easier entry/exit to/from the pitch.
I’ve not made an in depth study of the ages of SP users but know for sure that some are a fair bit younger than I. Whatever, isn’t it good that folk adapt in order to continue enjoying the hobby and that the club enables them to do that? As you said, each to their own👍🏻
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so what are you advocating, more bookable hard standings to cater for MH owners? I think we can already see a case where elderly MH owners are booking svcd pitches because they are in the main nearer to the facilities block, therefore less walking needed, and i don't say this in a discourteous way, not there yet but maybe in the future who knows.
Rufs
You seem to have an obsession with motorhomes and older people? What is being advocated is that all members regardless of age or type of unit be able to book a hardstanding pitch, or if preferred a grass pitch. It is really as simple as that. My little survey if it proves anything suggests that not only do both caravanners and motorhomers want to be able to book hardstandings but given that Facebook is often the preserve of relatively younger people, although not exclusively so, it is something wanted by people of all ages.
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I seem to recall you recovered from some form of illness by doing lots of swimming. I am not recovering from any illness as such but i have had both knees replaced, both joints to my thumbs, and although i walk and cycle extensively, so never sit on site as such, i do find an hours swimming very relaxing at the end of a busy day, if a site comes with a restaurant we may visit as a one off to take a break from cooking, but generally on site bars & restaurants are expensive, captive audience and all that.
David "You seem to have an obsession with motorhomes and older people?" not at all, i only mentioned what i have observed, i guess as we only tour in the UK outside of the main holiday seasons, there is by definition more older people on site than the young who are i guess at work.
As for type of pitch preference, we tend to take what is available taking into consideration weather, how long we are going to stay on site, i.e. svcd pitch is good if we are going to be on site for any length of time, particularly in the Autumn, nobody likes filling up with water in the freezing cold, and i see from the IOW club site most of the svcd pitches are booked, so might have to slum it a little bit if we go.
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As a caravanner, I also prefer hardstanding pitches as the weather in UK is so changeable.
We have a twin axle van, impossible to move by hand, so I reverse as well as possible onto the pitch, then position more accurately when necessary using the mover. TA vans do tend to tear up wet grass when turning, and the mover will soon start to lose grip on wet, muddy wheels.
Grass is fine when bone dry, but a pain otherwise, so I would like to be able to book a hardstanding, and yes, if they become bookable and there are none left on a site, we would look elsewhere.
I also like serviced pitches, but these days would only book one if away in winter, due to cost. Pitch fees at other times are already frequently at or even beyond what we are willing to pay, without adding the extra £3.90.
Due to the level of site fees, we are only using 4 Club sites this year out of a total of 18, as we are restricted now to some school holiday periods plus June and September, having taken on more grandparent duties.
CLs are the answer for us, great value, and we also use CCC sites as we can book a HS and get the over 60s discount.
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we also use CCC sites as we can book a HS and get the over 60s discount.
We used two C&CC sites on the last trip. One at Norwich was, for us, a non facility site. Yes, two showers in male and female block but with 50 pitches plus a tenting field not likely that we would use. At £18 a night it was OK. All grass pitches with very poor turf depth but seemed to be on sand. The other site was Conkers and, as is common with most C&CC hard stand pitches, car on grass and in wet weather muddy shoes!
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We always book one of their awning pitches, so if you are not using an awning they say you can park the car on the gravel. We were very lucky with the weather this year as it was mainly dry and sunny, so having the car on the grass was fine.
We are finding we are using our own shower more these days, most CCC sites do not seem to have any adjustable height shower heads, so are not too bothered by the number of showers, but we do find there seem to be fewer service points on CCC sites than on CAMC sites, so need to try to remember to check the distance to those before agreeing to accept the suggested pitch!
Not tried either of their sites you mentioned, but found their Derwentwater, Kendal, Cambridge and Scone sites all had good facilities. St Neots and Dingwall were OK too.
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I’d recommend avoiding the C&CC Oxford site. It’s all grass, only 10amp, Wi-fi is only a hotspot, most taps don’t have grey waste disposal drains and the facility block is no more than adequate. The whole place has the air of being on a very short lease.
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