Why is after 8 pm considered a 'late arrival'
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Well, a couple of points -
I accept it's all down to personal choice, but I certainly wouldn't want to be towing with children for 3 or 4 hours on a busy Friday evening to arrive late and settle even later allowing for all the setting up and then have to leave by 12 on Sunday having only had 1 full days rest.
As for hotels, don't most modern hotels have double/triple glazing or soundproofing to reduce noise from outside?
Sorry to appear critical (my main point of disagreement is the effect on potential neighbours on site) but here's a more positive suggestion - let folk know the area you live in and I bet others can come up with any number of suggestions for sites/CLs nearer home but in areas you may never have thought of visiting.
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But you're not fine. If you were you wouldn't be on here wanting a later last arrival time.
I work within the current system and always have. You seem to have overlooked my comment about weekending when we worked.
To dig your heels in and insist on travelling 150 miles for your weekends because you want to go somewhere you wouldnt go just for a day trip is, frankly, unrealistic given your situation.
Have you mailed the club yet with your views on 8pm arrival cut off?
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I work within the current system and always have. You seem to have overlooked my comment about weekending when we worked.
Agree TW, when we worked, I either took a half day Friday, or booked a day on Monday and arrived Saturday. It does use leave up as the OP mentions but needs must when working. Our kids had left home when we started caravanning. However, if they were still coming with us and we couldn’t leave until after school Friday and had to be back for Monday, there is no way I would have considered travelling for much more than an hour.1 -
The worst answer is that it would be impossible to foresee staff working after 8 pm - which in other industries is common practise.
Actually that wasn't the answer given at all, it was more to do with wardens working a set number of hours and if you want them to work to midnight then something will have to give somewhere else. Also most sites have 4 wardens, some 6, and quite a few with only 2. It would be difficult to staff an extra four hours seven days a week.
Common practice in other industries? The only one that one could compare is the over night stay industries. Hotels will have a dedicated night staff, do this on club sites and that is extra costs, for virtually no demand, as I said you are the only one who has ever raised this, other poster on this thread have posted how it could be done but no one else has said it should be done. The only real comparison is with other caravan/MH providers?
But I asked before can you find other campsite provider that has arrivals till midnight, if so why not use them, what is so good about a club site?
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I don't insist, there are rules I respect them, but I'm free to question them. You'd think the rules were carved in stone, never to be questioned.
I appreciate that you have worked, and have a different perspective. Do you appreciate that I have a different perspective?
I'm sure the club is listening and members of importance are listening, perhaps you are one and will raise it yourself. Let's see if the club listens to what it's members are discussing.
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I think this whole issue boils down to the need to apply common sense and, if obstacles present themselves, work around them.
We are all masters of our own lives and capable of organising ourselves appropriately without having others pander to our whims surely?
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'you are the only one who has ever raised this"
That is a basic property of starting a new thread, only one person can start a new thread at a time. There are people who have posted here in agreement that hours could and should be extended. Searching around, I am not the only person to have ever raised this.
Regarding late night sites. As established, many CLs allow late arrivals, some certified sites too. I have used them. I believe there is even stickies on the topic, so there is some demand. Could more sites be made available?
Here is an idea, could caravan club invest in 'dedicated staff' for the task or other options as outlined?
How do you measure or understand demand without listening to what people are discussing?
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"Members of importance". All members are important and equal. If you want the club to listen, you need to contact them and make your voice heard.
I used the word "insist" in respect of your attitude in wanting to travel an unrealistic distance for your weekends. I did not imply you were insisting on a change in the site hours. You have used my words in a misleading way again.
As for perspectives, I possibly see more than you in view of the fact I've experienced both sides of the coin. You seem to overlook that fact. It doesn't make for any rights or wrongs but experience sure broadens ones outlook.
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To your last two:
Yes but increased costs for what return?
As I said this is the only time this has been raised in the 8 years I've been on CT and no mention is any AGM minutes or Q&A.
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what/who are members of importance and how do you define who that is?
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Quite a number of campsites are saving on staff costs these days by installing entrance gates working by automated number plate recognition. Register your number plate when you book, drive up to the gate and in you go. No need for staff on duty, and no queues for visitors.
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Until the ANPR does not recognise a number plate . . !
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and an example would be interesting to look at?
But that would mean pre-payment I assume?
Our last car couldn't get its number plate read at three car parks in the lakes (we were honest and owned up)
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We are all different I suppose but when we worked our weekends were used as a means to relax after an often stressful week at work. We rarely travelled more than 50 miles and often only 30 for a weekend stay. We kept the long journeys for our trips to the South of France with some days 3/400 miles between sites. Now, we reckon a 100 miles is a long way!!!
David
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We used to have everything ready for towing the night before , the only thing to do was mirrors, hitch lock and hitching up.
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"Quite a number of campsites are saving on staff costs these days by installing entrance gates! working by automated number plate recognition."
How many is "quite a number" and how many can you name out of interest?
(Remember this is the "UK touring" section.)
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If your going to go down the automated route a key pad would be better. Then it would be your responsibility to contact the site, pay remotely, get the code and pitching instructions. If it was a once only code it couldn’t be used again. The most obvious way to get the pitching instructions would be with a named envelope attached to the notice board. A map would be provided showing where your pitch was, as by 10 pm on a Friday it is possible there would only be one and it would take quite a bit of finding amongst perhaps 150. The wardens at Baltic Wharf (2 warden site) used to do this at one time, after they closed the office at 5pm.
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We kept the long journeys for our trips to the South of France with some days 3/400 miles between sites. Now, we reckon a 100 miles is a long way!!!
We did similar but with tents. Just done a 280 followed by a 160 coming back from Scotland to get the van serviced. I found it tiring. Just getting old I guess 😂
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I don't vouch for the following links. I just did some basic searches, but here are some examples late night and APNR operating sites...
APNR and late availability:
https://www.yorkmeadowscaravanpark.com/faqs/ Yorkshire meadows arrival, anytime after 1 pm.
https://www.goldensquarecaravanpark.com/faqs/ golden square, anytime after 1 pm
https://westbeachcaravanpark.campmanager.com/22083/Check-Availability/ west beach caravan, any time after 1 pm
https://www.visitlancashire.com/places-to-stay/kneps-farm-holiday-caravan-park-p680. Knepps farm, <10 pm, Fri, stated elsewhere
http://www.salcombe-regis.co.uk/terms-conditions/ Salcombe <9.30 pm at discretion
The following using APNR (not necessarily with late access):
https://www.coastfields.co.uk/lincolnshire-holiday-parks/skegness-fields/skegness-fields-facilities/
https://www.faac.co.uk/news/product-news/flusco-wood-caravan-park
CL sites with late availability (and lots of Deleted User posts...) :
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It’s not that difficult. Use CLs for breaks where you have to arrive after 8pm. It’s what we have done for years. Just phone ahead to ask permission to arrive late, set up quietly, then settle up with owners next morning.
The Club is nowhere ready for unstaffed arrivals at the moment. Frustrating at times, but you just have to go with it. On the bright side, the willing Wardens are always there to help out no matter what time of day or night for an emergency.2 -
CLs with late availability means they have short notice vacancies, not that you can necessarily arrive late in the day.
The others are scattered across the country so we've no idea if they’re of use to you or not as you've still not said what area you're looking at. There's no point in us suggesting a site in, say, Kent if you live in Wakefield. 🤷🏻♂️
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Interesting that the links above for ANPR site access contain the phrase "anytime after 1pm" or similar. So there IS a cut off time, otherwise it would be 24 hour access. It is just it not the 8pm we are discussing.
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I posted for two reasons.
1. It may be helpful to other people
2. it shows the concept of late arrival is not an aberration*.
3. APNR barrier appears to work for many sites.
I'm fine with searching for sites via the caravan club or otherwise, but it is kind for you to offer.
Regarding the late availability, i stand corrected. What I do know is I've checked is I've checked into a handful of CLs with no time restriction*.
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