Motorhome facilities and rules
We've just returned from a tour of mid and south Wales in our motorhome. We stayed at a number different locations: pubs, public car parks, private camp sites and one night at the C&MC site in St Davids. We have paid our membership fees for many years, but in practice we haven't stayed on a Club site very often, and not since the name change and rebranding. So we expected great improvements for motorhomes.
We arrived rather early, but were warmly welcomed by the lady on reception who unexpectedly checked us in before the official time.
I was rather confused by the parking rules, but looked at the way adjacent vehicles were arranged and tried to imitate them. Since our motorhome is less than 2.5m wide, versus a car/caravan/awning measuring maybe 7m, it was easy to maintain the 6m separation from our neighbours. However, apparently I had picked the wrong corner to go next to the white post. This was explained to me that evening, but since we were leaving the next morning the very friendly warden said not to bother moving. Fine, I'll be more careful if we visit again.
The next morning, there was a queue of motorhomes at the only grey waste point, so we decided that, as we only had a small amount of waste we would empty the toilet cassette at the service point then just fill up with fresh water and leave. So, I pulled up next to the adjacent service point and attached my hose connector to the threaded tap. Shortly after, a different warden who was maintaining the grass, came along and said that motorhomes weren't allowed to use the service points and indeed there was a notice that said this that I hadn't seen. He said that this was because filling a motorhome takes a lot of time so other people would have to wait. I asked why I had to wait rather than other members and although a 100 litre motorhome tank will obviously take longer than a 50 litre rolling caravan tank, there were three other service points on the site. No! Jobsworth was adamant and claimed that it was a health and safety risk (which is hard to understand).
According to various comments on Facebook, these is just a couple of many petty rule enforcement incidents that are alienating motorhome owners. I really think that if the Club wants to encourage this massively increasing sector of the market, they need to learn the differences between motorhomes and towed caravans.
So, the rebranding was clearly just a marketing exercise and we will have to seriously consider whether to renew our membership next year.
Comments
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The next morning, there was a queue of motorhomes at the only grey waste point, so we decided that, as we only had a small amount of waste we would empty the toilet cassette at the service point then just fill up with fresh water and leave. So, I pulled up next to the adjacent service point and attached my hose connector to the threaded tap. Shortly after, a different warden who was maintaining the grass, came along and said that motorhomes weren't allowed to use the service points
I view this an increasing problem with the increase in motorhomes and campervans. I have also had a similar experience with the claim that my bright blue hose was a trip hazzard, as if EGH and coax TV leads are not! That said I have also had a warden indicate I could fill up from any service point but I think that was because of the very poor MHSP on site. Someone at least had some common sense.
peedee
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Out of interest jb99, what's your experience in other places when you fill up with water eg are you expected to use a designated point if available?
My experience is that on many sites, not just CAMC, parking up by an ordinary water point can block the road etc. and an overall rule probably prevents further problems.
We've been on sites where we haven't been able to fill with water due to a motorhome queue with no other access or waiting space. So our solution is to top up manually from a container.
I think it's down to site designs in general, leaving little space left to improve them.
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I can't remember ever being told that I couldn't use a water tap anywhere. And that's in about 60 years camping, in countries all over Europe, Morocco, USA, New Zealand, Australia and even Cuba. Of course one shouldn't block up roads and indeed in this case, I was parked on the grass near to the tap (it's an all grass site, so no problems parking there). The private site we stayed on the night before had taps scattered about with no restriction so you didn't need to spend as much time at the motorhome service point; "park where you like, but 6m separation", and it was a few pence cheaper!
As I said before, this Club seems to like inventing rules and I'm not sure that I can be bothered when there are alternatives.
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Hi jb99, Welcome aboard this forum. Your post didn’t strike me as a rant - just a description of how a newcomer to a club site found it to be - many rules and many restrictions. But I am afraid you will find some of the old hands on here very defensive of club sites, which they see as perfect in every respect. Do please keep contradicting them. I look forward to hearing from you again.
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Jb99 I haven't done 60 years of camping round the world so can't claim any great knowledge of rules and regs elsewhere.
Anyway thanks for the response, our last site was in a field with one water tap and no ehu. We just go along with what we find.
I'm not defending club sites Euror. I just asked a question.
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We have had a MH since 2019 and used a lot of club sites and experienced no significant problems. If the water point isn’t free when we arrive I park up and fill later on. Or perhaps wait if room, while OH wanders off to select a pitch. We always travel with 20 litres, so it’s not urgent. As to dumping, perhaps it’s the time we leave, but there is rarely a wait of more than 1 van for dumping and the most we have come across is 2. Personally I don’t think the rules are overly oppressive and not filling / dumping at a standard filling point in the majority of cases makes sense, as you would be blocking the road and making it awkward for others arriving or leaving. The option is there to fill or dump using containers as we did with our caravan. My minor gripe is the positioning of some of the drive over wastes and the fact that in some cases it is still necessary to lift a heavy steel cover.
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That's the big difference between Motorhomes and towed vans. The former are generally more self contained and can park in many more places, especially in mainland Europe where they are welcomed, quite often with free facilities because we use their restaurants and shops (because we can, because they are nearby, not miles away down a lane). We have a very adequate hot water system and our own toilet, so don't really need camp site facilities. The only reason we go to sites is because often that is all there is in the UK. I should have noted that the cheaper private site charged for showers; seems like a good solution for those that like a spacious ablution.
I noticed that peedee has the CAMpRA logo, that is the way things are going.
PS: I missed out Iceland. Not cheap to hire, but a tremendous experience.
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The amount of times Europe is quoted as "the place to be" for motorcaravans ,if the UK as also quoted many times, ,had the space and less restrictions on parking ,we may still have had a motor caravan
As for "queuing?"to use the waste points ,why all leave together?,the same point is mentioned about having to queue for site facilities,
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It sounds to me that the wardens dealt with you quite sensitively in taking the trouble to explain how things work on a CMC site and perhaps making much more allowance for your inexperience than is often expressed on this forum!!! I have yet to arrive at a Club site where the process of where you pitch has not been explained to me in minute detail almost to the point of boredom!!! The point about not using service points other than the dedicated one for motorhomes, is that it can be an inconvenience to others. Your tank may only take 100 litres but there are some beasts out there that take 2/300 litres, often slow filling. I don't think it reasonable to expect a caravanner to walk to the next service point because a motorhome is hogging the waterpoint. I often go to a service point to fill a kettle and would be a bit miffed if I had to wait whilst a motorhome filled their tank. I appreciate the Club way of doing things can seem a bit odd but they have generally stood the test of time.
David
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Now on our third MH and hardly ever use the MH SP.To keep the FW tank full I carry a 10l water container which has a spout on it and with it I top up the tank at 75%.Grey water,I drain down into a neoprene,folding bucket at 50% and tip it at the nearest SP.Toilet emptied at CT point as required.Never yet queued at MHSP,cannot see the point really.
We have had four caravans in our time and I would never go back to towing and all of the paraphernalia and hassle involved with caravans -leaky things in general anyway.
As for CMC pegs and positioning-rules are rules and if you do not like them then go elsewhere.It does seem a bit daft at times when our PVC is in the middle of a CMC pitch with well over 6m firebreaks either side but "rules is rules".....
Too old to get "wound up" about such minor matters any more,rather get on with enjoying my time.
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Many water authorites in the UK (if not all now) have regulations that govern the type of tap that can be used in non-household locations. It is to do with having a non-return valve to prevent water being drawn back into the public supply. A tap used to fill an Aquaroll or similar has an air gap which will prevent the back flow, whereas a tap used with a hose to fill a tank probably has not. So motor caravan service points will be fitted with a non-return style tap.
These may also be used on non-motor caravan service points, so it is quite possible a warden can direct to "use any point" if this is the case.
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Club sites are what they are, if you don't like the procedures and rules as you've found them then don't use a club site again. We are often told there are better and cheaper out there so go where you'll be happier?
Unless you've had reason to keep re-joining (insurance cheaper ferries...) then there is no point in being a member any more.
Having said all that on the times and sites I've been on there are sometimes more MHs than caravans so the club must be doing something right for some people?
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but if you were about to or were filling an Aquaroll in your caravaning days and someone turned up with a kettle or bottle, I'm sure you'd take a step back & let them go first.
A motorhome filled it's tank at the C&CC club site we were on the other week (nearly took the EHU post with him ... ) but the world carried on turning.
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I asked why I had to wait rather than other members and although a 100 litre motorhome tank will obviously take longer than a 50 litre rolling caravan tank,
You could have also pointed out that some people fill up 2x50 litre rolling tanks and 50x2=100 so same amount and time taken.
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Inexperienced of CMC sites which is clearly stated in the post in question?
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It’s been quite obvious to us this Summer that there are a lot of experienced tourers out of their usual overseas regimes, and having to do things a bit differently than they are used to doing, because they have stayed in UK. It’s just part of the Covid thing really, some might need help getting by over here, others just get on with it.
As a MH owner we don’t feel alienated in any way. Do get a tad fed up by those who are biding their time making do in UK moaning and wanting to change things to suit them though. We have done a dozen or so different Sites so far this year, and not one of them has given us any difficulty at all. It is what it is, we are just happy to be fit and well and out there touring🤷♀️
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Perhaps do a bit of reading of the Club Handbook? Reacquaint oneself with the Club and using Club Sites? Most of the information is in there, and it could answer a lot of the questions folks ask about, before trying a Club Site out. That way you can decide if you want to go with all the do’s and don’ts the Club put into place for the good of the majority of Members, or not.
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As several Site staff we are quite well aquainted with will tell ,it is difficult to get people to read any of the information that they are normally given on booking in or when they return to the office to advise what pitch they have chosen for the barrier cards
, As it is an almost every one who is on site will ask staff on site or in the office for information that they already have been given when they first arrived,
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DK wrote "I often go to a service point to fill a kettle and would be a bit miffed if I had to wait whilst a motorhome filled their tank."
Most, if not all, motorhomers would, I am sure if having only just started to fill a capacious tank, be happy to interrupt and fill a kettle/watering can before resuming their own replenishment. There are numerous service points around sites but invariably only one MHSP. perhaps there needs to be more than one MHSP unless it is intended that they should not be treated equally. After all it is the CAMC.
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I would say they / we are treated equally. We are equally free to use the standard service points with a suitable container. Plus as MH tanks are so much bigger than an aqua roll / waste master they generally only need filling / emptying every few days. Clumber, Bridlington and Hurn Lane have two MH service points, that’s just the ones I have come across.
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Here's a thought.
How about having two taps at the servicepoint.
Come on, let's find a reason not to.
Got it. Covid. They would have to be 2 metres appart in case two people had to use them both simultaneously.
I'm sure that rulers of the Club can find even better reasons.
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🤣🤣, 2 taps 2 metres apart. . .I see what you did there J9👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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