Ban on continental vans

[The Wino]

That will be Home Farm Holiday Park. Static caravans mostly and a 40min walk to the beach with nothing else around. It says you must ring up if you want to use their touring field with a continental outfit.

I think a lot of it might have started when the only people using hobby caravans in any numbers were the traveling community. We had a hobby in the 1980,s and a lot of places were a bit suspicious. There was also a near cartel by the UK manufacturers and big clubs to not mention that caravans were made in other countries and promote a myth of inferior quality.

 

[St3v3]

I do find it funny that people get so incensed about the very thought of maybe feeling like you might need to say hello to the person next to you.

Bizzare. As long as you're parked to provide suitable distance to the next van, no problem.

 

[TDub49]

How strange - did he give a reason?

He thought it would be the best way to park on the particular pitch and easier to level the van across its width than along its length and he was right.

 

[gus-lopez]

Home Farm Holiday Park.

Yes, I just looked, that's the one ! Touring fields are nearest the road as you pass.
Was it the soweto reference that gave it away ?

 

[Arnside037]

Morris sites insist you park wrong way round so your hab doors don’t face each other, this decided me I wouldnt go to sites here if he’ll froze over. Caravan club site Morton in marsh insisted I parked so I got out on the sodden grass reinforcing the fact .

So how would the club site cope with a continental caravan like the one parked next to me now. it would have to break one of the rules , either hab door on wrong side or facing the wrong way to the peg. What numpty at Moreton thought that one up?

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[599]

hi guys . just been thinking when brownhills started up again after the shutdown ( covid ) & on the overnight stopover as we was in for hab/check we was told to all park the same way so the doors was not facing because of covid rules as some there like to park in or out of the spots . val

 

[Arnside037]

We have a "continental" van and have never had an issue. Just had to drive in rather than reversing in.
I think it way be different for caravans in that they have to have the towing hitch facing outwards so as to be able to be towed out in an emergency situation ( I think)

Never seen the logic in this with caravans. In an emergency, who the heck is going to
a. Find the keys
B. Unlock the wheel lock
C. Find the wheel brace and remove the bolt.
D. Remove the hitch lock
E. Wind up the corner steadies, after unlocking them if locked.
F. Revove the wheel chocks.
G. Disconnect the water
H. Disconnect the electrics
I. Take down the awning .. cos it took all afternoon to put up and cost a fortune
J Attach a towcar cos your outfit weighs 1800 kgs Etc etc
Aĺl this while the next van is in flames. Nah. 6m is enough for Uk, fag packet is enough for the French.
Live and let live or whatever it is en francais.

 

[Sapper520]

During our recent 3 week trip week trip to France, I asked a couple of site owners if they wanted us parked in any particular way, thinking it was the polite thing to do.

As long as you’re on your pitch……park how you like they said.

Staying on a MH&C site last year, having been there three days and our previous neighbour having just left, I was approached by someone wanting to occupy the vacant pitch and pointed out my van was the wrong way for him to park his caravan the way he wanted. Nothing said by our previous neighbours or site wardens.

REALLY, what is the matter with people? Carried on drinking my tea.

We’ve got a PVC with the sliding door on the ‘Foreigners’ side.

 

[POH]

Many thanks for your comments Doreen, however as we are to strict guidelines for people to not face a different bubble, and as the majority of people have non continental vans in the UK, obviously we cannot please everyone and we have to go with the majority which is passenger side habitation doors.
We are sorry your experience with us was not as pleasant as you would have liked due to the current Covid circumstances, however we have found people have really enjoyed their habitation doors not facing, and as you say there are pitches 0-4 and 24 for these types of vehicles so there is a solution.
A lot of sites are actually starting to ban continental vehicles due to this.
A site map and guidelines are all stated on our website which have been there for over a year, parking guidelines were also sent with your booking confirmation on 26th November and with your previous booking confirmation on 5th October showing which side an awning should be located on the pitches, and therefore habitation door. We are sorry you missed these and only read it in your arrival information which was sent a week before your arrival on the 11th June.
Take care, Katy, Robin and team
this was the response to the continental van owner i mention in my original post

 

[mitzimad]

we went to a site that wouldnt let us and my sons family park with hab doors facing as we usually do the reason they gave was "we dont allow enclaves"

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[Alfie159]

Poppycock! If an independent site wishes to do this then their loss of revenue… seems like an outdated silly concept to me to face a certain direction… fire gaps is the crucial bit for me

 

[Minxy]

we went to a site that wouldnt let us and my sons family park with hab doors facing as we usually do the reason they gave was "we dont allow enclaves"

Judging by the 'enclaves' we've seen created at MH shows when campers face each other with awning out, windbreaks round etc thus blocking the 'through routes' which could compromise safety, I can understand this.

 

[Bluemooner]

Having a Fifth Wheel we have no choice which way we park and our door is on the continental side, CAMC never mention it only time it was a problem was on two private sites who made a song and dance of it (owned by the same company)

 

[Phill D]

I have been on a private site in the weston n area that insisted that I park with hab door on a particular side. When I asked why, they stated their fire certificate requirements.

That left us stepping out into a muddy patch left by previous awning.

They let me move to an end pitch.

But I do know that there is a site that states on their booking page on line that continental vans not permitted. Can't remember the name.

 

[The Wino]

Just imagine the comments if it was a French site banning UK motorhomes and caravans and was said to be becoming common!

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[Richard n Ann]

Let's all veto these idiotic sites and they'll soon change tack.
I know... It won't happen, there are too many of us.

 

[The Wino]

Let's all veto these idiotic sites and they'll soon change tack.
I know... It won't happen, there are too many of us.

I think if demand is the same as last year they're never going to notice any difference if some veto them. I think even if our door was on the UK side it would put me off if they're like that about which side the door is I bet it's not a very welcoming place

 

[scotzsue]

Have been on sites which want all doors facing the same way, no problem in a motorhome, drive or reverse in, however they also state a frame of caravans to be facing the road so more difficult for them so possible one row of each depending on where your door is. We often go with friends and have our doors facing, but prefer the anything goes sites so long as you are on your pitch

 

[Sapper520]

Just Googled it……found articles dating back to 2008, so nothing new really.

 

[nicholsong]

As none campsite users I do not know whether to laugh or cry at some of the circumstances some of you describe.

However may I just make some observations -

If privacy is an issue, do these campsites expect on to close the curtains on the side facing the adjacent door?

If Covid is an issue, do they expect one to keep the windows shut on the side facing the adjacent door?

I can also envisage a series of pitches where there is a mixture of UK and Continental MHs in a certain sequence where it is impossible to meet the rule for everyone.

Seems to me that where these rules apply that they have been rafted by 'A bear with very little brain'

Anyway one of the many reasons to avoid campsites, at least in UK. Did I mention dogs, kids kicking footballs around, drunken parties, paying for facilities we would never use etc.? See you beside a nice lake/ up a mountain, wherever we spot a good place to park.

Geoff

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[Notts Archer]

When we parked on a Swiss site a few years ago I was told that the site rule was to back in to the space so that all hab doors face the same way. It came as a bit of a surprised when I said that we had a hab door on the left and would face next door. Because rules are rules, the owner immediately gave us two plots so nobody next door to get upset. I’m not sure what would have happened if the site was too busy but a win-win outcome.

 

[Northernraider]

Im so glad i don't use sites.

 

[Guigsy]

What's the logic for not allowing continental vans to face the other way?

 

[CazPaul]

I’ve never seen it said over here and ours is a 2005 German van LHD.

What difference would it make, so if you are a site owner and are half full, then we turn up with our door on the opposite side we get told we can’t stay?

 

[Viennese]

The WildAx Pulsar (UK built) has sliding doors on both sides - that should give them a conundrum. When camping with friends we once pitched so the vans' sliding doors were facing each other and the wind out canopies could form a roof across and another friend could pitch a tent underneath! Worked out brilliantly when it rained at Cropredy!

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[cliffanger]

Once on a club site I was asked to turn around because the next camper could look straight in, I refused because I wanted the door on the sunny side, they just had to put up with it and so did I.

We did that on Les Mures in St Tropez. We had been parked up the other way when Phil Taran_Las was with us so we were facing him, but we were in the shade, so when he left we turned the van around (just happened to be when our German neighbours were out).

They returned and Frau had an apoplectic fit! Herr said nothing, but she more than made up for it! Demanded we turn back around so they didn’t have to face us, and could have their privacy (have you SEEN Les Mures? - privacy is non existent! )

When we refused to move she stormed off to reception to complain- no luck there, so they stuck it out for two more days then moved on.

We happily sat outside the van during those two days, chatting to other neighbours, and generally REALLY p*^^*^g her off!

Didn’t do much for Anglo German relations ….

 

[Two of usI]

One nose in one rear end in

That is what I was asked to do on a site in Dorset ( won't say which one as they may take umbrage and then ban us )

 

[Detnor]

We were on a rally in the summer, all vehicles to have there doors facing the same way, why, well that meant everyone had a south facing aspect and got the sun all day.

 

[Spriddler]

Never seen the logic in this with caravans. In an emergency, who the heck is going to
a. Find the keys
B. Unlock the wheel lock
C. Find the wheel brace and remove the bolt.
D. Remove the hitch lock
E. Wind up the corner steadies, after unlocking them if locked.
F. Revove the wheel chocks.
G. Disconnect the water
H. Disconnect the electrics
I. Take down the awning .. cos it took all afternoon to put up and cost a fortune
J Attach a towcar cos your outfit weighs 1800 kgs Etc etc
Aĺl this while the next van is in flames. Nah. 6m is enough for Uk, fag packet is enough for the French.
Live and let live or whatever it is en francais.

Dream on! If it was next to a burning m/h or c'van the site staff or fire service would just hitch up a tug and drag it out as it is to create a fire break in the row. They'll have insurance to cover the cost of damage.
I saw it done in the camping field at a countryside show.

 

[Jonno1103]

There's a site near Corfe that doesn't allow European sided motorhomes or caravans.

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