Ban on continental vans

[Guigsy]

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

Why don't they just let them park the other way around?

 

[Phill D]

.

 

[Phill D]

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.

a few years ago the Brother in law was awoken early hours a caravan next but one pitch away from his motorhome was on fire. ( from a hot air heater left on the floor while the caravan occupants slept).
All got out safely.

BIL immediately grab his keys to move his motorhome off pitch. The wardens who's own accommodation was less than 20 meters away were now present and had already phoned the fire brigade.
They blocked him and stopped him moving his motorhome, they insisted on just getting people away to the fire assembly points.
Their reasoning was that moving vehicles presented a further hazard to people on foot and rushing around panicking and could block or restrict any access for the emergency services.
Vehicles and equipment was only allowed to move at the direction of the fire brigade.

The fire brigade were there very quickly and the car and caravans either side of the fire source took the brunt of the damage.
fortunately they were able to stop the fire spreading through the trees and hedge row adjoining the rear of the pitches.

 

[Bleau’s]

Has a caravan park owner the reason that continental vans was discouraged was that most of them was owned by the travelling brigade , but now it is in our site license conditions that awnings can not face each other so we have to park continental vans in opposite to english spec vans to comply with our license and public liability policy , when we do our next development we will do one line just for continental vans to keep us legal .
WWW.Messinghamgrange .com

 

[Jonno1103]

Why don't they just let them park the other way around?

No idea, we have a British van but they didn't get our booking out of principle we went to the C&CC site instead.

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[GAVLAD]

Mine's a continental van and I've only once had an issue on site (CAMC club site).
I drove in, instead of reversing in.
A warden came straight over and ordered me to drive in to match the other vans.
When I explained that my cab door was on the opposite side and that if I did as he said, my awning would encroach the fire break rule, the other warden then said he understood and that it was ok how I had pitched and the two walked off arguing amongst themselves over the rights and wrongs. Nobody has said anything since then at any other sites we have visited.
Majority of UK sites aren't bothered as long as you stay within your pitch and don't encroach the fire break distance to the next.
I suppose that there's always going to be one site where the owner/warden is particular and if they own the site, then they have the final say.
That said, with Europe opening up to a more unrestricted way of life, I would have thought that UK sites would be glad of the future business, rather than ostracising some.

 

[Phill D]

As has been said bt Bleau’s above it will mainly depend on the site license, which can state which way round caravans / motorhome have to be parked. other than that it is the whim of the owner or warden.

 

[Gaston aires]

We have had 4 German vans and one Slovenian van, all with European door opening. I can say we have never had this problem in over 20 years of motorhome life in the U.K. or abroad.
Phil

 

[Pausim]

I don’t have an awning and I have a door on both sides. When I sit in the van I am seated on the UK near side, so if I park up with my hab door facing away from the UK awning I end up sat looking out directly into the neighbours awning.

The CMC rules specifically say you can pitch nose or tail in.
“b. On most pitches, outfits may be pitched nose or tail in. The Site Staff will advise you where your outfit should go in relation to the marker. If you wish to pitch in any other way please ask the Site Staff.”

There is no wrong side, there are just different sides. These days we all have to be tolerant of each other’s differences whatever they may be.

 

[Phill D]

I don’t have an awning and I have a door on both sides. When I sit in the van I am seated on the UK near side, so if I park up with my hab door facing away from the UK awning I end up sat looking out directly into the neighbours awning.

The CMC rules specifically say you can pitch nose or tail in.
“b. On most pitches, outfits may be pitched nose or tail in. The Site Staff will advise you where your outfit should go in relation to the marker. If you wish to pitch in any other way please ask the Site Staff.”

There is no wrong side, there are just different sides. These days we all have to be tolerant of each other’s differences whatever they may be.

Agreed there is no wrong side, but it is not to do with campers tolerating each other, it is the fact that there are some sites who will not allow you to park any other way than with awnings on the same side.
There are sites who on their web booking pages state this, and will not accept bookings from non UK side hab door vans.

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[pelican]

I was browsing campsites the other day and came across one (can't remember which now) that would not allow 'continental vans'. Why turn away business? It put me right off, they sounded like a miserable lot!

They probably don't want foreigners in continental vans and rightly so

 

[Pausim]

Agreed there is no wrong side, but it is not to do with campers tolerating each other, it is the fact that there are some sites who will not allow you to park any other way than with awnings on the same side.
There are sites who on their web booking pages state this, and will not accept bookings from non UK side hab door vans.

I have met one such site in 18 years and after a polite discussion they backed down. If the CMC don’t mind which way round you park I think this small minded, old fashioned and bigoted regimentation will soon die out.

 

[cyberyacht]

If within the pitch boundaries and, if applicable, to the peg, I'll park to suit me. If you don't like it, you are at liberty to reposition your LV the other way round. Mostly though I tend to drive on to a pitch as it often reduces the need for wedges.

 

[TDub49]

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.

Yeah, but Switzerland? They have rules about guinea pigs and flushing toilets in blocks of flats so nothing surprises me when it comes to anything they might impose on campsites . . .

 

[Spriddler]

a few years ago the Brother in law was awoken early hours a caravan next but one pitch away from his motorhome was on fire. ( from a hot air heater left on the floor while the caravan occupants slept).
All got out safely.

BIL immediately grab his keys to move his motorhome off pitch. The wardens who's own accommodation was less than 20 meters away were now present and had already phoned the fire brigade.
They blocked him and stopped him moving his motorhome, they insisted on just getting people away to the fire assembly points.
Their reasoning was that moving vehicles presented a further hazard to people on foot and rushing around panicking and could block or restrict any access for the emergency services.
Vehicles and equipment was only allowed to move at the direction of the fire brigade.

The fire brigade were there very quickly and the car and caravans either side of the fire source took the brunt of the damage.
fortunately they were able to stop the fire spreading through the trees and hedge row adjoining the rear of the pitches.

Yes, I can see that would be the plan in the dark of the early hours with dozy folk awoken and panicking in their jimjams. I guess the action taken depends to some degree on the individual circumstances and layout of the situation.
My point was really that if the decision was to move a caravan I doubt that any niceties (e.g. winding up corner steadies) would be observed.

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[Minxy]

Yeah, but Switzerland? They have rules about guinea pigs and flushing toilets in blocks of flats so nothing surprises me when it comes to anything they might impose on campsites . . .

 

[POH]

They probably don't want foreigners in continental vans and rightly so

So does that make me a foreigner in my own country because I have a continental van

 

[gerry mcg]

Absolutely bonkers!!
What is the issue. Why couldn't they let continental vans park nose in to the peg in order to maintain their odd regulation.

 

[bigtwin]

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.

I regard that as an invitation!

Ian

 

[ManTheVan]

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.

Mmm, you’re really selling that place Annie! It’s a shame we won’t be able to go there in our Rapido…

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[Emmit]

Putting on my Motorhome Fun Marshal's Hat (Yes! There is such a thing!)
can I advise any Funsters attending a Fun Rally that there may be circumstances where I will insist
that you be faced in a different direction to your immediate neighbour.

This isn't me being a Jobsworth.

During the recent 'restrictions,' it was a rule insisted upon by our Glorious Leader, On ALL ***********(Insert material ,here) be heaped.
The reason is/was simple. To maintain, as far as possible, the the minimum opportunity for cross contamination
between facing units on the Rally Field, Hell, we weren't even allowed to call it a Rally. It was renamed a Temporary Campsite.

Further, in order to maximise the available space on the field, (for those who have been, think Avon Bank Meadows, Pershore,)
this would allow more 'units' to occupy that prized riverside slot. Should units be parked, 'door to door' then 3 linear metres would
be lost for every two units when allowing the minimum of spacing.

 

[Alfie159]

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

Sounds like some old 1970,s stuffy none sense rule when people running sites commanded power and respect … clipboard sergeant sausage is say

 

[Monty777]

The only time I have ever been asked to turn my van round was in 2013 parked at the roadside on Mont Ventoux waiting for the Tour de France. We were facing up the hill and a fire warden came round and asked us to face down because if there was a fire we would need to be going down to get off the hill. That of course was totally sensible, but out of the 4 vans we have owned 3 (including the current van) have had the door on the continental side-all Hymers.