Strange goings on at CandMC site

[Reallyretired]

I have no problem with CMC rules, but then I'm not a member and would avoid their sites like the plague.

 

[Blaydon]

Hi there. Many years ago we arrived at a CC site in Scotland in our aged MH. After clocking in, the warden came out of the office to ‘Show us ‘ to our pitch. He looked at our van, then went back into the office and changed our pitch. We were then taken to the back of the site, out of sight of the rest of the campers.
being young we did not comment. I would now though!

 

[Tea Bag]

We were then taken to the back of the site, out of sight of the rest of the campers.

Hi.
We are members of the CnMC. First. Aires in France Free/10 eu/11eu now. CL's-CS's £10/£12.NON of these are " Regimented". THS's... the list goes on,cheap as chips. " Hidden out of sight..". If i remember,when we first joined,you had to put down your car and c/van on the application forms and this could mean being allowed in or not.First Rally Derbyshire centre Matlock1973. Used an " OLD " White'ish.... 1100 austin to get to and leave up the quarry while working away. Promised Jennifer i WOULD be home friday..... About 19.00 hrs,shot along to Matlock from the quarry ,the site,rally marshal comes out,so i asked him if it was to late for me to fetch the c/van and arrive..... He looked the 1100 up and down and asked " What c/van have you got ?" It was a Europa 390c ?. When i told him he said " Are you pulling it with THAT ?" Told him no,we had just bought a brand new marina 1.8.
The upshot was yes i could fetch it,there was a marked pecking order while on site and i said we would never go again. However talking to" Tom Rangley/Rainsley ? ( Super bloke) " Tarmac vehicle trouble shooter ( 70's' onwards ) persuaded me to go with him to a Nottingham rally. It was a totally different experience,had a great time and went when work would allow.
Parking on a C/van site...There are certain rules.... Parking in Supermarket Car parks...certain rules,that if not followed could land you with a hefty fine...and you have a receipt for around £100 in your hand,it has not got THAT bad yet ??
Tea Bag

 

[Langtoftlad]

Sheesh - the "club" haters have got it bad this week .

 

[Minxy]

Then they must be incomers as East Yorkshire people will say it as they see it but are equally as friendly as they come. Perhaps a lot have retired from Hull ( east side)! Joking!

Good job I come from the West side otherwise you'd be in trouble!

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[Apache]

I wonder if they move the pegs regularly, as some form of wear control - stops the grass getting worn down and killed off by people always parking in the same spot ....? Given the variety of van sizes, seems unlikely but ......

It’s a hard standing

 

[pandas]

Has anyone who posted negative comments about the pegs actually thought they are there for a reason. A fire break distance to stop your motorhome going up in flames if the one next to you does. Or you could park on an aire and have a french motorhome park so close you could pass him a cup of tea through the window and maybe a fire extinguisher.

Another point related to tuggers is that if required the fire brigade could tow the caravan off the pitch in an emergency (even if the ball hitch or wheels are locked) to create a firebreak. Actually occasionally we quite like the formality of the sites which does help overcome the issue of those that are not socially aware to keep a distance. We park either front or back in according to the pitch location which is never a problem.

 

[Sapper520]

Just spent 3 nights in Cromer. Checked in, told we could pick our own spot.......any with a white peg.

As we were parking up, the Warden came over and said don’t worry about getting on the peg otherwise we’d be stepping out in mud ( ground sheet damage from previous tenants). Shifted over so we could step out onto fresh grass......we had a very pleasant few days.

 

[maison]

Another point related to tuggers is that if required the fire brigade could tow the caravan off the pitch in an emergency (even if the ball hitch or wheels are locked) to create a firebreak. Actually occasionally we quite like the formality of the sites which does help overcome the issue of those that are not socially aware to keep a distance. We park either front or back in according to the pitch location which is never a problem.

As an ex-firefighter I would not like to have the experience of trying to pull a Caravan off a pitch,which has steadies deployed and/or a ball hitch, and a fire on the neighbouring pitch.

One of the adverse effects of programmes like “London’s Burning” etc is that everyone thinks that they know what is involved.

If you have never experienced the heat radiated from a fire, that can cause sympathetic ignition across a considerable distance, then you literally have no idea.

Why do you think that Firefighters PPE is designed to withstand such high temperatures? 600C is not unusual in a house fire. In the open air the radiated heat across 6m is still likely to be the equivalent of 200C to 300C.
The boiling point of water is 100C. What more do you need to know?

 

[pandas]

As an ex-firefighter I would not like to have the experience of trying to pull a Caravan off a pitch,which has steadies deployed and/or a ball hitch, and a fire on the neighbouring pitch.

One of the adverse effects of programmes like “London’s Burning” etc is that everyone thinks that they know what is involved.

If you have never experienced the heat radiated from a fire, that can cause sympathetic ignition across a considerable distance, then you literally have no idea.

Why do you think that Firefighters PPE is designed to withstand such high temperatures? 600C is not unusual in a house fire. In the open air the radiated heat across 6m is still likely to be the equivalent of 200C to 300C.
The boiling point of water is 100C. What more do you need to know?

Blimey that put me in my place! That will teach me to play back what I was told.

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[maison]

Blimey that put me in my place! That will teach me to play back what I was told.

Sorry!

Just trying to spread the word.

 

[nicholsong]

As an ex-firefighter I would not like to have the experience of trying to pull a Caravan off a pitch,which has steadies deployed and/or a ball hitch, and a fire on the neighbouring pitch.

One of the adverse effects of programmes like “London’s Burning” etc is that everyone thinks that they know what is involved.

If you have never experienced the heat radiated from a fire, that can cause sympathetic ignition across a considerable distance, then you literally have no idea.

Why do you think that Firefighters PPE is designed to withstand such high temperatures? 600C is not unusual in a house fire. In the open air the radiated heat across 6m is still likely to be the equivalent of 200C to 300C.
The boiling point of water is 100C. What more do you need to know?

Very useful information, but it also appears that even 6m might not be enough to protect vehicles which have several combustible materials.

If the adjacent vehicle is occupied at the first signs of a fire there is the brief chance to drive it away. If unoccupied at least the owners are safe.

I emphasised brief because hanging around would not be recommended, particularly when gas is involved.

Maison's comments would be welcome.

Geoff

 

[maison]

Very useful information, but it also appears that even 6m might not be enough to protect vehicles which have several combustible materials.

If the adjacent vehicle is occupied at the first signs of a fire there is the brief chance to drive it away. If unoccupied at least the owners are safe.

I emphasised brief because hanging around would not be recommended, particularly when gas is involved.

Maison's comments would be welcome.

Geoff

No, you are correct.

In exceptional circumstances 6m may not be enough to stop fire spread. It is an ameliorating measure much like the 2m rule with Covid. It doesn’t give guaranteed protection but is regarded as the best compromise. Clearly, in a Pub, having the tables 4m apart rather than 2m would give enhanced protection but would not be practicable for the business. Likewise for caravan pitches.

If a fire occurred in a parked unit, with a motorhome there may be time to drive away if you are on an adjacent pitch. If awnings are deployed and seats turned around all will increase the difficulty of moving the m/h but it may be possible.

With a caravan with the steadies down, Hitchlock and wheel-clamp fitted, and possibly a full awning up the chance would be negligible. The best idea would be to try to tackle the fire using on-site facilities, hose reels etc. while moving the units from the next but one pitch. The intervening vans/motorhomes would give some protection while you are working.

Incidentally, once a fire is fully established in a caravan or motorhome it is unlikely that a simple extinguisher will have the capacity to deal with it. In the very early stages yes, once established no, hose reels would be better and could also be used to protect neighbouring units.

The lightweight construction of furniture etc in motorhomes/caravans enables fire to spread very rapidly once initial flames get out of hand. Aluminium panels simply soften and melt. I did not attend many fires in such units thank goodness, but never attended one that wasn’t almost burned out by the time we arrived, such is the rate of fire increase.

I hope the above is of interest nicholsong , but I must stress that it is only my opinion, albeit as a result of 33years experience. I only hope that no Forum member has to experience such an event.

 

[nicholsong]

Maison thanks for your excellent reply. The info it contains is very much as I anticipated.

The other burning materials are the plastics and the aluminium once it reaches a heat for the magnesium content to burn - see burnt-out aircraft for that result.

I think once a fire has a foothold in a MH or caravan only an immediate response from an airport fire tender with its high-powered foam capability could save it, and probably still be beyond economic repair.

Geoff

 

[maison]

Maison thanks for your excellent reply. The info it contains is very much as I anticipated.

The other burning materials are the plastics and the aluminium once it reaches a heat for the magnesium content to burn - see burnt-out aircraft for that result.

I think once a fire has a foothold in a MH or caravan only an immediate response from an airport fire tender with its high-powered foam capability could save it, and probably still be beyond economic repair.

Geoff

I agree totally. Just let’s hope it doesn’t happen to any of our vehicles.

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[Aerialmark]

We stayed at Bridlington in August and was told the same thing about the new head warden being a stickler for parking on the peg. I think this was the lady

But just for balance we also stayed at Great Yarmouth racecourse in August and the wardens were lovely.

 

[Minxy]

Strewth that last photo brought back memories! At one point I worked in an office when the programme was on the TV ... unfortunately the name of the office was Campus Services ... oh how I Iaughed when everyone who rang me though it was hilarious to say Hi-di-hi!

Mind you, my hubby worked in Central Office Supplies so I used to call him my 'little lettuce'!

 

[Cheshirecat57]

maison

ameliorating......spectacular word

 

[two]

I thought C&MC was only using every other pitch, at the moment, so there ought to be plenty of tolerance in the spacing.
I've always thought there should be two pegs and be asked to park between them. Then no need to refer to "driver's side" or "near side". It used to amuse me to ask if they knew which was my driver's side or which side the cab door was on - they seemed pre-programmed to make an assumption that everyone was in a Brit-built van.

 

[The Coops]

May I add to Maisons post that unless you have seen a gas bottle *boiling off *and exploding in a fire then you have no idea of how explosive they can be and how much shrapnel will come off!

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[Potty]

I thought C&MC was only using every other pitch, at the moment, so there ought to be plenty of tolerance in the spacing.
I've always thought there should be two pegs and be asked to park between them. Then no need to refer to "driver's side" or "near side". It used to amuse me to ask if they knew which was my driver's side or which side the cab door was on - they seemed pre-programmed to make an assumption that everyone was in a Brit-built van.

Forget driver’s side, just park so that the van is to the right of the peg as you face it, much easier to remember if you go in forwards rather than reversing

 

[maison]

I thought C&MC was only using every other pitch, at the moment, so there ought to be plenty of tolerance in the spacing.
I've always thought there should be two pegs and be asked to park between them. Then no need to refer to "driver's side" or "near side". It used to amuse me to ask if they knew which was my driver's side or which side the cab door was on - they seemed pre-programmed to make an assumption that everyone was in a Brit-built van.

We have just returned from a short trip using two C&MC sites, Crossways and Littlehampton. Both were using all pitches ie normal spacing.

 

[Minxy]

maison

ameliorating......spectacular word

Not half as good as 'intumescent' ... I had to do an order for some windows which had to have intumescent seals once ... I asked the surveyor what it meant ... he didn't half go red! I did look it up and some of the dictionary descriptions of it are interesting to say the least!

 

[yorkieman]

Makes me glad we dropped the CMC as a club
In 20+ years membership the number of relaxed sites has dwindled
the price of CL's had gone up as they try to be mini sites giving glamping quality

Give me an Aire anywhere

Totally agree. That's what we loved about Northern Spain. All the Aires were of a sufficiently high standard and had everything we needed; toilet waste, grey waste, fresh water, etc. And some even had inexpensive electric hook-ups.

I wish the UK would introduce such places as many of us motorhomers don't necessarily want to wild camp, we just don't water to pay thirty quid to stay on a site that doesn't offer us anything we need, and quite a lot we don't actually want.

The aires in Spain were mainly less than 5 euros a night. The most we paid was in Pamplona, and that was 10 euros for a nice and clean area with security barriers, electric, and about quarter of mile from the center of town.

 

[Hirsch]

Totally agree. That's what we loved about Northern Spain. All the Aires were of a sufficiently high standard and had everything we needed; toilet waste, grey waste, fresh water, etc. And some even had inexpensive electric hook-ups.

I wish the UK would introduce such places as many of us motorhomers don't necessarily want to wild camp, we just don't water to pay thirty quid to stay on a site that doesn't offer us anything we need, and quite a lot we don't actually want.

The aires in Spain were mainly less than 5 euros a night. The most we paid was in Pamplona, and that was 10 euros for a nice and clean area with security barriers, electric, and about quarter of mile from the center of town.

Have we stopped 'being' the Peoples 'Democratic' Republic?

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[pelican]

Name names! Which site, HQ would be more than interested in such a *jobsworth!*

Not a jobs worth more of someone who needs replacing

 

[pelican]

So disappointing..... when you said “strange goings on” I was at least expecting a bunch of tuggers dancing naked around a blazing fire in some primitive pagan anti motorhome ritual.


serious note..... apart from Thetford forest where I was parked in middle of the pitch with no canopy, “yeah that’s near enough” is the worst I have ever heard

Can you poo in the Thetford Forest

 

[pelican]

Has anyone who posted negative comments about the pegs actually thought they are there for a reason. A fire break distance to stop your motorhome going up in flames if the one next to you does. Or you could park on an aire and have a french motorhome park so close you could pass him a cup of tea through the window and maybe a fire extinguisher.

If it went up in flames I would want to be 20m away

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Not half as good as 'intumescent' ... I had to do an order for some windows which had to have intumescent seals once ... I asked the surveyor what it meant ... he didn't half go red! I did look it up and some of the dictionary descriptions of it are interesting to say the least!

If you have some spare just hold a lighted match underneath it. Amazing results!

 

[pelican]

Nahhh!. Just gives the Wardens something to do, beside cut grass and clean bog`s.

And make an infernal noise with all of their machines

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