Campsites (2 Viewers)

Babyell

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We have only ever been camping so please excuse my dumbness!

If you go to a campsite and don't want electric hook up, can you set up anywhere like you would with a tent or do they make you park is a designated MH area?
 

scotjimland

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Most, if not all sites have EHU .. and if they do, there is generally no option for not having it.. it's part of the pitch price (unless metered.) .

So no opt out, a complaint many of us have who are leccy self sufficient but have no option but pay for an unneeded EHU

Some sites have hard standings for motorhomes.. most do not...
 
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MattR

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We only use hookups when it is part of the pitch fee - most of the time we haven't been charged for ehu if we do not use it and most of the time, we pitch on areas without ehu anyway. As for why we wouldn't want it, we don't need it.
 
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gibbon

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Usually you choose the spot then notify the office with the pitch no. Why wouldn't you want leccy ?

Because the difference on some sites can be an extra fiver a night.
When there's an option to not have it we choose not to.
It's not about being tight fisted, we invested in solar instead(y)
Those fivers add up after a couple of weeks:D
 
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Babyell

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I don't really like the closeness of the EHU pitches. I prefer to be far away so kids have space to run about without cars etc passing by.

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Babyell

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I plan to get solar panels so we can be self sufficient and be able to go where we want to. Being a newbie maybe a bit naive but I would think we would mainly use gas as out cooker, heater and fridge run off gas. Not sure about toilet? Haven't figured that out yet!
 
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Babyell

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A site we usually go to want £65 for 3 night without EHU and £92 for same duration on EHU so would prefer to rely on our own energy supply
 
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Floydster

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Being a newbie maybe a bit naive but I would think we would mainly use gas as out cooker, heater and fridge run off gas. Not sure about toilet? Haven't figured that out yet!

Our toilet runs on gas a lot!!!!!:eek:....:D

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MattR

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I plan to get solar panels so we can be self sufficient and be able to go where we want to. Being a newbie maybe a bit naive but I would think we would mainly use gas as out cooker, heater and fridge run off gas. Not sure about toilet? Haven't figured that out yet!

I would have a few trips without getting solar panels fitted; we don't have them and only have a 90amh battery but can last around 4 days with it in cool and wet conditions and a week or so if it is warm outside when we tend to live outside and just sleep in the mh. Gas supplies our fridge and cooker. We rarely use the heater. Solar panels appear to be great if you are leaving the van standing for weeks on end in storage, have high power draining devices or prefer to pitch up and stay for a week or so rather than touring.
 
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denisejoe

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Babyell - CLs and CSs are the small 5 van sites which are affiliated to the 2 big clubs CC & CCC respectively.

If you are a member of either then you will have access to these small sites. They are often just in fields with fresh water, Chemical Disposal Point. Some also provide other facilities including toilets, showers and EHU. Prices vary but are usually much cheaper than commerical sites.

They also run DA (district association) rallies most weekends. If you plan on getting away as often as possible, as we do - we try to get away most weekends - then one of other are worth joining. We belong to CCC as find it better for us as no need to make a decision as to where to go until the last minute as you don't need to book. The CC on the other hand expect you to book in advance for their Centre rallies.

CCC also run Temporary Holiday Sites (THSs) which is useful if you want to get away for longer. They are often in really good areas. You can stay for as little as one night or for the duration of the meet, usually 3 or 4 weeks, whatever suits you.

Worth having a look at the websites to help you decide if it's for you.

Denise

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Over the last couple of years we have visited a couple of sites adopting the 'eco' approach, you only pay for the electricity you use. I checked how much we were paying at one and there was little, if any, mark-up from what the site owner would have been paying. A sensible idea but probably only worth it when installing ehu's.
 
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scotjimland

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I checked how much we were paying at one and there was little, if any, mark-up from what the site owner would have been paying. A sensible idea but probably only worth it when installing ehu's.

It is illegal for a site owner to 'mark up' the unit rate.. but they will be charging 'commercial' rate which is higher than domestic.

Converting an EHU into a metered supply doesn't need to be costly.. our friends who have a CL put in card operated meters, they fit inside the existing EHU DB box.. They paid for themselves in the first season..
 
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Babyell

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denisejoe what are they classed as on the CCC website?

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Don Quixote

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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
I would have a few trips without getting solar panels fitted; we don't have them and only have a 90amh battery but can last around 4 days with it in cool and wet conditions and a week or so if it is warm outside when we tend to live outside and just sleep in the mh. Gas supplies our fridge and cooker. We rarely use the heater. Solar panels appear to be great if you are leaving the van standing for weeks on end in storage, have high power draining devices or prefer to pitch up and stay for a week or so rather than touring.

I respect your choice not to have solar, however there is no way you can run: TV, (2.5amps per hour ) water pump ( 3/4 amps per hour ), charge mobile phone ( 1/2amps per hour ) charge a computer ( 3/4 amps per hour ) run LED lights ( .5 / 2amps per hour ) flush the toilet ( 2/3 amps per hour ) etc etc etc unless of course you only watch TV for 2 ish hours and don't shower and of course do not have a mobile or computer. As I have stated before without solar panels you will not be able to draw what many MH owners want from ANY battery for very long before killing it. The average MH draws 5/10 amps per hour and therefore 5 hours of TV etc will be 25 amps - you have a 90amp hour battery so you ONLY have 45amps before you start to kill the battery.
 
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Don Quixote

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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
We have only ever been camping so please excuse my dumbness!

If you go to a campsite and don't want electric hook up, can you set up anywhere like you would with a tent or do they make you park is a designated MH area?

You will need solar period to run off EHU. There is NO SUCH THING as a dumb question.
 
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Babyell

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Can anyone recommend a solar fitter in Lancashire area that can advise an ideal set up. I don't know what size battery is but the old owners paid about £65 for it . So may need another battery as well.

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On the CCC website you can see them as a non member - however - if you want the actual location and the contact info - not without being a member, registering it on the website, and logging in.

On the CC website - you can't see them at all. Dunno which is worse really for a non member ! Probably the CC cos you can't even see if there is any in your chosen area whereas at least if there were a number thereabouts you might join cos stay on one of these with either club and you'd easily save your membership fees in a few nights.
 
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Babyell

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We are members now so we can have a good look.

Any recommendations? We would like. . A shop on site or near by. Local pub/village. Lots of space for two toddlers to run about . Dogs allowed. Walks ....

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magicsurfbus

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In answer to the OP it varies with the site.

Some have compulsory EHU, some have optional, some have none. I can think of examples of each that we use. Whether or not you can park away from the fully-featured pitches is up to the campsite management, but that's what I prefer.
 
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funflair

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Wildman, whats a CL? The site is Parkfoot in Ullswater

Hi

Park Foot is nice and the Lake District is not the cheapest area in the country, we were there a few weeks ago and stayed in the camping field without EHU we booked it at main reception and then they just told us to go park anywhere we wanted.

Martin
 
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Babyell

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Great minds. ... We always go to park foot or waterside next door and wanted to try somewhere different for a change :)

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funflair

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Ah sorry I misread and thought that was where you wanted to go.

You could try joining the MCC, that Motor Caravanners Club and nothing to do with crickets. They have long weekend meets most if not every weekend and usually on Rugby club type venues close to towns and certainly no EHU. The best thing is most don need to be booked so just turn up where you fancy.

We are going to Grassmere this weekend.

Martin
 
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MattR

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I respect your choice not to have solar, however there is no way you can run: TV, (2.5amps per hour ) water pump ( 3/4 amps per hour ), charge mobile phone ( 1/2amps per hour ) charge a computer ( 3/4 amps per hour ) run LED lights ( .5 / 2amps per hour ) flush the toilet ( 2/3 amps per hour ) etc etc etc unless of course you only watch TV for 2 ish hours and don't shower and of course do not have a mobile or computer. As I have stated before without solar panels you will not be able to draw what many MH owners want from ANY battery for very long before killing it. The average MH draws 5/10 amps per hour and therefore 5 hours of TV etc will be 25 amps - you have a 90amp hour battery so you ONLY have 45amps before you start to kill the battery.

Your figures make sense but we don't draw as much power as your example; our 12V LED TV is only used when the weather is very poor and was only used for 15 mins between May last year and March this year (approx 30 nights). We don't tend to use the shower and don't charge our laptop from the lb. So we really just use the lb for LED lights, the water pump (loo and sink / basin) and charging mobile phones. Hence, we can get around 5 days from one charge.

Even in Scotland this Easter when we spent 3 days in the mh avoiding gales, hail storms etc. and watched approx 10 hours of DVD watching, we only started to run out of power towards the end of the 3rd day. The battery charged following an hours drive and was topped up with hour drives during the rest of the fortnight - the battery did not run out. We did spend the majority of our time outside and just cooked and slept in the van. This is probably different to many users but I do not think that solar panels are as essential as is sometimes stated.
 
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funflair

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@Mattyjwr you are quite correct in saying that the need or otherwise for solar panels is driven by your power requirement, we want to use all our 12volt and 240volt toys while we are away in the van so for us they are essential, when we had the caravan we had not heard of solar panels and could go for days on end with just the batteries, but no toys bells or whistles though.

As long as people have an understanding of the power they use and where it is going to come from they are in a position to make the choice.

You pays yer money and takes yer choice.

Martin
 
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