Ground Matting (1 Viewer)

Spottycatz

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Still making mistakes! But they're not as costly.
France and Spain camping. Is there a problem (generally) with laying down 'matting' outside your MH. When we were in France previously, some of the sites were fairly sandy and/or muddy, so now we are doing this looooong trip, it would be good to know what other folk do. Many thankees. :thumb:
 

John & Joan

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France and Spain camping. Is there a problem (generally) with laying down 'matting' outside your MH. When we were in France previously, some of the sites were fairly sandy and/or muddy, so now we are doing this looooong trip, it would be good to know what other folk do. Many thankees. :thumb:

If you use camp sites you should have no problem putting out matting or groundsheets.

If you are using Aires or wild parking, anything outside of the vans footprint, as it would be while being driven on the road, is a no no (by law).

Spain get lots of heavy rain from late October to late December. This can turn sites into mud baths and rivers, for short periods but they also dry up quickly. If wild parking beware of staying on low ground or dry river beds known as ramblas as the water can come down in torrents in these ramblas without warning, even if it is dry where you are. Two years ago two 44 ton loaded waggons were washed out to sea at El Portus. Every year in Spain there are deaths due to this "gota fria" effect.

Many long term users, use extra mud sheet layers under groundsheets that they buy cheaply in Spain and discard when the ground dries up. We got loads from the bins when we were there for 6 months. Many Spanish camp sites actively discourage grass and spray with weed killer as soon as any green appears in spring.
 

Loujess

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Whoops - I thought it said 'mating'. I was about to be shocked. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Ivy

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Armytwowheels

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If you use camp sites you should have no problem putting out matting or groundsheets.

If you are using Aires or wild parking, anything outside of the vans footprint, as it would be while being driven on the road, is a no no (by law).

I didn't realise this about aires. Does this mean you can't sit outside the van for a meal if you are on an aire? We are planning our first trip to France this Autumn and was going to using aires as well as campsites.
 
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No, your not suppose to sit outside on an Aire but some do and give us all a bad name. Your not even suppose to roll out your awning, an aire is basically a car park for motorhomes. I have "All the Aires France" book with map, if you want to borrow it, I won't need it until next year. PM me.
 

keith

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Some sites do encourage grass & ask you to use breathable groundsheets, Pinar San Jose, La Futurist in France being two I know of. They water the ground if no rain has fallen which is nicer than the all gravel sites IMO.

Correct about no tables & chairs but some do have picnic tables so I am sure in that case it wouldn't be a problem, it's hanging washing out :Eeek: and the like that gets us noticed & gives us the bad name.

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MikeandCarolyn

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France and Spain camping. Is there a problem (generally) with laying down 'matting' outside your MH. When we were in France previously, some of the sites were fairly sandy and/or muddy, so now we are doing this looooong trip, it would be good to know what other folk do. Many thankees. :thumb:


No problems with putting 'matting' down. It's when you take it up the problems start :ROFLMAO: Our Morrocan mat was down for 3mths at Marjal and I am still trying to get the underside clean ::bigsmile:

Mike
 

Armytwowheels

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This thread has been great for first timers into Europe, thank you everyone. Even though it was originally about matting:ROFLMAO:
 

normanandsue

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No, your not suppose to sit outside on an Aire but some do and give us all a bad name. Your not even suppose to roll out your awning, an aire is basically a car park for motorhomes. I have "All the Aires France" book with map, if you want to borrow it, I won't need it until next year. PM me.

Whilst you are quite correct about putting out chairs on an aire de camping if there is a grassy area in front or to the side of your mh on which it is not expected another vehicle will park then no one will object if you put out your chair and sun yourself. Winding out your awning is a no no if you will prevent another mh parking next to you. Some times when there is a grassy space next to our mh we have half wound out our awning for shade but always wound it in again if we were going away and at night.
I agree with Dave about giving motorhomers a bad name, sadly the French are worst of all, whilst away this year at Castelane two French motorhomes parked on spaces 1 & 3 with doors facing then wound out their awnings and placed two tables and six chairs out in space 2. No one said a word even when the aire was full and people had to move on because they occupied a space.
When using aire de camping in France we only obey two rules, 1 be considerate, 2 treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.

Norman

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