Another Etiquette Query (1 Viewer)

[Kingham]

Whilst on a lovely private site recently, I was parked at the edge of a hard standing and had my drive away awning erected on the hard standing too. Me and the dog made use of the strip of grass between us and the next hard standing, for generally lying around like loppy dogs and starting our sun tans, which him being a black Lab left him with a head start.

The neighbours were pitched up in the same manner when I arrived, so I just assumed this was the best way to pitch, especially as the awning and grass were on the sunnier side.

Those neighbours left and were replaced by a motorhome that had it's door on the offside and as they had reversed on to the pitch, our habitation doors were directly facing each other across the small strip of grass. This was my last night, so my awning was down and packed, leaving the view directly out of my open side door, from my side facing sofa, looking directly into my neighbour's open door.

Having been rudely accused of being sad and looking for an argument once today, by someone who couldn't be bothered to ask a polite question, I would just like to explain that this is not a complaint, it is a genuine 'etiquette' query that I haven't previously experienced in all my years of caravanning and motorhoming, but must be a fairly common occurrence with the number of 'continental' vans on the road.

Had the neighbours also put up an awning and wanted to use the grass, would we all be expected to just cosy up and share, or would etiquette suggest that they should have pitched front end in and used the grass on the other side of their van ?

 

[Munchie]

If you were there first it was for them to park with their door facing away from you, as we would do!

 

[sylvester1954]

Agreed

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[Alistair33]

If you were there first it was for them to park with their door facing away from you, as we would do!

Sounds a bit anti-social? But then we're very new to this !

 

[Zepp]

Ive got no idea who is wright or wrong if a motorhome drives into a pitch if the engine does not start how will he/she get recovered there is no towing eye on the back of a motorhome.

 

[Munchie]

Whenever we arrive on a site/aire we try to consider how what we do might impact on others. Just seems to be manners to me. Doors on the same sides afford a modicom of privacy to your neighbours. Just being condiderate makes friends.

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[DBK]

I'm not sure there is a definitive answer. With MH's having doors on different sides, depending where they come from and then add "local factors" particularly how easy it might be to access the space and it gets more complex.

That's us on the left in a busy aire (Mende on the Lot) and our side door opens up directly opposite the Belgian's door beyond. I could have reversed in but then might have struggled to get out the following day had someone parked opposite, which indeed they did later.
The Belgian was nice though - born in Preston - so parking the wrong way does encourage you to meet people!

 

[Stretto Boy]

I think most of us would try and avoid this situation arising by the last to arrive taking due note of how the neighbours were parked and doing the right thing in the circumstances. The CMC's rigid rules about parking up to the white peg would help but for the fact that British vans have the habitation door on our nearside and continental ones on the opposite side.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Good job it was Norman's day off.

That's yet another example of why we hate campsites.

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[chaser]

We have never had any problem and never even thought about it, as we couldn't care less who does what but I always thought reversing in is the correct way , irrespective of anything else apart from the odd times we have had to park the other way to get reasonabley level.

 

[Silver-Fox]

As of yet not used a site or come to it an Aire.

Our bed is at the rear so I always reverse into a space so we can see out of the front and its quieter when we go to bed

More a practical thing with me

 

[chaser]

We have never had any problem and never even thought about it, as we couldn't care less who does what but I always thought reversing in is the correct way , irrespective of anything else apart from the odd times we have had to park the other way to get reasonabley level.

Reading that again , it might appear I ment we weren't bothered about other people's view , what I really meant we are not bothered how they park in relation to us.

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[sdc77]

Ive got no idea who is wright or wrong if a motorhome drives into a pitch if the engine does not start how will he/she get recovered there is no towing eye on the back of a motorhome.

That's really not an issue..

 

[Zepp]

That's really not an issue..

Why

 

[chaser]

That's really not an issue..

I think you will find it's more of the issue , than worrying about where the next doors door is.

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[Bobby22]

I like to park, if on a site, so that my door faces the afternoon / evening sunshine if possible.

 

[Lorryman100]

A MoHo came and parked beside us at Rosedale Abbey reversing in like we had. Unfortunately it was a UK van with the door on the left and ours being on the right, not usually an issue but this couple had a couple of Cocker spaniels and did not put them on leads. Again not an issue normally as we are now and have been in the past Cocker adopters (I would say owners but the little tikes have a way of becoming the boss). Our Cocker Daisy is a rescue and had a very bad start in life, so much so she is fear aggressive towards other dogs and people she does not know. Again not an issue as we always have Daisy on a lead and walk her away from other dogs and she is a 100 times better now than when we adopted her. The problem arose when the next door dogs would come over to make friends with Daisy, which did not go down well in the barking department. Then the dogs owners realised that their dogs were not with them in the van and came to the door to call them back to which the 2 dogs ignored all recall attempts. Rather than get into an argument with the irresponsible owners we just moved to another pitch and informed the wardens of the reason why we moved. When we were at Pembrey a tugger opposite used our pitch as a shortcut when walking his 3 dogs passing very close to the offside of the van were the door was open with the flyscreen closed and Daisy lying there. I was pissed at him and asked if I could help but he just wandered on ignoring me and the commotion he had started with Daisy. Again we just moved as again it was not worth the grief and aggro of interacting with this old ignorant pr**k.

 

[Anthea M]

We have a continental van and on CMC sites we can be pushed into a corner if the peg is there. So sometimes we drive in . Never had any one accuse us of being nosy facing their door!

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[Lenny HB]

If its tight on an Aire with only a couple feet between vans I will park with hab door on the opposite side to the next vans door, if plenty of space I'll park with afternoon sun on my hab door side.
Never normally a problem, well only for those Brit vans with the hab door on the wrong side.

 

[The Wino]

I think this is a bit like people who think the road outside their house belongs to them. The hardstanding is your bit anywhere else unless marked out is fair game for anyone. If you happen to face the next ones door so what I normally wear clothes in the van. Our door is on the continental side but I park where I think is best in terms of view slope convenience etc if anyone is worried about facing me they can either keep the blinds down or put up a windbreak and hide behind it.

 

[Silver-Fox]

If its tight on an Aire with only a couple feet between vans I will park with hab door on the opposite side to the next vans door, if plenty of space I'll park with afternoon sun on my hab door side.
Never normally a problem, well only for those Brit vans with the hab door on the wrong side.

If your not parked on an end and park with your door opposite side to your neighbour. What do you do if the next van in parks with their door opposite yours

Tricky ehh

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[Silver-Fox]

I think this is a bit like people who think the road outside their house belongs to them. The hardstanding is your bit anywhere else unless marked out is fair game for anyone. If you happen to face the next ones door so what I normally wear clothes in the van. Our door is on the continental side but I park where I think is best in terms of view slope convenience etc if anyone is worried about facing me they can either keep the blinds down or put up a windbreak and hide behind it.

Very forthright

 

[Anthea M]

If your not parked on an end and park with your door opposite side to your neighbour. What do you do if the next van in parks with their door opposite yours

Tricky ehh

Say hello!!

 

[sdc77]

Ive got no idea who is wright or wrong if a motorhome drives into a pitch if the engine does not start how will he/she get recovered there is no towing eye on the back of a motorhome.

That's really not an issue..

Why

Because you're in your van on a site.. Park what's best for you. If you break down then call a recovery company and let them do their job. Surely your priority when on holiday is your enjoyment. It's like saying you park with your fridge away from the sun..... Ahh .. oh wait.

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[BMM]

Buy a Motorhome they said, travel to new places, meet lots of interesting people, Just don't park too close to them or have your door facing them and avoid eye contact at all cost!

 

[Euphony]

I am relatively new to MH(ing) and had no idea there was an etiquette for this. We have, in every trip so far, parked facing the best view so that we have a near panoramic vista through the windscreen. I've never had an issue with any "neighbours" and in every site we've been on we've seen motorhomes parked randomly in a mix of nose-in, tail-in and diagonally in (camper vans).

 

[Carol]

Good question, and you do come across it, if you were parked there first, not to much of a issue if there is grass inbetween but for me there would be a issue and objection if they then proceeded to put a canopy/awning on the adjoining grass which was designated to my pitch.

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[GAVLAD]

Times like these that you could have done with an obnoxious warden being condescending in a sarcastic manner, playing with a Corgi Toy on a green plinth showing you how to park against a peg. Then maybe your neighbour would have known to have their door facing away from yours.

 

[Welsh girl]

Agree with this. If it seems as if we might have difficulty getting out we always reverse in and just put up with facing the wrong way.

Ive got no idea who is wright or wrong if a motorhome drives into a pitch if the engine does not start how will he/she get recovered there is no towing eye on the back of a motorhome.

 

[lorger]

If I'm reading the Ops post correctly the bit of grass was between pitches, in my opinion that's there for anyone's use you have paid for the pitch not the whole site.

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