Grass Pitches (1 Viewer)

[Rainbow-Lady]

Hi there, we have just bought a 1998 Autosleeper Clubman, and have been looking at possible sites for our first outing. A few sites said "X number of hardstandings for caravans and Y number of grass pitches for motorhomes". I would have thought that motorhomes would need the hardstandings, bearing in mind the weight of the engine as well as the van? Could anybody enlighten me, please - and what are your own experience of grass pitches.

 

[hilldweller]

Get on hard standing if possible. Avoid wet grass always. Never go down hill on wet grass, you'll not get back up.

 

[adonisito]

Its a tricky one, as it depends on the underlying soil too. Given the choice at this time of year I would ALWAYS head for hardstanding, in the Summer it doesn't matter (although I'm talking a continental Summer !)

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[funflair]

This time of the year it would be quite easy to get bogged down on a grass pitch especially FWD (hopefully as we are parked on grass at the moment in our RWD) car and caravan combos get stuck as well so I can't really understand the differentiation hard standing is what it says.

Martin

 

[Lenny HB]

If you take care you won't have a problem with grass pitches. Unless the ground is bone dry & rock hard aways get out and have a good walk around stomping on the grass to make sure it is firm.
Always use bread crates or sheets of ply under all 4 wheels on grass. A lot of people make the mistake of only putting them under the driven wheels but with the weight of a van if it is there for more than a few hours any wheel on anything less than rock solid ground will sink in making a hollow making driving off difficult even if the driven wheels have support under them.

 

[Fletton]

Up here in Nth Lincs, Sth Yorks, Notts border area.... I park mostly on grass and the Moho is 4250kg.... BUT... the substrate is sand in this area.... so the soil doesn't become saturated...
If I visit an unfamiliar site I will quiz the owner and/or walk "the course"

It's just common sense

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[RogerThat]

Having had to be 'rescued' from various grassed CL/CS sites by two tractors and one pickup truck in my first today year of motorhoming I now only ever stay on winter sites that have hard standings.

Or a tractor parked in the corner

 

[SpeedyDux]

The VW camper you see in my avatar has managed to drive off a wet grass or muddy pitch many times without the need for assistance. It is only front wheel drive, not the Syncro version, but has the advantage of VW's electronic diff lock (EDL). I hope yours has this handy EDL too.

Having said that, I would always walk on the pitch first as Fletton suggested. If it is well compacted and drained it may be OK. If your heel can be pushed into the ground then it is probably too soft to take the weight, so your wheels will sink into it.

 

[Hellski]

Get on hard standing if possible. Avoid wet grass always. Never go down hill on wet grass, you'll not get back up.

I learnt this lesson the hard way whilst touring the western isles

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[hilldweller]

I learnt this lesson the hard way whilst touring the western isles

I think we've all learned it the hard way. Mine was the race track on Anglesey, great place to view right by the track, down hill to it, I knew it was stupid, what a job to get out.

Now I think about it, similar event, Festival of 1000 bikes, at Mallory Park, it took a tractor to get us in and two to get us out coz the first one got stuck. Hats off to FIAT, the BIG ONE was cutting two foot deep ruts in the mud and he dragged us sideways through this, my steering having no effect at all, but the chassis survived.

The bottom one, look at the slope, not a lot but on damp grass, a nightmare.

 

[skylinersi]

Hi there, we have just bought a 1998 Autosleeper Clubman, and have been looking at possible sites for our first outing. A few sites said "X number of hardstandings for caravans and Y number of grass pitches for motorhomes". I would have thought that motorhomes would need the hardstandings, bearing in mind the weight of the engine as well as the van? Could anybody enlighten me, please - and what are your own experience of grass pitches.

im sure there must be some mat / stand thingy's on ebay to solve this?, im sure someone will be along with some suggestions he hopes.............cos its something i hadnt considered either!

 

[KeithMak]

http://tracmat.com/index.php?id_category=14&controller=category

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[icantremember]

http://tracmat.com/index.php?id_category=14&controller=category

I agree, we carry a pair of 4' sand ladders if going anywhere where pitching is suspect and park front wheels on them ... if I had space I would carry 2 pairs which would get us out of anywhere.

 

[Ranger]

Looking at picture no 2 even my twin rear wheel drive with knobblies on would struggle in that, sometimes you just have to admit defeat.

 

[Lenny HB]

are a cheaper alternative and you can lock as many together as you like also easier to store.

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[Rainbow-Lady]

Thank you all for your helpful replies. I think, bearing in mind the weather at the moment and our age (early 70s), we will go on proper sites with hard standings. Wild camping will have to wait till spring/summer, alas!

 

[hilldweller]

Looking at picture no 2 even my twin rear wheel drive with knobblies on would struggle in that, sometimes you just have to admit defeat.

And that was when we arrived, you should have seen it when we started to leave.

 

[hilldweller]

and our age (early 70s),

We seem to be attracting more and more kids these days. Jim must be advertising in youth clubs.