loves and hates, New Motorhome, touring park (1 Viewer)

[Ian.s]

I have an opportunity with a brand new development here in the highlands. A 60 unit park, what do you want to see, what don't you want to see. What's important, flat pitches, toilets, showers, bins fire points , adults only, play areas, metered boxes, etc

Warts and all...... Hope to up and running for Easter 2017. Your thoughts

 

[mike mcglynn]

Helo Ian a great many points to consider but easy access and good signage some hook ups and level pitches clean toilets and perhaps a few showers with chemical disposal points nearby ,fresh water supply and not too far from a few shops that would do it for me Oban is a fine place and I'm sure you will be very busy in the future Good Luck .

 

[Khizzie]

As above and hopefully near public transport..

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[DavidG58]

Good luck with your plans and dreams

Level pitches please, I often wonder why when so much effort has been put in that they were not made more level than a lot seem to be

A big issue for me has been a lack of access to low level dump for black waste, we have a black tank and only have gravity to get rid of it, decanting isn't nice but often the only option

 

[Ivory55]

Being able to have a pitch with out being forced to have EHU as in the CCC sites do. They say your paying for the hard standing not the electric so you might as well use the electric as your paying for it anyway. With vans being more self sufficient this is a waste.

 

[DBK]

You'll get so many different takes on this I doubt you will be able to make sense of them all!

At one end there will be the "we just want a field, no services of any sort" and at the other end of the scale will be "heated toilet blocks, hard standing, level pitches etc."

If it's any help my sister in law is opening a much smaller site in Sussex and they are going for the luxury end of the market, including posh cabins.

Also worth visiting a Caravan Club site, there are several in Scotland, as they represent generally the best sites in terms of facilities - and in my experience they are very popular - and usually have many more caravans on them than motorhomes, so don't forget that market.

My suggestion would be to see how it goes, assuming this is already a going concern. You might find the biggest market is in static caravans/cabins, this is how a lot of sites in France for example are going, with only a few touring pitches.

The touring market in Scotland is negligible in winter and if that all you are relying on you might as well shut over the winter. But if you want to be open all year round then unless the site is built on sand and drains well you will need some hard standing pitches. A bar serving food will also drag them in over the winter, especially if you have statics.

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[FIDGET]

Considering the weather in UK, Hard standings !!!
they've got to be a must.

 

[peterc10]

As a motorhomer (rather than a camper or caravanner) I don't need toilets and showers becuse I already have one of each. What I want is good position (near interesting/beautiful places and public transport), hardstanding level pitches that are easy to get into, good and plentiful water and dump bays and a cpd.

But I am sure others will want very different things, and there will be little consensus on this forum about it!

Good luck and I hope you succeed.

 

[funflair]

Hi Ian

The more you put in the more you will have to charge to cover it, but saying that everybody's wants are different.

Flat hard standing will be pretty high up peoples priorities, if you put in electric metered is fair, drive over waste point that is accessible a large funnel area not just a little drain that people will miss, complete with black tank dump point at ground level, and cassette dump point as well of course, toilets and showers not high on my list of requirements but WiFi would be good.

Space for big rigs as well as smaller ones.

Oh and wall to wall sunshine.

Martin

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[scotjimland]

worth visiting a Caravan Club site, there are several in Scotland, as they represent generally the best sites in terms of facilities - and in my experience they are very popular - and usually have many more caravans on them than motorhomes, so don't forget that market.

seconded..

A model that works..

the only addition I would suggest is to have metered electric..

 

[DP+JAY]

Not much for us.
water, black waste disposal & a levelish pitch all within walking distance of a shop.
wifi would be a bonus.

 

[golly]

Another vote for metered electric,

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[Zains Pops]

Flat and level pitches generally with a hard standing and electricity point. Nice view,welcome and in the west of Scotland dry sunny days, beautiful sunsets and no midges. But I realise you don't always get what you want.

 

[Old Soldier]

Hi Ian.
No doubt you will get many ideas on here, you won't be able to please everyone and I'm sure some suggestions may be out of your control ( local transport, satelite and tv signals) but well done for asking first, if it goes well you will have many visitors from this forum.
First thing I would love is a site that is not laid out in regimental straight lines where each unit must face in a certain direction with their off side rear lined up with a peg! Put some curves in it, make a selection of large and smaller pitches always ensuring there is good separation for what ever orientation the visitor chooses to place their van. Remember most like sunshine on the awning side, but not all and of course the vans can be continental so awning and door on the other side. Make it a selection of hard and grass pitches and if hard then either larger sized gravel or hard packed, nothing worse than that small stuff getting muddy and in the van. If you are thinking of luxury then water, drainage at some of the pitches, if not then ensure nobody needs to walk too far to fill up or empty water. Apart from old bones...!, the service points are often somewhere where folks meet up and have a chat. For our four legged friends, make sure there us a designated area where they can take their masters for walkies. If you can, have low level lighting around the site, high level is OK but can be annoying if it shines in through the topflight and you like to see the stars before you drift off to sleep.
A small shop, or sell essentials at the reception if you are some distance from other facilities is always appreciated.
Not sure how far you want to develop the site but hope these ideas might be of use in your planning.
Regards. Pete

 

[eddie]

Hi Ian

We took a orchard to an awArd winning, which we opened in 205

www.cornishfarm.com

Happy to answer any questions if I can

Regards

Eddie

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[The Wino]

Why not include a drive over drain and water poit/chemical disposal for those touring but not staying. If a reasonable charge were made it could earn you extra income without taking up a pitch and if it looks nice some might change their minds and stay if a pitch is available. It might be best to consider what would make your business profitable rather than what others want!! I would like it dead cheap and basic.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I'm going to go against the majority view here.

The CC model is one I hate. I think Lyndon Top is the ideal model and Shell Island isn't far behind.

Grass, no marked out pitches - go where you like, however you like, as long as you aren't too close to anyone else, water, black waste points and that's about it. I suppose a drive over grey drain would be nice but not essential.

 

[Mikey RV]

Nice area, walks etc
Peaceful
Adults only
Good access think RV's
Leval pitches hard standing open all year
Metered ehu - pay for what you use
Water on pitch
Drainage on pitch
Wi fi a bonus
Motorhome service point, drive over to dump tanks etc
Good toilets and showers
Good size pitches with hedges between
Good luck with your venture, keep us posted.

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[Clarky]

Location, location, location (where have I heard that before).
A great view is the No 1 for us, preferably over water but not essential. So, a site not surrounded by trees and high hedges.
As our van is over 4 tons hard standings are good but we have no need of loos and showers, that's what we paid all that money for when we bought the van.
Adults only is a bonus.

Richard.

 

[sallylillian]

If you look at the way new sites are developed, or old sites redeveloped in Spain and France, increasingly they make hard standing pitches of circa 10 metres depth or more and with water and a waste drain. Electric being metered through a central computer in the reception. This I would contend is the way they judge requirements going forward, not just now but to ensure their investment stands the test of time. Whilst this level of infrastructure has an additional cost it is simple and much cheaper to install during the initial construction stage. More and more MH's are being optioned with tankage of ever increasing sizes, not because the manufacturers feel like it, but because the demand is increasing. If I were to develop a new site that is what I would do on the pitch front. Easy access roads around the site, tarmac or at least hardcore with ample swing space. Then many of the other items listed in posts here.
Michael

 

[Forestboy]

Personally if it was me I'd be catering for caravans and their needs not motorhomes.

Motorhome owners are notoriously frugal and hate spending on sites and stay at most 1 or 2 nights and I do include myself in that statement.
Caravanners tend to need better facilities are willing to pay for them and stay longer. As said before look at the CC the best facilities full of caravans very expensive and always fully booked. Its a well proven business model that works no matter how much we motorhomers hate it.
Good luck.

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[Larrynwin]

Level hs pitches with grey/ black drain, water and 16a hookup.

 

[DP+JAY]

As said before look at the CC the best facilities full of caravans very expensive and always fully booked. Its a well proven business model that works no matter how much we motorhomers hate it.
Good luck.

Often by people who book multiple sites as soon as possible & cancel at the last minute.
I know a few caravaners who book up loads of pitches as soon as they can at the start of the year, but only ever use a fraction of them.

 

[shawn&emma]

I very much wish you well in your possible venture.

Lots of good and varied suggestions.

We have often talked about setting up a CL type site and what we would have. Main things for me would be drive over black and grey drains as many foreign vans have on board black tanks.

If pitch's are going in from scratch and electric is being provided then in the same trench provide water so each pitch has both. I wouldn't put grey water drains on each pitch, I have many a time had to deal with black waste that has been put down the grey drain. Even if it says GREY only, there's always some that think they know better and if a foreigner they don't always understand the information given, we've all read the stories about people dumping black waste in hedges well it happens on sites to.

I ran a site for 4 years and also tour in our van so can see from both sides. From the person running the site you have to remember that the more you provide the more work that has to be done each day to maintain it and this cost more in time/wages.

On the islands it was very much Motorhomes with only a few caravans, and those were mainly family's in the school holidays. So providing good facilities for M/H is a top priority in my view. There's always plenty of foreign visitors, Dutch followed closely by German and still plenty of French, Spanish, Italian. They love the Scottish highlands.

It's a very fine line between trying to give the customer what they want and what is actually practical/achievable and financially viable. You will never please everyone.
The season at the moment is very short and you've got to maximise the sales during this time. defiantly worth looking into the likes of the timber pods or the like to try to get customers in earlier and later.

As has already been said, and if you stay in Oban you will know for your self that the winter is very quiet. But with RET now there the season may over time spread earlier and later. Oban is a perfect stop over for the islands.


I look forward to hearing the outcome.

Shawn.

Just read @Forestboy post23 and think this is a very good point. I used to detest the saying 'but it's not like that in the caravan club' but it does work for them.

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[johnp10]

Toilet / shower block, hard standings, EHU, black & grey water dumps, close to shop, pub, bus stop.
No dogs.

 

[Tincataylor]

You'll get so many different takes on this I doubt you will be able to make sense of them all!

At one end there will be the "we just want a field, no services of any sort" and at the other end of the scale will be "heated toilet blocks, hard standing, level pitches etc."

If it's any help my sister in law is opening a much smaller site in Sussex and they are going for the luxury end of the market, including posh cabins.

Also worth visiting a Caravan Club site, there are several in Scotland, as they represent generally the best sites in terms of facilities - and in my experience they are very popular - and usually have many more caravans on them than motorhomes, so don't forget that market.

My suggestion would be to see how it goes, assuming this is already a going concern. You might find the biggest market is in static caravans/cabins, this is how a lot of sites in France for example are going, with only a few touring pitches.

The touring market in Scotland is negligible in winter and if that all you are relying on you might as well shut over the winter. But if you want to be open all year round then unless the site is built on sand and drains well you will need some hard standing pitches. A bar serving food will also drag them in over the winter, especially if you have statics.

As an addition to the good advice above rather than adopting a "build it and they will (might) come" plan it is better to profile the type of camper you want to fit your business model and then set out the site accordingly,

The Tincas

 

[shawn&emma]

Toilet / shower block, hard standings, EHU, black & grey water dumps, close to shop, pub, bus stop.
No dogs.

I'd love to agree with the no dogs, picked up so much dog mess from site from all those responsible owners ( sorry to offend just saying it as I see it) but you'd lose a big percentage of your customers, same as saying no kids.

Shawn.

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

Your already in a great spot. For us we'd like hard standing. Somewhere to get water and dump waste. Anything else in our opinion should be chargeable. ELECTRIC METERED
Then those who use more pay more . Those that heat awnings, have onboard washing machines tumble drier , microwaves , normal kettles , light bulbs and toasters etc .
Showers chargeable , washing machines etc chargeable.
This way , if you just want a nice hard standing , that's all you pay for.
So annoying being told , you may as well use the electric as you've been charged. When we have a gas fridge, cooker and diesel heating. Plus energy bulbs and our own solar and deep cell batteries.