Thinking of buying an RV?

[Jim]

You can save yourself loads of hassle of you stay under 10m, 32ft. See this story from Merlin on the RV Owners Club.

I don't post that often but this is something that I feel needs airing.​

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We recently stayed at CCC Canterbury, a site we have used for over 20 years, always in an Rv. We did the usual thing when booking, declared 9M when we are actually 10 but knowing we could fit on most pitches with the overhang (just need to fit the wheelbase on the pitch).​

So we arrived outside the reception, greeted by the warden ( I must point out that this was for our anniversary weekend and so we were in a very accommodating mood). He said ' you must be Mr.Burton' ? Yes I said, smiling like a fool, 'And this is supposed to be 9M '? Yes I said, still smiling, 'Shall I go and get my measuring wheel'? he said. ' You are supposed to be able to fit the whole unit on the pitch without any overhang, overhang is strictly forbidden', I protested that we had stayed there many times and pointed out the pitches to the left of the service point could easily take us. This was ignored and so with the smile running away from my face I asked him 'Shall we leave then'? ' I will need to ask my manager.​

After consultation in the office he said just this once he would allow it, BUT we would have to stay on a pitch at the bottom of the site out of view from others in case we set some kind of precedence !!!!!​

I followed him to the service point and as we were filling with water he walked me to a pitch on the edge of the field, sloping both ways, it was obvious why it was free. On returning to the service point I noticed a eurobox on one of the pitches we usually stay on, it was overhanging by about 2M. I pointed this out, 'Yes, but he could fit if he wanted to' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. At this point he declared the pitch he offered us was the only one available and left.​

As we filled up I noticed 4 of the picthes we have stayed on were free, so I decided to have it out. I returned to the office and pointed out that the pitch given was terrible and that the 4 pitches could easily take us , I had measured it as 11.5M. ' I doubt that very much, there's no way it's 11M'. I insisted it was and could comfortably get on it. He resorted to Plan B and asked if we had slide outs, 'Yes' I said, 'Do you think you will extend over the hardstanding when they are out? I should have asked you to leave but have tried my best with you'. I have now lost the plot and replied 'YES YOU SHOULD'.​

At this point the elusive manager appeared and said if we could fit we were welcome, but doubted we could. The idiot butted in and said 'I have updated your records to 10M so this won' happen again'.​

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So we reversed comfortably on to the pitch with at least a metre to spare, as they watched , they left without a word. Needless to say we will not be returning, and obviously won't be allowed. Still don't understand how this situation occurred considering our past visits.​

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I thought venting this would be therapeutic, however it has wound me up even more so I'm off for a Guinness !​

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

I suppose there has to be a lot of forward planning with an rv ,due to size and like Merlin,would tend to go back to places he has used before. Pity he met up with a jobsworth warden.

 

[Southdowners]

How rude… The moment the guy said ‘shall I go and get my measuring wheel’ I’d have walked out!

How can a site not know the exact dimensions of their own pitches when they obviously see it as a critical factor when taking bookings.

 

[Figaro]

Sounds quite stressful having an RV

 

[EuroTrotters]

I met an RV’er in Annecy 15 years ago in camping international de lac bleu.

I was telling him how nice La Chapel St Claude campsite was in the eastern side of the lake.

He told me he had tried that first. When he arrived at La Chapel, he parked his 10 ton RV up, walked to the office and asked if they could accommodate him and his tow car.

If you can get down the narrow access you are welcome to stay.

So he unhitched the car, threaded the RV down the entrance, in reverse. They then said he had to leave !.

So at Lac Bleu campsite, they found him a pitch. He offered to pay full price for the whole summer season. Even though, he would only be staying 3 nights a week.

Lac bleu said he couldn’t because a family who have holidayed on that pitch for many years had 2 weeks booked in august.

I don’t think I want an RV

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[olley]

Mines 9.2 never had a problem at caravan club, but no many don't know what will fit and what won't and it's the same at most sites.
Porth beach at Newquay insisted the pitch they gave me was 10m deep, hard up against the fence I still stuck out onto their roadway.
Brighton caravan site has a limit of 8.5m so I phoned, I don't know if we can get you on she says, I have stayed many times before I tell her, have you well that's ok then. If I can overhang at the back I can get on most pitches there or any site.

 

[TheBig1]

I have an 8.5m euro van and had issues at a few sites too

 

[SpeedyDux]

I suppose that if the RV overhangs the grass at the back of the pitch for any significant length of time (a) the Warden's ride-on mower can't reach it and (b) the grass might turn into an unsightly brown patch and take a while to recover. Not unlike the groundsheet problem the Clubs try to avoid.

Other than that the only issue I have is that the RV would make my 5.4m PVC look like a tiddler.

 

[TheAleMan]

Mines 9.2 never had a problem at caravan club, but no many don't know what will fit and what won't and it's the same at most sites.
Porth beach at Newquay insisted the pitch they gave me was 10m deep, hard up against the fence I still stuck out onto their roadway.
Brighton caravan site has a limit of 8.5m so I phoned, I don't know if we can get you on she says, I have stayed many times before I tell her, have you well that's ok then. If I can overhang at the back I can get on most pitches there or any site.

There’s a c&mc site in Scotland that won’t take you…8.5m rule at the site, although we used to go there with our old Burstner at just under 9m ? Won’t take our latest van at 9.5m.

 

[CazPaul]

He declared 9m when he is actually 10m maybe that annoyed the warden as others do the same?

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[Swifter]

Jealous tugger wardens . Absolutely pathetic.

 

[Larrynwin]

Our last RV was 9m and we only had the occasional problem where there was no flexibility in the 8m length site rule but we did always plan ahead in the U.K.
In Europe we had no problem as no one questioned length and it appeared there were no restrictions and every site lets you fit in .

 

[steve69]

Those RV's are built for American roads & campsites. Not British ones . IMHO, 9M length on British roads for RV's / Motorhomes should be more than enough for anyone. Not jealousy - just practicality and the acceptance that this is not America.

 

[Swifter]

Those RV's are built for American roads & campsites. Not British ones . IMHO, 9M length on British roads for RV's / Motorhomes should be more than enough for anyone. Not jealousy - just practicality and the acceptance that this is not America.

Then how do coaches and buses manage ?

 

[Larrynwin]

Those RV's are built for American roads & campsites. Not British ones . IMHO, 9M length on British roads for RV's / Motorhomes should be more than enough for anyone. Not jealousy - just practicality and the acceptance that this is not America.

Why when there are many much longer heavier vehicles on our roads , as long as the width restriction is adhered to the length makes little difference.
It’s a piece of cake driving an RV over here as is driving buses trucks emergency vehicles etc.

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[Wizzardi]

Then how do coaches and buses manage ?

Have you tried parking a coach or bus on a campsite down a cornwall country lane?

 

[Swifter]

Why when there are many much longer heavier vehicles on our roads , as long as the width restriction is adhered to the length makes little difference.
It’s a piece of cake driving an RV over here as is driving buses trucks emergency vehicles etc.

Absolutely agree . I often see 12m buses on really narrow country roads and negotiating very tight driving situations through small villages etc . Not sure how they cope

 

[Swifter]

Have you tried parking a coach or bus on a campsite down a cornwall country lane?

I’ve seen coach and bus drivers regularly do manoeuvres which are far more complicated than reversing onto a campsite pitch

 

[eddie]

Touring Corsica in a 36’ RV was fun

But there again both Lyn and I can drive

We have just changed and are on our fifteenth camper since buying our first at the tender age of 28, eleven of them being Yanks.

The latest is a tiddler, a Winnebago 24J

We’ve met dickhead wardens, but tend to laugh at them and their idiotic logic.

I’ve found the best way of dealing with ‘WW’ (️W) on CMC sites is to ask for the area managers name and mobile and to ask them to quote exactly what rule we contravene as we’ll escalate it.

There is though, either a “Wow look at that, that’s lovely, can I have a look” attitude or a Wouldn’t want a “thing” like that attitude“

We got moaned at once for leaving our generator on all afternoon! ”We’ve had complaints’

Didn‘t help that I’d been in the pub and thought the accusation was only a tad less funny that the fact that the ‘WW’ thought he was telling me off! I’m married, I get proper bollockings!

I said that whoever complained was a cretin as I didn‘t leave a genny on when on hook up and going out, so we all marched over to my camper, and sure enough, a generator could be heard, powering the just as noisy pump in the footings of the building work next door!

I obviously milked the demanded apology, made the point that if the warden had done is job properly, got off his arse and investigated the complaint, us being bothered or annoyed would have been avoided, but it does sadly reflect that to some RV’s are an anathema.

We called ahead to a site in Scotland, Lyn was driving and I asked if they could accommodate a 12 ton 11m RV ‘Yes, drive around pick a pitch and come in the office in the morning to pay, if you arrive after Six’ which we did.

Slowing driving around working out what’s what, and this suicidal maniac jumps out in front of us waving a torch shouting ‘Stop stop, what the f*ck do you thing your playing at’

Being a misogynist this was aimed at me, despite Lyn driving, so I told him we’d phoned, said we were 12m and were told to drive round and find a pitch, which was exactly ‘what the F*CK’ we were doing!

His response?

“My wife would know 12 meters from 12 foot! And your rig is too big to be driving around my campsite in the dark!”

So it seemed yet again that it was our fault for owning a Yank

(I would like to point out that as we can drive, even being 12m and dark, we’d not gone on the grass, so no real issue other that probably looking like something had landed from space on a dark December Scottish campsite!

 

[The Coops]

Hmm. we once had a *Job Experience trial* with the C and CC at Canterbury They talked in acronyms and were as awkward as they could be with some clients,( early arrivals and last minute ones just as about to close) A german guy rolled up in an RV and they put him on an uneven pitch with overhanging trees as * he had not booked!* and they knew there was no TV reception and if it rained he would not be able to get off without a tractor tow! Another example, one of the wardens was tasked with grass cutting and was sat in the office as the mower was broken, I looked at it and cleared the grass pick up tube and it worked fine! Got a telling off as I was not qualified to work on machinery! They loved telling each other things like See You Next Tuesday if a complaining customer was in ( Look at it Phonetically using the first letter!) and other such silly games , The area manager came in told us we had passed the assessment and would be hearing about a placement for next year,( September) we got an e mail in the February telling us we were unsuccessful. ( this was two years after initial interviews etc!) Needless to say we are no longer members and would not grace a site with our cash! We stayed at Jim's place and wondered what they got for three times the site fee!

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[TinaLes]

I bet The 5th Wheelers can tell a few stories also.
I always look at large MH's, RV's in some cases with admiration, but then I consider the additional stress they must encounter on small roads and as we read here camp sites, the additional planning needed to avoid disappointment is really not what I want when touring in The UK.
The continent is the only place I would want to drive one, but then only with lots of pre-planning, booking before arrival etc is something we wouldn't want to do, as we don't know where we will end up each day.
LES

 

[WESTY66]

Blummin Eck, and I was once contemplating a 30’ RS
Even had an onboard genny!
Maybe I should have got one for the entertainment value

 

[busbuddy]

​

We did the usual thing when booking, declared 9M when we are actually 10 but knowing we could fit on most pitches with the overhang (just need to fit the wheelbase on the pitch).​

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Is this a normal thing for rv owners to do now
I remember when I had a damon that there were only limited sites in the uk that accepted me but I cant remember lying about the length being a 'thing'

 

[PaddyM]

You should of been accurate about your vehicle length.

 

[Reallyretired]

Just changed from 7.6m to one metre shorter and surprised at the increase in places we can go. Small is beautiful.

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[Soycd]

We did the usual thing when booking, declared 9M when we are actually 10

I've no sympathy then. It's the automatic assumption by this guy that he can do as he pleases and tell lies that gets my back up. If I'd been the site manager I'd have told him to bug*er off.

 

[GMLS]

RV's have their challenges but this story is a bigger reflection on the CCC (or at least some of the people they employ)

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Those RV's are built for American roads & campsites. Not British ones . IMHO, 9M length on British roads for RV's / Motorhomes should be more than enough for anyone. Not jealousy - just practicality and the acceptance that this is not America.

It’s not the van that’s the issue just the driver’s, seen some crap drivers with small vans, normally have someone outside directing them into a large pitch and they cannot do that without numerous attempts
Ours is 8.6m and only issue I have had is the height with low trees.

 

[olley]

With the caravan club if you try to book online and you are over the listed limit, you can't, you have to phone the site and pray someone answers the phone.
Now if you've been before so you know you can get on, its easier to just lie.
I do however normally phone just out of courtesy.

 

[Jim]

I've no sympathy then. It's the automatic assumption by this guy that he can do as he pleases and tell lies that gets my back up.

I don't think he posted for sympathy.

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