Caravan Sites like Truck Stops

[JamesFrance]

We are on the Costa Blanca and surrounded by twin axle caravans with big 4WD vehicles.

It would be great if these could be parked in a parking area rather than constantly making us feel we are parked in the middle of a bus depot.

Why do these awful vehicles need to be so noisy? They are more like HGVs than cars.

 

[Saladdodger]

I read this post my mistake.....I thought it said like TUCK SHOPS

 

[Themass31]

please get a life

 

[ColinA]

try to be more tollerant James

Colin.

 

[JamesFrance]

Thankyou for your thoughtful and so helpful suggestions.

I am quite content with my life as it is thanks.

Are abusive comments tolerated on this forum then?

 

[Mike_5041144]

I find screaming/crying children and barking dogs far more annoying than a 4x4 diesel engine - especially as I own one of these 'dreadful' cars - which I love and would not dream of swapping for a 'petrol guzzler'.

Perhaps some earplugs would help!!!!!

 

[ValA.]

Personally I'm with James on this one. It's not the noise particularly which bothers me but the size of some of these vehicle combinations. One site we've stayed on many times now has so many very large 4 x 4s and twin axles which don't fit on to the pitch once the awning is up, tables out, etc., that it's now almost impossible to pass by and manoeuvring on to a pitch with a normal size outfit is extremely difficult.

 

[DavidKlyne]

Personally I'm with James on this one. It's not the noise particularly which bothers me but the size of some of these vehicle combinations. One site we've stayed on many times now has so many very large 4 x 4s and twin axles which don't fit on to the pitch once the awning is up, tables out, etc., that it's now almost impossible to pass by and manoeuvring on to a pitch with a normal size outfit is extremely difficult.

Surely its not the fault of the size of the caravan or the towing vehicle but just that the pitches are too small for a lot of modern outfits. However I would agree that it does lead to the towing vehicles being parked in inappropriate places which does make it difficult for other outfits. When I look in the Camping Cheque book and see average pitch size of 45 or 60 sq metres on a few camp sites I do wonder what business they are in.

David

 

[DavidKlyne]

Personally I'm with James on this one. It's not the noise particularly which bothers me but the size of some of these vehicle combinations. One site we've stayed on many times now has so many very large 4 x 4s and twin axles which don't fit on to the pitch once the awning is up, tables out, etc., that it's now almost impossible to pass by and manoeuvring on to a pitch with a normal size outfit is extremely difficult.

Whoops this was meant to be in the main section not a particular comment to your post Val!

David

 

[MandM1]

James

I think this is a British disease. Having caravanned on the continent for the first time last year it struck me that our European friends are far more in to caravanning as a means of holidaying where as British caravanners are far more into their caravans and "outfits" as a status symbol.

There were some French, Dutch and German Caravanners pulling some right sheds about and having wonderful holidays in them. Caravanning is not about the outfit its about the holiday.

British people have to get progressivly heavier vans, and insist on ever more bits of kit and their must have 4x4 truck to pull it. Are they having a better holiday than you. Are they heck. But you'll not change them with these sort of posts because the must have something bigger and better mentality is so engrained in many British psychis.

Just find amusement in the relaxed approach to caravanning on the continent compared to the stressed out Brits scraping their twin axles on hedgerows trying to manouvre their pride and joy onto a continental pitch. In answer to the question what kind of business are the camp sites in - they are in the holiday business, not the ego brushing business. I'm no psychologist but I think some Brits get big caravans as some form of compensation for other "size issues".

Be careful out there.

Mat

 

[SteveW77]

What utter rubbish

Steve W

 

[ColinA]

James

I think this is a British disease. Having caravanned on the continent for the first time last year it struck me that our European friends are far more in to caravanning as a means of holidaying where as British caravanners are far more into their caravans and "outfits" as a status symbol.

There were some French, Dutch and German Caravanners pulling some right sheds about and having wonderful holidays in them. Caravanning is not about the outfit its about the holiday.

British people have to get progressivly heavier vans, and insist on ever more bits of kit and their must have 4x4 truck to pull it. Are they having a better holiday than you. Are they heck. But you'll not change them with these sort of posts because the must have something bigger and better mentality is so engrained in many British psychis.

Just find amusement in the relaxed approach to caravanning on the continent compared to the stressed out Brits scraping their twin axles on hedgerows trying to manouvre their pride and joy onto a continental pitch. In answer to the question what kind of business are the camp sites in - they are in the holiday business, not the ego brushing business. I'm no psychologist but I think some Brits get big caravans as some form of compensation for other "size issues".

Be careful out there.

Mat

Mat the first Line of James' post started "We are on the Costa Blanca "

Colin.

 

[gareth_374341000]

I'm no psychologist but I think some Brits get big caravans as some form of compensation for other "size issues".

In relationship to the post what does this mean ??

gareth

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

Here we go again (stand by Mod)

If I choose to buy a big caravan that needs to be pulled by a 4x4, what the hell has it got to do with any body else.

When I last checked the 4x4 was taxed, insured, MOTd.

The van was new last March & booked in for its first service this March.

When I go on a site I pay the site fees & when I use the ferries I have to pay the excess length fee.

The 4x4 does around 22mpg towing, using more fuel so paying more fuel tax + vat, it is in a higher road fund licence group paying more tax.

I am a member of the British Leyland CAMPING & CARAVAN club & gladly mix with people in tents, trailer tents, caravans (new & old) & motor homes. We even have a member that has an american motor home where the sides extend (it only does 5mpg).

So all I have to say to you is, you have the caravan & tow it with the vehicle that you want & dont tell me what I can or cant do unless I am doing some thing illegal.

Graham

 

[David.O]

Here we go again (stand by Mod)

If I choose to buy a big caravan that needs to be pulled by a 4x4, what the hell has it got to do with any body else.

When I last checked the 4x4 was taxed, insured, MOTd.

The van was new last March & booked in for its first service this March.

When I go on a site I pay the site fees & when I use the ferries I have to pay the excess length fee.

The 4x4 does around 22mpg towing, using more fuel so paying more fuel tax + vat, it is in a higher road fund licence group paying more tax.

I am a member of the British Leyland CAMPING & CARAVAN club & gladly mix with people in tents, trailer tents, caravans (new & old) & motor homes. We even have a member that has an american motor home where the sides extend (it only does 5mpg).

So all I have to say to you is, you have the caravan & tow it with the vehicle that you want & dont tell me what I can or cant do unless I am doing some thing illegal.

Graham

Well said Graham

 

[VIP640]

Here we go again (stand by Mod)

If I choose to buy a big caravan that needs to be pulled by a 4x4, what the hell has it got to do with any body else.

When I last checked the 4x4 was taxed, insured, MOTd.

The van was new last March & booked in for its first service this March.

When I go on a site I pay the site fees & when I use the ferries I have to pay the excess length fee.

The 4x4 does around 22mpg towing, using more fuel so paying more fuel tax + vat, it is in a higher road fund licence group paying more tax.

I am a member of the British Leyland CAMPING & CARAVAN club & gladly mix with people in tents, trailer tents, caravans (new & old) & motor homes. We even have a member that has an american motor home where the sides extend (it only does 5mpg).

So all I have to say to you is, you have the caravan & tow it with the vehicle that you want & dont tell me what I can or cant do unless I am doing some thing illegal.

Graham

I agree Graham.........

 

[BarryB_5039906]

Hi to all

I agree with Graham South Brum.........Live and let live.....

But I do wish people would get the facts correct.....I drive a new Discover...and its my seventh.....it is less than 200mm longer than a Mondeo...thats about 4% longer or 7 inches, and just more than 1 inch wider. The previous disco was probably the same size as the Ford. I think we have a bit of the green eyed monster here....just because mine is 7 inches longer.....It all sounds like the kids at school...........

I have a Disco and a twin axle because I want it. I dont smoke because I don't want to.....We all what we want or what we do for different reasons.....can we all just live and let live.

 

[JamesFrance]

If some of you were to read my original post, you would see that I was simply suggesting that noisy vehicles would be better parked in a dedicated parking area, so that those who come in at 1 am or go out early in the morning do not disturb other campers. I am merely suggesting that camping and noisy engines are somewhat incompatible.

When I am on my yacht in a marina, all vehicles are parked away from the moorings and a peaceful time is enjoyed by all.

As far as other nationalities not choosing 4 wheel caravans is concerned, that is more to do with many European sites banning them so they can turn away gypsies, without seeming to directly discriminate against them. That is something for another topic entirely.

 

[MandM1]

Graham's exactly right. We can buy whatever we want and we should not be judged for buying whatever we want be that taxes, fuel, credit, expensive caravans, cars etc etc.

I was in a dealers today plastered with Black Horse Finance posters that said "want it, have it". fantastic.

Nobody needs a caravan. We only have them because we want them, and we want increasingly bigger ones, we want to burn more fuel to pull them about and increasingly sites are not geared up for them. Imagine what it would be like if everyone pulled a twin axle with a disco.

JamesFrance was told to "get a life" and be more tolerant because he felt the prevalence of 4x4's the camp site he was staying at was impinging on his enjoyment of his holiday. I think he was just asking for people to be more thoughtful.

What is this forum for if it is not to provoke thought.

Clearly he'll just have to live with it, and see if the credit crunch helps things get any better for him in the future.

Caravaners aren't immune to consumerism. The Cree Indians - founding fathers of our nomadic way of life - early caravanners if you will used to say -

Only after the last tree has been cut down

Only after the last river has been poisoned

Only after the last fish has been caught

Only then will you find you cannot eat money

Wise words fellas.

Maybe JamesFrance should get a wigwam.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday James.

 

[joeby]

i own a ford mondeo 130 TDCI estate 2004 model and i also own a Nissan Terrano 2.7 LWB and a Lunar Lexon 640 T/A ,and i have just spent 6 weeks in spain in Vilanova just below Barcelona , when we took the caravan down to spain we used the Terrano due to some of the bad weather conditions you can encounter driving through France ,just before Christmas we had snow in the south of france with temperatures of minus 7 so a 4x4 becomes very handy in these conditions ,some friends of ours got stuck in severe snow a few years backs , another thing the weather may be fine going down ,but you cant guarantee what its going to be like weeks later ,but where we were pitched the germans ,danes ,british all got on fine ,we all celebrated the new year together , and exchanged email addresses ,it was more like a village community ,really enjoyed it

 

[JasonR_374341560]

We are welcomed on to sites with our 8 metre twin axle van and large tow car and have never had problems sighting the van. Our caravan is our home for about 6 months of the year and we have no interest in tangoing and shuffling around each other in a dinky Pageant Bordeaux.

Our van is the second large twin axle we have owned and we can manoeuvre it on sites and pitch it with no problems. It sounds as if some have problems with their driving ability, and we have never had any scrapes from hedgerows or anything else.

MandM posted that no one needs a caravan; well no one needs a house either. No doubt we could survive in mud huts, skin framed hovels, caves or burrows.

My large tow car makes no more noise if not less than the average Vectra or Golf and my doors and tailgate close more quietly than most family runabouts with a tow hitch.

James seems to want people to abandon their vehicle in a car park some distance away. So then we have security and damage issues related to car parks.

James views seem either to be small minded and intolerant or may be is stuck on the wrong site and bitter.

Chav and Chavess with little Britney,Chantell and Wayne wandering through the site to and from the car park with cries at full volume of "eeeer git your flip flops and pick up yer boooaaard, did you bring yer bl!!din sun at" would be ten times worse than any car issues.

Also many continental brand caravans are larger than British ones.

 

[cookie2]

why did you direct your comment towards 4x4`s and twin axles?twin axles don`t make any more noise than singles in my opinion!also i know of many diesel cars that are as noisy on start up as many 4x4`s and also many petrol ones with performance exhausts come to that!maybe your complaint should be aimed at the campsite for allowing them to turn up at that time of night!!! CHILL !

 

[Rioja]

All you 4x4 owners have a persecution complex, oh and deep pockets to pay for the fuel !

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

Hi Rioja,

Persecution complex. Definatley not

Deep pockets. Adequate

Being told what to do by other people other than my employers, my wife & the legal system. Get a life

Graham

 

[JamesFrance]

It must be about a year since I last visited this forum, which I found to be intolerant and unfriendly.

I posted this topic to see if anything had changed and sadly it has not.

I guess this is why we no longer live in the UK.

Forum membership should be a pleasant exchange of useful information and there is not much of that here is there?