Just a word of caution to anyone heading along the M20 and might be using the services at Junction 8 which cater for drivers in both directions.
A few weeks ago I was booked into the Caravan Club's Bearsted site which is only a few minutes drive from these services. For some unknown reason this site does not accept arrivals before 1pm. I had originally planned my journey to have one overnight stop prior to arrival at Bearsted and to time my arrival for after 1pm. However some problems occurred at home which meant I had to miss out that first overnight stop and drive overnight from home straight to Bearsted. I phoned the day before I travelled to ask about the best place to await official arrival time and was advised the service area at Junction 8 was the best place. Duly arrived at the service area and found what is supposed to be a designated caravan parking area. This was lined spaces for approximately 8 to 10 caravans next to the car parking area. These spaces were very narrow and also not very long. Even cars with two berth vans were too long for the spaces but it was more the width (or lack of it) that poses the main problem. In the six hours we were there we had different combinations of loads parked next to us that caused concern re the safety of both ourselves and of our car and caravan. One outfit was a large van towing an even larger boat, as they pulled away the lowered mast just missed us by fractions. There were also single cars and small commercial trucks. Eventually about lunch time as it got busy a service area employee came out to supervise parking. Good, we thought, be a bit safer now. Only to find him directing a large 4x4 towing a trailer loaded with another car into the space next to us between us and a motor home. The 4x4 just fitted in the gap in no more but his trailer was wider than the car and had no chance but the Belgian driver was determined to get in. First he was that close to the motorhome that he was only inches from them -no way they could get their door open. When they remonstrated with him he reversed then swung back in and knocked my offside towing mirror off even although I had it folded in against the side of the car. The service area parking attendant wasn't much use, he had directed the car in there in the first place. It took both ourselves and the occupants of the motorhome telling both the other driver and the attendant in a somewhat forthright manner that there simply was not enough space for this outfit before he was convinced to reverse fully out and move on.
The lined spaces are just not wide enough. You can get some idea of the space available on google street view. After the last incident my wife was unable to continue to wait any longer, she was convinced, and with some justification, that the area was an accident waiting to happen. We drove off and sat outside the Caravan Club site for half an hour waiting to be allowed in. I don't make a habit of spending any length of time in service areas and this is one I will certainly avoid in the future. I would advise anyone who might need to pull in with their caravan to exercise caution.
Robert
A few weeks ago I was booked into the Caravan Club's Bearsted site which is only a few minutes drive from these services. For some unknown reason this site does not accept arrivals before 1pm. I had originally planned my journey to have one overnight stop prior to arrival at Bearsted and to time my arrival for after 1pm. However some problems occurred at home which meant I had to miss out that first overnight stop and drive overnight from home straight to Bearsted. I phoned the day before I travelled to ask about the best place to await official arrival time and was advised the service area at Junction 8 was the best place. Duly arrived at the service area and found what is supposed to be a designated caravan parking area. This was lined spaces for approximately 8 to 10 caravans next to the car parking area. These spaces were very narrow and also not very long. Even cars with two berth vans were too long for the spaces but it was more the width (or lack of it) that poses the main problem. In the six hours we were there we had different combinations of loads parked next to us that caused concern re the safety of both ourselves and of our car and caravan. One outfit was a large van towing an even larger boat, as they pulled away the lowered mast just missed us by fractions. There were also single cars and small commercial trucks. Eventually about lunch time as it got busy a service area employee came out to supervise parking. Good, we thought, be a bit safer now. Only to find him directing a large 4x4 towing a trailer loaded with another car into the space next to us between us and a motor home. The 4x4 just fitted in the gap in no more but his trailer was wider than the car and had no chance but the Belgian driver was determined to get in. First he was that close to the motorhome that he was only inches from them -no way they could get their door open. When they remonstrated with him he reversed then swung back in and knocked my offside towing mirror off even although I had it folded in against the side of the car. The service area parking attendant wasn't much use, he had directed the car in there in the first place. It took both ourselves and the occupants of the motorhome telling both the other driver and the attendant in a somewhat forthright manner that there simply was not enough space for this outfit before he was convinced to reverse fully out and move on.
The lined spaces are just not wide enough. You can get some idea of the space available on google street view. After the last incident my wife was unable to continue to wait any longer, she was convinced, and with some justification, that the area was an accident waiting to happen. We drove off and sat outside the Caravan Club site for half an hour waiting to be allowed in. I don't make a habit of spending any length of time in service areas and this is one I will certainly avoid in the future. I would advise anyone who might need to pull in with their caravan to exercise caution.
Robert
Facebook
Twitter