Serviced Pitches

[owenk]

We have been caravanning for a couple of years, but are just about to use some "serviced pitches" for the first time.

We could do with some guidance on two questions:

1) How long a length of waste pipe should we take to cover

most eventualities?

2) What range of hose to tap fittings are we likely to need?

Help from those who have used these pitches would be most appreciated!

 

[MikeA]

Hello Owen,

Being basically lazy, we have been using serviced pitches where we can for many years now.

Waste Pipe.

I started off with a total length of about 5 Metres which did us fine all over europe until the year before last when we pitched at a site at Lake Garda where I needed to add a further 4 metres to the collection. Over the years the original 5 Metre length has been cut into four different sub-lengths each with its own straight connector. That way I can make up a suitable length of pipe to suit the exact needs of the pitch. With the standard black plastic connectors I pear off just the top couple of millimetres of the "barbs" on one side of the connector (using a stanley knife). Then the unpeared side is permanently fitted into one end of a length of pipe, the peared side is then easily slipped in and out of another length of pipe to make up the different lengths.

Water connector.

So far my experiences have been that the standard British threaded tap fitting has been fine everywhere except some sites in Spain. In Spain there are sites that use a 1" threaded tap adapter. Strangely, when I went to the local spanish hardware shop to buy one I saw that all the tap threads are measured in British Standard sizes - 1", 3/4", 1/2"!

But make sure you have a spare standard adapter, because sooner or later you will leave an adapter on the tap. Also it is well worth stocking a few extra washers as sometimes you need to bulk out the washer to avoid a permanent spray of water coming off the connection.

Cheers

Mike A

 

[MikeA]

Sorry, I meant to add that sooner or later you will run into the need to have an extension on the food grade water hose as you will find yourself annoyingly just out of reach. I get to use the extension hose at least once a year somewhere.

Mike A

 

[lohr500]

Would agree totally with Mike A' suggestion, including the need for an extension hose. You will need this even more so if you have a twin axle, due to the length of the caravan from the tap point.

Only once did I find a surprise with tap adaptors and that was last year on the Morris Leisure site at Shrewsbury. All the water outlets on their serviced pitch bollards have a female quick release connection. (Same type as you usually find on the hose). Fortunately I already had a spare female to female adaptor in my bag of hose fittings in the front locker so all was well.

For what they cost, I would pick one up in B&Q then you have one if you ever need it.

 

[paulus_374409736]

I've been looking for a female to female hose connector myself and I cannot find one anywhere, where did you get yours from, do you remember?

 

[lohr500]

Hi Paulus

Got mine from B&Q. It was a hozelok brand one.

But works fine with the connectors that are supplied on the Aquaroll mains water kit.

 

[paulus_374409736]

Thanks Tony, I was in B&Q yesterday looking for one but could only find the usual connectors, the search goes on!

 

[MikeA]

Hi Paulus,

I've never seen a female to female adapter (nor had need for one) but if you can't find one you could always make one up yourself using a pair of female ends and a very short bit of hose.

Cheers

Mike A

 

[lohr500]

Sorry chaps.

My description may be confusing. The adaptor I am trying to describe allows you to connect two lengths of hose together that have female connectors on the hoses. The adaptor itself has two male ends.

The outlets at the Shrewsbury site were female connectors, so to connect the normal water hose I needed one of these adaptors:



If this is what you were trying to find and B&Q didn't have any, do a search on fleebay for "hozelock male male"

 

[DerekBrad]

Try Wilkinson's if you are lucky enough to have one near you.

 

[paulus_374409736]

Ah, that's what I would call a male to male connector. I can see the room for confusion and I saw plenty of those at B&Q!

What I wanted was a double female connector which doesn't seem to exist. The solution I came up with was as described above, a short length of hose with a female hose end connector at each end.

Apologies to the original poster for hijacking his thread!

 

[owenk]

No Problem - I have had plenty of advice.

Thanks to all who posted replies!