understanding a hardstanding

[nigel_374360100]

Please can anyone tell me the attraction of an hardstanding.We are new to caravanning,this has been our first year, and all our trips have been on grass, either at club sites,private sites or certified locations.All have been fantastic,but our latest trip to the lakes was on hardstanding,we felt like we were in a quarry!..never again!..whats the attraction?

many thanks.nigel.

 

[Parksy]

We've sometimes used them when we've only been staying on site for a night or two and the weather has been wet.

I had no need to erect the awning and the hardstanding meant less chance of mud entering the caravan.

 

[RogerL]

We prefer hardstandings, at all times of year. The advantage in winter is obvious. In summer there's no mud or grass cuttings to tread into the caravan. Most hardstandings allow awnings to be pegged down.

 

[Fradders]

I personally prefer grass - just feels 'right' - in the spirit of things. However, in wet weather hardstandings are much more practical - you don't end up with a mud pool at the entrance to the van which inevitably gets brought inside!

 

[swpostie]

Hi Nigel,

There's not much I can add - generally we prefer grass in summer and hardstandings in winter.

A waterlogged and muddy grass pitch isn't much fun at any time of year - but a hardstanding is a bit like camping in a car park!

It's all down to the weather.

 

[Sparkle1]

We have only ever used hardstandings which i prefer to be honest... we had no problem with our awning on hard standings and as we are all bad with hayfever and grass being the worst culprit then it does help a teensy bit to keep the grass out of the van.

 

[JD6620]

Hi Nigel, When we first started caravanning we always opted for grass, but soon become tired of grass in the caravan and the state of some of the pitches, sometimes with no grass on them at all. We now opt for hardstandings when ever we can. No more mess. Pegging out an awning is no probelem either with the correct pegs.

 

[Dave_374330759]

When it's rained continuously for two days and water is squeezing up through the awning groundsheet and the kids are runnning in and out, then you'll realise which is the best sort of pitch to choose.

 

[DanPaula]

Hardstanding for me every time. Awning up, groundsheet down and I don't have to take it home covered in mud or wet grass. Also if I book a hardstanding I know I'm getting a hardstanding. Unlike so-called grass pitches which often meens mud, especially this year.

Thanks, Dan.

 

[RogerP]

Hardstanding all the time.

Dont want mud trapsed into the van from the awaning by the dogs and No1 son.

Generally they're fairly level so less time spent setting up.

Less risk of getting either caravan or car bogged down. Several sites we've visted this year had pitches out of action due to bogged vehicles and subsequent churning up of the pitch.

 

[parker1158]

Hi

Grass for us every time-even when its wet. We tried hard standing once and didn't see the appeal, we did try it again in case we had missed something but no so its grass for us, but hey we are all different.

 

[Guest]

We hate hard standings, and gravel awning pitches. We don't walk grass and mud in to our homes and don't walk them in to the Awning and Caravan.

Can't see the point of opting to park in a countryside field or at the coast just to end up on concrete and noisy underfoot gravel.

 

[AlexC]

We prefer grass when it's dry and hardstanding when it's wet. Although the last couple of times out, it didn't make any difference, our groundsheet still got soaked due to the hardastanding pitch getting waterlogged.

 

[Steve L]

we are currently on a suposed hardstanding pitch.

I say suposed because there is about an inch of stone on top of the earth. The stone is sharp ground rock as opposed to round gravel. This makes it impossible to go anywhere in the awning bare foot.

At least grass is soft under foot.

The only benifit I can see is that if the pitch is made properly, by using gravel, then you will have a well drained pitch which can be walked on. Also if they actually make it wide enough to cater for a 3mtr awning plus a walkway of gravel for the entrance, then you might have a hard standing worth using.

Steve L.

 

[Robert_374373903]

There is hardstanding and hardstanding, by which i mean some are on tarmac and others on gravel, to break that down a bit more in my experiance is that gravel ones can be small chippings or like the one down Dover way which was so deep in large gravel the jockey wheel sunk down and could not move it until lifting up the caravan and getting people to push us on to the tarmac roadway.