CL Hardstandings

It never ceases to amaze me why some think that going without EHU means going without everyday creature comforts.

I am reluctant to use any CL outside the summer months unless they do have hardstandings. If the cost of offering these is the difference between operating profitable rather than at a loss then it has to be worth it. I know when I tried to book Skybarn it was full.

peedee

In winter we also go for hard standing. In summer we vastly prefer grass. That's why I appreciate the choice on offer with CL's.

Don't ever need hook up because we have a solar panel and a Safefill system. Might qualify that statement by excepting Jan or Feb when you can go for a week without seeing anything other than a miserable dull day.

On the BBC TV program "Click" about 2 weeks ago there was an interesting item about solar panel development. They estimate in 20 years they will take over and we won't be using fosil fuels at all. The current best panels are only about 20 percent efficient, panels of 35/40 percent efficiency are not too far off and battery storage of any excess electricity generated for the home is becoming a  reality.

peedee

Agree with that peedee. The American car company Tesla has patented new technology for storing energy from solar panels.

Currently a box about the size of a domestic fridge takes the place of a whole bank of batteries and is available now.

Costs are bound to come down over time.

If CL's become "all singing all dancing" camping sites, the beauty. of CL caravanning will be destroyed.

CL's are unique as they provide a natural environment in rural unspoilt pictuesque areas.

All that is required is a camping field .  A water supply Somewhere to dump grey and black waste and five electric bollards.

Anybody wanting facilities blocks, cafes  and tarmac all over the place should IMO  leave CLs to those who enjoy country living in a natural environment and use club sites instead.

K

The electric bollards are an optional extra not necessarily required.

Agree, not necessarily required but in this day and age we wouldn't go anywhere without mains electric. Got to the age where creature comforts are important!

Paul, doesnt your fridge, heating and hot water also run from gas?

wont your ipads, tablets and phones charge from a 12v socket?

wont the TV, lights and water pump all run from 12v, too?

you can do all this and pay a lot less for your pitch as youre not using the hook up.

our tv prgarams on 12v are just as bad as those watched on 230v

is an ipad charged from a 12v socket any less able to browse the net as one charged on the mains?

amazingly, those who use gas for their heating and hot water, can have an identical shower and be just as warm in their van as the folks next door who used a hook up.....the 'creature comforts' are exactly the same, hard to believe, i know...

Roll on a proper unbiased article in the club comic about what is possible these days with modern tech.

Preferably written by Merve.

but I wonder how many of the 50 strong owners only Facebook group have basic CL's?

If it's not that many, then the opinions gained are not representative of the overall camping membership.

Having had to design a survey for a recent business degree I now realise how difficult it is to get representative samples to draw statisticlly valid conclusions. In fact it was one of the most difficult parts of my dissertation.

We have 9 caravan sites within our village 2 x C&CC 1 independent and 6 CL's these range in price from £10-£15 all have EHU but the ones that are consistently full year on year are the ones that offer full facilities, our CL has bookings for the next 3 years and waiting lists.  When we first opened we just had EHU very few customers, we added toilet and showers and bookings increased and we were full, we now have the full monte and could fill our site 10 x over, i doubt there is any solar panel that could produce the amount of electricity that our campers use, although we do have panels on the house roof.

but I wonder how many of the 50 strong owners only Facebook group have basic CL's?

If it's not that many, then the opinions gained are not representative of the overall camping membership.

Having had to design a survey for a recent business degree I now realise how difficult it is to get representative samples to draw statisticlly valid conclusions. In fact it was one of the most difficult parts of my dissertation.

We have 9 caravan sites within our village 2 x C&CC 1 independent and 6 CL's these range in price from £10-£15 all have EHU but the ones that are consistently full year on year are the ones that offer full facilities, our CL has bookings for the next 3 years and waiting lists.  When we first opened we just had EHU very few customers, we added toilet and showers and bookings increased and we were full, we now have the full monte and could fill our site 10 x over, i doubt there is any solar panel that could produce the amount of electricity that our campers use, although we do have panels on the house roof.

Well. our 120w panel seems to generate enough for us....

but what you possibly havent understood, is that folk dont use power directly from the panel....the panel charges the batteries and its the batteries that drive the appliances like water pump, tv, and charging for ipads/phones.

the sun is beefing up the batteries even when they are not being used....

the use/worth of onsite showers will always polarise opinion, some will troop to 'the block' in all winds and weathers, whereas others wount be dragged from their warm vans for all the tea in China

there was a post recently where the response to a site being upgraded to add toilets was 'great, we can use it now'...

well, of course, they could easily have used it before but chose to forgo the attraction of the site/area just because they would have had to use their own toilet.

perhaps, its the toilet-shy that are using your site...? 

i just find it odd that folk go to shows like the NEC, spend all day admiring all the latest 'facilities' in the vans and then dont use them

perhaps we are more flexible than some in that we are equally happy on a site with 5-star facilities (not club sites) as we are in a field with a tap and CDP.....

its all about the location...

however, even though you investment wont have done anything to specifically attract us to your site, i wish you well.

+1

I cant remember the last time I even looked in a shower block. I am not paying huge money for all singing all dancing van to walk hundred yards I the cold and rain to use someone else's toilet. Like BB I just don't get it.

SpK. You assume that everyone has a caravan like yours. There are many with camper vans, small caravans without hot water or on board showers,  trailer tents, and  folding caravans. We don't all tow bungalows around.