Motorway Services parking

We regularly use Hopwood Park services at junction 2 of the M42. There are about six or eight caravan bays but almost invariably there are cars and vans parked in it. As a matter of course, I've started parking in the HGV area as, if the caravan parking is full it is a case of driving completely out of the services, back around the island over the M42 and back in to the services and then into the HGV park which is the first parking area. We generally travel on a Sunday and the number of HGVs in the quite big area is always very low, mainly foreign outfits, so we aren't preventing HGVs from parking. We have seen several other caravanners MHers doing the same but also, even in here, solo cars driving in and parking up. There have been times in the past when the services operator has put up a sign directing caravans into the HGV area.

There always seems to be one in high viz when we visit Wetherby. He / she makes sure best use is made of the parking and if it gets busy may OK you to park in the coach bit.

You get the impression at Gloucester Services that they actually thought about caravan and motorhome parking? Shame that wasn't replicated around the country.

David

You have to remember many services on the motor way network are quite old ,(like club sites) before the explosion of LVs and many car parks are still being installed with 1960s measurements

I have to say we used Wetherby on our way up north last month and despite being about 1pm and having to queue right back to the slip road and round the roundabout, we still found a space. There was a guy in hi-viz monitoring the bays all the time. So yes, they will go on my nice list!

I seem to remember Cullompton services on the M5 has a separate area specifically for caravans. It's on the northbound side but easily accessed if travelling south.  

Do not do what I saw on the M25 last week.  People queuing on the 1st lane (there is no hard shoulder  for emergencies any more) putting themselves at risk of a rear ender by a 40 tonner solely because the car driver thought it was the right place to queue for fuel.

What dumbos!

In my experience the parking supervisor at Wetherby is only there at very busy times. I have been there at least half a dozen times in the last three years and I have only seen a supervisor once. On that occasion, he was limiting the period of stay to one hour only. 

Wetherby gets exceptionally busy. The space for caravans and motorhomes is fairly generous compared to many services with 14 large bays and, unlike many, it is well signposted. However, it can fill up very quickly. With the larger motorhomes and a car/caravan outfit, it is only effectively one outfit per bay. With smaller motorhomes you can get two in. The problem then is when the one at the front leaves it is hard to utilise the space it creates.  

In defence of smaller motorhome drivers (mine is 5.4 mtrs) the bays in some services car parks are quite tight, I can sometimes park in supermarket car park bays but having a problem with my right leg I have to swing the door to its fullest extent to alight the vehicle.

When you see a smaller motorhome parked in the spaces reserved for caravans there may be a valid reason for this.

Original content removed by poster.

Apologies I thought you were referring to my post immediately preceding your post and I wanted to explain that I have no beef with small motorhomes using the caravan spaces. But I now realise you were referring to the OP.

In my view the OP was quite wrong to suggest small motorhomes should not use caravan bays. It is much worse if they annoy car owners by parking the parks designated just for cars (unless very small, perhaps).