York Rowntree vehicle length

Check site page, details will be given there

Thank you, I did, hence the question. If I am right what has caused the change from 9m 50cm to 8m 50cm? If anything approach route slightly improved and site identical.

It might be down to the numbers of bigger units booking these days. Clearly the more that book that increases the pressure on the number of bigger pitches available and with that the time and effort needed to manage these on a daily basis but also in looking forward at future departure and arrival dates. Must be a headache on some sites. Often those bigger units will not have the luxury of choosing from what is available on arrival, they will have to ‘do’ with that allocated to them. 

It is interesting. I also wonder what the club defines as “max outfit length”? Does it only apply to motorhomes? Could become interesting, too many variables and not enough fact or reason presented by CAMC on how lengths arrived at. For example Rowntree has over 15 pitches that can accommodate 9.3m plus “outfits” but states a max of 8.5m. Time to approach the powers that be.

Surely the maximum outfit length when referring to a caravan is the total length detached from the towing vehicle? As I understand it the there is a maximum caravan length allowed by law which does not apply in the same way to motorhomes. It used to be possible to discuss vehicle length with the site as there may well be some pitches which could accommodate longer units but the site have to be aware of that fact at the booking stage. Whether this is possible with the new system I am not sure?

David

It is not just the pitch size which determines the max length that can be accommodated. Sometimes site roads, or even those on the approach to the site, are not capable of allowing long outfits to manoeuvre. No two sites are the same in this respect and, no, it doesn’t just apply to motorhomes.

There quite a few pitches at Garlieston that were reserved for larger outfits, not because the pitches themselves were any longer than most just as it would have been impossible to manoeuvre a large MH especially into some pitches due to the site roads. Even more so in the walled garden part across the road where after the first few pitches it was mostly caravans and smaller MHs and campervans. 

There is quite a lot of complex geometry involved in this.  Most trailer caravans have the axle(s) central to the length and can be manoeuvred easily.  On the other hand motor caravans in general have axles well apart with one close to the front.

In the past the rear axle has been near to the rear but models are now being produced with the rear axle almost at the mid-point of the length.   This allows for better manoeuvrability as they drive as if they were a much shorter vehicle, but the considerable rear overhang takes a wide sweep outside the track of the vehicle. On the tight curves of caravan site roads this could mean that pitches on the outside of curves, which are usually the longer ones, will have to be shortened.

Some very good points Nav.  The tail swipe on our MH is in excess of 2.5m.  In tight turns I have to be very careful of any roadside obstructions even pulling out sharply from a roadside parking.  

Morning

The max outfit length or max shipping length as it used to be known is the same for any outfit. With a caravan it's from tow hitch to rear lights and with motorhomes its headlight to rear light. While many sites can accommodate an outfit larger than the stated length that has to be managed and booked at site level as a few factors can make the decision to accept a large outfit booking vary due to time of year, weather, occupancy levels etc etc.

Maximum outfit length for sites is revised regularly with site staff and can change year on year. 

If you email enquiries@camc.com and title it "maximum outfit length at ..... site" you should get a suitable response. 

JK