With reference to 'continental vans' - what exactly is meant by that? Is it, amongst other things e.g. lights, a reference to the location of the access door? Our Triton 430 (bought in Germany) has the access door on the left hand side when the van is viewed from the front. That said, lots of images that I've seen of UK vans also have the door on this side. Is the inference then that these vans too were bought/imported from the continent?

It's splitting hairs, but they don't really mean 'all Continental vans' because some, though few these days, are produced with their door on the UK nearside. I can't say I've ever seen a UK built van with a door on the UK offside.

To be accurate references to 'Continental vans' should be withdrawn and 'vans with door on the UK offside' substituted. That would cover the situation wherever the van was built.

Continental produced vans that aren't built to UK spec. is another subject altogether and then you get into the position of rear lights, gas fittings and electrical systems and sockets which I believe have been covered elsewhere already.

In five years with Eribas I never had any hassle about pitching, although the odd CC warden tended to look at me as if I was some sort of deviant that he needed to keep a close eye on. Maybe that was nothing to do with my van though.

OK, Alles klar. I asked because over the past few months, on several web sites including here, I've been reading about the 'over fussiness' of certain CC/CC&C wardens and this nose in/nose out business. I'm afraid that all our adult camping experience to date has been in France and Italy where in most cases the siting of vans/tents is far more organised chaos.
I've no idea what the formalities will be like (minimal I hope) at the Yorkshire Dales campsite that we've already booked - their website seems to indicate this - but in any event, in our booking email I stated quite clearly the side our vans access door was on.

You missed this one, just right for an old tar!

http://www.yorkmarina.co.uk/

Na - already got one thanks. Just needs a lick of paint - well several licks to be honest - and it'll be all go for that round the world trip I've been promising she who must be obeyed.
IMG_1046.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Ah but maybe you didn't notice, the marina has a caravan site.

Maybe a diversion from York to Turktown is called for?

Yes you're right. Still not got used to this 'Land Lubbing' business. Show me a picture of a boat on some water and the blinkers come into effect.

Both Clubs' booking systems infuriate me, as does the selfishness of some caravanners, and the Jobsworth attitude of some wardens.
I tried for two months to book Xmas at Broadway CC site to cover both Bank Holidays, which were also our birthdays.
I had my laptop on every waking hour to spot dates coming available, and eventually the day before cancelling, (72 hrs),...the remaining date became available and I booked it,..Happy Days
Spent a lovely holiday there,....and there were spaces available EVERY day!!!!,...lots of 'em.
Also, being disabled, but not wheelchair-bound we asked if they could reserve a pitch that wasn't a Disabled one,..(someone with more complex needs could have those)....but which suited our needs better and I quoted the pitch Number, as we'd used it in the past, they said they couldn't guarantee, but would make a note and if there was room elsewhere on the site, would reserve me the pitch.
We duly arrived, the site was half-full and the only pitch occupied for 50 metres was the one that we had requested,..and to rub salt in, it was a Motorhome, and all that occupied the space from dawn till dusk was a warning triangle.

I'd agree with you that some people do cause booking issues on the CC website, but at least you got an opportunity to book because others cancelled so they didn't encroach on the 72 hour rule. Previously they might not have cancelled at all and just not turned up. Virtually every other alternative to try and alleviate the issue has other problems and administrative costs and/or issues.

As to your ire at not getting the exact pitch you desire this is not guaranteed by the Clubs or even the top site in the country (Old Oaks) where again they'll try and give you a desired pitch but can't guarantee.

I wonder if someone is developing a booking system for the internet that shows a plan of the site with all pitches marked and you can reserve an actual pitch. It would allow wardens to take pitches out of service for flooding or other reasons and even send you an email if your pitch booking has an issue so you can amend it.

I don't think it would be beyond the capabilities of current IT systems.

Hi Andy,..Whist I agree with most of "wot you wrote",...The "72 hrs" is a step forward, it has not stopped block bookings and most of the year Sites are shown as "Full",..only to become available when the weather forecasts are better in other parts of the country.
I have suggested to the CC that a deposit system would stop most of this and that identifying repeat, "offenders" is pretty simple these days. as would be creating a waiting list system whereby the top of the list would be notified by E-mail or text if a cancellation came in.
I am not wishing a system biased in my favour, just a fairer one.,....and reserving a pitch is not exactly difficult if someone has been before and requests a particular pitch, is it?,.....Regards Chris

According to the CC's comic they do monitor multiple bookings etc and they have and will continue to 'discipline' offenders.

I get the drift that it's not a small number of people that book way in advance with the hope they'll actually use the booking, but a helluva lot of people, hence the rush when bookings open. As it's a lot of people, the CC face difficulties as they can't penalise thousands, neither would they want to as most are genuine and the bookings used. From a financial point of view they're happy if the get income for a pitch/night and they don't care who pays. If cancellations were such that they felt they were losing significant income they'd soon do something about it, it's not in their interests to have spaces.

However there are also thousands more who don't engage in the 'game' of early booking and they are truly disadvantaged by the antics of the others.Deposits wouldn't have a significant effect unless they were very large sums and non-returnable, because these days those sort of people would be willing to put several £10 or £20 deposits down without blinking.

I also understand that the vast majority of the block bookings are actually taken up, which just shows that there aren't enough pitches to go round at popular times in popular spots.

It must be an issue for the CC that for a great part of the season they can't earn income on a lot of pitches because the weekends are clogged and those who want to book a week cannot do so.

My solution would be that a member can book only book three months in advance and then only a certain maximum number of weekends, that might get them out of the lemming habit every December or whenever it is.

I joined the CC last year ( my first year with a van) and stayed on a Cl for four nights in total at CC sites .................membership with joining fee was £52.00 which with hindsight was a waste of money.

I also joined the CC forum (where there are more trolls than Hymer ever built) and watched with interest the debates about the booking scramble and also the row about which way round continental vans should have to pitch ....................none of which encouraged me to rejoin this year.
With that in mind I considered joining the C & C C in the hope that they would be better and to be fair to them they seem to be the better club, but in the end i decided that my membership fee (£43.00 this year) would be better spent on paying pitch fees at one of the intendants.

There do seem to be enough intendants around to be able to get by reasonably well without joining either of the big 2 clubs and with most wanting a non refundable deposit the people who book are likely to actually want the pitch they have booked.

never actually booked their posh sites in all the years been a member, prefer the 'hidden gems' of cl and cs and the chance to explore the area with out feeling the need for a mortgage
I usually ring the day before departure