michaelmorris Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 I can understand that many campsites ensure that all motorhomes and caravans have a set minimum distance between motorhome for reasons of fire safety. This obviously includes awnings. What I'm struggling with is why one site we've recently been on insisted that our habitation door didn't face our neighbour's habitation door. (Neither of us had awnings). Any ideas because I'm baffled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryrj Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Just for privacy reasons. simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted November 18, 2017 Author Share Posted November 18, 2017 Barryrj - 2017-11-17 8:58 PM Just for privacy reasons. simple. If it were summer, I can understand as you might want to sit outside and being near the habitation door is the logical place. But in November? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 This discussion may be of interest http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=8&TopicID=192090 We don’t motorhome in the UK, but the rule-of-thumb abroad is to not have habitation doors facing each other (as Barry says) in order to improve privacy. The exception is if your neighbours are your mates, when motorhomes will often be parked with the doors (and awnings) facing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmerson Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 Buy a classic Royale caravan. Most of them have doors on both sides! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 Derek Uzzell - 2017-11-18 8:08 AM This discussion may be of interest http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=8&TopicID=192090 We don’t motorhome in the UK, but the rule-of-thumb abroad is to not have habitatin doors facing each other (as Barry says) in order to improve privacy. The exception is if your neighbours are your mates, when motorhomes will often be parked with the doors (and awnings) facing. It can be a problem, when your door is on the left, as ours is. When quiet a lot of vans have the door on the right. It usually means that if they have backed in , we drive in, or vice verse ! Fortunately most sites have a hedge between pitches , but we do have a privacy screen which we can attach to the awning, should we need to. Biggest problem is if you use aries ,. We once had a problem where we could not get out of our door, due to the next person parking too close to us, but then we seldom use aries any way. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted November 18, 2017 Share Posted November 18, 2017 michaelmorris - 2017-11-17 7:44 PM I can understand that many campsites ensure that all motorhomes and caravans have a set minimum distance between motorhome for reasons of fire safety. This obviously includes awnings. What I'm struggling with is why one site we've recently been on insisted that our habitation door didn't face our neighbour's habitation door. (Neither of us had awnings). Any ideas because I'm baffled? Jobsworths or good idea? ;-) .......Of course other sites are available :D ........ But don't be afraid of pointing out when some folk are Vanspreading :-| .......especially with their sprogs >:-( ....... Unfortunately caravaning etiquette has sadly diminished since the Hoi Polloi have discovered my hobby >:-( ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 Caravans need to have the drawbar facing the road so that in the event of a fire the vans can be pulled away from danger. The exception is a drive through site where the drawbar can be accessed from both ends of the pitch. That is the law in this part of the world. The privacy issue is the secondary issue. I can see how in UK/Europe the privacy issue could be complicated by having both left & right hand drive vehicles. Most park owners here insist us motorhome owners abide by the "caravan rules" I suspect to offer neighbours a small amount of privacy as we mostly spend our time outdoors. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harcourt3 Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 In the event of a fire you would not be allowed to move your van, the priority is the safety of people so you would be directed out of the site or to the fire assembly point.. If it was me sod the van i'm out of there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 michaelmorris - 2017-11-18 10:44 AMI can understand that many campsites ensure that all motorhomes and caravans have a set minimum distance between motorhome for reasons of fire safety. This obviously includes awnings. What I'm struggling with is why one site we've recently been on insisted that our habitation door didn't face our neighbour's habitation door. (Neither of us had awnings). Any ideas because I'm baffled? AKAIK there is no legal requirement for disposition of caravans/motorhomes on sites other than for fire safety reasons but wardens certainly used to insist on things like habitation doors not facing each other, especially years ago, before customer service standards started to hold sway and people were less willing to be regimented for very no good reason. These days the Caravan Club (CAMC) has declared that while campers must align their camping units (not the awnings) with the pegs they position to ensure adequate fire separation, the camping units can always be driven in or reversed in, as the camper chooses and this "national" rule can be referred to in discussions with wardens if necessary. Other campsite operators may have different rules or their wardens may want to dictate things differently but the law doesn't specify anything and the camper's choice, if they feel a warden is being unduly officious, is to take their custom elsewhere. The fire safety separation rule is 6 meters between adjacent habitation units on the same row (ignoring where the awning or parked car may be) and no less than 3 meters diagnonally between units on parallel rows. The Caravan Club (CAMC) lays out its sites to squeeze in as many pitches as possible, hence the fussiness about pitching the habitation unit on the peg. Given that awnings are often used with electric heating etc, these fire safety rules ignoring awning don't necessarily make sense these days but you are almost bound to enounter some officiousness somewhere sooner or later, so if you can't take a joke you shouldn't try to use UK campsites anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 pelmetman - 2017-11-18 7:08 PM But don't be afraid of pointing out when some folk are Vanspreading :-| .......especially with their dog enclosures... >:-( ....... Unfortunately caravaning etiquette has sadly diminished since us Hoi Polloi started inheriting their Dad's motorhomes, and have resorted to living on-site in 30 year old motorhomes and caravans.... >:-( ...... I've corrected that for you Pelmet'...you're welcome... (lol) Michael- For examples of Pelmet's "Vanspreading"- Check out images of "Camp-Pelmet" that he posted in this old thread... http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Awnings-your-views-please-/34515/ (lol) (lol) Not that we use many "main" sites anymore anyway, but I always thought that the "Don't have hab' doors facing each other" approach made sense.. ..and I agree with Stuart, that keeping a specific distance(re-fire regs) will mean little, if the gap is only going to be closed by flammable awnings, windbreaks and dog compounds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Yes Derek that is exactly we do whit mates have the awnings match and dog fenching of UK origin except the poles. Also barbeque interfacing. Normally we have a 5 mtrs wide space each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike B. Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Harcourt3 - 2017-12-18 9:50 PM In the event of a fire you would not be allowed to move your van, the priority is the safety of people so you would be directed out of the site or to the fire assembly point.. If it was me sod the van i'm out of there. What, you mean you wouldn't chuck your 5 litre red plastic bucket of water the C&MC insist you put by your drawbar/front wheel over it to put the fire out? This has to be the daftest idea the CC have ever come up with-fire/plastic bucket/water??? Oh and it must be red and have FIRE on it :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Harcourt3 - 2017-12-18 9:50 PM In the event of a fire you would not be allowed to move your van, Fire fighters might want to drag a few vans out to create a gap the fire can't spread across. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Mike B. - 2017-12-19 8:03 PM Harcourt3 - 2017-12-18 9:50 PM In the event of a fire you would not be allowed to move your van, the priority is the safety of people so you would be directed out of the site or to the fire assembly point.. If it was me sod the van i'm out of there. What, you mean you wouldn't chuck your 5 litre red plastic bucket of water the C&MC insist you put by your drawbar/front wheel over it to put the fire out? This has to be the daftest idea the CC have ever come up with-fire/plastic bucket/water??? Oh and it must be red and have FIRE on it :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D Mike You should be in charge of the Fire Authority so you can tell them how to do it *-) Because they think that large fires usually begin as small fires, that can be put out or slowed down by a fire bucket. They are even daft enough to think that a red bucket with FIRE painted on it makes it more visible ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beltie Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Refreshing bit of common sense there John. I have a friend who is a recently retired chief fire officer and he always uses a fire bucket, still Mike obviously knows better! I also hesitate to let facts get in the way of Mike's prejudices, but perhaps he could indicate to me where in their rules the C&MC require a fire bucket. Certainly in the twenty odd years I have neen a member they never have. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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