GARNELP Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I am new to all this and woke up the other night whilst at home a wondered. If I buy a motorhome, find a site, pitch up then go off for the day, how can I keep my pitch until I come back? I wont have an awning so it got me thinking? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Hi Paul Lots of people leave their tables and chairs out, when not on pitch. We have a little plaque that say "this pitch is for ABC11DEF (MH No Plate) though we have never used it, as we tend to move on, or get local transport . Welcome to the forum, , hope you try our way of life PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondo Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We had a M/Home shaped plaque with our reg on it that we would put out at times..And I also had a traffic cone which I would use in conjunction with the plaque...Mind you I once used the traffic cone on it's own only to return and find someone had my pitch AND taken the cone too...Mind you he was well p****'d off when the warden made him move!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Hi Paul & welcome to the forum. Many Caravan Club sites now request you show a "pitch occupied" sign, when the M/H is off-site. A company who regularly advertise in MMM are:- http://www.savaspace.co.uk/pitch-reserved-signs.htm Then choose you shape to suit your M/H & then have a choise of lettering upto 12 characters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Had one of those a few years ago,through MMM. It was FREE. :-> If I ever need another I think I will make one from a bit of plywood and save £13 >:-) whose a tight one ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tugga Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 We have got a cheap plastic bucket that we have painted our m/h registration on. If it gets stolen we have not lost very much. I have always found that the people on caravan club sites to be very honest and respectful of the fact that you have moved off, cannot say the same for commercial sites though! We haven't ventured to France yet so have no idea how safe our pitch marker will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 tugga - 2011-08-02 8:28 AM We have got a cheap plastic bucket that we have painted our m/h registration on. If it gets stolen we have not lost very much. I have always found that the people on caravan club sites to be very honest and respectful of the fact that you have moved off, cannot say the same for commercial sites though! We haven't ventured to France yet so have no idea how safe our pitch marker will be. If I wanted to try to 'protect' a campsite pitch in France, I'd make an official-looking marker with "Emplacement réservé" on it. Some French campsites have a plan of the site on a notice-board indicating which pitches are free, but many don't. Not sure I'd take much notice of just a bucket with a registration-number on it - how could it be known whether the bucket had been accidentally left behind when the vehicle's stay on the campsite was over or whether the vehicle was returning? I'm not saying I'd deliberately pinch your bucket-protected pitch but, if the campsite were otherwise full, I'd certainly consider it! As far as 'aires' are concerned, you can forget pitch 'protection' - any space wide enough to shoehorn a motorhome in is fair game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Just have a spare yellow reflective number plate (from when we used to tow a trailer) and peg that in the ground. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 On the Continent most site pitches are deliniated by hedges or trees so you know exactly which bit of dirt is yours. As mentioned many MH users leave chairs etc on the ground and in the vast majority of cases this works well. There is of course always a chance of theft, but it is remote. Most campers respect the property of others. The usual practice when arriving on site is to be allowed to walk round to identify empty pitches you might like and then the office will confirm if these are available. Some empty pitches have been pre booked for later days so may be denied to you. In the UK the C&CC will guide you to your pitch so is not going to be taken by tohers unless a mixup occurs. In the CC you again give them the number after choosing, and again it is yours until you leave. If someone does 'nab' it while you are away then the wardens will move them. I do not feel you need to worry too much on this score. Get out there and enjoy your MH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I leave my BBQ, and a dog bowl as a pitch marker:D.......................Normally makes sure I get plenty of space:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmaggott Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 We bought notices in both French and English when we had our first motorhome and fastened then to an aluminium 'post' one either side. We stick this in with the relevant language facing forwards. It has the registration of that vehicle on it not the current one, but we still use it (too tight to fork out for more). Could be a problem if we ever encounter the new owner of our old van I suppose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 We don't that often travel out and back from sites (when we leave, we're usually gone!), but when we do, we leave either our hook-up lead, or something else, visible on the pitch or, if we don't think it will still be there when we return, we leave nothing, take pot luck, and if someone else has moved in, we just move to a different pitch. I think the latter has happened once in five years. Usually, a pitch is allocated, or one choses and confirms the choice to reception, so that pitch is automatically excluded for others. We usually avoid mid-summer and, once out of the peak, there is little pressure on places, so re-siting is of little consequence. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Just go, and see how you get on. If it becomes a problem you are either possessive, using the wrong sites, or going at the wrong time of the year! :-D In truth, I really don't think the degree of inconvenience will ever justify sticks with registration numbers on them! Besides which, if someone really wants your pitch while you are away, they'll just move your stick on the next pitch along! Try proving that in Swahili! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I think it's more of a UK problem, Brian. Like you we tend to only use a site for one night on the Continent, then move on. In UK, (CC site) we have often pulled onto a pitch, only to need to move when informing Reception of our choice & being informed that our choice is already allocated. Fortunately we have not pitched up, then someone who has already been allocated that pitch returning before reception have been informed. So yes, in the UK a pitch marker can avoid any unpleasantry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 pelmetman - 2011-08-02 5:30 PM I leave my BBQ, and a dog bowl as a pitch marker:D.......................Normally makes sure I get plenty of space:D Plus your gennie's packing box no doubt :D Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 My experience in recent times is that CC and C&CC sites often have a notice in the office asking you to leave a marker on your pitch if you are out for the day. Plus, when being sited on arrival, the site manager has reminded us to leave a marker. I have occasionally seen the same thing on the continent. At a commercial site in Scotland, in June this year, the site owner had left a number of petrol cans in the information 'shed' - the cans were painted white and had 'reserved' ( or 'pitch in use' ?) painted on them in red. You were asked to place them on your pitch if you went out, and return them before you departed the site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Derek Uzzell - 2011-08-02 9:25 AM As far as 'aires' are concerned, you can forget pitch 'protection' - any space wide enough to shoehorn a motorhome in is fair game. We once saw someone try though - on a busy aire at L'Aiguillon-sur-Mer, a space with an outward view had a table and two chairs left on it! When they returned we noticed they were German - strange, they'd forgotten to put towels on the chairs! :-D My big regret from that day is that I'd have loved to just move the furniture to one side, so someone else took the spot, then watch what happened. Maybe I'm just not nasty enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Caravan club sites sell reasonably priced signs saying motor home using this pitch from their site offices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Colin Leake - 2011-08-03 5:11 PMCaravan club sites sell reasonably priced signs saying motor home using this pitch from their site offices. Yeah:D...............I bought one of those and left it on the pitch when we moved on:-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I wonder how long the pitch remained empty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Colin Leake - 2011-08-03 10:38 PMI wonder how long the pitch remained empty? It was on a CL 5 years ago...........................It's probably still hanging on the bush:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usinmyknaus Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Tony Jones - 2011-08-03 5:08 PM Derek Uzzell - 2011-08-02 9:25 AM As far as 'aires' are concerned, you can forget pitch 'protection' - any space wide enough to shoehorn a motorhome in is fair game. We once saw someone try though - on a busy aire at L'Aiguillon-sur-Mer, a space with an outward view had a table and two chairs left on it! When they returned we noticed they were German - strange, they'd forgotten to put towels on the chairs! :-D My big regret from that day is that I'd have loved to just move the furniture to one side, so someone else took the spot, then watch what happened. Maybe I'm just not nasty enough! Still Tony, it's a positive improvement on their forebears' unfortunate propensity to decorate France with "Achtung Minen" signs........ or the odd tank. ;-) :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian0354 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Usinmyknaus - 2011-08-04 9:49 AM Tony Jones - 2011-08-03 5:08 PM Derek Uzzell - 2011-08-02 9:25 AM As far as 'aires' are concerned, you can forget pitch 'protection' - any space wide enough to shoehorn a motorhome in is fair game. We once saw someone try though - on a busy aire at L'Aiguillon-sur-Mer, a space with an outward view had a table and two chairs left on it! When they returned we noticed they were German - strange, they'd forgotten to put towels on the chairs! :-D My big regret from that day is that I'd have loved to just move the furniture to one side, so someone else took the spot, then watch what happened. Maybe I'm just not nasty enough! Still Tony, it's a positive improvement on their forebears' unfortunate propensity to decorate France with "Achtung Minen" signs........ or the odd tank. ;-) :D Best posting I've read in years!!!! :D :D Now how do I get coffee spray off my keyboard? 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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