Camping hook up

[motorbiking]

On the rules yes.. and its mostly French registered vehicles. The authorities bend over backwards to provide free sites, fresh water and toilet emptying facilities and yet you see people choosing to park a bit closer to the river or on the beach itself, because the location is better. Most people ignore the rule on awnings and cooking inside. We've even stayed at places on some of the best surf beaches in france for 10 euro a night and still people try to sneak past the barrier.

Cultural thing I guess.

Most aires are visited by the local trades who pop round early to sell bread etc. Its often restricted to max stay 48 hours, but again never policed.

 

[securespark]

[Homer-style "Mmmmmmm" at the thought of fresh-baked french bread......]

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Or any bread - there's nothing magical about the French stuff, per se, it's just that they have (mostly) eschewed the cotton-wool-with-a-brown-crust widely available here. Although all French supermarkets will sell you that if that's what you want.

But even there good bread isn't cheap and cheap bread isn't good.

 

[SUNRAY]

Never come across that problem at all. The prospect of paying €189 would either have sent me to another site, or if that was not possible managing without a hook up.

Generally he would have left but this was very late at night and pre-booked. In January his wife would have gone to a hotel without power.

There is a massive amount of information on the UK Campsite Forum. Many of the posters on there spend a lot of time camping in Europe have will know a lot about the specifics of each region. http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk it is on the camping and caravaning equipment forum

I think he's done the camping forums to death and finding so much discrepancy he asked my advice.

If it complies with above, can't really ask for anything more. We are suppose to be harmonised, in the UK I have had camp sites lending me a cable before now. Deposit yes, charge no.

Agreed but I get the impression some sites have their own specific requirements, on one he was asked to move the vehicle because it wasn't quite parallel to the pitch (but was parallel to the adjacent vehicle!). I have used several local sites for RAYNET and usually get offered such facilities at the outset and usually some sort of accomodation too.

Can't comment on the 4mm² point, but I can understand why they didn't like the cable.
The problem is (if you can bear with me, and not immediately think I've turned into Winston), AIUI there is no such thing as "arctic cable". In that it is not an official term, it does not mean anything in terms of cable performance - there is no standard for "arctic cable" which can be used.
I can fully understand a campsite operator insisting on cables to a recognised standard. And a harmonised one, not one which only exists in BS form.
I would have thought that the CCC would be the best place to ask - they have an internet forum.

I believe there is a standard that describes 'arctic' cable, I have a drum that states something like: 'generally conforms to' but I certainly agree that a lot of arctic cable is not marked very well and probably struggles to comform to a spec.
But he carries a SY, a black HO7 and orange HO5 in 2.5mm² all correctly marked, I would have thought one of those should have been acceptable.
Plus he carries 4mm² blue arctic and the 1.5mm² yellow that he uses at home and a selection of different adapter leads.

Hopefully he won't need any more.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://electrical.theiet.org/wiring-matters/31/cables.cfm?type=pdf

http://electrical.theiet.org/wiring-matters/33/arctic-cables.cfm?type=pdf

 

[ericmark]

There is a responsibility for site owners to ensure the site is safe for it's users. But as to what lengths they go to it would seem it's very low, in theory they could ask for a certificate to show the caravan has been inspected and tested, but in real terms what seems to be the problem is keeping the camp site up to date rather than the caravans on it.

However no site really wants scruffy caravans on it, and the site rules can be used as an excuse to exclude caravans which don't look well kept, there are all sorts of other methods used, I know in Wales I have heard of sites being full to English speakers but being able to squeeze another Welsh speaker in. I would guess the same applies abroad, they may prefer German to English and do things to discourage the English. And if I am not Welcome then better to find another site.

It happens in many walks of life, you can't sack some one for their attitude to work, but you can look out for something to use to sack them, where if same thing done by some one who is helpful you turn a blind eye. If I was controlling a caravan site and some one arrives towing a caravan with a works truck I would wonder if he was a gypsy and if he would stop those with their expensive 4x4 and A1 caravan using my site, it really should not make a difference even if they are a gypsy, but I think I would be more strict on the rules with them, than some one with what looks like they care what they look like. Likely the gypsy has more ready cash and is more likely to spend it in my shop, however one still is likely to look for some reason to dissuade them.

I find the same caravan to tent, those using tents seem to be looked at as being a lower cast, in real terms there is no difference, but still there seems to be something which makes site owners look for the money spent on the vehicles and camping gear rather than what the people are like. Going with the family we have found we are not treated as well as my son, his caravan is better than ours, fact we own them both does not enter into it.

 

[motorbiking]

Given this is a motorhome and he'd driven to the site, I don't understand why he simply didn't stay unhooked? The fridge would have been cold from the engine power, the leisure battery fully charged. If he needed to heat water or the van he could have used his gas? His fridge should also have run on gas.

Motorhoming is about touring. 1-3 days tops in each location then move on. Even a 90Ah battery will give 2 days of lights and pump.

 

[SUNRAY]

Given this is a motorhome and he'd driven to the site, I don't understand why he simply didn't stay unhooked? The fridge would have been cold from the engine power, the leisure battery fully charged. If he needed to heat water or the van he could have used his gas? His fridge should also have run on gas.

Motorhoming is about touring. 1-3 days tops in each location then move on. Even a 90Ah battery will give 2 days of lights and pump.

Generally I would agree with the moving on idea, it's a 16 reg and my 2 nephews and my sister have already spent 93 days abroad, including some business trips. That particular visit was pre-paid for a 2 week stay, they arrived very late at night in poor weather, I can only imagine that in the circumstances there was the 'let's just get this sorted' thoughts and the incentive to move on was not outweighed by 189euro.