We had a vey good first camping trip with our four children last month to a fairly local site for 3 nights.We loved it and the kids loved it even more and we are very keen to book another site for a week in the 6 weeks hols.
We were looking at a fab site in Barmouth,Wales,site looks really clean and fab for the kids as the beach is 10 min walk.
Problem is when I came to call to book the guy said pitches take tents upto 7m.We have got the Outwell Hartford XL with front tunnel extension and without adding the extension its 770 by 750. He said it sounds too big and that if we book and turn up and cant get our tent,windbreaks etc and our car on the plot then we will be asked to leave with no refund.
Is it me or is it really hard to find a nice,child friendly sight with electric hook up somewhere near the coast ???
We live in Nottingham so really want to be heading not too far,3 hours max journey I think.
Any suggestions or advice from people who have struggled with pitch size before would be fab.
Thanks for reading
Kelly x
------------- Newbie to camping.Four young kids who will enjoy it though.Want to get started :)
Pinewoods Holiday Park in Wells-next-the-sea is great for kids. Play area, boating lake, trampolines, crazy golf, beach 5 min walk if that. Is expensive though. Electric pitches are fenced, so you may have same problem but they have an overflow field next to the boating lake and an old horse paddock which are cheaper. No marked pitches so good for big tents, although after heavy rain they get boggy and occasionly flood. We can't afford to go on it as we are saving for a house, and stay on a C&CC rally. Me and OH had been going since being born. You're looking at approx 3hrs max to get there. Takes us 2 and a bit from near Worksop. Charlotte X
Hi and welcome kellydee to ukcs. We have the Hartford XXL so feel I can reassure you that there are fab campsites out there and owners who do accept larger tents without hitting your pockets! I take our tent, 5 kids, DH, dog, kitchen tent and 2 cars, so our set up is quite a challenge for under £30 a night...but we have and do camp often. You do need to research and I use the campsite search on here as my bible! It's an essential part of our pre-camping prep!! We have camped in Cornwall in school hols for £28 to £10 a night on the Llyn Penninsula. I can't say I've camped at 'park' style places....as most charge double pitches for a tent our size..and that's if they accept them. Next site we are going to try is Waunfawr (Snowdonia) as £18 for a large tent. I always ring to double check as it's a long way to go to be turned away!
Good luck with your hunting! May even see you out and about!!
------------- It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent.
Hi
Thats the problem with that design of tent nowadays more and more sites are catering for tunnel tents so more and more pitches are becoming narrower. There is a whole thread on this site dealing with sites that accept large tents
------------- Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Everything has been said before, but since nobody ever listens we have to keep going back and saying it all over again and again and again
This was precisely the reason why we got rid of our Hartford XL. Super design, lots of space, but a right pain in the neck to get pitches large enough during peak season. We decided to find the biggest tent we could to fit the standard pitch size of 7m by 5m, and decided upon a Bear Lake 6, with a pub tent for our teenager.
------------- Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Everything has been said before, but since nobody ever listens we have to keep going back and saying it all over again and again and again
sounds like that site doesn't deserve your or anybody elses money you would think they would be glad of the money,name names then we can avoid it, Try nantcol waterfalls as already mentioned or cei bach in newquay,wales, absolutely fab unknown site with bar,restaurant etc right on the beach or park cliffe, windermere,had fantastic service from all these and none are bothered about the size of your tent.
Eugh, which site in Barmouth? My my parents live up the road from there and I was thinking of taking my 5m bell tent which is even bigger with an awning. We usually stay in their holiday let but its all booked up for the summer hols. Would love to know who to avoid.
Just as another point if you state the size of the tent when booking and whatever else you are taking (trailer, pup tent etc) and he then accepts the booking on that basis he cannot turf you off site without refunding as you have a contract for that size tent and equipment with him prior to arriving.
We have allways stated the size when booking to avoid any confusion/problems.
As site owner he should know what fits and therefore should only accept bookings based on that.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Tent size-problems finding site !!!
