They only have EHU on hard/gravel pitches which they say is fine for tents as long as you have rock pegs. Really good reviews for the above site but most are from people with tourers or motorhomes.
Anyone had much experience of pitching on hard as we've only ever pitched on grass?
We have just asked the same question on here last week, if you search on here you may find it.
Going o from that parents in law go to the old okes quite a bit. Lovely site and veryveryclean. Never stayed there but been to visit them a few imes and they love it there eve thou it so ly 20 mins away from there house.
------------- May 2020 - tbc
7tth August -15th August 2020 trevornick Cornwall
We stayed at Old Oaks last August,The hardest bit was getting the rock pegs out after. I had to pour water over some to get them out.
If you book ask for one of their extra groundsheets, as extra protection under your tent. The site itself is really nice with fantastic facilities, the staff are always polite and helpful. We stayed for a week, this year we are going back for two.
With the right preparation it is worth it.
Ultimately, some do, some don't. Some would, some wouldn't.
In my case, having done it twice, and thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm now thinking it's too risky, as I didn't come away totally unscathed, so almost certainly won't do it again.
Oh... and welcome to the forums, loachee.
Let us know what you decide, and how you get on (if you do go).
I can confirm The Old Oaks is a wonderful site, and I doubt you will find better facilities. We went in a tent and apart from the hardstanding it was a most enjoyable stay. But do I want dimples on the sig of my Bell tent? The answer has to be no. So I probably wont return. although it was nice to have a clean groundsheet to pack up. As already mentioned the rock pegs were a bu**er to get out. So make sure you take a good claw hammer or similar to extract them. Don't rely on small peg pullers like I did when we went there, all three I took got bent or broke. (see pic)
Thank you everyone. I did try to search a couple of times for the subject but the search wasn't working...
After reading through, I must admit I'm a bit put off but Old Oaks seems such a great place and we love that area anyway. We've got a Vango footprint and carpet but the latter only covers the living area.
Does anyone know if the groundsheets they lend at Old Oaks are heavy duty enough with a footprint and SIG as well?
loachee, don't be put off if you really want to go. I would hate you to miss out on a really lovely place. Just go prepared. Borrow the groundsheet they provide and take an extra tarpaulin to be on the safe side. Just make sure you check your pitch for sharp stones. Although I may not go back I don't regret going there in the 1st place.
Hi Loachee
The sheet we had was doubled over and our tent is just under 7 mtrs x 4mtrs. it saved our SIG from damage.
If i wasn,t happy i wouldn,t be risking our tent again this year.
Need to sort out the removal of rock pegs though Anyone got any ideas on that??
I set up my tent (Denver 4) for the first time last weekend on a hard standing with gravel, I was insure at first but I now prefer it. I used heavy duty pegs which worked really well but the guide wires were on the grass each side of hard standing so that worked well. Packing up was easy too, the Tarp (I used two layers under the ground sheet) was bone dry so too was the ground sheet - no dampness or mud, worm spoils at all! I used two layers of Tarps to prevent any shap stones penetrating the ground sheet. Most hard standings have electric hookups and that was why we used hard standing instead of grass. One or two of the rock pegs were hard to remove and I got a stone wedged in the end of one of pole ferrules - a real pain to get out. So, I now have 4 plastic inserts one in each pole to make feeding the poles through the tent easier and to prevent stones getting stuck in the ferrules.. This needs to be avoided, the stone was a nightmare to remove.
I have used a local site which uses pea gravel ( small round stones so no sharp edges. The gravel is also well compacted down. The owner also puts down a breathable groundsheet.
The area covered with pea gravel is roughly 5x4 metres with grass all around so thats generally where the guyline pegs go.
I used heavier pegs to tie down the tent body itself but no real issues hammering in or taking out pegs.
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
On the Camping in Colder Weather thread someone recommends some construction industry insulation that comes extremely cheaply on a roll, sturdy foil backed bubble wrap, that might make a good cushion under your SIG.
Personally I would hate to camp on gravel. Maybe if the front of the tent opened straight on to the grass? I wouldn’t want to be walking in gravel, putting my outdoor set up on gravel, it seems so soulless, and isn’t it noisy / crunchy to walk on?
I like to camp feeling as close to nature as possible, not as if I was on someone’s drive!
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: Pitching on hard standing
via mobile 07/9/2019 at 10:09am
