we came across a problem when on our firts proper travils with the caravan. I can walk slightly and if we park in disabled bays and with hubbys help i can gte to the loos in most service stations. the problem we now have is caravan parking is ususly quiet a bit away with the waggons. fisrt i havnet the speed to get across any roads if a big wagons coming along and even if i could i would never get to the loos. one of the reson we have gone to a caravan is so we can take my mobility scooter with us its a big one and takes some time to set up so cannot use that for the loo. any ideas or solutions anyones come across its got quiet desprat on a 7 hour journy home today
------------- Dyslexic not stuped
It's nice to be important but its more important to be nice
After you pull away from the lorry park or wherever the vans have to go simply drive round to the nearest parking bay at the closest point to the entrance. Even if it means parking over a double slot. Put your badge on the window and then you should be ok to use the facilities for a few minutes. Cant see anyone having an issue with that.
Use the caravan loo. Maybe motorway servcies managers will get the message if they regularly see folks wheeling the toilet casette across the restaurant floor to the loos to clean it! CC and C&CC are talking to motorway services people about caravan parking. Drop them a line so that they don't miss out on the needs of folks with disabilities in their discussions.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
I have the same trouble and really get cheesed off when we're able to use disabled bays pretty much everywhere else, (providing there's space), but NEVER when towing Ellie. It's soooo frustrating and while on my worst days ANY hobbling is extremely painful, (and you can pretty much guarantee that I am worse after hours spent in the car, in fact anything over 45 minutes does me up like a kipper anyway), I just wouldn't want to have to succumb to a wheelchair. I'm sure other decrepits who are like me and slightly mobile, can understand the reluctance? Have to admit that hubby does park as close as possible to limit the inevitable l-o-n-g trek over to the facilities but it's still never that close.
As for using the loo in our tin tent en route, well, don't know about the rest of you, but we certainly never travel with water in it's tank. Ellie's a bit of a heavy beast without extra water weight not to mention the instability factor AND there's nooooo hope of even getting into the loo with the awning etc. across the axle blocking the washroom door
However, at SOME of the service stations they do also have loos, (rarely disabled so you might need help once inside but if you and your hubby are as close as we are, that's no big deal after 33 years of wedlock), at the fuel refilling part and that always means that the walking/hobbling distance is greatly reduced. Ok, so I'm afraid that when we fill up at Exeter services, we may hold others up while I hobble over to the loo, (don't need help from hubby to get off the loo in that one as I hang on to the huge round wall hung loo roll holder plus the help from my walking stick), but I'm sorry.....needs must and all thatI'm apologizing in advance for what will defo be happening on Saturday 14th August possibly around 9am if our overnight trip has gone as it usually does...might wanna avoid filling up there peepsAlso for the return journey when we'll probably be at Exeter services round about late morning too. Sorry.
Btw, more often than not, it's impossible to get back to anywhere near the main loo/refreshment area once you're parked in either caravan parking or the lorry parking most of us are resigned to accept when caravan parking's full. Maybe having loos in the caravan parking area would be a better alternative? Now there's a thought........
Personally I would use your caravan loo. You only need to keep enough water in it for a couple of flushes en route, and it can be emptied and cleaned when you get home.
------------- Tigermouse
I have a very temperamental personality - 50% temper and 50% mental
I have a similar problem with limited mobility, and we normally just pull in somewhere and use the caravan toilet, a litre of water in the flush tank is all thats required for a manual type toilet flush,or you could of course just pour a little water down afterwards to rinse the bowl out by using a recycled plastic drinks bottle, and its easy enough to clean out either at home or at the caravan sites emptying point on arrival.
If theres two or more of you caravanning, then moving the packed awning out of the way for a few mins whilst you use the loo, should be no problem at all for one of the more able bodied members of your party.
Failing all else, get yourself a Shewee and a big baggy coat or cape to hide what your upto lol as you aim for an old pop bottle which can then be sealed and disposed of later!
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
using the vans loo is a no gpo realy as by the time hubbys got the scooter out the way and took the watre roll and other stuff out to get to the loo and set the step for me think it would be to late
we did end up with a large coat and one of the dogs food bowles at teh last services and yes we did throw it after the bowl that is but even then it wasnt easy. I think I will in futer email the likly services we may stop at and ask them what we can do or if they have a wheelchair avalabl.
its funny till i am in a situation I forget what I cant do any more
------------- Dyslexic not stuped
It's nice to be important but its more important to be nice
Was just thinking, even if the services could provide a wheelchair, by the time your hubby had been to get it, then got it back to you and finally got you in there would it not still be too late anyway? Would you not have room in your van to carry your own folding wheelchair, that might cut down on all the hassle
------------- Tigermouse
I have a very temperamental personality - 50% temper and 50% mental
its a very little van and were on the weight limits becoues we have my scooter in allready. theres some very carefull packing to stary in the limet including not even taking food with us so realy dont want to add anything elsa and the dogs are in the car so cant put a wheelchair in there. going to get a chair would be much quicker than trying to get to the loo in the vanas we did try this before the dog bowl came out. though I may allso carry an extra dog bowl and long coat just incase there needed again lol
------------- Dyslexic not stuped
It's nice to be important but its more important to be nice
Actually Julia, you've just reminded me that I had been seriously considering getting one of those Shewee jobbies. Ok....I can hear peeps larfin' but needs must peeps....needs must.
My mate is a rambler and even SHE is considering getting one as she's now also got a bad back and can no longer crouch behind a rock or tree these days either.
Shewee plus empty, (LARGE), water bottle sound perfick come to think of it....just hope I don't need a number two......might prove tricky.
Wont your scooter come to bits and fit into your cars boot, so that you can get into your caravans toilet easier?
Our caravan isnt that big, only a 4.60mtr bodylength, and the car is only classed as a small family model, yet i still manage to get my Pride go-go elite scooter in the boot,which isnt exactly tiny compared to some, and if we take the dogs with us, they use a doggy travel bag on the back seats, and there not really small breeds either, being a Labrador cross and a Boxer.
Going bck to the question of Shewees, Boots and a lot of the larger chemists sell female urinals, with a Shewee type top to fit the female anatomy, but with a fixed capped bottle attached, similar to the popular male versions that most of us have seen in hospitals at some time, which may be less fiddly for a disabled person who may have problems aiming straight with a conventional Shewee due to hand disabilities, arthritis ect,and having to use a separate bottle, and they can be used by a wheelchair user whilst sitting, or in bed, as long as they dont mind being free of any pants obsticles whilst out and about lol, wearing a big skirt to cover up what their doing within its folds of fabric, and either sitting on one of the special 'care pads' or a towel incase of any drips during use if they cannot stand up to use it!
'Where theres a Will theres a way' lol as the old saying goes, and i learned a lot of the tricks of improvisation whist working on a nursing agency doing community one-to-ones back in my younger days lol, and its amazing what we used to get upto to enable our patients to have a better quality of life, and be able to get out and about dispite their disablities, and there wasnt the provisions such as public disabled loos provided back then!
Julia
Post last edited on 28/07/2010 06:36:36
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
I think the large dog bowl and coats the way to go for me the sheewees to fidly and a pottys a little smail for me. We cannot put the scooter in the car its 2 big and the cars full of dogs and cages infcat theres only room lefts for our coats and dog leads and thats with the back seats down
my scooters a big road scooter not a little one like a go go and its a good 15 minets to rebuild it once stoped so it stays in bits till the end of the jureny. I have a little go go but itsno good when we are away as i want to get out and about with hubby and the dogs so need the big scooter and havent got the weight or room for both
------------- Dyslexic not stuped
It's nice to be important but its more important to be nice
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