I know you are not supposed to use the gas in the van but we have been known to make a brew, when staying overnight on the services (and paying for the privilege).
We never leave the van unattended, so solo toilet trips are the order of the day. Apparently certain people sit waiting/watching the vans park up, armed with the necessary kit, and can have your van away in minutes.
For overnight stops (when doing long haul trips down to Cornwall) we usually pull off the motorway and use a campsite - about the same price without any EHU and better facilities. We also use the larger laybys but spaces to park up are limited and get very busy in high season.
I am also solo now and never leave the caravan unattended. I always take a flask and sandwiches on a long journey. Also who wants to wash up/pack away on a journey.
When you use a Service area, you are using Private facilities, which all have to be funded. That includes the surface maintenance of the Roadways and Parking areas, as well as the buildings and facilities inside them.
The Companies owning those Service Areas, are required by Law, to provide Free access and parking, to allow Drivers to take a break, and Free Access to Toilet Facilities.
Hence the 2 hours Free, because you can park up, consume your own food and drink. Use their toilet faculties for free, then drive off within the 2 hour period. And the Company makes nothing off you, towards the running of the Service Area.
At the end of the day, they are a "For Profit" business, not out of the Goodness of their hearts, and not Charities.
So if your parked for more than 2 hours, you are no longer consider to be taking a break from Driving, and as such, why should the companies, not charge for the use of their Parking facilities.
Would you be moaning, if you were in a "Paid For" car park? Except the amount being charged.
Retail Parks, allow 2-3 hour Free Parking, as a means of getting Customers into the Stores, because they know, paid for park, drives Customers away. Unlike Service Areas, who have to by Law, provide Free Parking.
Dave
------------- 2015 Dates
April Llyn Rhys Farm
August Barleylands Essex
September TBA
Halloween field in Bala sharing with Birds of Prey
If you want to stop on the services for under 2hrs, drop the legs and make tea and food then do that. Nobody is going to stop you, its a non issue. As for overnight parking I would guess non payment is similar to overstaying at Parking eye car park, you would get an excess charge bill through post.
Okay, fair enough point well taken. I had gotten used to having a longer stay and a shirt kip on overnight runs to the channel ports. Thinking that the tea, snacks and outrageous prices charged for fuel would balance it out..
They only started charging as a result, I think of the technology being available to them to do so, ie it was as a result of technological innovation rather than as a market forces or commercial pressure.
"Still cynical after all these years." Not Paul Simon.
Not contradicting what may or may not be the law regarding the use of cooking facilities ('naked flame') inside a caravan (or truck or car!); IMO this should apply in the fuelling area - but the whole of a services area i.e. parking areas?
Where is the difference between the service area kitchens (using - I am sure - 'naked flames' inside) and using inside a van in the parking area?
To me, rather puzzling - unless it is a hidden way to force customers into the restaurants....
Gram
------------- What's the difference between a chicken?
Maybe it's something to do with use of bottled gas, rather than the mains supply? I do know that the rule has been in place for as long as I can remember.
...and they do come and check at some services to see if you have paid for overnight parking. I've seen them doing it and pulling someone up who hadn't. Last time we stopped over on M5 services we paid £14 for the privilege of being kept awake all night by the noise of refrigerated lorries! Never again. As I say, we pull off the motorway now whenever possible, for toilet breaks and overnight stops.
Quote: Originally posted by Davep on 02/5/2015When you use a Service area, you are using Private facilities, which all have to be funded. That includes the surface maintenance of the Roadways and Parking areas, as well as the buildings and facilities inside them.The Companies owning those Service Areas, are required by Law, to provide Free access and parking, to allow Drivers to take a break, and Free Access to Toilet Facilities.
Hence the 2 hours Free, because you can park up, consume your own food and drink. Use their toilet faculties for free, then drive off within the 2 hour period. And the Company makes nothing off you, towards the running of the Service Area.
At the end of the day, they are a "For Profit" business, not out of the Goodness of their hearts, and not Charities.
So if your parked for more than 2 hours, you are no longer consider to be taking a break from Driving, and as such, why should the companies, not charge for the use of their Parking facilities.
Would you be moaning, if you were in a "Paid For" car park? Except the amount being charged.
Retail Parks, allow 2-3 hour Free Parking, as a means of getting Customers into the Stores, because they know, paid for park, drives Customers away. Unlike Service Areas, who have to by Law, provide Free Parking.
Dave
Twenty one of them are owned by the government and leased by the operators and there are four big boys with something of an oilgopoly.
No one forces them to take up the lease so if they can't make money, tough titties.
They are required to provide 24 hour toilets and the two hours free parking is in the lease so you are under no compunction to buy anything from them at all.
For longer parking I would pay the price.
Stop and use the loos and brew up your tea, until someone tells you to stop and by then your tea will be brewed.
Soooo from what I can tell, I should be ok to pull into one of the big services (the ones with proper caravan parking places etc.) drop the legs, have a drink of tea (from a flask) and a sandwich, bit of rest, and then head of (as long as its less than two hours)
This pretty much confirms what I as thinking, thanks to everyone that contributed
Only three days and counting and then Ill be a fellow caravan owner!!
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Topic: Stopping in services?
