As years go by, and knees and back deteriorate, im interested in serviced pitches. What, if any, modifications to my van, water supply pressure for example, do I need to consider? Look forward to your thoughts.
Been there, done that!
Three main things:-
1. Get a mains water pipe with pressure device.
People will tell you that your caravan will undoubtedly be flooded: ignore them.
2. Make sure your toilet cassette has wheels and empty it every other day.
3. Get rid of the awning and buy a lightweight sun canopy.
Good luck, DaveS1
For the fresh water supply you need either a float valve that goes in your Aquaroll (still using your submersible pump as normal) which just keeps it continuously topped up, OR a pressure regulator that plugs into your inlet in place of the submersible pump. DO NOT apply mains water pressure direct to caravan plumbing, it's not designed to cope with that high pressure!
You should ideally use the specialist blue food grade hose to connect to the standpipe, not any old garden hose as they can taint and pollute water with undesirable chemicals, and sometimes encourage microbial growth. How long a hose you need varies from site to site! - some place the standpipe at the end of your pitch, others place a common one between pitches etc.!
Grey water, you can continue to drain into your tank and periodically empty, or fit a long hose to empty straight into the drain - how long the hose needs to be is dependent on where the drain is in relation to you caravan! Be warned, too long a hose with unwanted coils of excess tends to all but stop water flow! I've got 30m of hose cut into 5m, 10m, 15m lengths with push fit joining pieces, so I can mix and match to make up the length I need near perfectly.
'Fully Serviced' doesn't usually include any 'Black water' disposal, so you'll still be taking the toilet tank for a walk!
Been using full service pitches for around 10 years now and would advise using aquaroll with float. The water pressure cannot then ever be higher than the caravan pipe work was designed for. Always when leaving the caravan we always turn the pump switch off. I have seen to many caravans with the direct regulated water connection fail and flood caravans. A few years back a family had gone out, and their caravan was next pitch to the site toilet block. I noticed water running out from it in several places and I turned the tap off. When they returned I spoke to them and they thanked me, but the caravan floor was totally flooded and they aborted the holiday.
If your toilet cassette doesn’t have built-in wheels, consider getting a collapsible frame with wheels (like a small luggage or large parcel trolley). We rarely use our loo, so it can be quite heavy by the time I remember & awkward to carry.
And you can buy a drainage “system” for grey waste: short bendy bit for the outlet & a number of lengths that fit together; they stretch out long or concertina back short for packing away. It has a trade name that I can’t remember (sorry, that’s not helpful, I’ll look out the bag). Not expensive.
But it might not always be possible to reach the drain on the pitch: we had one serviced pitch that was framed by timber log edges, and (stating the obvious), the waste water wouldn’t go up & over it. We’re rarely on a serviced pitch, and only wash the dishes, but I empty our canister daily so it’s never heavy. (Not every site has a MH drive-over drain.) If you use your own shower, you’ll probably need to empty your canister more often.
I’d just like to congratulate you on planning ahead to manage your trips a bit differently, rather than deciding it’s all too much & stopping altogether.
Quote: Originally posted by Fiona W on 13/7/2026
If your toilet cassette doesn’t have built-in wheels, consider getting a collapsible frame with wheels (like a small luggage or large parcel trolley). We rarely use our loo, so it can be quite heavy by the time I remember & awkward to carry.
And you can buy a drainage “system” for grey waste: short bendy bit for the outlet & a number of lengths that fit together; they stretch out long or concertina back short for packing away. It has a trade name that I can’t remember (sorry, that’s not helpful, I’ll look out the bag). Not expensive.
But it might not always be possible to reach the drain on the pitch: we had one serviced pitch that was framed by timber log edges, and (stating the obvious), the waste water wouldn’t go up & over it. We’re rarely on a serviced pitch, and only wash the dishes, but I empty our canister daily so it’s never heavy. (Not every site has a MH drive-over drain.) If you use your own shower, you’ll probably need to empty your canister more often.
I’d just like to congratulate you on planning ahead to manage your trips a bit differently, rather than deciding it’s all too much & stopping altogether.
Your post reminded me, couple of years back I used a recently built CL with much hyped fully serviced pitches, the owner thought it was the bees-knees and tried bullying (he REALLY was pushy and annoying!) everyone who stayed there to vote it 'CL of the year' - NO HOPE, it was bad enough that the waste water drain was on top of a 6" high kerb surrounding the pitch, which the water obviously wouldn't run 'uphill' to, but that was compounded by the HS being deep unconsolidated Pea Shingle, the caravan wheels very sank deep into it, that put the caravan grey water outlets at about the same height as the drain with no 'fall' to encourage water flow at all! The shower wouldn't even attempt to empty, so risk of the tray overflowing into the van if I'd try to take a shower, and then how do you empty the full shower tray if it wont go down the plug hole! No choice but use onboard facilities as no toilet or shower on site!
I had no choice but use my waste water tank, and even that was difficult to get under the waste outlets 'cos the caravan was so low on it's sunken wheels! I had to excavate a bit of a 'pit' for it to sit in so the outlet pipes worked. Then to empty, I had to drag the tank through the Pea Shingle, where the wheels wouldn't roll, so just 'sledding' along, then LIFT it up the kerb to the drain! If full, the waste tank weighs 44Kg!
The CDP was near my pitch, BUT, again the wheeled toilet cassette wouldn't actually roll, it was just dragging through the Pea Shingle on pitch, then the course sharp gravel off the actual pitch. If not carrying you were just abrading the bottom of tank on abrasive surfaces!
Because I was only there a few days, I couldn't be bothered finding and cleaning up a long unused fresh water hook-up hose and float valve, so thought I'd just used the Aquaroll as normal, found that my large 51L barrel wouldn't fit properly under the too low tap! Had to hold it at an angle to fill!
Don't assume just because it's marketed as a 'Fully Serviced Pitch' it's actually usable as such! Some have been created by idiots! The few others I have used have been absolutely fine, but certainly not this one!
And although not directly related to fully serviced pitches, I would consider a motor mover if you don’t already have one and E&P self levelling. Both together take a lot of the effort out of pitching and will enable you to caravan much longer
E&P, not going for anything reasonably priced then?
There's making things easy and there's making it at a cost!
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
The way I look at that suggestion is, MM is near essential for me, I mostly caravan solo, and physically moving a 1.3T van on most sites, and certainly in my gravelly pot holed storage yard, would be if not impossible, then very hard work and a huge risk of doing my ancient body a mischief, it also means you are not manhandling an unbraked van at any time, with the associated risk of it overrunning on slopes, or even becoming a complete runaway! My MM is used a lot, best money I ever invested in the caravan, used on every trip.
As to the E&P, that'd be technically near useless, and a VERY expensive waste of money! On the basis of over 9 years of caravanning and multiple trips each year on various sites across the country, I've only had to do side to side levelling about half a dozen times at most! Front to back levelling is easy enough with the Jockey wheel, which you'd have to adjust even with an E&P fitted!
I'm NOT saying you couldn't use an E&P on every trip, I'm saying there is mostly no NEED for it! Chances are, you'd just prod the control button to start it doing it's thing as a routine without bothering to check it's need to level, but deceive yourself into believing it's saved you a tiresome task, but it really won't have done, as no inherent need to level! If I had one I'd use like that, but experience has taught me it's not a needed expense for the sites I've encountered!
I've tried various forms of levelling, Ramps, that adjustable 'Wedge' device, and finally decided that a 'Lock n Level' is the bees knees, so little effort, works perfectly with the dreaded PITA Alko wheel lock.
Quote: Originally posted by blueexpo97 on 18/7/2026
E&P, not going for anything reasonably priced then?
There's making things easy and there's making it at a cost!
Totally agree regarding the E&P.
Easiest way I've found for levelling is the Lock n Level.
Much easier than ramps and makes fitting the Alko wheel lock an absolute doddle.
I made my own levelling ramps for side-to-side levelling. Three planks of wood (off-cuts) that slot together so I can vary the height as necessary. I can "drive" the caravan onto them with the motor-mover, what could be easier? Cost was £0.
Regarding fully-serviced pitches, only time I have ever used one was when it cost nothing extra. They don't really save that much effort. I have a folding trolley that I use for all fetching and carrying, and that's worth its weight in gold. I'm "getting on a bit" too and have back and neck problems so anything so anything that saves lifting and bending is ultra-valuable.
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Topic: Serviced Pitches
via mobile 11/7/2026 at 3:15pm
