Pitch Reserve Sign

[California_Clarky]

Not sure if this has been asked before - just going into my first full season and I have seen signs for reserving pitches if you take you cali out for the day and assuming you don’t have a drive away awning to leave

Is this an acceptable thing to do? and what is acceptable to put on it so as not to offend

TIA

 

[Kayleigh]

Not sure if this has been asked before - just going into my first full season and I have seen signs for reserving pitches if you take you cali out for the day and assuming you don’t have a drive away awning to leave

Is this an acceptable thing to do? and what is acceptable to put on it so as not to offend

TIA

A small pop up tent works.

 

[RockinNRollin]

We have a little yellow "cleaning sign" type thing that says there's a campervan parked here. I either peg or weigh it down with a rock. On the handful of occasions I've used it, it's always been there when I've got back, but I still only have middling confidence it'll work whenever I go out. I'd rather that than what I see a lot of people do, which is leave tables out in their spaces - surely they're more likely to go walkies even if someone isn't after the space.

I tend to judge it based on the campsite; if it's spacious and informal with nobody else doing it, I won't bother and will accept perhaps being in a different spot when I get back. If it's a busy and/or disorganised site though and lots are doing the same thing, I probably will too.

 

[Justinitus1972]

If you’re on a site that allocates you a specific pitch then I think you’ll be fine, as any new arrivals will also be allocated a specific pitch.

We have a small collapsible orange traffic cone from eBay that collapses down to about 7”sq x 1”. I’ve stencilled “Sorry, Pitch In Use + my registration number on it (so no one nicks it ) for instances where pitches aren’t allocated. I’ve weighted inside of the base with some little freezer bags of sand to stop it blowing over. Seems to work fine - although we’ve changed registration numbers since I made it so now it looks like I‘m the one that nicked it

I did see last year a large motorhome going out for the day and they dragged the pitch’s wooden picnic bench onto the gravel bit to stop anyone using it. Good idea, but the site staff moved it back during the day and a caravan took their pitch. Grumpiness and raised voices ensued when the couple returned. So maybe don’t do that!

 

[dspuk]

We bought one before we got the van. Never needed to use it. Vanity purchase for us. As said above, our pop up tent stays on site if we nip out, as does our cable.

 

[Hedley Wright]

I may be naive, but I leave my cable.

 

[KevH]

I may be naive, but I leave my cable.

Yep, cable left (unplugged of course) and sometimes a step too.
Not been nicked yet.

 

[Justinitus1972]

Yep, cable left (unplugged of course) and sometimes a step too.
Not been nicked yet.

Some insulation tape wrapped around the cable in a couple of areas makes it look like it’s been repaired and thus less desirable to any potential thieving scrotes.

 

[Kev56]

Some insulation tape wrapped around the cable in a couple of areas makes it look like it’s been repaired and thus less desirable to any potential thieving scrotes.

Or a little bit of black paint sprayed around the socket or plug.

 

[trailtrotters]

If you have a laminator you could try printing your own A4 paper sign, in a large size font, saying something like ’Reserved for XXXX XXX’ and then placing it on the ground in the middle of the pitch secured by a rock or tent peg.

 

[Autumn]

Collapsible water carrier with my numberplate and 'pitch in use' written in sharpie. I fill it, then peg it. We can never guarantee something we do will not offend. If someone is offended by me reserving a pitch I have paid for, it really is their issue, not mine.

 

[PurpleLizC789]

We have a pitch in use sign from Big Ted Printz - you just stick a couple of tent pegs in the holes on either side. I'm sure we found out about these on this site and he is linked to the site, but I can't work out where right now! He has a Facebook site though and also makes hooks that you can use to attach the Ikea hanging rail for kitchen roll, which is brilliant.

 

[Cali Phillip]

Collapsible water carrier with my numberplate and 'pitch in use' written in sharpie. I fill it, then peg it. We can never guarantee something we do will not offend. If someone is offended by me reserving a pitch I have paid for, it really is their issue, not mine.

By filling it does that not advertise its a useful water carrier, unattended

 

[NickiandDoraCandyCopper]

Not sure if this has been asked before - just going into my first full season and I have seen signs for reserving pitches if you take you cali out for the day and assuming you don’t have a drive away awning to leave

Is this an acceptable thing to do? and what is acceptable to put on it so as not to offend

TIA

Hi there. We had a very nice one made by a company called “pitch saver”. We sent a picture of Dora our van and had it personalised with the number plate and “reserved” in six different languages to include European travel (three languages on one side, three on the other). Excellent bespoke service- sales@pitch-saver.co.uk.. Dealt with Mike Jubb. Highly recommended!

 

[Perfectos]

We have a pitch in use sign from Big Ted Printz - you just stick a couple of tent pegs in the holes on either side. I'm sure we found out about these on this site and he is linked to the site, but I can't work out where right now! He has a Facebook site though and also makes hooks that you can use to attach the Ikea hanging rail for kitchen roll, which is brilliant.

View attachment 121503

@Bigted search function is down, can you post your Details

 

[couplands]

If you have a laminator you could try printing your own A4 paper sign, in a large size font, saying something like ’Reserved for XXXX XXX’ and then placing it on the ground in the middle of the pitch secured by a rock or tent peg.

I made a sign out of the kitchen cupboard shelf (after I'd fitted the 3 drawers in there). I got an image, edited it a bit and got it vinyl printed. Used it a few times, but don't often drive off site, use the bikes instead.

 

[derek_j_buchanan]

Not sure if this has been asked before - just going into my first full season and I have seen signs for reserving pitches if you take you cali out for the day and assuming you don’t have a drive away awning to leave

Is this an acceptable thing to do? and what is acceptable to put on it so as not to offend

TIA

Perfectly normal

 

[GeoS4]

I don’t have a pitch marker but always leave a few bits ‘n pieces about to mark our territory. Couple of years ago was staying at a site here in Ireland - lovely big site where we had been allocated a space with a number spray painted on the tarmac pitch. Went out for the day(to visit Father Ted’s house!) & left 3 bikes at the end of the tarmac pitch, an electrical cable alongside the pitch & a fold up table on the pitch. Came back that evening to find a large white camper on our pitch, neatly parked amongst our belongings, with a drive away awning erected. They had a world of belongings exploded across the pitch! I spoke to the (very apologetic) campsite owner, who offered to move them - it would have taken hours to pack them up so I decided to be the bigger person, and suggested I move my small convenient California to another empty pitch. We ended up on a pitch behind them. When I went to retrieve my belongings from the original pitch, the owner came out and nicely told me to take my time moving my belongings - there was no rush! My kids were less than impressed! They suggested over the week, that as the great white had a constantly open ‘sun roof’ / hatch, and there were hundreds of sea gulls around, it would have been interesting to throw pieces of food up onto the roof of the great white / in their sun roof over the week!
In over 40 years of camping I’ve not needed a pitch marker before this! Watching this thread for ideas

 

[Kev56]

I don’t have a pitch marker but always leave a few bits ‘n pieces about to mark our territory. Couple of years ago was staying at a site here in Ireland - lovely big site where we had been allocated a space with a number spray painted on the tarmac pitch. Went out for the day(to visit Father Ted’s house!) & left 3 bikes at the end of the tarmac pitch, an electrical cable alongside the pitch & a fold up table on the pitch. Came back that evening to find a large white camper on our pitch, neatly parked amongst our belongings, with a drive away awning erected. They had a world of belongings exploded across the pitch! I spoke to the (very apologetic) campsite owner, who offered to move them - it would have taken hours to pack them up so I decided to be the bigger person, and suggested I move my small convenient California to another empty pitch. We ended up on a pitch behind them. When I went to retrieve my belongings from the original pitch, the owner came out and nicely told me to take my time moving my belongings - there was no rush! My kids were less than impressed! They suggested over the week, that as the great white had a constantly open ‘sun roof’ / hatch, and there were hundreds of sea gulls around, it would have been interesting to throw pieces of food up onto the roof of the great white / in their sun roof over the week!
In over 40 years of camping I’ve not needed a pitch marker before this! Watching this thread for ideas

Just bought a pop up tent for storage, hoping this will send the message. If not.

 

[PurpleLizC789]

I don’t have a pitch marker but always leave a few bits ‘n pieces about to mark our territory. Couple of years ago was staying at a site here in Ireland - lovely big site where we had been allocated a space with a number spray painted on the tarmac pitch. Went out for the day(to visit Father Ted’s house!) & left 3 bikes at the end of the tarmac pitch, an electrical cable alongside the pitch & a fold up table on the pitch. Came back that evening to find a large white camper on our pitch, neatly parked amongst our belongings, with a drive away awning erected. They had a world of belongings exploded across the pitch! I spoke to the (very apologetic) campsite owner, who offered to move them - it would have taken hours to pack them up so I decided to be the bigger person, and suggested I move my small convenient California to another empty pitch. We ended up on a pitch behind them. When I went to retrieve my belongings from the original pitch, the owner came out and nicely told me to take my time moving my belongings - there was no rush! My kids were less than impressed! They suggested over the week, that as the great white had a constantly open ‘sun roof’ / hatch, and there were hundreds of sea gulls around, it would have been interesting to throw pieces of food up onto the roof of the great white / in their sun roof over the week!
In over 40 years of camping I’ve not needed a pitch marker before this! Watching this thread for ideas

I don't have any experience of this myself (although haven't been campervanning very long), but a friend told me a bit of a horror story that has encouraged us to have a pitch marker. They were on a site which presumably didn't have allocated/marked pitches so they left their belongings on their pitch - picnic table and chairs, barbecue etc., quite a bit of stuff and they were booked for several days. They went out for the day, long day walking, followed by pub meal in the evening (think they'd had a pretty bad day and awful weather and needed the evening in the pub to recover) so didn't get back to the site until 10.30 pm only to find their pitch taken and all their belongings gone! It was dark and late to contact anyone so I think they managed to park up somewhere and then contact the owners in the morning. It turns out that the site owners assumed they weren't coming back and told everyone else on the site to help themselves to their belongings, even though they were booked in for several consecutive days!!! They had to work their way around the site trying to find out who had their things and ask for them back!!

 

[Meoncoast]

I leave my pee bucket to mark our pitch - bucket or pitch never taken.

 

[KevH]

I leave my pee bucket to mark our pitch - bucket or pitch never taken.

Presumably full on windy days to prevent it blowing away

 

[haydnw2]

If you’re on a site that allocates you a specific pitch then I think you’ll be fine, as any new arrivals will also be allocated a specific pitch.

That's what I thought the first time we went to such a site, but we returned at 5PM to find someone on our assigned pitch, and a site manager who wasn't able to offer any explanation as to how they'd let it happen. So now we own a sign.

 

[Autumn]

By filling it does that not advertise its a useful water carrier, unattended

Haha, better than table and chairs!

 

[Anthony1]

Perfectly normal

Not sure if this has been asked before - just going into my first full season and I have seen signs for reserving pitches if you take you cali out for the day and assuming you don’t have a drive away awning to leave

Is this an acceptable thing to do? and what is acceptable to put on it so as not to offend

TIA

I made one. Piece of wood, nut and bolt (so it can swivel for storage) and piece of yellow perspex (Ebay). My Reg. under the word Reserved.