Hard standing vs. Grass

[Paul Onions]

Hi all,

We are looking at various sites and many charge extra for hard standing vs. grass pitches. Anyone have a preference and reasons? We will be getting a drive away awning and I know we will need rock pegs for the hard standing. In summer I am not sure what the benefit of a hard standing might be. Assuming it is dry of course...

 

[Hotel California]

I prefer sites that charge nothing.....
Think you need to figure out what you like the most , grass gives more nature feeling as hardstanding keeps your Cali cleaner , specialy on rainy days.
But as said above .....

 

[bigmac77]

A hardstanding will be dry all the time, no mud, no dew and if the campsite doesn't collect grass when mowing it helps to keep clippings out of your vehicle. If camping in late autumn, winter or early spring I would always try and get a hardstanding, rest of the year you should be fine with grass unless the weather is particularly wet.

 

[Rich20]

Hard standing: no mess, dry underfoot, can be used all year, rock pegs essential.
Grass: more natural, not pleasant when wet, cannot be used all year, muddy if grass has worn, standard pegs are ok unless ground is very hard.

 

[Hotel California]

Thing is some places "grass " pitches do look more like sand and mud pitches at the end of the season....
One reason to go for hardstanding indeed

 

[RedCali]

A hardstanding every time unless there has been no rain for a while and none is forecast.

 

[2into1]

This could be interesting.......
Unless the weather is poor I book grass. Cheaper, more natural and most importantly usually further away from the inner roads, so quieter.

 

[Skylark2.0]

All depends on your feelings about mud in the van.
I can't bear it, particularly the clay type.
Ugh...
Hard standing for me

 

[jeff]

Unless the weather is poor I book grass. Cheaper, more natural and most importantly usually further away from the inner roads, so quieter.

Same here prefere camping field then you can choose your neighbors also quieter.

 

[rich-s]

We have never charged more for hard standings. I'm not sure why people do. It is in our interest for customers to utilise our hard standings. After they have left, the pitch is in perfect condition for the next customer. The same can't always be said for grass pitches, especially during wet weather.

 

[GrannyJen]

Hard standing all the time.

I'm not walking mud or wet grass in if I can help it.

Never found it dearer, often cheaper, as the last two days, an access road to the stored caravans section, perfect, verges are Albert length, power points everywhere, loo block 100 metres away and no one else there as only a 5m camper could fit on.

I've camped in so many area's like that, to hell with grass, if I wanted it that badly then I could mow my lawn before I leave home and spread it around when I arrive.

 

[Rhyddin]

Although the Cali is on the way, we have (and will continue to have) our caravan. We would always choose hard standing, where possible.

There are numerous reasons, some of which are listed above: cleaner, better protected from surprise flooding, etc. However, one of the most important ones, I find, is that hard standing pitches tend to be more level. Obviously, not always the case, but generally. This makes for an easier life all round, especially if you're coming and going to the same plot in a camper van or motor home.

Of course, there are some occasions where as far from the road as possible is the best, as mentioned above, but there's often a corner hard standing plot that offers the same seclusion as a grassy plot off the beaten track, if you ask at reception.

Incidentally, we generally use the camping and caravanning club sites and I don't recall ever seeing a premium for hard standing.

 

[Paul Onions]

Thanks all, lots of great tips. Will try both to compare as suggested. Looking forward to our first family outing in Feb even more now.

 

[aileron346]

Must admit I go for hard standings often too... I do bemoan campsites looking more and more like car parks, but with the proportion of time we have wet ground in the UK it is fairly practical. For so much of the year our vans would damage a lot of grassy pitches but they are great when the weather is dry.


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[Meoncoast]

Unless the weather is poor I book grass. Cheaper, more natural and most importantly usually further away from the inner roads, so quieter.

This is how we do it as well.

 

[andyinluton]

I want hardstanding for the van & grass to put the driveway awning on. I worry about the stones from the hardstanding puncturing the groundsheet of the awning, but on the other hand I hate packing away a wet muddy groundsheet, so its swings & roundabouts.

 

[2into1]

This thread is hardly making us look like the rock n roll / hard living / adventure types the vw brochure suggests

 

[Hotel California]

This thread is hardly making us look like the rock n roll / hard living / adventure types the vw brochure suggests

As i said above , i prefer the spots with no extra charges , they usually come with extra views....

 

[alex]

grass for us too, it keeps us away from the big white boxes that seem to love a bit of concrete to park on, normally on grass you can get away from people and sometimes better views. If muddy we may consider hard standing, otherwise always grass for us, we are camping at the end of the day, aren't we!

 

[GrannyJen]

This thread is hardly making us look like the rock n roll / hard living / adventure types the vw brochure suggests

you can't get a harder hard-standing than being perched on a rock

 

[2into1]

you can't get a harder hard-standing than being perched on a rock

When you carry as much wine as GrannyJen, hardstanding is perhaps the safe bet.....

 

[GrannyJen]

When you carry as much wine as GrannyJen, hardstanding is perhaps the safe bet.....

I only carry wine as a counterweight to the water carried in the tank!

If I did not have that counterweight then the van would wobble with all that water sloshing about ....

Well, that's what I told the very nice customs man....

 

[Bjohnson]

Our choice depends on position in the campsite and views available. Winter or bad weather we prefer hard standing - less mess in the Cali. When weather good and over the summer definitely prefer grass.

Can't beat the feel of warm grass under your toes when you step out of the van

 

[CALI FATE]

i cant comment ......... ive never smoked hard standing

 

[rich-s]

i cant comment ......... ive never smoked hard standing

You're more likely to get stone(d) on a hard standing.