Author Topic: setting up a soft floor in a van park (Read 14686 times)

reol950 · « **on:** December 08, 2011, 03:39:38 PM »

Hi Going away to a van park over Xmas and it has me thinking on how to set up my trailer on a slab site, was thinking of setting up with the tent on the annex slab with the trailer across the site at the front and the annex sitting where the van normally sits. any ideas and photos of your setup at a van park would be great.

Bird · « **Reply #1 on:** December 08, 2011, 03:44:06 PM »

At renmark, it was all dirt... not all of them are slab sites.
I'd put trailer on conc, and annexe on dirt... less chance of damaging the floor.

Manjimike · « **Reply #2 on:** December 08, 2011, 03:46:31 PM »

I normally get a powered lawn site. When I first park the trailer, I put down shadecloth where the soft floor and the awning go, then those interlocking foam mats where the soft floor goes. Finally I start putting up the camper

Mike

Kit_e_kat9 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 08, 2011, 03:51:09 PM »

Hi reol950,

As there is a difference in height from concrete slab to ground (99% of the time), you would have to take that into account canvas wise. The canvas is designed to drop to where the tyres meet the ground. Also, some soft floors come with a plastic "tub" floor, so I'd be checking the concrete surface before putting that down.

Thankfully, we have a rear fold hard floor ... awning to the passenger side ... so just like reversing in a van, the awning is on the same side ... which would be perfect ... but we don't do caravan parks much. Found it's also great for those long sites with those dreaded bollards ... Guess we just love the grass under our feet too much!

Hope you enjoy your holiday and take so photos of how you eventually "end up" to show us.

Kit_e

Campa · « **Reply #4 on:** December 08, 2011, 04:16:25 PM »

Hi reol950

We've only been to two parks and been lucky enough to have had a drive through site, so we could put the camper on either side of the slab. and our tent is only a small 9ft so fits comfortably.

We parked the camper on the grass/dirt and took a couple of offcuts of timber long enough to go under the tyres to jack the camper up, just in case the slab was higher than ground level. We use offcuts from 200 x 50 sleepers from bunnings. We have 6 in total so 3 for each wheel giving us 150mm in height. Then we use our shadecloth floor we have had made specially to protect the camper floor on the concrete that also goes out under the annex. Just need to make sure your jockey wheel and stab legs have enough length the reach the ground once on the timber!

Most caravan parks make you park the camper with the towhitch facing the road so in case of an emergency you can hitch up faster! making the choice of setting up limited.

Maybe phone the park and get them to send a photo of your site.

Beachman · « **Reply #5 on:** December 08, 2011, 04:34:52 PM »

We went away earlier this year and that was our first time using caravan parks. I was a little apprehensive about setting up in caravan parks, but when I booked each park I told them we have a soft floor camper trailer and can we have a grass area.

5 of the 6 parks catered for camper trailers by having powered grass areas. The 6th only had concrete slabs which wasn’t ideal, but least they were level with the grass around them.

Withy · « **Reply #6 on:** December 08, 2011, 05:14:29 PM »

Hi Reol,

It'll depends on the what the park basically tells you how to put the trailer.
One park was a powered grass site,and the one pictured($125 a night) was a powered one with shadecloth on the ground.We swung the trailer 90 degrees from how it should be and had the trailer and softfloor section on the shadecloth.The park stated that you could only put a grass mat/shadecloth on the grass,no tarps etc.So we believe we had to swing the trailer as is, it created a perfect view.
Also we had to contain our vehicle on the site provided so this was the only way to set up and contain everthing.

Mike

D4D · « **Reply #7 on:** December 08, 2011, 05:17:42 PM »

Tip is to tell the CP you have a side fold, they will generally give you a site to suit.

theflyingbadger · « **Reply #8 on:** December 08, 2011, 05:21:25 PM »

Quote from: Withy on December 08, 2011, 05:14:29 PM

($125 a night)

i hope that's a typo

Withy · « **Reply #9 on:** December 08, 2011, 05:26:19 PM »

Quote from: theflyingbadger on December 08, 2011, 05:21:25 PM

i hope that's a typo

No mate unfortunately(it's actually going up next year to $130 a night and the place gets packed,we book 18 months in advance),we love the spot and spend 3 weeks a year there although it was in a tent.Now with the trailer we will take up other options.

Mike

theflyingbadger · « **Reply #10 on:** December 08, 2011, 05:27:22 PM »

Quote from: Withy on December 08, 2011, 05:26:19 PM

No mate unfortunately(it's actually going up next year to $130 a night and the place gets packed),we love the spot and spend 3 weeks a year there although it was in a tent.Now with the trailer we will take up other options.

Mike

holy crap. I thought coral bay was bad enough at easter-time....

POD · « **Reply #11 on:** December 08, 2011, 07:52:25 PM »

Where is this $125 a night park? I need to make sure I avoid it. THAT, my friend, is just ridiculous.

D4D · « **Reply #12 on:** December 08, 2011, 07:53:32 PM »

Quote from: POD on December 08, 2011, 07:52:25 PM

Where is this $125 a night park? I need to make sure I avoid it. THAT, my friend, is just ridiculous.

Why is it ridiculous?

Campa · « **Reply #13 on:** December 08, 2011, 08:00:27 PM »

Quote from: D4D on December 08, 2011, 07:53:32 PM

Why is it ridiculous?

$125 a night for a powered site right on the water. Maybe a little expensive but not ridiculous. You would pay double or even triple that for a hotel room that would never be as close as that to the water where the kids can play right in front of you on the beach!

POD · « **Reply #14 on:** December 08, 2011, 08:17:03 PM »

Quote from: D4D on December 08, 2011, 07:53:32 PM

Why is it ridiculous?

Because that is MY opinion on the matter, to which I believe I am entitled. Or are opinions no longer welcome on this site either?

D4D · « **Reply #15 on:** December 08, 2011, 08:29:01 PM »

Quote from: POD on December 08, 2011, 08:17:03 PM

Or are opinions no longer welcome on this site either?

Sounds like questions are no longer welcome...

TOY80ST · « **Reply #16 on:** December 08, 2011, 08:36:31 PM »

Quote from: D4D on December 08, 2011, 08:29:01 PM

Sounds like questions are no longer welcome...

heath74 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 08, 2011, 08:38:13 PM »

Good question, I prefer to get a grassed site, if not available and I get a slab site, I put the trailer on the slab and tent folds out onto grass. Seems to be the best way for me to work it.
like this

Withy · « **Reply #18 on:** December 08, 2011, 08:50:40 PM »

Quote from: POD on December 08, 2011, 07:52:25 PM

Where is this $125 a night park? I need to make sure I avoid it. THAT, my friend, is just ridiculous.

First (I think) caravan park north of Sydney on the Central Coast.

Withy · « **Reply #19 on:** December 08, 2011, 08:57:42 PM »

Quote from: D4D on December 08, 2011, 05:17:42 PM

Tip is to tell the CP you have a side fold, they will generally give you a site to suit.

Some parks have asked do we have a trailer tent as they have sites to suit these, showed up to one and it was a grass patch approx 8 by 6 metres,could put the whole setup up.

camdyson · « **Reply #20 on:** December 08, 2011, 09:02:00 PM »

So my current site in Mallacoota with waterfront , jetty berth and sunset view for $28/night is looking ok all of a sudden...

"having fun, wish you were all here, yadda yadda"........

Cheers,

Cheap Cam

POD · « **Reply #21 on:** December 08, 2011, 09:14:31 PM »

Apparently it wouldn't be ridiculous if it was $125 a night.

Withy · « **Reply #22 on:** December 08, 2011, 09:15:32 PM »

Quote from: camdyson on December 08, 2011, 09:02:00 PM

So my current site in Mallacoota with waterfront , jetty berth and sunset view for $28/night is looking ok all of a sudden...

"having fun, wish you were all here, yadda yadda"........

Cheers,

Cheap Cam

Cam,
Until a large corporation take ownership(hope not)
Good to see your having fun,our summer up here has been beautiful so far

it's just that the sun hasn't decided to show.

UTE 701 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 08, 2011, 09:16:26 PM »

We got caught out at Apollo Bay where the slab was concreted right up to the bitumen road , which then had the gutter shaved down to meet the concrete .

When it rained , no , it poured down , all the water ran along the gutter and down the concrete slab right through our annexe like a flood . No such thing as a level slab here

Anyway it topped off what was very poor hospitality at that Park .

reol950 · « **Reply #24 on:** December 09, 2011, 11:16:49 AM »

Thanks for the feedback everyone will try out some of the ideas and let you all know how i go

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Author Topic: setting up a soft floor in a van park (Read 14686 times)

Manjimike