Chatting about camping areas Big Rigs

[jon_d]

Wayne,

How are you going with the height? Is it easy to get into places of a bit of a challenge?

[bagmaker]

Our only real issue has been with service stations, a lot (especially the el-cheapo ones) seem to be 4.2m clearance. WTF?? What weird-arsed uni-graduate would design a roof on a service station that was 100mm shorter than the standard maximum vehicle height? We really are becoming a nation of cretins. As to travelling, we are AWARE of the height especially with overhanging trees and such- but no real issues. Currently at the afformentioned leitchville, only 3 places and we took the last for a couple of nights. Tight access but if we can do it anyone can. Water, showers, toilets supermarket, butcher baker etc, The pub is nice, the people are lovely of course, very welcoming.

[Greynomad]

Water, showers, toilets supermarket, butcher baker etc, The pub is nice, the people are lovely of course, very welcoming.

We tried the tap alongside our site ... dry.

And as we were there on the Monday of a long w/e, nothing was open... pre-10:00hrs, so even the pub was closed!
No chance to judge on that trip... we'll try again later.

[bagmaker]

Hmmmm, I never actually tried the water, you could be right Ray. Did you advise the caretaker?

[T1 Terry]

Our only real issue has been with service stations, a lot (especially the el-cheapo ones) seem to be 4.2m clearance. WTF?? What weird-arsed uni-graduate would design a roof on a service station that was 100mm shorter than the standard maximum vehicle height? We really are becoming a nation of cretins. As to travelling, we are AWARE of the height especially with overhanging trees and such- but no real issues. Currently at the afformentioned leitchville, only 3 places and we took the last for a couple of nights. Tight access but if we can do it anyone can. Water, showers, toilets supermarket, butcher baker etc, The pub is nice, the people are lovely of course, very welcoming.

They aren't catering for heavy vehicle use, probably due to concrete thickness as well as turning area. 4.2 mtrs is quite high for a servo aiming to service the lighter vehicle market, most are under 4mtrs just to make sure they keep the heavy vehicles out. The new design with bowsers at an angle and limited turning room after the bowser make it impossible to even get the Mazda or Hino out with a trailer attached unless a multi-point turn is involved and clear out all the other vehicles etc. Some even have display items reducing this clearance even more, they really don't want anything more than the average passenger car to use them.
A lot of these type servos have a diesel pump in a different location that doesn't have an awning over it and thicker concrete with a drive through arrangement for big rigs and we use those sites.

[Greynomad]

Our only real issue has been with service stations, a lot (especially the el-cheapo ones) seem to be 4.2m clearance. WTF?? What weird-arsed uni-graduate would design a roof on a service station that was 100mm shorter than the standard maximum vehicle height? We really are becoming a nation of cretins. As to travelling, we are AWARE of the height especially with overhanging trees and such- but no real issues. Currently at the afformentioned leitchville, only 3 places and we took the last for a couple of nights. Tight access but if we can do it anyone can. Water, showers, toilets supermarket, butcher baker etc, The pub is nice, the people are lovely of course, very welcoming.

They aren't catering for heavy vehicle use, probably due to concrete thickness as well as turning area. 4.2 mtrs is quite high for a servo aiming to service the lighter vehicle market, most are under 4mtrs just to make sure they keep the heavy vehicles out. The new design with bowsers at an angle and limited turning room after the bowser make it impossible to even get the Mazda or Hino out with a trailer attached unless a multi-point turn is involved and clear out all the other vehicles etc. Some even have display items reducing this clearance even more, they really don't want anything more than the average passenger car to use them.
A lot of these type servos have a diesel pump in a different location that doesn't have an awning over it and thicker concrete with a drive through arrangement for big rigs and we use those sites.

Hi T1,
(My emphasis on your post)
The problem with those remote diesel bowsers is that the vast majority are hi-flow pumps. Our Winnie Explorer has THREE 90deg elbows and a 45deg one between the inlet and tank. It takes me longer to fill with hi-flow than the standard bowser, because I get one litre-CLICK (the pump shuts off), one litre-CLICK, one litre-CLICK... etc, for the next 20~30 minutes. (200litre tank!). While I'm on the Whinge Wagon, what fool designed the filler fitting so the air-relief pipe on the tank was positioned so the blow-back of (condensing) foamed fuel as you approach full was aimed OUTWARD and not back down the filler pipe??

[Greynomad]

Hmmmm, I never actually tried the water, you could be right Ray. Did you advise the caretaker?

What caretaker??
Not even a phone number visible to report problems...

[T1 Terry]

Our only real issue has been with service stations, a lot (especially the el-cheapo ones) seem to be 4.2m clearance. WTF?? What weird-arsed uni-graduate would design a roof on a service station that was 100mm shorter than the standard maximum vehicle height? We really are becoming a nation of cretins. As to travelling, we are AWARE of the height especially with overhanging trees and such- but no real issues. Currently at the afformentioned leitchville, only 3 places and we took the last for a couple of nights. Tight access but if we can do it anyone can. Water, showers, toilets supermarket, butcher baker etc, The pub is nice, the people are lovely of course, very welcoming.

They aren't catering for heavy vehicle use, probably due to concrete thickness as well as turning area. 4.2 mtrs is quite high for a servo aiming to service the lighter vehicle market, most are under 4mtrs just to make sure they keep the heavy vehicles out. The new design with bowsers at an angle and limited turning room after the bowser make it impossible to even get the Mazda or Hino out with a trailer attached unless a multi-point turn is involved and clear out all the other vehicles etc. Some even have display items reducing this clearance even more, they really don't want anything more than the average passenger car to use them.
A lot of these type servos have a diesel pump in a different location that doesn't have an awning over it and thicker concrete with a drive through arrangement for big rigs and we use those sites.

Hi T1,
(My emphasis on your post)
The problem with those remote diesel bowsers is that the vast majority are hi-flow pumps. Our Winnie Explorer has THREE 90deg elbows and a 45deg one between the inlet and tank. It takes me longer to fill with hi-flow than the standard bowser, because I get one litre-CLICK (the pump shuts off), one litre-CLICK, one litre-CLICK... etc, for the next 20~30 minutes. (200litre tank!). While I'm on the Whinge Wagon, what fool designed the filler fitting so the air-relief pipe on the tank was positioned so the blow-back of (condensing) foamed fuel as you approach full was aimed OUTWARD and not back down the filler pipe??

Ah, that would be the same genius (is the plural Geniei or is that multiple out of the bottle type genie?) that added all the elbows in the fuel filler pipe. These really need a header tank that separates the foam from the liquid and feeds it into the tank filler so it can run in at the rate it will accept, or a separate pump feeding into the top of the tank and the filler tube used as the breather. Crap design but all to common in factory built motorhomes.

[supersparky]

The plural of genius is Brainiac. I thought everyone knew that. Maybe they do now. sorry.
The height restriction is usually brought on by a moron from the local council and their local height limit.
Note to Ray: When I fuel up our Winny, I have to roll the nozzle upside down and only half squeeze the trigger. It is a PITA but it saves flocking about and stop starting continually

[Greynomad]

David,
Thanks,I'll try inverting the nozzle.
I have tried only half-squeezing the trigger, but I find that results in a slower flow than the standard-flow pumps, AND I end up with a cramped hand.
If the servo's canopy is <4m (we're 3.65m), and there's no diesel bowser on the outside row, I just drive on to the next servo.
Tried to get under one which was marked 3.8m once. CB aerial up front tops out at 3.75m... loud twanging alerted me, and I backed out & drove on.