New to Caravanning - Upfront Payments

The Duffs · Newbie

New to Caravanning - Upfront Payments

lilly31 · Guru

No not normal as far i know ..sometime you may have to put a deposit on ... But unless i travel in holiday time i dont book a head ,usually there is plenty of vacancy in parks ....

-- Edited by lilly31 on Thursday 12th of January 2012 04:11:14 PM

tezza · Senior Member

Hi and welcome, we never b ook ahead as it makes our travel too inflexible. Have only once been caught out but we often ring ahead in the morning to see if there are vacancies. We are often off the beaten track as well but i think if you are out of school holidays you shouldn't have too many problems.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

If you are booking for Christmas or Easter Holidays, or Broome in the winter school holidays for example, then yes that is what you have to do. Theres got to be other caravan parks in those areas that are cheaper. Also consider showgrounds and other cheap places. Otherwise, are you able/willing to free camp? theres some really nice spots where you can stay between or instead of expensive places that reduce your cost considerably. You'll find many of these listed in Camps Australia Wide 6.
Unless it is a really busy time, phone a day or 2 ahead, and you may have to pay a deposit, but not always.
Welcome to the forum, Duffs!

the rocket · Guru

Hi and welcome. There is a book you can buy called "camps 6 Australia wide". I have a 5 but it it does get updated. There are some great free camps or low cost camps in there. Showgrounds are usually good and low cost. Last week we stayed at Woodford Showgrounds, Qld for only $95 for a week. School holidays and public holidays are usually busy and when we travelled north in Qld. in winter most sites were booked with southerners staying for months but we did manage to squeeze in a few nights here and there. Longreach was another popular place in winter and needs a reservation. Most other places outside holiday season were easy to get a spot. Anyway. Welcome. Rocket n Strop

Landfall · Guru

To actually answer your question, normally the go is that the caravan park will ask for a deposit only.

We do book months ahead for our annual winter break and not at the same park.

They ask for a deposit, then tell us the terms, which nearly always go something like:-

1. If you cancel more than one month from arrival date, and give us notice, we will refund your deposit.

2. If you cancel 7 days out, we will deduct 50% of your deposit.

3. If you cancel less than 24 hours out, kiss your deposit goodbye.

On arrival at the said c/pk, you are required to pay the FULL amount for your stay.

IF for any reason you cannot stay the full term, you may be able to negotiate a refund of all or part payment. The signs at the desk saying that they have a no refund policey, is in the eyes of the law, a waste of signage.

Don't be bluffed.

I trust this has been of help and cannot understand why, when you ask a question about caravan parking fees, people come on and tell you to buy a Camps 6 book and go and free camp?

A bit like people who ask about a Toyota Landcruiser for a towing vehicle and people come on and tell them how good their Nissan Patrol is???? confuse

Dusty biggrin

aussietraveller · Guru

confuse Gday and Welcome I was last in thet area of WA in 2010 and its well worth the visit and if you have the time one of the most spectacular areas is Cape Le Grand just a bit outside Esperance we mainly stay in Caravan parks and seldom book we have never been asked to pay full price in advance and would not I have during busy periods given a master card number but at the same time told them they do not have permission to deduct any funds. In the area you are going there are a number of parks which are ok but a good tool is the badger website where people have written reviews worth a look hope this helps what ever you do dont pay full fees in advance. smile

dazren · Guru

smile biggrin smile biggrin smile AND A BIG WELCOME TO THE DUFFS. you will learn a lot from this site, many helpful and friendly, and knowledgable people here,

can tell you are a newbie, by the type of caravan park you have been looking at, unless you have young children, you will be paying top dollar for a lot of '' bling'' that you will not use, Value for money, I and many others find Ozparks, Top Tourist, and Family park chains, offer good clean sites and amenities, at a very reasonable rate, and most do not have ''attitude'' like most of the bigger chains.

So just keep tuned in to this forum, and ask any question you like,

there are no silly questions, a lot of us long time vanners, sometimes Learn something new, from one of those 'so-called ' silly questions

So WELCOME again. and happy vanning. dazren

Geoff n Jen · Senior Member

Agree with lots of the above, we like to mix it up and do whatever suits at the time but do find big4 a little bit harder to deal with, but very nice parks, welcome to a place of great info - just take on what suits you and have a good time working out all the personalities your garenteed a laugh too.

jimricho · Guru

Hi and welcome Duffs,

I'm a regular user of caravan parks and I can't recall having paid more than one night's site fee as a deposit. I do note comments that at places that book out completely in peak season that they may require more than this.

I prefer to book ahead to secure a site especially at my favourite parks when I intend staying for a while. Other times I may just phone ahead on the day of my intended arrival if I'm only staying for one or two nights. More than once I would have been "caught out" had I not done so.

I've also made bookings at parks where I'm a regular customer without being asked for a deposit even when it's been the park's normal policy to do so.

cheers,

Jim

Cruising Granny · Guru

Hi and welcome to the Duffs.
I've never paid a deposit in advance when I've booked all around Australia. Unless you are travelling during peak periods such as winter up north (Qld), school holidays etc you don't really have to book ahead.
Booking ahead for a set period can lock you into a stay in a place you don't like, even if you haven't paid a deposit. Unless you really know the park and really want to make such a commitment, don't do it. That's my recommendation. On the other side, you may like to extend your stay, but the park has already booked your site to the next lot of happy campers, and you either have to leave or at the very least, relocate in the park.
I find Big 4 parks are at the top of the range, accommodating families with children. Residents pay extra for all the playground equipment. Any parks labelled "tourist park" are often a little more expensive, providing more cabins than van sites.
There are many ways of doing this travelling thing with a caravan. There are the smaller, more humble parks, with nice clean facilities.
There are the dumps, unfortunately often inhabited by long-termers/permanents where management doesn't care what the park facilities are like, as long as the dollars fall into the till. They are often poorly (if any) maintained.
There are national parks but animals aren't allowed. There are the free camps or budget camping at showgrounds in towns which don't have enough caravan spaces.
The Camps book is the travellers' "bible".
I wish you safe and happy travel.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

I would NEVER stay at a big 4 park, mainly because of their fee's charged, over priced crap parks, IMHO

Dellalan · Veteran Member

Hi The Duffs, Welcome to the group. The towns you are looking at, and the whole South West of WA are very popular destinations. Some of the parks will charge top dollar in those areas. I have never stayed at a Big 4, but I have heard that the facilities are tops.

I am a member of Top Tourist, Family Parks and Oz Parks and have used them throughout Aus. They offer fairly good rates, and I dont think I have ever booked ahead when traveling outside of school hols. Have had problems getting in at Coral Bay and Broome during peak times though, so would suggest that some places are worth considering pre booking at different times when busy. But towns like Busselton and Albany have heaps of parks.

As recommended above Camps 6 Is great.

So it really depends on what facilities you want, but it's like everything, shop around.

Also, I heard the guy from Consumer Protection talking on the radio today, and he suggested that we do not pay any more than a 10% deposit for goods and services. Wonder if that includes caravan parks.

Happy travels, Alan

golivers travels · Guru

Hii and welcome to Duffs.
Was very surprised by the cost of your park fees. We have visited SW WA a number of times and have not booked. We were there August last year and had no problems booking into parks when we arrived.
I agree with dazren, look for other chains other than Big 4 with jumping pillows etc, they can be very expensive. In Albany we always stay out at Kalgan River Cabin and van Park. Right in the river, a lovely spot, only thing is if you are doing the touristy thing in Albany you will have to travel back into town.

Another wonderful park can be found at Cheynes Beach, a beach side holiday town with no shops. The park is a Family Parks Chain. Beautiful beach area, whales frolick in the bay during whale season.

You are on the brink of a wonderful adventure. Hope you enjoy every moment of it.

Cheers
Glenda

valnrob · Guru

Welcome to the Duffs, we don't normally stay in parks but the last time we did was in Charleville Qld. WE didn't have a booking just rang ahead and asked if there were any sites and to keep us one. The didn't want a deposit or booking fee. Not sure what any other parks do.

cheers

jonathan · Guru

A big welcome from me also ..

I'm primarily a free-camper .. but like Wombat .. as far as Big4 goes, Its more than I can afford .. 2 years ago, I was given membership as a gift from one of my lads .. Used it once and membership did little to fray the cost .. so IMHO not value for money ..

Jon

Nicholstones · Guru

Duffs - I suspect that you booked over the internet, for some reason the BIG4 parks almost always want to take out the full cost on booking. We fell for it once, and now never book BIG4 parks on the net. If you ring instead you will find that at most they will want to take out one night as a deposit. Many parks also have email so you can often book this way, although if they want a deposit you will have to end up ringing anyway (never send credit card details in an unsecured email).

We almost always book ahead, a long way ahead for places in school holidays or at their peak season, and a day or two at other times. If you don't at least ring before turning up you can find that you have accidentally arrived when the local festival (or fishing competition, or state-wide cricket tournament, or whatever) is on and every place within miles is taken. Booking doesn't really mean that you are drop dead committed, you can always cancel or rearrange, and will almost always get any deposit back.

goinsoon · Guru

Hello and welcome from us as well, no we only pay a deposit when booking ahead.

cannylass · Senior Member

We never pay in advance or book ahead we might ring to make sure there is room , we never sure how long we going to stay

Paul Merryman · Veteran Member

refuse to use Big4

never ever book. if caravan park needs to be booked to get in means there are far to many people there for me.

Hylda&Jon · Guru

We're the same as many. In our 2 years circumnavigation of Aus we used mainly Top Tourist & Family Parks. Only had to use a Big 4 park once on the whole trip & that was in Port Headland, we got warned beforehand that the other parks were in a disgracefu statel & full of permanents & from what we saw of them it was true. The parks it that town were also the most evpensive we found in our travels (that was in May, barely tourist season)

We also only pre booked & paid in advance once in our travels & that was in Broome.

Cheers

Jon

Gerty Dancer · Guru

We stayed at the "other" caravan park in Pt Headland Jon, it was cheaper, and although almost full of permanents they were all working people so we didnt see much of them except for comings and goings for shift-work in the mines. The park was ok, amenities nice and clean, but the biggest downside was that it was near the railway line and the ore trains run 24/7.

Anybody going to Pt Hedland, dont feel you have no choice.

jimricho · Guru

I never book over the internet or email, always by phone. I have occasionally done preliminary enquiries by email.

I don't favour one group over another but rather select a park that suits me best depending on the destination. I have however found that it seems to work out that I use Top Tourist or the independents far more than Big4

(PS: I initially accidentally typed Big$ instead of Big4.....ummmm...maybe that wasn't a typo after all!)

Technomad · Senior Member

4 yearsago we managed that Big4 in Hedland. It was a little unsettling when we arrived at Karratha and Hedland and found @$39 per night and $41 hard for many to digest. But soon after realised that the two parks in the area were justified for charging those rates. Very expensive to service those parks, eg $75 for aircon mechanic per hour in Perth and $160 for the same in Karratha. Calculate the other service costs but certainly not our salaries and we found it relativelly justified. Those parks were not designed to attract families as it was couples in particular who travelled those routes. When you consider the other options in those towns that were only $7 per night cheaper for two people it amases me that you can't buy a couple of icecreams for the difference and history shows what can happen in alternative parks.We have managed most brands and there is a park for everyone if you do your research before you get there. I agree that Badgers is a handy guide but inaccuracies occassionally occur but when pointed out corrected quickly. So as i have mentioned before do it your own way and live with the consequences. Research for yourself, it's so easy on the net and don't let others affect your decisions. WE always want to see our customers enjoy there stay with us and Big4 are not always the dearest.

Geelong Riverview wasn,t in our day as the competition was too close. Riverglen and the Barwon.

rodandjean · Member

Hi & welcome to the forum
Have you thought about staying at Walpole instead of Denmark, they have 2 parks there 1 Restpoint is right on the edge of the Nornalup Inlet, the other one is the Ecopark just out of town and also near the Inlet, not sure of costs.Denmark has 3 parks, 2 are in town & the 3rd which is the big4 is approx 8kms out of town on the Ocean Beach Road,I don't know if this park has improved ,but I put my van down there for my daughter & sil 3 years ago & it came back full of ants. I believe that the 2 parks in Denmark (Rivermouth & big4 ocean bch) both charge the same $35-40 a night also in Albany you can stay out at Emu pt (Emu pt c/p or Rose gdns )both right on King Georges Sound &Oyster Harbour a very nice area. If you are coming from Busselton, taking into consideration the condition of the roads, a good day's drive would be to Walpole which is only 100km from Albany, a short drive away. We've travelled away at all times of the year and we never book ahead because we never know how far we're going to travel each day and don't want to be tied down. Into the second week of January, most c/van parks on the south coast of WA you would not have to make bookings. If it's only going to be for a night or 2, I would also consider free parking on the way to Albany.

Hope you have an enjoyable trip.