It is a story every small campsite owner knows. Friday afternoon, the first wave of weekend arrivals hits, and within an hour the reception is three deep. Half the queue is checking in. The other half wants gas.
This is the story of how one site owner — running a 30-pitch site with her husband — turned their most stressful afternoon into the smoothest part of their week.
The Problem: Friday Afternoon Chaos
At a typical 30-pitch touring campsite, Friday is changeover day. Between 2pm and 6pm, anywhere from 10 to 20 families arrive. Each one needs to check in, get their pitch assignment, and often ask about facilities.
But mixed in with the genuine check-ins are the gas buyers. "Have you got any 13kg propane?" "Can I swap this empty?" "Do you sell firelighters?"
Each gas transaction takes 3-5 minutes — finding the right cylinder, doing the exchange, handling cash, writing it in the book. With two staff members, that is 20-30 minutes of the peak window consumed by gas sales.
The Solution: Move Gas Sales Online
When Portal Essentials was enabled, the site started sending pre-arrival emails to guests two days before check-in. The email was simple: "Arriving Friday? Order gas and supplies now and we will have them ready at your pitch."
The response was immediate. In the first weekend, 6 out of 18 arriving families placed a pre-order. By the third weekend, it was over half.
Click an available pitch to check someone in
What Changed
For the Site Owner
- Friday reception queue dropped from 20+ minutes to under 5 minutes — gas buyers were no longer in the line
- Stock ordering became predictable — by Wednesday she knew exactly how many cylinders she needed for the weekend
- Revenue was captured upfront — no more "I will come back later" that never materialises
- Cash handling reduced by 40% — most portal orders were paid online
For the Guests
- Gas waiting at their pitch — no walking to the gas cage, no carrying heavy cylinders
- Faster check-in — the queue moved quicker because it was only check-ins
- No "sold out" disappointment — pre-orders guaranteed availability
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The Numbers
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Avg. Friday queue time | 22 min | 4 min |
| Gas sales per weekend | £180 (cash) | £310 (mostly online) |
| Stock-outs per month | 2-3 times | 0 |
| Guest satisfaction (reviews) | 4.2★ | 4.7★ |
Lessons Learned
Timing matters. Sending the pre-arrival email 2 days before check-in hit the sweet spot. Earlier felt premature, later felt rushed.
Product photos help. Adding a simple product description — even just the size and type — increased conversion. People want to know they are ordering the right cylinder.
Seasonal customers love "Add to Account." Regular caravan owners preferred having gas added to their monthly invoice rather than paying each time. It felt like a membership perk.
Start small. You do not need 50 products. Gas cylinders and kindling covered 80% of demand. Add more products based on what guests actually ask for.
🏗️ Lighthouse Partner Programme
Pre-arrival ordering was developed in partnership with real operators through the Lighthouse Programme — ensuring it works for sites of all sizes.
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