A letter to clubs about site prices

[chaser]

Very interesting that half the people that have replied are in both.
Why?

 

[Tombola]

heavily weighted in their favour

in what way, I havent seen it

 

[Land Yachties]

Have retained the CAMC membership not just for the sites but also some of the membership benefits they offer. Saved £33.60 this morning in Cotswold on walking shoes and 2 tee shirts.
Over the course of the year we can save much more than we pay in membership

 

[Emmit]

Some folks are advocating the installation of meters. Great idea but could you imagine the cost of installing them on a 100 pitch site.

The Law regarding the resale of Electricity was created in 2005.

18yrs is long enough for both of them to have put in Meters from the profit/rates that they have been screwing
their customers since then.

 

[GeeCee]

Didn't renew CAMC this year due to big price increases over last 2 years. Have previously been a member since 2016.

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[JockandRita]

We were with both, but have ditched the CAMC once again, now that visiting family no longer requires a pitch at the nearest Club Site.

We have retained our membership of the C&CC and MCC, purely for Rallies and THS.
There is no way that we would pay these expensive club pitch fees of today, and like others, we don't need EHU or fancy toilets and showers. We just need somewhere firm and safe to park up for the night.

In Spain and Portugal, from January through to March of this year, the most we paid on a premium site, was €21.50 per night, which included EHU.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Pekepal]

We have Been members of both clubs for many years giving us many options of where to stay. However over the last few years we have found the prices exorbitant and have started using Premier Sites and found some beautiful sites for less than the clubs. These sites are all beautifully maintained and we have felt valued as customers. Most of the Caravan & Motorhome Club sites need updating. C & MC site at Cirencester before we arrived at Newbury were even turning the bollard lights off at night to save electricity which was difficult if you were on pitches a distance way from facilities.

With regard to the use of the facilities it seemed very odd that whereas in previous years there was always a queue for the showers in the mornings especially at the ladies, this year it was non existent every day and I seemed to be the only person using them. Occasionally a door could be heard opening and closing which was quite eerie especially as the site was full. Obviously many people are happy to pay the price and not use the facilities.

 

[StephandJohn]

Hve been members of both since 2007 but cancelled them all this year. Last year we did a three month trip around the UK and only stayed three times in them. Private sites were generally much cheaper.
Could you add another category to your poll asking how many people have left? Might make them think this is serious.

 

[Brianmor]

We stopped at Wyatts Covert (CAMC) on the way to the Peterborough show in April and it was £38.30 for the two of us. On the way back we looked at a CAMC site near Oxford, can't remember which one, and they wanted £43, we eventually stopped at a lovley CL at Bourton on the Water 2m from a lake for £26 including EHU.
CAMC are introducing KWH meters on their sites supposedly reducing their prices and punters paying for their actual useage, they had them at Wyatts Covert but were not in use.
The ridiculously high CAMC prices this year are making us look for cheaper options as a matter of principle.

 

[Puddleduck]

Very rarely use the club sites because of the cost but we do make a lot of use of the CS / CL networks which is why we remain members.

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[Tigger-Tim]

Earlier in the year we visited Henley.

CAMC and independent (Swiss Farm) are next to each other. About the same price. CAMC is very run down. Independent had fully serviced, Restaurant on site, Immaculate facilities, Bigger pitches, Very large dog walk, Big field for children to play in. The independent is even closer to the town centre.

We'll return to Swiss Farm.

 

[alex n]

Member of both clubs and use the sites regularly. Pre to post Covid I’d say prices are up 20 to 25%, 2 people staying on a hard standing pitch with ehu. Prices of hotels , which I stayed on for work, had gone up by similar amounts.

So whilst I think the prices are looking expensive, don’t think it’s more so than other costs, price of a pint of milk has doubled over the same period!

Where do you buy your milk

 

[Razamataz]

Membership on both sites.
For us it’s all to do with location and weather.
With 2 rug rats we go where it’s Not raining!!

 

[cyberyacht]

Member of both, primarily for CL's/THS. Haven't used a CAMC site for three years. Ridiculous prices.

 

[cyberyacht]

Member of both, primarily for CL's/THS. Haven't used a CAMC site for three years. Ridiculous prices.
oops. Blame it on a slow connection.

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[Funnymunny]

We have been members of both clubs for 27 years this time and previous to that we had a 10 year spell so that's a total of 37 years. At one time they were always our first choice of where to look for a site but in recent years we have found private sites much cheaper.
We have recently had a few weeks at a couple of all singing and dancing sites for a fraction of what the CAMC charge. The CAMC in particular I feel are deliberately driving prices higher and higher in fact it reminds me of the surge in Marina prices years ago where they said we will put prices up until the pips squeak well the pips are well and truly squeaking. We have now decided that the CAMC is no longer value for money and when our membership runs out we will be cancelling

 

[Wendo55]

As a solo it's generally been cheaper to use the main sites of the 2 big clubs as 5 pitch sites and independents usually charge for 2 people . I'm reasonably happy with the C&CC as I get the old biddy discount and they sometimes have other offers but the C&MC are becoming much too expensive. It's years since I went into a toilet block and I'm always careful with electricity usage..The only reason I'm still in the C&MC is I like the racecourse sites but they are like affiliated sites and some members complain they're "not up to standard".

 

[stevewagner]

There are some minor perks like the 20% discount in Mountain Warehouse for CAMC members. So if you spent about £275 in there your discount would cover your CAMC annual membership. Probably unlikely thata many members would spend that much but it's a way of getting some of your fee back if you buy a coat, walking boots etc. I think you can get a supermarket discount card as well but we already have one of those through my wife's trade union

Mountain Warehouse discounts are readily available all over the net. At the moment you can get 20% discount using the word 'HIKE'.

 

[BillandHelen]

Where do you buy your milk

We buy ours in Waitrose, but my stat was from Bank of England inflation reports, an interesting read if you like facts.

 

[Tinker2]

Whilst we are members of both clubs, I don't believe that they can be described as clubs any longer.

They are Money making Companies.

What have fixed camping pods got to do with Camping/Caravaning/Motorhomes?

We use them purely for access to the small sites and rallies.

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[alex n]

We buy ours in Waitrose, but my stat was from Bank of England inflation reports, an interesting read if you like facts.

should try Aldi

 

[LesW]

We'll return to Swiss Farm.

CCC have a couple of THS at Swiss Farm this year.

 

[Engineer999]

We were members of the CAMC for the ”local” Castleton Site, unfortunately apart from 1 occasion, have not been able to get any availability. Also useful for the Blackhorse Farm site for Eurotunnel.
A CCC pitch on our favourite St Neots site at the end of July into August 2023 with membership discount would cost £37/night.

 

[Kelvin8tor]

CAMC member since 2006 only really use the CL sites
Some of these have increased in price but still bargains to be found spent last week in north Devon cheapest was £6 most expensive £12 no hook up basic sites and mostly with hard standings in beautiful countryside will continue with my membership just for the CL

 

[Reallyretired]

We have been in CCC for some years, mainly for the discount in the New Forest. Now they are no longer running it we will probably cancel as we dont go anywhere else in the UK

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[Reallyretired]

Many of the club sites allow non members so even if you use them for a few nights you could save by not being a member.

 

[Harrogate motorhomer]

in what way, I havent seen it

It’s in the April magazine. The general gist is that they’re reducing pitch fees by £2 but in the faq when asked about cost of electric it just says they pay a commercial rate. I believe most commercial rates are about 70p per kw so won’t take long to burn through £2 worth. In the winter it probably costs them about £10 per night but is about half that if not less in the summer so £2 is very much in their favour. They say it’s a trial but would think it will turn into some sort of reality if it favours them. There are other things like registering with sage pay every time you plug in which isn’t good for people who take their vans out several times a day.

 

[royandsharont]

I do tend to use the CAMC sites in the U.K. but recent price hikes are making me reconsider this approach. Most of our camping has been in the EU though.

Just got back from 55 nights camping on sites in Spain, including Easter, with a night at Winchester Morn on way out £30.60 and one at Rookesbury Park £39.10 on the way back. Including these we spent £959 on site fees working out at £17.44 a night.

In a new van with much better solar I was keen to know how much electric I used. On the ACSI sites I never paid for any extra above the 4kw per day. On one fully charged for electric camper stop at 60c/kWh I paid a total of 1.10€ for the 7 nights! so I don’t use lots of electric and I’ve just bought a gas kettle

I have just checked 20 night availability at CAMC Moreton in Marsh for mid June and it quoted over £800, £40 a night.

Last August & September I toured Scotland. Just checked some comparison dates for CAMC sites we stayed at, Strathclyde Country Park £34.90 now £37.50. Dunnet Bay £30.00 now £34.40. Morvich £30.20 now £34.60.

Not as easy to check the private site prices now but Glenn Nevis was £33.20 now £34.50. Portree on Skye was £29.00 and is still the same price now. Holme Valley Holmfirth was £53 the 2 night weekend now £59. The whole 40 nights camp sites averaged at £27.40 a night. So CAMC increases are more than the private ones.

This gives my perspective Jim on personal facts

 

[Gina M]

Dear Club Sites and CLs stop charging what you need to in order to stay in business, yours sincerely, another business owner struggling. (not a caravan site owner btw)

 

[bellabee]

We dropped CAMC membership last year, because we were no longer prepared to pay their prices.
We're still CCC members. Currently at Beadnell Bay site £22 pn, non-electric grass pitch. Pitches with ehu were £42 pn. Site is in a great location.
Moving on from here to THS's at Ruswarp and Flamborough for a few nights each.
The THS's make membership worthwhile for us.
We're not missing the CAMC at all, and I don't envisage we'll ever rejoin.

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