A letter to clubs about site prices (2 Viewers)

[Jim]

First draft.

Dear Motorhome and Caravan Club,

As a representative of MotorhomeFun, which counts over 60,000 UK motorhome enthusiasts as members of which over 50% of whom are also members of your club, I am writing to express our concerns about the recent substantial hikes in your pitch fees.

We understand that investment in infrastructure, maintenance, and staff is critical for running a successful club. However, we believe that the recent pitch fee increases are excessive and unjustified, particularly considering the current economic climate and the financial challenges faced by many of our members.

Why, when your members are facing a financial squeeze of a generation, did you choose this year to put your sites out of the reach of many who just cannot afford it. We kindly request that you provide a comprehensive justification and explanation for the reasons behind these increases, as well as a breakdown of how the increased revenue generated will benefit members and enhance facilities.

We hope to use our membership and work collaboratively with the Motorhome and Caravan Club to find a reasonable solution that benefits the many thousands of members of our club who are your members too.

We appreciate the club’s efforts to provide top-quality facilities and services to its loyal and committed group of motorhome enthusiasts. However, many of your members feel the club is not acting in their best interests, and any “club ethos” appears to have been lost.

Thank you for your time and attention, and we look forward to your response.

Comment as you see fit, but I won't be looking at this again till next Tuesday, just off to London in the Van, for a weekend of the West End, then Mickey Flannagan at the 02 and then a Sunday at Twickenham for the BaBaas playing a World 15. .. 6m Panel Vans Rule

 

[gwyntaxi]

I'm staying at Moffat C&CC site next weekend, £40/night. I checked the same dates for Camping Sandaya, Maisons Laffitte, Paris, an all singing and dancing campsite I use in the summer. Only €35/night.

No club site is worth £40 a night. Pure greedand they know there are people who are gullible enough to pay it there is no genuine reason to justify any of the increases we've seen over the past 4 years but as long as people will pay they will charge more year on year......just sayin...

 

[JockandRita]

I've stayed on dozens of sites over the last three years, including many CAMC sites, and I've never had any problem with parking the "wrong way round". In fact, the only times we were told to park a particular way round was on a couple of independent sites. I think the "wrong way round" problem on CAMC sites is now an urban myth!!

Had it happen to us, ie, told I must pitch with my rear R/H corner of the vehicle on the peg, which gave us about 3 x feet of space from the Hab door to the blooming hedge, with a huge vacant space on the right of the pitch.
Once the warden walked away, I moved the peg a vehicle's width away, and pitched again accordingly. Job done.

Jock.

 

[Langtoftlad]

What were the other two reasons? That’s a shocking increase . Plus they introduced cancellation fees & deposits

1. The introduction of deposits - so now no advantage over the C&CC
2. The truly awful website & booking system

 

[Flying Derek]

Was a CAMC member until this year
Pitch inflation was one of three reasons I didn't renew

Castleton
April 2019 = £11.70/nt
Jan 2023 = £23/nt

Nearly 100% in less than 4 years

Me too!

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[Cockers]

Only re joined the Caravan and Motorhome club this year as we have book three trips to Europe and got a good discount on the tunnel booking which cover the cost of the years membership so we actually made money by joining. What I don’t understand is we are in France at the moment and use the free Aires and some paid one, sitting having a beer on a French site with water, electric and it’s only 10 euros a night.

 

[Victor And Margaret]

We're in both and have been for about 30 years. We haven't used a club site for 10 years or so now as we find CL's and CS's so much cheaper and more convenient. Since getting the motorhome last year and installing lithium/ inverter and solar it's freed us up to go places we'd never have been able to before. Most places we visit now are £8 - £12 a night or free and in fantastic locations. The clubs are just being greedy with current site fees and at the end of the day you're paying an extra £30+ a night for the "luxury" of a larger shower that lasts longer. No thanks!

 

[Folkranger]

I suspect their argument would be that they can fill their sites at those prices. last week I spent the best part of a day trawling through the CAMC site app without finding anywhere with space covering the weekend. So we're going to an independant site at 2/3 the price.

 

[CAB96]

It's very strange in my opinion that the top of the poll is folks on here who are in both clubs and the bottom one is neither.
I would have thought it would have been quite the opposite by a large margin.
Just why are people in both?

We use both, but also UKCampsite, Pitchup, S4S, and google as and when convenient.

We usually want EHU, and mostly use facilities as we have a loo but no shower.

The clubs have several sites in the Lakes, Dales, Peak, and N Wales, where we like to go hillwalking, and searching the two sites it is quick to find availability and book (even with the new CAMC site).

We (or rather, I) am time poor, so although I have researched and used many independent sites, the clubs are still our first choice.

Hope that helps explain why some people join

 

[Silkcut1105]

we are members of ccc club and mostly use ths and da meets great value for the money most we pay is 12 pound a night no ehu but toilets and showers available at most meets and ths and all have elson points

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[billym]

31eu...that's expensive.... we are sat on a site on the Algarve... 3 swimming pools, restaurants, bar, shop, cafe, 3 tennis courts, 18.50eu a night but only 14.50eu for us as we don't need EHU..

Where is that please.

 

[Coolcats]

Was a CAMC member until this year
Pitch inflation was one of three reasons I didn't renew

Castleton
April 2019 = £11.70/nt
Jan 2023 = £23/nt

Nearly 100% in less than 4 years

Laneside which is just along the road at hope which is not CAMC or CCC

Serviced Pitches - Electric, water & grey waste on pitch	£30.40	£38.45
Electric Hard Standing - for caravans or motorhomes	£28.85	£35.30
Electric Grass Pitches - for all types of units	£27.80	£34.20
5-6 Berth Tents (non electric)	£24.70	£32.00
3-4 Berth Tents (non electric)	£22.15	£28.95
1-2 Berth Tents (non electric)	£19.60	£25.25
Bella The Caravan	£78.75	£80.00

and Bank Hollidays

T
Serviced Pitches - Electric, water & grey waste on pitch	£40.95
Electric Hard Standing - for caravans or motorhomes	£37.80
Electric Grass Pitches - for all types of units	£36.70
5-6 Berth Tents (non electric)	£34.50
3-4 Berth Tents (non electric)	£31.45
1-2 Berth Tents (non electric)	£27.75
Bella The Caravan	£85.00

 

[Coolcats]

Here is another non CAMC CCC site if you look at the additions....

Bookings are required to cover a minimum of 2 nights.
Pitch
Prices
2023 & 2024 Pitch*
includes up to: 2 Adults, 3 children, 2 small pets, 1 vehicle
£28.00 (per night)


Extras
Prices
Electric Hook Up
£6.00 (per night)
Extra Adult
£7.00 (per night)
Extra Children (5-16)
£5.00 (per night)
Annex Awning/Gazebo
£7.00 (per night)
Additional Car Parking
£7.00 (per night)
Late Departure**
£7.00
* Units exceeding 8 x 5 meters, will require an additional pitch booking.
** Late departures are available up until 4pm subject to availability. Enquire at reception on arrival.

 

[nickq]

Had it happen to us, ie, told I must pitch with my rear R/H corner of the vehicle on the peg, which gave us about 3 x feet of space from the Hab door to the blooming hedge, with a huge vacant space on the right of the pitch.
Once the warden walked away, I moved the peg a vehicle's width away, and pitched again accordingly. Job done.

Jock.

Excalty this, has happenned to me on multiple occasions. When you have a european van layout with the habitation door on the "wrong side" you get this more.

 

[nickq]

Excalty this, has happenned to me on multiple occasions. When you have a european van layout with the habitation door on the "wrong side" you get this more. The peg police...

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[Jo662]

Yes, he does kickboxing, circuit training and weight training but that's of no use if you are faced with a gang carrying guns or machetes

What’s the chance of that happening anywhere ?
I do a lot of Aires thru France and have never seen anything like that happening.

 

[Mikey RV]

First draft.



Comment as you see fit, but I won't be looking at this again till next Tuesday, just off to London in the Van, for a weekend of the West End, then Mickey Flannagan at the 02 and then a Sunday at Twickenham for the BaBaas playing a World 15. .. 6m Panel Vans Rule

I don’t think that 50% of the peaple that have joined Fun are also members of the CAMC Jim.

 

[Jim]

I don’t think that 50% of the peaple that have joined Fun are also members of the CAMC Jim.

Actually I think its probably a lot more. But I'll extrapolate a figure from the percentages that vote and run with it, even 20% reperesents a lot of members

 

[StephandJohn]

Gyro and Coolcates. Where are the sites you mention please

 

[Mikey RV]

Actually I think its probably a lot more. But I'll extrapolate a figure from the percentages that vote and run with it, even 20% reperesents a lot of members

Am I miss counting, you’re saying 60,000 fun members, so that means 30,000 of them are CAMC members but not even one thousand of fun members have voted.

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[Lavender1]

A number of people who frequented the tea tent at the Newbury Show were commenting on the rise in pitch fees. I don't stop on many sites so can't really comment.

If this is the case I thought I'd write to the two big clubs and try and get some reasoning for this. I know we have some wages inflation as well as higher electricity costs, but I suspect, like a lot of industries there might be a bit of "Greedflation" in their prices.

To give my letter some legitimacy it would be nice to know what proportion of our membership are their members, so please choose an option above.

Also can you let us know about some of the increases you have seen. Thanks

I have been a member of both clubs for 14 years. Now ridiculous prices. We went to Ferry Meadows at Peterborough (it was our favourite location) February.Price for the two of us was
approx. £32 per night. We were going again in May but price had gone up to £35 per night and it isn’t even high season! Instead we went very local to a brilliant Council owned site, toilets, showers and utility, straight out of gate into a lovely park with river, fields and a lake for £63, including £6 for our two dogs, for 3 nights. We would have been paying £105 for 3 nights with CCMC plus fuel of approx £25. We are now looking to go to small sites, in Lincolnshire for, on average, about £25 per night. How does the average family with children afford the caravan clubs fees plus their fuel? When they start looking at empty pitches they will realise they are pricing themselves out of the market. You will often find a lot of “little dictators” at the club sites. Now warm weather is here, they have no justification to put up their prices.

 

[Molly A]

Member of CAMC as it gave us a small discount on insurance as newbies and a discount on DFDS. Have now cancelled DD for my renewal as we rarely camp in the UK, as cannot bring myself to pay those obscene prices when we prefer to travel in Europe and get an excellent site with good facilities for half the price. I also get a bigger age related discount DFDS than my CAMC one. Now en route for Greece, one of our favs in the Champagne, a municipal camp site had gone up a whole euro to 17 euros, all in and including a swimming pool in high season. San Marino, a full fat campsite with fab facilities, 26 euros a night, all in, and a little private sosta north of Bari, all in, reasonable showers and toilet , on a lovely cove in an olive Grove in the middle of nature, 20 euros . Those were the more expensive ones, used quite a few Aires at less than15 to 8 euros a night including EHU. In the UK would be lucky to get a patch of grass in muddy field for 20 quid .....no thanks!

 

[Lenny HB]

Am I miss counting, you’re saying 60,000 fun members, so that means 30,000 of them are CAMC members but not even one thousand of fun members have voted.

But 90% of those members are non active, non paying members.

 

[Jim]

Am I miss counting, you’re saying 60,000 fun members, so that means 30,000 of them are CAMC members but not even one thousand of fun members have voted.

I'm not saying anything yet, that figure of 50% was just thrown into the draft, it will be different for both clubs and I'll extrapolate a percentage from the voting

 

[theapples]

Both clubs have got very greedy. We were looking at visiting Chatsworth house priced up 3 nights on club site £44 a night £132 I spent less than that on sites/aires in Spain on a 4 week trip a couple of weeks ago.

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[Whitebirdyman]

I think we are also victims of shrinkflation with the clubs. It used to be with both of them that you could arrive at noon and depart by noon the next day. Now arrivals are not allowed until 1pm but still have to leave by noon, so we have lost 1/24th of the day we used to pay for with no decrease in price, so it is a hidden cost.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Sorry Chaser - but for some of us, you're wrong
Motorhomers still need/want some facilities such as water/dump [EHU for some]
Every time I check out these 'private' sites they are invariably more expensive and then charge extra for having a dog.
Many have pointed to access to CL/CS and THS as reason to be a member.
Some of us don't want to be overnighting in a layby or carpark.
Security?
Convenience?
For less than a £1 a week.

Edited
I'm looking at going to St Neots next month - depending on weather
What do your Apps suggest?
For me at C&CC on the river, short walk into town, all the facilities, £15.75/nt including Kerry

A favourite for us…… when it isn’t flooded

 

[kingspeed]

A number of people who frequented the tea tent at the Newbury Show were commenting on the rise in pitch fees. I don't stop on many sites so can't really comment.

If this is the case I thought I'd write to the two big clubs and try and get some reasoning for this. I know we have some wages inflation as well as higher electricity costs, but I suspect, like a lot of industries there might be a bit of "Greedflation" in their prices.

To give my letter some legitimacy it would be nice to know what proportion of our membership are their members, so please choose an option above.

Also can you let us know about some of the increases you have seen. Thanks

Hi all,
I was a member of the

CAMC Caravan and Motorhome Club, but this year I have not renewed my membership. I have also been a member of The Camping and Caravanning club. Also not renewed for the same reason.. Greed and bandwagon spring to mind.​

 

[Brian Winn]

A number of people who frequented the tea tent at the Newbury Show were commenting on the rise in pitch fees. I don't stop on many sites so can't really comment.

If this is the case I thought I'd write to the two big clubs and try and get some reasoning for this. I know we have some wages inflation as well as higher electricity costs, but I suspect, like a lot of industries there might be a bit of "Greedflation" in their prices.

To give my letter some legitimacy it would be nice to know what proportion of our membership are their members, so please choose an option above.

Also can you let us know about some of the increases you have seen. Thanks

We agree with the sentiment. Certainly feels as though prices rises are outstripping inflation and verging on poor VFM. And I include some CL's in this aas well.

 

[mikeg40]

I think that the big difference is that we still have a system based on camping and caravanning, not motorhomes. whatever the club's names now their infrastructure and facilities are not directed specifically at motorhomes. rising prices reflects the changing situation, not just electricity and wage costs but continual lower numbers of people doing the traditional booking of a site for 2 weeks at a time. people who just overnight for one night for a service stop, like myself, are both more labour intensive and probably use more lecky and water that a traditional user. I don't know what occupancy rates are compared to even pre covid levels but I guess the change in dynamics has affected profit levels, higher costs, lower occupancy. until both clubs decide who they want to base their site model on, prices will continually rise. I only pay my fee if I can justify it with discounts offered either for ferries or insurance, not for the minimal savings on occasional site visits

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