Caravan and Motorhome Club price hikes.

[Ivory55]

I pay my CAMC membership too so I feel I have as much right to an opinion as any other member. Site fees appear to have increased considerably in the last couple of years and it’s not beyond the bounds of possibilities that financial reserves are being restocked. The millions the CAMC keeps in its kitty came in useful during the pandemic I’m sure. However, today’s financial pressures squeeze many families who, relatively, are asset rich (their outfits) and income poor. If it comes to the point where ‘The Smiths’ can’t afford caravan holidays because of pricey pitches and fuel then we need to ask some questions.

Trouble is if it was free 90% on here would still say it’s a rip off

 

[Essgeebee]

Trouble is if it was free 90% on here would still say it’s a rip off

Are you in the 10%? Or the 90?

 

[Ivory55]

Are you in the 10%? Or the 90?

Actually the 10% , but I do object to paying more tax to fund others getting more then me

 

[bexleyjohn]

We are being “screwed” every which way - gas prices, fuel prices, site prices, food prices, first and second class stamp prices, etc etc. Interesting how the companies who provide these services are making increasingly large profits every year and yet blame price rises on COVID, Brexit, Ukraine/Russia conflict, Boris ………….

 

[Essgeebee]

When a club, be it CAMC, CCC or even the local camera or bowls club, starts feeling a bit too expensive, it reaches a tipping point. Membership declines, cost per member goes up, costs get trimmed, quality suffers and Rome burns. The CAMC asked members to "support" it during the pandemic by continuing to pay membership subs even though many/all sites were closed at times. Fair enough, you might think and many including me did just that. But that needs to be remembered by the CAMC when it's setting pitch fees. Loyalty is a two way process in any club.

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[Emmit]

Had 2 sites booked with CMAC for 2 X 4 day trips, new cost is abt £210.
Have reorganised them using a rally meet (""""" not with MHfun"""""") and tagged on a few days at a CCC site, both EHU and full facilities. Bottom line I now have an extra day (9) and over £35 saving, thus almost paying for my fuel.
Got to be done with these ever increasing costs.

"Not with MHfun"?????

Jim!

 

[marrod23]

this is why we very ever use our m/h in the ripoff uk
had to stay overnight to get tested for covid at asda carpark before boarding the train so stopped at a cl £20
first stop at marck 8 euros with electric ( 1 DAY ) or this one 5 euros ( FOR 2 DAYS ) in the heart of the Spanish Pyrenees

So how much did it cost to get there ?

 

[Platelet]

Three members of the 'Top Table' turned up for a CC (it was then) 'Special Rally' to celebrate a Counties 3000th Rally.
They each turned up with a Range Rover Vogue towing a Carlight Caravan.

What are the odds on that combination occurring?

They could be test cars/caravans. I know they get offered all sorts of combinations.

 

[Margsmit]

We are off to Bristol at the weekend. I was already thinking it was a rip off at £45 per night for 2 people. Only going because its where I grew up and the site is shutting soon.

Just received an email to say they are increasing prices due to electricity costs. not only that - they are asking us not to use the electricity as much as possible!!! (please use your solar instead!)

Back to CL sites in future.

 

[Margsmit]

I have left the club. Shame as there are good sites and some good staff but prices are silly for a single traveller!

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[wp1234]

Please explain where the money goes then!
It is not a non profit organisation, it is run as a commercial operation for the benefit of members.
No dividends are paid, profits are re invested for the benefit of members.

I have left the club. Shame as there are good sites and some good staff but prices are silly for a single traveller!

Personally I think we all need to support the CamPra initiative to at least try to introduce some new Aires around the UK .

www.CamPra.org.uk

 

[drmartinwhite]

Not that I am aware. I meant for camping in general. For Bristol I'll just book into a nice hotel instead!!!

You will pay through the nose for that in Bristol. We spent three nights in Bristol at a hotel in Clifton as could not get into the Baltic Wharfe site. By the time we had paid around £50 per night for the Hotel (trust me, this was basic and we won’t be using this hotel again) and £9 per day car parking (hotel had car parking, which is a nightmare in Bristol), no breakfast, and having to eat out 3 times a day the Sunday to Wednesday bill came to around £700. TBF we were visiting my son at University there, so we fed him in the evenings too. But, if we could have got into Baltic Wharfe CAMC site, we would have slashed that bill to around £300 probably, maybe less. Yes, £45 might seem excessive, but you are smack bang in the city centre as a base were you can spin up better eats and comfort in your own Motorhome than eating out and squatting in a hotel room. Having your own motorhome in the city centre when it’s raining is a life saver. You have to amortise that cost over a years travels too. Most expensive site I have used so far is about £39, I think, but averaged over the year works out at about £19. We plan to use mostly EHU sites this year as we are newbies.

Personally, even at £45 a night, I think closure of Baltic Wharfe is a tragedy!

 

[Emmit]

They could be test cars/caravans. I know they get offered all sorts of combinations.

Already been mentioned. Carlight caravans, Bespoke, handmade, three of them. Don't think so.

 

[David1943]

We live in hard times financially. Unfortunately there are people who are prepared to rip you off. I am sure there is somebody out there that can work out the increase in cost, not an increase of site charges, but electricity added to the basic site charge. Which would be fair to all.
Recently I had to fill my oil tank. Nobody can convince me that the depot over night had filled their tanks with oil at the new price, as these are called "storage tanks" and are not empty all of a sudden. I had filled my tank 6 months earlier at a cost of £1000 . The new fill cost me £2300. That is what I call a rip off, the same applies to petrol and the Government, who also benefits from this rip off, who allows this theft from the man in the street. Something should be done about this illegal theft by the oil companies and the Government. Happy Easter to all, David

 

[Ivory55]

Personally I think we all need to support the CamPra initiative to at least try to introduce some new Aires around the UK .

www.CamPra.org.uk

Made me laugh one van 7 grand for the local economy, only have to look at the posts on here how everything is a rip off. Some think buying 2 coffees from costa is going to fund everything in the local economy.

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[BillandHelen]

Well, we are currently enjoying the Scottish sunshine in the Ayr Craigie Gardens CAMC site, cost us £34 a night, site is about 75% full, half and half caravans and Motorhomes. It’s a great site for walking into town along the river path, nice restaurants in town, The Fox and Willow or The Treehouse are great. For those who prefer offsite, there is a council aire at the beachfront, a bit too noisy for us at the weekend or good on street parking.
We prefer the site and although prices are about 20% higher than precovid, much like everything else, will continue to use it.

 

[sbbots]

We're in York Rowntree Park for 3 night's £144.

 

[Essgeebee]

Well, we are currently enjoying the Scottish sunshine in the Ayr Craigie Gardens CAMC site, cost us £34 a night, site is about 75% full, half and half caravans and Motorhomes. It’s a great site for walking into town along the river path, nice restaurants in town, The Fox and Willow or The Treehouse are great. For those who prefer offsite, there is a council aire at the beachfront, a bit too noisy for us at the weekend or good on street parking.
We prefer the site and although prices are about 20% higher than precovid, much like everything else, will continue to use it.

This emphasises my earlier point. What justifies a rise of 20%, more in some cases, over just a couple of years? If the CAMC and other clubs could explain, I’m all ears. Yes, of course fuel , energy and other things have increased by 20% or more. But in the same period there have also been huge amounts in grants, furlough, reduced taxes inc VAT, etc.
if this isn’t explained, some people are likely to cancel membership and move to commercial sites that arguably have greater competitive pressures and no membership subscriptions to cushion their costs.

 

[Essgeebee]

We're in York Rowntree Park for 3 night's £144.

That, I feel, is a rip-off.

 

[jacobe]

Just a thought but if the clubs want us to use our solar, why not give us the option of not using the ehu and adjust the price accordingly?

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[Graham Page]

We are off to Bristol at the weekend. I was already thinking it was a rip off at £45 per night for 2 people. Only going because its where I grew up and the site is shutting soon.

Just received an email to say they are increasing prices due to electricity costs. not only that - they are asking us not to use the electricity as much as possible!!! (please use your solar instead!)

Back to CL sites in future.

If you need to go into the centre of Bristol I guess you have no choice. Come the late summer it's only going to get more expensive to travel into Bristol City centre with certain vehicle's when the emissions charges kick in. My Hymer is in the £100.00 a day category!
As a guide, charges will not apply to:

• Euro 4, 5 and 6 petrol vehicles, roughly 2006 upwards
• Euro 6 diesel vehicles, roughly end of 2015 onwards
• fully electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
• modified or retrofitted vehicles registered with the Energy Saving Trust’s Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS)
• motorbikes

Bristol's Clean Air Zone charges​

Vehicle category	Daily charge
Private petrol cars	£9
Private diesel cars	£9
Taxis	£9
Light Goods Vehicle (under 3.5t.)	£9
Heavy Goods Vehicle (over 3.5t.)	£100
Buses	£100
Coaches	£100

Charges would apply:

• 24 hours a day
• seven days a week

Non-compliant vehicles would only be charged once in each 24-hour period. If you live within the zone and drive a non-compliant vehicle, you'll only be charged if you make a journey.

 

[berni109]

How many times must it be said! It not a bl*ody club it's a commercial organisation that has highly paid staff at HO to pay.

 

[TheMachMan]

Lots of costs have gone through the roof, energy and fuel being the most publicised.
But it’s a bit of a cheek to increase the prices and then ask people not to use the service that you have just paid for! For sure they could turn the bl00dy lights off that stay on all night for starters if they want to make a saving. We’ve all got torches these days on our phones, and it’s more light pollution.
I like the club sites and will continue to use them, but perhaps a discount if you don’t use EHU would be better.

 

[poppycamper]

I said same thing in thread "EHU on the up" but was ridiculed by certain Fun members!!

but perhaps a discount if you don’t use EHU would be better.

 

[LesW]

That, I feel, is a rip-off.

It seems it, but if the poster is prepared to pay that so be it.

We are going to stay three nights at a CCC THS at York.. . £45.

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[huck999]

As a comparison, we are staying on the Algarve Motorhome parks.
These are graded sites with compacted bases with gravel on top. All bays are marked and are big enough for even big coaches.
They all have 6amp electric and water. Showers and washing machines are extra.
All the sites are clean and well maintained. No booking - just check their web page to see number of vacancies.
Cost - €8 a night with the added attraction of sun!

 

[Flying Fifer]

a bed and breakfast starts to look better value.

Not in high season it wouldn't. Prices are all relatively to time of year you go & sites are always more expensive during Easter period.

 

[Flying Fifer]

a bed and breakfast starts to look better value.

Prices are all relatively to time of year you visit. Prices are always higher over Easter and school holidays. I doubt if you'd get B & B for 2 people at that price.

 

[Spriddler]

Strange that these 'rip-off' sites and other businesses are still operating.
Perhaps newcomers will be dissuaded and the disgruntled will give up.

 

[Claire Ambler]

O.K. Have just done a bit of research.
Electricity cost on average £0.18.2 pence per kWh.
the average caravan will use between 4 and 6kWh per day, and most will use less, even with a worst case price hike the high user will use less than £1.50 per day. CMC I believe charge £2.50 per day for electric. How can they justify a price hike?
it really is time for a clear out at the top

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