Motorhome take over at CAMC

[Spriddler]

If they really considered motorhomes they would have an area for 5 to 10 vans on most sites. Carpark style no booking no awning etc £10 per night. As littlewheels said some form of camper stop.

I guess the truth is that sites can fill their full-priced pitches without providing spaces at a tenner a night to motor roamers. Especially this year with the perceived increase in staycationers.

 

[tonyidle]

Totally understand the 6m rule for caravans and awnings. No problem with that. But lets say the first 2/3 pitches as you go in are just gravel hard standing or grass not bothered. Marked out as large parking bays. Motorhome only no awning no caravans. There is no law regarding space required and there is no reason they can't do it.

They just don't want to.

It seems over-kill to me too but it is apparently a fire safety recommendation and nothing to do with awnings.

 

[dipsie]

We had friends that were managers on the St Neots sight a few years ago, sadly Rick has passed, but whilst they were there they had to try to evacuate the sight one night due to severe flooding, it turned to be a major operation as many units had awnings attached, there was a loss of quite a few caravans.

Perhaps as previously mentioned someone in the C&MHC heavenly office has a glass ball.

 

[dipsie]

Opps “ sight “ should have read site, bl—y spell checker !

 

[Tombola]

It’s strange how it works sometimes.
Sometimes we find it about 50/50 and sometimes more caravans . Then in the winter we often find more motorhomes than caravans lol

Easier to set up than caravans in poor weather..easier to drive in poor weather...and most of all we are a hardy bunch

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[Larrynwin]

We stayed Mayday bank holiday weekend at Deers Glade a private site in Norfolk peak prices £28 night which we booked as our first trip since release from lockdown. We would not normally pay this amount but are happy to pay off peak club prices or CLs .
Nice site location and pitches and out of just over 100 pitches there were just three motorhomes with the rest being touring caravans and none long term so I don’t think caravans are going out of fashion as not everyone can afford two powered vehicles.
For those that are critical of organised sites and the cost to pitch remember a profit is necessary to survive with a bit in the back pocket for a rainy day or a pandemic and anyway no problem if you don’t use them.

 

[Littlewheels]

And then them peaple paying £10 a night would walk over and use the showers etc. It really is a simple decision if you don’t like the clubs pricing and the way they work don’t go to the sites. The U.K. has thousands of private sites to choose from, but be aware they also have rules and are in the job to make profit.

What!!! So because someone pays £10 for a slimline pitch that are not allowed to Pee or Shower ,seriously.

 

[stevec]

Don’t know why but had our booking at St Neots cancelled for 14 June due to bad weather although we were booked on a grass pitch someone obviously has a crystal ball?

We've just come back from St.Neots. After the rain on Thursday there were a few puddles in the grass areas and some of the hard standings had water around the edges. I'm sure some people had a bit of a paddle when they went out their hab door!

 

[deleted79651]

Pitched up at Ferry Meadows CAMC and for the first time it would seem the amount of motorhomes on site far outweighs the amount of caravans.

Happy memories! Lived in Castor from 1983 to mid 1987 and worked at the then new Thorpe Wood [Cambs Police on 1 corner, Pearl Assurance on another, TSB of Eastern England opposite the Police Station and Thomas Cook behind TSB. Ferry Meadows walks were a regular Summer evening wander!

I can still use the Bars like this [supported by the Burstner Bed Ladder ...]. My sons are now aged 43 & 40, but I haven't aged at all ...

Steve

 

[Neil S]

Caravanning has had its day. New vehicles are reducing towing weights. Unless a Towbar is a factory fit (which can add on a few months delivery date) the cost of retrofitting a Towbar can at times exceed a £1000 when a dedicated wiring kit is fitted and with the introduction of online coding (apposed to using a coding tool) which costs the Towbar centre £200 for each vehicle to code. Plus I don’t think there is going to be many electric vehicles capable of towing

Not true
There are quite a few EVs capable of towing namely the
Tesla x
Polestar
Kia ioniq 5
Nissan Ariya
All have decent towing capacities capable of handling an average family 4 berth caravans at 1500kg

caravans sales will continue to be buoyant and will still be popular as more Electric cars become available with towing capabilities

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[Gellyneck]

Firstly private sites are not the issue. Personally don't use them.

A large number of motorhomes want the flexibility turn up if there's room stop. No booking. Thats what we are asking for from a club that says its for motorhomes.

As for using the showers facilities they can surely charge extra if you want to use or quite simply say if you're caught using and not paid, membership is cancelled.

C&MC (and I guess C&CC) do provide facilities for motorhomes but maybe not the ones you want. It does confound me that folk join knowing what they provide and then complain. Perhaps a bit like joining a golf club and complaining they don't have a pool table in the clubhouse?
As for forward planning there's no reason why a motorhomer can't turn up (or phone ahead) at a Club site in the hope there's a free pitch, happened yesterday when someone pitched up next to us, but you get a pitch with facilities as that's what the Club provides. If that's not what you want you would surely go to another location that offers a different product. 10 non-electric pitches on a site last week had one campervan on for one night out of 5 so 49 pitches empty when the site was quite busy. And, most nights there were at least 2 units parked up ignoring the "No overnight parking" signs on the beach \ picnic area next door.
As for charging extra for shower facilities it would be very difficult to manage \ police cost effectively. I've seen \ heard a warden on a C&MC site get abuse from a non-resident because he challenged a woman about to enter the facilities block. She had walked onto the site from an external parking area so, I would assume (maybe wrongly), not even a Club member.

Don’t know why but had our booking at St Neots cancelled for 14 June due to bad weather although we were booked on a grass pitch someone obviously has a crystal ball?

A number of sites in Scotland (eg Garlieston, Brora, etc) frequently have their grass pitches off due to weather \ ground conditions. Garlieston was flooded (seawater) during last winter again. I've seen wardens going around with a garden fork "testing" grass pitches and then subsequently taking them off. Better that than getting a unit bogged down on it.

 

[jongood]

Not true
There are quite a few EVs capable of towing namely the
Tesla x
Polestar
Kia ioniq 5
Nissan Ariya
All have decent towing capacities capable of handling an average family 4 berth caravans at 1500kg

caravans sales will continue to be buoyant and will still be popular as more Electric cars become available with towing capabilities

The licence issue will surely hamper sales of caravans to younger drivers as thankfully the days of buying a cheap caravan and hooking it to any car with no experience will come to an end, but will many young people commit to an extra set of tax insurance?

IMHO the older generation will probably gravitate to motorhomes and the young will go to centerparcs etc.

 

[138go]

I asked my son, who has wife and two children, whether he would want a caravan. Up to now they’ve camped or gone self catering. He thought for a moment and then shook his head. I was a bit surprised but he said he couldn’t be bothered with all the palaver of towing one.

 

[bridgedino]

i know where I’d rather be staying

 

[138go]

Whilst the first place looks ok, are there any facilities?

We’ve stayed the odd night somewhere like that but there were people living in their cars and folk wandering into the bushes with spades.

These days I prefer nice clean facilities.

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[Ivory55]

With people living in smaller properties and cramped estate it’s probably cheaper to go to centre parks by the time they have paid for storage etc.

 

[AndyPK]

i know where I’d rather be staying

View attachment 497217View attachment 497218

Definitely photo 2!

 

[jongood]

C&MC (and I guess C&CC) do provide facilities for motorhomes but maybe not the ones you want. It does confound me that folk join knowing what they provide and then complain. Perhaps a bit like joining a golf club and complaining they don't have a pool table in the clubhouse?
As for forward planning there's no reason why a motorhomer can't turn up (or phone ahead) at a Club site in the hope there's a free pitch, happened yesterday when someone pitched up next to us, but you get a pitch with facilities as that's what the Club provides. If that's not what you want you would surely go to another location that offers a different product. 10 non-electric pitches on a site last week had one campervan on for one night out of 5 so 49 pitches empty when the site was quite busy. And, most nights there were at least 2 units parked up ignoring the "No overnight parking" signs on the beach \ picnic area next door.
As for charging extra for shower facilities it would be very difficult to manage \ police cost effectively. I've seen \ heard a warden on a C&MC site get abuse from a non-resident because he challenged a woman about to enter the facilities block. She had walked onto the site from an external parking area so, I would assume (maybe wrongly), not even a Club member.

A number of sites in Scotland (eg Garlieston, Brora, etc) frequently have their grass pitches off due to weather \ ground conditions. Garlieston was flooded (seawater) during last winter again. I've seen wardens going around with a garden fork "testing" grass pitches and then subsequently taking them off. Better that than getting a unit bogged down on it.

i know where I’d rather be staying

View attachment 497217View attachment 497218

For us it depends where they are; if photo 1 is next to a great beach, walk or cycle ride or old town then it would be there.

places like 2 tend to be a long way from what we want to visit.

 

[Gellyneck]

Would you believe it! Following on from my previous post somebody has just turned up outside the site in a campervan and walked in to empty their toilet cassette! He tried the toilet door as well but it's on a lock. This despite there being a public toilet behind him in the car park. He just ignored me when I mentioned to him "there's a public toilet in the car park".

 

[bridgedino]

Its a beachfront area in Northumberland i believe. Typical of many beachfront areas all over the UK.
Im a campsite camper. If I finish work on a Friday at 5pm I like to know my pitch is reserved and waiting for me 2hrs later. Im happy to stop off somewhere like that for an hour or so, maybe for a trip out for a day or a lunchtine stop-off on route to a campsite but ultimatly 9 times out of 10 my destination is likely to be one of the club sites. Im more than happy to spend £30 per night to camp in a nice location, in nice surroundings. We chose areas near to nice cities and cycle routes. I take comfort from the feeling that my MH is safer when its left unattended for the day in an organised campsite where the wardens seem to spot anything out of place. Thumbs up for spacious pitches and the 6m rule. Nothing worse than sitting on your loo whilst knowing a stranger is sat on the other side of your wall, 4ft away on a lounger within earshot. Theres certainly something out there for everyone.

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[Lenny HB]

i know where I’d rather be staying

View attachment 497217View attachment 497218

Top one looks nice, bottom one looks horrible far too regimented and prim & proper sort of place I hate.

 

[Emmit]

With people living in smaller properties and cramped estate it’s probably cheaper to go to centre parks by the time they have paid for storage etc.

It's far cheaper to go to Cener Parcs in Holland than the same in UK (and includes the ferry fare!!!)
I wonder why

 

[Ivory55]

Photo 1 makes me think of someone camping there because they don’t like rules and being organised, then complain about another camper using a generator. Each to their own.

 

[Ivory55]

It's far cheaper to go to Cener Parcs in Holland than the same in UK (and includes the ferry fare!!!)
I wonder why

Other places are available, haha. Forgot my bbc get out.

 

[jongood]

Its a beachfront area in Northumberland i believe. Typical of many beachfront areas all over the UK.
Im a campsite camper. If I finish work on a Friday at 5pm I like to know my pitch is reserved and waiting for me 2hrs later. Im happy to stop off somewhere like that for an hour or so, maybe for a trip out for a day or a lunchtine stop-off on route to a campsite but ultimatly 9 times out of 10 my destination is likely to be one of the club sites. Im more than happy to spend £30 per night to camp in a nice location, in nice surroundings. We chose areas near to nice cities and cycle routes. I take comfort from the feeling that my MH is safer when its left unattended for the day in an organised campsite where the wardens seem to spot anything out of place. Thumbs up for spacious pitches and the 6m rule. Nothing worse than sitting on your loo whilst knowing a stranger is sat on the other side of your wall, 4ft away on a lounger within earshot. Theres certainly something out there for everyone.

And its great that you've found

Its a beachfront area in Northumberland i believe. Typical of many beachfront areas all over the UK.
Im a campsite camper. If I finish work on a Friday at 5pm I like to know my pitch is reserved and waiting for me 2hrs later. Im happy to stop off somewhere like that for an hour or so, maybe for a trip out for a day or a lunchtine stop-off on route to a campsite but ultimatly 9 times out of 10 my destination is likely to be one of the club sites. Im more than happy to spend £30 per night to camp in a nice location, in nice surroundings. We chose areas near to nice cities and cycle routes. I take comfort from the feeling that my MH is safer when its left unattended for the day in an organised campsite where the wardens seem to spot anything out of place. Thumbs up for spacious pitches and the 6m rule. Nothing worse than sitting on your loo whilst knowing a stranger is sat on the other side of your wall, 4ft away on a lounger within earshot. Theres certainly something out there for everyone.

And it's great that you have something that suits your requirements. The issue here is that we don't all hsve the same requirements. Many of us prefer a French style Aires setup, the problem being that the this doesn't suit the Caravan clubs agenda so they actively try and block schemes. This is why I dont believe that they represent the interests of UK motorhomers

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[Janine]

I am at CAMC Baltic Wharf and out of the 55 pitches, there are about 5 caravans

 

[phase3begins]

I have to smile at the inevitable ‘too regimented…’ comments.
much better to park within a few feet of others vans in a rather neat line, which obviously isn’t regimented.

 

[TDub49]

It would help those of us who are trying to see the rights and wrongs in this debate from an objective and generalist (rather than personal) point of view, if people who make assertions that this organisation is doing that to stop whatever from happening would actually come forward with the hard evidence.

 

[phase3begins]

It would help those of us who are trying to see the rights and wrongs in this debate from an objective and generalist (rather than personal) point of view, if people who make assertions that this organisation is doing that to stop whatever from happening would actually come forward with the hard evidence.

Now stop that at once. This is the internet, facts are not required.

 

[Hawkstone]

Caravanning has had its day. New vehicles are reducing towing weights. Unless a Towbar is a factory fit (which can add on a few months delivery date) the cost of retrofitting a Towbar can at times exceed a £1000 when a dedicated wiring kit is fitted and with the introduction of online coding (apposed to using a coding tool) which costs the Towbar centre £200 for each vehicle to code. Plus I don’t think there is going to be many electric vehicles capable of towing

None of my children’s friends have even considered towing. They are mainly looking at PVC’s.

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