We are done with the Caravan Club

[Neil S]

I joined the C&CC in the hope of making savings on insurance more than anything else. I found that they were at least 30% more expensive than I joined the C&CC in the hope of making savings on insurance more than anything else. I found that they were at least 30% more expensive than my lowest quote through Adrian Flux and could offer no discounts. Can't understand that as they must have huge buying power with their large membership.

Ive never found the C&CC that good when it comes to Motorhome insurance
The C&MC quote came out the best and didn’t even insist on an alarm

 

[Mike Warland]

I belong to both clubs and have done for over 30 years as they can both provide solutions for my needs. However I hate the CAMC policy of not taking deposits with a passion as it leads to any good club site being fully booked at weekends denying those that want to book a week or 2 as a block for a holiday but I live with it.

I have stopped using CAMC sites for this reason I find them impossible to book as I don't want to book a year in advance and nearer the time they always seem to be fully booked. I have noticed recently how expensive they are getting CL's are much better value.

 

[Coolcats]

The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act dates back to 1960 and hasn't been reviewed since. Most site staff & wardens don't have a clue what's in it and simply repeat parrot fashion what they're told by officious suits reminiscent of a 1970's local councillor.

The 6 metre rule was brought in for caravans made of a plywood skin.

If you have a wind out awning you only need to be 5 metres apart & at corners only 3.5m apart.

If you have a full awning the space between units can be as little as 3 metres and towing vehicles must also be 3 metres apart.

Aluminium clad caravans need only a 5 metre separation.

Hard standing is only applicable if or where units remain in place over winter.

These where the days of highly flammable insulation, highly flammable upholstery and particularly toxic plastics.

The world & technology has moved on, sadly the C&MC hasn't.

The difference between 5 and 6 metres is insignificant I would prefer something like 300 metres when a MoHo goes up !

 

[DJT]

As members start to feel they're to old to tow a pod is preferable to having an aged caravan towed onto a pitch. Anyway pod users might start to see the advantages of touring.

That very well might be the case but the Hen party we came across on a site in Dorset using the so called glamping pods couldn’t see Five yards in front of them never mind the advantages of touring!!
However I take your point.
DJT

 

[houdini]

It is because they put obstacles in the way of creating aires. Their NZ counterpart by comparison is superb with hundreds of freedom camping spots and public dump stations

We loved motorhoming in NZ, that’s how we ended up buying one eventually.
We did notice that NZ has rather more space than the UK.

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[jongood]

We loved motorhoming in NZ, that’s how we ended up buying one eventually.
We did notice that NZ has rather more space than the UK.

NZ also has 90% less taxpayers to pay for it

I think UK has space enough for aires/freedom camping WHY and in well chosen places they could become a real boon for tourism. We rarely tour UK because of the hassle with sites but will be going to Northern England/S Scotland next month with the intention of staying at places like Helmsley, Hawes, Ayr etc.

 

[68c]

The difference between 5 and 6 metres is insignificant I would prefer something like 300 metres when a MoHo goes up !

After seeing that fire I begin to wonder if I am wise to keep the van next to the house. Kept running scenarios, would I try be silly enough to drive it away from the house, remove the gas bottle etc. Then wondered what my house insurance would make of it. Sad.

 

[Larrynwin]

After seeing that fire I begin to wonder if I am wise to keep the van next to the house. Kept running scenarios, would I try be silly enough to drive it away from the house, remove the gas bottle etc. Then wondered what my house insurance would make of it. Sad.

It crossed my mind but then I considered how many caravans cars etc are parked close to houses and a fire is so rare but like you wondered about house insurance so will check mine.

 

[houdini]

The difference between 5 and 6 metres is insignificant I would prefer something like 300 metres when a MoHo goes up !

That is terrifying! After seeing that, I think if we stored our MH at home, we would remove gas bottles as far away as possible when parked up.

 

[houdini]

NZ also has 90% less taxpayers to pay for it

I think UK has space enough for aires/freedom camping WHY and in well chosen places they could become a real boon for tourism. We rarely tour UK because of the hassle with sites but will be going to Northern England/S Scotland next month with the intention of staying at places like Helmsley, Hawes, Ayr etc.

It looks as if the NZMCA offers organisations funding for public dump stations as well as lobbying local government for more. Can’t see local governments here wanting to encourage freedom camping, seems to be the reverse.

Have a nice trip ’up North’.

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[pandas]

We loved motorhoming in NZ, that’s how we ended up buying one eventually.
We did notice that NZ has rather more space than the UK.

Or maybe less people!

 

[jongood]

Or maybe less people!

Its actually both. I was caught out by the size of it, each island is roughly the size of UK mainland with a population of just over 5M.

 

[jongood]

It looks as if the NZMCA offers organisations funding for public dump stations as well as lobbying local government for more. Can’t see local governments here wanting to encourage freedom camping, seems to be the reverse.

Have a nice trip ’up North’.

So come on then peeps, proposal for the Caravan club to fund public dump stations and freedom camping for the benefit of its members? I would join that.

 

[wp1234]

So come on then peeps, proposal for the Caravan club to fund public dump stations and freedom camping for the benefit of its members? I would join that.

How about a compromise . You pay a charge to dump / fill up if your not staying on a site , it’s what most campsites do in France and it seems to work. Oh no I forgot it’s Britain so that’s against some real rule or another .

 

[jongood]

How about a compromise . You pay a charge to dump / fill up if your not staying on a site , it’s what most campsites do in France and it seems to work. Oh no I forgot it’s Britain so that’s against some real rule or another .

The reason that I posted that was that it is what NZMCA do for its members.

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[Jeffr3y]

I managed to find a free night at York a few weeks back and went to book it.

Me and wife plus 2 kids.

£48, for one night……..

Safe to say, we went elsewhere.

Stayed on Rowntree Park 4 nights from 07/06/21 £86.80 thats £21.70/night.
Initially about a week in advance the nights I wanted weren't available (website booking availability system) but I just kept refreshing it every day and they became free, I realise this isn't always going to be the case.

 

[iandsm]

Hi folks. I am sure this has been discussed but this is our little rant.
we have been in the Caravan Club for about 20 years. We have used very few main sites as they used to look down on our older Motorhomes and so we used CLs. For the last few years we have toured in France, Germany etc but maintained out club membership.
This year, we have taken a trip in the UK. We have enjoyed the places we have visited and spent money in the towns. We stayed on a quiet part of York away from houses, and found locals, we think, driving past us tooting their horns in the early hours. Do they not want tourists? The camp sites were full and they don’t allow overnights at the park and ride car parks.
We have tried to use small place, pub stops, small ‘overnights‘ etc. We have called Caravan Club sites to see if we can do Service stops. The answer is always No. I did ask why and was told this is ‘Caravan Club policy from the centre’. So why have we been paying the£50 a year? What have we got for it? We stayed on one site, open to non members and saved £3 as members. So this is the last year we will be in a club that appears to be for the HQ rather than the members. We love this country but find the poor reception from so many towards Motorhomes such that we will go back to Europe and spend our money there.

Perhaps in the days to come councils will realise Motorhomes bring money into the towns and do something to promote stays. Perhaps the Caravan Club will realise that not everyone wants to stay on manicured sites with rules and flags and ‘keep off the grass’ signs.
Oh well, we can but hope.
Rant over
D

You could of course useCL’s. There are thousands of small quiet ones without flags or rules and you can usually only use them if you are a member. That’s worth the fee for me.

 

[Ivory55]

You could of course useCL’s. There are thousands of small quiet ones without flags or rules and you can usually only use them if you are a member. That’s worth the fee for me.

That’s basically all we use so never have all these problems. Usually more peaceful as well.

 

[Ukbandit]

Unfortunately our power to boycott these sites as diminished because it’s so popular now when you walk away from the club as we have also done, they have 10 new members to fill your place. Just do what you can and try to enjoy it, we don’t need these “clubs” that are really a business and nothing to do with helping members.

 

[robnchris]

I recall a similar conversation I had with a manager of the HR department, he said we have loads of people applying for a job here we must be thought of as an excellent company to work for.
I pointed out to him perhaps the HR department should be looking onto why so many people are leaving.

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[pandas]

Unfortunately our power to boycott these sites as diminished because it’s so popular now when you walk away from the club as we have also done, they have 10 new members to fill your place. Just do what you can and try to enjoy it, we don’t need these “clubs” that are really a business and nothing to do with helping members.

Look these are not Clubs simply a business and they owe you nothing.

 

[Tigger-Tim]

How about a compromise . You pay a charge to dump / fill up if your not staying on a site , it’s what most campsites do in France and it seems to work. Oh no I forgot it’s Britain so that’s against some real rule or another .

Here's a bunch of sites who do just that. I wish there were more. http://www.campa.org.uk/waste-disposal/

 

[RM_Marine]

I would say that I have used them but I've only had my van a year and everytime I went on the CAMC they had no availability, so I just use this website

M H Aires Stops Sites & Informal Camping

These are Places for Motor-homers to stop, in Pubs, Parking, Informal Camping and Aires, this web site has many to suit you all, no registration needed. People ask for recommendations on Facebook and get answers, then they get lost among the thousands of following messages. So I decided to

sites.google.com

 

[Larrynwin]

I would say that I have used them but I've only had my van a year and everytime I went on the CAMC they had no availability, so I just use this website

M H Aires Stops Sites & Informal Camping

These are Places for Motor-homers to stop, in Pubs, Parking, Informal Camping and Aires, this web site has many to suit you all, no registration needed. People ask for recommendations on Facebook and get answers, then they get lost among the thousands of following messages. So I decided to

sites.google.com

This not normal as in the last year it has not been normal times with many more holidaying in U.K.

 

[gus-lopez]

I recall a similar conversation I had with a manager of the HR department, he said we have loads of people applying for a job here we must be thought of as an excellent company to work for.
I pointed out to him perhaps the HR department should be looking onto why so many people are leaving.

I sub contracted for years at a company where the yearly average staff turnover was 52%.

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[Peppadog]

It was my normal before we left a few years ago. We could never get on a site we wanted at a few days notice. You don’t do that many times before you give up and leave

 

[Ivory55]

I sub contracted for years at a company where the yearly average staff turnover was 52%.

Is that what they call churn ? It’s usually the same firms advertising all the time, it says all really

 

[Googlebot]

I always reckon on 5% turnover. If we reached 20% I would be worried.

52% and I should be dismissed.

 

[Tigger-Tim]

I worked at a company where I was one of the 25% longest serving ... after three years.

I left when it was clear that my time was also likely to come to an abrupt end.

I learned loads working there, though. Where decisions were taken quickly. An MD who was prepared to take risks. Where hard work was (mostly) rewarded.

 

[Cie]

About time some of you visited the Fun sites, only one van in this week?

I second that. We’ve only just opened and would love to see more of you at our stopover which is also a MHFun CL. Only £5 per night, water available, seating areas, sea views over the Moray Firth, near Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire on the NE250 Route. No fixed arrival/dept times. Hardstanding. Open all year. Pets welcome.
www.glenbuchtystopover.co.uk

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