Clubs vs private commercial sites

[Surfer]

As a follow on from a CC bashing thread. We sort of agree about the club wasting money on balls etc to promote its image as an elite club. We are a retired couple with limited funds who enjoy caravanning. We belong to both clubs and generally have used a lot more CLs than CSs' so our comment on CSs' may be unfair.
We have probably been on the same amount of club sites with both clubs. We prefer using CC site as we tend to find most C & CC sites managed by jobsworths.
Below is our view of the clubs compared to commercial sites. IMHO many commercial sites that are on par with club sites offer better value overall.
The main advantage the clubs have, besides having the 5 van sites, is that when going to a site for the first time, you know what to expect.

Caravan Club
Site; Generally of a high standard
Sites fees; On the high side (High & Medium season)
Wardens; Helpful and friendly
Facilities; Excellent with good access
Website; User friendly but can be difficult to navigate around when looking for something specific
Membership costs; Reasonable
Relationship with members; Leaves a lot to be desired as feedback is almost zero
Magazine; Mostly a waste of time as many articles very biased
CLs; Generally of a high standard
Customer services; If purchasing something, very good, otherwise expect a patronising reply if complaining
Online Booking system; Easier system itself than C & CC, but has many drawbacks
Camping & Caravan Club
Site; Generally okay but not as good as a CC site but very acceptable
Site fees; On the high side and on par with CC (High & Medium season)
Wardens; Can be a bit arrogant and a jobsworth at times
Facilities; Very good but deposit used to be required for disabled facilties
Website; Truly appalling when trying to find and book a site
Membership costs; Reasonable
Relationship with members; Something both clubs have in common. No feedback to members
Magazine; Mostly a waste of time as many articles of no real interest
CLs; Average standard
Customer services; Similar to CC but seem to actually do something when a complaint is raised
Online Booking system; Truly awful system itself to book a site due to new layout, but easier to book an actual site at short notice. It appears that people now phone the site direct.
Commercial sites (Those on par with CC standards)
Site; Generally of a high standard
Site fees; In many cases lower than either club
Wardens; Helpful and friendly
Facilities; Excellent with good access
Customer services; Generally very good and you get to speak to the right person straight away
Online Booking system; A lot simpler and either club

Overall both clubs have their drawbacks etc and because of their structure it takes a long time to implement any changes. A commercial site can implement a change overnight due to a much simpler management structure.
Perhaps you would like to add something sensible without going into gory details which normally result in a bun fight. LOL.

 

[RogerL]

I dislike CC club sites - they're so stereotypically anonymous you could be anywhere - and the recently developed ones with big hardstandings look and feel like a car park. I also think that the charging structure for 2012 makes them more expensive than good commercials. CC Bunree is £23/night but the commercial sea-shore sites on the West Coast are generally under £20.
To keep costs under control we use CLs wherever possible - but in the Highlands & Islands where CLs are scarce we use commercials.
I do object to fees, including membership, going up at 5% or more when everyone else is keeping price rises down - the CC seem to think they can simply pass on any cost increases and consider themselves immune from the concept of a cost-reduction exercise.

 

[Parksy]

Obviously any list is subjective but as someone who uses C&CC sites occasionally, Certified sites often, and Commercial sites often I'd agree that prices on some commercial sites compare very favourably with C&CC site prices.
We use the internet to look for competitive prices near to places that we want to visit, we'd usually prefer a certified site but we've come to realise that some commercially owned sites offer better facilities for less money.
Not all commercially owned sites are beer and bingo yob traps, we've been to some which are just as strict as the C&CC with regard to late night noise and our stays on them have been very peaceful.
The main drawback for commercial sites imo would be that the views from the caravan may not be as good as on certified sites.
Since we took up rallying 3 years ago SWMBO jots down a few impressions of every site, cs, commercial site and rally field in her little notebook so if we (occasionally) repeat a visit we know what to expect.
There are many customer reviews on commercial sites available on the internet and the C&CC has begun to include reviews for certified sites on it's Site Finder website which we've used as a basis to help us to decide.
C&CC main sites can be an option for us in mid or low season but for me they are overpriced.
I can't make a comparison for the CC because I'm not a member and wouldn't consider joining after reading the moans about it on caravan forums.

 

[Surfer]

Parksy has been well aware of my dislike for anything C & CC related due to past experiences in 2004/2005, but I admit that although the C & CC Online booking system software is atrocious in comparison to the previous one, it is easier to get a booking on a favourite site for a period of more than 5 days than with then CC. We have only used a few CS sites and have not been impressed, but then we probably chose the wrong ones.
I agree with Roger about the hard standing on CC sites being like a car park and it costs you a fortune in rock pegs when setting up an awning as they keep bending. Windbreaks are out of the question as using a 550w electric drill with a masonary bit I had difficulty in drilling holes for our windbreaks.
Why couldn't the CC and the C & CC stick with compacted gravel with loose stone hardstanding sites like they had previously which do not get muddy if done properly? Most commercials seem to have either grass or gravel hard standings.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi all,
We very rarely use clubsites far too expensive and booking a full week (inc weekend) once the season has started very difficult at short notice ie while on tour nigh on impossible.
we have heard good reports from forum members about some of the lets say better sites, so while touring last year called in on carnon downs for a butchers while visiting the garden centre. all I can say it,s not for us at that price.
we do use the Cl's though and apart from one site in Glouster that had 8 vans on it these have been very very good.
I also like to take the fishing tackle with me as CL's with a pond or lake are rare "there are a few out there of course" we tend to stay on small commercials a lot, most of these are exelent with pitches right on the lake bank
I cannot comment on the C&CC sites too much as we have not been members for the last 10years, and cancelled our membership after turning up at luss after a 10hr journey and been refused entry with the motor home because it was a hard top they had a tents only policy but did not mention this when booking. the only other C&CC site we have and still use on occasion is the one in moffat this one is very good with exelent disabled facilities, the surcharge for non members isn't too bad as we only stay a couple of nights to and from the west coast,
in all most of our touring is done using small commercial sites and CL's we will continue to aviod the bigger sites and have a list of the better ones we tend to go back to when visiting the same area,