Sometimes I wonder why?

Jul 18, 2017
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Sometimes I wonder whether it is worth being am member when you come across the charges for a pitch on a CC site. Just tried Tewkesbury and it is over £30 a night for just the 2 or us. A nearby highly rated commercial site same facilities except free wifi are £25.60 a night. Looks like we will be either looking at the commercial site or a nearby CL.
I think the only reason we stay members is for the CL network and Mayday. Certainly nothing else tempts us!
 
Nov 6, 2005
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Sometimes I wonder whether it is worth being am member when you come across the charges for a pitch on a CC site. Just tried Tewkesbury and it is over £30 a night for just the 2 or us. A nearby highly rated commercial site same facilities except free wifi are £25.60 a night. Looks like we will be either looking at the commercial site or a nearby CL.
I think the only reason we stay members is for the CL network and Mayday. Certainly nothing else tempts us!

It's been that way for a long time as far as I'm concerned
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Sometimes I wonder whether it is worth being am member when you come across the charges for a pitch on a CC site. Just tried Tewkesbury and it is over £30 a night for just the 2 or us. A nearby highly rated commercial site same facilities except free wifi are £25.60 a night. Looks like we will be either looking at the commercial site or a nearby CL.
I think the only reason we stay members is for the CL network and Mayday. Certainly nothing else tempts us!
My searches at present are directing me to CL all facilities and serviced pitch at £42 ppn. In September. Strewth. Awning no charge 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
 
Nov 16, 2015
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I have been thinking the same for the last couple of years, I think the last Club site I used was at Blackmoor, all other times have been either cl/ cs or comercial sites,
So at the club prices that is expensive for 24 crossword puzzles a year in the magazines.
 
Oct 3, 2013
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Sometimes I wonder whether it is worth being am member when you come across the charges for a pitch on a CC site. Just tried Tewkesbury and it is over £30 a night for just the 2 or us. A nearby highly rated commercial site same facilities except free wifi are £25.60 a night. Looks like we will be either looking at the commercial site or a nearby CL.
I think the only reason we stay members is for the CL network and Mayday. Certainly nothing else tempts us!
The Caravan and Camping club( can't be bothered to type out complete daft name) need to up their game.Commercial sites have caught up with their facilities and offer better value for money.
 
Sep 12, 2015
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Cc and Ccc put there prices up every year whilst people keep paying these prices they will not decrease so we like a lot of other people only use cls and if you go off grid there are sites at £5 per night £35 a week £140 a month or £1820 per year Cc site £25 per night all year £9125 so i agree with most of the people on here. Roll on the 12th .

Martin
 
Jan 3, 2012
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We are only members for the temporary holiday sites. Don't need any facilities. Other than that we go to Benidorm where it's €15 /night. You soon get your fuel money back when staying a while 🤑
How long does it take you to drive to Benidorm all those sunny days enjoy
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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With the depreciation on the van and car, the costs of pitches are to the typical user not that significant if realistically assessed, more a psychological issue to us, than anything else. Will accept paying to go where we want, can see its dear and resent paying, but not to an extent we will go elsewhere, as largely our decision is to go somewhere specific, not just get away.

We also very rarely use the main sites of either Club, just don't like that form of camping, and with the CAMC's booking system we can rarely ever bridge weekends.
We prefer long stays, not just weekends, and either of the extremes of being all but by ourselves, or at a rally of some sort. The midway, of a crowded site of insular humans seems as odd a contradiction as it gets.

We were well and truly put off commercials by experiences of late night early morning loud gatherings, that seems to be worse with those also featuring static lets and bars. No doubt there are good ones, but how do you know until you use them, unlike the club's where there are standards that rarely get abused.
 
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We were well and truly put off commercials by experiences of late night early morning loud gatherings, that seems to be worse with those also featuring static lets and bars. No doubt there are good ones, but how do you know until you use them, unlike the club's where there are standards that rarely get abused.
Maybe we have been lucky on commercial sites as we have not yet experienced the above however we do prefer to avoid those with bars and on site entertainment.
We have had the issue of late night noise on a CAMC site at Moreton in Marsh when there was a family and friends gathering next to us. Not too intrusive, but annoying.
Anyway we have now booked a fully serviced pitch with water and waste water hookup on the nearby commercial site for less than the cost of a pitch without an awning on a CAMC site. The name of the site is Briarfields in Cheltenham. :D
 
Nov 6, 2005
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With the depreciation on the van and car, the costs of pitches are to the typical user not that significant if realistically assessed, more a psychological issue to us, than anything else. Will accept paying to go where we want, can see its dear and resent paying, but not to an extent we will go elsewhere, as largely our decision is to go somewhere specific, not just get away.

We also very rarely use the main sites of either Club, just don't like that form of camping, and with the CAMC's booking system we can rarely ever bridge weekends.
We prefer long stays, not just weekends, and either of the extremes of being all but by ourselves, or at a rally of some sort. The midway, of a crowded site of insular humans seems as odd a contradiction as it gets.

We were well and truly put off commercials by experiences of late night early morning loud gatherings, that seems to be worse with those also featuring static lets and bars. No doubt there are good ones, but how do you know until you use them, unlike the club's where there are standards that rarely get abused.
Can't speak for anyone else but the annual cost of site fees is about 50% higher than depreciation for us.

In the days when we used CC club sites, there was as much noise from groups of caravanners as any commercial site - I'd venture that CC wardens are more reluctant to eject rowdy members than commercial owners.
 
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I think it’s just pot luck as to whether you get noise and seems to me to be just as likely or in my experience unlikely wherever you go, commercial sites usually have wardens patrolling who do the best they can, maybe I’ve just been lucky but we’ve never had any noise issues.

BP
 
Jan 3, 2012
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Maybe we have been lucky on commercial sites as we have not yet experienced the above however we do prefer to avoid those with bars and on site entertainment.
We have had the issue of late night noise on a CAMC site at Moreton in Marsh when there was a family and friends gathering next to us. Not too intrusive, but annoying.
Anyway we have now booked a fully serviced pitch with water and waste water hookup on the nearby commercial site for less than the cost of a pitch without an awning on a CAMC site. The name of the site is Briarfields in Cheltenham. :D
Snap we are also stopping at Briarfields in Cheltenham in September on the way to Torquay
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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Can't speak for anyone else but the annual cost of site fees is about 50% higher than depreciation for us.

I did very carefully say "typical user" in context with the thread, main CAMC sites.

Of course, there are anomalies, we would be one if we used these sites more than we do.
The van is now about to start its fourteenth season, and the car is five years old, replacing a twelve-year-old one. Coupled to that, we are retired and camp way more than I am sure the industry builds their vans to be inhabited.
But we I suggest, are not your typical CAMC user, likely to have more modern kit, where its depreciation is high, and they make lower use of.
Cars for towing vans, typically lose 50% of very big numbers in their initial three years, new big vans and motorhomes also don't come cheap.
Add to this all the other enabling costs, the site charges are then not too greater factor.
As said IMO largely psychological, just like motivates me irrationally to drive all about a town to avoid paying a little extra for the most convenient car park.
 
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May 7, 2012
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We tend to use CAMH sites but do admit they have got dearer. I agree you can find good commercial sites in many areas that are cheaper but there are also many costing more. The club seem to be just above average overall but are pricey for some areas.
Possibly there is a certain amount of laziness in our booking as the club have sites nearly everywhere so we can just look up the area where we are going and book their site with very little research. We do also need a site near Newport to visit our daughter and there is very little else there.
 
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Nov 6, 2005
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I did very carefully say "typical user" in context with the thread, main CAMC sites.

Of course, there are anomalies, we would be one if we used these sites more than we do.
The van is now about to start its fourteenth season, and the car is five years old, replacing a twelve-year-old one. Coupled to that, we are retired and camp way more than I am sure the industry builds their vans to be inhabited.
But we I suggest, are not your typical CAMC user, likely to have more modern kit, where its depreciation is high, and they make lower use of.
Cars for towing vans, typically lose 50% of very big numbers in their initial three years, new big vans and motorhomes also don't come cheap.
Add to this all the other enabling costs, the site charges are then not too greater factor.
As said IMO largely psychological, just like motivates me irrationally to drive all about a town to avoid paying a little extra for the most convenient car park.
Average cars/caravans aren't brand new so average depreciation is about half that of a new car/caravan - but I'll agree that caravanners who buy new cars and caravans every three years and only use it for 3-4 weeks per year would spend much more on depreciation than site fees.

From an economic point of view the CC is right in jacking up site fees as most of their sites have very high occupancy rates - people just need an occasional reminder that it's a commercial organisation, not a group of buddies.
 
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Average cars/caravans aren't brand new so average depreciation is about half that of a new car/caravan - but I'll agree that caravanners who buy new cars and caravans every three years and only use it for 3-4 weeks per year would spend much more on depreciation than site fees.

From an economic point of view the CC is right in jacking up site fees as most of their sites have very high occupancy rates - people just need an occasional reminder that it's a commercial organisation, not a group of buddies.
It’s a club as is CCC that has had costs to bear during the last year whereas private site owners probably laid staff off and would be responsible for their own maintenance, upkeep etc. The clubs are what they say “ they are clubs” and provide members with far more than just a pitch. I have no qualms about my membership of the two clubs, and have always found their sites to be of a good standard. CMHC doesn’t take booking deposits. and CCC takes a low deposit with payment on arrival day. Most commercial sites take full payment one month ahead.The clubs overseas booking services and support if there are problems is excellent
 
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It’s a club as is CCC that has had costs to bear during the last year whereas private site owners probably laid staff off and would be responsible for their own maintenance, upkeep etc. The clubs are what they say “ they are clubs” and provide members with far more than just a pitch. I have no qualms about my membership of the two clubs, and have always found their sites to be of a good standard. CMHC doesn’t take booking deposits. and CCC takes a low deposit with payment on arrival day. Most commercial sites take full payment one month ahead.The clubs overseas booking services and support if there are problems is excellent
I cannot accept that CC has higher costs than commercial sites over the last year, the furlough rules apply to both- the membership fee covers general club services while pitch fees cover site costs - now they can cross-subsidise either way but the total cost is still higher than commercials. Overseas bookings/support is funded from booking commission

In my experience, commercial sites usually require a deposit, but not all, and remainder payment at beginning or end - certainly not disadvantageous compared to CC - in fact the lack of deposit at CC sites makes it more difficult to obtain specific bookings as it allows, even encourages members to book everything early even if they cancel later.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I cannot accept that CC has higher costs than commercial sites over the last year, the furlough rules apply to both- the membership fee covers general club services while pitch fees cover site costs - now they can cross-subsidise either way but the total cost is still higher than commercials. Overseas bookings/support is funded from booking commission

In my experience, commercial sites usually require a deposit, but not all, and remainder payment at beginning or end - certainly not disadvantageous compared to CC - in fact the lack of deposit at CC sites makes it more difficult to obtain specific bookings as it allows, even encourages members to book everything early even if they cancel later.

I did not say that clubs had higher costs. But see the later part of this post. Well I must just have been unlucky as as most commercial sites I’ve used and am looking at currently ask for full payment one month before arrival. Wouldn’t commercial sites owners be attending to the site while closed thus bearing their costs. Whereas the clubs require paid staff to attend?
 
Jan 3, 2012
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I love reading both clubs magazines and C/L CSs adult sites with service hardstanding pitches over past so many years we used them quite a lot but I think this year we have book two CCC they have took a small deposit If you book a CMHC they don"t take a deposit and you can cancel . But I still think it good value to each its own .
 
Jul 18, 2017
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From an economic point of view the CC is right in jacking up site fees as most of their sites have very high occupancy rates - people just need an occasional reminder that it's a commercial organisation, not a group of buddies.

Many years ago when we found that in many instances we could not book a stay of longer than 5 days on a site we started looking at commercial sites where we had to pay a deposit. Now prefer many commercial sites who are cheaper and we can book stays for 2 - 3 weeks no problem.
 
Mar 27, 2011
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I don’t go go a specific group of sites, I look for recommendations and if they look well looked after in an area I want to visit I might well try it, I’m not fussed whether it is CCC, CMHC or Commercial, I look at the area, the amenities on site (amenities not facilities ) availability, price, distance to travel has a bearing depending on how long we’re going for, if it’s a long weekend, I don’t want to spend most of the first day driving but if it’s for a 2 to 3 weeks I’m happy to travel where ever, so who owns and runs the site is more or less of no interest to us, if I were to recall every site we’ve stayed at then commercial would come out top purely because they offer more, they are better looked after ( in my opinion) but that’s maybe because they charge a bit more and cost is important but it’s not my first thought when booking.

BP
 
Jan 3, 2012
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Thanks, yes we stay 6 to 8 weeks so get a cheaper pitch rate. Love Benidorm, 😍 90% is nothing like what you see on TV, made some great friends over the years.
It sounds like you have a lovely base to enjoy the Spanish lifestyle, missing it at present but hopefully you will be able to gain all the benefits you experience while you are there. We have been there on holiday quite a few years ago for a couple of weeks and loved the old part of Benidorm, looking out over the sea from the veranda. Sad to say with health issues the longest we can be away comfortably is a couple of weeks before medical issues send us home. Hope you continue to enjoy your time in a lovely part of the world with good friends and experiences.
 
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May 7, 2012
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The clubs do have higher costs than the privately owned sites rather then those owned by the larger commercial groups like Parkdean. It comes down to them having to employ staff to cover the sites even when they are closed. Private sites do tend to be family run and can ignore many rules on hours and the like that the clubs and larger operators cannot, and they do not have to support the office workers larger firms need to manage the sites. Large operators have to be careful to follow the law to the limits, small operators can often avoid this.
 
Jun 16, 2020
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It’s a club as is CCC that has had costs to bear during the last year whereas private site owners probably laid staff off and would be responsible for their own maintenance, upkeep etc. The clubs are what they say “ they are clubs” and provide members with far more than just a pitch. I have no qualms about my membership of the two clubs, and have always found their sites to be of a good standard. CMHC doesn’t take booking deposits. and CCC takes a low deposit with payment on arrival day. Most commercial sites take full payment one month ahead.The clubs overseas booking services and support if there are problems is excellent

I don’t believe that either are clubs in, at least what I consider, being the true sense of the word. I accept they have to survive in a commercial world so probably feel they have no choice to operate in their respective formats.

We are members of both because it suits us for various reasons. But recognise that they walk a mediocre line and do not side with members who have issues. Nor do they do truly have critical reviews and hold manufacturers to task. Perhaps they are scared that they may not survive if they do. But it’s a great pity as they have the opportunity to force improvement.

In contrast some IT mags do give proper reviews, and seem to get respect for that.

Just my opinion.


John
 

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