Getting Young people into the club
We were at a large caravan dealer at the weekend, and observed a young couple trying to get into caravanning, The dealer was extremely Helpful, advising what they could tow, and where to take there qualifying test to be able to tow legally, what they wanted.
My Question:-
Can the C & MH C not get out to all dealers clear information boards with following:
1. This is what you can tow with your licence (Pictures and weights)
2. This is where to take you're Test
3. (Sit Down C & MHC) The C & MHC will give you a discount on taking that Test
to help you get into caravanning if you Join the Club (25%)
C & MHC sponsor centres to help young people get into caravanning.
Like many we have been to many CL's and C&MHC sites, this year and have yet to see more than 2 couples under 40.
Come on C& MHC club at this rate of new starters the Club will die its own miserable death unless it launches an initiative to help young people get up and running with a caravan.
What say you LOT
Comments
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We started caravanning when we in our early 30s and our children were in their early teens. We went to sites which had things for the kids to do... swimming pools, activities, bike hire, playing fields etc. We didn't join the caravan club till much later and our offspring had virtually stopped coming as they / we looked on caravan club sites as stuffy, full of pensioners tut tutting with lots of things that you can't do. I don't see that much has changed. Younger families, I think, are more attracted to the likes of Centre Parks than Caravan Club sites.
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Whilst I applaud the idea and reasoning behind it, Marcus, it will inevitably have a cost factor attached. It could well be argued that funds diverted into recent initiatives would have been better spent in the way you describe but I already fear for the future affordability of sites.
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There's a thing called the internet with all this information readily available.
If you can't work these things out for yourself then caravanings probably not for you?
And you might want to think twice about getting behind the wheel of a motorized vehicle 😉
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Inspiring, ever thought about a career in self help awareness training?
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As far as the OP's points 1 and 2 are concerned. These are well covered in the advice and training section at the top of this page. Along with a lot of other helpful advice for anyone new to caravanning. However, given the problems of towing our current rigs in the future. ☹️Perhaps the CAMC should be encouraging young members to stay light weight.
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I don't think it's a question of educating them with 'How to......' all of them know how to find information on anything.
Most young people either don't have the funds or can't justify the outlay of purchasing/maintaining an outfit or motorhome 52 weeks a year, especially if they have only a few weeks annual holiday and other weekend activities.
Flying to 'Foreign' holidays at relatively very little cost provides almost guaranteed good weather and exotica.
A Facebook posting of: "This is us with our caravan on sunny day at Skegness" doesn't have quite the same cachet as "It was so fun mountain biking in Peru", or "Serena adored swimming with the dolphins in Florida".
It took me nearly 25 years to get over my childhood traumas of Scout camps, a week in wellies and a damp rented caravan in soggy Bridport, and wearing only swimming trunks whilst packing up our tent in Newquay in half a gale and torrential rain.
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as you said all the information is on the club site, the first thing young people see and know about caravans is when they take the first step in a dealer, they have no clue the caravan club exists let alone where to access the info, the club has more than enough funds to get this off the ground, could have spent the rebranding money on a project like this , money better spent I feel, but thankyou for the contribution 😊
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The fact is that the young , and by the young I'm going 20s - 30s - are probably far more interested in going to Costa Packet than a British CL for a fortnight. Their expectations are different at that age and will only change over time. Like Justus, we started in our 30s with 4 kids and had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, my kids, like many other young people are desperately trying to keep a roof over their heads with the cost of housing and feeding their children- any spare cash isn't going to a caravan! 3 out of the 4 show no interest anyway at the moment. That might change. I hope it does. I wouldn't change my experiences with caravanning for anything!
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There's quite a few posts here that are completely out of touch with today's youth.
Caravans are NOT cool, today's youth aren't only interested in Playa Costa package holidays, they ARE interested in holidaying in this country and plenty have the money to do so.
What is cool, is the VW T4/5/6 conversions (or less expensive derivatives such as the new shape Transits) As a keen outdoor enthusiast myself, I see and meet plenty of 20-30 year olds that already own such vehicles or crave to own one. You don't see that many on CMC club sites, however, in the other Club, sites are awash with them at weekends.
Head to Newquay during the summer months and you can't move for them, kayaks, surfboards, mountain bikes, all hanging off the outside of them.
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The costing points you make are much as I said earlier, Marcus, but don't forget that the club's funds come from us members. They could be described as our funds rather than the club's. Are you sure there are enough pennies in the pot for this in view of the other financial commitments the club has?
I've acknowledged the innovation of your idea but I don't believe you have thought it through and, sadly, I don't see it as being feasible.
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Behave, today's youth 'think' they know everything
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When we were thirty we didn't have the option of Center Parc, EasyJet, Ryan Air, Glastonbury, Latitude, AirB'nB, Glamping, Backpacking around the world, and all the other opportunities there are these days. There are so many alternatives today.
Even as they get older my children and grandchildren will never join this Club - which is probably into its declining years anyway, as motoring completely changes track.
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Caveat to the above, Swift and a couple of other manufacturers have tried to address this with their 'trendy sporty' offerings, but in 'cool' terms, nothing beats a VW campervan
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Yep, agree with your backpacking observation. My nephews have both done this in their uni gap years. Wish I'd done it, though I did join the Air Force at 18 and got to see the world whilst getting paid for it.
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Agreed. There are loads of young couples, some with children, using T4/5 conversions very regularly. However there's a growing number of young caravan owners too.
You won't see them join this club though although there are loads on private sites, at rallies (thousands at CamperJam the other weekend) and to some extent on the other clubs sites.
Why join a club to use campsites? What's the need? There's plenty of alternatives
Why join this club with its rather sedate marketing that doesn't say an awful lot? How attractive would it be after a brief scan of CT with all the whining and imaginary rules? Social media isn't kind to this club and they are doing nothing to overcome the negative image
Name changes and new branding doesn't change the culture.
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Agree they won't join this club for various reasons you mention, not withstanding that daft TV show last year.
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That daft TV show portrayed the club as the public see it. The new marketing has to overcome this public perception that has been reinforced by the club's decision to portray itself on TV as some sort of quirky group attended by predominantly people of retirement age.
Good luck with that
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When I had a caravan nobody said "I'd love one of them" Now When they see my motorhome its "I'd love one of them". Trips like the NC500 and the Wild Atlantic way are popular with younger people. They will try "camping" in its widest sense, especially, as has already been said, in a VW. Caravans are seen in the same way as slippers and men's cardigans.
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Yes, it's uncanny that the rebrand and new attempt at a marketing strategy quickly followed the airing of that TV show. I can only imagine the new marketing director, head in his hands unable to bring himself to watch, muttering to himself
'NO, NO, NOOOOOOOO'
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Agree JayEss and NigelA. There wasn't much exciting about the CC when we joined in 1985, and to be honest, little has changed. Little spirit of adventure, everything cosily safe to the finest detail, most Sites a carbon copy of each other, the gems, and what keeps us in CC are the CLs.
We spent years going back to a lovely small private site, 30 pitches on the edge of a gorgeous Cornish town, scenery to die for, two showers, four loos, all in the days before vans had an ensuite bathroom. The camaraderie was fantastic. Some camped, some vanned, some brought boats and we all shared, friends that met up once a year! They were friends we made on the site, sat chatting, sharing that days fishing catch, passing round the beer and wine. Most of us young, some with small children in tow, safely doing their own thing in sight of adults, dogs on leads joining in, sharing the fun. The occasional odd touring unit, might be a couple of horses, a Morris Dance troupe out on the road for Summer, off to beaches that needed a boat to visit. Absolutely brilliant, and a world away from Club Sites today. All Club Sites are is a pitch space to site a mobile room with all gadgets and comforts provided. With upmarket ablution facilities for those who need them. Comfy, safe and staid, at an ever increasing price.
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Great! I can totally see how that must have been a complete buzz, bet you were counting the days to the next time you all met up.
Im addicted to the Keswick Mountain Festival, both the C&CC sites at Keswick and Derwentwater are predominately attended by the festival participants and revellers and are packed full over that weekend. Everyone chats to one another, share BBQ food, have friendly banter over a glass about how they've done in the various sporting events that they've entered, the atmosphere is fantastic. Roll on next year.
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On the wider issue touched on by Spridder , foreign holidays and caravanning are not mutually exclusive, I cant imagine why anyone would make the investment if it was only to sit in the rain in a field, we did it in order to have the sort of holiday we had seen in Spain at a beach-side site
Agreed, they're not mutually exclusive, but it's o.k. when you're retired and can dawdle down for a month or more, but driving to Spain with kids in the silly season for a two or three week holiday (unless you're a teacher ;-) ) wouldn't appeal to most.
Yes, they could tour Normandy/ Brittany/Belgium but In my experience one needs to be South of the Loire for a reasonable chance of decent weather.
Most youngsters these days have had some experience of camping/caravans but the fact of the matter is simply that many and for diverse reasons, choose not to make a habit of it.
Anyway, do we really want CAMC sites even more packed (with footballing kids? Joke
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, but we loved it 