Time for reduced rate for "small" campers
I'm just back from a short trip west coast Scotland. I had an amazing time and used club sites.
I travel with my dog in a tiny camper, one electric socket to use travel kettle or 1 kw heater.
It really hurts that I am charged the same rate as folk who have HUGE motorhomes using maximum electricity and taking up vast amounts of space with their camper and awning.
Surely there should be a special rate for "small" campers with hook up, or "small" campers without.
What do others think - I'm talking VW transit size or smaller.
Comments
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Come on, get up to date. Charge by the metre, at least until Brexit.
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There is a need I believe for more short stay camper/motorhome Aire type stop offs, particularly in those parts of Britain where this kind of touring is already common. Just not sure at all that the club should be the providers of such. More, I believe, could be done by the municipal, local authorities and business comunities to provide the likes and promote tourism of this type. This, of course, as we see abroad, brings that much needed tourist spending into these rural areas.
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I get charged the same as those who bring dogs and use the dog walk, and the same as those who bring children and use the playground and I use neither.. Can I have a discount too ? No, of course not, and in any event, the electricity used is only a small part of the inclusive charge per night.
Everyone pays for their pitch on a one size fits all basis at the moment, but I can see a possible demand for short stay non EHU pitches in due course.
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I would love to see a bit more competition in the UK market when it comes to providing stop overs for motorhomes. Someone prepared to operate as >these people< do might be the answer one day.
peedee
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it might be said that some towing units might feel cramped on a pitch when they deploy an awning but see a tiny MH on a 'large' pitch and feel they might be better served on it themselves....
we currently don't have a pitch size charge rate system, but this is very common abroad, larger pitch, pay a little more, small pitch for a MH pay a little less....
i can see the OPs frustration, not only from a 'power draw' perspective, but from one that sees him parked on a pitch where he occupied a third of the space than a typical car/caravan/awning combination...
smaller, single 'item' pitches could be closer together yet still retain Fire reg distance..
currently, everyone pays the same for their pitch and leccy usage, awning or not, Hs or not, small camper or huge three component 'unit'..
as with General 'pricing' threads, there are more and more threads where views being expressed are becoming more polarised..
more and more posts are calling for some sort of pay by size/space/pitch type/power etc as the increse in MH usage rolls on and folk are more aware of the different requirements (physical size and often power usage) over the legacy touring caravan and awning.
however, I don't hold my breath on any change within CC....
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Would you like your “tiny camper” on a tiny pitch or are you happy to use a large pitch designed for all types of units.
your dog uses the dog exercise area some don’t, some don’t use the toilet and washing facilities, you really would be hard pushed to separate everything in the price we all use up don’t.
perhaps you Could look for a cl type site which is usually a lot cheaper but also often with less facilities. I guess we all have a choice
Kev
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more and more posts are calling for some sort of pay by size/space/pitch type/power etc as the increase in MH usage rolls on and folk are more aware of the different requirements (physical size and often power usage) over the legacy touring caravan and awning.
Most of these 'more and more' posts are from a minority with a vested interest in paying less because they are happy to make do with less so that they can pay less. Personally I would prefer that generally on sites all pitches were of a similar size and standard and available to all users and not restricted to being used by a particular segment of campers.
Maybe some want a them and us arrangement? I don't
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Alan, as Bob Dylan said....."the times, they are a' changing", and I'm sure it's the upsurge in MHtouring (and it's different style/requirement) that's driving a lot the pricing usage threads....
if the rise of different vehicle types/usage is generating questions about how that usage is best (fairest) satisfied, I'm not at all surprised....
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If the club can't/won't afford to invest in sites in places like Essex why should it invest in aires for just one group of users.
If I don't want to use EHU, showers, toilets etc. I use CL's and generally pay something like £5 to £15/night.
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Many motorhones (that don't tow cars or use awnings etc) may well utilise less of the pitch with their physical presence. However the 6m+ gaps are still required between units and parts of these gaps are used by caravans to park cars or put up awnings. The reduction in space required by a motorhome is less than might appear at first glance. That being the case I can see little sense in incorporating pitches designed solely for 'unattached' motorhomes which will not greatly (if at all) increase pitch numbers and at the expense, in the case of hard standings' of limiting their usability for all users.
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There are certainly some pitches that should not be charged at full price at many sites. Often they are sold as awning pitches, and without one wheel on the grass divide (not currently desirable) there is no way they are. Or on some, because of fire regs, the peg is in a ridiculous position.
I would also like to see a move to bookable HS, possibly at a premium. Perhaps this could be combined with marketing smaller pitches for non awning use and sub 6.5 metre units. However the CC tell us we were confused by being able to book HS's. So wether we could handle another layer of complexity is doubtful.😂😉
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Perhaps this could be combined with marketing smaller pitches for non awning use and sub 6.5 metre units.
Seems little sense in pitches catering solely for sub 6.5 metre outfits. I took grandkids to Warrington Museum a short time ago during a weekday. We parked about 500 yds away at a guess on a carpark. I had reversed to within a few inches of a brick wall with the X-Trail. The car was well over the front of the parking area as were 80% of the cars parked. Similar logic to me as in order to fit in the spaces cars would need to park elsewhere leaving unused/largely unusable spaces.
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Or you pay for the pitch, per person and per dog... how fairer can than that be..
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The choice of where to stay for a camper on it's own is enormous.
The club offers a clearly signposted rate, if you don't like it don't stay there.
On my own or with my dog I have loads of places to stay for free or just a small fee which a caravaner does not, from Britstops to council operated "Aires" or even just wild camping, none of it possible with a caravan or even large motorhome.
Often when travelling like that for long periods I would use a full facilities site to pull into and regroup: clean me, the van and dog. Have a long shower etc. I wouldn't dream of expecting to pay less because my footprint is less.
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Agree.
I toured Scotland for 3 weeks and the only pitch I paid for was at Edinburgh CC site where I pulled in to regroup and clean everything up (it was February, lots of snow).
It did not have to be minimalist either, two Britstops allowed me to have a room to shower in, one offered me the laundry facilities at it's bunkhouse and one coastguard station allowed me use of it's vehicle cleaning facilities, including pressure wash, to clean my van exterior and return it to full legality
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As traditional towed caravans gradually fade away over the coming years due to towcar restrictions. Real touring sites for Motorhomers/campers who require stopovers only, will be seen to proliferate. This is good news for all.
I'm sure the CMC organisation will be the very last to follow the modern trend, so the few remaining traditional caravanners will still have some sites to have their traditional holidays.
K
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Some of the pitches at Baltic Wharf are only suitable for 6.5 metres. They have a sign stating such. Yet currently they are marketed at the same rate as the larger pitches. Despite those being sited there often not having a choice. Similar pitches exist at other sites, where because of obstructions, anything longer that 6.5 m would stick into the road. Again when the site is busy, folk with suitable vans are likely not to be given the choice. It was these sort of pitches I was considering for marketing at a lower rate.
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First as stated you are paying less already as you only pay for a one person fee. Are those 'large' units only with one person too?
The pitch and person fee also goes to provide for other things as well? Did you use the shower and toilet blocks? Did you use the dog walk? Was there lighting on the access roads and buildings? Did you make use of this?
Why do you think that larger units are using more electricity than you? I'm a large caravan but I get warm enough with 1 kw too.
One last question when you pay for parking somewhere do you expect a smaller rate as what you park is smaller and takes up less parking space?
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Actually, I think the club have a fairer system for single users than many of the bigger chain sites with their "up to 6" pitch system (and prices to match!) For example, I'm having 3 nights at Cirencester next week, just me and 1 of the dogs this time. It works out at just under £13 a night. How much lower do you expect the club to go?
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