CAMC magazine. Maybe I'm alone in thinking this
Comments
-
Wildwood posted - if there is harsh criticism then they would get no more to test.
There are not that many caravan/m'home magazines on the market that have the potential to reach as many possible customers so just maybe the Manufacturers would have to raise their standards. The tests are supposed to be impartial.
3 -
train tracks are impartial but they take you where you need to be
0 -
touche
0 -
Best improvement that could be made to magazine would be to stop using glossy paper. The stuff like newspaper is far better for lighting the stove.......a lot of newspapers have changed over to this for their weekend mags.......😁
0 -
This month’s edition contains a classic article p109 purporting to be about how to level your unit.
Apart from some glaring factual errors ie the longitudinal axis is side to side and transverse is along the length of the unit really! It also omits a information that could make a jacking up a caravan dangerous. It does not mention that if you want to jack up a caravan it needs to be kept hitched to the vehicle. I assume that this article was aimed at a beginner but actually it was worse than useless
1 -
It's a lot easier to read when not on glossy paper. No light reflection! I find I notice this more and more as my cataract worsens, op date 19 June hopefully, but I noticed it long ago wearing varifocal contact lenses. Must be better for the environment?, to omit the paper treatment 😉
0 -
Because we don't tow I wouldn't have read the article BUT if I did I'd assume the information contained within it would be accurate and safe. After all its allegedly written by folks in the know, nay an authority on the subject of caravans 😂😂😂😂.
It saddens me if what you say is true, I have no reason to doubt you!, but where would go for guidance? Internet is great but could that be trusted? I'd assume an article in a caravan club magazine about a caravan would be the best source of information from someone with knowledge and experience. 😲
0 -
I must say that for me the magazine has been a disappointment for years. Not bothered particularly about the volume of advertisements, generally they can be ignored, but are occasionally useful.
What really depresses me is the generally uninspiring editorials. Technical articles seem to be superficial, tests extremely uncritical and whereas the magazine could be a standard bearer for improving quality and capability of caravans, it is almost soporific in its acceptance of the status quo. I do wonder from time to time who it is really written for.
I have read this stuff for decades, and I'm not sure why! The club seems very good in other respects and whilst the magazine is not exactly core business, it should exist to positively support the members and the club objectives.
5 -
The whole ethos of the club seems to be don’t rock the boat. Examples abound.
A couple of examples or the last few years:
The article on Leisure batteries which revealed that most Leisure batteries were no more than starter batteries with a label that features a speed boat and a motorhome. Of course the magazine didn’t name these batteries.
The reliability survey which when finally published was doctored in such a way to make it meaningless.
The above examples I think are unfair not only to the potential purchaser ie the members of the club remember them! But also to manufacturers who make good products and end up being tarred with the same brush as everyone else.
Finally A couple of years ago there was a review of a caravan, a Swift iirc, that as tested wasn’t fit for purpose. It had a massive leak in the plumbing I think and other faults to be fair this was mentioned in the article but the it was still given a score of something like 8/10. Add to this the manufacture was given the right to reply in the next edition of the magazine. Apparently the leak didn’t matter because the floor was hydrophobic or something.
It must be difficult to turn out a magazine about white boxes every month but sometimes it seems having an article that is as good as superficial seems to be unrealistically ambitious
0 -
I kicked this off mainly to,express disappointment that the magazine has not moved forward in our 6 years of absence from the Club. I am not critical of the Club's other services, because we use their sites (some 70 nights this year), their insurance and their breakdown service. All these things are first class. However, I do also receive boating and flying magazines, and they both regularly get updates and revamps, and survey readers to ask how improve things. The fact that no-one from the Club bothers to respond to posts such as this leads me to think things are not going to change anytime soon.
0 -
I wouldn’t worry about any Club policy changes DK, any kind of change, little or big tends to send Disgusted of Doncaster or Overjoyed of Ottery typing merrily on forum at some point or other.
And any kind of change is always accomplished without any warning or consultation with any of the membership except the very small minority on various committees who get told it is happening just a little bit earlier than the masses.
0 -
In our short membership time have found 3 ads to have been beneficial.
Colourfence - we had difficulty finding reliable fencing contractors to replace our garden fence. Saw the colour fence ad in the CAMC magazine, found the local installer supplier. Came to look at the job when he said he would. Quoted earlier than he said he would. Installed on the day he said he would. A superb product with a 25 year guarantee . Our neighbours are still struggling to find a fencing contractor to replace theirs 3 years on. The local guy is a caravanner to boot.
G-Tech strimmer - excellent bit of kit with a second battery and additional blades in the offer. Couldn't be beaten.
Nissan Qashqai - We were looking to change a car, this offer with the towbar fitted the bill. Super car that meets our needs.
Never expected the 'club' to promote 'members' needs, certainly in respect of the abysmal quality of caravans. It's a commercial entity driven purely by money, not 'members' concerns. The magazine reinforces that ethos. Once you accept that use to best advantage.
0 -
hmm 🤔 - most of club magazines all over the world are full for advertises, because they reaches these special customer. But I think that we will loose in the near future the paper magazine and will only use screens from smartphones...up to this I accept advertises an hope for inspiring articles. As an continental member I often whish a UK-map at the articles introducing areas or landscapes
3 -
Maps showing where places are is a good idea for certain articles as long as these are carefully checked by the production team. Mistakes are made sometimes so always check things for yourself too.
Nice to hear from a continental member Nordluecht.
0 -
Are we talking about reading the Mag or using it for other(toilet) purposes ?
Would like the Mag to do serious Electric Vehicle compatability tests for Towing & which Phev is best for a 1700kg Caravan ? etc., we live in interesting times, which club sites could be affected by Ultra low emission zones in large Cities and such. plenty to talk about.
Also low weight gas bottles....oops too late C&CC mag already covered that. 😲
0 -
The magazine could be read by several hundred thousand people and so has to have a general approach. Stuff that doesn’t interest me I just ignore but read the reviews and touring in UK. What does worry me is when there might be a glaring problem that is not mentioned. For example a recent car review had a very low tow ball limit that most caravans would exceed and a caravan review where the tow ball was estimated to be 127kg. Again no mention that only a few cars can handle that. Could lead to people buying on the basis of review and being uninsured.
0 -
Ha ha, no purely for stove lighting. Newspaper burns easily, glossy paper less so.
I wouldn’t believe any vehicle or touring outfit review I read in the magazine, taken with a heavy pinch of salt. One man’s treasure is another man’s poison. Likes and dislikes are just so personal, same with site reviews.
0
