N E C Show, Feb 2020
Its a little over two weeks to the February Show at Birmingham N E C.
Will any body be going and what will you be looking at. New vans ?? accessories ?? or just fresh ideas ??
Comments
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Giving it a miss this time. When we went 18 months ago we it resulted in the purchased a new motorhome, not sure we can afford another visit!!! Are you serious Brian about a new van?
David
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Posted on 3/2/2020 10:29
{ Just to defy Cornersteady & his mathmatical mystics
}No David, the reference to new vans was really humourous thing with respect to sitting in the 'van after a breakdown on a Dumb motorway
But I do have to admit I have a habit of buying lottery tickets 
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According to a Motor Caravan salesman("executive?") from a large multi site dealership, the majority of sales these days are cash via equity release or pension pots , so are not youngsters
, and quite a few are to those who have not done the "camping " type holidays before, 
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We will be going the hotel and tickets are sorted as they are every year for both NEC shows, we go to manchester as well but that is a 20 min journey so no hotel needed. We make a mini break out of it staying at a number of different hotels at varying prices , love looking round the new ideas and trends hope it continues for many years to come.
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Interesting comment JVB. We go to spring and Autumn shows purely for a day out, but usually come home with something we had not planned on, Not great value stuff, just a gadget or two.
We go on different days each year depending on our diary ( which is usually empty these days ) and have noted that a vast majority of visitors are of the more senior types like ourselves. Perhaps this is why the sites we visit are also made up of the older brigade. My children and grandchildren and their friends show no interest in this type of holiday, preferring to take a short hop across to the Med and stay in a villa.
The smaller number of halls than previous may reflect the decline in demand for caravanning holidays going forward with bigger vans, costing enough to cover several years cheap holidays abroad, needing bigger cars that will be no longer available as we move to the electric era of transport.
I would guess the future will be more Glamping and camping with less caravanning. Last spring, we towed our van from Glos to Suffolk and stayed for a week near Minsmere costing over £250 in fees and fuel, compared to a couple who spent the same week on a nearby site to ours staying in a new mobile home with all mod-cons paying just £105 no outlay on a van or large towcar for the same holiday.
I know it is personal choice, but the choice going into the future is less attractive to go caravanning purely on finance, when it was once considered a cheaper holiday option.
Sorry it has wandered off topic, but it does support the salesman's explanation.
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It may also be why more sites , and not just the two major players are diversifying into other forms of accomodation on sites ,a bit of "blue sky thinking?" for the future , the cc
I understand that "our club" is now installing pods that are now meeting the accesable for every one ideas, that are wheel chair etc friendly
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OH NO not another rebrand
MGCC
Motorhome, Glamping and Camping Club
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Oh Brian!!! I'm goingvon Tuesday. You know very well what I'll be looking at - in fact, more than looking!!! As well as good old Snowdonia Cheese, I'll be visiting the Colapz Stand - they're hoping to unveil their 45 litre water and waste containers. Hoping they will be collapsible so as to save space and weight. I'll so pop along to say hello to John Rose at Rose Awnings. Of course, I'll drop in on the CAMC stand... and we need to replace our outside chairs, so I may do a little more than look!
.Just keep me away from the new caravans!!!
David
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Well i am now thinking of going this year on the camc day by train, hope the free coach is still running from just at bottom of steps from station over bridge,and taking some sarnies and a cold drink, so the,whole day out, if as usual do not now buy at the show , will cost me £4.50
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I hope everyone going to the show has a great time. Look forward to hearing what you see and your show highlights.
Here's a short video of the show set up:
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over £250 in fees and fuel, compared to a couple who spent the same week on a nearby site to ours staying in a new mobile home with all mod-cons paying just £105 no outlay on a van or large towcar for the same holiday.
So after the two holidays were over what did the respective holiday makers have that was different? Well, the caravan holidaymakers had a caravan and a towcar they could use again and again, while the mobile home folk had . . . . ?
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Well Sir
One couple had £145 extra in their pocket and the same small car that attracted a relatively small insurance policy and non of the initial outlay or depreciation and running and servicing or insuring a caravan or the more expensive running cost of a larger towcar. meaning each holiday they took out of high season would be considerably cheaper than the second couple.
While the second couple had a caravan that cost several thousand pounds that today would cost the best part of £30k to replace which depreciates each year costing over £300 pounds per year to insure and over £200/yr in service costs to ensure the water ingress warranty is maintained £56/ year membership of the Motorhome and Caravan Club plus additional costs of accessories such as awning locks water barrels and waste carriers etc.etc. Several thousand pounds of large diesel car that is depreciating at an alarming rate with an insurance premium and service cost that is probably double that of a smaller family car.
Again it is my choice to take this form of holiday, but it is not cost effective for future caravanners.
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If only used for a fortnight a year, then it is a no-brainer. Ownership enables year-round use to defray those overheads. A similar argument was made about yacht ownership. Ownership enabled me to go off for a quick sail on the spur of the moment. Cost effective - probably not and it was certainly a lot of work to maintain. That aspect of ownership of a caravan or MH is nowhere near as great.
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I can't relate to that scenario at all.
I have had my caravan for years and the purchase price would have been written down over the first two or three of them. I don't think it is depreciating much each year now, and of course the annual insurance costs reflect the low value. No warranty to maintain, and nothing in the service schedule that I can't do myself. Accessories all paid for years ago, e.g. the melamine dishes we use having been bought by my parents in 1970s and still bright as new!.
The Caravan Club "membership", and that for the Camping Club as well, is really unavoidable, However my Land Rover would be there whether or not I had a caravan, and the mileage towing is only a small part of the annual figure.
Also, we caravanners do know who has slept on the mattress before and that the sheets have been properly laundered!
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The cc storage we use, holds about 500 LVs and boats and trailers,there are quite a few that have not moved for several years,and at £690 this year,is not very economical for those!!,but it is quite noticeable ,just how many more seem, are always there when we use it
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There are a handful on our storage who never seem to move! It makes me wonder why they shell out the cash! I guess they may well just be abandoned. I don't know the legal rights of the owners of the site for getting rid of abandoned caravans! Fortunately there are only two of three that looked uncharted for, out of hundreds.
David
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Could be that after a couple of years of not paying the storage fee the outstanding amount exceeds the second hand value of the caravan - especially if the outside has gone green and needs an expensive clean!
I wonder if there will be anyone at the NEC Show promoting a caravan cleaning service?
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There were certainly stands selling cleaning materials! It was quite busy today at the NEC but it was a good day.
I was especially interested in the 45L collapsible water and 45L collapsible grey waste containers as an alternative to the aquaroll and wastemaster, to be produced by Colapz. They are still trialling and refining, but hope to get them invoroduction in about 12 months. A little bit disappointed that I'm going to have to wait another 12 months.
I've ordered some new outside chairs. One of ours bit the dust recently! ......and of course, I came away with my bag of Snowdonia Cheese.
I spent a little time on the CAMC stand chatting to various people, including Ro.
I did have a sneaky envious look inside one of the new Bailey 8ft wide caravan, but resisted temptation, and said a quick hello to John Rose (of Rose Awnings).
Everyone seemed very busy and in good spirits.
David
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}
(weather dependent !! ) Full head of white hair & beard with specs over a daft grin probably 
