The number of motorhomes/campervans.
Just out of interest I understood from a CAMC meeting I attended Saturday that the membership of the club is now 65% motorhomes and campervans which surprised me a bit.
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Not a bit surprised, I am going to start charging for lifts into town from the various sites we have used, i cant believe how many new MH owners do not realise that u can not just up sticks and drive into town with an 8m MH, was talking to a new owner a couple of days ago, now regrets spending over £100k on a new MH, towed a caravan for years and wishes he had never gotten rid.
Cycled round our nearest site over the Easter hols and i would say it was 75% MH's, had an email only yesterday from friends who have a static on a site in Spain we have used and they said over the Xmas period it was manic with Mh's predominately German and Dutch owners.
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Bill
It surprises me a bit if the total membership is now 65% motorhomers. I am just wondering if they meant to say that people joining the Club now comprises of 65% motorhomers and 35% caravanners which would perhaps be more likely? I can well see it heading in that direction. I wonder if Covid saw a lot of older caravanners giving up with perhaps not so many younger people buying caravans. That of course could be for all sorts of reasons not least that the demographics in that younger people might no longer see towing a caravan as a way to provide reasonably priced holidays for a family. We started in the early eighties and the choice of alternatives was far less than it is now. I suspect the people buy motorhomes are generally older, perhaps in their fifties and sixties with either decently paid jobs or good pensions and see motorhoming as less "complicated".
If the reality is that 65% of members are motorhomers and the figure is likely to grow I wonder if the Club will have to change some of their fixed views on the use of motorhomes and the facilities they provide for them, otherwise those new members won't stay?
David
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I seem to remember similar figures being presented at the AGM. However not sure if that was members, new members, or number of nights. The club’s own research also shows that motorhomers stop at more sites for shorter periods of time.
Yes I think the Club will have to change its attitude. Maybe follow the CCC in allowing motorhomes to make short stops of three hours to dump and fill up, use showers and laundry. I think it is £7.50. There are plenty of pub stops and increasing numbers of official overnight stops without facilities. Stopping somewhere without facilities does not mean illegal wild camping as seems to be the Club attitude.
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I don't think the club has to change anything, if it has increased from 50% to this new figure then surely those new joiners like what they saw before buying and the last figure we had was an all time high in club membership.
There have been a few posts about queues and congestion at MH service point recently and maybe already and allowing passing non-stoppers to come in may make the problem worse and those new members doesn't want that?
If there has been an increase then the club is doing something thing to attracts MH members just as it is.
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In the Club Magazine for Dec 2023 ( I was only reading a copy of it yesterday) ex Club Chairman Grenville Chamberlain quoted on Page 26
"When you look now and see that 70% of our new recruits are either motorhomers or campervanners, the change in the market has been massive"
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Same here Briang, this full facility C&MC site is not much more than 10 percent full. A few days ago I was on a non facility C&MC site and I estimated it was 80 full. My next site is a full facility commercial ????? One thing I do know it is cheaper than here.
peedee
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I remember when motorised caravans, as they were then generically referred to, were a novelty on caravan club sites being very much in a minority. In the early days folk were friendly and accepting of us and our seemingly ‘unconventional’ ways . Then things changed, the numbers increased and some, not all, questioned the inclusion of us relative new comers to the sites and inclusion in the membership. Oh, and then, as a result of this shift came the club’s name change which generated some discussion.
Today, during the winter months, I do seem to see more motorised caravans on sites but this changes as the warmer months arrive when a parity seems to be more evident. I wonder, if my observation is true, what that says about all caravaners, motorised or otherwise, and our respective caravanning habits and attitudes towards each other. Like in many aspects of our lives today hopefully we are increasingly tolerant and inclusive of deferences.
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Caravans have grown bigger and bigger just as dinosaurs did - more and more unwieldy - and now are dying fast just as dinosaurs did.
Meanwhile older people are saying Why are we hauling these big white boxes around, and younger people are making their AirBnb bookings and buying their Tui packages..It’s the end of an era. Club managers know it very well. They aren’t stupid.
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Is that club managers or site managers? Possibly a very different perspective and experience is held by those on the ground and at the ‘sharp end’. Then look at what is happening in the Canaries and other parts of Spain right now regarding tourism, particularly for us Brits, and that may have further impact on the ‘staycation’ industry.
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CS
Its more a change of attitude than physical changes but I suppose they could go hand in hand depending if a key attitudes change? This is an answer at the 2023 AGM to a member asking if motorhomers not on site could use the MSP facilities:-
We do of course offer great facilities for tourers who are staying with us at our sites overnight. Within England & Wales, "wild camping" is illegal, which is different to some countries in mainland Europe. We do not believe it is appropriate to offer any services that may encourage this behaviour. We are reviewing what options may be available in Scotland, where the legislation is different, however there is much public criticism of inconsiderate wild camping. For this reason the Club always encourages responsible camping behaviour and use of approved campsites.
Putting aside whether the Club let non stayers use the facilities, like you, I can see some difficulties in allowing that and I suspect it would only be practical between 2.00 and 5.00pm when the Reception is usually staffed and the demand on the facilities are lower. However what I mean about attitude is that the Club don't seem to recognise that it is legitimate for motorhomers to stay perfectly legally on some car parks overnight and an increasing number of pub stopovers rather than always on an approved campsite. Perhaps the new Chairman will take a different view, we will have to wait until the next AGM! It seemed to me that the whole point of changing the name of the Club was to attract motorhomers because some didn't feel included. From that perspective it seems the Club have been proved right. However those motorhome members who see the Club as not being very flexible could well leave which I am not sure is in anyone's interest?
David
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A bit different from the four 5 van sites we have been in so far on this trip, where caravans have far outnumbered Campers & M/Hs. Tonight there are 5 caravans on and there were 4 last night, with no other units, and the last site was nearly full each night with c'vans outnumbering M/Hs. Perhaps it is just on club sites that the reverse is the case.
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Hardstanding has not been an issue on any of the sites, in fact on one a M/H parked on grass when a hardstanding pitch was available. Why should access be an issue? Surely if caravans can get there motorised units can too, probably more easily.
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I would suggest that some of the statistics are the same Members, but that a good percentage have swopped from a caravan to a MH/campervan, for a number of reasons.
I think the percentages on Club Sites will vary depending on the location and type of Club Site as well. You don’t seem to get as many MH outfits on sites such as NY Moors, where we were last week, possibly because there are no buses! Heavily biased towards caravans on our three night stay, and some of the big MHs were towing cars, and looked geared up for European travel as well. Possibly more British folks using MH’s in UK since Brexit and COVID🤔The Club hasn’t really got it’s head around how MH/camper vans tour. They are still banging on about “wild camping” while all around there’s more provision for legal overnight stopovers coming on stream. Some of the Club’s special offers are not MH friendly, as based around grass pitches and only if you stay a minimum number of nights. Caravan owners don’t need to have any concerns, it’s still very much a “Caravan Club”. Canny MH /campervanners will utilise other options for transit night stopovers. We used one and got our average nightly fees down to around £20. Cheaper than some CLs as well.
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I am one of that 65%! What drives me is more than likely not typical but there will be strands in common:
1. I want to tour not sit on the same site for weeks.
2. I am on my own so the thought of hooking up car to caravan does not appeal.
3. A 60% increase in Channel ferry costs for a caravan compared to a MoHo. So that would mean over well over £250 this year and likely more next.
4. I am here because of my inexperience. Whether I stay will depend upon whether I feel I am getting value for money once I have the knowledge and I am more familiar with site facilities.
The stat of 65% is not at all surprising. This decade is full of reports of MoHo owners new to the market with no trade in thus fuelling a situation where demand exceeds supply in used MoHos. The 65% stat reflects that - growth in MoHo ownership with caravans static or perhaps in decline.
I agree with the trenchant comment about giving lifts into town to myopic MoHo owners of 8 metres+ rigs. That is why I have a 6 metre MoHo. I also choose sites within walking/biking distance of facilities AND I have a folding Ebike. Folding Ebikes and a MoHo are made for each other!! Surely the very essence of our hobby is getting out and about in fresh air?!!
Regarding the facilities I would like to see. I would welcome the likes of Aires in the UK (Are there any?). Fully automated sites at a modest cost would be fine. They work well enough in Europe. How come Dieppe can manage two but, to the best of my knowledge, UK Channel ports have none? I have a 5 hour trip to make it home once off a Channel ferry and one of my booked crossings has me returning at 22:00. An Aire would suit me nicely on that occasion.
Chris
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We are going to Dumfries and Galloway in June. We will be away about 10 days. We will stay for three nights on one site, New England Bay, non electric, as it happens. It just suited location. Otherwise we stay for one night only on a mixture of CL, CS, independent sites and Aires. As a motorhomer we do our visiting “on the way” to somewhere else and another site. I don’t wish to spend a lot of money to arrive late in the day and leave early in the morning. We are currently on a five night visit to Worcestershire, three nights on one site, an independent, HS, 10 amp electricity, £22. Oh, and pretty much arrive and depart when you wish. We leave today for the second site for two nights, a CL no ehu, £12. It is only half an hour up the road, but means we don’t need to keep coming back on ourselves as we often did when we had the caravan. Club sites dont, by and large, suit our and many other motorhomes touring styles. The really interesting statistic is not just what % of new members have motorhomes but what is the break down of nights spent on site by caravans and motorhomes as a % of membership, if you see what I mean.
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Yes fully agree. We “tour” properly in our MH, even on very short tours, hopping from stop to stop. Club Sites don’t offer good value for money if all you do is arrive, go to sleep, get up early, fill, dump, possibly shower and then off again. In Summer you are restricted to arriving before 8pm as well. The no facility Club Sites are better value, hence why we made use of NYMoors site, but you can mix things up and tour nicely for a whole lot less if you do some research.
There do seem to be a lot more smaller MH/camper vans now. Club Sites have a higher proportion of big MHs than other stopovers we have used.
We found D&G brilliant for touring, all sorts of cheap stopovers. Forestry sites were very good, some with loos, showers when visitor centres open in the morning, cafes. Some allow caravan stopovers as well. We stayed in one free, one we paid £8. Safe, quiet, scenic, walking and cycling all around.
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2. I am on my own so the thought of hooking up car to caravan does not appeal
Chris, I can see why you would not want to tow a car but it can be done solo fairly easily.
To seach for Aires/stop overs at pub etc in Europe including the UK use SearchforSites.
peedee
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I also mix my touring up even though I have an 8m motorhome. Sometimes I tow a car and behave as a caravan owner would and at other times we tour without it choosing our sites in the UK with more care. Either way our preference is for low or non facility sites.
Perhaps in the future the Club will have to choose new sites more with the motorhome owning member in mind.
peedee
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I so agree! I love D & G particularly Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbright and Portpatrick. It is 3 hours away for me so completely doable for a bare weekend setting out Friday p.m.
I also echo your comment about the restriction of an 8:00 p.m arrival. I have a particularly acute example albeit out of the ordinary and the exception that proves the rule. Come 20th July I have a rehearsal in Manchester 15:00 to 18:00 before singing in the Proms at the Albert Hall on the Sunday. I have booked the Club site near Mertsham Saturday thru to Monday (when I head for Newhaven and Dieppe). So I have a bare 5 hours to cover the 225 miles to make the site overspill or be locked out overnight and I will only get on the pitch I have paid for on the Sunday morning but I am grateful for the flexibility that just about makes my hectic schedule that weekend work!
Chris
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