What would you like to see changed in the Club
As we are all members of our Club and we are entitled to voice our opinions, what would you like to see changed over the next five years?
Comments
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A total move over to all hardstanding pitches and more service pitches too, both of those are happening now of course.
ANPR entrance to sites coupled with optional payment in advance for easier entry, for those that want it.
Not too bothered about metering providing it is easy to use (just swipe one's bank card perhaps).
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Many of the most dynamic companies around the world have a policy of constant change at the top, which of course feeds down through the ranks. Typically directors have a 4-5 year tenure. They are then replaced with new blood often from within but sometimes from outside. This constant process of renewal ensures stagnation does not set in.
I would like to see the CAMC old guard removed and replaced with fresh blood and ideas.
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As someone who has given up touring, although still a member, I think I would like to see how Experience Freedom develops. I don't imagine its suitable for all sites but geographically its not that widespread at the moment.
I also expect that it will be "events" that influence how the Club changes over the coming years, like the wider use of EV's. Will the hobby be as popular in, say, 20 years time? Will there be the same number of sites? I generally think the Club have got it more or less right at the moment. The wider use of motorhomes may well influence changes in the future but once we move to electric motorhomes will that put them out of reach cost wise for the majority of people?
David
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To negotiate with government the future development of the CL concept - which is over 60 years old and is out of date with modern times and modern leisure trends.
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Errr, no, we’re not all members of the club.
However, although it’s not my place to say what CAMC should change, both LLM and I might be encouraged to join/rejoin in future.
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ANPR entry is good. Dont want serviced pitches. Do want drop & fill provision and cheaper overnight stops.
Much greater encouragement of CLs especially off grid. All sites, all pitches with metered electricity, providing that it is a very easy system. Encourage CLs to go down this route also.
A real and active understanding that more and more motorhomes are self sufficient and do not need all singing, all dancing sites.
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But many caravanners do want all singing all dancing serviced hard standing pitches!
Unfortunately, that is the problem with this sort of discussion, everyone has a vested interest in what suits them best.
I would also suggest that, whilst we are members of the CAMC, we do not have a voice. The Club will make it's own decisions of what developments are required based on purely commercial factors as, at the end of the day, it is a business which needs to make money to survive.
Suggestions made in this thread which are not cost effective would be discounted even if we were listened to.
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A real and active understanding that more and more motorhomes are self sufficient and do not need all singing, all dancing sites.
And so are caravans
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But VW Campers, trailer tents and baby Eribas are ‘t. Is the Club just to cater for the rich?
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Yet visit any all singing, all dancing club site and most, in fact virtually all in my experience, are predominantly full of MHs (and I include all types here including campervans), indeed look at any site that has SP and that will be mainly MHs, sometimes often as high as 80% - again in my experience. This of course mirrors the club's membership that now has more MH owners (and again I'm including all types here) than caravans and MH membership has grown significantly over the last few years so it is attracting MH owners into the club and more importantly onto its sites.
So while MHs and caravans may not need all singing and all dancing sites, their owners do want them.
Simon is correct that the club as a business will look at what its members, guests, customers, site users... (insert your preferred word here) want and are willing to pay and go with that.
And of course the club has a real and active understanding of what certain MH owners want but it will first and primarily look at what those owners who actually use club sites want? And it will cater for those. For better or worse, depending on which side one is on, the club has decided to offer MH and caravans sites which have HS, SP, EHU, facilities... if one wants something else...
In fact those sites which do not have them appear to be not attracting anyone and have to be closed, four this year wasn't it. One CL owner in an interview recently put in HS, SP (I think) EHU and business went up and is (according to him) doing very well.
Lastly I'm not sure what an all singing, all dancing site is, most club sites have a certain standard of HS, EHU, facilities, and now SP are becoming more prominent too. That is more or less the basic offering, some have more but it's under ten without counting.
As Simon said (sorry) it's all to do with what will bring income. What I or others put on here probably won't count for much but it's interesting to debate things.
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+1
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This could turn into a minimalist/maximalist sort of discussion? As pointed out above we know that the full facility sites with service pitches (and now in a few cases Premium Pitches) seem to be very popular. In the past it was thought that motorhomers booked service pitches because it guaranteed a hardstanding. It seems that since you have been able to book a hardstanding pitch, serviced pitches are still a favourite with motorhomers. We have lost a lot of sites in the last year but they have tended to be the low/no facility sites which don't enjoy a high occupancy rate. Obviously we have to accept the some sites were lost through no fault of the Club by lease owners taken them back. The Club, currently, is in the business of providing "proper" campsites and that seems to be proving quite successful. Given the experience of the past year it doesn't seem that the Club see much future in basic campsites? For those motorhomers who just want a place to rest overnight there are plenty of options and I think the issue for the Club is that it would be difficult to compete with such places. The nearest the Club has to an Aire is the new Steamer Quay site but if the expectation is that such a site could be provided for £10/15 a night seems unrealistic?
David
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The Club has identified its core market, and is duly providing Club Sites that suit. Affluent, not keen on much physical labour whilst on site, happy to pay whatever Club decides it can charge, neat easy to pitch up site designs to suit all outfits. Beyond that, it’s future proofing keeping Members via Experience Freedom options. Fingers crossed it all works out🤞
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In my experience, it’s the MH’s who use all the services on the so called “all singing all dancing sites” more regularly than caravanners. They’ll be the ones who empty a small bowl of water at a SP, rather than into their tanks and make numerous trips to the TB’s throughout the day, so not to carry containers. So in this modern age, most of us have self sufficient outfits, some use them more fully than others, but such facilities are needed by both, else there are other more basic sites available.
I’m also against metering of electric. I like to turn up, plug in and chill out. I don’t want to be watching what I’m using or if it needs topping up. I’m on holiday!
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We are generally happy with the club. We prefer hard standings but are not bothered about serviced pitches but think the current mix needs to be retained. members needs and therefore a mix of pitches should be retained. The new development of Steamer Key is all serviced hard standings taking away choice which to me is wrong. It is a smaller site though which might have affected the decision.
Personally I believe the club is for those touring and should stick to this as far as possible. I would avoid statice lodges and the rest where possible. If they are there when a site is taken over then retaining them does make sense and possibly adding them in spaces not suitable for tourers can be done, but it is not the purpose of the club. Tourers must come a clear first.
We seem to have a number of sites with tent spaces but from what I have seen these are normally near empty. If we are going to have them, we need to get them used. The clubs title possibly means any potential campers simply never look at the club, so possibly they should look at getting the message out and getting a decent revenue from them possibly even have a camping title for these which might be better understood.
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I’d like to see clarity and a commonly held understanding as to what is possible and permitted as far as occupancy in tents (pup or otherwise) and awnings on club site pitches. I’ve long been of the opinion that if no firebreak issues are infringed then all is well and should be allowed. Definitely not two caravans, motorised or otherwise should be allowed mind but I did see a pitch this year with six adults occupying a motorhome and an attached awning. The group in question were quiet and rule obeying throughout their stay. Also I’ve witnessed a couple with four pets, the latter caged in an awning over night.
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Could it be that the Club is not looking at the full picture?
If it has identified as its core market, those not keen on much physical labour whilst on site, happy to pay whatever Club decides it can charge by providing them with full facility pitches, then it could have misinterpreted the booking figures.
Are these type of pitches referred to taking the lions share of bookings, as members who desire something simpler and cheaper have decided to use the CL network more, or the smaller independent sites.
If this is the case then the number of this second group cannot really be estimated, and the club could be loosing a lot of bookings, more so than they make on the fully serviced pitches.
Colin
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I was only thinking about what the Club is providing now on Club Sites.
I am sure that there are a good few Members who tour primarily via the CL network (we certainly did) because they are happy with more basic provision (although the variety of CLs means some are basic, but others offer a great deal more, with some surpassing what you might find on a Club Site).
CLs have become the default choice for many, as there are few basic Club Sites left. There will be CLs that suit almost every Member, if they have location and value for money as their most important factors for choice.
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I think it's fairly clear in the club rules Micky.
The MH you talk about was it a six berth? Even if not if they all paid the per person fee then it is allowed. Sleeping in the awning has been going on for as long as I've been a member and would be impossible to police if it isn't. We've done it on one very warm night and sleeping in pup tents is in the rules.
There is no limit on the number of dogs and again I've often seen pets sleep in the awning.
Providing they (adults and animals) make no noise or affect others then for me it's up to them?
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I've noticed two this sites year with tent spaces and they were fairly well used, certainly at weekends in summer.
These two were in parts of the sites that would not be suitable for touring outfits anyway even if converted.
The area at Seacroft was busy all summer a few year ago when we were there for three weeks.
I've often wondered how people get to know about them although the one in Melrose is often used by by largish group of youngish walkers on some established walking route. And usually cyclists as well, and interestingly enough also many foreign cars use them too.
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Hi Corners, those were the points I was making. However, all I asked for were commonly held and practised ‘rules’.
I believe the motorhome in question was a four berth with two other adults sleeping in the awning. I’ve also seen campervans/ campers pitched alongside caravans both units providing overnight sleeping accommodation. Once we noticed a motorhome and a campervan on the same pitch doing the same. Now I understand the rules about all of these and the dog issue but it seems not all of us do which has in the past prompted discussion (on CT) and on occasions raised eyebrows from the ill informed. My main point was the firebreak issue, if these are not contravened then surely the size and name given to the tent is not an issue, is it?
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Again if the two in the awning had paid their person fee then there is no problem I would think. We had two sleeping once in the awning and they were paid for and the wardens knew where they would be sleeping.
However it's in the rules that there must be 6m between adjacent walls of a caravan/MH/campervan/trailer tent and the next one and 3m between any other parts of the outfit like awning, tents, and cars. So no there should never be a campervan next to a caravan/MH as you posted and not on the same pitch.
And no I don't think so, the rules talk about sleeping tents, pup tents, cooking, and storage tents.
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Now that’s exactly what I mean, Corners, I’m of the belief that a camper/motorhome can be alongside a caravan on a pitch as long as cooking/gas availability is only possible in one unit. Further more only one electric hook up would be allowed but you could run an extension from your caravan from one to the other as you would be allowed to do for to heat an awning. I’ve seen quite a few caravans towed by campervans/motorhomes doing this. Just a precise clarification is all that is needed. I believe all within the rules.
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Sorry right got you, I didn't get the caravan being towed by a MH.
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You’ve already got the overnight stop, Joanie.
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Thankfully the club allows just one night bookings across the network. Other providers will insist on a minimum of two, occasionally more so half of your wish is there already. Long may this remain, it’s a major attraction for many tourers who will spend multiple consecutive nights on club sites, just not on the same site.
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We have found that a lot of CLs, CS and small private sites will actually let you have just a night if you ask, and they are not busy. They are not going to turn down income of any kind if it is a quiet period. But it is good that the Club only impose minimum nights to access special offers…………good, but annoying as well.
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