Back to the caravan life
7 years ago we stopped caravanning after 18 years (not through choice - it just sort of happened) and then 5 months ago I cancelled our Caravan Club membership (I know I know!)
So of course I’ve now bought a caravan (2012 Elddis Xplore) and rejoined the club. Happy days are ahead!
We are really looking forward to getting back on site and enjoying the simpler things in life.
I wonder what changes we will see…
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You ask what changes you will see…you will see motorhomes in numbers you never saw 7 years ago.
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I suspect when you visit your first Club site after that length of time you will probably think time has stood still? OK facility blocks will be better and there will be many more serviced pitches but the look and feel will not be a lot different from before. Enjoy your Re-engagement with caravanning.
David
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A big hike in the price of a pitch, both on club sites and on CLs, with many more of the latter offering serviced pitches too.
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Thanks @nelliethehooker I’ve seen the prices: yep they’re up from 7 years ago but then again so is just about everything leisure wise. Interesting to know about CLs - we didn’t really use them before.
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There are also less club sites, with mainly the non-facility ones going, and a couple on new ones too.
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Well we never left the club and we were surprised when we had an email asking us to confirm our car registration number as we would be fast tracked on to our pitch at the New forest centenary site which went well and my wife said I will let them know which pitch we are on but I had already received a text asking for our pitch number, it was quick but a bit impersonal for us
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@CP535 as @DavidKlyne says depending on the site you might find newer refurbished toilets blocks and more hardstandings and service pitches (yay!) and grass pitches being 'phased out' but in seven years not much else will have changed on site, apart from the colour of the wardens' uniform.
The booking process has changed, in my view improved, with deposits (£5)and you can now choose a type of pitch (HS, grass, SP) and pay on arrival or the night before, or straight away if you wish. Additionally there's the 21 days rule for cancelling and not three days. On some sites you'll see the glamping cabins as well.
If you do pay before arrival then it speeds up the time spent in the office and it is planned that with ANPR in the future you could just arrive and get your pitch with going into the office, which may be being trialled at the New Forest site as Amesford describes.
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Thanks @Cornersteady for that. Lots of new info there and you’ve helped me understand the New Forest post.
We’ve always sought out grass pitches rather than HS but I’m happy to return to either. Not much beats the feel of the grass between your toes on a sunny morning. 🌅
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@CP535 Indeed yes. However apart from this brilliant year it's usually squashy mud or wet grass between your toes.
Also more sites are open all year now and hence the need for HS pitches.
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😀😀 @Cornersteady (FAO @CP535 ).... exactly what I was thinking... you just beat me to my reply... "...and the squelch of mud between your toes after a downpour of rain.. " 🤣🤣
David
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Am I not supposed to like that? 🤣🤣 @DSB @Cornersteady
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Back from our first trip out. Went to Clumber (30 minutes away) for one night. The purpose was to:
Test the new towbar ✅
Test our new (2012) caravan (a couple of snags for the dealer to sort out) 🤔
And to see what had changed on a Club site.I was suprised to see so many caravans on site. Majority of outfits were caravans based on the walk-around.
And the site? Incredibly clean and well maintained by the wardens. I had trouble getting onto the free WiFi (my wife had no such problems). But everything considered: Clumber has set a high bar.
Being on site seemed an even better experience than we remembered.0 -
I'm glad you had a good 'first' ,trip out.
Clumber site is a dead spot for mobile and WIFI. It maybe worth reading threads on paid club WIFI before committing to purchase. Most folk seem to use their phone or SIM WIFI that can be used wherever you are and isn't restricted to club sites. There's an older thread with recent posts here https://clubtogether.caravanclub.co.uk/discussion/409878/motorhome-wi-fi#latest
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