The big winter shut down
Comments
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On our list HD, I bet it is magical in Winter. The NY Moors are our Winter playground, sometimes in MH, sometimes in Van and Jeep! Roaring log fires in pubs, brilliant frosty walks with dogs, crashing seas on the coast. Robin Hoods Bay and Scarborough are nice at Christmas.
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if the club really hasnt got its head around how (a large proportion of) MHers use their vans and what they need, then the name change really has amounted to (very expensive) lip service.
Well I see a relatively high number of motorcaravans on some sites. Cannot say that that many seem to go off site with their outfits unless in a toad. I do see many that move every 3 days rather than my 5 days however.
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Think I will stick to a hotel in the cold winter months,and if any of you hardy campers need electricity then you should not be going because you might not have it due to bad weather,this is aimed at the members who do not bother to carry gas anymore.
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You've convinced me TTDA
Sounds wonderful have been looking for somewhere for a fab winter break that ticks all the boxes! 0 -
my point exactly, Alan....more stops, but shorter stops, requiring less in the way of facilities on each site...
just a place to park, fill/empty etc...
Not exactly the point I was making.
Most the motorhomers that I see stay on site for several days. The fact that many move every 3 days rather than every 5 as I do does not alter the fact that they use the site very much in the same way. Many have a towed car that they use. Many use buses. Those that use buses tend to be the ones that stay a few days. Very few seem to use CC sites 'as a place to park, fill/empty etc'. Indeed why would they if they were out and about in their motorhome all day and requiring less in the way of facilities?
The concept of many motorhomers being different than caravanners is not evidenced on CC sites. A relatively small number seem to take their motorhome off site.
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Can't think of any member who does not carry gas. On previous caravan where nose weight was more of an issue I carried a single 3.9kg bottle and a lightweight awning in the caravan for most of the year. On our December break however I carried two bottles just in case.
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I think the concept of Aires on existing closed winter sites needs to be examined a little more closely. As several folk have raised the issue, but I don't think have given much thought to the financing and execution. In an ideal world 10 new pitches and MH service point would be constructed outside the existing site, with its own automated barriers / check in system. This would enable the existing site to remain securely lock up. It would also make more financial sense as it would mean 10 extra pitches that could earn revenue all year and thus more rapidly pay off the investment. However, how many sites do we know with the spare land available.
The other alternative is to in some way fence off 10 existing pitches near the entrance and probably construct another MHSP, as to use the existing one is likely to involve leaving too much of the site open. The existing barriers would have to be converted to more sophisticated check type ones. As the pitches are not additional, the investment would have to be paid off by the limited site fees brought in during the lower cost winter season. I have no idea of the costs involved, clearly it would depend on many factors including if you were going to provide metered electricity, or make them Non EHU.
Both of the above of course depend on if planning permissions could be obtained. Far from guaranteed.
Just a few thoughts
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Can pass on some site details. Other than Xmas/New Year, you won't need to book, so if weather does become an issue, you can amend plans accordingly! High likelihood of snow on Moors or in Dales, but with a good 4x4, you can still get around. Pickering/Helmsley area is good, castles, Abbeys, museums etc.... nice pubs and good eateries of all kinds. Pickering is our Winter bolt hole! You get York and Castle Howard thrown in as well!
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Well, it's been an entertaining and informative tete-a-tete, BB, and I know I shouldn't really ask, but just to be clear -
you're telling me I shouldn't tell folk what they should or shouldn't write ( because that's moderating!) whilst at the same time telling me what I should or shouldn't write?
Gosh, awfully confusing this forum business isn't it?!!
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Confusing?, I was thinking more along the lines of entertaining
. Lexical semantics-dontcha just love em
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more stops, but shorter stops, requiring less in the way of facilities on each site...
just a place to park, fill/empty etc.
I thought that this was a Caravan and Motorhome Club, and that it it hadn't yet changed to a sole Motorhome Club as you seem to be implying.
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From what I see of the majority of MH users on CC sites many do tend to move every few days. As often those without toads seem to leave the motorhome on site frequently I wondered if that was limitations with public transport that prompted them to move more frequently. It was noticeable, for example, at the Pandy site. I did wonder if it was a trip to Abergavenny, a trip to Hereford and then move on?
As for the 10 pitch idea on unmanned sites for caravanners and motorhome users; As these sites appear to have limited appeal I do not think that I would like my caravan to be one of possibly two or three left vacant on such a location. Seems an open invitation to theft.
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That is simply not correct. There are many thousands of Danish, German, Dutch, Belgian, Swiss people winter caravanning in Spain and Portugal every year.
Your reference to "refugee camps" is a bit nasty too.
We have enjoyed visiting many different areas of the Spain/Portugal coast in winter over the years. It is less crowded and the sunny climate is delightful.
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Alan, what is it about a club site that makes you think your caravan is any safer there with your van locked (with all your security devices) and behind a secure barrier than if it were on one of these modified sites locked (with all your security devices) and behind a secure barrier?
On a CC site open in winter there are usually a fair number of caravans, wardens and folk going about their business.
On an unmanned facility with a couple of caravans parked and nobody around it would be more open to breaking in and the mither that causes. Remember the closed in winter sites are closed either due to planning or because they are in areas less popular at that time of year.
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As a caravanner I'd be happy with a reduced number of pitches operating all year as long as the club could deliver them economically
I've often said that we'd make good use of Aire type pitches, it matches our style of touring quite well.
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There are numerous motor caravans on here and I drought that you could count on one hand how many have "gone out for the day" ,even camper vans have done the same as any "tugger" would do except with the lack of "mobilty"that mostly comes with having a seperate "tug" so is it ever going to be finacialy viable for any organisation,to spend what is if looked at with the eyes of accountants significant outlays to modify sites for the tiny minority of out of season users, as can be seen by the amount of stored motor c/vans in where we,store our c/van from Sept to April
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Over the last two years of taking our own small MH to sites in Winter, we have seen a significant increase in smaller MHs doing what we do, staying a few nights at sites, going out in MH during day (no other vehicle or public transport required), and then coming back to Site each evening. Then moving on somewhere else and doing the same. It's linear touring, as opposed to hobbit touring (not an insult, refers to "there and back again") You do get caravans doing similar as well, Nellie being a good example. The MHs we see in Winter have tended to be on the smaller size, great for just this purpose, hopping around, relatively easy to park.
I can only speak for ourselves, but the only time we use Club Sites tends to be in Winter, when prices are very cheap, and the sites are empty. Last December, we had the lower area of Bolton Abbey to ourselves for four nights, and only half a dozen others up on top area. I prefer this set up to squashing tourers together in an Aire type set up, even if it is cheaper. We value peace and quiet and privacy. If I can see or hear someone else's TV in a tourer, then I want to be further away. I think it was around £18 per night last year, that was with all the facilities open, for the two of us and dogs. Well worth the gorgeous location, fantastic walks and access to rest of Dales.
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but 'folk going about their business' wont bat an eyelid to a bloke with a car hooking up a caravan.......his or yours....
Burning off the Alko,might attract some attention. However the more likely scenario is breaking in (5 second job), nicking what is easy to shift and going off.
If somebody wished to steal a caravan an unmanned site with probably just a couple of empty units would be easy target.
remember, its the club that have trumpeted this recognition of the change in its customer base and the OP (who is one of the newly recognised customers) who is lamenting the lack of winter, short stop parking.
Wheras I thought that the club was acknowledging the growth of motorhomes over the years. There is not a lack of sites overall in Winter. There is a lack of cheap aires type facilities for those that want such it could be argued. As I have said before if these were thought to be a good earner I am surprised that no enterprising person has provided.
As I have said earlier it seems to me that few MH users take the MH off site and maybe that is because those that want a cheap night halt go elsewhere.
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