is the Club about touring or static holidays?
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I don't think it is a question of bad feeling but often a lack of understanding if you have only been a caravanner or a motorhomer, and it does cut both ways depending on what forums you read! Hopefully those of us that have done both understand the pros and cons of both sides. It seems to go beyond the type of unit you own and is more about those that want to stay for a week or two and those that only want a few days on site and that can equally apply to both caravans and motorhomes. At the end of the day it all boils down to some members feeling disenfranchised because they can't book the time they want on a particular site and sometimes those frustrations come out in a them and us situation be that caravan v motorhome or short stay v long stay. What the answer is I have no idea!!!
David
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Yes I do, 'bad feeling' might not have been the right choice of words but I am sick to death of the constant bickering on here and other forums between caravan owners and motorhome owners.
Like many we have owned both, I have never to my knowledge looked down my nose at either group.
We are often being 'told' that one or other is doing it wrong, whether its a MH is using a water barrel, or that caravanners are using their cars instead of taking the bus or walking. Now we have MH's are stopping caravans from having a week away.
The terms that are used to describe each others groups are less than friendly. MH's refer to caravanners as tuggers or wobble boxes, while caravanners call MH's freeloaders and now pitch blockers.
Maybe I'm just having a sensitive day but I wish this constant bickering would stop and just let folk enjoy the hobby whichever way they choose.
Would we go around criticizing how someone has their furniture arranged in their house, or that they are not using their car in the way it was meant to be used.
If that is all folk have to find fault with then I pity them as they obviously don't have a very interesting life.
Rant over.
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This point keeps coming up, but am I the only member who does the touring in the tow car and returns each evening to the trailer caravan?
We might travel quite a distance away from the site each day - and other days stay on site for the whole day because we are tired, or ill, or had a good socialising the evening before, or want to have a drink with Sunday lunch, whatever. To do this we need a pitch for one, two and sometimes three consecutive weekends as well as the days in between.
So although making a 15 to 20 night stay at one site, most days are spent touring the countryside (but without the caravan). Now, does that make it static or touring?
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Oner solution is to have "ten day weeks". I believe Lenin introduced them after the Russian revolution but the experiment failed.
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It makes it what ever you want it to be
some would say that staying in one place and driving out from the site was the wrong way to do it, that you should keep on moving every other day in a straight line never crossing ones path but if that's what you like to do then its right for you and others should just mind their own business.0 -
If only life could be that easy ....I totally agree with your post 👍 there is constant bickering & disharmony on just about every subject discussed .
Life is what it what you make it , clearly there are always people out there who like to speculate on every aspect of all members life's styles & personal choices .
Best just to ignore the sad one's posts & take everything written on here with a very large pinch of salt .😂
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Good on you, TG. I’m enjoying the fireworks.
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There is no need for all this animosity between those who have moved to Motorhomes and the traditional Trailer Caravan owner.
I have had many Caravans and two Motorhomes and have never experienced any of the animosity present on this forum when I am enjoying my stay on site.
We are all different and enjoy our breaks away, how we do that is a matter of personal preference.
As far as the thread subject is concerned - IMO. Motorhomes lend themselves easily to touring being able to up and move on within a couple of minutes. Caravans are better suited to longer stays as packing up and hitching up takes so much longer.
Also during the touring journey it is much easier to stop en-route when places of interest is spotted when driving a Campervan or Motorhome.
K .
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Whether it is a motorhome or a caravan there is no difference. Caravans are differentiated by the manufacturers as 'touring' caravans as opposed to static holiday home type. The problem is that the idea of touring freely, whatever the accommodation, seems to have long since gone when it comes to club sites.
We tour freely in France and, perhaps naively thought we would be able to do the same when we went to Scotland. As it tuned out, we had to book every site (seven of them over 23 nights) many months in advance after talking to others that had done a similar tour. This spoilt the spontaneity that we would have liked.
It is a pity that club sites cannot have a small number of pitches that cannot be booked more than perhaps 48 hours in advance and cannot be occupied for more than, say, two nights. I'm sure there would be no problem in selling the pitches and it would perhaps put some freedom back into caravanning.
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It's a mindset thing. Limited mind set, limited outlook on how to use something. Open mindset, can do outlook...... sky's the limit, folks will just get on with it. Neither is wrong or right, it's what suits the individual at that time, with whatever outfit, touring or staying however they want.
Many years ago, I did a disability discrimination course, and the very first thing I was told was that it didn't matter what I thought someone could or should do, it was all about what they felt happy, comfortable and able to do, rather than someone else trying to impose limits for a particular section of society. You could apply this creed to many aspects of life. Prejudging a situation, imposing limits, is a form of discrimination. Just let folks happily choose their own preferences according to their needs and desires, too much stereotyping only imposes artificial barriers.
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I can't answer your question about "here" - we just took the children without booking to places like this instead. Here's a recent midsummer photo and it isn't full, is it. But families who want their children entertained on big, busy sites probably would book.
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To answer the OP, the Club is not a “touring” Club. Any site that allows all its pitches to be pre-booked can’t be described as touring friendly. This is not a criticism, just a statement of fact. There is such a short season in the UK when the weather is good and such a lack of quality sites it is no surprise that people clamour to book Club sites at weekends and holiday times.
If I wanted to genuinely tour the UK in holiday periods it would be a logistical nightmare to pre-book all the sites, then, if I wanted to change my plans on the move it would be almost impossible. Since I am not inclined to book any site at any time (except on very rare occasions) it effectively means I cannot tour in the UK. Hence we always head straight for Le Shuttle to that magical land where no booking is required.
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I find no problem in pre-booking. If I wanted to change plans on the move with CC sites it would not be a problem.
I doubt that there are many organisations that do not welcome pre-booking. A while back, probably 7 years ago, there were several good meal venues that did not permit prebooking for less than 12 people in our area. As I would regularly book meals for 6 to 8 people (often adding later) it meant that I never used those venues. Would not wish to arrive with say 9 people and be waiting an hour for seating to be sorted.
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I've just come across this thread and yet again I'm staggered at the amount of people who immediately get on the caravan verses motorhome argument. Without trawling through every grumbling post I shall just say that I read the original post as the club was annoyed with motorhomes/caravanners booking for a couple of days and therefore denying the club of more revenue for a whole weeks booking.
When I joined this "club" I was expecting to get good advice along with lots of good natured banter, that I have experienced with other forums. Such a shame that it's all ...........well,...........so boring
I'm positive that I'm not alone with this train of thought. I appreciate that there are members on here that have been members since Noah was a lad, but c'mon people stop being so gloomy!.
Sorry , needed to get that off my chest. Rant button now switched off
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When I joined this "club" I was expecting to get good advice along with lots of good natured banter, that I have experienced with other forums. Such a shame that it's all ...........well,...........so boring
Must disagree that its all so boring, the advice given is second to none and as for the rest you just take it, leave it, join in or opt out.
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When our children were young, they are now in their late forties,it was far easier to go where we wanted at short notice during the "peak" periods,but since the "explosion" of leisure vehicle sales, and now in the UK what seems a shortage of pitches,especially in the more popular holiday destinations,then booking is very much needed both here and over there, to save on the already, it seems, high stress levels of modern day living
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Oh believe me I'm well aware of the choices, and I agree, tech advice is excellent.
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well, this thread has got me somewhat worried about my future holidays. I bought a van because this is all I can do now that my wife has a brain injury so joined both clubs to get good sites to stay at, but I cannot book in advance as soon as they open the books as don.t know how she will be at that particular time and I think I will struggle to get a site because of the selfish diehards that have their finger ready on the button, so will have to hope private sites can accommodate us or just sell up and live a life of misery sat at home.
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There is normally not a problem booking most sites,yes there are one or two that are very popular,and a few that are busy at w/ends,but in the years we have been members, can probably count on one hand the times when a phone call to the site we would like to visit has not resulted in a booking being accepted,even at short notice ,there is a lot of "fake news" that probably comes from a disgruntled few who did not get the odd booking
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"...... because of the selfish diehards that have their finger ready on the button...."
I don’t see that as selfish, LL, and it’s not a nice thing to say about fellow club members. It’s what the system allows and the opportunity is the same for everyone. It’s a shame your circumstances don't allow you to book ahead but that’s not due to anything others do.
I doubt you'll have much of a problem getting pitches providing you are prepared to be flexible and avoid peak times.
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