Increasing pitch numbers
Comments
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so, should we not have a differential for service pitches or economy ones?
perhaps it's the 'halfway house' approach that the club has which is 'confusing'...why have a price difference for an SP yet charge the same for grass or HS...or even awning and non awning?
awning pitches must be 'seen' as 'more valuable' as everyone who's commented says they book one in preference to a non awning one..
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More thinking of a lateral nature. The number of CLs is reducing at a steady pace (for reasons there is a seperate thread to discuss this). The Club has lower overheads than individual CLs. There is no need at a CL for a permanent warden presence.
Put that together and the Club could take over the running of groups of CLs. Administration, booking and payment through existing Head Office and web site, itinerent warden (who stays at one if the CLs) calls once a day for checks, and each day cuts the grass at one or two CLs. One warden pair could cover 15 CLs, provided they were in close(ish) proximity. Small rental paid to landowner - which might turn out to be more than they get at present, especially if CL runs at a loss.
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totally agree +1 on the SP. Again that will come as well
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Economy pitches, no hook up, incur less cost to Club, saving passed onto members. Few probably choose them though nowadays, and the ones we have been on have always been grass. Lots of space though!
Here's an interesting photo for you. A rare shot of a Club Site with oodles of space! We hopped about from pitch to pitch this holiday, the whole lower section of Bolton Abbey to ourselves one Autumn.......
Second photo is another Club Site, Yellowcraig, height of Summer, but a lovely little pitch tucked away. We are not as close into the trees as looks, plenty of room to extend awning. But ok for sitting out, great views, all we could hear was birds singing and waves from beach rolling. A world away from neat lines, all squashed together.
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I haven't read all the posts but most comments have all been made before many times.
We always book an awning pitch, nothing to do with putting up and awning just wanting more space and for that I would be happy to pay for it (or less for non awning)
Its strange that this always seems to rear its head over the off season months. Could it be that it is more apparent that awnings are not being used at that time of year.
We tour all year round and yes in bad weather folk generally don't put up awnings, but to design a site on that basis would be fool hardy. Surely all pitches should be of a decent size.
We recently joined the other club and have used 2 of their sites, I have to say that on both occasions I did feel a little squashed in by choosing a non awning pitch. The van had just enough room to walk round it without going onto the grass. Had we have been a caravan the car would have had to be parked across the front of the pitch. The space between pitches was maintained but because the pitches were narrow the whole appearance and feel was cramped.
We have not used Aires so maybe that is the difference to those who have, we like to have our own space when spending time away not sat within a few feet of the next van listening to their conversations and TV. Sites are sites and for that you pay the premium.
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TDA, looks like the deployed canopy wasn't for keeping the sun off...
i can understand why it was deserted....
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Yes it can...at some sites...Chatsworth for one..have chem disposal at side of grey waste...
and that was my point...make all pitches fully serviced with same fee..
Afterthought...your post suggests differential between motorhome and caravan....could this be a discussion for different area/pitches on CaMC site...Many sites abroad have adopted this to avoid disruption on the main caravan section...plus the enemy of motorhomes..Grass !!
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Wet in the Autumn I grant you, but the Summer at Yellowcraig was nice. The site was nearly full by the way, very popular. Most folks can't cope with grass though, they prefer the crunch of steel slag. Yellowcraig is sandy, very firm. We tour in all seasons, have to limit ourselves to UK for a variety of reasons.
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The Club have gone one better in some locations. They have put in ensuite bathrooms! At a premium price though!
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Now - a bath! That is the way to go. Does the warden clean it just daily, or after every use?
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No way would I want ALL pitches to be serviced, why would I when I don't need one. Why should I be forced to pay for something that I am not using. I'm more than happy to have a standard pitch.
Choice is what we all require, serviced, awning, non awning, H/S, grass etc. and each should have its own pricing structure as the other club do and most commercials. But what ever let's not make the pitches that small that it would restrict some members from using them.
As a caravanner for many years, it used to bug the hell out of me to turn up to a site and fine that although I had booked an awning pitch, all that was left was a long thin strip where it was almost impossible to get caravan and full awning + barrels and car on pitch. The car had to be parked across front of van (which I hate) Then walking round the site you would see tiny campers on the big wide awning pitches.
When talking to a warden on day it was of course pointed out that they had paid the same price and where members just the same as us, quiet rightly. The other point made was that wardens were not allowed to allocate pitches by size of outfit. Maybe that was something they would have liked to be able to do who knows.
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I don't understand your post there DD, are you being forced to pay for a SP?
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Appreciate your rationale Tammygirl...but forced ??..Could be argued that many caravaners with their multi thousand pound mobile home do not require the use of a toilet block, the service points, the dog walk or the recently installed (at some sites) dog showers....but we still 'contribute' to the overall site infrastructure...(for reference to talk to the many CaMC members who use the clubs non facility sites)...I was simply offering my personal preference how I would like to see pitches developed on CaMC sites...which incidentally would remedy your 'hate' of parking across the front of the van...
Incidentally, I often see Motorhomes on fully service pitches..which I think I am correct in saying that is to guarantee a HS...unlike the C&CC where you can specifically book a HS..
Afterthought...agree with you on 'small camper on large pitch"...been there got the T shirt..another reason for my personal preference for pitch size/fee
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why should you be 'forced' to make any choice about what you spend your money on? It is what is best for you? If this isn't what you want in a shop, car, club site.... then don't buy it. You do have a choice.
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well is there any evidence that pitches are being lost though? That an actual pitch was converted in to a pod? I don't know? Or where they just up on some other land on that site?
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Chatsworth is quite an old site now and as far as I know is unique in having some pitches with their own individual chemical emptying points. The Club have never installed on any other site so does this suggest, a) they are too expensive or b) there is a problem like smell being so close to a caravan/motorhome?
David
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As far as a MH with a wind-out is concerned, every pitch is an awning pitch, as the awning occupies the space normally taken by the tow car.
With an increasing percentage of MH's, it makes sense to design pitches accordingly, but this would only work properly if there was a price differential.
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The brand new site at Love2Stay has a chemical emptying point on every one of its pitches. As far as I could detemine it went into the same drain as the grey water emptying point.
There should not be any smell since (1) everone aught to be using a chemical of some origin in the waste holding tank and (2) adequate rinsing will carry material away.
This is, after all, how things are arranged in permanent domestic dwellings (apart from the lack of chemicals). The establishment of seperate chemical emptying points stems from the use years ago of formaldehyde as the chemical, and it having a killer effect on the bacteria in septic tanks. Now that the chemicals are so safe some people wash their clothes in them, it could probably all go down the same drain on most sites.
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I don't think pitches are being lost to glamping pods. Not sure about the wooden hut pods. Most of the premium glamping pitches/units appear to be slightly away from touring pitches?
I would suggest that all most of us are now doing, to one degree or another are suggesting changes based upon our needs now, and what sort of outfit we have now. So, slightly biased to some extent. If you roll back the years, think about how we toured years ago, most of the tasks are the same, it's just that we perhaps are less able at actually coping with those tasks, so want everything to hand, need things to be much easier. Nothing wrong with that, keeps us all going. But there are a lot of younger members out there, happy enough doing a few chores to keep prices a bit lower so that they can tour with families. There are a lot of older members still willing and able to carry out most tasks. The Club with its mix of pitches at the moment caters for most groups, including those requiring statutory modifications. What it is having trouble coping with, is the larger size of most units, and the older sites where pitch space is at a premium at certain periods.
New site? Make sure it has half a dozen overnight pull ins, nothing fancy, bare minimum regulation spacing, open for use by vans as well, (car parked elsewhere.) Hook up on a meter, priced separately from main site, tap for fill up, access to cdp, to be vacated by 10am, late arrivals up to 10pm. Outside of barriers. You want to stay? You take the conditions, and the price. One night stays only.
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