Time for reduced rate for "small" campers
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I certainly don't think the club should be creating smaller pitches to sell at a discount. As has been mentioned newer sites promote the spacious nature of their pitches.
However, many of the CAMC's sites are fairly old and some of the pitches on the small / tight side and often not suitable for even our 7.34 m caravan. If we ever go down the route of being able to book a HS pitch type at a premium. Would it be unacceptable to discount those pitches only really suitable for vans of up to 6.5m. To me it would be a fairly natural progression. As a for instance, at an average priced site at peak. Grass £9, small HS £10, standard HS £12 and service pitch £15.
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Steve, good post...
rather than trying to create something artificial, each site could use what it has in the best way possible...
whilst still maintaining all existing spacing rules, as you say, each site will have a variety 'suitability' of pitches, and whilst ALL should be suitable for the majority of customers vans, it's fairly obvious that some will be less suitable to large vans (cramped) and more suitable to smaller vans.
its a pretty simple job to categorise pitches in the manner you suggest (with each site having its own spread of varying pitches) ending up with the options you describe...
of course, the CC booking system would need to reflect this, and there's always awning/non but perhaps this could be the opportunity to either make it different or not.
i don't see this sort of 'natural' reclassification as favouring any particular group as the small pithces would be suitable for small caravans and small MH alike.
to me, with a small price incentive, it might steer smaller vans towards smaller pitches, leaving the larger ones for larger vans...?
seems like a good idea....
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Don't you think that there are more than enough price variations across the sites already, without adding more!!
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Personally I don't see the issue. Many things we purchase are made up of multiple elements and the end price is not immediately obvious.
I decide when I want go and come back, what type of pitch, how many folk and the computer spits out a price. I either accept it or I don't.
If I was looking at simplification it would be the number of seasonal bands, which often seem totally OTT. Price variations for pitch size and type are merely an extension of what we already have and at least have a certain logic.
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I agree with Steve, the variations are much less about what you buy at CC and far more to do with when you buy it.....
other than a Service Pitch, and the tiny amount of non EHU sites, all other pitches cost the same....big, small, awning/non awning, HS/grass.
there are many a complaint threads about CC prices and the introduction of 'seasons' that cover all school holidays (anywhere in the world
) and BH and weekends and.....'R' in the month...which all keep the prices in the upper bands...its actually quite difficult to get a full week that's in a 'low' season...
following on from 'price' threads we have plenty of comment about 'tiny' MH occupying a large pitch while a 4x4/TA/awning was struggling to fit on another (less suitable?) pitch....
we have a single unit outfit and don't 'need' a massive pitch, but until the club recognises that (say) smaller/non awning pitches could be sold a little cheaper to attract smaller outfits, I'll carry on doing what everyone else does and book an awning pitch, although we don't have one, and pitch up on the largest awning pitch I can find...
if there were an incentive to choose a smaller pitch, or for the club to at least recognise there is a difference between all these pitche types, I might take the carrot...
until then, if your large outfit won't fit on a pitch as there are only smaller ones left.......
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I personally don't advocate what the OP suggests quote "Surely there should be a special rate for "small" campers with hook up, or "small" campers without." as when one joins any club one accepts that club's T & C's.
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The CAMC is a business.
Squeezed into an NCP pitch in Brighton (no facilities
) I pay £25 a day (no overnight parking) whether there are two of us in a Fiat 500 or 6 in a people carrier. It's more profitable that way for the operator.I could travel by bus.
Whether I'm 4' 11" or 6' 6" I pay the same for my hotel bed.
I could sleep in the car.
Yer pays yer money.............
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well. yes we do....and ill pay the going rate for the pitch, whatever it is..if i think it's what I want....
however, the point has been raised on many occasions that there are different types of pitch (grass, HS, awning, serviced, etc) and that being able to book a specific type would be really useful.
in order to do this, pitches would have to be categorised and designated within the CC booking system.
more and more threads have also picked up that some pitches feel more cramped than others, while also observing the 'small camper on a large pitch' scenario.
if the club were to embark on a reclassification of pitch type, it makes sense to ensure that any 'obviously smaller' pitches are categorised as such, which would be a more accurate reflection of the specific pitch fee but would also steer (possibly) customers towards a pitch which suits them best...small, large, awning, HS, grass, SP etc...
it worries me not to park my single unit on large spacious pitch, nor to see a 4x4/TA/awning set up struggle to get sited on a less 'suitable' pitch if this is how the club wants to organise itself.
its just that, as in many areas of life, customers are a bit more savvy these days and, despite the oft quoted T/Cs, it's becoming more obvious that one size definitely doesn't suit all....
yes, there are other providers who organise themselves this way, but CC customers don't want to be told 'go elsewhere' which seems to be the answer to all queries....
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Maybe it would help if I explained what prompted me to write this post initially?
On a site just over half full, I paid pitch fee and one person fee and was invited to chose my pitch. I asked if all the pitches were the fee, nothing cheaper for a small camper and was told there wasn't. Fine, so I wandered around and chose a pitch well away from all facilities as I don't mind walking.
During a 2 day stay, I was told by no less than 5 different people that I shouldn't be on that pitch as it was for bigger vans/didn't need such a big pitch etc. Calmly I explained that I had paid the same pitch fee as everyone else and had been invited to chose.
Maybe now, folk will appreciate my suggestions for smaller pitches at lower rates better. I hope so.
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well actually I don't.
I agree that I would be mildly annoyed by those people telling me that and I would have simply told them (if at all) to see the wardens, actually I would have told them to mind their own business!
And you did pay a cheaper fee pitch fee and one person I assume those HUGE outfits had more people than you?
And it has to be said you seemed to have the changed the goalposts and reasons for a lower rate form your OP:
It really hurts that I am charged the same rate as folk who have HUGE motorhomes using maximum electricity and taking up vast amounts of space with their camper and awning.
Surely there should be a special rate for "small" campers with hook up...
It was all about power usage (but you may have used more than them anyway?) and using now it's about being told you should not have been on that pitch?
Which one is it?
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Kilda, the sort of comment you received should not have been made, and I'm sure you were restrained in your response...you're right, it isn't any of their business...
however, it makes you wonder why anyone would say this?
perhaps they see a certain 'logic' in larger vehicles being more suited to larger pitches, and as you suggested, smaller vehicles being more suited to smaller pitches...
currently, we all pay the same pitch fee (irrespective of the number of people in the van, or how large the van) but with some pitches being obviously larger (or smaller) than others, I agree with you that, in order to attract smaller vehicles onto smaller pitches (only if they want one) then a reduced pitch fee might be the encouragement that warrants that decision.
of course, no one is suggesting that small vehicles 'must' make use of the smaller pitches on any site, however, if a customer is happy to make use of a smaller pitch, why not make that a little more attractive by reducing the pitch fee by, say, £2?
i can't say whether small vans use less electric than large ones, and nor can anyone else, but if smaller vans (or single units like MH, no car or large awning) feel happy to stay on a smaller pitch, isn't that good for arriving larger vans where this would leave a better choice of larger (not small) pitches?
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Posted on 27/04/2018 17:52 by Kilda.
Maybe it would help if I explained what prompted me to write this post initially?
That's a useful bit of context.
The comments you received were pathetic, intrusive and thoroughly uncalled for. Sadly it seems that there are too many bored curtain-twitchers on CAMC sites. On the bright side at least they're not your neighbours at home.
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The pitch fee is for the "pitch". The per person fee presumably covers the consumption of water and electricity by said person. If the pitch fee is deemed to be "one size fits all" then a micro van has every right to sprawl out on the biggest pitch although I can understand the frustration of a behemoth of a RV struggling to squeeze on to the remaining postage stamp pitch.
The microvan user accepts the limitation of space. The behemoth owner accepts the limitation that the size/manoeuvrability brings. It's no good either griping about the consequences of their own choice.
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Maybe a tad pedantic but rather than 'reserved' it is more allocated if I recall past threads on such things. Those allocated to specific pitches due to size get no choice on arrival, unlike the rest of us 'lucky' folk, they have to take that allocated to them.
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A lot of sites have the 'please phone if your outfits is bigger than...' or similar words and yes cones do get put out and pitches allocated (good word) to them. I've no problem with that, just like those that are allocated to disabled.
But, by buying or having a 'larger than average' outfit you are taking a risk that those larger pitches may be taken and that's the risk you have to take?
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A lot of sites have the 'please phone if your outfits is bigger than...' or similar words and yes cones do get put out and pitches allocated (good word) to them. I've no problem with that, just like those that are allocated to disabled.
But, by buying or having a 'larger than average' outfit you are taking a risk that those larger pitches may be taken and that's the risk you have to take?
Its can be the same for smaller outfits at some very popular sites. For instance Baltic Wharf quotes it is OK for vans of up to 8.5 metres. However many of the pitches are not suitable for this sort of length and some are only suitable for up to 6.5 metres. Therefore depending on the van sizes booked, smaller vans may also be allocated. I believe someone mentioned York was the same.
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and no problem with that, although that shouldn't really happen in my view - not the allocation I should add but rather not having pitches for 'normal' sized outfits. I've never considered it but 6.5 meters doesn't sound that large?
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The CMC has a policy of "one size fits all" they are not going to change this any time soon, so if anybody doesn't agree with it, the answer is simple --- Go Elsewhere.
Allocation of pitches is normal "elsewhere" and works very well.
K
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Our first van an Abbey was 6.47, so would have been within the parameters. Never thought of it as particularly small. It was a fixed bed 4 berth van. So quite a few vans will fall within that category. We always arrived soon after 12 and never had an issue as there were still plenty of pitches.
I have no problem with it as it is part of the T&C's that pitches might be allocated. However, I do think a better way would be to allow these smaller pitches to be booked at a discount. As I put earlier, I don't see this as a stand alone policy but as part of a wider change that allows the booking of pitch types. This would naturally lead to a price variation between grass and HS, so why not one between small and large.
In response to K9's point about allocation being normal elsewhere. They often also allow you to book a pitch type, (size and or surface) and the allocation is then one of these types.
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That throws up a raft of questions, Steve, such as are you proposing that smaller units (let's say sub 6m) must only use small pitches? What will happen when a tiny camper turns up and only larger pitches are available will he/she be turned away?
If the smaller unit still has a choice, there will be no change to the present arrangement as they will be able to, quite justifiably, select a larger pitch and risk being bombarded with nasty comments.
If smaller sub 6m units must use small pitches, are you suggesting a unit of 6.3m be barred from those pitches even though it might physically just fit?
I see it leading to disgruntled members being turned away as the 'right' size pitches are all taken whilst 'wrong' size pitches remain empty.
Leave things as they are is my opinion. Wardens have the right to allocate pitches according to the size of the unit and they are the ones on the ground who know the situation best at the time it occurs.
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Hear, hear. We have only ever had small touring outfits, but that has never stopped us using the largest pitches we can find. Space and privacy are at a premium on some Club Sites at certain times, it's something that now stops us using Club Sites at busy times. I don't go away to listen to next doors TV, or children, or arguments, or dog barking. We always carry two hook up cables, pays dividends on some CLs, we are in splendid isolation usually!
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No I am certainly not suggesting small units should only use small pitches TW. They would just like everyone else book the pitch of their choice, be it grass, small HS, standard HS or service pitch. On arrival everyone would be free to choose from those pitches available of the type they had booked. I previously suggested as a for instance average peak prices of £9, £10, £12 and £15 respectively.
So someone with a small van might choose to save £2 a night by booking one of the smaller HS's. Clearly if someone with a larger van tried to book one, the system would refuse the booking.
Personally I don't see being left with smaller pitches that you can't sell likely to be an issue. Sub 6.5 metre vans aren't that rare and saving £14 in a weeks stay will be attractive enough in my opinion. The club already use the 6.5 m cut off on pitches on a few sites we have used, so I would suggest this as a reasonable figure.
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The only real difference you're suggesting is a monetary saving on smaller pitches, Steve. This would obviously have to be compensated by increasing prices on larger pitches, as you illustrate, which could lead to a rush for smaller pitches and perhaps people might even be tempted to understate the size of their units.
Conversely, as small pitches are often jammed in dark corners, there may be no call for them at all which makes the whole thing pretty pointless.
I feel you are suggesting complications that aren't necessary. We have enough pricing variation as it is and, I repeat, wardens handle the situation according to circumstances at the time.
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Berwick is a very good example of where pitch sizing would be advantageous. There are some very popular pitches, where you can put your van nose in to give you an unobstructed view out to sea. When we had our previous van we could have used them if available. Now with a 7.34 m van we can't, we are just too long.
So why not make them bookable. In this case they could even be marketed at a premium.
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