What next for the hobby?

Having been a caravanner and motorhomer for nearly the last 50 years I can certainly claim to have seen many changes. The ‘good old days’ where a Club site, usually a field, had if you were lucky a water tap and a drain for disposal, and nowt else has morphed in to what some may feel are sorts of car parks where pitches are in lines with sometimes what seems to be not a lot of room between. But then there is  the good side of heated washrooms and hot showers etc, not an Elsan, and if you need to ask what an Elsan is, you are too young. Of course the costs have also changed drastically and a night’s fees can be in the order of £30 these days. Some will argue that that is still a cheap holiday but others will point out that organisations such as ACSI offering rates of 17 – 22 euros per night in Europe and often including facilities such as swimming pools, restaurants etc may make the UK Club sites a tad expensive. It is your choice of course.

However, the main point I am trying to put across is that over the years there has been a drastic increase in caravanners and motorhomers and I do wonder if we are getting to a saturation level. I read that sales of motorhomes are rising rapidly each year and I see adverts from dealers offering stocks of 100 vehicles at a time and i do wonder where they are all going to go, certainly within the UK. Yes, more sites are opening up but are they keeping up with demand. We see with the Club how some sites are booked solid for weekends a year ahead which makes the old mantra of ‘going where you want, when you wish’ a bit cliche’d. Yes, there is the alternative of the CL/CS sites system but even there booking ahead is often the norm. France has provided a system of aires which allow motorhomes a cheaper alternative to a regular site, which allows in turn caravanners more options, unless the transfer of customers leads to the closure of the original site, which has happened on occasions. In addition many sites now install ‘bungalows’ which reduces the number of touring pitches available. It seems a bit like a snakes and ladders scenario. Many people buy motorhomes with the so called attraction of ‘wild camping’ but I regret that even that is a diminishing option due to over camping and often inconsiderate behaviour. The Scottish islands are swamped these days and locals are demanding that restrictions be put in place so that they can just go about their normal day to day business. Off season used to be a good way to go where you wanted at almost any time but here again the popular places are often fully booked. We regularly go to Spain but the site we frequently use is an all year site for almost 400 outfits. But trying to get a pitch between October and March can be very difficult indeed as it is so popular with the ‘snowbird’ generation. There has been standing joke on the site that to get a pitch you needed to wait until someone passed away and jump in quick for their pitch. Booking a year ahead is the norm these days. That suggests to me that camping per se is morphing into a package holiday system where you book well in advance a certain place to get what you want. That is a long way away from where it all started. Even this week I looked at options for ferries to Spain to see that certain cabins are already fully booked for next June etc. A hammock on deck methinks.

I am not trying to be morbid about it as I enjoy camping but wonder what is next. I could offer some ‘black humour’ by stating that once the baby boomer generation have passed on, there should be plenty of places available as evidently we are cluttering up everything. But then again the Millenials complain they cannot buy homes or anything else so I suspect motorhomes may be well down the list. Never mind, sit back with a G&T or whatever, enjoy the area where you are staying and just hope it doesn't rain, and by the way, let me know when you plan on moving so I can get your pitch!!!!!!