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As a 'former' family member, the club (and caravaning) was the cheapest way of holidaying. All other holiday companies put their prices up in peak and the club with its kids for a £1 (or even 1p when I did it) is certainly cheaper than most other forms of taking your family away. £30 per night for all the family (and dog and awning) away is pretty good compared to B&B or hotels? Or the £1000 for a holiday abroad?
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Elima, club fees very often are cheaper than commercial sites in peak season for families. It’s off peak when the commercials do their special offers that they become cheaper. There will always be exceptions to this so no need for anyone to point that out.😗
No one actually forces any of us to pay membership fees so we can all walk away if it no longer suits.
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I would have thought that most who use the sites do not go as individuals. Perhaps the price for "one plus pitch" is used because any other (eg for 2 adults) may have been considered as potentially showing that Club sites are expensive!
Regarding the "paper price list", I phoned the number on Monday and the person I spoke to was very vague. After taking my details, he put me on hold so he could find out more. I was on hold so long that I gave up.
I then sent an e-mail to the Club asking to be put on the list for a paper copy. The reply stated that they didn't keep such lists and could I get back to them in mid January.
So anyone wanting a paper copy - don't contact the Club yet!
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I think (nay know) I used the word cheapest, not cheap - there is a difference
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You may have thought it was the cheapest way of holidaying in your younger days, but my own grown up children look at the current cost of purchasing caravans, storage, servicing, insurance, tow cars, fuel consumption and site fees - and shake their heads. They have lots of cheaper options without that capital outlay - tents, hostels, Airbnb, and renting static vans.
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know what you mean, ET...son and partner (apparently skint
) going to Sri Lanka tomorrow, while next week we are heading to Broadway
of course, we will be doing plenty of other stuff throughout the next year that they won't, but your point is valid....they wouldn't want to even think of buying (and running) a caravan and decent suitable tow car etc.....
they have a car and a tent for 'camping breaks'.....in good weather only
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Costs and value mean different things to different people, some like wild camping some like Necker Island. Each would argue the value.
I view van costs as being amortised over the the ownership period. So with a damp finger here goes.
IMO I would have to run a car anyway, so the cost of the van over its onwership of say 7 - 10 years minus resale value is about £1k a year plus service insurance and other sundries say totals £2k/yr to run and own. holidays average 100 nights site fees = £1.5k then there is the additional cost of being away fuel, food etc in excess of "normal" costs approx £1.5k. so that's £5k= so approx £50/night all inclusive 2-4 people and dog (UK travel) which I view as good value.
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Yes agree, and in answer to ET and BB, you should look at the cost over time.
when we looked at caravaning we did some homework. A family holiday at that time (we had four children) was about £1500/£2000 for one two week holiday in the sun. That was affordable but that would have been it, For about £8000 (this was nearly 20 years ago) we could get a new van and use it all year round. In three/four years the van's initial cost would have paid for itself and then yearly holiday costs would decrease. It was by far a much cheaper option.
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A bit late in picking this up I know but this is where the Club could step in and expand on here what exactly is meant by a 25 percent increase in energy costs. I.m left believing it is down to consumption and DSB seems to add weight to that fact.
peedee
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I view van costs as being amortised over the the ownership period. So with a damp finger here goes.
Going a bit off track here but I am led to believe that from new in the first year you take a big hit (lose the VAT?) and in years 1 to 9 depreciation is 5 percent per annum then 15 percent in its 10th year. after than I have no idea.
These are the figures I use for insured value.
peedee
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This year, maybe because of the change in the booking system, they have tried to be a bit more transparent about it.
That did make me smile David; the thought of transparency did amuse me somewhat. Sadly I stopped believing in the Easter Bunny and Santa many years ago. Guess that I must be a cynic
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interesting....my son and partner both work full time for the emergency services....they have just (2 years ago) bought a flat....
they didn't have a car and cycled to work......I gave them my old Audi when we downsized to a single 'city car'....
they couldn't afford the huge deposit on their Bristol property so 'we helped' make it happen....
a car parking place was another £10k....which was a stretch too far...
the Audi is now 16 years old, still flying but starship miles from my original business use and to think they could find a replacement to tow a caravan they can't afford (and nowhere to keep) is totally unrealistic......
so, they 'go away' at short notice on the cheapest flights possible, back pack and use cheap hotels and the like, eating local food, often in the street....
they love what they do and have seen the world....more than us and we are pretty well travelled....
they like the occasional family get together at a site that takes vans, their tent, lodges etc....but this is not their idea of a (real) holiday...
IMHO, caravanning/MHing certainly isn't a cheap form of holidaying, not in the way most forum members do it......£40k tow cars every 3/4 years and £25k caravans every other NEC show...
add in the fixed costs to maintain new(ish) cars/vans and it really starts to pile up..
then the fuel, ferry costs, site fees for (perhaps) 20-30 weeks touring a year......
I do have some numbers but I'm loath to add it all up.....yes, I can afford it but 'cheap', (nor 'cheapest') it ain't....
back OT, I'm glad to say that our (nor their) electricity costs have risen by 25% this year.....
is Martin Lewis a member?
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how come we never get any of the emails?
It may well be that your contact 'preferences' prohibit emails...of any kind..including marketing offers etc. Check your membership profile....
Aside...the rationale for the increase in some site fees is stated as Energy/Utility cost have increased....together with a rise in the 'Living Wage'...
Agree, the 'other' club prices are relatively cheaper..but then most sites are in the middle of a field..in the middle of nowhere ! In addition, unlike this club, the C&CC have not yet purchased one new site...
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"IMHO, caravanning/MHing certainly isn't a cheap form of holidaying, not in the way most forum members do it......£40k tow cars every 3/4 years and £25k caravans every other NEC show..."
Really, BB? You think "most" forum members do that? It's a good job I don't let Mrs M anywhere near the forum then!
I guess your reference to expensive tow cars and caravans just as easily applies to changing Motorhomes as well, but I have to say, you must move in very different circles to us! 
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yes, MHs are expensive too.....but I'd say most keep them longer than folk keep caravans, wouldn't you?
..and with the size (weight) of many caravans these days, suitable tow cars don't come cheap.
the Swift forum is full of folk with 'the latest....., must have', plenty of upgrades going on on other branded (not ours) forums too....
..but I don't move in those circles (I though that was vanners looking for the best CC pitch) I just read about them...
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I'm not sure about "most", BB - I can only speak for myself. Our present van is approaching 10 years old and cost, I seem to recall, around £14000 new when we bought it. We have no intention of trading it in any time soon,
How long did you have your previous MH before changing?
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The "new" cars every 3yrs could be the result of three things that i can think of
1 "motorbility" cars
2 the fairly new idea of leasing cars
3 company cars
and it also seems to be spreading to leasing motor caravans
as for c/vans not sure that is correct that they are changed that often
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two years....but I am not 'most'
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We came into this hobby not out of any desire for a 'cheap' holiday but because OH was in the military and holidays were something we (at that time) couldn't predict. So booking 6 mths ahead to fly off somewhere didn't happen.
We had the opportunity to buy a small 3/4 berth caravan secondhand, we had a car that would tow it so we thought lets have a go. Our first break away was Whitsun 1980 to the New Forrest, with 2 small children ages 4 and 2, the rest is history as they say.
Over that time we have had 8 caravans and 1 MH, we did have a break for a few years after we returned to this country with 2 teenagers. In that time we have had 4 brand new caravans and 1 MH the rest were secondhand and 1 of them we were given by OH's Mum.
Cheap is certainly not a word I would use for our hobby, we recently went back to a caravan from a MH for many reasons, 1 of them was the shear cost of changing one MH for another one. We feel we have better VFM with the car and caravan combination. As I said this was only 1 of the reasons we changed, we do have sufficient funds to buy a new top of the range German MH should we wish to do so, however we don't. We prefer to have what we have and to have sufficient funds available, to do lots of other things as well and to be able to help our sons should they require it (they don't at the moment)
Anyway back on track I've booked a short break away using C&MC site next Spring prior to our overseas trip, we can check out the van etc and have a good time while doing it, that's what its all about isn't it.
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well my eldest daughter is just buying her first house three years from her degree and working for E&Y with no help from me. We bought our first house within one year of working, I guess it's down to who you work for and qualifications you earn along the way that make it happen?
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oh.....and the market rate of the area you live in, perhaps?
youre moving this thread into 'four Yorkshiremen' territory, Corners...
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