So what did the Club ever do for Motorcaravanners?
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Allow members to call in a site for a fee to use the MSVPs. I see this complimenting CL usage and make them more attractive to Motorhomers. It isn't always easy to use facilities on a CL. (there are nearly a 1000 CLs offering hard standing which motorhomers could use)
Are you trying to say that these fully contained, no facilities needed, go anywhere, sleep anywhere motorhomers cannot manage on a basic CL? Sounds like either the wrong choice of RV or the wrong choice of site. Or maybe they need a waste water carrier?
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Some can ET. Some carry pipes to allow waste water to soak away in hedgerow with CL owners permission. Some also carry a fold up bucket..... 😁
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Nor me!
And, although we probably use considerably less electricity than the average, I still fail to see why the expense and complication of metering is preferable to the option, for the small number who want it, of declining EHU altogether. Just imagine a popular site like say, Broadway with several units calling at reception to give in meter readings and pay between say, 11:30 and 12 whilst a whole lot of others are queuing waiting to check in - a warden's nightmare surely?
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It would not bother us either way now. Our caravan was not equipped for off grid, our MH is. We have been playing about with it and would have no problem going for several days. Everything we require runs on 12 volt or gas. If doing without on a standard pitch was on offer, we would certainly give it a go. However, I am quite happy to continue using CC sites under the current arrangements. I certainly would not want or expect them to go to great expense installing meters, just so I could plug in if I fancied it.
Personally I think in the longer term, as more EV's appear on sites, meters are inevitable. However, it would make sense to install them as older ones require replacing, even if not initially used.
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On the subject of metering and paying for usage, this could be facilitated by the Club holding a member's credit card details on file and cost passed on with minimal additional workload for wardens. It would also enable late cancellation penalties being imposed as i have suggested in the past. ANPR could then also automate booked arrivals with appropriate fees being levied. Just think how much more time would be available for grass cutting and toilet cleaning.
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didn't PD state that the cost of changing to a metered bollard would cost £125+ per pitch? And how often are bollards replaced? Also at present one bollard sometimes covers three pitches, so it is no just a case of replacing one unless a number of meters could be installed in one bollard?
I still think the club is making profit on EHU, we don't know what the electricity cost is in the all inclusive price, but maybe it is set above the average?
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I fully agree with DSB’s comment
“My first observation is that, judging by the number of motorhomers I see on Club sites, many seem to be happy using the facilities that are already available, otherwise they wouldn't use the network. However we should always strive to improve things motorhomers and caravanners.”
Therefore I personally would prefer the club’s money be put into acquiring more sites and/or upgrading facilities for use by all on current sites.
IMHO developing LNA’s into ‘Nightstops’ would not be a cost-effective use of the club’s money.
With regards to metering and the possibility in the future of replacing old bollards perhaps they could be linked directly to the club’s bank and work like electric charging bollards or pay at the pump type at garages. Just a thought.
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We don't know but I presume that the charge for the pitch includes a pro rata charge for the annual cost per pitch night based on the previous years usage and current price per KW hour. If so then this would mean a loss in winter on that element and a gain in summer
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“With regards to metering and the possibility in the future of replacing old bollards perhaps they could be linked directly to the club’s bank and work like electric charging bollards or pay at the pump type at garages. Just a thought.”
At check in we could purchase pre-paid lekky cards from the warden. These would be inserted in the meter to work and prevent fraudulent use of the hook up. No refund of any unused balance would mean no need to calculate any bills on check out and no queues forming. Perhaps the cards could eventually work across the whole network so nothing need be wasted.
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I would like some way to top them up somehow, perhaps on line. During the day you could go to the office and buy another but I can just see the pre-paid money running out at say 10pm?
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Peedee said:
Two other points worth making which would in my view go a long way to making the Club more motorhome friendly would be the introduction of:.
1. The ability to book hard standings
2. Allow members to call in a site for a fee to use the MSVPs.
I think most of the members on CT who have been here for sometime will know my view on the ability to book hardstandings for everyone - bring it on!!
I can see the attraction of 2, and may well be worth following this up. The only problem I can see might be 'managing it' - but that could very well depend in the degree of use of the facility. Presumably some form of 'opening hours' would need to be decided - perhaps the opening hours of the office. Would this be difficult to standardise over the network? These could all be small points, and there may well be a way around them.
Metered electric: I am guessing here, but I suspect this may be an issue for the future in any case, in some form or another. I know the Club are aware that there are members who are bringing 'electric' cars on to site that need charging. At the moment, it is only a small number, but if this increases, I guess the Club will need to devise some sort of payment system if it is thought that charging cars on site is making a significant difference to the overall cost for each member to use electric. The Club are aware but at present it is not widespread. I think it may well be a question of 'watch this space.. '
David
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The only way that metered electricity is going to be cost effective is to include upgrade of the EHU bollards during the rolling programme of si te upgrades and to install as noted on the Norfolk Broads where the EHU is used via a prepaid card ,and speaking to a boat user it works but to carry a spare topped up card as its sods law one card only will run out at the most inconvenient time
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The meter should tell you when the balance is getting low so there’s chance to buy another before cut off but topping up online is a good thought, Corners, as long as there’s an internet connection.
Otherwise, it’s akin to being off grid and having the gas cylinder run out in the middle of cooking tea on the warden’s day off. 😂
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at schools people can top up their food card at a machine, (some machines just need you to put your thumb on the reader and don't need the card at all), this top up machine could be anywhere on site and doesn't have to be in the office.
It really wouldn't change what I would use on holiday and I'm still against the idea as it's so much easier with the system as it is with the all inclusive price, but I suppose the option of not having EHU could be looked at.
Of course I wonder what the take up would be?
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I’ve met those machines in ‘cashless’ canteens as well.
Like you, I don’t want to see metering and, as I said in another thread, it would make no difference to my lekky consumption as comfort and convenience take priority. I can see, though, that it may happen one day but hopefully not for a good while yet.
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Ha ha, that’s another caravanning “rite of passage” It’s either cold curry, or in our case unpack the tiny camp stove, still there for emergencies!🤣
It would be good to have a few more sites that give a choice on hook up or not. Lots of CLs used to do this, although they are scarce nowadays. I know it’s something we would choose in the Summer, either van or MH. But we are frugal electric users, by choice, no TV, microwave etc.... It’s not for everyone. From what we have witnessed on all sorts of sites, there are probably more untrustworthy souls around than you might think as well, double hook ups in use, something like CL owner mentioned on another thread whereby visitors pay for no hook up, but then charge every device known to man in information Hut etc..........not leaving payments in honesty boxes, we have seen it happening. I’ve no idea on EV charging, how much it cost away from home etc......
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M, you're looking at the issue from the wrong end of the telescope
how do you think some of the larger continental sites manage it..?
looks like we're back to the constraints of the 'club staffing model'.
until this is looked at in combination with any future changes, the 'full sequential timetable' that the wardens work to limits pretty much anything else inserted into the day....
couple that with the rigid arrival times and you have a system that is anything but flexible, with no allowance for ongoing process change...
the sites we've used this spring have all managed to get us checked in and hooked up (or unhooked) or meter read at start (or end) of stay with out any fuss...
none of this or the scores (hundreds in the case of La Manga) impacts on the running of the site or the service offered....they are just geared up differently and take this sort of thing in their stride...
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I'm not sure, I still like to have hot water, microwave, electric kettle and the female camp followers like their hair dryers.
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BB - you know full well that I agree with you about arrival/departure arrangements. But we are where we are and as you yourself pointed out on another thread "you're guaranteed a queue if you arrive at 12 at Broadway".
This constant comparison with sites (which happen to be "elsewhere") is wearing very thin.
It seems that nothing less than a wholesale transformation of club sites and rules to match what you've experienced "elsewhere" will satisfy you. But there are hundreds of thousands of units happily using club sites under the current arrangements.
Now, instead of constantly "harping on" (
) about the same things over and over again, why not accept a compromise arrangement - decline EHU if that suits. Easy to implement and surely a large part of what you're arguing for?3 -
Don’t disagree in principal BB. This country values staffing of anything, be it hospitals, law and order, supermarkets, cleaning public toilets merely as a budget heading. Hence why we don’t have enough human beings actually carrying out duties.
Some tasks can be done remotely or by technology, but some quite clearly cannot. So it’s squeeze or lose the human factor, and the cycle gets worse. A single Warden couple, looking after a site have huge responsibilities delegated to them, so much could go wrong. But the wages won’t truly reflect this. Wages and energy costs are usually the two single budget headings that are most expensive, so they are either squeezed or prices raised to make up the required deficit. Or something closes. Like Club Site seasons shortening. And two price rises in a single year.
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and you are still 'harping on' and 'squealing' (your own words remember directed at M and caravaners so I'm sure you won't mind them being directed at you) about how the model and practices over there are better than over here and should be adopted.
It is different not better.
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+1 very very thin
PS snap
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