CL Pricing - just a conspiracy theory
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We have friends in Thornford so it sounds as if you might be very well placed for us when we visit them.
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All sounds good, mp. Definitely one for use to consider when you are up and running. I'll be keeping my eyes open for the name Cherry Cottage in the list of new CLs. Hope that it's soon and that all goes well with it's setting up, and that you get many visits when it does.
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As a fellow CL owner, I fully endorse Ian's observations. What I would add is that there has been a paradigm shift in costs borne, not only by CLs but all caravan and motorhome sites.
10 years ago, electric heating of vans was rare. Vans were heated by on-board gas, purchased by the van owner.
Today, the vast majority of modern vans are heated by electricity, paid for by the site owner. This has vastly increased the costs of all sites and hence the rise in pitch fee that are so often complained about.
Also, more councils are charging CLs for business rates, rubbish collection etc. etc. than they were.
I think you can expect an increasing number of CLs - particularly new ones - to install electric meters.
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“10 years ago, electric heating of vans was rare. Vans were heated by on-board gas, purchased by the van owner.”
I believe electric heating was as common 10 years ago as it is today. Even 20 years ago it was still common. That is not to deny costs have increased but electric heating is not a recent innovation and my first van with electric heating was built in 1992.
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Yes, when we bought our previous van in 1998, all the vans we looked at came with both electric and gas heating.
Our first van, back in 1973, had no heating at all, but once EHUs became more available I fitted a hook up point to the van and we used a small electric fan heater. That must have been back in the late 70s.
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Quite so, KJ. Site costs may well have risen in recent years but it cannot be blamed on electric heating becoming available in the last 10 years. That appears to be searching for a scapegoat to hang the increased cost label on. What has happened in recent years is that caravanning has become much more popular.
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We still own a 1984 example of dual heating. Both water and space heating. But it doesn’t have a microwave, an electric hob or lots of other fancy electronic gadgets.😀
Electrical consumption has rocketed on most sites, without a doubt. The genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no going back if anyone wanted to now. It’s down to individual preference how power needs and usage are managed. Personally, metering wouldn’t be an issue for us, we have long got used to using metered cottages down the years, although these are becoming more of a rarity. We have a few friends who own CLs, it’s becoming a major topic of conversation about how much power some visitors consume. And these are not folks who rely on CL for major income, just as an add on to other main businesses. Folks are turning up with huge outfits, huge awnings, extra fridges, two TVs, electric blankets, space heaters, etc..... We have had vans next to us blow 16amps day after day. Personally, I would rather pay £12 per night and metered electric rather than £20 all in. I know who would be winning.
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Good post TTDA and that about increased consumption oh so very true.
You must have had a fairly unique van if in 1984 to have dual fuel space heating. I think generally it wasn't until the mid 90s that it became more widely available. My top of the range 1992 Eldis only had gas heating and it wasn't until I changed to a motorhome in 2001 that I had electric heating and an electric hot plate, the latter hardly got used, too slow to cook.
My current van has 2Kw electric heating but no microwave and no hot plate. The only new electric gadget I have introduced over the years is a 70w slow cooker, in fact in terms of consumption, I reckon I have cut down over the years changing to 12v as much as possible. I am probably an exception but I like to be free to use any type of site and not place a relience on EHU.
peedee
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The heating wasn’t the only exceptional thing PD, it’s still in fantastic condition, and the only damp, a tiny spot on inside adjacent to a bit of external trim is down to us not noticing a trim screw had worked loose! Built to last, built to be comfortable. Owes us nothing. We paid £2000 for it in 1996. We bought a second version, slightly longer. Did this up and made a profit after six years use. We kept that one down in Cornwall. 😀We truly caravan on the cheap!
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People think Alde is a relatively new invention but it’s been around for decades. 🙂
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Yep, our 1984 big van had Alde. Not as high tech as nowadays, but it did it’s job very well. Had finned radiator panels all the way around the van, even in the bathroom. Toasty seats, toasty bathroom.
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We enjoy CL sites throughout the year and very much appreciate the low pitch fees. We sometime wonder how the site owners make a living. We pay plus/minus £15 a night but very little either way including EHU. We have been on sites where a bit of rain was forecast and the punters who had booked 10 nights, left after a couple of days leaving the site owners out of pocket. We’ve been down to North Wales and witness CL owners spending a lot of time having to separate all the recycling up due to strict local laws. All because the campers couldn’t be bothered to stick their rubbish in the correct bins. The CL owners do a lot for a bit of extra earning and there is no wonder why they are dropping out on mass and that is both clubs. Cherish your CL’s because a lot of us can’t afford club sites for a week or even a weekend away. They need to be respected and take into consideration they are not an organisation that has a paid member of staff to take your call at all hours or an online inquiry waiting for you to tap a conversation into your keyboard. Generally they are just like you and I, who get a bit miffed getting a call at times when you or I would not even entertain picking the phone up. CL sites are a big reason people join the club but when they are gone, then we wont be away too often.
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