Commercial Benefits of Motorhome Towns - Campaign
Throughout the continent towns and villages go out of their way to attract and provide facilities for Motorhome visitors, I'm sure they see the benefit of say 10 motorhomes staying overnight, typically 20 people, if only 50% eat out each night that is still 10 covers at £25 per head etc. soon mounts up over the year, not to mention use of local supermarkets, shops and museums etc.
In the UK we are seeing ever more restrictions imposed, height barriers, no over night parking etc. with only a few towns providing facilities. Negative publicity such as accused of littering the area, emptying waste tanks at the side of the road. I'm sure much of which is unjustfied and possibly down none motorhome visitors.
Having said that I agree with some residents concerns, if I lived on the coast at Lythm would I want to see a line of motorhomes blocking my view - almost certainly not.
My question is what is being done to counter this negative view and to encourage local authorities to provide parking and waste facilities.
Not the sort of campaign an individual can run but I would expect the Caravan & Motorhome club to take the lead on this - does it have a publicity officer working on this ?
What are other peoples views ?
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There are two strands to the subject of motorhome parking, overnight provision and daytime parking provision. I wonder if expecting the Club to promote overnighting wouldn't be a bit like expecting turkeys to vote for Christmas? It doesn't seem to be something they have supported in the past.
Having said that there have been some good examples of local authorities making provision of overnight stays. Canterbury springs to mind and there are others as well. Perhaps the way to go is the promote the positive rather than the negative to persuade other councils there might be benefits in providing such facilities.
Who should promote and co-ordinate it. I think that is the more difficult question to answer. The Clubs would be the obvious choice but is that going to happen. Perhaps Visit Britain could be more influential?
David
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I've always considered the club as being backward in not coming forward, so to speak. People who are "anti" caravanners/mhs would probably be more amenable if the economics were spelt out to them.
There was a joint survey with other organisations including the C&CC about how much we spend as tourists not so long ago. This should be repeated more often.
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John, I agree with you that 'the system' works well over there, with communities happily accepting the provision of good MH parking (day and night) in aires in exchange for the (perceived?) benefit they bring.
we use several stop overs each way on both of our 'long tours' every year and call in and shop, get fuel/supplies/wine and use restaurants.
however, the Campingcaristes have been doing this with communities for a long time and they are happy to share the mutual benefits.
unfortunately, not so in the UK where MHs are a blight, despite great facilities at Canterbury and a few other places.
the CC has no interest in MH activities outside of the club, except to state that their view is that MH getting 'serviced' away from sites means encouraging wild camping....not so if there are other designated stopovers...and that they would be losing £25 a night to each van that stayed on an aire and not on a cc site....whatever benefit it deemed to bring to the host town.
i remember there was much excitement about the prospect of a MH aire at Lodmoor, Weymouth but the cheif objectors were the 'proper campsites' complaining about their business being reduced...
however, most aires users (£0-5 per night) certainly wouldn't be visiting Weymouth and spending £25 to go to a site, they'd just go somewhere else.
so, my view is, while a noble thought, don't waste your time, just go somewhere where your custom is appreciated.....and the sun shines a lot more.
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we had this discussion on this forum many months ago and i got a pasting for being so negative re MH owners, and i could probably write a book on the pros and cons of allowing or not allowing aires/wild camping (call it what you will) type facilities in local areas, and my area Lee-on-the-Solent is an area which actively discourages overnight habitation in car parks, on the highway etc and sometimes for good reason
Having said that I agree with some residents concerns, if I lived on the coast at Lythm would I want to see a line of motorhomes blocking my view - almost certainly not
we had this, now banned, although a few still chance their arm.
Negative publicity such as accused of littering the area, emptying waste tanks at the side of the road. I'm sure much of which is unjustfied and possibly down none motorhome visitors.
I have seen these particular actions taking place, with one guy having a hose down the kerbside drain, and i have confronted a few only to be told to foxtrot off, I normally do, after taking a photo, this simple act scares many, i agree 100 pct these are in the minority and spoil it for all.
People not just locals but visitors also were fed up of coming to LOS and not being able to park often because MH's were taking up 2 pitches, one to park and one to put out their picnic gear.
as to loss of business LOS is very very popular witnessed by the overfull car parks during peak season and the very very large queues at the numerous ice cream shops/vans, and the LC has spent a lot of money providing lots of childrens facilities along the sea front, so not sure lack of MH's in peak season would be such a great loss.
Not sure what the solution is, maybe, a relaxation of the rules and a lifting of the height barriers out of season, this could give the local economy a boost, however, we have an adequte 24x7x365 caravan/MH site between LOS and Stokes Bay and i am sure they would rather have the business.
share the opinion, i am sure of many on here, that the club are unlikely to pursue any venture that could take revenue away from the core business
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i just pulled these stats off the internet
France is about 2 times bigger than United Kingdom.
United Kingdom is approximately 243,610 sq km, while France is approximately 551,500 sq km. Meanwhile, the population of United Kingdom is ~64.4 million people (2.7 million more people live in France).Spain is about 2 times bigger than United Kingdom.
United Kingdom is approximately 243,610 sq km, while Spain is approximately 505,370 sq km. Meanwhile, the population of United Kingdom is ~64.4 million people (15.5 million fewer people live in Spain)Maybe this is why MH's are seen as less of a blight on the landscape in these 2 countries, although in some areas of Spain the authorities are trying to stamp out wild camping.
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Commercial Benefits of Motorhome Towns - Campaign
Not the sort of campaign an individual can run but I would expect the Caravan & Motorhome club to take the lead on this - does it have a publicity officer working on this ?
What are other peoples views ?
Personally I would not like to see the club spending finance/resources (staff/time/money etc) on such a campaign as it would take away money from providing benefits for all its members.
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A large town in southern France which we visit regularly has always had a small (and scruffy) Aire but this year they just completed a large car park. Shade is provided by solar panels. It’s just on the edge of the town and parking is FREE. So it’s not just visitors with motorhomes that are poorly catered for in this country, it’s all visitors.
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Then as posted by Ruffs and has been pointed out on several previos threads on the subject the UK, and England more so, are very crowded with sky high prices for any space that is available,with increasing pressures on LAs to make any space available for house building so the chance of any space being made available for any add parking/Aires is very much way down any list of priorities
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Yes - two strands. Many of the responses are concerned solely with the overnight stays. I dont know what the proportions are, but my guess if that more motorhomers are concerned about the lack of daytime parking.
I do think that this IS a campaign that the Club could get involved in. I am sure the Club has previously published information about the benefit to the local economy of touring vans, so surely it is in a position to talk to Visit England and other organisations about the issues of motorhome parking.
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I’m a motorhomer, hja, and I have no more concerns about daytime parking in town that the average car driver. Nor do I require overnight parking - there are plenty of sites for that. Why should I expect any concessions from a financially stretched local authority simply because I choose to drive a large vehicle?
I see this as another example of want, want, want by motorhomers which gets us all a bad name and I suspect the suggestion of a commercial benefit to the towns is nothing more than that - a suggestion. At least two cars will probably be able to park in the space occupied by one MH so consider which is likely to spend more money locally, the cars which may contain families or one MH which is likely to contain only two people.
I really don’t see that either daytime or overnight parking in towns is an issue for the club in any way other than perhaps supplying statistics of membership and it is certainly not something in which they should have a financial involvement. As DK said, turkeys and Christmas.
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I find that the number of height barriers in towns is somewhat perverse. Would local councils prefer to have their side roads occupied by large vehicles instead of tucked safely in a car park? A couple of times on my recent trip I was unable to find suitable parking with a consequent loss of trade for their, doubtless hard-pressed, businesses. Why this proliferation of 'pariah status' for motorhomes?
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Come to Devon. Overnight Motorhome parking is allowed on car parks at Appledore, Bideford, Clovelly, Exmouth, Holsworthy, Ilfracombe, Torrington and Westward ho. And the park and ride beside Plymouth Argyle ground is open without height barriers for day time visits to the city - except on match days.
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We are in Devon at the moment. There are hundreds of MHs all over, all shapes and sizes happily getting on with having a good holiday.
My personal take on this is that there are a lot more owners of big MHs, previously happy to cross over the water each year and make whoopee on the Continent, who are now for whatever reason (Brexit, the falling £, Etc...) staying in UK and having a damn good whine because things are different over here, and frankly they are having difficulty coping. Rest assured, those of us who use a MH primarily over here do it with a great deal of ease. So incidentally do the dozens of German visitors in big MHs all over the area we are holidaying in. As they did in Northumberland last year, and Yorkshire the year before....
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if actually think many MH would be grateful for a convenient 'scruffy' parking facility.
the idea is that those vans wouldn't then be clogging up the arteries of the urban area...nor spooling anyone's view...
we used a large car park at the southern end of Tavira, behind the market...this holds hundreds of vehicles, has a rough rocky surface but is perfect for the town and the market and has a water/waste/CCEP.
of course, it's free like the majority of these facilities and the MH turnover is high, with folk spending a few days on the beach, using the market for supplies and visiting the nice town for meals/drinks etc.
im sure the town benefits greatly from the passing MH traffic.
this was one of many similar stops we used this spring.
we use THS sites in this country which provide a similar service, making use of off season facilities in town centres (just a few recent ones...New Milton school, exmouth RFC, wareham RFC, Lancing College etc)
all these are close to towns where the same benefits as above apply.
ok, the cost is a bit more at £8+ a day but many vanners will be visiting the local towns and getting the benefits of a town location in exchange for adding to the towns trade without having to hunt for an expensive car park nor clog up town side streets
for low cost town touring (no bookings required, come and go as you please, pay on leaving) the THS system takes some beating and is a relatively cheap way of replicating the town Aires system of the continent.
they run from end April till September and many retired folk move from one to another over the course of the summer giving inexpensive, safe, convenient town touring.
i don't see towns providing more MH Spaces but the THS system allows a similar way of getting in close (no planning req) without the hassle.
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very good post TDA, plenty of foreign vans near to us this last holiday having a good time on site, it appears popular with Germans.
PS I think I got away with it
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🤣🤣🤣
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Indian, Latin and French......he’s good, I’ll give him that!😁 Polite as well.
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on an earlier Brexit thread, almost all the regular 'over there' vanners said it wouldn't stop them continuing to 'make whoopee on the Continent'.
yes, you might be seeing some continentals over here enjoying a good exchange rate, but little to do with the OP of members lobbying CC to get involved with LAs for more MH parking and water/waste points.
youre right though that Germans (and other contis) just don't give a fig and take their vans out most days...after all, it has an engine and they use it that way 'back home'...
perhaps they have parking nightmares like many others but they keep at it...
we had a German fami.y next to us a while back and they took their 7.5m van out to the Bournemouth area every day....it's what they do.
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Lots of German visitors up here on Dartmoor, some very nice MHs as well. One or two very interesting demountables and a serious looking off road/expedition vehicle. Seen one or two almost stuck as well, but the roads are very tight, and unforgiving. We prefer not to use our MH here, we love the tight lanes. There are a good few discreetly overnighting as well, all nationalities. But no litter or anything else left behind.
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youre right though that Germans (and other contis) just don't give a fig and take their vans out most days...after all, it has an engine and they use it that way 'back home'.
yes and as you well know, you can travel for miles in countries such as Spain without seeing another vehicle, or very few, not travelled in Germany, but judging by the number of Germans over wintering in Spain in vlarge MH's there cant be many left in Germany, and as the stats show that i posted, places such as France & Spain are vast compared to the UK and if you steer clear of major cities largely conjestion free, wouldnt relish the thought of meeting one of those large Concord MH's, that are plentyfull in Spain on some of the roads in Devon & Cornwall. Us tuggers have been the butt of lots of jokes re clogging up roads etc for many years, it looks like MH's are now starting to suffer the same fate, but unlike a caravan you just cant park your MH on a site and tour in your car, blame the Government for allowing folk over 55 to raid their pension pots
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We have experienced two weeks of following big MHs up and down the twisty narrow lanes here on Dartmoor, not many caravans attempting the over the Moor routes. You just pray they don’t get stuck, but then so do trucks and vans! At least most folks are respecting the 40 mph limit on the unfenced stretches. Loads of young animals on the roads, it’s part of the charm of the place.
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But unlike a caravan you just cant park your MH on a site and tour in your car,
Yes you can if you tow a car, it gives you the best of both types of LV. It is also not unknown for us to leave the car on site and go out for the day in the motorhome.
peedee
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ok, give you that, but would suggest you are very much in the minority, although i have seen big MH's with a garage underneath with a Smart car onboard, i think in Spain the car has to be on a trailer and not just an Aframe, but could be wrong
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Whereas we just take the van out each day. Why not, it’s small enough to go just about anywhere and it’s what it’s designed for.
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Caravans have always been the more numerous and motorhomes a small minority. Things are changing now and there are a lot more motorhomes around. Previously as caravaners could just drive the car into town and use the same car parks as everyone else the small loss by not allowing motorhomes in was not large enough to matter to many places.
As the balance changes in favour of motorhomes the losses by excluding them will start to show, and more places will need to acommodate them, so we will probably see a change but with public bodies this tends to be slow.
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