Is Facebook of use for caravan or motorhome owners
Is joining facebook of use for owners/ users of caravans or motorhomes ?
I have never bothered or even particularly thought of joining facebook before but recently seem to be seeing more reference to the facebook site by the caravan club, CL owners and members on this site.
I would appreciate your thoughts on the usefulness of facebook for the users of touring caravaners and Motorhomes please. (Including anything negative).
Comments
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The world of vanning is much wider than just this club so I can’t see any attraction in joining FB solely to get more of the same from CAMC.
How do you imagine it might be more useful than the various websites available to us all?
I’m genuinely interested as I can’t imagine how it could be of use to me personally.
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I agree with Another David, when we had a motorhome we joined the group of that make and found it a wealth of knowledge.
Very handy when away from home overseas and the dealerships are closed. We had a problem with our water pump or so we thought. It turned out to be the sensor on the water tank had corroded and stopped working.
The group had a very knowledgeable person who managed to navigate us around the factory settings which enabled us to use the pump on manual it just meant that we had to keep an eye on the water tank as the gauge no longer worked.
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As well as the CAMC corporate site, there are many, many others. This other one (a group) is supposedly limited to CAMC members, but is unofficial despite using the CAMC logo. I've never found it particularly useful - but it's a start if you're looking to dip a toe in. There's also a linked group re reviews etc
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2267866236819926/?ref=group_header
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The biggest problem with Facebook is that it is virtually impossible to find anything. Threads don't seem to have any sort of sequence. Even if you post a question, the chances of finding any reply are rather remote. I suppose it's OK for videos of dancing cats etc.
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Brummieboy
I would say a resounding yes providing you narrow it down a bit. Like all forums you have the cut through the chaff. It's probably more use if its a specialised group dealing with a specific make of caravan or motorhome as mentioned by Tammy Girl and Another David. I belong to the Bailey Motorhome Owners Group and find it can be most useful. The more general type forums as mentioned by Goldie are probably a bit more like this and other such forums. The difference is that many people who use the general Facebook forums will only entertain a social media environment and many of them won't use this type of forum.
If joining Facebook for the first time just be careful how you set your privacy setting so you choose who sees what. Facebook can be a useful tool if used properly and concerns about it being the "devils work" are a bit over played from my experience!!!
David
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I agree with CY, I do use it but mainly for keeping in touch with my scattered family and close friends. I have been a member of various groups in the past but becasuse they are so difficult to follow and also contain a lot of dross I have given up following all but one. Owners groups might be ok, they are probably small in membership which helps but if you have nothing better to do then facebook is for you.
peedee
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I take on board what people say about navigation in Facebook but its not really designed to provide an archive of information. You have an issue which you raise on the group and usually within a short time you start getting replies some of which may actually solve your problem so no need to go back and look it up. The numbers in these groups do vary but as an example the Bailey Motorhome Owners group has more than 3500 members. Sometimes when you get a big brand like Auto-Trail you sometimes find the groups broken down into smaller groups like Tribute etc.
David
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Businesses use FB a lot as a promotional tool. I don't know about anyone else but if you follow them youI continually bombarded with advertising which I object to. If they allow posts these are often sanitised and a true picture is never possible.
peedee
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Seven years ago I used Facebook when I wanted to ask questions about my new to me then Hymer. Dealer couldn't help me but a handful of posts on the Hymer Corporate Facebook site brought me quick answers. Then I left Facebook.
Recently joined a couple of Hymer Facebook groups for advice but didn't get answers to my questions so left - I did answer some questions from posters.
I'm not anti-Facebook but I prefer face to face or telephone conversations with people.
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I use Facebook regularly and find it very useful for Caravanning issues and for finding sites. We have a Lunar Caravan and I’m on the Lunar owners group which has been very useful and also I’m on a few groups relating to CLs and Sites which is handy if looking for recommendations for a site in a particular area.
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I use FB and joined a lot of caravanning groups and one by one I got rid of several.
I have found recently that some of the people who started them (Admin) are being very choosy in what is posted and are shutting down posts that they do not want on their forum.
I was accused by one site of posting negative comments. I post anything but, I try to help with advice and comment fairly. I took exception to the remark and cleared the air with the Admin. who incidentally doesn't like this forum. Since then I have started three posts but none were published and no explanation was given.
I joined a group last week, which was a new group. The admin posted an article with facts that were a little inaccurate and I posted accordingly. My first post and it didn't even get published and again no explanation and I was suspended for a week. So I just left.
So are they useful. Yes they can be but they can also be very childish. Simplest thing is join then unjoin if you find them poor.
I still remain member of two but for how long I don't know
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Believe me some of the regulation I've seen is odd to say the least. Censorship doesn't happen on here although post deletions seem more. Maybe that's because Deleted User posts on here stay on with just the wording Deleted User whereas on FB the whole post gets Deleted User so you never know how many fall foul of the Admins sword
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Is it actually possible to "leave" facebook? Does it not remorselessly track your every move until eternity? As mentioned in the lyrics of a very famous song by The Eagles.
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Thanks for everyone who gave their view on my initial question. I won’t bother joining facebook, I don’t feel it will offer any great benefit,if any, to me!
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Obviously entirely up to you but if you are interested in CL's in particular the new breed of CL owners now only seem to communicate via Facebook. THis will also be the future as many can no longer be bothered with this sort of forum. There is a lot of nonsense spoken about Facebook but providing you make sure that your privacy settings are correct you will be protected.
David
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Yesterday i was temporarilly banned from this site for daring to suggest to someone requiring help to try another information site because he could not get any answers. I could have easilly answered his question but the reply would have also been banned. What a useless FB page it is run by people with very closed minds.
peedee
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Not personally a user of any Facebook sites, but the closed ones, that limit usage to a select group, genuinely interested in a particular subject are possibly of use. General Facebook I find useless.
WhatsApp is an off shoot of FB. Useful for setting up family and one to one encrypted links, where it’s not stuff the whole world can tap into.0 -
I can understand your frustration. I am also a member of that group and often a question is asked what is a nice site near a particular town. The answer may be a CCC site or an independent site but as the answers are restricted to only CAMC offerings, sites 30 miles away are suggested.
It is even more crazy when suggestions are requested for sites abroad, only sites that they the CAMC recommend are an acceptable answer.
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It is a frustration and you are particularly right about the overseas sites where the Club only offer a miniscule number of options compared to what is available. But as with everything He who pays the Piper etc they can decide where they want their boundaries to be. There are lots of other sites dealing with overseas sites which people are free to join.
I do belong to the group but rarely learn anything from it but can sometimes offer advice. I suspect most of the members of that group would not use a forum like this as they prefer Facebook.
David
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sorry Mike can you clarify something that I'm puzzled about? I may be wrong but you come across as not the club's biggest fan and have posted you don't like to use club sites and you're not a member? (apologies if I recall incorrectly of course).
Yet you're a member of this FB group that appears to be for CAMC members and appears even more dedicated to the club than I am? (if that were possible?)
Additionally you understand PD's frustration and say it is crazy that it only give CAMC acceptable answers? You appear to know a lot about it?
I'm just puzzled, mildly curious, why you go to this FB page when it appears so totally out of character?
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As you asked this question, I thought before answering I would check how many caravan/ motorhome facebook groups I have joined -amazingly the total is 31.
Quite a few are just general caravan or motorhome ones, others are specific manufacturers of caravan/ motorhomes that I have really no in interest at all - such as Lunar caravans, Bailey Motorhomes, Autotrail V line etc. Even on these it is not restricted to entirely discussing those particular models but touring in general. Why I have joined so many others associated with accessories for sale?- I have no idea. Without doubt it is time for a good clear out.
To get back to your main question of why I have joined one specifically associated with the CAMC? - even on this facebook site people discuss general areas of the country worth visiting, similarly areas abroad, ferry routes etc etc. I have no interest in CAMC sites but do mentally file away recommended CLs etc just in case we do rejoin.
Try facebook ,there is an overwhelming variety of topics and groups , you might enjoy it.
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Thanks, interesting. I'm similar with my YouTube subscriptions. I've just noticed I have 58 of them!!!
I do have FB but just to record my adventures during lockdown with family.
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Well, you all got me curious to see what Facebook is - so I joined today for the very first time. . And I got a lot of photos of women I used to know who want me to be their friend - bad photos, so it's not a lonely hearts dating site, but I Deleted User them as fast as I could.
Can they track me down now? Scary. I'm out.
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