Club prices getting silly
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Nor me but every single one of us had the option to transferring to a private scheme. For a lot of us, it would not have been a good move but may well have been for you.
Anyway, that's personal finance and not directly relevant to CAMC site fees.
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Yes, we already do that, plus most of our savings are in her name to use up her personal allowance, especially now interest rates are increasing.
OH is pretty good when it comes to those sort of things, her parents were in business, and her mum was an accountant.
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Last year we were away for around 90 nights, less than 20 of those were on camc sites. Years ago we used to consider camc sites our first choice. Now it is our last choice " only if nothing cheaper is available " option. In the summer months we choose camping club THS sites first at around £10 to £15 pounds or CS / CLs maybe up to £20 or camping club or private sites maybe £25 per night.
So far this year we have booked up until June with only 3 nights on camc sites and those 3 nights are likely to be the sum total with camc for the rest of this year due to the high prices which we are just not prepared to pay. We have voted with our wheels.
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You have misunderstood what I said, basic tax allowances won't increase this year so that extra income from pensions etc will be affected. When I say lower income groups I include many who are not receiving higher pensions and incomes in general but those with middle of the road incomes who have opted to buy leisure vehicles for their holidays.
This is basically about price increases and luckily there are less expensive options out there for LV holidays. If main club sites become expensive there are still good alternatives.
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Didn't the North Devon dislike spring from having to drive on the congested lanes and meeting crowds of people rather than being due to the camc club site? In which case it would have been the same whatever site you used.
It's a shame you didn't ask the advice of local folk before going as, due to the travel restrictions, that was a particularly busy year with crowds of visitors in popular Westcountry resorts. It was hell at times and not a time to be on the roads of N Devon.🙁
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Let’s be honest Tinwheeler, any school holiday isn’t the time to be on North Devon roads, although that year was, as you say, even worse. During the school holidays we always try to either be at our caravan in Stratford or doing a project at home, anything to avoid going out here in the ‘silly season’. Even driving to the local supermarket can be a trial. Yes we miss the best of the summer but it’s worth it. The statement put out by our local Police Force last year says it all, ‘holidaymakers on North Devon roads might want to practise using their reverse gear before they arrive’.
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Spot on, Debsc. We rarely venture out at peak times either.
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I'm surprised as I've always found the Willingcott site very good and I'm sure you told us it was the crowds made the visit unbearable. I think you likened them to those in Venice🤷♂️. I'd not go near the area in peak times. It was hard luck for you.
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Good Morning
I'd honestly like to know what the "silent majority" want NTH. The club offer several non facilities sites that are a reasonable price per night, my site this year is around £20 off the top of my head (computer is down!), yet their occupancy figures show that people are really interested in them. It can't always be the site's location as the figures are pretty mush all the same. CL's local to here are struggling to fill spaces as well. I know two owners who are considering this to be their last year as there's no demand.
JK
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I really struggle with the concept of a middle of the road income being in the lower income group to be honest.
I know, and see almost on a daily basis now, what a lower income group really is and how they have to live and having an outfit to go away with isn't part of that at all. I've given many examples in the past but I had to help superglue someone's shoes back together this week and even if children were in classes affected by the strike they could still come for their free meals at lunchtime and 98% did. I'll leave that there as it's really off topic.
Yes I've always said that there are cheaper options than club sites, but also of course more expensive ones too which people tend to forget. I've said that is one can find a cheaper site with just as good standards for them then go there. So very simple, just do it.
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Last year we were away for around 90 nights, less than 20 of those were on camc sites. Years ago we used to consider camc sites our first choice.
Much the same as J2. we were away 80 nights of which only 11 were on C&MC sites. When we first joined the Club in our caravan ownership days we made use of most of the Club services and apart from travel "over there" we exclusively used Club sites and CLs. With experience and motorhome ownership we have drifted away from using Club services. When you have everything you need in a motorhome Club sites at the prices charged become less attractive especially for short stays where you make even less use of facilities.
At the moment I have no UK sites booked at all but I am planning to be away shortly but not to a Club site.
peedee
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Did TW say it was school holidays?
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Nah, no records - why would I keep records?🤷♂️ I recall you referring to Ilfracombe and crowds but why introduce Dartford, Kent into the discussion?🤔
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Well, we will be in North Devon next weekend, but won't be concerned about towing on those narrow roads!
Special "Valentines Weekend" break at what looks like a first rate hotel with sea views at (sharp intake of breath
) a touch over £100 a night including all meals and the dogs come with us for free (and probably get more attention than us!) 
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I do think there is a real issue about providing for what people APPEAR to want but ignoring what those who don’t visit want. I hope that makes sense. It applies to other things not just caravan sites.
I wonder if many CAMC members who have been members for a long time appreciate the security of club sites which are usually well kept, but because they have been caravanning or motorhoming for a while have gradually upgraded to vans with more facilities and so are happy with no facility sites, whilst families like all the facilities. Families probably spend less time away than us oldies, so higher prices become less of a problem.
I had gained the impression that CLs were gaining in popularity, so I am surprised at the low occupancy you report. I suspect that some members are still afraid of them! They really are not sure of what to expect. Also, from some site reviews you read, people are unduly cautious about driving down lanes even for short distances.
Some CLs need to sell themselves, I suspect. But how much effort and money you put into such an exercise will surely depend on how important the CL business is to your overall income. the Club also should be selling CLs to a far greater extent than they do.
All generalisations of course. And there will be plenty of members who say “that doesn’t apply to me”.
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I suspect if you took into account the wider ownership than just those in the Club, I am guessing the majority would not opt for service pitches. Hard standings maybe but not serviced pitches. That is my judgement from using a wide variety of sites many of which are just as well used as Club sites even though there may not be EHU or hard standings. I think there will always be a good demand for a vairiety of sites and pitches. One size fits all will never be the answer.
peedee
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Club Sites aren’t giving us the value for money we seek any more. They are fine if you want to stay in one location, have decent standard facilities if you don’t use your own, and don’t want the bit of exercise involved in daily camping chores. But beyond that, we find they lack any kind of space, privacy, and are too noisy for us nowadays generally. And by far the priciest sites we use occasionally.
I won’t rule out a return to Clumber, but only because at the moment it’s about the only place close enough to take a couple of nights while caring for Mum. But there are a lot of other, less pricey, nicer options not far as well. And with a decent phone signal.It’s a shame, because we do like some Club Sites, but we prefer to spend our money on more nights away, rather than less nights at a higher price. We look at options for holidays based on value for money, and we can and do find lovely cottages snapped up late that compare with a week on a Club Site.
We did nine nights last year on Club Sites. I think we might only need one hand this year, if that.
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Totally agree PD👍 If you remove choice, then some folks like us will go elsewhere. The Club is now using its partnership CLs as the less pricey, more choice element of its provision (other than rallies which are not for everyone). A do think a lot of folks would walk away if it wasn’t for the CLs. We have never seen CLs as busy as they have been this last couple of years, even the No EHU ones we have just driven into we have had to check before going.
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...wider ownership than just those in the Club, I am guessing the majority would not opt for service pitches
So now you are discussing what the majority of the wider ownership (of outfits) outside the club and how they wouldn't want SP? Really?
Well of course, if they wanted SP and club sites they would join the club and use them, so if they don't want them then they won't.
But it is totally irrelevant what people outside the club want, the club will look at what it's members want and no matter how much posters try and deny this SP are proving very popular, and very profitable as well - of course.
One size does not fit all yes, so those that do not want what the club offers will go elsewhere (and no doubt post on here to say so). Yes there will always be a demand for different sites and pitches. The club offers this style and others will offer something different, there you go just what you want and there for everyone to choose.
I don't know what you're complaining about? You're not going to use club sites and have found just as good for you elsewhere, so it's a win.
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Willingcott is on one of the much better roads around here ADavid, our daughter lives almost next to it so a very regular journey for us main roads all the way, except for the very last bit. Obviously we have never stayed there but it always looks a very nice site.
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Which site did you stay at near Dartford? Been there a few times, not exactly crowded or a tourist trap?
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A great shame to hear that some sites are thinking of closing up JK. As you are probably aware, locals would rather see many caravans arriving, campers and people holidaying at holiday parks, hotels and B&Bs. What we don’t want is more using holiday cottages and Airbnb’s. With so many second homes and holiday lets locally many villages are loosing their historical ‘village community’. Many villages are almost totally empty in the winter. With next to no social housing in North Devon and tenants in rental homes being evicted to make way for Airbnb use our local councils have announced a very severe housing crisis. Young people here don’t get a look in with so many buying and using what should be homes as holiday homes. Pubs, restaurants and cafes are closing because they cannot get youngsters to work for the wages offered, due to staff having nowhere to live locally. Other restaurants and pubs have had to hike their prices in order to attract any staff they can, so I think that we and the holidaymakers will be paying a lot more to go out here this year.
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Hja
I am not sure if I have misunderstood JK's post but it appeared to me that he was suggesting that despite their better value no facility sites were not always as popular as full facility sites? It might of course be nothing to do with the actual sites per se but their location. Given the increase in motorhome ownership no doubt there will be an increase in demand for hardstandings so perhaps that is becoming more of an issue if you have a site without. The same will be true of CL's. Going back to location, an out of the way site might be fine if you are a caravanner with a car but not so good if you are a motorhomer? An increasing number of CL owners seem to be investing a lot of money in their CL's to almost make them into mini Club sites. However that takes a lot on money and prices naturally rise in order to recoup the investment. As I mentioned before the Club can only look at their occupancy rates across the network. They can drill down into that information to work out what sort of pitches appear more popular and which ones tend to be avoided, using that information they can plan with some certainty when they update a site.
David
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