CAMC would not allow member in a predicament to have water!

[royandsharont]

I cannot believe what a very good friend has just told me! He and his wife are touring Scotland in their Auto Trail and finding the sites very busy so are having to wild camp too.

He has lost his fresh water tank discharge pipe and all his water, but has managed a temporary fix.

He visited a CAMC site to stay but there were no vacancies. He explained their predicament to the site wardens and asked if he could fill his empty tank with water, they told him no, it was not allowed. He went to Tesco and bought bottled water to put into it.

I honestly cannot believe this is how low the CAMC rules have stooped towards anyone, let alone Members. Shame on them and that warden not making an exception in the circumstances.

As it’s not me I do not wish to name the site.

 

[irnbru]

Why don't you wish to name the site? Tell your friends if they are near Strathclyde park they can fill and empty at mine.

 

[Wack]

I cannot believe what a very good friend has just told me! He and his wife are touring Scotland in their Auto Trail and finding the sites very busy so are having to wild camp too.

He has lost his fresh water tank discharge pipe and all his water, but has managed a temporary fix.

He visited a CAMC site to stay but there were no vacancies. He explained their predicament to the site wardens and asked if he could fill his empty tank with water, they told him no, it was not allowed. He went to Tesco and bought bottled water to put into it.

I honestly cannot believe this is how low the CAMC rules have stooped towards anyone, let alone Members. Shame on them and that warden not making an exception in the circumstances.

As it’s not me I do not wish to name the site.

Given how hot it is that's pretty disgraceful , some of these wardens like their bit of power that's for sure

 

[Northernraider]

Standard procedure in most sites. Unless staying on the site they won't let you have water or empty waste etc even if offered payment. Been there tried that and now no longer bother asking.

I've also found even if they have no space to accommodate you they object to folk wildcamping.

 

[Carol]

I cannot believe what a very good friend has just told me! He and his wife are touring Scotland in their Auto Trail and finding the sites very busy so are having to wild camp too.

He has lost his fresh water tank discharge pipe and all his water, but has managed a temporary fix.

He visited a CAMC site to stay but there were no vacancies. He explained their predicament to the site wardens and asked if he could fill his empty tank with water, they told him no, it was not allowed. He went to Tesco and bought bottled water to put into it.

I honestly cannot believe this is how low the CAMC rules have stooped towards anyone, let alone Members. Shame on them and that warden not making an exception in the circumstances.

As it’s not me I do not wish to name the site.

This has been well documented on here exactly the same thing happened to us in Scotland a few years ago don't know if there is still a link to it we took it to the highest level of the CAMC and was told it's there policy and they won't change it. I think they lost a great many members after our reports on here. Exactly the same scenario as your friends.
It does not matter were the site is it's the CAMC policy.., not a nice way to treat paid up members of a club.

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[Grianan]

Not a nice way to treat anyone but not just CAMC.
One year we cycle camped in France and on one stretch couldn’t get water to refill our drinking water (just bike bottles). Went down to a canal marina where there was water but they refused to let us refill bottles even for payment. It was high 30s and my son was 9.
Can’t understand how some people can be so petty. Wonder if it’s a power thing. Luckily other people are so kind … one campsite a French couple made us coffee in their campervan as we were packing up the tents and at another a French couple brought out ice creams for my kids.
Takes all sorts.

 

[TinaLes]

Exactly the same happened to us while touring Scotland 4 years back, I even posted my disappointment on here at the time.
We needed to fill & Empty our tanks, so thought we would take a chance & stay at The CMC site in Fort William, we pulled into the arrivals spot with one PVC van in front of us. The wife went in to ask if they could fit us in for the night,
Got the usual question " Have you booked" wife said no we were just passing and saw the sign, warden lady said "No We are fully booked now, the van in front of you got the last space" was the answer, wife returned to the van told me the bad news. I said ah well, we hadn't booked anyhow so if they are full that's fair enough.
I then went into reception and asked if we could fill & empty our tanks, as I had heard that you could do that for a fee of £7/8 back then. The warden lady said "No you cant if you are not staying". I then said I though you allowed CMC members to fill & empty, and again showed her our membership card. Warden lady said " No I have never heard of that facility being offered", she then said.."I would suggest you write in and request it maybe, as we just work here, we don't make the rules"

I went up the road, found a petrol station, bought some fuel & milk, the girl on the till said, take your van round the side, there's a water tap round there, and you can use our WC which is also round there. I couldn't thank her enough at the time, there are some nice people outside the warden rule environment of The CMC.
It was later that I discovered it wasn't The CMC it was The CCC club that offered the refill service for a fee of £7/8.
We left the CMC club after that event, sent a letter in, never got a response, so cancelled our DDM and will not join again any time soon.
LES

 

[poppycamper]

At least TinaL you searched out an alternative.... many wouldn't and we wonder why some think ok to dump in laybys

 

[pampam]

perhaps they ought to let you fill your tank for a tenner
after all to provide their service they no doubt have overheads such as, council tax water rates (or water meters) insurance,electric bills, gas bills , wages, maintenance,phone bills,internet etc,
so im sure if they had a standard fee they could call it “a tenner a tank “ lol
cos yer dont get owt for nowt do yu?

 

[pampam]

And perhaps they could have overnight parkups where its just like a carpark to overnight with no electricity but you could use the facilities ,at a reduced rate, more suitable for overnighting a motorhome than a caravan but no awnings etc ,that would be feasable

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[63720]

Most cemeteries have a tap.

 

[pampam]

Hey sillious thats what i was going to say but then got carried away organising camc and thinking what they could do lol
i always used cemetries in emergencies

 

[poppycamper]

CCC do charge non residents to use facilities, for that you get time (2hrs ish ) I believe..
During that you can fill water.. empty waste and cassette and use toilet block to use loo and have a shower..
IMO all very civilised and sensible.
EDIT £7.65 per unit for up to 3hrs.

 

[Northernraider]

perhaps they ought to let you fill your tank for a tenner
after all to provide their service they no doubt have overheads such as, council tax water rates (or water meters) insurance,electric bills, gas bills , wages, maintenance,phone bills,internet etc,
so im sure if they had a standard fee they could call it “a tenner a tank “ lol
cos yer dont get owt for nowt do yu?

Can't speak for England but in Scotland its not metred, there is water rates but its an annual fixed payment so letting someone fill a tank would make no difference. That and the fact we have so much water we pipe it south of the border. They don't let you fill for one reason only ...because they don't care.

 

[PaulC70]

If it's not a service they offer, then it's not offered, can't see the problem.

It's funny how people berate those that enjoy the wild camp side of motorhoming as being FLT's but expect a business to give you something for nothing

Your mate did what I would have done, ie go to tescos / sainsburys, or it's not hard to search the searchforsites app for places to fill up / empty.

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[Reallyretired]

That's appalling and makes me glad we aren't members.
We had quite the opposite in France. We had lost all our water due to the frost valve opening in transit and arrived at the site in Chartres which should have been open but was closed due to the very cold weather. There was a chap working there who let us in and let us fill up, no charge.
Stopped at a farm aire a few miles further on, the farmer turned up on his tractor and offered us water, there was none on the aire but he said if we drove to his house we could fill up. Of course we were full but it was a lovely thought.
There are reasons why we have no great urge to tour in the UK.

 

[irnbru]

Can't speak for England but in Scotland its not metred, there is water rates but its an annual fixed payment so letting someone fill a tank would make no difference.

It’s changed days for most businesses now Tam. I found this out when I tried to get water from the marina in Troon.

 

[martin2603]

As in the name Caravan and Motorhome Club , not vice versa are we regarded as 2nd class members. Looking at their exceedingly sad magazine you could get that impression.
Why not raise the point at the next AGM. ?
Perhaps I will do just that. We keep membership to have access to the CL s which are good value .

 

[poppycamper]

As in the name Caravan and Motorhome Club ,

Indeed and it only been like that for 5yrs... pre 2017 it was
The Caravan Club.!!!!

 

[Shrimp]

We aren’t members of CAMC anymore they charge too much to be a member and then too much to stay on their precious sites!

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[Coolcats]

There is another perspective and probably the reason why CAMC do not allow casual visits to fill and dump waste

What it would mean is that those who wild camp or any one caught short could, for a membership fee just use the facilities and never stay on site. So when you consider the popular sites you could have 20-50 MoHo's wanting to use the facilities a day.

So once again whilst it may seem a punitive policy it actually protects the quality of the stay for members who have paid thier hard earned money. The policy manages those resources but also those who would use and abuse facilities, these sites are not passing MoHo service stations and were never designed to be.

 

[pelican]

We aren’t members of CAMC anymore they charge too much to be a member and then too much to stay on their precious sites!

Agree
This will be our last year of membership

 

[David and Sally]

On the positive story side. Some years ago a gang of us bikers arrived at Le Havre port before the gates opened into the check in area. It was blazing hot.

A motorhomer opened her kitchen window and handed out bottles of cold fresh water. What a lovely lady There are generous people around.

 

[Sue and Rick]

Agree
This will be our last year of membership

Us too.

 

[Popeye]

Most cemeteries have a tap

Yes I tried that but it was a little bumpy over the gravestones trying to get close to the tap and the mourners seemed a little put-out!

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[David and Sally]

Yes I tried that but it was a little bumpy over the gravestones trying to get close to the tap and the mourners seemed a little put-out!

Go at night.

 

[Mickey1]

Just cancelled my DD For CAMC.

 

[TDub49]

Golly - CAMC knocking threads are almost as predictable as the never ending toilet threads. Do people just join the club to rage about it? And do people who are not CAMC members actually have any skin in the game (as they say in America, apparently) and have any right to rage on about something they are not actually part of?

 

[Popeye]

Go at night.

But then I might scratch the MoHo on the headstones, you must get Sally to think it through before replying Dave!

 

[Popeye]

the same thing happened to us in Scotland a few years ago don't know if there is still a link to it we took it to the highest level of the CAMC and was told it's there policy and they won't change it. I think they lost a great many members after our reports on here.

We cancelled our membership back in 2015 following Carol and Eddie's dreadful experience. The whole story needs to be read to be believed.

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