Clubs?

[Shadow81]

Having just bought my new (to me) motorhome, and sorted insurance etc, thoughts turn to the various clubs available.

I was previously a member of the Camping & Caravan Club, who have some god sites around the country, but there is also the Caravan Club and the Caravan & Motorhome Club. I'm sure there may be others.

Anyone have a quick breakdown on which club offers the best for the money - looking for sites to stay on around the UK rather than joining in any activities such as crafts.

Thank you

 

[Janine]

The best value for money are the Camping and Caravanning Club if you don't have hookup. If you are over 60, you also get a 25% discount on pitch fees.

The 5 van sites for both clubs are similar prices.

 

[Spriddler]

but there is also the Caravan Club and the Caravan & Motorhome Club. I'm sure there may be others.

In order to appear more inclusive I believe the 'Caravan Club' (CC) was renamed as the 'Caravan and Motorhome club' (CAMC) four or five years ago.

 

[Brains]

In order to appear more inclusive I believe the 'Caravan Club' (CC) was renamed as the 'Caravan and Motorhome club' (CAMC) four or five years ago.

It was, we are new members of the CAMC.
Having compared the rest we have chosen this one.

Both CAMC and the C&CC have similar numbers of sites and 5 van locations (CL's or CS's)
Cost to join is similar (C&CC is cheaper)

From what we have seen so far, the 4 sites we have been to (3 x CL's and one big site) are good quality.
Strict rules on the big site,
Dont arrive after 5pm, or defiantly not after 8pm (we did)
Park exactly where they tell you (deviations under 0.25mm are permitted)
Oddly none of the big sites have EHU (Not a big issue for us, but would be for others)

Whilst motorhomes on all the sites we have stayed were by far the majority, the club seems to be very much geared towards caravans.
I suspect the majority of members are tuggers, but the majority of users are motorhomers, so there will need to be some changes made over the next 5-10 years.

Our main reson for going with the CAMC is the quality of the website, it is old, clunky, borderline unusable, and needs rewriting properly.
The website for the C&CC is even worse!

 

[glenn2926]

We’re members of both. They both have lovely sites in great locations. We’ve never come across the so called bad wardens. We don’t use either very often but when we do we have found both to be excellent value for money and immaculately kept.

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[sedge]

Conversely we have never been on a CAMC site without EHU. Some CLs don't have EHU but you don't usually go to a CL for weeks on end. You pays your money and makes your choice depending on what you want/need.

 

[Parrot Face]

We are in both, prefer the C&CC but use the CAMC a lot more. Mainly because there seems to be a greater choice of those open during the winter.

 

[Bognor Saint]

Both for us too.

 

[sciac2001]

Pre-covid (is that BC or AD in old money?), we found that the C&CC were less rigid when it came to booking for their Rally Meets. The CC always required us to book in advance which defeated the object of location choice spontaneity and was not what we thought motorhoming was all about. I assume that this was not as big an issue with caravanning which was by far the preferred camping mode of the time. Along with their name change, their Rally booking rigidity may now also have been reconsidered to cater for post-covid motorhomers.

With regards to their campsites, both Clubs are excellent in this respect and both have the real gems of quality 5 van sites in great locations.

 

[Ivory55]

How bad a value for money does it have to be for a pound a week

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[Cheshirecat57]

Just the ease of booking means I use CAMC mire with no deposits

 

[Gellyneck]

As said, Caravan Club changed their name to Caravan and Motorhome Club a few years back when they started a significant investment in the provision of enhanced \ new facilities for motorhomes on their main sites.
A considerable number of them now have drive over grey dumps with grid as opposed to the previous lift a lid access. They are now also providing more "discount" non-electric pitches, etc.

With possibly one of two exceptions (takes all sorts!) the wardens on site tend to be very friendly, realistic and accommodating at meeting visitors needs. A couple of recent examples being the warden saying to a motorhome pitching up as he walked past that it would be better if they went nose into a pitch as the sun would be on the canopy side of the van. Are we allowed to, of course you are!
Different site \ warden saying to a foreign motorhome with the hab door on the "wrong" side to move over from the pin (hardstanding) if he wanted so he could get his canopy out to the pin not onto the surrounding grass. Am I allowed, yip as you'll still be 6m spacing on this pitch.

C&MC website is significantly better than C&CC with the booking process being very easy. We didn't join \ use the latter as just couldn't come to terms with it even though we had the motorhome insured through them!

 

[NorthernSoul]

We bought our motorhome in Oct 2019, took delivery in March 2020 and joined the CAMC and CCC when they had free night offers (paid for most of the first years membership).

We've stayed at the main club sites and a couple of affiliated sites:

CAMC: Hawes, Coniston, Barnard Castle, Killin, Garlieston, Bladon Chains, Tewkesbury, Southport, Borrowdale, Dockray Meadow, Chatsworth, Ludlow, Moreton in Marsh, North Ledaig

CCC: Ravenglass, Beadnell Bay, Bellingham, Scone, Culzean Castle, West Runton, Delamere Forest, Wolverley, Isle of Skye, Moffat, Glencoe

We've got some CLs booked now - held off from doing much of that before because of the Covid uncertainty, but will continue to use the main club sites as well.

What puzzles me is where are these CAMC and CCC sites that some people moan about? Where are the sites with:

- Officious wardens,
- No facilities for motorhomes,
- Endless rules so it's like a prison,
- No availability because someone's booked every weekend until the middle of 2022,
- Astronomical site fees that you could stay in a hotel for

Because so far, I've not come across any of that. All the sites have been well managed and looked after, the staff have been helpful and friendly, most times we can book the sites we want and we've stayed on superb sites in great locations for as little as £15 a night.

 

[maison]

We are members of both C&CC and C&MC using main sites and CL/CS’s.

We find the C&CC cheaper as we qualify for the Age Concession. We seldom come across a Club Site without EHU although both CL &CS have a mixture of EHU and “EHU Free” Sites.

We have only once come across a less than pleasant Warden when we had to leave unexpectedly due to a family emergency. We decided to inform the site office that we were leaving three days early so that they could re-let the pitch. We were told, in no uncertain terms “I hope you don’t expect a refund at this late stage”. That was a C&CC.

We enjoy both Clubs, and the main sites as well as CL/CS, however we have noticed an increasing tendency to “pack ‘em in” on some main sites, compounded by the move to larger pitch sizes.

We don’t tend to use club bars and facilities on the larger commercial sites, preferring to use pubs etc in the locality so the low key facilities of the Club Sites are ideal for us.

Each to their own choice however.

 

[Sapper520]

We bought our motorhome in Oct 2019, took delivery in March 2020 and joined the CAMC and CCC when they had free night offers (paid for most of the first years membership).

We've stayed at the main club sites and a couple of affiliated sites:

CAMC: Hawes, Coniston, Barnard Castle, Killin, Garlieston, Bladon Chains, Tewkesbury, Southport, Borrowdale, Dockray Meadow, Chatsworth, Ludlow, Moreton in Marsh, North Ledaig

CCC: Ravenglass, Beadnell Bay, Bellingham, Scone, Culzean Castle, West Runton, Delamere Forest, Wolverley, Isle of Skye, Moffat, Glencoe

We've got some CLs booked now - held off from doing much of that before because of the Covid uncertainty, but will continue to use the main club sites as well.

What puzzles me is where are these CAMC and CCC sites that some people moan about? Where are the sites with:

- Officious wardens,
- No facilities for motorhomes,
- Endless rules so it's like a prison,
- No availability because someone's booked every weekend until the middle of 2022,
- Astronomical site fees that you could stay in a hotel for

Because so far, I've not come across any of that. All the sites have been well managed and looked after, the staff have been helpful and friendly, most times we can book the sites we want and we've stayed on superb sites in great locations for as little as £15 a night.

Unhelpful Wardens?

Staying at Buxton, we forgot to take stock pots so I went to the little on site shop. None there, but the Warden offered then fetched me one from her van.

Another last autumn, whilst trying to park on our pitch Avoiding a large muddy patch, came over and said, ‘Don’t worry, shift over as far as you need’.

Not had any Warden be anything other than pleasant.

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[Itsmcb]

We have been members of the CaMC and have also joined the CCC this year to make use of the temporary holiday sites and 'rallies' which they have a lot of. Dipped our toe in last weekend at a big temporary (2 week) field in Bradford on Avon and was very impressed. Very friendly Marshall, lots of space and all very laid back. No EHU but I've increased my battery capacity in anticipation of doing more of these.

 

[Caggsie1]

We’re members of both, however, comparing the sites we’ve been on, the CAMC come out better, the high standard being consistent in cleanliness etc. We do use more ths now as we’re trying to save money. Some have now got leccy included or for additional fee on them so very cost effective. We still use the main sites when In an area we wish to go to, ie York or Bristol. We’ve just had 3 wks away, ending in Cornwall on a fabulous site in Cornwall, Tregaron park, nr mevagissey, £10 inc electric. As it was cold, windy and felt like autumn had arrived the electric got a hammering. Surrounded by empty beaches albeit only accessible via car. Left just as the hoardes came for bank hol weekend where I believe it at least doubled in price. on e you get to start using the Ths you’ll find that as a rule they’re on same time each year. Both the clubs do ths( temp hol sites) camc have to be booked, however due to covid so do ccc now.

 

[Snoopy]

Both for us

 

[peterc10]

We are members of the C&CC. Not great fans of any of the club's sites, because they seem to be too regimented and we never use the facilities. But we do like C&CC's Temporary Holiday Sites organised by their sections and DAs, but open to all members. We are going to be using one for 4 nights later this month only 5 miles from the centre of Edinburgh and on a bus route. £8.50 per unit per night. So the savings will pay for this year's subs.

 

[Itsmcb]

Ha, I've just had an email from the c&mc advertising their 'pop up' campsite at Beaulieu. ONLY £90 for two nights for a family of four. Wow

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[LesW]

We're on a C&CC temporary holiday site at Bucklers Hard, £52 for three nights

 

[Gellyneck]

We were told, in no uncertain terms “I hope you don’t expect a refund at this late stage”. That was a C&CC.

C&MC would have refunded all but one night according to signs up in reception \ facility block.

 

[Kevin0]

We’re members of both. They both have lovely sites in great locations. We’ve never come across the so called bad wardens. We don’t use either very often but when we do we have found both to be excellent value for money and immaculately kept.

As me and my wife Debbie are new to this, we found all your comments very useful. Many thanks