Which club?

[Talljohn]

As a prospective new owner I think it may be useful to join one of the major motor home clubs, but there seem to be quite a few out there. Can anyone recommend one. Access to sites, insurance discount, offers etc. Is my primary interest. Thanks,

 

[pappajohn]

Caravan & motorhome club
Camping and caravan club
The big ones. Both offer the same things but prices can vary.
As well as regular campsites both have a network of private, 5 unit sites which vary from a field with a tap to a full blown site with electric, toilet, elsan point, fresh water etc.
Caravan club version is a CL (certified location)
Camping & caravan club is a CS (certified site)
Officially only 5 vans and Caravans for a max 28 day stay.

 

[Janine]

I recently found out that both of the major clubs offer free legal advice.

However, Caravan Club is limited to motoring and caravanning matters whereas Legal Call from Camping and Caravan Club offers advice on a wider range of issues.

 

[rosalan]

There is no real need to join any other 'club' other than "FUN" but perhaps join an owners club where most or all members have the same make of van and can offer technical advice and sometimes reduced prices for parts. For donkey's years we were in the old Caravan Club which kept getting more and more expensive considering we almost never used their sites or facilities.
We are all very different in what we expect from our vans and we enjoy the flexibility of short stays, overseas Aires and not extended parking and for this we need no club (other than "FUN")

 

[138go]

We like the C&MHC. We prefer their club sites, their CLs and there insurance.

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[WillH]

We are in both the C&MC and C&CC, have been for over 25 years.

 

[M-J]

We prefer CAMC, personally I would say the camping club are more interested in filling sites with lodges and leaving what’s left more suited for tents.

 

[TheBig1]

We are members of both the big clubs, caravan & motorhome club for sites and CLs, camping and caravaning club for the regional DA weekend meet and their temporary holiday sites, also their deal with the RAC to cover bigger and older motorhomes even on fields

All the insurance companies will give a discount for membership of the clubs

 

[kevenh]

There are smaller clubs or site aggregators.

so 5van.co.uk & Freedom Camping Club

 

[Kannon Fodda]

I think there are pros and cons for both of the major UK clubs. It's what suits you and your style.

I've been a member of C&CC for 4 years, but initially as I was roughing it in a tent, and perhaps oddly at that time was using the Camping in the Forest sites, so didn't really need it. But this year in my Van I've used a few sites, and also the CS network.

C&MC is focused on caravans and only added motorhoming a few years ago. Apparently some of the tuggers would prefer motorhomers wern't part of the membership, but I don't have first hand experience. I do get the impression that C&MC have a better network of CLs, and certainly their coverage in Scottish Highlands is better when C&CC seem to have stopped about level with Loch Ness. C&MC probably have higher spec club sites that C&CC, as they are only serving vehicles, and probably have more high spec "full service" pitches. But I can't work out how much Id pay for a C&MC pitch, their pricing seems to have pitch plus occupancy charges, C&CC website does show the amount you will pay once you put in your vehicle type, date and occupants. I haven't noted the problem on CUCC sites that they are allocating too many spaces to lodges and stuff.

Big criticism of C&MC is that you book without a deposit, so sites get snapped up months in advance. C&CC you pay a deposit (refundable only if cancelling 30 days in advance), so there is often wider short term availability. You will normally get shown to the pitch with both clubs, apparently C&MC can be rigid in how you park up the right way, with C&CC they have seemed flexible on most sites in terms of which way in other than the need to maintain separation for fire and some site prefer awnings and vans on the hardstanding.

As a singleton I find I do get reasonable pricing from C&CC for pitches. I suspect many may be pricing per person, rather than pitch and then per person. I'll be taking "grass" (actually more bare earth covered with leaf much as the site is heavily wooded) for two nights this weekend on a C&CC site (toilets closed) for a total of just under £15. I couldn't do that with most of the CS / CL sites.

This year after Covid C&CC who operate Camping in the Forest kept those sites close, didn't open all of their club sites and many of those that did don't have toilet / shower / laundry open, yet pricing didn't drop noticeably for lack of facilities. Some also got upset at the speed that C&CC chucked longer term campers and staff from their sites. C&MC did slightly better, but only after a retraction of the March pulling the drawbridge up for all after a fuss was created.

I've never tried to use C&CC services of insurance and stuff (I found Comfort, they gave me a quote for what I thought was an excellent price when I bought my new MH, which was half the price of the car that was worth half that of the van, and didn't bother wasting effort checking further). Its not a reason why I joined the club. Indeed I haven't even bothered trying to get a coffee at their stands at the NEC shows (when they were running).

Apparently there is an owners club for my MH's marque. Online there seemed to be too many politics for me to get involved. They don't have sites, so realistically there is no benefit to joining them over and above MH Fun, where there is such a wealth of widespread knowledge, and the (in normal times) meets and rallies that being a funster is all you need. I have far more interaction here. I don't think I've ever tried to correspond, speak or post via C&CC.

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[Talljohn]

Thanks everyone for your replies, great advice.

 

[March Hare]

We're in our first year of ownership, and we have had a lot of use of our CAMC membership, and have stayed on several of their main sites, and more latterly their small five pitch CL sites which we've really enjoyed.

As per comments above, you can book the main Club sites online which is very convenient (you can find there's late availability as members can cancel for free within 72hrs of the day of arrival), but generally the CL's are booked by phone which can be a bit tricky if you're booking late and it's very busy - you can end up making lots and lots of phone calls (and i always feel guilty for bothering the site owners on the phone!!).

Anyway, from recommendations on here we've also bought the Britstops book which we've found to be fantastic - it's about £38 (from memory) and for each region there are selections of pubs and small businesses who are prepared to let you stay on their land overnight for free. Facilities vary from the space only, to some where water and waste is available. You're obviously encouraged to support the business whether that is having a drink or meal in the pub our buying produce from a farm shop for example, but it's a fantastic arrangement. For motorhoming in the UK, for us it's been the missing link, and we really enjoyed taking short breaks and choosing a couple of Britstops to visit.

 

[bridgedino]

i cant find any of the main C&CC sites that are open all year, They appear to all close down by early Nov. Only seems to be their smaller farm sites that stay open. Plenty of the main C&MC sites stay open all year

 

[denisejoe]

i cant find any of the main C&CC sites that are open all year, They appear to all close down by early Nov. Only seems to be their smaller farm sites that stay open. Plenty of the main C&MC sites stay open all year

There are several sites open early January:

Club Sites with extended opening:
Bellingham: Closes 3 January 2021
Bowness on Windermere: Closes 2 January 2021
Cheddar: Closes 4 January 2021
Derwentwater: Closes 4 January 2021
Hereford: Closes 3 January 2021
Polstead: Closes 7 January 2021
Salisbury: Closes 4 January 2021
Sandringham: Closes 4 January 2021
Scone: Closes 2 January 2021
Winchcombe: Closes 4 January 2021
Windermere: Closes 14 January 2021
Wolverley: Closes 5 January 2021

 

[68c]

As a prospective new owner I think it may be useful to join one of the major motor home clubs, but there seem to be quite a few out there. Can anyone recommend one. Access to sites, insurance discount, offers etc. Is my primary interest. Thanks,

Many join both clubs, in truth I find very little difference between them. You could log on to thier, admittedly poor, websites and see which club has the most sites in the area you are likely to use most, or ask a fellow camper if you could look at there club map. Look on their van for a club sticker, probably find someone with bith.

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[LesW]

i cant find any of the main C&CC sites that are open all year, They appear to all close down by early Nov. Only seems to be their smaller farm sites that stay open. Plenty of the main C&MC sites stay open all year

There are at least a dozen main sites open all year according the their website.

There are also the Temporary Holiday Sites that are unique to the C&CC.

 

[Oldgustaf]

There are smaller clubs or site aggregators.

so 5van.co.uk & Freedom Camping Club

And there's the Greener Camping Club. Most of their sites are in west Wales and not all take motorhomes.

 

[Mike Rivers]

I’m in both CAMC & CCC and they’re both great clubs. I’m also in ACSI which I find useful for continental sites and I’ve used their Club ID card which is a passport substitute. Arrived late on site in France, reception closed but manager who was staying on a pitch next to reception opened gates, invited us to choose pitch and took our Club ID as security. Alternatively, if you simply google ‘campsites near Saumur’ as we did in the summer you’ll get a map with all the ‘hits’. A combination of above methods is fine. There are plenty of other apps which are also very good. If you could only join just one club, it would be the CAMC.

 

[Mr Rusty]

We have been members of both clubs for over 20 years. Both have their good and bad points. We have very rarely taken advantage of their ‘extras’ insurance etc finding that we can get that cheaper elsewhere. We stay members of both, membership of each is about £50 a year, as it gives us a larger selection of pitches o choose from - club sites, certificated locations, certificated sites, temporary holiday sites, club meets, rallies etc etc. The larger selection of pitches being more important than the extras especially as camping is seeing a resurgence in recent years.

 

[bridgedino]

There are at least a dozen main sites open all year according the their website.

There are also the Temporary Holiday Sites that are unique to the C&CC.

They must be hiding them from me. When i search on their app for club sites that are open all year, they are all faded out

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[bridgedino]

Maybe apps not the best way to search

 

[Mr Rusty]

Search on their website there is a ‘campsites open all year’ button.

 

[LesW]

The app does appear to show different results from the website..

 

[Folkranger]

Don't know about the other but we're in the C&MC for the ferry discounts which more than cover membership cost.

 

[bridgedino]

The app does appear to show different results from the website..

Yup, thanks for the help guys Seems that their apps aren't as straightforward as they maybe could be.

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[Oldgustaf]

Yup, thanks for the help guys Seems that their apps aren't as straightforward as they maybe could be.

The CAMC app is pants.

 

[Ian Bosman]

Caravan & motorhome club
Camping and caravan club
The big ones. Both offer the same things but prices can vary.
As well as regular campsites both have a network of private, 5 unit sites which vary from a field with a tap to a full blown site with electric, toilet, elsan point, fresh water etc.
Caravan club version is a CL (certified location)
Camping & caravan club is a CS (certified site)
Officially only 5 vans and Caravans for a max 28 day stay.

Do not forget the Motorhome club who have been on the scene a long time and also have a network of certified sites

 

[denisejoe]

I posted a list of the CCC club sites which are open until early next year. See post #14 above.

 

[Ian Bosman]

They must be hiding them from me. When i search on their app for club sites that are open all year, they are all faded out

View attachment 437609

You need to be a member perhaps to see the club sites for booking. Cannot be definite as I am a member so see all anyway

 

[Oldgustaf]

Do not forget the Motorhome club who have been on the scene a long time and also have a network of certified sites

The Motorhome Club is in fact the Caravan & Motorhome Club (CAMC), which was formerly the Caravan Club: https://www.caravanclub.co.uk.