# the caravan and motorhome club.



## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

Reading "Times have changed" a letter by Walter Cuthbert in the letters page of the july issue of the Caravan Club Magazine I began to think about the club and its relationship to motorhomes!
I would venture that the CC still has a "caravan" mind set to the deteriment of motorhome owners. Perhaps this is to be expected given that motorhomers probably form a minority of the CC membership but without a champion to lobby on our behalf how can we develop the same sort of motorhome friendly infrastructure in the UK as is enjoyed widely across europe.
The caravan club should change is name to the caravan and motorhome club which would signal its intent.


----------



## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

Perhaps we should all join the Motorcaravanners Club? At least we will be in the majority there.

JohnW


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I imagine the CC and CCC regard aires as direct competition for their sites and therefore would not want to encourage them or even be against them, Alan.


----------



## brianamelia (Mar 17, 2008)

cheshiregordon said:


> Reading "Times have changed" a letter by Walter Cuthbert in the letters page of the july issue of the Caravan Club Magazine I began to think about the club and its relationship to motorhomes!
> I would venture that the CC still has a "caravan" mind set to the deteriment of motorhome owners. Perhaps this is to be expected given that motorhomers probably form a minority of the CC membership but without a champion to lobby on our behalf how can we develop the same sort of motorhome friendly infrastructure in the UK as is enjoyed widely across europe.
> The caravan club should change is name to the caravan and motorhome club which would signal its intent.


Everytime this subject pops up I ask myself what is detrimental to motorhomers.
I stay regulaly on CC clubsites and would like to know what it is the CC club do not do for us.We have exactly the same facilities available to us as the caravan next door,so if somebody could explain I would be grateful.
Bri


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

gordon, did you mean to start this in the Subs Lounge? It's a motorhoming topic, surely it should be in Motorhome ChitChat? 

I can arrange for it to be moved; please reply in here & I will get in touch with site admin.


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

if you refer to their sites, I can't see that there is any discrimination against Mh's at the sites I've been to. The booking system for the sites is still geared to arranging things for longer periods and further ahead, which is not what most Mhers do! One thing they don't have that the CCC do is the motorhomers "drop in", useful for wild campers.

For their attitude to touring around Europe, they definitely still have the Caravan mentality, with the booking system and of course their attitude to aires. This is changing, but it will take a long time before they do an article in the club magazine a bout travelling in Europe using aires. :roll: 

We are still in a minority, and until it becomes more balanced, it's unrealistic to expect a change of name. The Camping Club changed their name a long tome back, when there became more caravanners than campers.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

bognormike said:


> .......of course their attitude to aires.


Define please ?

Look in the Caravan Europe books 1 and 2 and you will find quite a few aires listed . There is also a section "Motorcaravanners: Overnight Stops" which goes into some detail about aires, aree di sosta, stellplatzen etc and advises which listing books to buy for each country.

What they have always maintained- as do many on this forum-is that you should not stay on service stations on motorways.

We've never been discriminated against as MHers; indeed rather the opposite, in that we've been advised about where to park for easy use of dump and fresh water and so on.

The magazine always reviews at least one MH per month- along with a caravan and tent and possibly a tow car. There is plenty of advice for MHers and letters are not discriminated either. Any trip report is as likely to be done by MH as caravan.

I do wish people would stop bringing up this perennial without checking facts first.

G

Edit to add: Positive discrimination report: the club state that they supply information- where possible- about public transport near to sites because it is useful to MHers.


----------



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Grizzly said:


> bognormike said:
> 
> 
> > .......of course their attitude to aires.
> ...


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

bognormike said:


> I hadn't seen that about the aires in the continental touring book  Shall I say that "until recently" they bunched together all aires in the same way, as if they were all on autoroutes.
> 
> .


How "recently" Mike ?

I've taken this information from page 27 of the 2007 edition of Caravan Europe 1. Given that that went to press in 2006 that is 6 years ago. I've just thrown out previos editions but would not be surprised if the same section was there.

It always amuses/ amazes me that the same club have always listed - in the sites guide this time- a long list, with details, of UK motorway service areas that allow overnighting !

You might accuse them of xenophobia but not of anti-motorhomism.

G


----------



## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

brianamelia said:


> cheshiregordon said:
> 
> 
> > Reading "Times have changed" a letter by Walter Cuthbert in the letters page of the july issue of the Caravan Club Magazine I began to think about the club and its relationship to motorhomes!
> ...


its a difficult one - as the issue of paying for facilities you don't use applies equally to motorhomers and caravanners. I would suggest though that the location of its sites owes more to it being a caravan orientated club.


----------



## brianamelia (Mar 17, 2008)

cheshiregordon said:


> brianamelia said:
> 
> 
> > cheshiregordon said:
> ...


I would venture that the CC still has a "caravan" mind set to the deteriment of motorhome owners.

Your quote above is what I was trying to get clarification on. I dont think its anything to do with location the majority of sites have been there for years so dont discrimate against anybody

Bri


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

cheshiregordon said:


> I would suggest though that the location of its sites owes more to it being a caravan orientated club
> 
> .


What on earth do you mean by this Gordon ? You'll have to clarify that statement !

G


----------



## emjaiuk (Jun 3, 2005)

brianamelia said:


> cheshiregordon said:
> 
> 
> > Reading "Times have changed" a letter by Walter Cuthbert in the letters page of the july issue of the Caravan Club Magazine I began to think about the club and its relationship to motorhomes!
> ...


The only complaint I've got with the CC is their seeming inability to provide level or reasonably level hard standings, which doesn't affect caravans! WHY!!!!!!

Malcolm


----------



## brianamelia (Mar 17, 2008)

emjaiuk said:


> brianamelia said:
> 
> 
> > cheshiregordon said:
> ...


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

emjaiuk said:


> The only complaint I've got with the CC is their seeming inability to provide level or reasonably level hard standings, which doesn't affect caravans! WHY!!!!!!
> 
> Malcolm


Have you asked the Club Malcolm ?

Are you a member of the users panel ? Anybody can join and it is free - and interesting to take part.

I'd suggest all the " knockers" stop their knocking and contact the club to ask for their response.

G


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

a member of the users panel, what is this please.

cabby


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

cabby said:


> a member of the users panel, what is this please.
> 
> cabby


Go to the Caravan Club website and log in to the member's area.
Put in "Research panel" into the search engine- top right- and it will bring up details of how to join.

G

Edit to add: I take it that the knockers know that there is a Discussion forum - clearly monitored by club officials as they reply quite often- on the CC site ?


----------



## averhamdave (May 21, 2005)

Given that it's called the CARAVAN CLUB why would you expect any different?

Caravans and Motorhomes are different things appealing to people with different approaches to the pastime. 

"You can't please all the people all of the time", springs to mind.

PS: I'm a member of the Motorcaravanners Club. They do absolutely nothing for caravanners. :lol:


----------



## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

If I was a caravan owning member of the CC then I might think it unfair that some of my subscription is going towards the construction and maintenance of motorhome service points. Conversely though I can't think of any facilities that are designed solely for the use of caravans. I think that on balance motorhomers do quite well.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

averhamdave said:


> Given that it's called the CARAVAN CLUB why would you expect any different?


This is historical and dates back to the time when motorcaravans were hardly around.

You'll notice that they refer, in their mission statement, to motorhomers, as motorcaravanners. We're all members of the same species; we have a motor attached to our caravan rather than separate.

The website seems to refer to motorhomes and caravans on an equal basis: insurance for both, maintainence tips for both, choosing both, training to use both and so on.

Please, someone, point out, with factual backing, where this alleged discrimination lies ?

G


----------



## tulsehillboys (Jul 22, 2010)

For me it is clear 
the caravan club likes pre booked long term bookings (for caravans mainly) they do not actively support short term or turn up bookings. They make little effort on behalf of motorhomers parking issues and do very little to encourage aire style accomodation by local councils.

I keep encouraging them and do see SOME movement. 
Sadly I do not think the motorcaravanners club is sufficiently large to garner real national support for the pastime (although I am a member of this too).

I would encourage anyone to agitate for better motorhome provision by the CC.


----------



## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

tulsehillboys said:


> I would encourage anyone to agitate for better motorhome provision by the CC.


What do you mean by "better...provision" and what is wrong with what they do at the moment


----------



## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

I've often defended the Caravan Club on here as I've never had any problems with wardens and I don't believe they _deliberately_ discriminate against motorhomes. I do though feel there is an institutional bias towards caravan style touring and caravanners' needs.

Position of sites: OK, some are excellent, especially the ones in cities e.g. Abbey Wood, Rowntree Park. Others though, Troutbeck Head is a good example, may be set in the countryside but you have to drive your van off site or risk walking for miles along fast country roads with no footpath if you want to do anything other than sit on site. They should at least make clear in their blurbs that the 'nearby attractions' could mean a ten mile drive.

Motorhome Service Points: I haven't come across a CC site that hasn't got a service point but they vary so much and don't seem to account for the various models of motorhomes with different positions of waste water outlets. A wide drain across the width of the van would be ideal but they seem rare.

Touring: When in France we don't book. Here, until our last trip, we've always booked sites as we haven't had the confidence that we can just turn up. We've just come back from a trip where five of our nine nights away were unplanned. We ended up on expensive independent sites as the clubs were either full or would only take bookings for two or more nights. Aire style overnight parking areas could be provided for motorhomers who just want somewhere to stay for the night, and perhaps to use some of the facilities. Spacious pitches with room for awnings and a car aren't always necessary for motorhomes, but this is what we pay for.
If we are staying on a club site for several days the extra space is appreciated but we are moving more towards wanting to tour in a flexible way that can make the most of having a motorhome rather than a caravan. The Caravan Club is not geared up for this.

Chris


----------



## Biglol (Jul 16, 2007)

I have only visited one CC site that wasn't M/H friendly, and that was in Dorset at a NT property. I asked at reception and was told that one of the NT employees was a member of the CC and suggested them putting a CL in the grounds. It was a pleasant little site but to get water I had to drive out of the site and poke the water hose through a fence which would not be easy if you were on your own.


----------



## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

Grizzly said:


> cheshiregordon said:
> 
> 
> > I would suggest though that the location of its sites owes more to it being a caravan orientated club
> ...


i think its clear what I meant from reading the club magazine and the various postings on here.
To my thinking the club tolerates motorhomes rather than actively encourage their use


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

cheshiregordon said:


> i think its clear what I meant from reading the club magazine and the various postings on here.
> To my thinking the club tolerates motorhomes rather than actively encourage their use


Gordon: You will have to provide us with examples from the magazine.
From this site however



ChrisandJohn said:


> :
> 
> Position of sites: OK, some are excellent, especially the ones in cities e.g. Abbey Wood, Rowntree Park. Others though, Troutbeck Head is a good example, may be set in the countryside but you have to drive your van off site or risk walking for miles along fast country roads with no footpath if you want to do anything other than sit on site. They should at least make clear in their blurbs that the 'nearby attractions' could mean a ten mile drive.


So, we are to close down all deep country-side sites as they are not MH friendly ! Most of us on here have some knowledge of geography and/or access to Google so can check locations for ourselves before visiting. There is usually a good clue in the proximity of public transport section among the CC details of the site.



ChrisandJohn said:


> Motorhome Service Points: I haven't come across a CC site that hasn't got a service point but they vary so much and don't seem to account for the various models of motorhomes with different positions of waste water outlets. A wide drain across the width of the van would be ideal but they seem rare.


And who would be the first to complain if the CC undertook a massive change to all it's service points- at considerable cost ? Do you complain because French sites are not uniform ? Remember that many sites are now franchised and, historically, they have been bought into the club from failing private sites.



ChrisandJohn said:


> Touring: When in France we don't book. Here, until our last trip, we've always booked sites as we haven't had the confidence that we can just turn up. We've just come back from a trip where five of our nine nights away were unplanned. We ended up on expensive independent sites as the clubs were either full or would only take bookings for two or more nights.


It's summer, sites are fuller than usual but still, we do turn up and have never been refused. The same can be said of European sites in summer but, while they will often squeeze you in far too close to neighbours, the CC maintain the 6 m rule- than goodness, if you have ever seen the result of a fire. This issue was address on a recent CC panel. Did you put in your view ?



ChrisandJohn said:


> Aire style overnight parking areas could be provided for motorhomers who just want somewhere to stay for the night, and perhaps to use some of the facilities. Spacious pitches with room for awnings and a car aren't always necessary for motorhomes, but this is what we pay for.


Frankly the pitch size is not what costs the club; it's the provision of facilities. Its a good idea to have no facility pitches for MHs but, if you ask the club - as I have done- they will reply that where trials have been made the facilities have been used anyway, just illicitly !



cheshiregordon said:


> I would suggest though that the location of its sites owes more to it being a caravan orientated club


No Gordon. It owes more to history and where independent sites were bought up by the club. Look through your site book at the new sites- as I have done- and you will find that there are few that are not in places easy to walk to attractions or use good public transport.



tulsehillboys said:


> caravan club likes pre booked long term bookings (for caravans mainly) they do not actively support short term or turn up bookings. They make little effort on behalf of motorhomers parking issues and do very little to encourage aire style accomodation by local councils.


I can't lay my hands on the current mag but they do address this issue in the editorial. Actually they do make representations to local councils but, and this has been addressed before on here, local councils, for a variety of reasons, cannot or are unwilling to make aire provisions. Some already have done and some have done so and withdrawn them after abuse of these facilities.



biglol said:


> I have only visited one CC site that wasn't M/H friendly, and that was in Dorset at a NT property. I asked at reception and was told that one of the NT employees was a member of the CC and suggested them putting a CL in the grounds. It was a pleasant little site but to get water I had to drive out of the site and poke the water hose through a fence which would not be easy if you were on your own
> 
> .


Carry a watering can ! The NT property we have stayed on had a hose to our van.

G


----------



## tulsehillboys (Jul 22, 2010)

tulsehillboys said:


> caravan club likes pre booked long term bookings (for caravans mainly) they do not actively support short term or turn up bookings. They make little effort on behalf of motorhomers parking issues and do very little to encourage aire style accomodation by local councils.
> 
> I can't lay my hands on the current mag but they do address this issue in the editorial. Actually they do make representations to local councils but, and this has been addressed before on here, local councils, for a variety of reasons, cannot or are unwilling to make aire provisions. Some already have done and some have done so and withdrawn them after abuse of these facilities.


I have said they do but I feel they could do a lot more!


----------



## tulsehillboys (Jul 22, 2010)

peribro said:


> tulsehillboys said:
> 
> 
> > I would encourage anyone to agitate for better motorhome provision by the CC.
> ...


I really think I have explained what they do not cater for in my post.

It is my view but they do not cater for the needs of touring motorhomers and do little to lobby for the needs of this substantial group of their membership.


----------



## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

ChrisandJohn said:


> Touring: When in France we don't book. Here, until our last trip, we've always booked sites as we haven't had the confidence that we can just turn up. We've just come back from a trip where five of our nine nights away were unplanned. We ended up on expensive independent sites as the clubs were either full or would only take bookings for two or more nights.


But what you describe there isn't a position of the club being biased against motorhomes, but simply that there is undercapacity at club sites versus the number of people who wish to stay there. A good starting point on resolving that would be to not allow non-members at weekends.

The argument of some is that because the sites are full with prebookings, that works against motorhomers who wish to tour. I do have quite a bit of sympathy with that, but look at it from the other angle. The only way to achieve that with existing capacity/membership would be to set aside a certain proportion of non-bookable pitches to accommodate tourers. Now, consider the situation say 3 weeks before a given weekend : is it fair that someone who wishes to book a pitch and is prepared to commit to using it should be denied it, on the off chance that someone touring passing by on the night in question might make use of it? I'd suggest probably not.

On the whole I've not experienced a great deal of prejudice at club sites. It's noticeable that a high proportion of wardens have motorhomes. Altogether I've stayed approx 125 nights on Club sites over the last four years, and have experienced issues only 3 times

- Garlieston where I got stuck on a grass pitch, queried why hardstandings couldn't be set aside for motorhomes, and had the warden point to the logo on his shirt and say "well we are the caravan club" - I complained to head office and got an apology

- Braithwaite Fold (now C&CC) where the warden got the hump that I was towing a car because he couldn't put me on the small pitch he'd planned, and

- Meathop where I was strongly encouraged to park on a section which resembled a carpark because "it's popular with motorhomers": I didn't.

I do agree the provision of motorhome waste points can be variable, but that equally applies across C&CC and independents too.

Incidentally, the naming of CC supposedly favouring caravans is a red-herring....I hate the term myself but the Club refer to what we have as "motorcaravans", which surely is a sub-genre of "caravans" hence encompassed within Caravan Club.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

tulsehillboys said:


> It is my view but they do not cater for the needs of touring motorhomers and do little to lobby for the needs of this substantial group of their membership
> 
> .


 They, rightly, are a club, paid for by members, who cater for the needs of those members by providing places for caravans, motorcaravans, trailer and sometimes free-standing, tents. They were not constituted to lobby local authorities etc They do put forward the views of members to local authorities however.

If we, as motorhomers, want aires then we must do the lobbying ourselves.

How many on here do that ? Moaning is easier.

G


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

A bit harsh G, but we do lack a coherent voice and until we organise ourselves and sell our message very carefully I can't see the provision of aires catching on. Just complaining won't do it.

It's noticeable that when a new aire is proposed only a few can be bothered to get together and lobby for the proposal to proceed.

I know we don't have many members in Ireland but when the Northern Ireland Tourist Board canvassed opinion from motorhomers about provision of aires there only a few on here showed any interest.

I guess we get the provision we deserve, Alan.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

erneboy said:


> A bit harsh G, but we do lack a coherent voice and until we organise ourselves and sell our message very carefully I can't see the provision of aires catching on. Just complaining won't do it.
> 
> .


You're absolutely right Alan. But sometimes a soflee, softlee approach will catchee the monkey.

Each town and village is different in geographical and financial ways and only a resident can know it well. I'm not suggesting we make a nuisance of ourselves- that's counter-productive- but it is worth introducing the idea of an aire with your local authority and giving them chapter and verse about the concept. As I've said before; someone who does not own a motorhome- ie most people- has absolutely no idea that such things as aires exist and that they could bring trade to a town.

We have a basic motorhome overnighting area here but, a couple of weeks ago, the town council published a letter to the effect that they are hoping to improve the footfall (!) of visitors to the town and they were open to suggestions as to what could be done.

Well...what else could I do ? I hope I get a chance to put a case for improvement of and signage to the existing place to them in person.

G


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Sadly only a few of us are willing to try G. I agree that the tone of any approach or comment is very important, Alan.


----------



## tulsehillboys (Jul 22, 2010)

Grizzly said:


> tulsehillboys said:
> 
> 
> > It is my view but they do not cater for the needs of touring motorhomers and do little to lobby for the needs of this substantial group of their membership
> ...


I write to them regularly with my thoughts - they are the biggest club and have the most clout! I do believe in changing things through lobbying and do so regularly (and urge others to do the same).
The sites are full (particularly to turn up customers) so there is much more that could be done to increase capacity - even overnight parking in municiple car parks at zero cost could be campained for by the club. I do believe they do some of this but much more could be done. Take the canterbury "aire" - a success and could be replicated up and down the country.


----------



## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

Grizzly said:


> cheshiregordon said:
> 
> 
> > i think its clear what I meant from reading the club magazine and the various postings on here.
> ...


I'm sorry if I seem to be critical of something which you hold in high esteem.
My initial point was not the the CC didn't provide a good service or good sites but that due to it origins it still had a caravan mind set (a sort of institutional bias). That attitude influenced the way it went about representing both caravanners and motorhomes and pervaded its thinking on new site locations and the types of sites it opens. ( no I didn't expect current sites to be closed down) plus its pricing structure.
Even those sites without toilet blocks seem expensive for overnighting on a european comparison.
Nothing I have read so far has convinced me that the CC is anything other than caravan centric.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

cheshiregordon said:


> I'm sorry if I seem to be critical of something which you hold in high esteem.


No. I don't hold it in high esteem. As far as I'm concerned, it is a club that provides services; no more, no less. What I do hold in high esteem is truth and fairness however. I firmly believe that criticisms that are not backed up by facts are unfair. You make the point that:
" due to it origins it still had a caravan mind set (a sort of institution bias). That attitude influenced the way it went about representing both caravanners and motorhomes and pervaded its thinking on new site locations and the types of sites it opens. "

but you don't bring forward _ facts_ to back that assertion.

Do you use CLs, holiday sites, rallies and meets as part of your CC membership. Do you use their no/ minimum facilities club sites where a night is often £5 ? We are able to take advantage of Senior discounts so that reduces the price too.

I'm afraid land is expensive in UK- it is in short supply. Many of the sites run by the CC are leased from local authorities and rent must be paid. Some are under threat as those local authorities want the land back. eg the excellent Crystal Palace site which will go in a couple of years.



> Nothing I have read so far has convinced me that the CC is anything other than caravan centric
> 
> .


Then we must agree to differ.

G


----------



## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

Grizzly said:


> cheshiregordon said:
> 
> 
> > I'm sorry if I seem to be critical of something which you hold in high esteem.
> ...


I must differ and can't help thinking that something in my post has touchd a nerve with you, after all you didn't have to respond! However I detect from your posts a challenging position to my original point and a determined effort to be contrary.
The facts speak for themselves when you look at the way the facillities for motorhomers in the this country lag behind those on the continent.
Yes I take the point that it is up to us all to challenge and put forward our case but maybe the two main clubs have become a little to entrenched and content over the years to want to change by fully representing the interests of both caravanners and motorhomers.
To satisify your desire for facts - no I have never used holiday sites, rallies and meets as part of my CC membership. I do sometimes use their minimum facilities club sites (although I haven't stayed at a CC site for £5/n) and when possible take advantage of Senior discounts but surfing thro this maze of marketing offers requires a degree of planning and removes the spontaneity which the continentals enjoy.


----------



## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

Grizzly said:


> ChrisandJohn said:
> 
> 
> > :
> ...


No, I didn't suggest closing down sites but it would be so simple and inexpensive to bear motorhomers' perspectives in mind when describing what a site offers. Yes, I do usually check google now if we're planning and booking in advance and/or have internet access, but the printed material and website descriptions could so easily give more valuable information on which to base choices. Caravans and Motorhomes have both similarities and differences, it's the differences that don't seem to be taken into account.

Chris


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

cheshiregordon said:


> I must differ and can't help thinking that something in my post has touchd a nerve with you, after all you didn't have to respond! However I detect from your posts a challenging position to my original point and a determined effort to be contrary.


No nerve but, having been on this site since 2005, I've seen this topic aired so often and wonder if you have read all the previous threads ?

I've no brief for the Clubs but do like to see fairness upheld and, being all on my own at the moment, have time for a good argument ! I hope it doesn't come across as being a personal attack; that is not my intention at all.



> The facts speak for themselves when you look at the way the facillities for motorhomers in the this country lag behind those on the continent.


 The facts _ don't _ speak for themselves. This country differs in so many way from the continent. We are smaller, we have a real or perceived fear of " travellers" free-loading on unsupervised aires to name but two. We do have CLs and CSs, we have pub sites and we have Britstops, we have big club sites and we have independent sites, we have rallies and holiday sites and- unbelievable though it might be- we do have motorhome stopovers - see Graham Robinson's excellent website. The CC provides a list of motorway stopovers for motorhomes too. Yes, we do differ from Europe; they don't have all of those options.

Looking at the number of club sites leased from local authorities and others I imagine, when they were set up, they were that local authorities equivalent to an aire. We still have to convince some local authorities that an _ unsupervised _ area of motorhome parking will not be vandalised but I am at a loss to know how the clubs can do that. We, as motorhomers can, by policing those that exist and reporting abuse - and clearing mess unfortunately.

G


----------



## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

Grizzly said:


> cheshiregordon said:
> 
> 
> > I must differ and can't help thinking that something in my post has touchd a nerve with you, after all you didn't have to respond! However I detect from your posts a challenging position to my original point and a determined effort to be contrary.
> ...


I'm afraid your first sentence seem to confirm my feeling - how dare I challenge someone who has been a member since 2005 and has such lofty knowledge of the subject!
Well please forgive me my lord I won't speak again.
But you do seem to repeating yourself and a little to satisfied with the status quo.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

ChrisandJohn said:


> No, I didn't suggest closing down sites but it would be so simple and inexpensive to bear motorhomers' perspectives in mind when describing what a site offers.
> 
> Chris


I agree here Chris. I wrote to the club magazine letters section a few weeks ago to make this point; We don't all have cars and we would appreciate - even caravanners- being given better information about transport from the site. Yes, they do put "distance to bus stop" but that is no good if the buses only run twice a day. This information can easily be collected from the site wardens who know their bus services.

I'll let you know if they publish my letter!

I find Traveline very good

G


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

cheshiregordon said:


> I'm afraid your first sentence seem to confirm my feeling - how dare I challenge someone who has been a member since 2005 and has such lofty knowledge of the subject!
> Well please forgive me my lord I won't speak again.
> But you do seem to repeating yourself and alittle to satisfied with the status quo.


Gordon really !

That is not at all what I mean; I'm a very friendly lady really and if my posts have come over as arrogant then, forgive me, that was not my intention at all. Inevitably, as people are on the site longer, we tend to have read it all so yes, arguments do spring more readily to mind.

My problem is that I don't see a "status quo" as you suggest.

I am sorry you have taken offence at my postings and I'll get back to the ironing now.

G

( It's " My Lady " by the way.... :wink: )


----------



## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

Grizzly said:


> cheshiregordon said:
> 
> 
> > I'm afraid your first sentence seem to confirm my feeling - how dare I challenge someone who has been a member since 2005 and has such lofty knowledge of the subject!
> ...


I'm afraid I only have your word that you are a nice person - and can't accept that tenure gives members any greater say or rite on these issues. Much of what you have written is correct but misses the central point that I put forward "that the club is caravan centric". I want to be able to roam the UK as I can abroad at the same cost (stopping either on aires or in sites located within walking distance of a town) - while there are a few sites located close to a town (York and Tewkesbury to name two) most of the sites are remote and much of what the club offers is of no interest to me.


----------



## brianamelia (Mar 17, 2008)

cheshiregordon said:


> Grizzly said:
> 
> 
> > cheshiregordon said:
> ...


Ive read through this post and feel a lot of what you say are just personal feelings and not facts .What has the pricing in europe got to do with bias towards motorhomes in the UK.Also what have aires in France got to do with bias they are totally seperate entitys not campsites.I would totally agree that aires would be a great addition to the uk tourist market but its nothing to do with the CC club its up to the local councils etc to sort that one.
Bri


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

cheshiregordon said:


> - and can't accept that tenure gives members any greater say or rite on these issues.


You have as much right as I have to put your points. I have exactly the same access to the site as you do. I am intrigued to know just what my "greater rights" might be.



> Much of what you have written is correct


But much of what I have written is focussed on that very issue: that the CC is * not* caravancentric.



> - while there are a few sites located close to a town (York and Tewkesbury to name two) most of the sites are remote


Take your copy of the CC Sites guide and look at page 52 onward. This is a list of all the club sites. There you have a symbol against each site that is less than 1/2 mile to a town or village. There are an awful lot of them. There are many more that are accessible via a good bus service too. We've just come back from a long trip to Europe and found we had to use public transport to get to town from very many sites as well.



> ....and much of what the club offers is of no interest to me.


So why not stay on CLs CSs, temporary holiday sites, Britstops, pub sites, rally sites, motorhome stopovers and so on and avoid the Club sites ? If they are so busy then they must appeal to lots of others- and a good number of them are motorhomers.

Lets leave it at that. I've tried to put a good argument and cannot see that it has got personal but you clearly see it as such. A pity but I do not want you further upset.

G


----------



## tulsehillboys (Jul 22, 2010)

brianamelia said:


> cheshiregordon said:
> 
> 
> > Grizzly said:
> ...


As a member of the Caravan Club it is for me (and all the other members) to decide what they do. It is clear they do much to provide services for caravans and motorcaravaners (and some tenters) and do policy and lobbying work on their behalf too but I am still convinced they could do a lot more to represent the interests of touring motorhomers and visiting motorhomers from abroad - my main interest and reason for being a member.


----------



## brianamelia (Mar 17, 2008)

tulsehillboys said:


> brianamelia said:
> 
> 
> > cheshiregordon said:
> ...


Now I am confused how do you come to that conclusion

Bri


----------



## Gary1944 (Feb 21, 2009)

emjaiuk said:


> brianamelia said:
> 
> 
> > cheshiregordon said:
> ...


----------



## Gary1944 (Feb 21, 2009)

Oops!! Seem to have lost the reply. What I wanted to say was that the Caravan Club generally design their pitches with a 6degree slope to aid the run off of standing water. As our Ducato sits higher at the rear we generally try and park with the front to the top of the slope. If this causes a problem out come the ramps. Still a lot easier than caravanners levelling and then winding legs down eyc, etc.

Gary


----------



## Gary1944 (Feb 21, 2009)

Can I also reply to some of the points made by Cheshiregordon. We have just returned from 6 weeks in France and made use of their fantastic system of Aires. We also used a number of ACSI discounted sites Available at quite good reductions out of high season. Yes, many Aires were free or of low cost, but Honfleur now charges 10 € a night , admittedly with EHU if you are one of the lucky ones.

We were able to make good use of the ACSI sites, but this is an association of sites so not quite like the CC. But they do not promote or provide Aires either. Some of the individual sites do make some facilities available to motorhomers, but this is not a normal offering. Why then would you expect the CC to do so?

In general, we found on looking at the cost of staying on these sites outside the discounted periods to be at least as much as theCC charge, and some were much more. They do offer extras such as swimming pools, but do not generally offer 16 amps EHU which the CC do.

Having said this I wish the CC would take a leaf out of many aires books and make grey water drains that are drive over and stretch across at least the width of a MH to allow the emptying of waste water without having to turn a van round against the traffic flow.

I hope you enjoy any of the CC sites you use. I do know the CC are always on the lookout for additional sites, and I am sure they would be happy to consider any potential near town centres if they could find them.

Gary


----------

