Using a Caravan Club just for water/disposal

[Tomo3090]

We've joined three clubs, CC C&CC and the Motorcaravan Owners Club. We mainly use CL/CS sites when travelling through to somewhere because I can't see the point in paying for an all singing club with facilities for one night, so it gives us more choice. We use aires in France for the same reason. I do use the big full istes sometimes if we are staying over for more than two or three nights in one place.

 

It's unfair to criticise peoles spending when we've no idea why they do what they do. I paid over 50 grand for our van if you include all the extra toys we've bought. We've equipped it to a high standard because we like to do long tours, usually for a few months and it's just not economically feasable to do that and pay 20 odd quid a night. Plus, I've got a motorhome with facilities, in many cases far better than those on a site, so we tend to use those. So I begrudge paying for something I don't, or rarely, use.

 

I appreciate that sites cost money to set up and run, and people running them, especially private ones, large and small, need to make a decent profit from their labours. But by the same token I didn't once think of being able to help them out financially when I bought the van.

 

There are as many ways of using a motorhome as there are motorhomes and it is beyond my simple mind why when we are discussing these ways why it invariably ends in name calling and criticism of one side or the other. I'm not getting at a single poster when I say that, it's just a general observation.

 

As someone else said, join a club, don't join a club, use club sites don't use them, wild camp, don't wildcamp, it matters not a jot to anyone outside your own van what you do and THAT is the joy of owning one. The freedom to choose, to avoid airport queues, crowded beaches, pay 40 quid a night to stay, pay nowt to stay, go abroad, stay in the UK. Whatever we choose, lets' just keep waving as we pass! :-D

[Big Momma]

Tomo3090 - 2010-11-05 6:48 PM

 

 

 

 

The freedom to choose,

 

Just four magic and very important words that actually apply to a lot of things that we do, or not do, in our lives :D

[Guest pelmetman]

Tomo3090 - 2010-11-05 6:48 PM

Whatever we choose, lets' just keep waving as we pass! :-D

 

Now you've gone and dun'it Tomo, you have started the waving topic :D

 

Me, I always wave when I am on the road in the camper, and when I am in the works van but I dont always use all my fingers in the works van >:-)

[ips]

It's unfair to criticise peoles spending when we've no idea why they do what they do. I paid over 50 grand for our van if you include all the extra toys we've bought. We've equipped it to a high standard because we like to do long tours, usually for a few months and it's just not economically feasable to do that and pay 20 odd quid a night. Plus, I've got a motorhome with facilities, in many cases far better than those on a site, so we tend to use those. So I begrudge paying for something I don't, or rarely, use.

:-D

 

Thats a fair point acctually some of the facilities on some sites (NOT CLUB SITES) leave a lot to ge desired. We have a basic CC cl and charge £6 pn we find that our clientel dont want to pay for facilities they have no intention of using.

[oldlowie]

It really is a matter of 'whatever floats your boat'. :-D

 

We are in both the CC and C&CC, for two very different reasons.

 

As far as site fees are concerned, we calculate that 'C' = £6.00, especially out of season, as a CC pitch might cost you £12.00, while a C&CC pitch will be nearer £18.00 8-)

 

The CC have superb value for money sites, that are well-run and in some stunning locations, while C&CC, as well as their over-priced sites, have 'Temporary Holiday Sites', where us m/h types can turn up on spec, stay as long as we like, and pay 6 or 7 quid a night.

 

You pays your money, and takes your choice...

[Big Momma]

oldlowie - 2010-11-05 10:31 PM

 

It really is a matter of 'whatever floats your boat'. :-D

 

 

Sorry but should this not be on the boaters forum :D :D

[oldlowie]

Big Momma - 2010-11-05 10:37 PM

 

oldlowie - 2010-11-05 10:31 PM

 

It really is a matter of 'whatever floats your boat'. :-D

 

 

Sorry but should this not be on the boaters forum :D :D

 

Nice one Big Momma :D

 

Man overboard, then :-S *-) :-S

[Big Momma]

oldlowie - 2010-11-05 10:46 PM

 

Big Momma - 2010-11-05 10:37 PM

 

oldlowie - 2010-11-05 10:31 PM

 

It really is a matter of 'whatever floats your boat'. :-D

 

 

Sorry but should this not be on the boaters forum :D :D

 

Nice one Big Momma :D

 

Man overboard, then :-S *-) :-S

 

Perhaps you meant to refer to a 'land barge' (lol)

[LordThornber]

Each to their own

 

Whatever floats your boat

 

Live and let live

 

The list is endless and I agree with all of the above. What I do not agree with is folk who do the aires/free/wild/12v camping and then have the nerve to regularly post comments on here about those who choose not camp like them.

 

Examples:-

 

Q. Why do you sites in France when you can use aires?

 

A. Because we can.

 

Q. Why do use your own facilties if on a site?

 

A. Because we can.

 

Q. Why do you give site owners your money when if you camped free/wild/whatever you'd have more money to spend in X Y or Z?

 

A. Because we can.

 

It's all quite simple. Example: JudgeMental tells us in conversation he pays €50 a night for his stay in Italy. But the big difference is, he doesn't question why I, (or anyone else) pay "only" €18 a night. He doesn't pontificate, or lord it over us.

 

If you wish to camp on Aires or wherever - fine, but for the umpteenth time, let me choose how I camp - without question.

 

Martyn

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Why Martyn, I feel the onset of a mutual admiration society.  Well put!  :-D

[LordThornber]

Brian Kirby - 2010-11-06 12:02 PM

 

Why Martyn, I feel the onset of a mutual admiration society.  Well put!  :-D

 

Thankyou Brian, and all the others who agreed, I did my best :D

 

Martyn

[Tony Jones]

I'm with you too on this Martyn - as someone whose preferences and camping-style are completely different from yours.

As most people here know, I'm one of those who blew a substantial one-off sum of money on the van, but has little disposable stuff to spend on holidays, so we "camp cheap" whenever possible.

But if I've ever posted anything on here that suggests I think everyone else should do the same as me, please accept my apologies.

 

Surely we all do this at least partly for the "freedom" don't we?? So no reason to boss each other around!

 

(Anyway, if all of you went looking for the free and cheap places like I do, there wouldn't be room for me! :D :D )

[Timetraveller]

I certainly wouldn't want people to think I'm telling them how or where to camp. In my earlier comment I was merely making the point that in France people can make use of the 'Aires' facilities which occassionally are free or one pays a few euros for using the facilities they require & many, like us, return to use them & YES I do put money back into their community as a 'thank you' for providing these services by buying local.

 

If, as is the case with C.C.C., members have to pay £6.60 to use their facilities for a few hours then I would rather pay & use their small five unit sites where I can stay overnight using similar facilities i.e. fill up with water & empty my tanks as need be. These sites are often in some idillyc countryside spots.

 

The point I was making was, 'Why pay just to fill & empty when in some cases you can stay overnight for a similar cost?' If the two 'clubs' offered these services free to their members (& I am a member of C.C.C.) it may entice them to stay over on their larger sites a little more often.

 

Nowhere do I advocate 'wild camping'; rather each to their own.

We don't tuck ourselves up at 8pm, we don't sit around freezing, we don't eat beefburgers & we rarely do weekend trips. We don't spend our time telling others how to live their lives, in fact this is the first week that I have used this forum.

Earlier this week I was given some good advice when I asked for help from members. So having read this posting I was trying to put forward a point of view. I did not pontificate either the virtues for or against 'wild camping'. I certainly would not wish to ram anything down anyone's throat & if everyone followed the way of 'wildcampers then all those cosy hideaway places that are used by them would soon become heaving 'free camp sites'.

 

We do enjoy the pleasures of waking to the sounds of nature, looking out onto a glen, reservoir, loch, sea or countryside views. Consequently supermarket car parks, industrial units & laybys we leave to others if they wish to use them. We have on occasions used 'propper' or should that read proper five unit sites. We ensure our site, wherever that may be, is left clean & tidy; even to the extent where we have carried out litter picking.

We tour extensively, mainly in the UK. We are very fortunate in that our tours can last several weeks, whether they are in Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter. We use our motorhome as our home, it has all the facilities we require.

 

As Big Momma & Tomo said; 'We don't know the circumstances of other people'. If this is how this forum is run, where people take unnecessary offence & make petty remarks, then I don't think I will be taking part for much longer.

You have your motorhome & use it to the best of your ability to get enjoyment out of it; so do we. It just happens that sometimes our choices differ. Surely that doesn't mean we can't get along. We never know when we might need each others help.

Life is for living, so as soon as our motorhome is returned we will be off again. If you find us enjoying a cuppa - come on over, take your coat off, & join us. I'm no expert & I wont 'lord it' over you; but I can & will manage to make you feel welcome & make you a decent cuppa! Till next time, keep (lol)

[LordThornber]

Timetraveller - 2010-11-04 5:48 PM

If the club's were 'free' for these services, we would return & no doubt be more inclined to stay over for a night or two. (?)

 

Timetraveller, clearly you've taken umbrage at my posts and I apologise for that.

 

Your comment above was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. My incredulity was directed at the folk, who have on many occasions posted comments which allude to saving money, (which is fine), camping free/wild/Aire, (which is fine too) but then seem to think it's fine to question & almost insult other peoples choice/style of camping - i.e mine and a whole lot of others.

 

I'm afraid your post got bundled into my accumulated frustration.

 

Martyn

 

 

 

 

[Mel B]

Well Martyn, you do it your way, I'll do it my way. :-S

 

I feel as if I could be classed as one of the people who you MAY have been having an unintentional dig at in your earlier posting, without realising it of course.

 

On the 'Wild camping' thread I said:

 

We 'wild camp', or 'off-site' camp which I think is a more appropriate term, quite a lot, both in the UK and especially abroad - on a recent 24 day holiday to France we used aires or 'off site' camped for the whole duration.

 

What I DIDN'T say was that the aires were all FREE - they weren't. We had to pay for some and happily so, as they were in beautiful places - that is the main criteria and WHY we use so many of them - because they are lovely and where we want to be, the same reason we 'off-site camp' too, because we want to be where we stop. There are times when we have chosen not to stay on a 'proper' site due to the cost, as I don't appreciate having to pay £20 to park for the night on a less than agreeable site, but that is very much the exception.

 

I would be the last person to say that you should NOT use campsites if that is what you want to do, but there are lot of people who simply dismiss using aires or 'off-site camping' without ever having had the experienced. If we had used campsites for the whole of our French holiday it would have cost us at least another £150-200, and whilst not the end of the world, if we are happy with the way we use our van then why should we feel we 'have the money so should pay and use campsites' for the sake of it? *-)

 

If we save money, that's fine by me, if saving money was the ONLY reason that we don't use sites that would be another matter entirely. We 'wild camp', 'off-site camp', call it what you will because we want to. We use sites or CLs when we want or need to. We've stayed at some wonderful aires and 'off-site' places and they were magical and I don't regret doing it for one minute.

[Brian Kirby]

Funny this, ain't it?  How prickly folk become at perceived slights.  Someone uses an unattributed, paraphrased, comment, to typify an attitude they find irksome, for or against this or that, and before you can say Jack (or Jill!) Robinson, up pops offended of Tunbridge Wells (no-one on here actually lives in Tunbridge Wells, do they?  :-D), saying they certainly never said, or intended to say, any such thing, and how much they resent, or are hurt by, the inference.  I do find this funny, because, until Jack (or Jill) rushes to his (her) own defence, no-one would have been likely to think of them as the object of the comment.  Foot, and mouth, come to mind!  :-)

So, before this turns any nastier, can we just step back a bit, and read what folk actually say?  Martyn, I think reasonably (which is why I posted my support for what he said), was arguing for folk to stop criticising others for, or casting aspersions at, their choices of stopping places.

He was somewhat provoked to do this because of some rather tactless comments by others on the subject of using camp sites, or not using camp sites.

This whole issue falls into the same category as those silly, but endlessly repeated, tiffs over whether or not one prefers fixed beds, using site or van facilities, rear lounges vs front dinettes, motorways or byways, sat-nav or maps, etc, etc et-bleedin'-cetera!  It is all so boring, fruitless, and uninformative. :-(

So, for the record, I really don't care if folk park their vans for the night at campsites, aires, laybys, supermarket car parks, the banks of canals, fields, up mountains, on docks, or even in rubbish tips! 

As with sex, so with parking motorhomes, it is totally futile arguing over what other people prefer doing.  Just for goodness' sake, lets stop arguing over it, can we?  We might then learn something useful from each other about alternative ways of doing things, which is what this forum used to be about.  Pax?  :-)

[Poppy]

Brian can I say I wholeheartedly agree with you.We tend to be in the campsites/hookups group but having heard about how nice some of the aires are I would be tempted to try the odd one to see how we like it.Don't think we would ever want to do our whole holiday on aires but its nice to have the choice and to use them when suits.

[John J Thompson]

Poppy - 2010-11-08 7:59 AM

 

Brian can I say I wholeheartedly agree with you.We tend to be in the campsites/hookups group but having heard about how nice some of the aires are I would be tempted to try the odd one to see how we like it.Don't think we would ever want to do our whole holiday on aires but its nice to have the choice and to use them when suits.

 

Aires are fine to use but don't expect the 20ft between units that you would find on a UK campsite or CL. If the french can get three vans in a space they will. As long as they can open the door it is plenty far away.

 

When we visit Aires we see bunches of van cheek by Jowl they are usually French. If you see a van well away from everyone else it usually turns out to be British.

[Brambles]

To me having a Motorhome is about freedom, freedom to roam and a good holiday to me consists of variety, a mixture of campsites, aires, and wild camping spots. My best wild camping being at the top of the Valperola Pass east of Cortina overnight. Sitting on a busy campsite in the Sound of Music country south of Saltzburg near Bishofshofen holds just as many pleasures, as does a campsite in Czech rep and joining people round a camp fire driking the local brew. All are different and have differemt pleasures along with the campsites with marvelous modern facilties, but where ever I stay I appreciate it being different.

We all choose what takes our fancy and we are all different, if we were all the same then we would all be chasing the same type of overnight camping and end up on mass at the same locations.

 

I see many holiday makers in Europe every year conforming to the same routine, be it a nice hotel, a week on a nice campsiite or those who tour but being flexible and enjoying all forms of Motorhoming means a whole new world opens up to them and they see some marveous places, views, sights and meet incredibly interesting people. You do not get this experience staying on campsites every night or by using aires.

 

Timetraveller has it all worked out, sitting in a quiet spot looking at the mountains, "pop over for a cup of tea"...if I ever see you I most certainly will, but also appreciate this cup of tea is not to everyones taste.

Freedom , What Motorhoming is all about.

[Brambles]

John Thompson - 2010-11-08 9:13 AM

 

....

......... If the french can get three vans in a space they will. As long as they can open the door it is plenty far away.

 

When we visit Aires we see bunches of van cheek by Jowl they are usually French. .........

 

You have not met some of the Italians then...even worse.

 

edit - changed to 'some' as not all are like this.

[LordThornber]

Brian Kirby - 2010-11-07 7:15 PMSo, before this turns any nastier, can we just step back a bit, and read what folk actually say?  Martyn, I think reasonably (which is why I posted my support for what he said), was arguing for folk to stop criticising others for, or casting aspersions at, their choices of stopping places.

He was somewhat provoked to do this because of some rather tactless comments by others on the subject of using camp sites, or not using camp sites.

Thankyou again Brian for your support, and putting it as ever, so well. Martyn

[Brian Kirby]

Brambles - 2010-11-08 9:18 AM ............. but also appreciate this cup of tea is not to everyones taste. Freedom , What Motorhoming is all about.

How true, how very true.  Mine's coffee please - I don't drink tea!  :-D

Just one other tiny point.  Many habitually describe noisy, crowded, and sometimes expensive, campsites as the reason for using aires.  I have limited experience of aires, but fairly wide experience of campsites.  We generally travel outside July and August, and of all the campsites we have visited, I can't think of a single one I would describe as either crowded or noisy and, as most charge fair, low-season, rates, they have not proved expensive.  A few, most notably two in Alsace in Autumn, have been quite busy, but both have generous, marked, pitches, so there is no sense of crowding, and any noise, which has never been more than the sound of chatter and dishes, is invariably stilled around 10:00 pm.  Of the others, space and silence has abounded because there are so few others present, and at time no others present.  This, coupled with controlled entry barriers - meaning no midnight comings and goings - generally fair security, and good facilities - which we prefer to use - is why we go to them.

On the other hand, our (limited) experience of aires has been of continual noise and disturbance, with people arriving at all hours, and others leaving very early.  One very large sosta in Italy was almost deserted when we arrived, so we parked well away from the others, had our meal, and went to bed.  Shortly thereafter, we were disturbed by the unmistakable rattle of the dear old Ducato.  Wondering what this was all about, I got up to look, to find an Italian van parking about two metres from us.  Why, with an area the size of a football pitch to park in, do that?  Yes, I do know the answer: because they were Italian! :-)  About 3:00 am, a large German van, that we had left to itself in the far corner, started up and drove off.  We also made the mistake of trying the official aire at Calais.  Total, unremitting, bedlam, virtually all night, with vans endlessly arriving and departing, including those with audible reversing warnings.  Obviously, some like this, because it was packed.  We, emphatically, did not!  So, when folk speak of the joys of aires compared to those noisy, crowded, campsites, I do smile.

No, I am not claiming all sites are quiet, or that all aires are as those above, just that such generalised comments invariably reflect someone's personal experience, and that most of us, after suffering poor experiences, seek to avoid them next time, and retain the bad memory as typifying this, or that, kind of location.

I am as sure there must be beautiful, uncrowded, calm, aires in April, May and June, or September and October, as I am sure there must be noisy, crowded, campsites, somewhere at those same times.  It's just that we ain't found either yet, so we'll stick to campsites, with their toilets, showers, and washing-up facilities, for which privileges we are happy to pay the, not usually significant, low season charges.

[Timetraveller]

Martyn,

Apologies accepted.

 

Now as Brian said earlier - let's all move on & use this forum for the good of all. I've already enjoyed reading them, picking up tips & been mystified by lots of technical terms but I'm getting there!

 

P.S. I said I was new to this forum; similarly I'm new to this technology so please 'How do you cut & paste other people's comments, before or in the middle of your own?

Or should I have put this question as a new posting?? :$

[Tony Jones]

Hi and welcome, TT.

 

If you use the "Quote" button on the posting you want to respond to, you'll get a "reply" panel which already has the original in QUOTEs. If you only want to quote part of it, just delete the rest (as long as you don't distort the meaning in the process of course!), and add your own comments before or after the quote.

 

If you want to get really clever and quote more than one extract with your own comments in between, you can replicate the combination of brackets and strokes the "system" uses to separate bits of the original!

[Mel B]

John Thompson - 2010-11-08 9:13 AM

 

Poppy - 2010-11-08 7:59 AM

 

Brian can I say I wholeheartedly agree with you.We tend to be in the campsites/hookups group but having heard about how nice some of the aires are I would be tempted to try the odd one to see how we like it.Don't think we would ever want to do our whole holiday on aires but its nice to have the choice and to use them when suits.

 

Aires are fine to use but don't expect the 20ft between units that you would find on a UK campsite or CL. If the french can get three vans in a space they will. As long as they can open the door it is plenty far away.

 

When we visit Aires we see bunches of van cheek by Jowl they are usually French. If you see a van well away from everyone else it usually turns out to be British.

 

You haven't been using some of the wonderful aires we use then John! Some are like 'campsites' with their own pitches in individual hedged areas, so please, please, please, all of you who have only experiended the more crowded aires, don't tar all aires with the same brush, no more than I would say that all campsites are regimented and expensive, because they aren't. :-D B-)

 

Brian - interesting comparison to sex .... speaking from experience there chuck? :D ;-)