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CLs and CSs


mom

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G'day! Does anyone know of a web site or publication that provides "candid" comments about CLs or CSs, preferably from the campers themselves? I find that picking one is a completely hit and miss affair as the club publication (The Caravan Club is the only one I have looked at) is effectively only a list of names and addresses. To date, i have been very fortunate. But we need one up near-ish Nottingham this weekend and its like tossing coins in the air! Regards to all mom
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Unfortunately 5Van is an advertising web site, so camp sites are self selected. We tend to use CLs exclusively in the UK - we don't need the CC site's mega facilities, so why pay their mega prices? But in the Dales last summer, I tried 2 CLs, both awful (small, on main roads, no facilities excect a small field which sloped so much they were useless for a motorhome. One was clearly someone's garden and hadn't seen a visitor for ages. We ended up in a CC site as the only alternative. So such a site would be really useful. Alternatively, question the owners closely when you phone to book.
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There are so many CLs and CSs that it would be a huge task for anyone to review them all. In 20+ years of almost exclusively using these smaller sites, though, we've only hit one or two bad ones. Try reading between the lines to gauge whether they are too near a main road, opt for the 'Hideaway' sites in the C&CC book, or study the addresses and descriptions to second-guess what they may be like. Size is one guide, whether the owner is a club member themselves is another, those described as 'lawned' or with hookups tend to indicate that the owners take some care and go to some expense to make them decent sites. You can download all the CLs and CSs either as POIs for a satnav or, most usefully, as locations on Microsoft Autoroute so you can see what sort of area they are in. Recently we've started to use Google Earth to home in on sites that take our fancy - the view of one (Mountain Cottage, in Corfe Mullen) was so clear that we could even spot the sheep in the adjoining field! We always ring up the ones that take our fancy and get some idea of whether or not we're going to like the place simply by talking to the owner. Sorry I've no suggestions near Nottingham, but hopefully someone will come along soon with some names. Good luck!
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Thanks everyone! I wasn't aware of 5van... pictures make all the difference so it at least will help me as a first filter. And silly me, I hadn't thought of using google earth! I too am tired of paying full site prices when all we need is a pleasent field in the countryside, safe from the "badguys" and completely free of instructional signage! We have used France Passion several times this year and to us, it is perfect! Kind regards to all, mom
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Iv,e only found 5van.co.uk & find it good most have E-Mail listed,As if we more Info we ring or mail and ask The clubs are getting dearer but is that anything to do with the Electric costs ? Only ever found 1 rotten C-L C-S in 6 years @ Bettyhill in highlands,Told C-C-C but it,s still listed
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We much prefer CLs and so do our dogs, they can potter about outside the van without causing problems (off leads) and we don't have the worry of a warden pouncing on us! They also are a lot quieter as there usually aren't any kids around - they are quite nice really, I know, especially when they're asleep!!! You also don't feel quite as 'on show' as you do at main campsites when you can sense the curtains and blinds twitching as people peer out of their little 'castles'. If it wasn't for the 'freebie' nights we wouldn't use main sites at all.
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[QUOTE]Mel B - 2006-07-05 8:08 PM We much prefer CLs and so do our dogs, they can potter about outside the van without causing problems (off leads) and we don't have the worry of a warden pouncing on us! They also are a lot quieter as there usually aren't any kids around - they are quite nice really, I know, especially when they're asleep!!! You also don't feel quite as 'on show' as you do at main campsites when you can sense the curtains and blinds twitching as people peer out of their little 'castles'. If it wasn't for the 'freebie' nights we wouldn't use main sites at all.[/QUOTE] Yes, I feel the same way. We started campervanning a few years ago and only ever stayed at the large CC sites. At first I thought (in ignorance) that was the way to go, until two things happened to awaken me from my dream... I realised I was paying £15 - £20 per night, and on a walk from my van to the toilet block I once counted 35 instructional signs, "not" including critical safety signs. My wife and I decided to try camping without 240 volts and a toilet block (we have a VW camper), and ever since we have stayed on CLs and France Passion sites exclusively (barring the Dover overhight stay). I now look at it as a failure if I have to stay at a formal CC site. How things change!
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I have always been attracted to the idea of CLs and CSs but have only occasionally used them. Would regular users comment on the following to help me - Do you usually book in advance ? If you do book and the owner is not adjacent to the pitches but "calls round later", and you arrive to find 5 vans already on site, what then ? What are the risks of arriving to find a boggy field that a m'home will sink into ? Maybe I'm just too nervy for that kind of insecurity !
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We always book CLs in advance, simply because if you do just turn up you can be unlucky in that the owners might not be in, or if they are it's not very good manners just to turn up and expect them to accommodate you. Also, when phoning to book I always check that there's no problem with the ground for a motorhome, even in the wet, and that access is okay, I also check if I need chocks and that the dogs are okay to come as well. In return I usually find out some more info such as the best way to approach the CL, what to look out for to make finding it easier and also to check the cost as there are a lot that have put their prices up, some quite siginificantly. Most don't want a deposit/payment in advance. We have arrived at some CLs to find more than 5 vans already there but it's not very often and they can usually accommodate you if you're only there for one night, at least if you've pre-booked your not going to get turned away, at least that's what we've found. They are 'breaking the rules' when they allow more than 5 'vans on site but I would think that this is rare and it probably more than likely because someone has just turned up out of the blue - are they really going to turn business away, we all know that some of them get times when no-one goes there so I can't blame them for this so long as it doesn't cause any problems for anyone. As we usually arrive in the evening and are away just before 9.00 am our stay is only around 14 hours in any case. Some of the CLs are situated in absolutely breathtaking places, we went to Scotland and were camped in a lovely little CL down the bottom of a dirt track (nice and solid) in a small paddock area, right next to the Firth of Forth locking back towards Edinburgh. We were able to walk down to the rocky beach within 10 seconds of leaving the van and we had a wonderful time snuffling around in the rocks ... the dogs quite liked it too!! Go on, give it a go, you really won't regret it.
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