Caravan Club v Caravan and Camping Club

[Kate T]

Thanks for everybody's help in my quest for a motorhome. We think we may have found what we've been looking for!! Next question for everybody, which of the above clubs should we join?? Which saves us most on site fees? Which is friendliest? Which gives us most perks? Are either worth using for insurance? Thank you in advance for your comments. Kate

[smifee]

hi kate my preference is for the C&CC because they are friendlier. over 55 and you get a reduction on site fees off peak most sites but any time on a few sites. i don't need hookup and found they were more likely to find me a pitch without electric than the CC. C&CC run a lot of temporary holiday sites - usually a field but sometimes a school or campsite. i have recently used them in warwickshire & dorset. i didn't renew my CC membership because the sites are too expensive and they are more concerned with caravans than MHs. i don't use either for insurance but got quotes from them. too expensive. mike

[sshortcircuit]

[QUOTE]smifee - 2006-09-25 7:30 PM i don't use either for insurance but got quotes from them. too expensive. mike[/QUOTE] Out of interest, who did you use?

[Kate T]

Thanks for all the advice, has anybody else got an opinion?? Kate

[Guest bill h]

Anyone anywhere is friendly if you talk to them. Starting off with an opinion is not the best attitude. I put my M/H amongst caravans anytime and talk to anyone. No problems at all. If you're a person who avoids his neighbour then you've little chance of being friendly yourself (perhaps) PS Whats all this waving I hear about from time to time when passing others on the road. I'm concentrating on being safe not who's going to wave back at me? (Ho Ho Ho) Bill H

[chas]

Hi all- I think the nail in the coffin with the CC was the introduction of compulsary charging of EHU wether you needed it or not, they just could not see far enough ahead, as the CCC did in having some none EHU pitches available. Although the CCC is not perfect , introducing the £5 charge for arriving before 12 noon as not gone down too well with members. I have been with the CCC for many years and agree with all what Smiffee says. On examining the site fees of the CC convinced me that they were still trying to rip off the gullable. Chas

[Guest peter]

[QUOTE]bill h - 2006-09-25 10:13 PM Anyone anywhere is friendly if you talk to them. Starting off with an opinion is not the best attitude. I put my M/H amongst caravans anytime and talk to anyone. No problems at all. If you're a person who avoids his neighbour then you've little chance of being friendly yourself (perhaps) Bill H[/QUOTE]I quite agree.

[robin]

Agree about insurance being more expensive Agree that the CCC is more Motorhome friendly than the CC Agree that the CCC is better if you don't want to use hook up. CC seems to be more suitable for Caravans. Ferry discounst probably make joining one of the clubs worthwhile if you use the ferries at least twice a year. But remember these 'clubs' are businesses.

[Basil]

I totally agree with the comments made about it depending on your approach. There seems to be an 'anti' atitude amongst some motorhomers and I think that if you approach anyone with that kind of attitude you can expect a certain response. We have been caravaner and motorhomers one way or the other over many years and have never experienced any prejudice whatsoever and never had to suffer a dodgy warden either, with either club. We have been members of both clubs though continuously with the Caravan Club and have dropped the C&C Club completely. CC sites are expensive, we also object to having to pay for electric whether we want it or not but preffer to do our complaining from within. There is a consistant quality over all the sites that we like to see and the CL network is second to none. The Insurance costs have always been amongst the highest quotes we have got, but the continental travel cover (Red Pennant) IOHO is the best on offer anywhere despite some saying to contrary and ferry booking can sometimes be benificial though not all the time as you can get competative prices elsewhere. In OHO the difference in the clubs is like a boot sale compared to Marks and Spencers the Caravan Club being M&S if you are happy with the council estate feel of Camping and Caravan Club sites thats fine we preffer the more tightly controlled, with rules, attitude of the Caravan Club. Probably means we are snobs, but I preffer to think we have standards that we like to keep. Putting my helmet on and heading for the bunker now! Bas.

[mom]

Mmmm, not many replies in the positive for CC.  I am in the CC, but I have stopped using the main sites due to expense.  I now prefer to use CLs.  The CC is definitely run like a business, and all the sites are pretty much perfect from a cleanliness and standards point of view.  I just grew tired of the cost, and the 37 (I counted them at one site) instructional signs on the short walk from van to toilet block.

I have occasionally stayed at CC&C sites, and they seemed to be slightly more laid back, and consequently the patrons were more laid back.  But all is not rosy there... the last site I stayed at refused VW campervans unless previously "cleared", and the warden proudly told me that he thought very poorly of anyone who chose to own a VW van!!!  We left straight away.

In choosing which to join, remembering it is for a year, not for life, I would make the assumption that most of the sites were of the highest standard for both clubs, and the difference will be in the services offered such as insurance, club activities, ferry offerings, classes, literature etc.  In these areas, I have always felt that the CC offers me everything I need, but I could never compare with the CC&C as I have no real experience with them. Make a list of the important services and jump onto the web pages and compare, as best you can.

Oh, and don't forget that third club, the Motorcaravanners club!

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk
http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/
http://www.motorcaravanners.org.uk/

[david lloyd]

Hi Kate T Welcome to motorhoming. As you can see from your post the number of opinions on this (and other subjects) are more varied than the number of motorhomes layouts and models available!! In truth, it is always going to be a matter of personal preference. I have only one experience of the C&CC and that was when we called at the ciumber Park site to see if we could get a pitch and received a very 'unfriendly' reception from the warden who was, admittedly, trying to have his lunch. It was enough to put us off then and we haven't ventured to try again since. We have been members of the CC for some years and have to agree with many of the points put on here that they are more and more business like and there does seem to be a feeling that motorhomes are tolerated rather than welcomed and given the same weight of thought as to their needs etc. We are staying with the club for the time being though and are attempting to make more use of the excellent CL network. Although, these seem to be increasingly encouraged by the club to put in (and charge for) electric hookups, showers etc. Where some of them would be better encouraged to provide suitable facilities for motorhomes such as hard standings and water/waste facilities that can be accessed by M/Hs. The Motorcaravan Club is another one to consider and you can read a fuller discussion on this very subject by going to: http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=4731&start=1 Good luck and happy travels - regards, david

[olley]

Hi I joined the CC because of their site and CL network. can't see how their more suitable for caravans? at 31' and 9 tonnes there's very few of their sites I am to big for. The big advantage is if we decide to go for a quick weekend you know what you will get, clean well run, secure site anywhere in the UK. only CCC site i tried to get on laughed at me 8-) to big. I joined the CCC to get breakdown cover from the RAC arrival scheme. Not found any discounts from either worth having, norfolkline prices were the same from them or direct from N/L Olley

[docted]

Kate despite the names both these "clubs" are run as commercial organisations. Neither saves you money on site fees unless you mainly use their sites. Friendliest is a matter of taste, polite and approachable might a better term to use and like all commercial organisations their policies are user friendly that howeve does not mean that you will never meet Jobsworths throughout both networks. Perks? a perk is only worthwhile if you make use of it but from recent experience the CC is leading at present in this area. Like all insurance quotes the best thing is to shop around butt ensure that the cover you get ,not the price you pay, is what suits your needs. The foregoing sounds cynical but I have had the cynical tabs this morning and try to read it lighter than it sounds. The main thing when you get your van is to enjoy the experience and new opportunities that are available to you. Good luck Docted

[andy]

Both clubs are worth joining for their smaller sites (CLs and CSs) as well are their official club sites. There are two things I don't like about the C&CC: 1) that they tell you where to pitch whereas the CC say "drive round, find one you like and let us know". I've asked for alternative pitches at the C&CC sites (for example, because the one they had in mind for me was too sloping for my motorhome) and they got quite uppity! How can they know which is the "most suitable pitch" in advance without asking me? and 2) they do not seem to allow bookings at a weekend for one night only - some of us have jobs and can only get away for a Saturday night.

[Mrs Sea]

Hi This is my first post on any kind of forum so here goes.... We joined the CC initially because as a teenager I used to caravan regularly with my family and we were always away on CC rallies at weekends and had a great time. We then discovered the problems of getting suitable MH breakdown/recovery cover for long/big vehicles. We were already in the RAC for our car - (I prefer their recovery on one vehicle door to door instead of the AA's relay service where you swap vehicles on long journeys) and they informed me that as a member of C&CC we could get MH recovery free on our RAC membership. So we joined C&CC for £30 and sure enough, got the RAC Arrival thrown in for free. Most other recovery services I found did not cover MHs (or didn't back then) and you had to pay more than £30 for the breakdown cover. So by joining C&CC we got both for the money and ultimately dropped the CC. The one thing I do miss with the CC is the CLs. They have lots of them wherever you want to go. We do not want to use big sites with all the facilities and prefer wild camping (we live in Scotland so this is easy) or small CL type sites. The C&CC have some smaller sites about but not in the same quantity as CC. We do not think that the CC policy of charging everyone for an electric hook up is fair and would have cancelled our membership had we still been members. I also believe that the CC is rather anti 'Wild Camping' which would have been another nail in their coffin had we still been members. My Dad is still a member of the CC in his MH (which is where I got the updates from above). His main complaint re the CC is how slow they have been to put MH friendly water fill and waste water dumps on their sites. He still has to fill a water container at a tap on some sites and then fill his tank with a water pump. Waste water drains are often not in easily accessible places and no two motorhomes have their waste emptying pipe in the same place so what suits one will not suit them all. He compares this with continental sites where you just drive in to a special bay and hook up water and dump waste where you are and then drive through. Why can't they do this in the UK? I don't know if C&CC are any better though. My main observation is that the CC is much more 'posh', sites are tidier with vans well spaced and regimented and toilet blocks to equal some hotels! ... but you pay for this. C&CC sites vary but if tents, caravans and MHs are all mixed together (and I have no problems with this), the tents are more difficult to fit on a 'peg' and can result in an untidy mess of guylines, windbreaks etc to fall over in the dark. Maybe I'm just a tidy person! As to insurance we have been with MCIA (Motor Caravan Insurance Agency Ltd) from the beginning (email info@lifesure.co.uk). They were £30 cheaper than anyone else and did not require Thatcham fitted security devices. Neither did they have a mileage limit which many others did. The compulsory excess was only £100 when many were £250 and they gave up to 17 nights accommodation at £30p/n in the event of needing alternative accommodation in an emergency. The CC gave discount if you had done a driving course. Some had better cover for personnal effects including tents and awnings (£2000 plus £1000 for awning with MCIA). One wouldn't cover me if I had to commute to work in my MH. Its worth getting quotes from a few and comparing what they offer and what restrictions they have. Hope this info has been of help.

[Kate T]

Phew!!! Thank you all. I think I get the picture. I like the sound of the CL sites. I guess you pays your money and takes your chance. or is it makes your choice??? Kate

[smifee]

hi sshortcircuit re club quotes for insurance - i have used safeguard but am now with comfort because safeguard raised my premium too high. excellent service from comfort with a claim for a my fault accident in italy last year. mike

[chas]

Hi Basil- Your surname would not be Faulty would it ? I have just read your piece on car boot sales/ M&S and council estates, its amazing , but its what a lot of people have suspected of some members of the CC. Is it true that some members of the CC actual dress up before evening meal, is it just a lie put about by those common people from the council estates? Chas

[Basil]

Hi, no not Faulty it is spelled Fawltey and pronounced Four_ tay. Yes that is perfectly correct one wouldn't want to let ones appearences down, just because you are away does not mean you have to let your standards slip now does it? Bas. (TIC)