MaureenHB Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 New (to us) van arriving shortly, excited! Wondering if it is best to join c&c club first and use their insurance or use different insurance firm? Any recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi Maureen, Do yourself a favour and shop around several insurance companies for quotes, all have different requirements and the quotes WILL vary a great deal. By requirements I mean stipulations on security fitted to the van etc. Also, nearly all companies will give a discount for Club membership, so you don't necessarily have to join the c.c. BTW I am a member. and of the c&cc I am just changing from a motorhome back to a caravan and could not believe the difference in quotes,a lot more in premium for a 22k caravan than my 55k motorhome, weird world the insurance world. With my motorhome I was with CaravanGuard and purely due to their quote and cover[ its not just about price] I have insured the caravan with them but this is not to say it would suit you, just demonstrating to shop around and check the small print. good luck and enjoy your van cheers derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 As a newcomer I would recommend joining the Caravan Club (CC). Its sites are superb and when you first cross the Channel you'll find its European sites' books a mine of useful information, as well as listing hundreds of different kinds of sites, all of which have members' reviews. Insurance should be treated as a separate commodity and shouldn't be your sole reason for joining a club. On two occasions recently I found the CC to be the best provider but when checking for my latest motorhome I found a better quote from Comfort Insurance and on a previous occasion, when I wanted cover for places such as Morocco and Bosnia I found that Scenic Insurance was the best deal. Decide what cover you need for wherever you intend going and shop around. I have also found that the CC can give me a better price on ferry bookings, but again, not every time, so the message is the same, treat the club as another provider and compare it with the others, don't just assume that you'll always get the best deal. I can also recommend the CC's forum. It's much bigger than this one and gets more posts in a day than this does in a month. It has a separate motorhome section, as well as sections on every aspect of motorhoming including foreign touring and technical questions. One thing that many CC members like are the local centres, which offer rallies and other social functions in your area. They're a good opportunity to meet new friends and to learn about our hobby. Despite what a few on here will tell you, it really is a club, with the local centres epitomising that aspect. Yes, it's very large and successful, but it's still run by committees of real caravanners and motorhomers, which make the main decisions. Professionals are employed to do the day to day running but they're there to implement the wishes of the members. It's a co-operative type of organisation in which every penny goes back into the club, there are no shareholders and no dividends. Try it for a year and if it's not for you what have you lost? Forty odd pounds, which will have included a superb sites book and a monthly magazine. Give it a go! Ps Forgot to mention one of the CC's huge advantages, the CL network. CLs (Certificated Locations) are small sites on farms and even people's homes, which cater for up to five outfits. They are cheaper than sites but more basic, often just having fresh water and toilet cassette and waste water disposal. There are hundreds of them all over the UK, many in lovely locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Safeguard, fully comp, and full european recovery £266 last year, there are many independent sites in the UK without needing to join a "club" , as for CLs, the vast majority are grass and totally unsuitable for vehicles upwards of 3.5 ton unless getting stuck is anyones idea of a fun time make sure you seek out ones with hard standing which a few and far between should you decide to join either "club" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Joe90 - 2015-01-20 11:24 AM Safeguard, fully comp, and full european recovery £266 last year, there are many independent sites in the UK without needing to join a "club" , as for CLs, the vast majority are grass and totally unsuitable for vehicles upwards of 3.5 ton unless getting stuck is anyones idea of a fun time make sure you seek out ones with hard standing which a few and far between should you decide to join either "club" Your antipathy to clubs is well documented but can't you see the sense in a newbie trying one out for a year? As I pointed out, membership isn't just about sites and being in a club doesn't preclude anyone from using independent sites as well. What it does is give them a much larger choice. And oddly enough, thousands of people use CLs every year without getting stuck in mud. If after a year she isn't happy she can leave, but many more people stay than leave, so the clubs must be doing what they want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Agree with Frank on this one, overall Caravan Club is better, particularly in regard to standard of sites. We have been members for 40 years, stay in now mainly to use Crystal Palace site when visiting youngest daughter and family in the south and also use sites in winter when need to stay in UK rather than go on our usual winter cruise. But are also members of Caravan and Camping Club as they are one of the few house insurers to cover over 90 days away with no fuss such as having to drain central heating, people to visit house etc. In past also been members of Motor Caravan Club as they are best for rallies. So choice of club depends on what you want but as Frank says for a newcomer would give Caravan Club a go for one year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Had Enough - 2015-01-20 10:14 AM As a newcomer I would recommend joining the Caravan Club (CC). Its sites are superb and when you first cross the Channel you'll find its European sites' books a mine of useful information, as well as listing hundreds of different kinds of sites, all of which have members' reviews. Insurance should be treated as a separate commodity and shouldn't be your sole reason for joining a club. On two occasions recently I found the CC to be the best provider but when checking for my latest motorhome I found a better quote from Comfort Insurance and on a previous occasion, when I wanted cover for places such as Morocco and Bosnia I found that Scenic Insurance was the best deal. Decide what cover you need for wherever you intend going and shop around. I have also found that the CC can give me a better price on ferry bookings, but again, not every time, so the message is the same, treat the club as another provider and compare it with the others, don't just assume that you'll always get the best deal. I can also recommend the CC's forum. It's much bigger than this one and gets more posts in a day than this does in a month. It has a separate motorhome section, as well as sections on every aspect of motorhoming including foreign touring and technical questions. One thing that many CC members like are the local centres, which offer rallies and other social functions in your area. They're a good opportunity to meet new friends and to learn about our hobby. Despite what a few on here will tell you, it really is a club, with the local centres epitomising that aspect. Yes, it's very large and successful, but it's still run by committees of real caravanners and motorhomers, which make the main decisions. Professionals are employed to do the day to day running but they're there to implement the wishes of the members. It's a co-operative type of organisation in which every penny goes back into the club, there are no shareholders and no dividends. Try it for a year and if it's not for you what have you lost? Forty odd pounds, which will have included a superb sites book and a monthly magazine. Give it a go! Ps Forgot to mention one of the CC's huge advantages, the CL network. CLs (Certificated Locations) are small sites on farms and even people's homes, which cater for up to five outfits. They are cheaper than sites but more basic, often just having fresh water and toilet cassette and waste water disposal. There are hundreds of them all over the UK, many in lovely locations. We've got a General Election coming up so I suppose we shouldn't be surprised to see party political broadcasts cropping up! The Caravan Club is not really a club in the sense that it isnlt really run by the members, for the members. It is structured so that the elected Executive Committee are non-remunerated volunteers who turn up for meetings only a few times per year and have no day-to-day role at all. Almost all decisions are taken by the staff, there are no "member's rights" and the standards of customer service to "members" reflects that. So it's only superficially member-friendly. The members' deals are not necessarily the best on the market either and in many ways CC behaves as a company would in a near monopoly situation, trading for profit and exploiting its monopoly position (discretely) as best it can. No information is ever released about staff wages or bonuses. The BBC was described as being run by bossy women and that might be just as true of the CC. Step out of line as a member and they will simply turf you out. But it has well run sites and an excellent network of smaller "CLs" if you like a simpler camping lifestyle. Just don't expect any respect or special treatment because you are a "member". This thread is not about the CC so I apologise for side-tracking but I felt that HadEnough's fanciful view needed balancing with a more cynical one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyExsis Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Best wishes for enjoyable motor homing with the van and hopefully no issues to resolve. Overall some good advice from 'Had Enough'. Get some quotes for insurance - it is a variable market. Initially I insured in the general market -then with the Caravan Club for quite a few years,but for about 3 years I have used Shield, but some others were quite close last time. If you intend to use your van abroad you may want to consider an all in package that includes foreign breakdown cover ---- that is where I found the CC were let down because at that time - (don't really know if it is still the case) separate breakdown cover had to be bought, which meant that 'all in cover policies' were cheaper than the combined cost through CC. CC sites are very good and predictable (generally commercial sites are a little dearer and some don't match CC standards). The CL network of the club ( Certified Location ) is a very good alternative, but some locations can be out of the way and of variable standard and also pricing. We mostly use CLs' because we often walk/cycle from more out of the way places and often enjoy closer proximity to nature and wildlife - we chose the size of our van with accessibility in mind. There is also the Camping and Caravan Club which also has a similar less formal network CSs' (Certified Sites) and offers much the same facilities. The main difference is that the C&CC also includes campers. We are members of both currently, but overall we generally prefer CC sites With Ferry booking often you do get a better deal through a club, but not always especially if a last minute booking we have found a couple of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 1482 views for "ever got stuck in the mud" perhaps the majority getting stuck at CLs / CSs :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 StuartO - 2015-01-20 12:54 PM The Caravan Club is not really a club in the sense that it isnlt really run by the members, for the members. It is structured so that the elected Executive Committee are non-remunerated volunteers who turn up for meetings only a few times per year and have no day-to-day role at all. Almost all decisions are taken by the staff, there are no "member's rights" and the standards of customer service to "members" reflects that. So it's only superficially member-friendly. The members' deals are not necessarily the best on the market either and in many ways CC behaves as a company would in a near monopoly situation, trading for profit and exploiting its monopoly position (discretely) as best it can. No information is ever released about staff wages or bonuses. The BBC was described as being run by bossy women and that might be just as true of the CC. Step out of line as a member and they will simply turf you out. But it has well run sites and an excellent network of smaller "CLs" if you like a simpler camping lifestyle. Just don't expect any respect or special treatment because you are a "member". This thread is not about the CC so I apologise for side-tracking but I felt that HadEnough's fanciful view needed balancing with a more cynical one. You're totally wrong. The job of the paid executives is to implement the wishes of the various committees that make the decisions that affect members. Of course the average member isn't involved in the day to day running of the business, such as hiring and firing for instance, for which there's a personnel department. However, major policy changes are made by keen members, who sit on the respective committees. Take the decision some years ago to include EHU in site fees. This wasn't some arbitrary policy thought up by some 'suit' or accountant. It was decided by the executive committee after consultation with members. Top executive salaries are agreed by the same executive committee, but you wouldn't expect the committees of non-remunerated members to be involved in determining the wages of the tea lady for instance. That's what the club appoints professional businessmen to do. This structure has meant that the club has been very successful over the years and an organisation this size cannot be run by amateurs and I for one, don't want it to be. I am also puzzled by your claims that it has a 'discreet monopoly'. Haven't you heard of the C&CC? How many private sites do you think there are in the UK? In popular spots there can be dozens of independent sites compared to one owned by the CC. How can it have a monopoly? Finally, the fact that you suggest that the CC might be run by some bossy women displays your ignorance of who actually runs it. The executives are listed in its annual report, which you should try reading. You'll learn that it isn't run by bossy women and it's not even run by bossy men. It's run by people who do what the members tell them to do. Cynical describes your post very well. Next time you could try one that actually reflects the truth? This site has a few members who love trumpeting the same old tune: 'It's not a club, it's a big business.' That is just silly. It fulfils every dictionary definition of a club and for the average member it's no different now than it was forty years ago. You pay a fee and you get all the members' benefits. The only difference now is that there are far more sites to choose from. I also find it odd that they bang on about it making a profit. Do they want to be a member of a club that runs at a loss? Very odd! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Joe90 - 2015-01-20 1:34 PM 1482 views for "ever got stuck in the mud" perhaps the majority getting stuck at CLs / CSs :D No, if you take the trouble to read the thread, instead of doing your usual sneering trouble making, you'd learn that many postsmentioned getting stuck in France or Belgium. I don't recollect one CL being mentioned. Still, don't let facts clutter up your closed mind eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 ...has anyone mentioned that the CC has got " Caravan" in the title yet?.... :-S ;-) Hi Maureen.. I'd agree, join one of the clubs for a year. Maybe check out which one has sites in the areas you wish to visit first? We were in both for a couple of years but found ourselves hardly using the C&CC(at the time you couldn't book a one-night weekend, so not much good if still working and you wanted the saturday). We haven't used a main CC site for a year or so but we use the CLs now and then. We also get a good deal on our vehicle breakdown and Dual Recovery.For both the van and the car, it's half the price we were paying the AA just for the car!(..and the AA didn't give us Dual Recovery). Having said that, for us, their vehicle insurance quotes were always high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Had Enough - 2015-01-20 1:51 PM Joe90 - 2015-01-20 1:34 PM 1482 views for "ever got stuck in the mud" perhaps the majority getting stuck at CLs / CSs :D No, if you take the trouble to read the thread, instead of doing your usual sneering trouble making, you'd learn that many postsmentioned getting stuck in France or Belgium. I don't recollect one CL being mentioned. Still, don't let facts clutter up your closed mind eh? Perhaps you're the one with the "closed mind" there have been as said 1482 views of the thread, by far the greatest amount of reads on the home page, so it's obviously of great interest, ..... but so that you are happy lets assume any vehicle upwards of 3.5 tons is never going to encounter problems or get stuck on CLs the majority of which I repeat are grass, anyone with a modicum of intelligence would acknowledge that can and does equal very real problems on occasion......to pretend otherwise is ridiculous, and I make no apology for flagging that simple fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hello Maureen. Whichever forum you go on and ask about the various clubs, you will get a call to arms by the various combatants. I've been in the Caravan Club for 25 years. It suits me and many others. I don't mind if others don't like it. My wife particularly likes the consistent high standard of the sites and I like the 5 van CLs. Only been on a handful of Caravan & Camping Club sites and they were fine. If you like camping in the middle of a field with other motorhomers, then think about the Motor Caravanners Club who do a lot of rallying. Most manufacturers also have Owners' Clubs who organise rallies. Under the OAL Motorhomes tab, you will find lots of advice in articles etc including a list of various motorhoming clubs. The insurance market is competitive and there will always be someone who gets a lower quote than you. The Club insurance policies are OK and you might like to think they would help you if you got into difficulties. I was with the CC for many years until switching to Comfort Insurance over 5 years ago. I must admit I don't spend days looking to save 30p on my insurance! I know people with Safeguard, SAGA, and Caravanguard who are very happy with their deal. Just take it a step at a time and don't try to learn everything at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Joe90 - 2015-01-20 2:07 PM Perhaps you're the one with the "closed mind" there have been as said 1482 views of the thread, by far the greatest amount of reads on the home page, so it's obviously of great interest, ..... but so that you are happy lets assume any vehicle upwards of 3.5 tons is never going to encounter problems or get stuck on CLs the majority of which I repeat are grass, anyone with a modicum of intelligence would acknowledge that can and does equal very real problems on occasion......to pretend otherwise is ridiculous, and I make no apology for flagging that simple fact. Of course it's of interest because it's a subject that may affect every one of us, unlike many threads which are of interest to a small section of members. It's not rocket science as they say. Threads on Mercs for instance are of little interest to Fiat owners. Now, please explain where I've ever suggested that vehicles never have problems in mud? Many sites are grass, many CLs do have firm hard standing, I'm just questioning your usual sneering trouble-making post in which you imply that motorhomes only ever get stuck on CLs. One good thing about getting stuck on a CL is that there'll usually be a tractor to pull you out without any charge or fuss. Try that on an aire, many of which do not have hard standing either. You simply can't resist your snide little digs at the CC, that's what your post was about, nothing more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Brock - 2015-01-20 2:22 PM Hello Maureen. Whichever forum you go on and ask about the various clubs, you will get a call to arms by the various combatants. I've been in the Caravan Club for 25 years. It suits me and many others. I don't mind if others don't like it. My wife particularly likes the consistent high standard of the sites and I like the 5 van CLs. Only been on a handful of Caravan & Camping Club sites and they were fine. If you like camping in the middle of a field with other motorhomers, then think about the Motor Caravanners Club who do a lot of rallying. Most manufacturers also have Owners' Clubs who organise rallies. Under the OAL Motorhomes tab, you will find lots of advice in articles etc including a list of various motorhoming clubs. The insurance market is competitive and there will always be someone who gets a lower quote than you. The Club insurance policies are OK and you might like to think they would help you if you got into difficulties. I was with the CC for many years until switching to Comfort Insurance over 5 years ago. I must admit I don't spend days looking to save 30p on my insurance! I know people with Safeguard, SAGA, and Caravanguard who are very happy with their deal. Just take it a step at a time and don't try to learn everything at once. We have been in the CC for 15 years and second all that. We use the breakdown insurance for car and van, because it is much cheaper than the AA. The van insurance is with the CC; when it was stolen they were extremely helpful and gave me the replacement cost and a very fair amount for contents. The tunnel fares are good too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi Maureen as your question was mainly about Insurance :-D You will probably find a better deal than the clubs by shopping around and comparing ! Try Caravan Guard. And Safeguard and any other that has recommendations on here first, having a Thatcham 1 alarm is always a must if you want a cheaper quote ! And where you keep your van is another thing! If you can tell them it is alarmed and behind secure gates or a security post is another. As regards either club it depends, we were members of both, but as we don't stay in this Country much we dropped one! That was Ccc mainly because that was the least used! Even though they do have discounts for over 55 yrs. Both clubs have good sites books which include all sites even those private ones also as has been mentioned there are lots of certificated 5 van sites, some do have hard standing . We always buy our travel insurance with the Caravan Club it is very good and doesn't need lots of information other than are you waiting for hospital treatment and have you had cancer ! I can't remember off hand but you don't list meds you are taking! I double checked by ringing and asking them to go over it with me to make sure they didn't want anything else, and they didn't . I hope you enjoy your van , we moved up from a caravan as it is easier to fill with and empty water, also we like to move about touring good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Had Enough - 2015-01-20 1:46 PM You're totally wrong. The job of the paid executives is to implement the wishes of the various committees that make the decisions that affect members.... That's the theory of course and committees and sub-committees of volunteer members are involved in discussion about and decisions about general policy. But there is no mechanism to allow individual members who have concerns to contact anyone except staff. Staff can (and do) discontinue an individual's membership on their own authority without any reference to the Executive Committee and without any mechanism of appeal to them. Hence my reference to stepping out of line and you can get thrown out. If CC was any sort of proper club members would simply not be treated like that. Commercially speaking a monopoly situation can exist if any single player has a big enough slice of the market to control things against the public interest and between them CC and C&CC have a very, very big share of the UK camping and caravanning scene. And they exploit it, for example by requiring their CLs/CSs to allow only their members to stay, thereby controlling their marketing. I'm not alleging that CC is some sort of evil conspiracy but if you know anything about how it actually works, it would be niave to think that it works like a normal club, run by members for members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 StuartO - 2015-01-20 4:10 PM Had Enough - 2015-01-20 1:46 PM You're totally wrong. The job of the paid executives is to implement the wishes of the various committees that make the decisions that affect members.... That's the theory of course and committees and sub-committees of volunteer members are involved in discussion about and decisions about general policy. But there is no mechanism to allow individual members who have concerns to contact anyone except staff. Staff can (and do) discontinue an individual's membership on their own authority without any reference to the Executive Committee and without any mechanism of appeal to them. Hence my reference to stepping out of line and you can get thrown out. If CC was any sort of proper club members would simply not be treated like that. Commercially speaking a monopoly situation can exist if any single player has a big enough slice of the market to control things against the public interest and between them CC and C&CC have a very, very big share of the UK camping and caravanning scene. And they exploit it, for example by requiring their CLs/CSs to allow only their members to stay, thereby controlling their marketing. I'm not alleging that CC is some sort of evil conspiracy but if you know anything about how it actually works, it would be niave to think that it works like a normal club, run by members for members. Your arguments are becoming even more bizarre! Are you suggesting that some jobsworth just cancels someone's membership just because they feel like it? And to say that the aggrieved person has no redress is nonsense. They can write to the chief executive, they can write to the chairman of their own centre and can even attend the AGM if they're feeling that strongly. The members, via committees, authorise the staff to run the business according to general guidelines laid down. What are you suggesting, that non-remunerated members should hang around head office just in case another member who, for whatever reason, has had his membership cancelled, wishes to complain? And why do you think that someone has his membership cancelled, perhaps because an employee has had a bad day? Oh come on for God's sake, how many members a year have had their membership cancelled? No one gets their membership cancelled without good reason and their are many avenues for them to complain. Every region has a centre, with a centre chairman. How much more democratic can you get than that? You can go to him and he will have a direct line to the people who matter a H.O. Are you really sure that you know how the CC operates? But your most ludicrous suggestion is that the CC doesn't allow non-members to use CLs. On one hand you're telling us that it doesn't look after its members and it isn't really a club and then you're suggesting that people who aren't in the club can use its facilities. How does that benefit members? How would you feel if having paid an annual membership fee for let's say a gym, or a number of CLs, you can't get to use them because they're always full of people who aren't members and haven't paid a membership fee. You'd be on here in a flash accusing the club of failing to support its members and whinging that it's not really a club at all! But your monopoly argument is probably the silliest. I'll try to explain it once more. The CC has about 200 sites and the C&CC probably less. Have you any idea how many independent sites there are in the UK? Look up sites in any major resort where there may be one CC site and you'll find dozens of independents. How can you possibly claim that the clubs have any kind of monopoly? To claim that CLs make them a monopoly is ludicrous. They set up the CL network, they invested a lot of money in it - for their members! It's a membership club, what is it about that you find hard to grasp? I know how the club works, which you clearly don't. Your entire argument is summed up by complaining that the club isn't really a club and doesn't have its members' interests at heart and in the next breath suggesting that it abandons one of the main planks of what members pay for, use of its CL network and letting any Tom, Dick and Harry use the them. You really couldn't make this up! What is your definition of a club? Mine is one where we pay a membership fee and get services that are not available to non-members. Mine is an organisation that has local centres for members to participate in rallies and social functions. Mine is an organisation where the ethos and business direction is actually decided by the members on members' committees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 MaureenHB - 2015-01-20 9:35 AM New (to us) van arriving shortly, excited! Wondering if it is best to join c&c club first and use their insurance or use different insurance firm? Any recommendations? Maureen - you can do it either way - just shop around a bit. As you gather there are basically three camps on here. CCophiles & CCophobes and those who simply ignore them and do their own thing. Best to be the third option I think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 MaureenHB - 2015-01-20 9:35 AM New (to us) van arriving shortly, excited! Wondering if it is best to join c&c club first and use their insurance or use different insurance firm? Any recommendations? Ahem! Back to the questions. :-) Have you decided how you will use your new van? This may have some bearing on what insurance cover you need. I would suggest asking now for quotes, and also for specimen copies of the insurance policy, and then reading them against each other. If the insurer says they won't provide the policy document before you sign-up, draw your own conclusions! If you look in motorhoming magazines such as MMM, you will find advertisements from most of the specialist motorhome insurers. I would suggest sticking to these as motorhome insurance carries provisions relevent to this class of vehicle that more general policies may not cover. This is where reading the policy document is so valuable. As said above, there is far more to insurance than price. I'm assuming that all manufacturer's warranties on the base vehicle will have expired, in which case some form of breakdown insurance will, presumably, be a requirement. The best way to buy these is generally bundled with the vehicle insurance. But again, get hold of the document to see what is included before you sign up. If going abroad, check how your van would be recovered back to UK if the need arose and, if going outside the EU area, check whether recovery from the countries you intend visiting is covered. Check also whether you are both expected to drive the van in the event that one of you is incapacited while away. Also, check whether there is a weight/size restriction on the vehicles covered under the recovery section, and make sure your van is within the limits. You'll probably never need it, but if you do............................! As, from your comment above, I assume the van will not be brand new, it will presumably come, at best, with a dealer's warranty of some sort that is likely to be high on exclusions. Read with care! It may also come with a remaining portion of a water ingress warranty from the manufacturer. Check carefully that any annual (a few were more frequent) checks have been carried out and recorded as required. Be attentive to the conditions for carrying out these checks, both as to their timing, and as to who is authorised to carry them out. Any that were outside the specified time "window", or were not carried out by an authorised dealer (usually), are likely to invalidate the warranty. Be careful, as a name, date, and signature in the inspection record is not a guarantee that an authorised dealer did the work. It will, for obvious reasons, be better to make these checks before you hand over the final payment. These warranties can be worth a lot of money if a leak is discovered that requires extensive repairs to cure. Sorry for this bit, but better safe than sorry! :-) The main drawback with UK club, and many other, campsites in UK and abroad, is that they are frequently remote from towns etc. Most were developed as camp-sites before motorhomes became so popular, on the basis that most of their clients would a) value the relative peace of remote locations, and b) have their own transport. With a motorhome this is not generally too much of a problem abroad, especially if touring around, as with a bit of planning you can get at supermarkets etc. while en route between places, and in general Europe is less crowded than UK, so the supermarkets have relatively spacious parking provision - though you may encounter height barriers (but not necessarily on all entrance points! :-)). In UK, however, the number of parking spaces, and the volume of cars using them, means that getting a 6.0 metre or larger van in and parked can be quite a challenge. Not much you can do about that, but worth bearing in mind when choosing sites. When the larder runs slow, we tend to select a site within walking distance of a town, or one with a regular nearby bus service; go in, stock the van, and then move on, knowing we can go the next five or so days on our "hump". Not, as they say, rocket science, but may help with planning your initial trips until you find your own solutions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 My apologies for winding HadEnough up about CC. Not intended but clearly it would not be appropriate to continue on this Thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Follow the advice to shop around. I was with the C&CC for a number of years and was satisfied with the premium and excellent cover. Then they changed over to Aegeas to underwrite the policies. my premium went high and they would not give any discount at renewal, in fact it was bumped up by a hefty margin even though I have never ever made a claim. Now with Caravan Guard (who I was with before C&CC). The premium is competitive and it's a good all round package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 StuartO - 2015-01-20 7:52 PM My apologies for winding HadEnough up about CC. Not intended but clearly it would not be appropriate to continue on this Thread. I'll translate that for everyone: "My ludicrous and very silly arguments about the CC have been shot to pieces, so I'll try to withdraw with as much dignity as possible." :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 CC sites have a leaflet that tells you the location of the nearest supermarkets and other useful information. I presume other sites do as well. Wardens will recommend those where it is easy to park the van. Never had a problem but then never had anything over 6.3m long and we tend to avoid the bigger towns which can get congested. We will walk to the shops. In the van we tend to shop at Aldi or LIDL because it's a lot quicker than the big supermarkets. We get our breakdown cover from Britannia Rescue through the CSMA. It is a must. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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