Best Camping and Caravanning Club?

[Nomad 8]

26 minutes ago, Basil said:

I believe Brian sums it perfectly.

We have tried both major clubs but have stuck with the C&MC as we found the other not to our taste. We do however rarely use the club sites and really only keep the membership for the CL's as in our opinion the club site fees are exorbitant and it's a real faf booking them.

We are also members of the MCC which is a pleasant friendly club though limited.

As Brian since the 70's we spend most of our time abroad at the same time period as him, also using ACSI as well as Municipals and Aires. In Europe we have never booked a site in advance, and won't into the future, with never an issue. We have done this every year except during lockdown where we only visited our family, when allowed I might add, staying on their own property. The motorhome really came into its own then allowing us to see each other safely.

Personally, in answer to your question, I would do as we did and join both main clubs and try both out during the membership year and drop the one you dislike from the second year, or both of course!  At least then you will be able to make a fair comparison on your own knowledge rather than accepting others opinions.

Bas

More sound advice. Thank you Bas. I have joined one of the big two to satisfy the van insurers and after 6 months intend to join the other one. As you say I will be better placed to decide on " should I stay or should I go " as the song goes.

Thanks  for your help.

[david lloyd]

There is no reference in the thread regarding cost of membership to either Club. Certainly over the last three years costs of membership and pitch prices have rocketed. I do understand how the natural increases in cost has affected prices as we all face these in our daily lives but am recently of the opinion that both main clubs are taking advantage of the economic/political situation. 
We have been members of both clubs for the last 25 years and, during that time, have also travelled extensively through Europe so have quite a good experience base from which to make comment and comparison. 

This last ten days have highlighted the significant changes in pricing for us. We stayed for 7 nights at a Temporary Holiday Site near Arnside in Cumbria. A beautiful site and the price of £10.50 per night included a pitch, water and Elsan point - I guess with the security of stewards on site too. We had intended staying from bank holiday Monday (1st May) for four nights but the weather was so good we took the decision to stay for 7 nights - a facility that, increasingly, may not be available on official Club sites at short notice - especially over weekend dates.

With the weather holding, and as we were in the area, we decided to extend the trip further by booking two nights at the C&CC site at Keswick. Here we would get the same benefits of a pitch, water and Elsan point but would pay £37.20 per night for the privilege.This is where I find it difficult to comprehend the recent price hikes in club sites.

Yes, we have all had massive increases in energy costs but our energy bill at home is just £3.50 per day - and that includes a standing charge of 48p per day. It also includes running things like an American fridge freezer, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, plus all the usual electrical appliances in a normal household. I’m not sure our motorhome consumes the same amount of energy (bearing in mind heating is diesel and fridge/cooking is lpg) but happily accept the club could charge £3.50 per night for electricity we may not use.

The site also offers a shower/toilet block that requires more energy to heat and light but the cost of that is, presumably, borne by the amount of occupied pitches - but let’s accept it’s another £3.50 per night to every pitch. I’m still struggling to get the cost of staying one night, in low season, with Age Concession Discounts applied, to the charge of £37.20 per night.

Despite my reservations and examination of the costs, the site is full. People are prepared to pay the price being asked and this begs the question - are the charges really based on what the costs are or are they based on what people are prepared to pay? 

Under normal circumstances, the question would be immaterial in conventional business practice as that is the basis of commercial enterprise but, in the case of both the Camping and caravanning Club and the Caravan and Motorhome Club, these are organisations based on the premise that it is a not for profit club run by members for the benefit of members.

In these circumstances I accept there is a need for the clubs to be run in a business like way but, there is no compelling reason for the managing committee to make pricing decisions based on a business profit making basis.

My main reason for remaining a member of the C&CC is access to their best value offering of Temporary Holiday Sites but I am increasingly asking myself the question - “Are the Caravan and Motorhome Club offering me value for money?”

My concerns over the value of Club membership was increased even more when I asked if I could buy an exchange 6kg Calor Propane cylinder which had run out whilst at the THS. Exchange cylinders are no longer available at the Keswick site. I am not sure if this is a Club wide policy but, if it is, it is yet more testimony that the managing committee are not making decisions for the benefit of the members. Far from stopping the supply of exchange cylinders I would have expected that a forward thinking, membership centred organisation would be thinking that with the increase in fixed, refillable LPG installations in Motorhomes and the evident decline in LPG dispensing outlets, it would be an advantage to members to install LPG dispensing facilities rather than ending the stocking of LPG exchange cylinders.

maybe I expect too much in this day and age but it would be interesting to hear the views of forum members and, perhaps, the two main clubs in the UK.

David