Motor Caravanners Club.

[Guest caraprof]

coach2000 - 2007-07-22 9:11 PM I have just received my welcome pack for joining the club and was not impressed. Is it me or is this what you get from any of the clubs nowadays.ie A cardboard foldercontaining a welcome letter, the monthly magazine with hardly any info and all available in any magazine. 1 windscreen sticker. 1 booklet with club info and dates of meetings. 2 paper membership cards. 14 sheets of loose photocopied info and to top it all a UK sites booklet that was given free recently in the magazines. In the letter they said the club book was out of print till 2008. Are the Caravan club and Camping and Caravaning club the same? I would be glad of someone else's opinion. Clive

Yes, your question does deserve a slightly better answer. The two clubs, the Caravan Club (CC) and the Camping and Caravan Club (C&CC) are separate organisations, but similar.

The CC is probably slightly more upmarket and only caters for caravans and motorhomes.

As its name implies, the C&CC also caters for tent campers and backpackers and whilst it has some lovely sites, some of them, so I'm told, are not quite as posh as the CC ones, but still nice and clean etc.

On advice  from this forum I joined the C&CC (I was already in the CC). The good advice received was to try it for a year and make up my own mind.

I've done that and am staying in both as it gives me a vast number of good sites from which to choose.

For example, next week we're off to the north east and we'll be on a C&CC site at Barnard Castle (there's no CC site there), CC sites at Berwick and Durham and another C&CC site in Northumbria.

Both sites have magazines. The CC's is the better one and there's always something in that I enjoy each month. I think that both clubs are superb value for money and if you use the sites regularly you can get your subscription back in the reduced fees that are available to members.

Also, if you're interested in that kind of thing, both clubs have local sections which organise weekend rallies where you can meet lots of other people.

As per the advice given to me I would say; join them both for a year and make up your own mind after giving them a good trial.

I live in Lostock and if you'd like a sample magazine from each of the clubs send me a PM or email and you can pop round for them.

[coach2000]

Thanks to everyone for your replies, very interesting comments made by all. Anyway I have decided to join the Camping and Caravaning Club now and the Caravan Club in 2008 to compare them. I do not attend many rallies, so it seems that any of these clubs would provide me with useful information and sites.

As for the Motor Caravanners, the guy that answered the phone was not very happy as you woul expect when I told him I was cancelling my new membership. He came out with the usual non profit making statement and asked me to return the worthless membership pack.

2 telephone calls to 2 clubs and a completely different attitude by the person on the other end. Surely it cannot be that 1 is supposed to make a profit just to make you feel you want to join.

 

Clive

 

[woody.]

Im a member of ccc and mcc , i go on many rallies through the year and prefer the ccc ones every time , you can go on other section ralleys and dont need to join these sections , every week theres a ccc ralley somewhere ,where as the mcc seem to only have ralleys once a month .

Youve also got the ccc temp holiday sites where you just go on site with out booking , with both you can go on any area ralley but no bookings are needed with cccc. i understand the ccc sites are good but have never been to one . (lol)

[coach2000]

Recieved my membership pack from Camping and Caravan Club today after a wait of only 3 days, very impressed after the the shock last week with MCC.

2 full colour magazines, 2 A4 size, one with over 400 pages and one with 160 pages. Both in colour, a good map in one and plenty of info on every site. Van sticker and membership cards.

It all came in a nice box to go straight into the van and was delivered by courier.

Plenty to read, study and plan a few trips now, just for a small amount more than I was going to pay MCC

Last week did not know what to expect and was disapointed. This week still did not know what I was going to get but when it arrived, I knew I had got something to see for my money.

I hope that some members of the MCC committee and members read this thread, it may encourage some of the younger members to to try and get things altered as there are now many more Motorhomes and Camper vans on the road and they should have a club that can provide the same benefits as the big 2 and as good a package.

 

Clive.

[arty23]

The motor caravanners club is still a club run by its members for its members in my opinion the true meaning of a club only one person is employed everyone else is a volunteer. It still prvides excellent weekend rallies and holiday rallies as can be seen on their website.

[Brian Kirby]

All tends to support the old adage that comparisons are odious, doesn't it? 

Poor old Motorcaravanner's Club: it is being compared to two multi million pound businesses, called clubs, that have several subsidiaries each, surprisingly posh and well staffed headquarters buildings, and a string of wholly owned sites as well as various affiliations with private and other operators. 

Both are very slick operations and provide sites that achieve consistently high quality facilities.  The sites are run by semi-voluntary wardens, so the weclcome you get varies between the enthusiastic and the dour, just like people. 

The wardens can be a bit cross grained: I remember one who watched me reverse my caravan onto its allocated pitch, and then switch off and get out, before telling me he wanted the van centred on the peg and not aligned with the offside wall.  Seemed to make his day, that!  The next arrival, obviously knowing the drill, did what I'd done and, as "Adolf" was by now absent, just moved the peg to suit where he'd stopped.  Now, who's a clever boy then? 

Notwithstanding, most wardens are a delight and are extremely helpful.  However, what they are not, is site owners who depend for their livelihoods on the success of their sites.  I think this is where the comparisons of club sites with other sites is doomed to mislead. 

Continental sites?  Very variable.  Some are a mess, some exceed the standards of the club sites by quite a margin, while many are broadly on a par with them.  All I can say to those who insist on drawing the comparisons, is that it is quite as pointless to say that "Continental" sites are worse than those of the UK clubs, as it is to say they are better.  The comparison is chalk with pomegranites, to mix a metaphor or three. 

I do think those who have been disappointed with the sites they have found in Europe really should equip themselves with an up to date copy of a reliable sites guide and learn to decipher its messages.  ANWB has been mentioned above, but I find the Dutch a bit insensitive to the host country, tending to convert any campsite to a Dutch colony when they reach critical mass.  Nothing against the Dutch, but if I'm visiting France, I don't want to suddenly finds myself in a suburb of Amsterdam!  Having said that the Dutch ASCI guide is quite reliable and lists sites giving very good low season fixed price rates.  The Michelin Camping France is also excellent and generally reliable.

However, I still think the Caravan Club's "Caravan Europe" guides are the daddy of them all.  Yes, you do need to read between the lines of the comments a bit, but these are the views of paying users of the sites, and not paid, box ticking, inspectors.  (For balance, also having a commercial guide to compare entries is probably about ideal). 

The comments inevitably reflect caravanning, rather than motorhoming, priorities.  Distances to local shops particularly are often hopelessly inaccurate, probably reflecting the caravanner's tendency to jump in the car to go, rather than walk.  However, once you get the hang of what is being said, with one or two exceptions, these guides are very reliable and, broadly, tell it like it is. 

When you find the reportage doesn't quite match the reality, you can fill in and send off a form at the back of the book, or download one from the CC website, and get the errors sorted out in the next edition.  What more could you want than that?

[Guest caraprof]

At last, some common sense on the matter of the CC and other sites. I agree entirely with your views Brian. I have stayed on some superb Continental sites but I've also stayed on some dire ones. My point is the same as yours, that at least the CC is constant in that you get a good quality site and there is no gamble involved.

I also agree about the Europe books, I think that they are brilliant and never leave the U.K. without them.

Regrettably, a few people just seem to have a grudge against the clubs because of the electricity issue with the CC, or the fact that they can't get a booking with either and it colours their judgement I'm afraid.

Edited to say:

Your comments about the books reflecting caravanning more than motorhoming may be true as originally of course it was mainly caravans. However we can remedy this if we wish. In Germany this year I found a good Stellplatz in the CC Europe 2 book. It was there because a motorhomer had taken the trouble to send in a report. The listing quite clearly stated that it was a motorhome only site. This proved to me once and for all that there is no motorhome bias in the CC. So, if you find a nice Aire de Service or Stellplatz or any other motorhome-friendly site, fill in the report form.

Next year I shall do my bit by sending in at least one report!

[RonB]

Brian

 

I take your point about 'Dutch colonies' but don't all the main camping countries participate in this game? We are just back from Switzerland and on some sites you can count on one hand those other than Brits! I think most regular travellers could name quite a few sites abroad by their nationality bias, be it us, the Dutch, Germany, French or whatever.

 

The other point worth mentioning is that the ANWB, in the main, list the same sites as the CC continental guides. They just have a better site appraisal system in my opinion.

 

Have fun

 

Ron

[Basil]

RonB - 2007-07-28 11:17 AM

 

Brian

 

I take your point about 'Dutch colonies' but don't all the main camping countries participate in this game?

 

Ron

RonB,

 

Definately not. One of the reasons we go 'over there' is to get away from our countrymen. We really had a shock when we arrived at Beune this year only to find 90% of the site taken up with Brit motorhomes. We planned to move on next morning without visiting the town but fortunately we found out that it was an organised group on the 'wine trail' and they all disappeared next day.

It is not that we don't like our fellow countrymen but we do not want to be part of a 'colony' over there and we willmeet and mix with them when we are in our own country.

 

Bas

[Mel B]

... I actually like bingo occasionally ... 8-)

 

I note that it is stated that you can join in the rally weekends without booking and/or being a member of that section. Is that the same for both clubs? (?)

[Harvey]

Mel B - 2007-07-28 7:52 PM

I note that it is stated that you can join in the rally weekends without booking and/or being a member of that section. Is that the same for both clubs? (?)

 

If you are referring to my comments on the subject; I was discussing the C&CC Temporary Holiday Sites etc. I have never been to any similar things run by the CC. They do have meets listed in their monthly magazine but they give a 'phone number for contact and don't give an exact location. You therefore need to make contact before going: whether or not you actually need to book, I don't know.

 

The C&CC THSs mainly do not need to be booked and all the details of the location and per night costs are in the monthly mag. so with book in hand on your travels you can just 'drop in'. The normal thing is that 'all units are invited' regardless of which section organises the THS.

 

Some 'sections' are rather specialised though, e.g. 'The Folk Dance and Song Group' and the 'Boating Group' so the above may not be the case with those.

 

I don't belong to any of the specialist sections: I don't see a need. If you want to get more involved with whatever particular interest you have then it may be the thing to do.

 

I have only been to one of the C&CC short weekend meets and booked that because we were staying there with friends. I assume that any booking requirements would be on a similar basis to the THSs but not certain on that.

 

Sorry; I've waffled on a bit..... and we seem to have veered from the heading subject!

 

Harvey

[RonB]

Bas - Deffinetly not what?

 

I think that you have read my post incorrectly. I was stating that lots of sites exist whose customers form a large majority of one particular country or another. I wasn't suggesting that you should or should not use them. However, you seem to have confirmed my point by your experience at Buene.

 

Have fun.

 

Ron

[MandyAndy]

Regarding the CCC rallies, we have been on many in both tent and motor home, think we have only ever booked on one.

 

They usually state if booking is necessary, and if the cost isn't there then it means it is around the £5 -£7 mark.

 

We recently went to the Norfolk coast on what turned out to be the Folk musics holiday site, huge field all with electric and a short walk to the beach £8 a night and I think there where 10 of us there at most. You don't feel you have to join in or get your musical instrument out it is there if you want to join in but not held against you if you decline.

 

We where unsure about going on these as we had a feeling they would be the "come and join us brigade" but we haven't found that on a single site and had a great time on all but one of them. The problem one had a group drinking and swearing till late in the night, so drunk in fact they moved one of their caravans to middle of field and he didn't even wake up. They were the rally stewards too , did report it but heard nothing.

 

Mandy

[Brian Kirby]

RonB - 2007-07-29 9:19 PM Bas - Deffinetly not what? I think that you have read my post incorrectly. I was stating that lots of sites exist whose customers form a large majority of one particular country or another. I wasn't suggesting that you should or should not use them. However, you seem to have confirmed my point by your experience at Buene. Have fun. Ron

Just to clarify my own point, ANWB is a Dutch organisation, and the sites it features tend to be favoured by the dutch.  Therefore, if you favour these sites, wherever you are is liable to feel more like Holland than wherever you are.  This is not specifically against ANWB (or ACSI for that matter), nor against the Dutch.  Yes, there is a tendency for nationalities to congregate, but I prefer the sites in whatever country that are either mainly populated by "natives" or are genuinely cosmopolitan. 

I just find that large monocultural groupings of "foreigners" in any country spoil the local flavour of that country, and tend to result in a degree of stand-offishness by the dominant group, be they Brits, German, Dutch or whoever.

[Guest caraprof]

Absolutely! How can we find sites that aren't full of Southerners? :-D :-D

[RonB]

Brian

 

It would be great to have available a truly cosmopolitan guide. However, the truth is that most of the guides duplicate each other as far as the sites are concerned, and it's only content, layout and system of appraisal that really differ. So I don't really think it's the guides country of origin that causes the 'nationality' thing. I think it's more likely to be something that simply evolves over time. Another reason it happens is when a club, like the CC, decide to use certain sites as rally centres - but I would rather not go into that.

 

Frank

 

Come now, there are loads of sites north of Watford!

[Bazza454]

caraprof - 2007-07-30 4:23 PM Absolutely! How can we find sites that aren't full of Southerners? :-D :-D

Easy - find a site near Bolton, nobody in their right mind would stay there, too many miserable, cantankerous old far*s.

Even Big Sam has had enough and moved on....

[Mel B]

Who's Big Sam???? Sounds like my kinda guy. (lol)

[Bazza454]

Mel B - 2007-07-30 10:26 PM Who's Big Sam???? Sounds like my kinda guy. (lol)

One of the best Managers in the Premiership - Mr Allardyce.

[Guest caraprof]

Bazza454 - 2007-07-30 10:13 PM

caraprof - 2007-07-30 4:23 PM Absolutely! How can we find sites that aren't full of Southerners? :-D :-D

Easy - find a site near Bolton, nobody in their right mind would stay there, too many miserable, cantankerous old far*s.

Even Big Sam has had enough and moved on....

See what I mean about Southerners!

[Mel B]

Thanks Bazza, not into football (could've guessed that huh!!!). 8-)

[Bazza454]

caraprof - 2007-07-30 10:37 PM

Bazza454 - 2007-07-30 10:13 PM

caraprof - 2007-07-30 4:23 PM Absolutely! How can we find sites that aren't full of Southerners? :-D :-D

Easy - find a site near Bolton, nobody in their right mind would stay there, too many miserable, cantankerous old far*s.

Even Big Sam has had enough and moved on....

See what I mean about Southerners!

Wrong again Frank - born and lived in Leeds for the first 30 years.

Anyway, you're supposed to be on holiday, now bugger off and leave us all in peace for a few days - please don't take your laptop....

[Poppy]

I do love the club sites and the wardens, to be fair, are far friendlier these days than they were. I do think though that what has driven standards up is foreign travel! I come from a working class background and am nearly 60. When I was young society was different, far more deferential for one thing! Most working class people didn't have holidays at all, in Britain or abroad. I lived in a small seaside resort that catered for working class people. The attitude generally was they were charged as much as possible and given as little as possible in return. YOU were doing them the favour not the other way round. The landlady that insisted everyone was out by 9a.m and not back in until 6p.m no matter what was REAL. She couldn't be doing with having people round all day! Read Harry Ritchies Here we Go. Aching funny but has some serious points to make about all of this. Package holidays started things.Our resorts had some competition and it did them the world of good. Cheap ferries and good campsites abroad (started by the likes of Eurocamp for a lot of us) has given our campsites things to think about. We can move and go somewhere else if we don't like the offerings here. Not saying thats the only reason to travel. Easyjet and Ryan air have made air travel very affordable. A few years ago travel of any kind was only available for the comfortably off not to mention the down right wealthy. We are just so LUCKY to live where and when we do. We should never forget it.

[kelly58]

We are going on our 1st Motorcaravan Club Rally this weekend and are looking forward to see how things are, we have been on a few CCC weekends and found we were make really welcome so lets hope this weekend will be as enjoyable.

[Basil]

RonB - 2007-07-29 9:19 PM

 

Bas - Deffinetly not what?

 

I think that you have read my post incorrectly. I was stating that lots of sites exist whose customers form a large majority of one particular country or another. I wasn't suggesting that you should or should not use them. However, you seem to have confirmed my point by your experience at Buene.

 

Have fun.

 

Ron

 

Hi Ron,

 

Yep possibly 'talking at cross purposes'. I thought you were saying that most country's holidaymakers tend to congregate at the same sort of places, something we, the same as Brian, try to avoid.

 

Bas