Caravan & Motorhome Club Website

The Bargee wrote:Why? 

CL’s and CS’s are surely privately owned businesses and the clubs market their “properties”, presumably in return for some form of commission or listing fee.

I have rented out our holiday “properties” (boats and cottages) through various booking agents for over 40 years but we never allowed any agents to claim exclusive rights to market these properties.

Why…because they do advertise exclusive rights for members. They are advertised as for members only. So they should apply that. Your circumstances letting your properties anre entirely different. When people pay to join a club, exclusive member benefits should be just that, exclusive to members.

The Bargee wrote:Interesting, and thank you for the detailed explanation. Obviously I am aware of some of the planning laws etc. but not all the detail. There do seem to be grey areas on the question of the membership requirement but I guess ultimately it is up to the site operator, what exemption certificates or planning permissions he has, and how he wishes to interpret the rules where there are grey areas. It does seem to me that there are plenty of perfectly good sites which can and do accept touring units without demanding membership of either of the main “clubs”. As before I will continue to book over the phone and if my custom is declined then I will obviously respect that but it hasn’t happened yet on any CL/CS that does not specify “members only” in its U.K. Campsite listing. I guess there are other exempted organisations that can offer operators suitable certification, and at the end of the day I guess that if I really want to stop on a club site I could always rejoin (if I were to leave).

The point of the 5 van exemption system is that it by-passes Planning, hence the term of exempted camping - exempted from the need to obtain Planning Permission. In the case of exemption certification, it's not up to the site operator how to interpret the rules but up to the issuer of the exemption certification, eg CAMC.

There are indeed numerous privately owned and commercial sites that operate with Planning Permission and it is entirely up to them who they allow on site. They are their own masters.

I’ve no doubt that some C&CC CS and CAMC CL owners flout the rules by allowing non-members to use their sites. It’s their choice to breach the regs and jeopardise both the future of their own sites and the system as a whole. Personally, I’d not help them do that by attempting to stay as a non-member but the list of organisations authorised to issue exemption certificates is huge and it’s very likely they don’t all operate a members only policy.

Yes, rejoining is always an option if we find we want to access something a club offers. It’s simple enough. I’ve dropped CAMC but retained C&CC.

Tinwheeler wrote:

The point of the 5 van exemption system is that it by-passes Planning, hence the term of exempted camping - exempted from the need to obtain Planning Permission. In the case of exemption certification, it's not up to the site operator how to interpret the rules but up to the issuer of the exemption certification, eg CAMC.

There are indeed numerous privately owned and commercial sites that operate with Planning Permission and it is entirely up to them who they allow on site. They are their own masters.

I’ve no doubt that some C&CC CS and CAMC CL owners flout the rules by allowing non-members to use their sites. It’s their choice to breach the regs and jeopardise both the future of their own sites and the system as a whole. Personally, I’d not help them do that by attempting to stay as a non-member but the list of organisations authorised to issue exemption certificates is huge and it’s very likely they don’t all operate a members only policy.

Yes, rejoining is always an option if we find we want to access something a club offers. It’s simple enough. I’ve dropped CAMC but retained C&CC.

Yes as members we stay at CCC CSs and CAMC CLs. We also stay at a Motorhome Fun CL, where Motorhome Fun issue the exemption certificate. Not restricted to members of Motorhome Fun, but you do get a discount if you are. At the end of the day, thems the rules and many of us would not want to do anything that threatened the exemption certificate system. The issuing organisation ensures minimum facilities eg fresh water and toilet dump.

Motor Caravanners Club is one such organisation that has its own CLs that can be visited by non-members.
Member Jaytee who no longer has an AS has one of these CLs near Filey, membership of MCC not required.

Hi - interesting read all the comments about the CAMC. We've just returned from a couple of weeks in Scotland and used a few of their sites - had to book them last year well in advance as otherwise they got fully booked. Not impressed with the standard I have to be honest - and the price! We paid £46 for one night at their Tewkesbury site. The Bunree Site facilities were old and extremely dated and that was £37 per night. Morvich was excellent though I have to say and the wardens their were clearly on the ball as they had a small shop which actually sold the basics; Eggs, bacon, milk, ice-creams to name but a few. My gripe is how expensive the sites have become whilst offering very little - their promised WiFi wasn't available on any of the sites we used 'but it was in the process of being updated'. Surely they should have got it up and running during the winter months to be ready for the season? We wont be renewing next year - even their annual membership fee has increased and is now £59. Their Mag is uninteresting so really not sure what I'm paying for. There are far better sites around with far better facilities. Gripe over! 

The only reason I joined CAMC and am still a member, is for access to CL's. Apart from that I cannot see any other reason. I echo the sentiments of the magazine being uninteresting. We prefer quieter and preferably adult only locations. My concern with CL's mainly being how soft the ground will be, especially in non summer months. I have never heard of the motor caravaners club. Will have a look.

Totally agree. CAMC club sites are an absurd price. A couple of years ago I stayed at Culloden in June. The facilities block was out of action because it had frozen over winter. We were notified about a week before our arrival. I asked for a discount because of lack of facilities which was refused. When we got home I complained to the Club. I was given a flea in my ear. Were I not a life member I'd not be renewing. Tomorrow we are off to Devon for a couple of weeks. The commercial site in Mortehoe with water and waste to the pitch in s cheaper than a CL in South Devon!

orac wrote:The only reason I joined CAMC and am still a member, is for access to CL's. Apart from that I cannot see any other reason. I echo the sentiments of the magazine being uninteresting. We prefer quieter and preferably adult only locations. My concern with CL's mainly being how soft the ground will be, especially in non summer months. I have never heard of the motor caravaners club. Will have a look.

Quite a few of the CLs/CSs in both clubs have hardstanding. 

Sally-- True but access to the pitch / distance over soft ground to get there is a consideration too.

Porac wrote:Sally-- True but access to the pitch / distance over soft ground to get there is a consideration too.

That’s a good point, but all those I’ve used so far with hardstanding pitch are reached via roads/tracks/tarmac etc.

I've had the opposite: all on grass

Been on 4 CL/CSs so far this year, 2 on grass 2 on hardstanding,  no problems on the grass despite heavy rain at one CL . Also 2 THSs on grass were no problem .

orac wrote:I've had the opposite: all on grass

I’m honestly surprised that all the hardstanding pitches you’ve been on (on 5 van sites) were reached via grass. I think I’ve been lucky as in I’ve never had that happen once. I can see why you avoid them then if that’s been your experience

It obviously depends where you travel. We do a few regular runs in addition to random/varied trips. Our most regular CL when going to and from Scotland has ramped prices so shame but won't use it again. That has hardstanding pitch but long grass run in to reach pitch and is shut out of 'season'. We travel autumn and spring too, so wet fields are something I am very wary of. Others have been grass pitches and grass approaches. No rights or wrongs here just interesting discussion points.

orac wrote:It obviously depends where you travel. We do a few regular runs in addition to random/varied trips. Our most regular CL when going to and from Scotland has ramped prices so shame but won't use it again. That has hardstanding pitch but long grass run in to reach pitch and is shut out of 'season'. We travel autumn and spring too, so wet fields are something I am very wary of. Others have been grass pitches and grass approaches. No rights or wrongs here just interesting discussion points.

Absolutely, it’s all different experiences. I travel in all 12 months of the year, throughout the U.K.  Planned and unplanned. It’s all horses for courses. 

Ailsaj wrote:Hi - interesting read all the comments about the CAMC. We've just returned from a couple of weeks in Scotland and used a few of their sites - had to book them last year well in advance as otherwise they got fully booked. Not impressed with the standard I have to be honest - and the price! We paid £46 for one night at their Tewkesbury site. .....

We had 1 night at the CAMC's Tewkesbury Abbey site on 11 Jun and only paid £38.20 for 2 adults on a grass pitch with awning and EHU and we paid much less than this when we stayed on a multi surface pitch out of season when our EHU usage was much higher and there was no one on the grass pitches around us.  It really depends what time of year you visit and occupancy.  When demand is high, CAMC bump up the price and vice versa.  This tends not to happen with CLs who charge a flat rate throughout the year regardless of occupancy.  E.g: winter single occupancy is good value on CAMC sites which for the time being will have 16A unmetered EHU, hard standings, heated shower blocks, dishwashing and laundry facilities.