Is it a rip off?

I do agree with you David that we all have choices, but the choices we have made, as a couple, are a little different to yours.

Firstly, we pay around £1200 per year to tax, insure and service our van before it turns a wheel towards any campsites. When we bought it, we decided that we should use it for around 90 nights per year so as to get the best value out of its running costs. You call that slavish, we feel that is sensible use to get the best value out of the annual costs and indeed our remaining life.

To that end we have a budget to cover our sites and fuel, some are nearer to home than others. Shorter trips nearer to home and longer ones further afield, again to get the best value out of the journey time and fuel.

We look at areas we may want to go, but if all the sites within that area are more than we are prepared to pay we find another area, or perhaps another time of year, again to get the best value.

Our personal site limit is an average of around £22 per night and to that end we are for example staying on four no facility Caravan Club sites this year and a number of Camping Club and private sites which usually offer a slightly better nightly rate than this club.

We sometimes have been know to pay as much as £26 per night, on special occasions, but we will not pay any more than that ever, because cheaper alternatives and or times of year are usually available, and staying away from £30 per night sites keeps our average for the year and our annual spend where it needs to be as finding very cheap yet acceptable sites to redress any £30 per night spend is not easy. 

Also, this clubs sites are predictable certainly, but some of them can be bland, much like a Travelodge. Some of them can be a bit tatty around the edges and they are not, for us, always the automatic first choice, we always look at alternatives. But as you rightly say, that is our choice to make and the same applies of course to every member.

Is it reasonable to compare that with the cost of staying at say Abbey Woods or Crystal Palace? 

Not really K. The only realistic comparator of CC site prices is similar standard sites by other UK providers.

When we bought it, we decided that we should use it for around 90 nights per year so as to get the best value out of its running costs. 

A sensible approach Justus. 

Thanks.. It's also a great excuse for being away a lot 

perhaps a better way of describing where the club sits re VFM might be 'CC offers basic facilities at median prices?

That is the point being made by some of us. It is the perception of being asked to pay Pagani Zonda prices for a mid-range Merc. There will always be a gulf between those who will pay what is requested and others who want more 'bang for their buck'.

It's been interesting to read the different views on here about what people think is value for money. As an aside we don't budget at all but neither do we go away to the extent that some are able to do. Our last eight day trip averaged £80 per day, this included fuel, site fees and two lots of family meals out etc (seeing two of our grown up children and families en route.) I could tack on the purchase and running costs of our van to that but if we keep it ten years I can see the average costs on that and it works out reasonably well.

We're hopefully going on another short trip in May and June, then after that will be looking at THS sites for the expensive bit through the summer because I really think some of the club sites will not be value for money.

Yesterday I read a review from Hillhead, expensive over Easter and half full. Hillhead is easily accessible by many for an Easter break, the weather was lovely, the site is well equipped in all respects.

What bangs for your buck do yo require CY? Do you seek out UK providers providing those 'bangs'?

The point is there is no increase in the quality of a lot of facilities and space on many sites but there is an increase in prices every year.

Very much in line with increases on most sites that I use Brue.

I'm sure that's true EasyT, but I'd like to see a few more benefits and improvements if it's costing me more.