Posted on 18/11/2021 11:11
Users of CLs may be interested to know that a number of questions relevant to the CL network were posed at the AGM and answered by the club.
They can be found here.
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/about-us/agm/2021-agm-questions-and-answers/
Posted on 19/11/2021 20:43 by eurortravellerI have a CL nearby which is old style “caravanning in a field”. The only pressure to change which the owner may perhaps feel is because hardly anyone goes there. There was one review in 2012 and two more in the nine years since then.
There may be a group of older people on here who nostalgically prefer that sort of site, but the majority of members are voting with their wheels. They don’t take high tech, expensive, modern, computerised caravans into farm fields - and they certainly don’t take motorhomes.
Posted on 21/11/2021 17:44
I must agree with this one hundred percent.
If I wanted to stay in a field, I would have bought a tent.
I would stay on a CL if it was well maintained, had hook-ups, hard standing and an access road that was not likely to break my suspension. I am not concerned about toilet blocks. I am sure there are some CLs I would enjoy staying on, but if all CLs were "traditional", as some posters here prefer them, there is no chance of me going there. As for the little gem, the problem is finding it. How many muddy, potholed farm tracks and overgrown fields do you have to endure before you find the CL for you?
1 person likes this
Posted on 21/11/2021 18:07
You don’t have to endure any GJ. All you do is a good bit a research before committing, and then phone up to ask some questions. One man’s pothole is another man’s Club Site speed hump. There are lots and lots of nice CLs where each pitch has a good drive approach, right onto the pitch.
Yes there are others that might be down a farm track, but the clue is usually in the name, or if not as part of the description! 😂
2 people like this
Posted on 21/11/2021 18:30
One CL we stayed on this year had serviced pitches, level hardstandings, a drive over MH empty point, picnic benches for every pitch etc etc and lots of green space icluidng a nature reserve and a beaver colony. It's great to have so much variety on CLs. 
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Posted on 21/11/2021 18:30 by brueOne CL we stayed on this year had serviced pitches, level hardstandings, a drive over MH empty point, picnic benches for every pitch etc etc and lots of green space icluidng a nature reserve and a beaver colony. It's great to have so much variety on CLs.
Posted on 21/11/2021 18:30 by brueOne CL we stayed on this year had serviced pitches, level hardstandings, a drive over MH empty point, picnic benches for every pitch etc etc and lots of green space icluidng a nature reserve and a beaver colony. It's great to have so much variety on CLs.
Posted on 19/11/2021 20:43 by eurortravellerI have a CL nearby which is old style “caravanning in a field”. The only pressure to change which the owner may perhaps feel is because hardly anyone goes there. There was one review in 2012 and two more in the nine years since then.
There may be a group of older people on here who nostalgically prefer that sort of site, but the majority of members are voting with their wheels. They don’t take high tech, expensive, modern, computerised caravans into farm fields - and they certainly don’t take motorhomes.
Posted on 22/11/2021 09:33
You have hit the nail on the head 'hardly anyone goes there'..
If the CL Owner is seeking any form of income (or even to cover his or her costs) then occupancy (at whatever price point) is the key criteria in any tourism business.
Every night that my CL has an empty pitch in the season is £20 of lost income. To ensure I have high occupancy I have;
- Adapted my 'product' from a simple field with a tap, to a site with fully-serviced hardstanding pitches & WiFi.
- Listened to my customers and adapted according to the majority view.. we doubtless lost a few members along the way who liked a steeply sloping field at £10/night..
- Adapted my site to provide me with easier management / less stress (level hardstanding being the key issue). Implemented deposits to reduce no-shows.
- Ensured that customers can easily book (online booking) and pay with a Credit Card
- Marketed my site extensively, the result being that we are now booked up well ahead.
The net result is that the CL provides a good steady income for the farm in these times of uncertainty and we have well-satisfied visitors who return again and again.
3 people like this
Posted on 22/11/2021 09:33 by CholseyGrangeYou have hit the nail on the head 'hardly anyone goes there'..
If the CL Owner is seeking any form of income (or even to cover his or her costs) then occupancy (at whatever price point) is the key criteria in any tourism business.
Every night that my CL has an empty pitch in the season is £20 of lost income. To ensure I have high occupancy I have;
- Adapted my 'product' from a simple field with a tap, to a site with fully-serviced hardstanding pitches & WiFi.
- Listened to my customers and adapted according to the majority view.. we doubtless lost a few members along the way who liked a steeply sloping field at £10/night..
- Adapted my site to provide me with easier management / less stress (level hardstanding being the key issue). Implemented deposits to reduce no-shows.
- Ensured that customers can easily book (online booking) and pay with a Credit Card
- Marketed my site extensively, the result being that we are now booked up well ahead.
The net result is that the CL provides a good steady income for the farm in these times of uncertainty and we have well-satisfied visitors who return again and again.
Posted on 21/11/2021 17:44 by GraydjamesI must agree with this one hundred percent.
If I wanted to stay in a field, I would have bought a tent.
I would stay on a CL if it was well maintained, had hook-ups, hard standing and an access road that was not likely to break my suspension. I am not concerned about toilet blocks. I am sure there are some CLs I would enjoy staying on, but if all CLs were "traditional", as some posters here prefer them, there is no chance of me going there. As for the little gem, the problem is finding it. How many muddy, potholed farm tracks and overgrown fields do you have to endure before you find the CL for you?
Posted on 22/11/2021 11:57
There is nothing shocking about narrow lanes David, it's a way of life for many and there are a lot of van users who discover, at the end of the narrow lane, is a place well worth visiting. Obviously, if anything is stressful it may not suit an individual. Some large sites are stressful, too busy, noisy and crowded which is why many prefer CLs.
4 people like this
CholseyGrange