Non-electric pitches

Posted on 02/10/2022 11:05 by Takethedogalong

Catch 22. The money is with its ageing, utility/facility dependent, happy to sit around on site a lot Core membership, mainly in expensive outfits. So that’s where the money goes. But is it future proof, particularly given how the economy is heading at the moment?  Younger potential members might not need so much, and hence are looking elsewhere and making their money go further. Certainly that’s what our younger family tell us. In fact, it’s actually what we do. 

Posted on 02/10/2022 11:18 by Cornersteady

Yes but the new booking system, although useless/difficult/complicated/... (delete or insert as appropriate and I'm not a fan) could be said to or justified by

a) give people what the have been asking for in terms of pitch choice and deposits?

b) every so often things like this have to bought otherwise we'd all be using outdated and slow software. I've not really looked into the costs but was it all on the software? 

It could also be said that the new system is actually a nice little earner for the club, not up to paying for itself but I've paid out about £150 in deposits this past week, that is money upfront that the club has in its bank account which I assume they'll get some interest on or use it for cashflow?

I think I'm pretty average so I wonder how many people have done the same over the last few weeks especially for a long two weeks summer holiday? I've just looked at Seacroft and from 1st July to 25th August  it is practically all 'lows' (and I assume that still means five pitches or less left) so a lot of deposits paid up front.

Personally i can't see anything wrong with the club making as much money as possible from those willing to pay it. If the demand is there, and it is, then go for it. Yes I know shame on me for being such a capitalist but I'll just have to live with that.

Posted on 02/10/2022 11:20 by Takethedogalong

To be honest Nav, I find it personally irritating that you cannot be offered an existing pitch at a reduced rate if you don’t hook up. The cry will go up that “people will thieve”, but we know this model exists and we have happily used it down the years.

It’s only on here that we would be considered as potential thieves, no matter that a bright coloured cable would be a dead give away.

A simple designation of certain pitches (another coloured post🤣) as “choice” and staff walking the site as they do would solve most problems. Anyone found transgressing, instant kick out of Club with no refunds.

Posted on 02/10/2022 14:12 by

Yes, being distrusted and labelled a potential thief is galling.  

Posted on 02/10/2022 11:37 by Takethedogalong

Without doubt Corners, it is a very nice little earner for the Club, in more ways than one, and that’s because they know their core market. I don’t blame anyone for spending what money they have earned, in whatever way they fancy, we all do that one way or another, but I know how lucky I am to be able to do what I want.

I just see the Club as going back to its rather elitist roots, where you had to have a certain amount of disposable income to participate, otherwise go elsewhere, or don’t participate at all. It’s tipped a lot more towards those with lots of money in these past few years, (as have other providers), and I only feel that it’s right to acknowledge this, and wonder just how sustainable in the long term it might be? And wonder why the Club don’t seem to be doing as much for those who don’t have quite as much? 

It’s obviously an issue for some, as we see lots more folks now on CLs, giving them a go because of the rising prices. The type of outfits seen on CLs differs in quite a way as well, a lot are older, not as expensive. Same on small private sites as well. 

Posted on 01/10/2022 16:22 by Cornersteady

Perhaps and we'll see then. 

Of course the club will pass on these increases but that is just life as we know it at this time.

I expect and accept (as in there's nothing I can do about it)  these increases at home, expect and accept them on things I wish to buy elsewhere so I just accept these (massive?) energy prices on club sites as well. So I personally don't see rising price as an incentive for the club to do anything regarding meters, which if they were prohibitively expensive last year I would think perhaps even more significantly expensive than last year.

Certainly it should look at other means but I would count installing meters as a 'waste' of our money and that money would have to come from somewhere, as you yourself have said David I recall and it cannot be recovered apart from higher site prices?

I suppose in the end if people continue to use club sites even with the higher massive increases why would the club consider installing them anyway? On;y a drop in site usage might pich them that way.

And another point for debate, the club does not compete in isolation, if other providers do not go the same way with meters, why would people use club sites?

Post edit: massive rises? I booked our July 2023 site a few days ago, same site, same number of people (3), same length as last year 10 nights on a SP and it has gone up £4 per night , this year's price was £45.87 per night, next year £49.86 , so is that massive? Maybe but I don't care it's where and when want to be, yes it may go up before then but again it's where and when I want to be.

Posted on 02/10/2022 16:23 by Hja

We have a pvc. It’s current setup of 100 ah battery, 120 w solar panel but a compressor fridge means we can only go for one night off grid, which we do from time to time.

We largely use CLs, in fact without CLs I doubt we would belong to the Club.

As electricity prices rise, so will pitch prices. We have stayed on sites which meter electricity and we know we use very little. We tend not to camp in winter.

As pitch prices are at present, low users subsidise higher users.

We are seriously considering improving the system in our van ( maybe another battery, maybe lithium) to allow us to off grid for longer. This will allow us to use a different set of CLs. But we are also considering joining the camping and caravan club which has far more not electric pitches, at a far cheaper cost.