What is the obsession with attracting the yoof

a good post, David, which shows how little a 'touring' MH needs at a stop over and how little the club would need to invest to allow all year round 'stop overs' even on a non all yr round site.

the club could then continue to earn revenue with (virtually) nil maintenance and MH could continue to make use (and pay for) the facilities year round when currently they would be going elsewhere.

the photos show a fairly typical arrangement of a site/aire combination of the type we have visited. however, on these, we have been able to use the facilities (pool, restaurant, bar, showers, etc) as part of the inclusive (but significantly reduced) fee.

the main difference is the stopover spaces are more akin to what a caravanner would call a 'carpark'.....however, many MHers are more than happy to leave the larger, landscaped (more expensive) real estate to those who prefer this type of pitch.....often a mix of caravans and MHs.

a barrier entry type, self service style of camping like in DKs photos are popular abroad, an oft quoted example on CT is at Neufchatel-eb-Bray with the (same ownership) site and aire existing (literally) side by side.

"a barrier entry type, self service style of camping like in DKs photos are popular abroad, an oft quoted example on CT is at Neufchatel-eb-Bray with the (same ownership) site and aire existing (literally) side by side."

Which has a similar payment type machine to what David's picture shows and it is open all year ( I used it this year in January) while the adjacent camps site, St Claire, is not.

Have also seen this type in France & heard reception staff say they had some problems with M’homers staying on Aire at entrance who would enter the site on foot & use facilities they were not entitled to use.

If you could leave a couple of pitches for caravanners during this wide ranging planning session I'd be grateful.  Actually it won't matter soon as our usage of club sites will have stopped before anything happens 

I've always championed the need to improve service pitches, agreed that stopover pitches were a good idea etc. I do still think that the best model is a site suitable for everyone, whatever vehicle they travel in and a club that welcomes everyone regardless of age, 

I use full facility sites but have no preference for such most of the time. 

EasyT - do I take it you mean that you are paying for facilities you do not use, Toilet/shower block etc.  so why should motorhomers get a reduction for not using them?  Same here, I chose the site for location, nice views etc.  all the better if it does not have facilities, but more often than not it does.  Just one of those things.

...but the ones Ive used do allow use of the facilities, its the lack of a full sized formal campsite pitch (in exchange for a car parking space) that drives the price differential....

going in to use the bar or restaurant is surely welcomed (folk spend money...) and an extra body or two in a pool makes little difference.

I don't think most new MH owners would ask for the world on Club Sites. A park up pitch between 8pm and 10am, with or without being able to have a shower would be a good start. Away from main site area, leave the landscaped pitches for long stays and caravans. Max of five on a Club Site, wouldn't want to be greedy. Metered electric to give a choice. Call them Onsies, one night only stays! 

Not quite. My favourite sites have been without facilities. If the site has facilities then I will make some use having paid for them. If folk do not want to pay for facilities then they should indeed go elsewhere. As for those wanting a cheap night halt then as far as I am concerned if they use a facility site they should pay sameas me. If I go off site before 9am and return at 6 or 7pm I get no discount either

I've never known sites where motorhomes parked in the 'Aire' part of a site aren't welcome to use the site facilities.  I wonder if it's possible to give details of such sites, so that motorhome users are aware.

Years ago we parked up (car and caravan - and at the suggestion of receptiion) on a campsite outside a campsite in the Ardeche region of France, and though we didn't pay anything reception suggested we poked our hook-up through the hedge to the nearest bollard, and were welcome to use all the site facilities.  As we'd intended to stay only overnight (on our way to Spain, we thought), we decided that we really ought to have a few days on site, and we actually stayed for over two weeks, never got to Spain that time, and it became a firm favourite site with our children and later just as a couple.  Had they not welcomed us they may have lost our business over many others holidays of a fortnight or so each time.

Sorry digressing from the thread!