Booking ahead is unfair at some sites

I would tend to agree. Although we do occasionally stop for one night on a Friday or Saturday and did more often when we were working, having pulled the van out of storage at the start of our week / two week holiday. That would certainly muck up weekend breaks as well as a full week. It would very much depend on how many one night stands there are on a Friday or Saturday.

That works, Steve.  Gets you, and others, off The Caravan Club sites at weekends  Plenty of room for those who moan sites are always full at weekend, and a nice earner for the Club.

Thank goodness there are other options...

But when you actually get to Chatsworth, where we go often (yes I book speculatively and admit it) it is never full. 

As I said in a previous comment, on two consecutive nights during half term week last month, there were 6 pitches free of which 3 were super pitches. For all of the 9 nights we stayed there were always pitches free.  These would either be cancellations within 72 hours that no one else had picked up on or they were no shows.   We wouldn't be able to go at 72 hours notice as we're both still working but someone would have been able to have had a week away on a standard pitch.  

But how would they know - they wouldn't.  However, if the cancellation period was extended they might be able to. Likewise, if a deposit had been paid, the Club would get something rather than nothing and deposts would stop speculative bookings (including from me) if they were large enough.

My advice on Chatsworth is always keep trying.  If you're able to pack up and go at short notice you will probably get in particularly between Monday to Friday.

There are all sorts of different ideas to benefit the Membership, but some might not fulfill the Club’s (possible, probable🤷‍♀️) desire to have every pitch occupied every night. It could designate a couple of one night stay only pitches at known stop over Sites to catch the in transit trade, which would be a trade off? Exeter springs to mind, Richmond Hargill another, both on main travel routes. Open to all types of outfits of course.

Oh I agree on the keep trying.

However, if a working family is wanting to book its fortnight Summer holiday, having negotiated and agreed with possibly two employers that yes, that is the time you can have, I am not that sure that they would be willing to chance hanging on, and hanging on, and hanging on to get that traditional Saturday to Saturday fortnight they will need. I think that they are more likely to go elsewhere and have the holiday reserved with no further worries. 

It’s not as easy now as back in my working days to get a firm holiday commitment from employers, certainly not a good few months in advance. So booking as soon as pitches become available isn’t always an option.

It has to be acknowledged that it’s probably only a few popular Sites, at certain times of the year, where it’s very very difficult to put together anything that requires at least one weekend, more likely two. So it begs the question, should all bookings, at all Sites require a deposit? A possible fudge might be to bring into play one other marketing principal, that of “Place”, either limited booking of weekends per Member at a certain Site during busy times, or totally non refundable up front payments. I would go for the former. Extending cancellation periods during busy Summer months still wouldn’t work. Most folks in work, looking for a family holiday will commit to something months in advance if they can. Only speculative fools like OH and me set off with nothing booked nowadays😁

A rationing system - great idea!

Maybe with a lottery element.

Fear not. I have just been looking at the latest vacancies and job descriptions for the six latest new posts created to work out of HQ. We are going to be analysed dependent upon outfit and over a lifetimes Membership.

Rocket science tells me that as a Member, we personally aren’t really what the Club wants🤣 

Or make stays of up to two or three nights payable in full at the time of booking without a refund if cancelled within 30 days.

An eminently sensible suggestion.

Sorry - can you explain further?  I dont understand.