Ratios

Who cares how you use your MH once you have pitched up on site. There's only one right way to tour and that's the way that's right for you. Enjoy your break and stop worrying about what other people do.

Being generous the name change was forward thinking. 2017 was a bit late in the day, but they haven't done a great deal since. I was flicking through the latest mag, empahsis on the flick, and one thing that did strike me looking at the description of the tours and also thinking back on other such articles is, how little applied to the motorhome or campervan owner. Its still the Caravan Club even if the ratio is equal.

peedee

Caravan Club has welcomed campervans and Motorhomes since we first used them, and that was back in 1983. You had to be inspected if you had something that wasn’t obviously a campervan, but we were by no means the only campervan or MH on the sites at the time, but very much a minority. Since then, we have always seen campers and MHs on Club Sites, but the last ten years or so saw a slow but increasingly quickening take up of MH’s in particular as they became more available, and ex caravanners started to to look at the easier/alternative to towing and setting up. We know quite a few who have downscaled to small MHs/PVCs because of the ease and reduction in lifting&handling required. Things like E-bikes give another dimension to getting around easily. 

Club Sites aren’t always a good location for big MHs. Historically, many are away from towns and villages, so if you don’t want to use your MH daily, (and many don’t) then you need to find an alternative way of getting around and about. I don’t think some Club Sites have the best supporting infrastructure either for MHs, although the Club is trying. Some pitches can be short but wide, not that much of an issue for caravan and tow car, but not so easy for a very big, long MH. It’s taken an age, and a lot of asking to get drive over waste points installed, and some are not ideally placed even now. 

I personally don’t think the Club offers a good deal for touring MHs, fine if you just use one as a caravan on long stays, but the prices charged for a one night stop over, where you might only be on site 14 hours, we find poor vfm. The Club network is still primarily set up for long staying caravans more than anything else, which isn’t a problem if you are happy with the prices and other aspects. No doubt things will continue to evolve as do holiday trends.

A strange response. I certainly wasn’t worrying. It was simply an observation about the changing use of MH’s. As you say the right way is what is right for you and if my post was seen as implying anything other than that, I apologise.

I'm one who has always said I don't care what's pitched next to me on site. Also I've said and believe the club offers the same to both caravans, MHs (and trailer tents) and one doesn't have any advantage over the other. Certainly now (site dependent) it is at least 50% of each on site, sometimes it's more of one than the other but yes the magazine figures are replicated on site, again to stress I've no issue at all with that.

But I'm puzzled by one thing. If the club has done as poorly with MH as some are suggesting, or is only trying to understand what MHs need, or it's still the caravan club (which it isn't of course) despite the name change, and the club sites aren't good value for MH...  then why the significant increase from 33% to 50%? 

Not only that why are MHers paying the membership fee and then probably going to club sites? There must be something they like? Maybe they are joining just for other benefits but as I said on club sites the increase been noticeable, so again they must be coming onto club sites for some reason. I mean could it be the club if offering exactly what they want? Or for this 'type' (whatever that is) of MH touring the club is hitting the right spot?

Lots of caravanners have got MHs and campervans Corners, and stayed with the Club because they like what is on offer. Likewise, many newbies have joined because facilities are good, there’s always help if you need it, and Club Sites are attractive and safe for those recently taking up touring. So yes, for a good few Club Sites are perfect😁

True, I would say however that after joining it would appear that many carry on with their membership. Isn't the rejoining rate very high and one of the highest at the moment? Must be something they like.

I personally don’t think the Club offers a good deal for touring MHs, fine if you just use one as a caravan on long stays, but the prices charged for a one night stop over, where you might only be on site 14 hours, we find poor vfm. The Club network is still primarily set up for long staying caravans more than anything else, which isn’t a problem if you are happy with the prices and other aspects. No doubt things will continue to evolve as do holiday trends.

100 percent agree TTDA, I'm one of those who migrated from caravan to motorhome and have been a member for well over 30 years, 22 of them as a motorhome owner. I feel I have had my money's worth even if my loyalty to the Club is waning, in fact if money was tight and it wasn't for the CL network I would have given up membership by now. About the only time I consider a Club site is for a longer stay. This year the only thing I have booked using my membership is a CL. i don't hold out much hope for much to evolve for motorhome members. I think it will be more of the same.

peedee

I just wonder if what was in the magazine was a sort of confirmation that the change of name was justified? The majority seem to have accepted it and many welcomed it but we still do get to odd dissenting poster on here complaining about that change, usually coupled with other complaints about the Club. 

David 

Whilst being Members, we have been Campervanners, Caravanners, and now Motorhomers. We have on occasion used a tent quite a bit as well. We have had a few years away from Club, primarily because we left our caravan in Cornwall on a farm site, and did other things rest of the year. Tent camping with Club wasn’t great, as facilities were usually a long way from tent pitching area, and it could be expensive compared with other campsites at time we were doing it. When we rejoined, we tended to use CL network primarily, as we were used to “make do” camping holidays, were fit with good mobility and they were cheap as chips, meaning we could have a lot of holidays while still paying a mortgage, the bills, keeping a horse etc…. We used Club Sites in Winter, when prices were attractive, and there were more sites open for longer periods of year. We did use a lot of Racecourse and no facility Club Sites, found them good value.

Things have changed so much, as they do, but for us it’s the CL network now that we pay the Membership for. Not bothered what is pitched up alongside us, and don’t mind that the Club has branched out into Pods and other things, they have to evolve to survive. But I wonder (without much supporting evidence) just how much of Members fees is taken up by HQ and administration. As a business, it’s expanded vastly in the last twenty odd years, one way and another.