The number of motorhomes/campervans.

Not a bit surprised, I am going to start charging for lifts into town from the various sites we have used, i cant believe how many new MH owners do not realise that u can not just up sticks and drive into town with an 8m MH, was talking to a new owner a couple of days ago, now regrets spending over £100k on a new MH, towed a caravan for years and wishes he had never gotten rid.

Cycled round our nearest site over the Easter hols and i would say it was 75% MH's, had an email only yesterday from friends who have a static on a site in Spain we have used and they said over the Xmas period it was manic with Mh's predominately German and Dutch owners.

Bill

It surprises me a bit if the total membership is now 65% motorhomers. I am just wondering if they meant to say that people joining the Club now comprises of 65% motorhomers and 35% caravanners which would perhaps be more likely? I can well see it heading in that direction. I wonder if Covid saw a lot of older caravanners giving up with perhaps not so many younger people buying caravans. That of course could be for all sorts of reasons not least that the demographics in that younger people might no longer see towing a caravan as a way to provide reasonably priced holidays for a family. We started in the early eighties and the choice of alternatives was far less than it is now. I suspect the people buy motorhomes are generally older, perhaps in their fifties and sixties with either decently paid jobs or good pensions and see motorhoming as less "complicated".

If the reality is that 65% of members are motorhomers and the figure is likely to grow I wonder if the Club will have to change some of their fixed views on the use of motorhomes and the facilities they provide for them, otherwise those new members won't stay?

David

I seem to remember similar figures being presented at the AGM. However not sure if that was members, new members, or number of nights. The club’s own research also shows that motorhomers stop at more sites for shorter periods of time.

Yes I think the Club will have to change its attitude. Maybe follow the CCC in allowing motorhomes to make short stops of three hours to dump and fill up, use showers and laundry. I think it is £7.50. There are plenty of pub stops and increasing numbers of official overnight stops without facilities. Stopping somewhere without facilities does not mean illegal wild camping as seems to be the Club attitude.

A post with tongue in cheek.

Maybe a change of name to The Motorhome and Campervan Club is on the cards soon.

I don't think the club has to change anything, if it has increased from 50% to this new figure then surely those new joiners like what they saw before buying and the last figure we had was an all time high in club membership.

There have been a few posts about queues and congestion at MH service point recently and maybe already and allowing passing non-stoppers to come in may make the problem worse and those new members doesn't want that?

If there has been an increase then the club is doing something thing to attracts MH members just as it is.

We have just come back from Hillhead Caravan & Motor home site I havent counted the number of motor homes on site but at a guess they out numbered the Caravans Mind the site was very empty

In the Club Magazine for Dec 2023 ( I was only reading a copy of it yesterday) ex Club Chairman Grenville Chamberlain quoted on Page 26

"When you look now and see that 70% of our new recruits are either motorhomers or campervanners, the change in the market has been massive" 

Same here Briang, this full facility C&MC site is not much more than 10 percent full. A few days ago I was on a non facility C&MC site and I estimated it was 80 full. My next site is a full facility commercial ????? One thing I do know it is cheaper than here.

peedee

I remember when motorised caravans, as they were then generically referred to, were a novelty on caravan club sites being very much in a minority. In the early days folk were friendly and accepting of us and our seemingly ‘unconventional’ ways . Then things changed, the numbers increased and some, not all,  questioned the inclusion of us relative new comers to the sites and inclusion in the membership. Oh, and then, as a result of this shift came the club’s name change which generated some discussion.

Today, during the winter months, I do seem to see more motorised caravans on sites but this changes as the warmer months arrive when a parity seems to be more evident. I wonder, if my observation is true, what that says about all caravaners, motorised or otherwise, and our respective caravanning habits and attitudes towards each other. Like in many aspects of our lives today hopefully we are increasingly tolerant and inclusive of deferences.

Caravans have grown bigger and bigger just as dinosaurs did - more and more unwieldy - and now are dying fast just as dinosaurs did. 

Meanwhile older people are saying  Why are we hauling these big white boxes around,  and younger  people are making their AirBnb bookings and buying their Tui packages.. 

It’s the end of an era. Club managers know it very well. They aren’t stupid.