Can no longer afford

With the prices of the latest growth in LVs with all the "essential?"gizmos and prices to match , the sites finance departments will be as many members it seems accept that site fees are a mere drop in the ocean to those owners🤔👍

And how many who post on here must have hardstandings and or service pitches so premium must be the next step 👍👌

It seems quite difficult to read the runes as far as the Club are concerned. The introduction of Premium Pitches and increased number of serviced pitches seem to suggest the Club want "added value", for them not us There was an article in the Telegraph, via MSN, that suggested the bottom had fallen out of Staycations with many thousands now reverting to foreign travel. Whether that impacts on the core Club customer I am not sure. Although it's clear that people who have spent the last two years in the UK because of COVID are starting to migrate back to Europe as they have done in the past. I noticed on Facebook last week someone who started a basic glamping campsite was complaining that they had no customers and were on the brink of giving up. I am not sure how the current recession will impact on our hobby or the Club but perhaps the CMC is thinking that it can't compete on prices and so will go after the better heeled customer, hence the Premium Pitches?

David

I think it is a peculiarity amongst some Club Members who migrate from a van to a MH, and use it like a van, plugged into all the services and often with a big pegged down awning attached. Club Sites are full of outfits like this, so it’s on ideal territory catering to this. Away from Club Sites, it’s a lot rarer to see such an outfit set up, many more the wheels might turn daily, and it will be a roll out canopy. If you tour like this, having a serviced pitch is wasted really, so it doesn’t represent good value for money at the prices the Club charges for anyone like us.

(I am in no way knocking anyone’s choice of how they tour, it’s just an observation of what is more prevalent on Club Sites, rather than on the majority of CLs)

And many of those that migrate or are first time users of motor caravans seem to use them as caravans as is noted that there  seems to be more on sites that have civilization or public transport near when they have no other transport 

I think I should point out that many set up the full works on non ehu sites,  rallies and THS, it's their choice and they manage. Nothing to do with what type of unit they own. However CAMC has costly pop up sites where non ehu is not an option. Edit... I presume the purchase of in house generators has now forced this costly option on members who were happy without ehu and with lower costs. It has stopped us going to CAMC events, my idea of misery is being near a giant  generator! 

Glad we chose Englethwaite Hall CAMC site - just a little over £27 a night for a Serviced Pitch - lovely little sire too.  No toilet block, but we use mainly our own facilities anyway  so doesn't bother us too much...

David

TDA...I do agree with your point re the physical aspect of touring...as does my Doctor...who says and I quote "for a man of 80yrs you are pretty damn fit"....I do attribute much of that statement to the 'fetching and carrying' required in our hobby...which substantially increased since our retirement some 20 years ago...however we do tend to enjoy more recently just hooking up to facilities...albeit club or CL's (The latter also appear to be moving over to HS + Service)...

Aside...I was thinking I may only have..say another 5/6yrs of towing in me...but recently met a couple on their late 80's still enjoying 'the tug'...that was at a site near Bordeaux en route to Biarritz.......now where did I put that caravan brochure 

We've noticed some empty pitches as we've been out and about this summer - moure than 'usual'.  Englethwaite Hall had quite a few empty pitches, an d so many tended to use it as a one or two night stop over.  When I spoke to the site managers  on of the things they did say was that, although they had spare pitches, rarely were the Sserviced pitches empty....

David

....just going on from what folk were saying earlier when it was suggested that the cost of fuel was perhaps the most significant factor, of late, I have noticed a slight drop in fuel prices.  We were regularly paying in the late £1,90's per litre of deisel at the start of the summer.  On Thursday, I managed to fill up, north of Wells for £1.809 a litre.  Not a patch on earlier on in the year, but certainly a step in the right direction .

David

I think there comes a time for us all where some of the physicality’s required need compromise, 😁 happily at the moment we still share the tasks and enjoy getting the Fitbit kudos. The Club, and other institutions have made it easier to continue touring later into life for many, but it does come at a cost. I just wish they had more of the budget option sites like they had 20 years ago.