Its a very short one today guys, but I noticed something this morning over my marmite on toast that prompted a little video to explore what is going on with the caravan and motorhome club and their prices.
We like the club, we do really, the club sites are nice, BUT wow they have gotten so expensive and don’t forget you pay £60 a year for the privilege of being over charged.
Are these ‘PRICE DROPS’ all that they seem?
Take a look at our video and maybe go look for yourself.
We wonder where the money has suddenly come from that they can afford to cut prices they couldn’t before?
We are Corrin and Paul and we travel Europe in our Motorhome with our two intrepid travel hounds Dolly and Pippa!
At the moment while we wait for our schengen allowance to reset we have taken a trip in the UK to uncover the costs of motorhoming in the UK.
If you would like to buy the dogs a treat you can do here
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/redsgotravl
31 Comments
We have noticed that for the last few years the commercial and privately owned sites are better value than the club sites and often quite a bit cheaper . We always used club sites but not so much now .
I have just come back from a little tour down to Slovenia and the average pitch price was 23e to 25e per night I refuse to book as I tend to leave the watch at home as I have done for the last 50 years but the popularity of the motor home has nearly stopped this attitude in the UK , I am a member, but the inflexible attitude of the UK pitch sites ie 10 mins after 6 then can't come in …. ah that's the way to go!
I had an argument with an area manager whilst at Hill Head site a couple of years back, where the Bar on site was dearer than local pubs ( captive audience) he had no answer, then on Wi Fi I asked about the cost, he said ' do you know how much it costs to put WiFi on a site' when I pointed out members money was used and why should they pay twice he had no answer. I tackled him about how wardens were treated and paid and suggested they took advantage of people ( mainly retired) who loved doing the job, and had them constantly under threat of not having contracts renewed and again no answer. This organisation has lost its way, Graduates not Caravaners, money mad .
UK campsites are a good option, we tend to go to Europe more than UK, even with the Tunnel/Ferry it works out cheaper for a long trip.
Definitely not & cancelled my last year there sites are nothing special
Just Book a holiday its cheaper.
I'm just loving all your videos… Just had to catch up 3 weeks worth because we have been away our selves.. Everyone is funny, informative etc…
Thank you for sharing and keep up the good work.. xxx
No loyalty discounts for people with over 20 years membership, pensioners , or taster stays , so as a club not really interested in any of its members, just your payment to stay on site, we are now using private sites where they pamper you when you arrive and the standards are just as good , and there is usually a bus stop out side. Happy camping!
We have a swift 580se..and last week C&MC wanted £245 a week =£35 a night..it was rather windy..so we left the caravan and stayed in a new chalet in Westward Ho for £295 all in…!! Lovely no towing stress. Better mpg..roomier..warmer..no hidden costs..bigger bed…no habitat, mot, insurance costs..etc..etc.. etc..probably sell the caravan
Renew membership for CLs. Mayday and caravan insurance .. stopped booking club sites for a while now.
My subscription ran out in Sept,i wont be renewing,although i have used the sites this year and they have all been fantastic,i used more independent and free places and can no longer justify just constantly paying top price everywhere i go
Everyone you talk to says that CAMC sites are just to expensive. As it is a members club surely it should be run to the benefit of members not to provide vast profits.
I recently made a booking for one week in April next year for the Cheddar site, and was astonished that it amounted to £190. Within days, I had an email from the Club saying they had reduced the prices and I should cancel my booking and rebook, which I did. The new booking was £157, so a £33 saving. But the CMC prices are too high. Several years ago, I would have had 5 or 6 club site bookings every year, but last year I had only 1. Next year will be the same. Private sites have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and if it weren't for the CL's, I would cancel my club membership.
I was a member for many years, but when I became a widower I didn't realise that even though I was still a member, I would not be allowed on any of their sites as I am now a single person! I only found this out when I arrived at booking in North Wales to be told I wasn't welcome? So much for the Caravan and Motorhome Club?
They have tried this before, nothing new to see LOL. We have not been members CAMC for 11 years or more.
Simple check on their accounts in companies house was enough to make mr cancel membership. People need to wake up it a LTD company making excellent profits, it’s not a benevolent club lol
Unfortunately living in the North East of England (Durham) there is a distinct lack of good quality independent sites open all year round. Therefore we need the Caravan and Motorhome Club for good sites that are open during some of the winter months. Otherwise we would cancel our membership again.
The first time I joined Covid kicked in when restrictions eased Was sent a letter saying "if I joined again they would GIVE me the 3 months I lost on my previous membership!!!! So, I was dumb enough to join again D'oh! I turns out my "outfit "is over 10 metres, so, I was restricted in my options for sites (didn't see it mentioned, when I registered my vehicle and caravan!) I've already cancelled my DD for next year. As you quite rightly point out do a bit of web surfing and, there's plenty of other options (I looked at Pitchup in particular). Thanks very much for the video, Interesting and informative.
We have not renewed our subscription. When asked why by CAMC said we did not use it at all during the last year.
No comment or any response from the club says it all, are they in denial of the issues that many members are bringing up?
I agree totally the camc is way way too expensive and the newly advertised prise drop well quite frankly I wouldn't have bothered to be honest if they dropped the site prices 50%. They'd still be expensive. The way they advertise a price which include one person then when you try and book they charge for as much as £18 for the second person WHY ! For gods sake most Vanners are couples.
And that's means they are charging the second person £18 for basically having a shower. Scanderlous!
Just stayed at their pop up site for the NEC October show, £42 quid for 2 people in a VW Campervan to stay 1 night in an un tarmacked car park. It included electricity but it meant listening to a noisy generator and a noisy main road all night. We won't be doing that again.
Optimum pricing policy. Increase your prices until orders drop off, then lower your prices and make it look like you're doing it to benefit others.
Extremely cynical marketing.
We stayed at the Stockton-on-tees site in August weekend and there was 52 empty pitches and a holiday weekend which was hot & Sunny! We had to stay there as we were going to a venue in town and taking a taxi from further out would have been more expensive. Normally only use CL's or CS's in England. Loads of places in Scotland, either free or £10 per night.
We also have been members for over 10 years but this one will be our last at one time it was great value for money but no more prices have gone way beyond what people can afford I think one of the reasons is like other companies they are trying to recoup monies lost over the two years of covid and asking the hard working people to pay for it we have now decided enough is enough so have now secured a seasonal pitch for next year and for the price the club want for two nights on their sites we get seven on ours
The Caravan Club has always been racketeers!.
Just pure greed. When everyone bought a caravan or motorhome during Covid because they couldn’t fly the profiteering began. The trouble is many will pay the prices
They will never wake up ,I’m a member of caravan club because,RED FLAG it’s great for Europe.
Not renewing subscription next year, too expensive.
We have definitely noticed the significant price rises of the CAMC since 2019 when the average cost of a pitch was £25 pn. These days the average is around £35 pn and we have noticed the club sites are much less busy in 2023. Now there’s a change of the man at the top (Chairman), perhaps they will come back to reality and remember they are a club with members that pay a membership, rather than a corporate fat cat that needs to take in as much as it can while the going is good. We will continue our membership in 2024 as there is sufficient CL options, insurance products and ferry discounts to keep us tied in for now. Thanks for a great video. It’s about time that we started challenging the clubs to get back to value for money. 👍🏻🚐 Trev
We cancelled caravan and motorhome club, prices are ridiculously high, even if there is a discount, it's so expensive, no way will we be re joining.