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Subject Topic: New To Caravanning - Which Club Post Reply Post New Topic
01/11/2012 at 8:21pm
 Location: Plymouth
 Outfit: Sterling 645 Elite
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Hi

Just bought our first caravan after 20yrs of tenting - hoping it's the right move.

After some advice which is the best club to join to get good value insurance and meet some friendly people.

Thanks for your help :-)


01/11/2012 at 8:23pm
 Location: Lichfield
 Outfit: Coachman Amara 450
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The Camping & Caravanning Club offer discounts at their club sites such as 4 nights for the price of 3 and 7 nights for the price of 5 plus there are district associations (DA's) that offer temporary holiday sites (THS) around the UK throughout the summer months that can be much cheaper than general holiday sites providing you are not reliant on electric hook up. The various DA's also run weekend meets (rallies) which are usually around £6.50 per night and during the colder months will sometimes have a village hall provided for entertainment etc. especially on special occassions such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter. You don't have to travel far to find a weekend meet with any of the DA's listed so you can save on fuel costs and get the most out of your unit too. The current annual membership fee is £40 but you also get access to other departments such as their technical helpline plus other discounts on offer such as the RAC and assistance with travel such as ferry bookings which are all personally organised for you as a club member.


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01/11/2012 at 10:09pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: Coachman Pastiche
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It really depends on what you want from the club.

Good value insurance is not necessarily something you will get any better from either club than you will get from any other insurance.

Meeting friendly people?
That's a tough one as it asks more questions than one.

Where were you hopeing to meet these people? and what sort of people do you like to be with?

I find that rally fields are the most friendly places you will take a caravan and that the caravan club is the best organised in that area.

If you were hoping to find friendly people on a club site then you may well be disappointed with both clubs.

Caravan club sites tend to be expensive and in my experience the caravanners there often tend to be quite stuck up.

Camping and Caravanning club sites are slightly cheaper but in my experience just as unfriendly.

Maybe I am biased as I do most of my caravanning on rally fields and CLs with the caravan club. On rally fields obviously you tend to meat the same people on a regular basis and as such they are a very friendly environment. I also find that CLs which have a maximum of 5 caravans are usually run by a caravanner or ex caravanner and are usually very friendly. The camping and caravanning club also operate a CS network (same sort of thing as the CL network) which I have no doubt are just as friendly although the network is significantly smaller.

Pros for camping and caravanning club
Club sites are cheaper
Club sites offer a discount for over 60s (may or may not apply to you)
You don't have to book for rallys/meets/ temporary holiday sites

Cons for camping and caravanning club
Club sites are generally not maintained to the same standard as the Caravan club sites

Sites (in my experience) can be unfriendly

Pros for the caravan club
Club sites maintained to a high standard
Rallies are better organised
CL network is wider than the C+CC's CS network

Cons for the caravan club
Club sites are expensive
No site discounts for over 60s (if that applies to you)
You do have to book rallies
Club sites can be fully booked within a very short period of booking opening for the season
Club sites can be unfriendly

I have tried both clubs and stuck with the Caravan club as we enjoy rallying with them although have not managed to get away much for the last two years due to various unrelated circumstances. We find the CL network to be a very cheap way of having a holiday and that they tend to be very friendly. We avoid club and commercial sites as much as possible because we find them quite unfriendly.
   


01/11/2012 at 10:40pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: None Entered
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I would try a local insurance broker or ask the company that you insure your car with.I found a good site on the internet which only cost £12 / £17 per night and it accepted dogs and also had hard standings which is better than grass plus you don't get stuck in the mud the caravan club also has CL sites which charge from £12 per night and you can get some sites that are for adults only which means no children allowed which is good if you waqnt peace and quiet.   


01/11/2012 at 10:43pm
 Location: 
 Outfit: 
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we were insured with the Caravan Club but have recently changed to Caravanguard due to price.

We really like the CC sites, not used the C&CC so cant help there.

What caravan have you bought? We came over to the dark side last Spring after 10 years of tenting. I loved camping but the call of a comfy fixed bed and a loo for night times cant be beaten.



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Thistledown Easter
Nantcol June
Domaine du Verdon Castellane and Etoile d'Argens Frejus Aug


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02/11/2012 at 12:12am
 Location: n.yorks
 Outfit:  Audi Q5 lunar Clubm
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Im a member of both clubs.i havnt found people on cc sites stuck up   ,there is always the odd ones as on any site, cc sites are no more expensive than private sites of the same standard, i do find the website of the cc better, easier to find a site and much better directions, there ar plenty of cl's cheaper than 12 pounds per night

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alan


02/11/2012 at 7:43am
 Location: Luton (no jokes plea
 Outfit: Coachman and Hyundai
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I would join both clubs, just for the wider choice. We don't "do" rallies or temporary holiday sites so can't comment on those, and we rarely use Club sites due to cost. We do use CLs and CSs a lot and insure our caravan with the caravan club, which is pretty expensive but worth every penny IMO, after a recent claim.

Anne



02/11/2012 at 5:08pm
 Location:  Anglesey - Wales
 Outfit: FoST
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Hello Bertie - I too like you and many others before us was an avid tenter before biting the bullet and buying a caravan.

We only joined the Caravan Club as we were struggling to get Caravan insurance because of where we store it.  But in all fairness we do use their sites.  I rarely book online - I usually phone the site direct as sometimes the internet says the site is full but when I have rung I have managed to get in everytime.  The staff have always been friendly and welcoming with one excepton when we pitched up too early at the Cheddar site but when we told them how far we had travelled to get there they mellowed alittle - enough to let us take a pitch 1.5 hours earlier than we should have.

We also do our breakdown cover with them as you get added benefits with the Green Flag Mayday.

I have also insured my car with them - they beat my renewal price and gave me £25 off that.

You could try one club one year and one another year or try both the main ones but I think they are pretty much very similar.

Look out for special promotions - i.e Recommend a friend and get vouchers for you and the friend.

One lady on here wanted to join Green Flag and they were giving away £10 M and S vouchers and put up a post on here for someone to recommend her so I did ( she was a total stranger to me) and we both got vouchers and I was so grateful to her. I would do the same again for anyone and if I want to join somewhere now I ask the same, if it will benefit someone.

I hope you enjoy your caravan - I certainly love mine and do not regret giving up my tent one iota.  I just found myself a little sad when I sold my tent and some of the gear.



-------------
Degsy Rowlands is my love, my life and a lunatic!!!!!!!! Louise x


02/11/2012 at 5:21pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: Wellhouse Atrai Dandy Dart Quechua B
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Quote: Originally posted by DaveCoaches on 01/11/2012

Pros for camping and caravanning club
Club sites are cheaper
Club sites offer a discount for over 60s (may or may not apply to you)
   



You probably think I'm picking holes but to be absolutely accurate the C&CC age discount is for the over 55s. I would also say that depending on which sites you go to there are some CC sites that are cheaper than C&CC - and some of the C&CC sites can get quite expensive especially without the age discount.

I wouldn't say that in general people on either Club sites are particularly stuck up, most people will have a chat, but true if you want to really meet people and get chummy with them go for rallies or meets (mind you I've heard some stories of people feeling left out of it and totally ignored on rallies/meets)


02/11/2012 at 6:02pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: Coachman Pastiche
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Not being over 55 myself, I don't qualify, nor am I a member anymore.

As for people being ignored on rallies then I suggest you do need to make an effort to mix. If you look at it from the other side of the fence, if you have a new rallier who doesn't speak to anyone or make any effort then it is easy to assume that this is because they want to be left alone and have every right to have their privacy respected.

I always try to make an effort to speak to anyone I meet on a rally I have not met before, but you do have to respect their privacy too.

I am still with the Caravan Club and find their breakdown insurance (Mayday through Green Flag) to be good value, but may not appeal to everyone as despite their claims to the contrary, Green Flag are not really interested in road side repairs, but almost always seem to take you to your destination. For me as an engineer, this is the best option as I can complete the repair myself in most cases without having to pay main agent prices for spare parts.

If you plan on doing your caravanning on a budget then CLs and rallies are the way to go. Club sites will work out expensive and budget caravanners like myself do feel like the poor relation on club sites.



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06/11/2012 at 6:34am
 Location: Plymouth
 Outfit: Sterling 645 Elite
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I think that I will join the camping and caravan club - that way I can still use the tent sometimes. Thanks for all your views - if anybody wants to be my friend and recommend me let me know.



06/11/2012 at 1:54pm
 Location: Derby
 Outfit: bailey pageant monarch
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I have to question the need to join a club at all, I have been camping since I was a kid, have spent countless weekends, weeks etc camping and carvanning and have never joined one. I have met some wonderful people and some not so, I have found some sites that were also Cand C club sites that were awful and expensive whilst others that were cheap and had few facilities were amongst the best. As for benefits I suggest you shop around it is a buyers market out there and you will find insurance etc just as if not chepaer than with a club. If you want to rallye of course then thats a reason perhaps   




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