What's the going rate for a pitch ?

"Adrian" <adrian@ambquality.co.uk> wrote in message
news:VA.00003d3b.063f0fed@ambquality.co.uk...

> Not that I'm moaning - we enjoyed our short break, and are getting
> (back) into the caravanning lifestyle. Just wondering what the more
> experienced members of the group think ?



The charges on most commercial sites are getting far too steep these days.
Why not join the either the Caravan Club, or the Camping & Caravanning Club,
and use their network of '5 van' sites? - usually between £5 - £10

Even better, why not go weekend rallying with the Clubs? - ultra cheap fees
but no facilities (but who really needs hook-ups and laundry rooms,
especially if you've invested in a nice caravan - you've got a decent
shower, etc, on board)

For stays above a weekend, you could use the C.C & C's 'Temporary Holiday
sites - a bit like weekend rallies, but for longer periods.

There are advantages to this sort of caravanning that you will never get on
a commercial site - Safety, your stuff is generally totally secure (I've
never heard of any thefts from rally venues - although, there's bound to be
a first time) Kids and dogs tend to be under better control as well

Socials - people tend to get together in the evenings for a drink and a
chat - but if that's not your scene, they're not compulsory....

If you can live without an electric hook-up and don't mind caravanning in a
field, then the Clubs are worth joining.

Hi Harry

> | By the way, Harry - do you do any radio operating from caravan sites ?
> |
>
> A little, not very much. I see it as an opportunity to get away from
> _everything_ including the radio ;-)
>
> I think I might be away with the gear this year, to see how HF performs
> from a field ;-)
>

Yes - I'm the same as you - it'd seem a bit antisocial to go off in the van with
wife & dogs and spend all evening with headphones on talking to strangers <g>.

Anyway - I'm not sure that I'd be _allowed_ to take the radios along......

One good thing about this expensive site near Bridport was that it would have
been good for vhf ham work - nicely up on the side of a hill...!

Regards
Adrian
Suffolk UK

Hi Smk
Thanks for the comments

> The charges on most commercial sites are getting far too steep these days.
> Why not join the either the Caravan Club, or the Camping & Caravanning Club,
> and use their network of '5 van' sites? - usually between £5 - £10

Yes - we have joined the CC. Only experience so far of a smaller CL was less
than positive. Second trip out - up near Penrith in the Lake District. Less of
a site - more of a large car park. Well out of the way - quiet, but lots of
evidence that the owner let his dogs run free, very 'strict' notices in the
scruffy lav about filling kettles in the sink (!) - and a strong smell of
sewage from the communal septic tank in the middle of the site.

Not very encouraging - don't know if that's typical, or just a bad example..?

I was imagining a CL to be more of a small field with a tap and possibly a lav
in the corner - not really part of somebody's car park...

>
> Even better, why not go weekend rallying with the Clubs? - ultra cheap fees
> but no facilities (but who really needs hook-ups and laundry rooms,
> especially if you've invested in a nice caravan - you've got a decent
> shower, etc, on board)

Haven't tried rallying - but it's a thought. Do you have to wear a blazer with
shiny buttons - like the fellow on the CC video ? <g>

>
> For stays above a weekend, you could use the C.C & C's 'Temporary Holiday
> sites - a bit like weekend rallies, but for longer periods.

Never heard of these....

>
> There are advantages to this sort of caravanning that you will never get on
> a commercial site - Safety, your stuff is generally totally secure (I've
> never heard of any thefts from rally venues - although, there's bound to be
> a first time) Kids and dogs tend to be under better control as well
>
> Socials - people tend to get together in the evenings for a drink and a
> chat - but if that's not your scene, they're not compulsory....
>
> If you can live without an electric hook-up and don't mind caravanning in a
> field, then the Clubs are worth joining.

The electric's not such an issue - but it's a fairly small van (13-footer) and
we've not yet used the on-board shower..... generally prefer the idea of using
a 'proper' shower block - but following the recent experience I guess we
couldn't do much worse!

Regards
Adrian
Suffolk UK

"Adrian" <adrian@ambquality.co.uk> wrote in message
news:VA.00003d3f.0752fb60@ambquality.co.uk...

> > For stays above a weekend, you could use the C.C & C's 'Temporary
Holiday
> > sites - a bit like weekend rallies, but for longer periods.
>
> Never heard of these....

They are unique to the Camping & Caravanning Club. They run for anything
from two to six weeks in every popular holiday area - sometinmes they are
just a field, sometimes they are tacked on to an existing commercial site.
They charge an average of £6.00 nightly and don't fuss about extra for
awnings, tents, dogs. etc.

Occasionally they will have a limited number of hook-ups available, but
usually you need to rely on 12 volt power. Many people go back to their
favourite THS year after year, they often have entertainment, bingo, social
evenings - perhaps held in a barn or hall.

They can be exceptional value in Devon/Cornwall - offering secure, well
ordered camping for a fraction of the price paid by people crowded in the
holiday hell-holes. If you really want slot machines and candy floss
there's nothing to stop you wandering into some of the mega-parks, but
generally, people on THS's are thankful to away from the hot dog stands..

Most of them have a 'no-booking' policy, and it's possible to wander the
area staying a couple of nights on different THS's.

For ourselves, they are the main reason we renew our subs.