THE CCC are at it again

[Fisherman]

Oh dont get me wrong, its not just the cost, I really dont like campsites. I somehow feel like I have failed if I have to use one. I dislike everything about them from the rules and regs, the laborious checking in and out process and being amongst lots of other campers. I do like CL's though and in England at least they to me are the best option generally. Nothing better than finding a very rural wild camp on your own preferably (difficult these days) with a view and peace and quiet. If I do have to use a site, it irks me though having to cough up much more than twenty quid for somewhere I am essentially just going to park for a few nights.

Ah well Barry each to their own. I don’t like the check in either. But it’s something you just have to put up with imho, along the same lines of travelling by air with all of the security hassles these days. I am happy to WC for 3-4 days, but I like to find a site for a good shower, get the cassette emptied, and replenish the water etc. Then it’s back out for more WC. A perfect week for us Barry is 6 nights WC and one on a site.

 

[barryd]

Ah well Barry each to their own. I don’t like the check in either. But it’s something you just have to put up with imho, along the same lines of travelling by air with all of the security hassles these days. I am happy to WC for 3-4 days, but I like to find a site for a good shower, get the cassette emptied, and replenish the water etc. Then it’s back out for more WC. A perfect week for us Barry is 6 nights WC and one on a site.

Hehee. I am quite proud of our record on this last trip. Never once used anything but our own shower and toilet and after leaving in June managed to stay off grid with no EHU until September! How Rock n Roll is that?

 

[Fisherman]

Hehee. I am quite proud of our record on this last trip. Never once used anything but our own shower and toilet and after leaving in June managed to stay off grid with no EHU until September! How Rock n Roll is that?

No Thanks

 

[mistericeman]

Oh dont get me wrong, its not just the cost, I really dont like campsites. I somehow feel like I have failed if I have to use one. I dislike everything about them from the rules and regs, the laborious checking in and out process and being amongst lots of other campers. I do like CL's though and in England at least they to me are the best option generally. Nothing better than finding a very rural wild camp on your own preferably (difficult these days) with a view and peace and quiet. If I do have to use a site, it irks me though having to cough up much more than twenty quid for somewhere I am essentially just going to park for a few nights.

You're choosing the wrong sites then....

None of the sites we use have lists of rules/regs
Have lengthy booking in/out procedures
Or are crowded

Our usual booking in procedure is payment in an envelope with our reg number on it pushed through the door...

Lengthiest recent one was entering my reg number in the pay and display and £15 tapped on my card.

Field to ourselves over looking this...

Zoom in and you can see our van in the distance...

Beach to ourselves.

There are sites and there are sites....

 

[Fisherman]

You're choosing the wrong sites then....

None of the sites we use have lists of rules/regs
Have lengthy booking in/out procedures
Or are crowded

Our usual booking in procedure is payment in an envelope with our reg number on it pushed through the door...

Lengthiest recent one was entering my reg number in the pay and display and £15 tapped on my card.

Field to ourselves over looking this...

View attachment 103177

Zoom in and you can see our van in the distance...

Beach to ourselves.

There are sites and there are sites....

So you don’t do towns and cities then, that’s fine.
We have never been to Liverpool, always wanted to do the Beatles thing.
So we are heading for Chester in December then taking the train there.
We loved Bristol we had never been there before, sadly that site has gone.

Next month it’s back to Arran two nights wild camping here.

Then two nights here

No campsites no fees, miles of beech to ourselves

Then home.

 

[GeoffL]

Thanks @Fisherman for the pointer. The CCC article says, "However, camping from a self-powered touring unit (such as a campervan or motorhome) is generally not permitted. A self-contained tourer may use a layby or similar for an (sic) break in the journey if they have the landowner's permission, this is usually by signage. This is no different to a (sic) HGV driver using one for a rest stop." The most glaring error there is that the terms "self-powered touring unit (such as campervan or motorhome)" and "self-contained tourer" appear to be swapped. It is generally not permitted to sleep in a trailer (such as a "tourer", or touring caravan) no matter whether self-contained. However, parking up a motorhome for a rest stop where overnight parking is not explicitly banned is no different to an HGV driver doing the same. I've written to the CCC to express my displeasure and demand they print a correction in the next issue.

Edited to add the content of my email:

Dear Sirs,

It is with regret that I noted the misleading article "Tech Matters" on page 64 of the November edition of the club magazine. Chiefly, I take issue with paragraph in the centre of the page that reads:

However, camping from a self-powered touring unit (such as a campervan or motorhome) is generally not permitted. A self-contained tourer may use a layby or similar for an (sic) break in the journey if they have the landowner's permission, this is usually by signage. This is no different to a (sic) HGV driver using one for a rest stop. It's possible law enforcement may still require you to move on under these circumstances.

The terms "self-powered touring unit (such as campervan or motorhome)" and "self-contained tourer" appear to be swapped. It is generally not permitted to sleep in a trailer (such as a "tourer", or touring caravan) at the roadside no matter whether self-contained. However, parking up a motorhome in a layby or similar for a rest stop is no different to an HGV driver doing the same.

For me, like many of your other members, wild camping is an important safety net that allows us to explore the country on an ad-hoc basis, choosing a CS or campsite at 'the last minute'. We can only tour that way because the law permits us to take rest stops away from formal campsites if necessary. I thus consider it essential for you to print a correction to this article in the next edition of the club magazine.

Best regards,

 

[trevskoda]

When i was younger i stayed in some campsites, fine if you like drunks, singing yahoos running around to all hrs and last but not least a window put in at about 1.30 in the morning, then ok, not for me thank you, and that was a top site in Portrush juniper hill.

 

[Fisherman]

When i was younger i stayed in some campsites, fine if you like drunks, singing yahoos running around to all hrs and last but not least a window put in at about 1.30 in the morning, then ok, not for me thank you, and that was a top site in Portrush juniper hill.

Well Trev, you have the solution in your own hands mate.
Stop your drunken behaviour, singing till 2am in the morning, and running about like a yahoo.

 

[trevskoda]

Well Trev, you have the solution in your own hands mate.
Stop your drunken behaviour, singing till 2am in the morning, and running about like a yahoo.

Getting worse as i get older.

 

[RoadTrek Boy]

Getting worse as i get older.

Only because it takes a lot less alcohol to get legless...

 

[barryd]

You're choosing the wrong sites then....

None of the sites we use have lists of rules/regs
Have lengthy booking in/out procedures
Or are crowded

Our usual booking in procedure is payment in an envelope with our reg number on it pushed through the door...

Lengthiest recent one was entering my reg number in the pay and display and £15 tapped on my card.

Field to ourselves over looking this...

View attachment 103177

Zoom in and you can see our van in the distance...

Beach to ourselves.

There are sites and there are sites....

Looks nice. Where is it? I must admit I am not very good at choosing campsites, Brilliant at finding wild spots and good Aires etc but sites aint my thing. On this last trip we were limited to what was available and the two we used were actually pretty nice but generally my experience is not a good one. Ill only go looking for one if there is no alternative and we need hookup but the CL network here in the UK suits us fine generally for that purpose. Some of the municipal sites we have used on the odd occasion in France have been ok though. Ive always liked this one at Saint Leon sur Vezere in the Dordogne. Its only about ten Euros inc EHU if you can find someone to pay, I think the Aire further back over the road is about six

Archives des Où partir ? - LMAC

www.saint-leon-sur-vezere.fr

Everytime we have been on it its been practically empty. One of the best ones though was an ACSII site just up the road late September. €11 a night (few years back), we had a whole section to ourselves, an empty swimming pool and a lake. It was 30c all week and sunshine so we just stayed and kicked back for a bit.

 

[TJBi]

Looks nice. Where is it? I must admit I am not very good at choosing campsites, Brilliant at finding wild spots and good Aires etc but sites aint my thing. On this last trip we were limited to what was available and the two we used were actually pretty nice but generally my experience is not a good one. Ill only go looking for one if there is no alternative and we need hookup but the CL network here in the UK suits us fine generally for that purpose. Some of the municipal sites we have used on the odd occasion in France have been ok though. Ive always liked this one at Saint Leon sur Vezere in the Dordogne. Its only about ten Euros inc EHU if you can find someone to pay, I think the Aire further back over the road is about six

Archives des Où partir ? - LMAC

www.saint-leon-sur-vezere.fr

Everytime we have been on it its been practically empty. One of the best ones though was an ACSII site just up the road late September. €11 a night (few years back), we had a whole section to ourselves, an empty swimming pool and a lake. It was 30c all week and sunshine so we just stayed and kicked back for a bit.

Disappointing that they'd emptied the swimming pool by late September; you'd have thought that they'd have kept water in it for a few more weeks at least.

 

[barryd]

Disappointing that they'd emptied the swimming pool by late September; you'd have thought that they'd have kept water in it for a few more weeks at least.

LOL!! I didnt write that very well. The swimming pool was fully open, it was just empty of guests apart from us! Well there were a couple of Brit Tuggers that came down now and again to warn us about gas attacks if we used Aires. That was always good for a laugh.

EDIT: Just found it here. €16 in ACSI season now which is still pretty good. I imagine it wont be much fun if busy. The campsite owners wife made the best baguettes I have ever tasted.

Camping Domaine Du Lac | ACSI

For 40 years this top-quality family campsite has been located in the middle of Dordogne with its beautiful countryside, picturesque villages,...

www.campingcard.co.uk

 

[Herman]

We are members of the CCC by default, it came free with this years insurance, and have used it twice, £25 for no view and watched by curtain twitchers that will not communicate until you actually trap them somewhere they have got to talk. Then a £15 CS on Anglesey where we never even saw our neighbours., both used just to recycle the tanks. Camp sites are not for us too.

I find it ironic that the CCC is so anti wildcamping when its foundations are based on "wildcamping" before they owned their own sites, probably even before the term "campsite" was even invented.

 

[Fisherman]

We are members of the CCC by default, it came free with this years insurance, and have used it twice, £25 for no view and watched by curtain twitchers that will not communicate until you actually trap them somewhere they have got to talk. Then a £15 CS on Anglesey where we never even saw our neighbours., both used just to recycle the tanks. Camp sites are not for us too.

I find it ironic that the CCC is so anti wildcamping when its foundations are based on "wildcamping" before they owned their own sites, probably even before the term "campsite" was even invented.

Let’s see how they respond to my letter and I would reckon others also will have written to complain. Last time this happened was when a nimby from Mull made unfavourable comments about us. They printed his letter in full, then their editor in chief Rob Ganley supported his comments. Well I wrote to them then also to make a complaint and they did print my letter, I doubt if the C&MC would have done so in their manicured magazine full of self praise.
But to be honest I like some of their sites and they do offer discounts to over 60s, more grass pitches without EHU. Last month spent one night in their Dunbar site midweek for £12.80. If I was to leave them I would be cutting my nose of to spite my face. It’s important that when we see things like this that we respond, and it’s even more important that they acknowledge what they have published is at best misleading, and at worse downright lies.

 

[Tweedy]

I’m with you on this one

 

[number14]

But to be honest I like some of their sites and they do offer discounts to over 60s, more grass pitches without EHU. Last month spent one night in their Dunbar site midweek for £12.80. If I was to leave them I would be cutting my nose of to spite my face.

I'm with you on this. We have also made good use of their THSs this year.

We should remember that the clubs have a vested interest in steering people into their own sites. The search facility on the CAMH website in particular is heavily biased towards their club sites.

None of this excuses publishing misleading or downright incorrect information, of course.