Worrying Campsite Trend

[Jester]

This may have been mentioned before sorry if it has.

Just looked at few sites to book over the summer and noticed that not only have site fees dramatically risen they, well some are charging extra for electricity £7 £15 per night thus 14 nights = £98/£210 On top your £420 pitch fees.

I appreciate all services have risen to us all but worried long term, people will not book. I have suggested to one site had they thought about metering the electricity as they do at some marinas. This is a fair approach to both parties. Those with solar may only need to top up periodically with the right equipment aboard.

Any other thought ?

 

[dspuk]

Given how full sites are I'm not sure it's a concern to their business model, just to people that don't accept that the sites bills are rising and they have a business to run and begrudge paying an extra fiver.

There is a recent thread that also covers this.

Are camping prices set to explode?

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/is-the-uk-experiencing-a-cost-of-camping-crisis/ar-AA18Cui6?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=c99c127c40814f7aec6fa6298421b800&ei=16 Edited 15/3 So, found this article that may be of interest. Nice to see our 'hobby' is getting some 'national' exposure. I guess...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Jester]

Given how full sites are I'm not sure it's a concern to their business model, just to people that don't accept that the sites bills are rising and they have a business to run and begrudge paying an extra fiver.

There is a recent thread that also covers this.

Are camping prices set to explode?

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/is-the-uk-experiencing-a-cost-of-camping-crisis/ar-AA18Cui6?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=c99c127c40814f7aec6fa6298421b800&ei=16 Edited 15/3 So, found this article that may be of interest. Nice to see our 'hobby' is getting some 'national' exposure. I guess...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Thanks for the link but in many cases it’s much more than £5 !

 

[The Merle]

This may have been mentioned before sorry if it has.

Just looked at few sites to book over the summer and noticed that not only have site fees dramatically risen they, well some are charging extra for electricity £7 £15 per night thus 14 nights = £98/£210 On top your £420 pitch fees.

I appreciate all services have risen to us all but worried long term, people will not book. I have suggested to one site had they thought about metering the electricity as they do at some marinas. This is a fair approach to both parties. Those with solar may only need to top up periodically with the right equipment aboard.

Any other thought ?

You can blame all them caravans with built in 2kw electric heating.
The cost and time involved to fit meters would be a nightmare that’s not counting the hassle for checking reading for every checkout.

 

[dspuk]

Thanks for the link but in many cases it’s much more than £5 !

I’ve never seen it that high but I’m sure if you cherry pick about there are some examples. We just booked 8 sites for NC500 and zero issues and all well priced. Even those that charged for EHU.

 

[Jester]

Think you right re caravans. Marinas use an in line reader, take it on check out and just pay for usage, Really simple. Also stayed on sites in Spain which were metered. All done on checkout simple.

 

[Jester]

I’ve never seen it that high but I’m sure if you cherry pick about there are some examples. We just booked 8 sites for NC500 and zero issues and all well priced. Even those that charged for EHU.

No not cherry picked, but just an observation mainly in Cornwall and as per the title seems like a trend developing.

 

[Eddie&Angie Southport]

We’ve booked for Easter near Bolton Abbey and the EHU pitches are £10 extra. Thankfully we won’t need them. When we used a metered site a few weeks ago we used 62p of electric over 2 nights with heater running about 3 hours each evening and charging devices, fridge etc. !!


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[Van Diesel VW]

Personally in favour of metered sites, pay for what you use, encourages fitting of solar.

 

[Jester]

We’ve booked for Easter near Bolton Abbey and the EHU pitches are £10 extra. Thankfully we won’t need them. When we used a metered site a few weeks ago we used 62p of electric over 2 nights with heater running about 3 hours each evening and charging devices, fridge etc. !!


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Well nice post just goes to show that there is profiteering by some sites a real shame as one of the sites is one I love visiting. 62p over 2 nights For normal usage.

 

[Perfectos]

I get your sentiments but is it profiteering or survival?

everything has risen dramatically, in cost, over the last year few years, those cost increases cannot be absorbed by a business if that business wants to survive. Energy is just one thing.

I suspect most sites are hoping the increase they may have made is enough to make sure they survive. Throwing an arbitrary figure at a per pitch increase is far easier than trying to forward forecast where costs may be this year.

In time market forces will sort out those campsites who over step the Mark As far a costs. We can all vote with our feet if we feel that a particular site or sites are uncompetitive, but I bet there a lot of leisure buisnesses out there who are very worried, particularly as leisure is the first industry hit when people have to tighten their spending.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Personally I would hope they do charge to plug in, as we don’t. For weekends we pitch on grass and easily survive on batteries.

On our summer 2 weeks abroad we are always driving a reasonable distance to each site so arriving with 100% charge. My van is a 2008 and we still only loose 10/15% a day so happy to go unplugged for 4 nights. I tend to book 5 or 6 sites and alternate with and without EHU. Never had a problem. Batteries now 15 years old and working like new.

If people want to use large amounts of electricity then let them plug in and pay. I’d encourage people to experiment with the batteries. They’re part of your van that you paid a lot for.

I agree metered usage is fairer.

 

[Jester]

The other thing it throws up if campsites all start adopting the same logic people with vote with their feet as they feel it’s a step too far and sell their camper thus effecting residual. IMO.
Just a thought.

 

[Perfectos]

The other thing it throws up if campsites all start adopting the same logic people with vote with their feet as they feel it’s a step too far and sell their camper thus effecting residual. IMO.
Just a thought.

Let’s hope that there are as many campsite next year & the year after as there are now. If not things may get worse as far as cost and availability

 

[Keith Smith]

To put things in perspective, last year we stayed for two nights in a holiday let in Inverness. It cost us a £500 for two nights which we thought was a lot but it was central and in a great location. This year we thought we would go again but it is now £650 per night and booked up on the nights we wanted to stay! Campsites are going to have to get very expensive to make it unviable to have a campervan.

 

[Steve1]

No not cherry picked, but just an observation mainly in Cornwall and as per the title seems like a trend developing.

Cornwall has always been expensive, I like the area but it's the worst for camping. It combines over crowded sites with tiny pitches and high prices and has been for decades now.

 

[BeeBee]

We’re just starting to look at booking for the coming year so this has been an interesting thread. I’m hoping for some common sense amongst site owners in how they address costs and resultant increases. Good point as to going ‘without EH ‘ and testing how the batteries perform… maybe using EH every other site on travels.

 

[SusiBus]

Our neighbour has a very large caravan, with an equally large awning, into which he takes great joy in having a large heater. No wonder site owners want to change more for an EHU.

 

[Elmo3]

No not cherry picked, but just an observation mainly in Cornwall and as per the title seems like a trend developing.

Well that doesn’t surprise me. Covering costs are one thing but gouging is another. They’re charging it because they think folks will just pay up. Go somewhere else more welcoming (I say this as a Cornishman…).

 

[chockswahay]

Well I’m going to throw the cat amongst the pigeons with my unsolicited view on all this caper…….. I’m quite happy to continue ‘wild camping’ or (God forbid) stopping at the odd small site without facilities…….or even better still do even more road trips through France and Germany where it’s Aires and Stellplatz all the way! I have always felt that campsite prices in the UK are too expensive to start with.

Road tripping without time agenda….. that’s what the Cali is all about for me and my owner, so booking sites would be too restrictive anyway.

Coming back to the actual topic I would have to say (reluctantly) that market forces determine what campsite owners can charge…… if people pay these prices then I don’t blame the campsite owners at all.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Last year we spent €735 for 5 nights on a pitch with EHU and toilet/shower room.
Am about to book it again as I’m worried it’s going to sell out, and it was a great holiday.

 

[dspuk]

Personally I would hope they do charge to plug in, as we don’t. For weekends we pitch on grass and easily survive on batteries.

On our summer 2 weeks abroad we are always driving a reasonable distance to each site so arriving with 100% charge. My van is a 2008 and we still only loose 10/15% a day so happy to go unplugged for 4 nights. I tend to book 5 or 6 sites and alternate with and without EHU. Never had a problem. Batteries now 15 years old and working like new.

If people want to use large amounts of electricity then let them plug in and pay. I’d encourage people to experiment with the batteries. They’re part of your van that you paid a lot for.

I agree metered usage is fairer.

Great comment this. If you're up in arms and crying about EHU being a fiver vs "the good old days", then book a pitch without and use the 3 - 4 days your Cali is designed to work off grid.

 

[GrannyJen]

Oh yes, give me metered electric any time. Why should I pay for those that want to heat their awnings all day whilst I'm out, doing stuff and coming back home to wanting to boil a kettle for a cup of tea, recharge a few batteries and sit and read a book?

I'm quite happy to have EHU, I camp as much in the winter months as I do in the summer and sometimes need a top-up but it's minimal. Most of the year my solar keeps me going.

 

[WEHILL@SONS]

Last year we spent €735 for 5 nights on a pitch with EHU and toilet/shower room.
Am about to book it again as I’m worried it’s going to sell out, and it was a great holiday.

Goodness - where was that?

 

[Jester]

Great comment this. If you're up in arms and crying about EHU being a fiver vs "the good old days", then book a pitch without and use the 3 - 4 days your Cali is designed to work off grid.

Yes have done the 3-5 day without hook up no worries but when the sun ain’t shining and I am there for a further 10 days. What do I do. Yes you could say run your engine for 30 minutes, but in my mind it’s antisocial and would hate it if a neighbour started, theirs.
I can see people will start to book without hookup and purchase generators.

Anyway haven’t seen your £5 a day.