What is a Motorhome Club – And Should I Join One?

Many motorhome owners prefer to be free-spirited and not tied to a rigid routine of campsites and rules. Others prefer the security of a campsite or location run by a national club. Most of us, I suspect, fall somewhere in-between the two and that is probably where I sit now.

What is a Motorhome Club? Motorhome clubs provide a mixture of campsites they own and other than they inspect and include in their annual handbooks. Other clubs don’t own sites but arrange numerous rallies across the UK and sometimes further afield.

The advantage of being a member of a motorhome club is that you are likely to meet people and make new friends at a campsite or on a rally. If you like the structure of a club, then they may be for you. All the clubs listed below provide either an annual printed handbook, access to full site details online, or both. Despite their sometimes-dated name, the clubs featured all accept members with motorhomes.

The 5 Top Motorhome Clubs in the United Kingdom

1. The Caravan & Motorhome Club (CAMC)
2. The Camping & Caravanning Club (CCC)
3. The Motorcaravanning Club (MCC)
4. Club Motorhome
5. Irish Camping & Caravan Club (ICCC)

What is a Motorhome Club?

Each club is a membership organisation and provides a range of facilities. Some clubs own their own campsites and manage then with full-time paid staff.

The clubs compile their own annual handbook, listing the sites under their wing. Usually, these handbooks are printed and sent each year on renewal by post.

Online databases of club sites are maintained and are generally more up to the moment that the printed versions. These online lists of campsites will be either member-only under a password, or freely available to all. Where information is public, this generally means that non-members are welcome at sites, although there will be a surcharge made. Some clubs restrict the amount of information on each campsite shown.

Clubs are generally run as a business, some having shareholders; others as non-profit organisations.

How do Motorhome Club Sites Work?

Some clubs own and run campsites which provide a full range of facilities.

At club owned sites, you can generally expect full-time wardens who administrate bookings, keep the site clean and generally make you feel welcome at their location. Club sites vary in size and some can cater for a significant number of motorhomes.

For club sites, you should generally expect to book in advance. This will guarantee you a pitch for the night. You can roll-up without a booking and if there is space, you will be fine. Not booking ahead does risk that your chosen site will be full if you arrive on spec.

Each campsite will have a set of rules. These may include restrictions on pets, generators and times of arrival and departure. Most will have set pitches and can even demand that you move your vehicle three inches to the left, as you haven’t parked in exactly the centre. Some wardens can be obsessive on rules and this can be a reason why many don’t renew memberships or move to a different club.

What is a Motorhome Club Rally?

Club rallies are a feature of some clubs, where members arrange a rally for a few days and nights.

Rallies are generally organised and run by a volunteer group and often they are county-based. For instance, the Motorcaravanning Club break the country up into counties, where each county has its own committee who organise and promote their own rallies.

Each rally is unique. This may be as simple as a weekend in a field close to a town, where all that is organised is a daily meet-up for coffee and a chat. Others can be alongside a local event, for instance, a balloon festival, an air show or a carnival.

Some rallies are just a couple of nights, with others stretching over a full week.

Are These Clubs Just for Motorhomes?

Except for the Motorcaravanning Club, the others all accept a mixture of motorhomes, caravans, and tents.

Each formal site will differ and there are some club sites where motorhomes are not accepted. The handbooks will show details as appropriate.

Do I Have to be a Members to Use a Club Site?

Many of the clubs allow non-members to stay.

In those cases, you will always be charged an additional non-members fee. These extras can be quite steep. If you expect to stay at several club sites from the same organisation, becoming a full member will save you those extras.

The Motorhome Clubs

The Caravan & Motorhome Club (CAMC)

The CAMC is the oldest of the clubs and used to be purely for caravans to the exclusion of motorhomes.

Times change and the word ‘Motorhome’ was added to the club name many years ago.

The club owns and runs their own sites and they are located all over the UK. Each site is managed by club employees and many are open year-round.

You can generally expect a full complement of facilities, from the standard fresh water fill through to shower and toilet blocks. Some have clubhouses with a bar or cafe.

Many user report that CAMC sites can be quite formal with a lot of rules and regulations. While these are there for the protection of visitors, some people say that they are enforced to unacceptable degrees at some sites. I have seen several people report they were instructed to move their van six inches, as it wasn’t exactly in the right place. That said, the club continues to grow and flourish.

An annual membership card and printed handbook are supplied. The handbook lists each full site, with a list of facilities and cost.

The CAMC also licence Certified Locations (CLs) although it doesn’t own these sites. Each CL is privately owned and operated and restricted to five motorhome or caravans at any one time. CLs are inspected by the club and are listed in the handbook. Advance booking is advised for a CL, as they can fill up quite quickly at peak times.

Non-members can book a CAMC campsite, but there is a significant additional fee.

The website can be used to locate, and book sites and you will also find exclusive members offers and discounts.

The club magazine, Caravan & Motorhome, is published regularly during the year. A limited number of older copies can be read online by non-members. Club website.

The Camping & Caravanning Club

Founded in 1901, the Camping and Caravanning Club is the oldest of its type in the world.

Despite the name, the CCC does accept motorhomes at many of its sites.

Around 100 sites are owned and operated by the club, who employ wardens and other staff to manage them on a day to day basis. There are another 1,300 small sites exclusively for club members, forming part of their handbook and website.

All but ten of the club owned sites offer free wi-fi to members. A number, but by no means all, offer a service point stop for you to fill with fresh water, dump grey waste and emptying your toilet cassette. Where offered, there is a fee to pay and these services only stops are not available to non-members.

Each year, the club issue membership cards and a printed handbook. The handbook lists all the sites details the facilities and indicates the price depending on the season.

Club sites are a mixture of tents, caravans, and motorhomes. Not every site accepts motorhomes, so consult the handbook or website.

Like the CAMC, the CCC operates the Certified Location (CL) inspection and licensing system. Those locations are also included in the handbook. Sometimes, a CL will be listed by more than one of the clubs.

Non-members can stay on CCC sites, subject to availability and with payment of a supplementary fee.

The club website lists the club owned sites are others they recommend. Additional member offers and facilities include insurance, competitions, travel advice and overseas rallies.

The club produces regular magazines which are available online. Non-members can read some articles or article extracts.

The Camping & Caravanning Club run over 3,000 weekend meets social events and special interest group events annually.

The club operates on a not for profit basis, with any surplus used to improve the club and its facilities. Club website.

The Motorcaravanning Club (MCC)

The club doesn’t own campsites, but some individual members do. Campsites are listed in the annual printed handbook.

As well as full campsites, the MCC has a list of Certified Locations (CLs). These small sites are licenced to take up to five motorhomes at any one time. There may be basic facilities are some CLs.

The Motorcaravanning Club’s principal focus is on rallies. Most local county or region run a series of rallies during the year and there are over 500 to choose from. These can be a simple weekend away close to a town or attached to a special event such as a hot air balloon festival, steam fair, carnival or music festival.

Although more prevalent in the summer months, many counties run rallies year-round. Some have rallies over New Year and in the run-up to Christmas. In general, there is no need to book a rally and you can simply turn up, although a limited number does need to be booked. Costs are based on per unit, per night. The rally locations are often temporary pop-up sites and may lack much in the way of facilities.

The MMC produces a monthly A5 colour magazine, which comes with a supplement updating rallies coming up over the following few weeks.

At many of the motorhome shows (LINK), the MCC has dedicated areas for members to park-up, meet and socialise. There is an annual national rally which is part of the AGM and is a popular event. Club website.

Club Motorhome

Compared to the other clubs featured in this article, Club Motorhome is a relative newcomer.

The club maintains a database of campsites, certified locations, pub shops, free stopovers, and wild camping locations. To access full information on each site, there is an annual membership fee.

Club Motorhome doesn’t own or operate sites and is more of a database than a club. The website includes a member-only area, which includes an online message board forum.

The website can be used to host your personal blog as part of your membership, and you can place motorhome related classified adverts for others to read. Club website.

Irish Camping & Caravan Club (ICCC)

The Irish Camping and Caravan Club (ICCC) covers locations both in Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Formed in 1971, the ICCC arrange meetings and rallies for campers, caravans, and motorhomes in all 32 counties of Ireland and in Northern Ireland.

The club runs two members-only sites, one in Co. Wicklow and the other in Co. Wexford.

The ICCC offers member-only discounts on ferries, insurance, products, and services.

Each quarter, the club publishes The Camper, with updates and tips. Club website.