Hi, I have just searched and found out about the Caravan Club, but one thing I have to ask Club members: many say that the best thing they do are rallies. What I need to know is just exactly what rallies are? What happens and what do they celebrate. What are rallies? What are they about?
Basically a social gathering of fellow members.
There may be a theme to the weekend or a specific place to visit or just a get together.
Some rallies are very "organised" others are more "free".
Some have social nights.
Some (most) have a coffee morning.
All allow you meet other caravanners.
We rally with another Club and yes they are the best thing to happen, in my mind.
I caravan alone so I find rallies a lovely way to meet other caravanners who enjoy getting away in their vans.
You are free to join in as much or as little as you want but you will be guaranteed a very warm welcome from the rally marshals.
Rally sites are often just fields that provide fresh water and a CDP so you will have to use your van's on board facilities.
You will be given a short itinerary on arrival so you know what is happening and when and it will be entirely up to you how much you do!
There is often a social in the evenings - this can be anything from a quiz, race night, fancy dress or just drinks and nibbles.
Sometimes there is a theme to rallies eg: Easter, Halloween, musicals, heros etc... and you are encouraged to decorate your van according to the theme (prizes are often awarded too)
There is usually a coffee morning at "flag" either on the fist morning or the last where thank yous are said and prizes given out.
I would say that rallies offer some excellent value trips away with other like-minded people.
Go along to one and make some new friends!
Ray if you are a member of the caravan club phone customer services and tell them you want to join your local centre, the caravan club has 70 centre's covering the whole of the country, each centre organising rallies and events for their region, once you join a centre you will receive all the info you require on what is going on near you, tho you can join in any event any where in the country.
I tried a couple but decided they were not for me. Of course it is possible I hit on a bad one but meeting round the flag and being told to get my bucket of water in the right position by the A frame was not my idea of a relaxing weekend. On one a few of us sloped off without a pass and all hell broke loose when we got back.
Well I have never heard of this 'must have water bucket in right place' or the need for a pass - but I have only done a few hundred rallies with lots of different CC Centres and CCC DA's. Perhaps this is a Highland thing
Ray - you do not need to join a centre to go on a rally - but you must be a Caravan Club member for a CC rally. All the Centres have websites showing what rallies are on. Most rallies are great - I guess some will not be so good, but "you get out what you want", most will be a relatively cheap getaway and create an opportunity to make new friends and get more use out of your van. You don't have to go far either - I do a rally a couple of miles from home!
Quote: Originally posted by les8366 on 17/6/2014
Well I have never heard of this 'must have water bucket in right place' or the need for a pass - but I have only done a few hundred rallies with lots of different CC Centres and CCC DA's. Perhaps this is a Highland thing
As I said I only went on a couple and I am sure that people get a lot out of them. My experiences were both in Lancashire - say no more
We went on a CCC rally last oct halfterm at the CCC sandringham club site. All the usual club site facilities but £15 a night not £25. Plus there was a marquee with crafts for the kids during the day and social things in the evening. We found the people very friendly and welcoming.
Last weekend we went on our first CC rally and to be honest were disappointed. It may well have been to where we were pitched but we had expected a friendly sociable time but we've had more friendly camps just on our own. Our daughter didn't get to meet any other kids though our son joined some to play football. On the Sunday morning there was a flagpole mtg which was a bit like brownies/scouts presentation for grown ups but was more sociable. After that people did smile / say hello back to us so I think we personally could have done with that at the start of the weekend. Whilst it wasn't the social experience we'd hoped for (though the marshals were very friendly) it cost us £29 rather than £51 if booked direct with the site.
We've not yet been brave enough to go to a field with a water tap style rally but as we get the hang of this caravanning lark and stop getting major probs with the caravan we may well give it a go.
Google for your local centre then you can see what sort of things they get up too.
------------- From tents to trailer tents to a tin tent to an air tent to trailer tent and back to tin tent!
There is no such thing as a typical Rally.
Last weekend the Rally nothing formal organised. So we had a BBQ on Friday night then we wandered down to the pub, Saturday we caught the steam train into the local town, discount tickets had been arranged, had another BBQ on Saturday night, watched the football on TV. Sunday had a cup of tea and a slice of cake left for home about 3 we had to be off by midnight otherwise it would have cost another £6.
Les remember the people that know most about Rallies are generally the ones that have never been on one.
Fire prevention.
If the worst happened there is at least an easily found supply of water available that "should" be enough to enable the caravan to be evacuated.
Also very useful for keeping the beer cold!
Quote: Originally posted by Grampian91 on 18/6/2014
Fire safety.
I thought it was just the organisers that had those by their vans.
With the CSMA we ask all units to put a bucket somewhere near the front of their van. Nearly everyone does so and puts it by the hitch.
On the rallies I have never insisted upon it but have always ask politely.
And if someone wants to go before the rally has finished or "do their own thing" then no problem.
About ten years ago my now-ex and I were on a camp site where, coincidentally, there was a CC rally in the next field to us.
Although we were CC members we had never been to a rally and didn't really know what they were about, but I would have expected to see a communal gazebo or activity tent and something going on but there was nothing. All the caravans were pitched round the edge of the field, no children around, everyone looked to be middle-aged/elderly, all the women were sitting outside knitting or reading and the men were reading the morning papers - how boring.
We walked round the field several times with our dogs that weekend and not one person spoke to us, so we decided that if that was CC rallying we wouldn't be bothering. Maybe some rallies are different now but if that was an example then I wouldn't go to one even if you paid me.
------------- Tigermouse
I have a very temperamental personality - 50% temper and 50% mental
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Topic: Caravan Club Rallies
