Motorhome Clubs in the UK

Updated:

Photo by Julian Ackroyd on Unsplash

If you own a motorhome in the UK, we have absolutely no doubt that you will have become enthralled by the prospect of joining one of the many motorhome clubs in the country.

On this page, we want to talk a little bit about what motorhome clubs are. We want to tell you what they offer. We want to give you a bit of advice on the best ones. We even want to help you to decide whether joining a motorhome club is the right choice for you (hint: it almost certainly is!)

What Are Motorhome Clubs?

Motorhome clubs do pretty much what they say on the tin. They are clubs full of motorhome enthusiasts (and sometimes caravan and tent enthusiasts too!)

Don’t worry. You don’t have to attend any meetings with a motorhome club. The main purpose of a motorhome club is that it will provide access to a community of like-minded individuals. You will also be able to head to certain campsites that you may not have been able to attend otherwise. We will cover the full benefits in the next section.

Most motorhome clubs are not all that expensive to join (think well under £100 a year), so for most motorhome owners, joining one is an almost no-brainer, particularly when you consider the wealth of benefits that you can enjoy once you are in that inner circle.

Is It Worth Joining a Motorhome Club In The UK?

Yes.

If you own a motorhome (or do some other sort of regular camping), then joining a motorhome club is a fantastic thing to do. As we said, motorhome clubs are not all that expensive to join. As you are about to see, there are a good few savings that you can make when you join a motorhome club too.

Discounts on Insurance

If you own a motorhome, then you need to get it insured. As with any other vehicle, it is illegal to drive on the road without insurance.

Quite often, you will find that many of these motorhome clubs will have links with insurance companies. These links are strong enough that you can secure a discount on the insurance for your motorhome.

In some cases, the discount is going to be enough to offset the cost of actually joining the motorhome club in the first place.

Discounts on Camping Fees

In the UK, you can’t just pull up at the side of the road and camp. Well, you can. However, we can assure you that the police are going to move you on rather quickly.

If you have a motorhome, and you aren’t in Scotland, then you are going to need to travel to an official campsite.

Most motorhome clubs in the UK will have discounts on camping fees up and down the country. This means that you may be able to score yourself a nice and cheap holiday!

In fact, often the discounts are so large that if you are travelling more than a couple of nights per year, the savings will far outweigh the cost of actually purchasing the motorhome club subscription.

Discounts On Vehicle Maintenance and Repairs

Again, more discount-related benefits.

As brilliant as your motorhome is, it is going to require a bit of maintenance every so often to keep it on the road.

Some of the larger motorhome clubs in the UK actually have strong ties to garages that can work on your vehicle for you. This means even more savings.

You may even be able to benefit if you are looking to kit your motorhome out with some new equipment. Many of these motorhome clubs will have ties to companies that supply equipment and accessories for motorhomes. This can be a great start if you are using a motorhome for the first time.

Cream And Brown Aesthetic Ask Me A Question Facebook Post 1
Join Our Facebook Community Here!

Exclusive Campsites

Many of the larger motorhome clubs (we will talk more about them soon) will actually own their own campsites.

These campsites tend to be very small, but they are exclusively for members of the motorhome club. The fees for these sites are nigh on unbeatable too, and since there will likely be sites throughout the country (and sometimes abroad), you will always have a good selection of places that you can head to.

One of the major benefits of these campsites is the fact that they are exclusive to the club members. This helps to give them a social feel. However, people tend to stick to the rules a little bit better when they know that their club membership is on the line.

This means that you are not going to have to worry about people partying at all hours, making the place messy, etc. All of those are going to be common problems with the more traditional camp sites.

Motorhome clubs

Joining a Community

When you are in a motorhome club, you feel like part of a community.

If you are going to be travelling around a lot in your motorhome, then you are going to likely see the same people on the road, particularly if you stick to the smaller motorhome club-owned campsites.

Many people have made a ton of friends while out there on the road. There will also be meetings throughout the year where you will be able to talk to like-minded people.

One of our favourite things about motorhome clubs is that you can talk to people with a whole lot more experience than you have on the road. You can get a lot of good advice about places that you can head, equipment that is ideal for your motorhome, and some people may even be able to lend a helping hand to help deal with some issues in your vehicle.

If you join one of the larger motorhome clubs, then you may get regular newsletters through your door. These will be packed with details on upcoming events, training courses, and even special offers for their members.

Training Courses 

Many of the larger motorhome clubs in the UK will actually run training courses. These courses may teach you about basic vehicle maintenance, car towing, etc.

We know that this is not going to be something that appeals to everybody. However, a good chunk of these training courses can be incredibly useful to those that have picked up a motorhome for the first time.

When Is The Best Time To Join a Motorhome Club?

As soon as you pick yourself up a motorhome.

The cost is so affordable that there is no real sense in waiting.

If you are planning on taking more than 2-3 trips in your motorhome a year, then we suggest that you start looking to join a motorhome club or two as soon as possible. The benefits will far outweigh the rather negligible costs.

Cream And Brown Aesthetic Ask Me A Question Facebook Post 1
Join Our Facebook Community Here!

What Are The Best Motorhome Clubs In The UK?

There are countless motorhome clubs in the UK. It would be impossible for us to mention every single one of them here. We would be writing forever. So, we want to introduce you to some of the big motorhome clubs.

These are the ones that offer the most services for your money. However, do bear in mind that they are also going to be the most expensive. Not that ‘expensive’ is really all that unaffordable. We are talking £50 to £100 a year, max.

Camping and Caravanning Club

Website – The Camping and Caravanning Club – The Camping and Caravanning Club

If you have toured around the UK for any length of time, then we are 100% positive that you will have stumbled across the Camping and Caravanning Club. They have a lot of locations, and many of them are handily sign-posted at the sides of major roads.

The Camping and Caravanning Club has locations throughout the UK. Some of these are exclusive to members, while others are open to the public with steep discounts for members of the club.

One of the great things about the Camping and Caravanning Club is that they have locations in mainland Europe too. These come with steep discounts. There are even steep discounts on the ferry crossings.

On top of all of this, they offer great deals on long-term motorhome storage, just for those months where you probably won’t be driving around quite so much.

This is by far the largest motorhome club in the UK. At last count, it has over 700,000 active members!

Caravan and Motorhome Club

Website – The Caravan and Motorhome Club | The Caravan Club

This is the second-largest motorhome club in the UK. Interestingly, they have only just started to branch into dealing with motorhomes.

As with the previous motorhome club, there are locations throughout the UK and Europe. Some of these are private, while others are for the public but with steep discounts for members.

One of our favourite things about the Caravan and Motorhome Club is the number of discounts that they can offer to their members. All of these are listed right there on their website, and you will be able to enjoy things such as:

  • Discounts on tourist attractions in the UK and Europe
  • Discounts on supplies for your motorhome, especially batteries.
  • Discounts at various restaurants
  • Discounts at major camping supplies
  • Motorhome rental, if you just wish to test whether owning a motorhome is going to be right for you.

Freedom Camping Club

Website – Freedom Caravan and Camping Club, Free campsite search (freedomcampingclub.org)

This isn’t a large camping club by any stretch of the imagination, and it only carries a few benefits. However, it is one club that you absolutely should get signed up for. Why? Because it is free.

The Freedom Camping Club doesn’t own locations. Instead, it has a few plots around the UK. Most of these plots are available at hefty discounts. However, the best part is that every member of their club will be entitled to a single night of free camping each year.

The whole reason they do this is to try and get families out of their homes and explore the United Kingdom.

International Caravanning Association

Website – Welcome to The International Caravanning Association – ICA (icacaravanning.org)

As the name suggests, this motorhome club has gone international.

This club is going to be a bit different from the other ones we have mentioned here. This is the fact that they do not own sites. Instead, they will have several events throughout the year where their members are encouraged to meet up in a certain area.

If you are joining a motorhome club in the UK for the community spirit, then it is the International Caravanning Association that you will want to join. However, do bear in mind that some of their meet-ups can be on the other side of the globe!

Motor Caravanners Club

Website – https://www.themotorcaravannersclub.co.uk

If you want the social feel of a motorhome club but don’t fancy going to the other side of the globe to meet up with people, then the Motor Caravanners Club is a fantastic place to be.

This club offers meet-ups in the UK and throughout the rest of Europe. You will often find the same people on the road. Many members head to several meet-ups throughout the years.

The Motor Caravanners Club is especially popular with retirees that are looking to explore the continent.

How Do You Choose a Motorhome Club?

We suggest that you head to each of the motorhome clubs websites that we mentioned on this list. Each will clearly lay out its benefits.

Remember, we all join motorhome clubs for different reasons. Some of us may want to enjoy the regular social aspect of motorhome clubs. Others want somewhere affordable to take their kids. Some of us just want to take advantage of discounts.

As you go through the benefits of a motorhome club, you will start to get a feel for whether they are the right choice for you.

Conclusion 

Motorhome clubs are a good source for information on different routes and destinations in the UK. There are many benefits to joining a club, such as the opportunity to meet like-minded people who have the same interests as you.

You will also receive discounts on many products and services based on your membership level in your respective club. It is possible to find very cheap motorhomes with clubs and if you’re looking for something specific in terms of size, type or brand then it’s worth checking out their website before you buy anything!

If you own a motorhome in the UK, we seriously suggest that you consider joining a motorhome club. They come complete with a wealth of benefits, and even the largest ones in the country are not all that expensive to join. Whether you are spending a few days on the road each year, or several months, we are confident that joining a motorhome club could save you money.

Keep up with our full time van life travels over on our YouTube channel! If you enjoy our videos please give us a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel 🙂 – Three As A Bird – Vanlife Travel – YouTube

You can take a look at some of our other van life posts which include lots and lots of hints and tips on all things van life here – Van Life – Travel Information, Hints, Tips and Advice (threeasabird.com)

If you’d like to follow more of our adventures or keep up to date with our travel hints and tips, please join our Facebook group, we’d love to connect with you all! –https://www.facebook.com/groups/309295536220437

Also, if you have Pinterest, please give us a follow for your van life travel inspiration! – https://pin.it/770Cq1Q

Affiliate Disclaimer

As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties.