Joining the motorhome community: Beginner’s guide to clubs, forums and events

When you buy a motorhome you’re not only buying a high quality leisure vehicle, you’re also buying a new lifestyle for yourself. The open road, adventure, exploration, regular holidays, relaxing breaks – they’re all ahead of you. One of the most important other things you’ll gain is the chance to make new friends and become part of motorhome communities of likeminded people. This can be a source of great enjoyment, as well as sometimes proving invaluable when you need tips or advice.

Joining a leisure vehicle club allows you to share your passion for an immersive life on the road, and expand your social circle. Here’s our guide to some of the best clubs and societies you can join as a motorhomer…

Camping and Caravanning Club

The Camping and Caravanning Club is a 120-year old not-for-profit membership organisation which boasts over 700,000 UK members. It currently stands as the world’s largest and oldest camping organisation. Membership, priced from £48 per year (digital) or £53 per year (paper), offers access to an extensive network of almost a hundred club sites owned and managed by the organisation, over 1,200 member-exclusive sites, and many self-catering properties (including new lodges in the Lake District).

Caravan & Motorhome Club

Founded in 1907, this organisation was originally monikered the Caravan Club, but rebranded in 2017 to include motorhomes. This is probably Europe’s biggest touring community, gaining motorhomers and other leisure vehicle owners or holidaymakers access to around 3,000 locations in the UK and further afield in Europe. Membership of the Caravan & Motorhome Club ensures discounts on staying at sites, discount entry to tourist attractions and, in some cases, ferry lines. Membership is £63 per year by direct debit or £73 per year when paid by credit or debit card.

The Motor Caravanners Club

This cheerful family-oriented club is run ‘by the people for the people’ with membership available to all ages with ownership or use of any motorised camping vehicle. The UK is divided into geographic ‘groups’ by this organisation, with each of those holding a series of large-scale annual rallies (i.e. meet-ups), with many other social gatherings in interesting venues throughout the year. Membership of the Motor Caravanners Club also includes a possible saving of 10-15% on your annual insurance premium or breakdown recovery, and entitles you to discounts from a number of accessory firms as well as deals on campsites, ferries and European rallies.

Club Motorhome

This online club features a detailed list of stop overs which includes many travel reviews and photos, spanning from pubs to wild parking spots. Members can download this directory as an e-book, for easy offline access. Club Motorhome boasts a motorhome forum where users can make posts to exchange tips and pose queries. The Magazine section features blogs, reviews and news tailored specifically to motorhome owners. By taking a modern approach, Club Motorhome has created a vibrant space for younger motorhomers to feel switched onto the lifestyle choice, with members closely connected beyond physical boundaries. Full membership is £20 per year (which equates to around 40p per week) while free membership available (with access and functionality restricted over a limited period of time).

After you’ve bought your vehicle, you may find it very helpful to have access to ‘the right’ people and timely advice – and this is what membership of a club (or online resource) will provide you with. You also gain the benefits or perks associated with membership, such as discounts and directories. Joining a club will often entail an initial fee, but this is a small price worth paying for the world it will open up for you.