Off Roading Questionaire

[istruggle2gate11]

Hi All,

As many of you are aware, I help to run Kirton Off Road Centre and I seek your honest opinion to the above poll. Although we are holding a similar questionnaire on the site this coming weekend, I consider this forum to be quite informed and sensible, allowing us to extend our questionnaire further.

I would appreciate any feedback, good, bad or neutral, especially with further comments.

We are considering becoming pioneers in the off road community by offering a membership scheme to our off road centre. Perhaps very similar to a typical golf club subscription by offering regular availability for a fixed monthly sum.

We are proposing two options:

1) 1 weekend attendance and 12 weekday attendances per month for £10 per week / £40 month / £520 per annum.

2) Full Access for £20 per week / £80 Month / £1000 per annum

All payable monthly by standing order or direct debit.

Obviously we would have to implement certain restrictions and regulations – i.e. operating between 9am and 5pm winter months or 9am and 9pm summer months.

We would always have at least one member of staff present and dedicated recovery equipment.

We are able to offer toilets / camping / showers / running water and perhaps if interested is high vending machines and at peak times our dedicated kitchens.

If this project was to be successful, further opportunities could arise from a full blown club house to vehicle storage to vehicle maintenance bays etc.

The above is our initial thoughts, and as mentioned I would appreciate your feedback, I know a lot of you live too far away for this to become a viable proposition, in which case I ask you to answer the poll if this site was within a 40 mile radius.

Some Notes:

Currently a typical playday is £30 per day or £55 per weekend including camping.

We have over 600 acres available, relieving the potential of boredom.

We do and are implementation further regular site maintenance.

Thanks for your time.

(Korc customers or Forum members, dont feel left out, your turn is coming)

I wonder how long before others ask the same

[FridgeFreezer]

I think I'd rather have an option for a couple of weekend attendances per month as I doubt people would have the time during the week to get out. Not a bad idea though for a season ticket, I think you can set it up through PayPal as a subscription but don't ask me how!

[RocKeR]

Hmm.. You might wanna check the polling thing. It says 10 votes cast; 3 for option 1; 2 for 2; and 7 for 3.... I make that 12.

[LandyManLuke]

Definitely an interesting idea - and a first AFAIK.

Just to throw another idea in to the pot - what about (say) 10 (weekend?) days for £250, to be used in a set time period?

[nige90]

Although I agree it's a good idea, even with 600 acres I'd get a little bored

after 144+ visits in a year. I'd also be bankrupt after 19812 miles just getting

there and back.

[istruggle2gate11]

Keep them coming guys,

A season / Day pass could also be an option.

Although I agree it's a good idea, even with 600 acres I'd get a little bored

I know what your saying, which is why I have mentioned all the expansion Ideas, clubhouse (including internet access etc), cooked food, spares / accessories shop, vehicle storage and maintenance bays. It could go as far as having a dedicated mechanic on site if it were viable (building roll cages etc).

Site maintenance would be a priority, with investment in heavy machinery, creation of new runs with organised activities not only for drivers or vehicles but also paintballing etc.

And honestly, Ive been going here for over 5 yearsand still find new things to do, have a look at us on google earth to see the terain and size of the place (do a search on Kirton Off Road Centre, then compare to a site you know). I know there are a few sites like Tommys farm way bigger than us, but I would wager that we have more useable terrain.

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Rog,

Its a tricky one.

One uissue is distances, I would be cvery interested but the distance puts me off,

And I guess so it may for a raft of others too,

With the plans your outlinning I think you are more likely to attract either regulars wnating a 'better deal', or people from close by who now maybe get interested.

The trick I would guess is how you get others from further away to visit pay and return ?...prob here is competition, and what would make your site more attractive than say another site myabe local to them, what would make people make the effort ?

One thing could be to extend the attraction of the site.

The main reason I don't go further than I can sensibly drive to and back in a day is exatly that - distance vs time vs comfort

Organmizing a quality weekend special,

with guarnateed secure stoarge overnights for 4x4s

with a selection of qulaity B&B etc with collection to and from storage

Vechile cleaning facilities for those driving long way home,

even a workshop / on hand with support /parts help / to make road legal again minor breakages to avaiod flat bed taxi journeys home

This type of special weekend could see a number of people who would prob never use the site do it as a "special" one off.

The format could be a selection of events over the year, a Winch Challenge, a fun Novice challenge, and a Drive around day, a interclub day etc etc.

Which format would draw new people in I am unsure, but it may be another route to look at ?

Just a thought

Nige

[Top90]

Although it's an interesting idea, I'd be nervous to sign up to something for a year not knowing how many times I could make it in advance. (assuming I lived closer)

Bit like a gym membership. People sign a direct debit authorisation for a year, go for three months and the enthusiasm falls off.

A ticket that allowed a set number of visits maybe?

Such as for people who thought they could go 4 or 6 times in a year?

Richard

[FridgeFreezer]

Further to Nige's point, we did offer a Kirton outing in the SLRC newsletter but I think it's just too far North as no-one showed any interest. We seem to get a decent number of trucks to Seven Sisters for two days of pratting about and camping, I think for long-distance attraction you really need it to be a weekend. Secure storage / camping is a concern (which is why we don't camp on-site at 7S), as are facilities especially where people have to persuade their better halves to venture out with the kids in tow for a weekend.

Back closer to topic, what about a reward card style thing - if you come for four play days your next one is free? Easier to administer, no-one has to pay anything up front, etc.

An inter-club, inter-forum or inter-make event could be interesting - an LR v J**p v Jap challenge could be a giggle, perhaps allowing each party to set out a couple of obstacles to try to trip the others up, could get interesting!

Something like the Finnish Warn Trophy (24 hours non-stop challenge) would also be interesting to see.

There's also the idea of a 4x4 testing event - this harks back to the fact the magazines almost never do any meaningful testing of anything, bear with me: If you could have an area where you had:

- Weighbridge

- Twist-off ramp

- Some of those breakover ramps you see at LR's test course

- Some way of tipping a vehicle to measure it's rollover angle (tele-loader and a few straps?) in a non-damaging way

- Some ramps to measure approach angle

- A few graded climbs / descents of varying steepness

- Mobile rolling road if thats' feasible

- Load cell to measure winch pull

- Some set up where you winch a set load up a set slope, you can measure speed and, for electrics, winch current.

- Perhaps some less serious/calibrated stuff like a mud run or a set course

- And of course the ability to go and play afterwards

I reckon a lot of people would turn out to that (like they do to twist-offs in the US) to see just how their vehicles worked, compare to their mates, etc. and then go away and lock themselves in the shed for a year and then come back and see if they've gone better or not, etc.

[LandyManLuke]

Having spent a weekend or two at kirton, with lit loo-blocks - not portaloos, and proper kitchens, somewhere dry to sit and eat etc, plenty of room for tents & caravans etc, i can definitely say that it's worth making the trip for a weekend.

There's plenty of room to have full workshops - But i'm guessing KORC need some commitment before they go to that level of investment.

[waveydave]

I think its a good idea. altho its a long way from me if more places thought the same way maybee our sport would become more popular and heaven forbid might even get a better image as it would be better regulated.

It works for the golfists after all !

[FridgeFreezer]

There's plenty of room to have full workshops - But i'm guessing KORC need some commitment before they go to that level of investment.

Just having somewhere dry to work would probably be considered a bonus during half the year - a shed you could wheel a dead truck into just to get out of the rain and maybe have a couple of lights in there. I wouldn't expect a fully stocked tool chest.

Thought of another one for the 4x4 test day suggestion: Varying depth water runs

[muddy]

I have been to kirton for one weekend, it was fantasic and i would love to go back sometime, however i am starting to get a little bored with just p+p and right now i cant quite start trialing/winch challenges. If you were to offer something like shire do with a punch challenge or even just a few sections i think it would draw more of a crowd.

As you know rog i fecked my motor on the first day which was a bit of a bummer so a workshop with maybe a welder, powerpoint and some bottles maybe would be very handy. I certainly woudnt mind paying (shock horror ) to use such facilities as these if it gave me the oppurtunity to get my motor going again.

Will.

[FridgeFreezer]

Just to expand on what Will said, a few punches or trials about the place that give people something to always goes down very well - makes them drive things they wouldn't normally try, makes them discover new bits of the site, and makes them think about how to drive things. Don't have to be hard, most of our punches don't need a winch to get to. It just gives people something to occupy them rather than just driving about aimlessly.

[darthdicky]

I enjoy Pay and Play days and Challenge events because there are other people there to watch doing silly things, or slightly more sane things that I can then try doing. I don't know what others think but I can't see the appeal of just turning up on a weekday and going for a drive round on my own. I'd feel like I was being a pain to get recovered every 5 minutes - when there's a good number of people around you just get a quick tug out from someone nearby.

I'm not saying only open at the weekends as the weekday thing could be a good idea, but maybe have set days (1st monday of the month, 2nd tuesday etc.) with something set up which would get more people there? It's hard to say what would work best as I work mon-fri where others will be working more weekends so weekdays would be more appealing.

As for membership, both options would be too pricey for me for the amount of time I would spend there. The problem is not really the time there but the time spent on maintenance afterwards!

Richard

[LandyManLuke]

Along the line of the whole punches thing, I think it would be quite a good idea to have say 100 punches around the site - that way you could keep making visits to 'work your way round' all the punches - not for competition (but they could still be used for that on occasions obviously), but more just somthing to do - just as FF and Will said.

A simple map, outlining which punches were where (maybe grouped in tens?) and a check list would make it pretty easy to keep tabs on.

[Astro_Al]

1) 1 weekend attendance and 12 weekday attendances per month for £10 per week / £40 month / £520 per annum.

In case this is literally your potential offer, I thought I'd point out that £40 / month is £480 per year, effectively giving a free 'month' compared to the other two rates.

Al

[lrfarmer]

hi

i'm thinking the weekday visits would be ok maybe in the summer but in the winter weekdays wouldn't work as most people wouldn't finnish work till after 5pm.

you could offer a set number of weekend camping weekends per year for some who live to far to travel up and back.

Tim

[geoffbeaumont]

Hmm.. You might wanna check the polling thing. It says 10 votes cast; 3 for option 1; 2 for 2; and 7 for 3.... I make that 12.

It's a multiple selection poll, RocKeR...

[RobotMan]

Langdale Quest near Scarborough have run a scheme called an X-pass for many years which covers a years pre paid entries.

[Bigwood]

Langdale Quest near Scarborough have run a scheme called an X-pass for many years which covers a years pre paid entries.

I am not the only one that dosn,t get much free time due to shift working and some of my days off are midweek so I may make use of mid week play day if ofered. A mix of so many weekends and so many week days for a set price sounds good to me. This reminds me I have had my Disco since December and havn,t got to Kirton yet, I am only 25 miles away

[Phil]

The Scottish Off Road Driving Centre at Glentarkie offers a membership scheme, £150.00 a year for unlimited access.

Phil.