Bad motorhomers?

[meddyliol]

I am waiting for my first ever motorhome and am in the process of reading through all of the postings. I am beginning to wonder if I have made a mistake from what I read what with motorhomers dumping rubbish, noise etc etc etc. I was hoping that me and my wife would have a nice quiet time to go where we want when we want. I am seriously thinking of cancelling the van and not bother. I do not need agro at my age (mind your own business :-D ).

 

Brian :-(

[Peter42]

Please do not be put off motor caravanning by the irresponsible actions of a relatively few idiots who, no matter what their pastime, would give fellow enthusiasts a bad name. The vast majority of us obey not only the law but the camping code and the countryside code and are proud of doing so.

[Imlach]

I have been motorhoming now for thirty years and can count the inconsiderate campers on one hand I do not think you will be disapointed once you get away, try the UK and then get yourself into europe its magic although we are comming into a very busy season once august has passed things on site will be a lot quieter regards Imlach

[Bob Elswood]

From my experience most M/homers are a civilised bunch! Don't be put off pursuing your chosen life style.

As in all walks of life, you will always get 'the few' who are inconsiderate to others. With a little practice you soon learn to 'avoid' the inconsiderate ones.

The merits of a M/home are, if you don't like your neighbours, start up and move on!!

Enjoy !!!!

[malc d]

meddyliol - 2010-07-18 1:10 PM

 

I am waiting for my first ever motorhome and am in the process of reading through all of the postings. I am beginning to wonder if I have made a mistake from what I read what with motorhomers dumping rubbish, noise etc etc etc. I was hoping that me and my wife would have a nice quiet time to go where we want when we want. I am seriously thinking of cancelling the van and not bother. I do not need agro at my age (mind your own business :-D ).

 

Brian :-(

 

Brian

 

Don't be put off.

 

I've been camping / motorhoming for over 40 years and I've VERY rarely seen any of the plonkers that you have read about.

 

(.. and of course,IF ever you do, you can always move on very easily).

 

 

 

 

 

[meddyliol]

Thank you all for putting my mind at rest. It is true of course, I can always move I am not glued to one position. I can never understand the mentality of some people though.

 

Thanks again

 

Brian B-)

[malc d]

meddyliol - 2010-07-18 2:45 PM

 

Thank you all for putting my mind at rest. It is true of course, I can always move I am not glued to one position. I can never understand the mentality of some people though.

 

Thanks again

 

Brian B-)

 

 

If you use Caravan Club or Camping and Caravanning Club sites ( you don't often have to be a member ) you will find them generally quite peaceful ( and the clientele quite civilised !)

 

As someone else recommended, the place to go is across the channel.

 

Many villages in France have small municipal sites which are usually quiet and reasonably priced.

 

On commercial sites, the bigger they are and the more facilities they have, the noisier they are - and the more you pay.

 

 

 

 

[colin]

 

Like any walk of life there's good'uns and there's bad'uns.

 

 

malc d - 2010-07-18 6:04 PM

If you use Caravan Club or Camping and Caravanning Club sites ( you don't often have to be a member ) you will find them generally quite peaceful ( and the clientele quite civilised !)

 

Some one needs to read andy's round britian article in this months MMM ;-)

[ips]

I have never met any of the type of motorhomer you mention however I am sure they exist. As stated earlier you wont get em on a club site and I wouldnt think you would get em on a club CL............certainly not on our CL cos mrs ips would give em what for.LOL.

I think the type of behaviour you refer to, rubbish being left etc, is from wildcamping. I wouldnt know because we use sites, not wanting to go off thread too much but I dont want to spend my holidays on a side street or a lay by or at the back of a retail park thank you very much. So in conclusion use "propper" sites or CL's if you want seclusion.

[Usinmyknaus]

Brian,

 

A quiet life?

 

I returned to camping 3 years ago and bought a Motorhome. Initally i thought standards of behaviour had fallen somewhat on sites compared to when I was a tugger 30 plus years ago but have concluded that it is no more than in society generally. Mainly it's a lack of simple good manners - walking though pitches, allowing dogs to urinate on pitches on the way to and from the dog walk, not cleaning up sinks/loos/loo disposal point after use, excessive use of generators, children permitted to scream incessantly as a means of routine communication, foul language as everyday parlance,"awning parties" until the early hours of the morning or very loud entertainment systems in awnings (such as the 42 inch TV encountered last weekend!).

 

These are still, generally, the exception on sites and you should not be put off as I expect most people you will encounter will be friendy and courteous neighbours.

 

My tips for a quiet life:

 

Don't fume - just move, that's the beauty of a motorhome (unless the site is full - but then you would not go there expecting quiet, would you?)

 

Use CC sites rather than CCC if you want a choice of pitch (usually).

 

Avoid play areas and obvious routes to and from them like you would smallpox.

 

Don't just park next to a hedge without looking at what is on the other side - it could be the glass recycling bin.

 

Think about (non-paved, unofficial) routes people will use to reach the facilities and don't camp across them.

 

Have a good walk around before choosing a pitch and think where the noise is likely to come from and plan accordingly. For example look out for awnings and windbreaks full of kids bikes, swingball, footballs, yapping terrriers etc. Look for large caravans with cars next to them which are too small to tow the van or have no towing hitch. That van may be the family "static" shared by people who have no empathy with (and probably no consideration for) other campers and no knowledge of or respect for, site etiquette. Obviously too, look out for males with excessive tatoos, necks wider than their heads etc........

 

Use CC CL's and if you are the only van in a five acre field, go for a walk and come back to find a van 1 metre from your habitation door, move.

 

Thanks to little survival strategies such as the above, I have for the most part, enjoyed the quiet life and I absolutely would buy a motorhome if given the time over again.

 

Bob

:-)

[ips]

I thank MrUsinmyknaus for a most definitive and succint explanation. I agree with absloutely everything he says I hate people who walk over the grass at the side of your pitch instaed of walking around the road also its very very rude and very very annoying and anyone who does this is a lazy bone idle ignorant git. Agree also with play areas "avoid them at all costs" also avoid going next to any van that has any signs of bikes, balls, prams etc etc. In conclusion "avoid all children at all times" :-D

[Guest JudgeMental]

I don't find the sound of children at all annoying, quite the opposite in fact, I find it life affirming....I had words with a miserable old git the other day in a supermarket telling someone else's 2 year old to be quiet.......There faces where a picture when I had finished with them.

 

but I agree with all else, good advice :-D

[ips]

JudgeMental - 2010-07-20 10:58 AM

 

I don't find the sound of children at all annoying,

 

Each to there own I suppose.... For the record re-grumpy old git...I would never tell someone elses kids off.

[crinklystarfish]

ips - 2010-07-20 8:58 AM I have never met any of the type of motorhomer you mention however I am sure they exist. As stated earlier you wont get em on a club site and I wouldnt think you would get em on a club CL...I think the type of behaviour you refer to, rubbish being left etc, is from wildcamping. I wouldnt know because we use sites, not wanting to go off thread too much but I dont want to spend my holidays on a side street or a lay by or at the back of a retail park thank you very much. So in conclusion use "propper" sites or CL's if you want seclusion.

 

My experience of sites is echoed splendidly by Mr Knaus. Cramming people with different values into small boxes on someone else’s field is not my idea of utopia. Add children, dogs, and selfish disrespect and it often ends in tension. 

As for CLs, well, the last one I stayed on had one other occupant who had spread the contents of their box far and wide and who demonstrably enjoyed the noise of their generator more than the birdsong of the Northamptonshire countryside. 

So I don’t normally use sites, but as Mr ips neither do I want to spend my holidays in such dreadful places as lay-bys, which is why I don’t. Neither do I understand how he equates wild camping with such places, having seemingly never done it, or furthermore knowing much about it. 

The most disrespectful behaviour I’ve ever seen has been on designated sites, CL and otherwise. 

The two occasions I’ve seen disrespectful behaviour from people wild camping has been from people who were clearly not recreating, but who had chosen to drop out from societal norms and live in their vehicles; essentially mobile tramps. I’ve also seen a great deal of disrespectful behaviour from some ‘travellers’. Again, not people recreating. 

I think the distinction here is quite important. I’ve seen hundreds of motorhomers stopping over ‘off site’ without any detriment to any one or any thing. 

So, don’t be put off, just avoid the disrespectful, and good luck with that one if you decide to use sites.

[ips]

quote..

So I don’t normally use sites, but as Mr ips neither do I want to spend my holidays in such dreadful places as lay-bys, which is why I don’t. Neither do I understand how he equates wild camping with such places, having seemingly never done it, or furthermore knowing much about it.

 

Well I know of many motorhomers who admit to wild camp in such places and have been involved in many a discussion on the matter on other forums were people have attempted to justify wildcamping in lay bys car parks etc etc.

I have wild camped, latest being at "Dinas" north wales a very very well known spot and very nice it was too. I am not really interested in wilding so your right I dont know much about it, I do however beleive that its the type of camping that has given a bad name to some aspects of motorhoming and that is what prompted the original question / post. I could of course be totally wrong. If I am correct then my reply was justified and was an attempt to instill some enthusiasm for camping on sites and to put the gentlemans mind at rest but hey ho you cant please all the people etc etc

 

 

[crinklystarfish]

I too wanted to put the OP's mind at rest, but the point is they are more likely to 'suffer' the kind of things that are putting them off the closer they get to other people.

Campsites would be great if nobody else used them.

As for the 'littering' issue, I'd suggest we are far more likely to see cigarrette butts, fast food containers, and worse being jettisioned from cars that go boom-tiddy-boom-tiddy-boom; whose occupants have stopped off for a little nocturnal entertainment, than from a 'wilder'.

[ips]

crinklystarfish - 2010-07-20 12:29 PM

I too wanted to put the OP's mind at rest, but the point is they are more likely to 'suffer' the kind of things that are putting them off the closer they get to other people.

Campsites would be great if nobody else used them.

As for the 'littering' issue, I'd suggest we are far more likely to see cigarrette butts, fast food containers, and worse being jettisioned from cars that go boom-tiddy-boom-tiddy-boom; whose occupants have stopped off for a little nocturnal entertainment, than from a 'wilder'.

Your probably right..........

[Walker]

We have had our motorhome now for over two years, and thoroughly enjoy visiting France at least a couple of times a year, however we don't want to limit our 'vanning' to just holidays so often go away at the weekend and wild camp - our favorites are Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor, and we usually wildcamp near a pub. We feel that we spend our money locally (never take a fridgefull of food) its nice to get out of the van, go for a walk, meal, bottle of wine and walk back with no problems of drinking and driving. We always take away our rubbish away with us as well as the grey water, we have never had need to 'dump it'? We have never seen any other campers doing anything else than be respectful when wild camping so would recommend anyone to try it. It is a way of using the van more regularly - Christmas we spent lunch overlooking the reservir on Bodmin Moor - no litter, no noise and a beautiful view. I think the good motorhomers outweigh the bad ones considerably.

[Walker]

We have had our motorhome now for over two years, and thoroughly enjoy visiting France at least a couple of times a year, however we don't want to limit our 'vanning' to just holidays so often go away at the weekend and wild camp - our favorites are Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor, and we usually wildcamp near a pub. We feel that we spend our money locally (never take a fridgefull of food) its nice to get out of the van, go for a walk, meal, bottle of wine and walk back with no problems of drinking and driving. We always take away our rubbish away with us as well as the grey water, we have never had need to 'dump it'? We have never seen any other campers doing anything else than be respectful when wild camping so would recommend anyone to try it. It is a way of using the van more regularly - Christmas we spent lunch overlooking the reservir on Bodmin Moor - no litter, no noise and a beautiful view. I think the good motorhomers outweigh the bad ones considerably.

[747]

I am a `wildcamper` and know many other wildcampers.

 

If it was up to me, I would change the name to `wombler` instead. This is because we take our own rubbish away with us and also pick up other peoples rubbish.

 

I am also a member of the 2 big clubs but will be dropping the CC membership when it expires. It is impossible to book a site of choice due to the ridiculous system they use and their 5 van sites are sometimes as expensive as Club sites and privately owned sites.

 

There seems to be a few bigoted members on here, regarding wildcampers. Never mind.

 

PM me if you want any clothes pegs! :D

[Guest JudgeMental]

JudgeMental - 2010-07-20 10:58 AM

 

I don't find the sound of children at all annoying, quite the opposite in fact, I find it life affirming....I had words with a miserable old git the other day in a supermarket telling someone else's 2 year old to be quiet.......There faces where a picture when I had finished with them.

 

but I agree with all else, good advice :-D

 

I will ad this. We normally have to holiday during school holidays as the wife works in education. In May she was of for a minor hospital procedure so we went to Norfolk for a few days. we had a lovely time cycling around but the complete lack of atmosrhere on CC site (it was full) was a miserable experience.....My wife said is this what its going to be like when we retire? well God help us! :-S

 

[meddyliol]

Thanks for all of your answers. I have just joined the CCC but didn't know I could use the CC sites as well. What are CC CL's?

 

Thanks a lot

 

Brian B-)

[Guest JudgeMental]

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/planning-your-trip/uk-trips/the-site-network/certificated-locations

[crinklystarfish]

meddyliol - 2010-07-20 4:25 PM Thanks for all of your answers. I have just joined the CCC but didn't know I could use the CC sites as well. What are CC CL's? Thanks a lot Brian B-)

Certified Locations. Apart from the occasional bad experience, it sounds like they'll suit your needs. The Judge's link should help, but basically they are (max) 5 'van sites sanctioned by the Caravan Club but in private ownership. They are often extensions to farms, orchards, pubs, etc and (in very general terms) tend to attract people who want a quiet break. Basic minimum requirement includes provision of water, rubbish and toilet disposal, but often there are far more facilities than this.

CCC have a similar, but smaller, set up with CSs - Certified Sites.

[Keithl]

meddyliol - 2010-07-20 4:25 PM

 

Thanks for all of your answers. I have just joined the CCC but didn't know I could use the CC sites as well. What are CC CL's?

 

Thanks a lot

 

Brian B-)

 

Brian,

 

The C&CC (which you say you have joined) and Caravan Club (CC) are 2 totally separate clubs and do not accept each others membership cards. You can stay on some of each clubs sites as a non-member by paying an extra fee but this then makes for a very expensive stay.

Have a look at each clubs website and you should find details of their sites.

C&CC CS's are small '5 Van' sites often on farms or the like and usually offer a cheap nights rest. Details of all the C&CC CS's are on their website. You should also have received a book called 'Your big sites book' with them all in.

 

Keith.

 

PS We're in the C&CC and agree with their motto 'The friendly club' as we always find members willing to chat and exchange views.