Some more motorhome owners spoiling it for the rest of us! (1 Viewer)

[Larrynwin]

We have a German Hymer and take advantage of special rules that apply

1. Leave grey tap open on pitch to avoid messing inside of tank.
2. If no convenient hedge to empty black, go behind bushes and do business to avoid clogging cassette.
3. Leave waste from bin at side of road for dustmen to collect.
4. Encourage promotion of natural organic fertilisation of the countryside.

 

[Robert Clark]

Why is wild camping classed as 'freeloading'?
Just because I prefer not to stay on campsites does not make me a scrounger.
I pay my way wherever I go

 

[Lorryman100]

I think that some are giving the site owner a hard time here. The gent (and I mean he is a gentleman) who owns the place is now retired and also owns a motorhome. The site was used as part of his business for storage and he kept the site when he retired. On chatting with him he said he was thinking of fitting a barrier or keyless entry system you see on some sites but where do you draw the line on expenditure with a 5 van C.S? The site is maintained to a high level and its location is excellent for the town and beach. As to having to shut the gates due to people ripping the piss is no different to nearly all the CL,s and C.S sites that we have visited, nearly all where through a locked gate which we were told to close after us.
When we where at the site the through traffic was busy for a dead end location including a couple of motor homes who stopped at the fresh water tap and waited, once I appeared or they saw us sitting they drove off, no conversation on how the site was, prices or who to contact. The owner then gave us a set of keys so we could lock up at night for our own piece of mind. He has also ordered a combination lock so that when you phone up to stay he gives you the gate code and the code for the toilet which will make the site a safer and more secure location for his visitors. Suffice to say that we thoroughly enjoyed our stay so much so we shared the site on this forum and would be annoyed if it was not there due to free loaders. JMTW

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[JJ]

Mr Clark...

As one of the early members of Fun's Freeloading Tossers' gang, I wear my "Off Site Motorhoming" label with pride.

I don't even like the so called "Aires" much.

The term "Freeloader" used here on Fun is very often meant as witty banter and shouldn't be taken seriously. .

Do you pocket (or handbag) the packets of sugar they hand out with cups of coffee if you don't use both of them?

That is a sign of being seriously careful with your money...

I NEVER do that... I can easily afford my own sugar because I don't waste money paying site fees (very often).


JJ

 

[jumartoo]

There's wild camping and then there's freeloading as far as I'm concerned. We wild camp. We arrive at an area fully self contained, we eat, sleep and move on. We may take some photos if we're in a good location, but that's all we will take.

Then there's the freeloaders who park up for weeks at a time (or months) take water from anywhere they can and dump their waste anywhere they want.

We have been guilty? of taking water from free flowing Fuentes in Spain and occasionally emptying our toilets in a public toilet and even, shock horror, taking water from a cemetery tap. But we only do this as a last resort. If there's an aire, either free or paying, then we'd prefer to use that to refresh our system.

We'd never take from a private aire. We've had people do that in Totana and it's annoying even though it's not us that it's costing.

So, the few that don't care about anyone but themselves, will eventually spoil it for the rest.

 

[Wildbill]

Mr Clark...

As one of the early members of Fun's Freeloading Tossers' gang, I wear my "Off Site Motorhoming" label with pride.

I don't even like the so called "Aires" much.

The term "Freeloader" used here on Fun is very often meant as witty banter and shouldn't be taken seriously. .

Do you pocket (or handbag) the packets of sugar they hand out with cups of coffee if you don't use both of them?

That is a sign of being seriously careful with your money...

I NEVER do that... I can easily afford my own sugar because I don't waste money paying site fees (very often).


JJ

Whare do I get the freeloading tosser badge you talk of I want one
Wildbill

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[Puddleduck]

There is wild camping and there is freeloading. The two are different as WE all know but the perception of the people who don't camp (in any form) is quite different.

The difference between travelers and true Romany perhaps?

 

[Lot lover]

Do you pocket (or handbag) the packets of sugar they hand out with cups of coffee if you don't use both of them?

I have paid for them so they are mine.

 

[Robert Clark]

I have paid for them so they are mine.

Sorry you're wrong
They actually belong to the previous person, who paid for them and left them on the table.

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[Puddleduck]

Sorry you're wrong
They actually belong to the previous person, who paid for them and left them on the table.

Abandoned goods????

 

[madgeD]

You would wonder why the gate isnt kept shut and something like a bike lock that you have to put a number in to open would work, most free loaders would probably move on with just a shut gate! Im sure a little bit of effort and they could stop this , even a sign with CCTV would work.

 

[pyro]

My take on things is that if we go to a site, then we are expected to pay what is required. If we don't then go without paying, we are depriving the owner of his income, theft (S3 Theft Act, making off without payment)

Wild camping is totally different in my eyes. This is no conditional entry to the site, and as long as you do no damage entering or whilst you are there and leave no mess behind, then it constitutes at worst a civil "trespass".

I'm unsure about dumping human waste, burial should be ok - away from a water source.

But being seen emptying your own personal black waste could attract a public order or environmental "waste management" conviction, and I suspect a magistrate would take a dim view of any defence that you didn't want to fill your own toilet.

Mind you, I would enjoy watching a policeman displaying the evidence in court

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[GJH]

Why do these people think that they can take advantage of someone's private property and business like this?

I have had folk (cyclists mainly) use our water tap without asking........ If they asked I would say to help themselves and help them out with other stuff but just assuming they can makes me so cross.

Some people don't care about stealing from others (never mind what the law says, I want) and some people don't even consider it stealing if they come across something like a water tap that is convenient for their use.

Whare we fill up if neseserry we will get permition and pay when ever we empty our toilet wast we level it cleaner than we left it always.

That is the only way to behave. Filling up from park/cemetery taps without permission is theft and using public toilets to dump cassettes without permission has resulted in bad press at the very least.

You would wonder why the gate isnt kept shut and something like a bike lock that you have to put a number in to open would work, most free loaders would probably move on with just a shut gate! Im sure a little bit of effort and they could stop this , even a sign with CCTV would work.

Something similar struck me when I read the OP. The "aire" at Ambleside used a similar system if I recall correctly but just a pity it turned out not be legal itself

 

[BusyBuilder]

I live in the Scottish Highlands, pay my taxes (council taxes) that pay for laybys and carparks that some of you will use and that's all well and good, and see no problems with that as most people spend money in local shops too.
I go wild camping and leave the area as clean as we arrived, mostly over on the west coast as it's only a 50 or 60 mile run out for us. We would never think of using a proper site the OP has spoken off and not paying our way. We do sometimes us a paid for site as well over in Ullapool or Scourie or Sheil Bridge.

And I don't see myself as a freeloader what ever that means, even though we happen to own a Hymer.

 

[JJ]

Why I HATE the term "Wild Camping".

1. Camping is done in tents.

2. Living in a motorhome with central heating, air conditioning, a cooker, fridge, shower, hot and cold water to bathroom and kitchen etc etc, independent of outside needs, is NOT, in anyway, "camping".

3. Many places which I and other folk use (tolerated parking locations) are NOT in the wilderness. Nothing "wild" about them at all.

So I try to do my motorhoming "off-site" and thus avoi rules, regulations, officials with clip boards (oh how I hate people with clip boards) and, of course, fees.

Just saying...

JJ

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[pyro]

Agreed with all above, save:

Camping: noun
1. a place where an army or other group of persons or an individual is lodged in a tent or tents or other temporary means of shelter.

Wild Parking perhaps?

 

[scotjimland]

It's called 'freedom camping' in NZ.

derived form 'freeload camping'

 

[vwalan]

it really goes back years as to what is camping or parking . these days spain as a police internet site that gives their view . also scroll down look at the legislation for camping etc . it will take you to the article that momo on this fun forum let us all have way back 8 years ago.
if we use it as a guide we can park almost anywhere thats sensible .
https://www.google.com/?client=firefox-b#q=n332+camping+or+parking
but have a read , it all makes sense really.
thanks momo you did us all a favour years ago.

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[Wildbill]

As @JJ says off-site" parking I will call it frome now on
Off-sitebill

 

[Robert Clark]

Why I HATE the term "Wild Camping".

1. Camping is done in tents.

2. Living in a motorhome with central heating, air conditioning, a cooker, fridge, shower, hot and cold water to bathroom and kitchen etc etc, independent of outside needs, is NOT, in anyway, "camping".

3. Many places which I and other folk use (tolerated parking locations) are NOT in the wilderness. Nothing "wild" about them at all.

So I try to do my motorhoming "off-site" and thus avoi rules, regulations, officials with clip boards (oh how I hate people with clip boards) and, of course, fees.

Just saying...

JJ

Off Site sounds a bit 'Man at Marks & Spencers'

How about 'Off Grid'? - that's much more 'rufty tufty'

 

[laird of Dunstan]

Off site parking or wild camping is an attractive way to motorhome and I aim to do it myself ,but the motorhomers who load up at their local supermarket and head up to these places and don't spend any money with the locals seem to miss the point of enterprise's such as the nc500 and that is to get tourists spending money with local businesses ,if we all went down the freeloader route then sooner or later the whole thing will become regulated

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[DuxDeluxe]

Off site parking or wild camping is an attractive way to motorhome and I aim to do it myself ,but the motorhomers who load up at their local supermarket and head up to these places and don't spend any money with the locals seem to miss the point of enterprise's such as the nc500 and that is to get tourists spending money with local businesses ,if we all went down the freeloader route then sooner or later the whole thing will become regulated

There will always be freeloaders trying to work the system and paying nothing as long as there are motorhomes to do it in. An adaptation of "shoot only pictures and leave only footprints" is the best way of describing how it should be done, though parking up on a industrial site car park really defies all logic, even if it is free.......

 

[vwalan]

its called choices . you make yours others make theirs.
sooner be parked next to a refrigerator lorry than a motor home with loud music sometimes .
fridges sing in the night . if you drove fridge trucks its quite pleasant .
if a fridge goes down many other drivers are out making sure the driver knows and nothings spoilt.
and as to free loading . i might spend alot here in cornwall then visit scotland . someone else buys alot in scotland then visits cornwall. so it equals out .

 

[DuxDeluxe]

its called choices . you make yours others make theirs.
sooner be parked next to a refrigerator lorry than a motor home with loud music sometimes .
fridges sing in the night . if you drove fridge trucks its quite pleasant .
if a fridge goes down many other drivers are out making sure the driver knows and nothings spoilt.
and as to free loading . i might spend alot here in cornwall then visit scotland . someone else buys alot in scotland then visits cornwall. so it equals out .

I would rather be parked next to neither, even if it is free. Yes freedom of choice - so glad that many of us choose not to, just to save a few quid. Life is too short........

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[vwalan]

or long .
its not always about money . its about not being next or near some types of people . .
choices .

 

[DuxDeluxe]

F

or long .
its not always about money . its about not being next or near some types of people . .
choices .

or some it is - trying to save a few pennies at the expense of all else. It is freedom of choice - as you say. Not a choice of many, though. Best of luck to those who do

 

[vwalan]

there was a time motor homes werent allowed on campsites . france and spain in particular . that why france set up the motorhome airres system .
france never really had caravans . spain not alot . it was all tents .
motor homes had no where to go.
some of us even as kids met this problem .
these days many motor homers are a new different breed .
germany holland lots of places campsite were a no go.
so we dont go.
yes times may have changed but we havnt. possibly the majority of motor homes dont want to use campsites . see spain portugal , morocco , italy etc in winter . thousands and thousands . not on campsites .
there really isnt enough campsites to take them all anyway.
but have fun . smile be happy .

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[pyro]

I don't have enough experience yet (aside from a little touring) to really contribute. So far I see it as a trade off between sites with their facilities and security over those few Aires I have experienced (basic facilities, security only in numbers) and "off grid" with privacy at the expense of exposure and absence of convenient facilities.

Having seen a few UK club sites, CC or CCC - both as claustrophobic as each other, I was almost put off motorhoming for ever. Seldom seen a more cliquey, snobbish or patronising bunch of windswept geriatrics in my entire life (except when I look in a mirror!). Perhaps I just saw the worst of the bunch, but it was almost enough to make me throw in the towel before I threw caution to the wind and still bought our own. So far our experiences have been mostly "off grid" because of this, but have invariably exceeded our wildest expectations.

As for leaving anything behind, buried, behind a bush, thrown in a barragem or smoking on a bonfire, everything is left exactly the same (or better) than we found it. It's a small price to pay for the hospitality of the land, we are not foraging for survival, we are tourists on the road, and feel that we could return with a clear conscience.

Not that I am criticising anyone else's choice

 

[Photo4x4]

An I right to start worrying a bit about an anti-motorhome trend in parts of the UK? SWMBO and I spent a few days in East Yorkshire in July and were disappointed to find that we were unable to stop in several seaside towns as every car park we came across had height barriers and all of the streets seemed to have no parking restrictions.

Also, talking of the NC500, I have recently been told that residents of Dornoch have been complaining that motorhomes are causing a problem by parking in the streets!

What is happening here and why? Is it because many motorhomes are a lot bigger than cars? Is it because many motorhomes are rather 'visible'? Is it because there are so many motorhomes about these days?

KH

 

[scotjimland]

I spent a few days in East Yorkshire in July and were disappointed to find that we were able to stop in several seaside towns as every car park we came across had height barriers and all of the streets seemed to have no parking restrictions.

A trend that is spreading.. and why many now go abroad.. or cast their eyes northward to find more friendly places.. but as the 'hobby' becomes more popular the pressures on available parking space becomes greater , councils and local residents get the hump with street parking and start putting up barriers.. both physical and legal..

Scotland is the last refuge. but sadly I also see it becoming less attractive as it becomes more trendy..

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