Anyone noticed how the courtesy of motorhomers is going away... (1 Viewer)

parkay3560

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Hi guys

Ive been motorhoming for nearly 18 years now. My first motorhome was a conversion from a placed called Leisuredrive in Manchester. It was on a talbot van and the conversion was magic but the van was pants- when it rained it went into the dashboard and when we went round corners it was pot luck which of us got wet first. When I took it back to be sorted and then picked it back up two weeks later I was driving up Trinity way and was changing gear to turn right onto the East lancs road when the gear lever snapped out of the floor........

Second van was a panel van conversion that was pants so that went and since then I have had a few vans but in all the time I have driven them ive noticed a few things about motor homers.

First off I have always acknowledged other motorhomers by waving and for many years I used to get waves back but it now appears that theres a kind of inverse snobbery creeping into the motorhome wavers code. It now seems that if you wave to smaller motorhomes that are panel conversions they dont wave back. Likewise the huge jobbies such as megathon a classes dont wave back. Its like the smaller you are the less you matter on a waving scale.

Obviously this isnt the norm. I have had loads of waves from huge motorhomes and small ones but also been ignored by many too. Seems to be down to younger people coming into the fold.They dont seem to be as social as us oldies are.

what do you think????

Bessy regs

Kenny
 

ourcampersbeentrashed

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In our first ever trip in the motorhome so many people waved and flashed we decided that there had to be something very wrong.

We pulled in on the hard shoulder on the motorway and were checking thoroughly everything when a motorhome pulled in in front of us and a lovely man came over and asked if he could be of help.

We had the chap in fits of laughter as we explained our dilemma. Bless him it was all he could do to keep a straight face whilst explaining that the flashes and waves were just people saying hello.

We were so relieved there was nothing wrong and laughed with him.

Im sure that had we been stranded his help would have been invaluable and the friendship between motorhomers that dont even know each other we really value.

The waving on motorways does seem to have declined but with the idiots on the road, to a certain extent its quite understandable
 
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parkay3560

parkay3560

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In our first ever trip in the motorhome so many people waved and flashed we decided that there had to be something very wrong.

We pulled in on the hard shoulder on the motorway and were checking thoroughly everything when a motorhome pulled in in front of us and a lovely man came over and asked if he could be of help.

We had the chap in fits of laughter as we explained our dilemma. Bless him it was all he could do to keep a straight face whilst explaining that the flashes and waves were just people saying hello.

We were so relieved there was nothing wrong and laughed with him.

Im sure that had we been stranded his help would have been invaluable and the friendship between motorhomers that dont even know each other we really value.

The waving on motorways does seem to have declined but with the idiots on the road, to a certain extent its quite understandable

deja vous or what??

on our first trip in the drip mobile from Leisuredrive we went down to cornwall and I took the wrong road and ended up going through Plymouth. Due to the fact that Id already had a few " teething problens" with the van,I was concerned when campers started to wave and flash their lights at me too. I though...Hey up ecky thump...new boy with a van is peeing off the other campers and I stoppped to check the van to see if bits hadnt been falling off. Just like you a motorhome stopped and genned me up on the rules of Motorhome waving.

I dont tend to flash and wave on the motorway for obvious reasons but one thing I do do is guage how good a holiday is by the number of waves.When I last went down to Anglesey to stay on my friends sponny new CL I got 122 waves which was really good in my book.

Tell you summat else that intrigues me....often times when Im going away- or coming home from a trip and get a wave off a fellow motorhomer, I wonder if they are going away or coming hime.... had an idea for a little sign on the windscreen like the ones you see made of leds on busses that tell you where they are going....

hows about....Kenny is on a mission to motorhome in XYZ or Kenny's been on a mission to XYZ LOL

wonder if it would catch on hahaha

Bessy regs

Kenny

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mejulie

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I have also noticed what feels like snobbery from the 'big boys'. We have been motorhoming for about three years, and in that time I have noticed a decline in the number of people who wave back at us. Hardly ever do we get a response from the 'big boys', even the larger coachbuilts don't always acknowledge us. I personally wave at everybody, but get most response from the small to average sized coachbuilts(which we are). Even the high tops look at us as if we're showing off. As far as I'm concerned, we're all doing it for the same reasons and what we can afford is niether here nor there so I will continue to wave at everybody anyway. Regards Mel.
 

brodie

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Hi

I would class myself as young - early 30's and me & hubby always wave, unless i'm laid back with eyes closed or the kids are distracting me! The ones that don't wave may have the monk on if on their way back home:ROFLMAO:.

We were a bit bemused at first when we first experienced 'the wave' but soon got use to it:ROFLMAO:.

Motorhomers are a class of their own not just in the UK either. :thumb:

In France last year we had a blowout on the motorway which was pretty scary I can tell you, it was only luck that we were very close to a service stop. On pulling in we attempted to change the wheel an English lady from a MH promptly came over to ask if her hubby could be of assistance. My hubby being himself said "no it's ok I can manage, thanks though" famous last words. Ten minutes later the jack had snapped:cry:

Of course we had never used it and tried lifting the MH up on the side where the water tank was (3/4 full) without emtying it!

Now we had to ask for help just to borrow a jack, a couple of Land Rovers pulled in full of English lads bingo I thought these will defo help. Oh no.. they were in a rush and didn't want to get some of their things out to locate it. :Angry:

A French family then pulled behind us in a MH - massive thing can't remember what it was but it was very shiny & new our is on an L plate so quite old. Hubby went over to ask to borrow the jack (cric in French I won't forget that one) they jumped out father & son and changed it for us! It took about 3/4 hour in the baking heat, with not a hint of snobbery! They were wet through from the water we emptied off, didn't speak a word of English and do you know what they wouldn't even accept a crate of Stella as a token of appreciation I would have given them 10 times that if we had got it:thumb:.

So no, I think the courtesy is still there in the main and it's brilliant that we can all look out for each other :thumb:.

Vik
 

DESCO

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I think that the people who don't wave are a new breed of motorhomers, not in it for the fun just look it as a holiday transport and have the car driver attitude, mines better, newer, and bigger than yours.

We travel in Scotland for most our trips, and people still wave there most of the time, but then most of these seem to be proper motorhomers.

I love to see foreign motorhomers who seem to enjoy waving, and have caught the habit. Always remember one lady passenger we waved to thought she was going to shake her hand off and the smile that went with it made our day.


Dave :thumb::thumb:

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brodie

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I think that the people who don't wave are a new breed of motorhomers, not in it for the fun just look at as a holiday transport and have the car driver attitude, mines better, newer, and bigger than yours.

Dave :thumb::thumb:

We know someone like that and I wonder if they will really enjoy it as much as us!
 

Ven

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As long as I haven't got my head in a book I wave at all motorhomes whatever the shape, size or age as does Dave (not that he has his head in a book while driving, tends to stick to magazines :roflmto: ). I love that aspect of being part of the mh community and I would say 90% wave back both here and in France.

On motorways we tend not to wave first just because of the faster speed and 6 lane separation but we do wave back.
 
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Now, I've mentioned this before but what we've noticed is the panel vans/smaller MHs ignor us rest OKish, funny thing driving round Scotland saw and waved at a few foreigners, most ignored or looked bemused but those that waved went mad:thumb:

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sedge

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We seem to just have days where we must have B.O. - here and in France ! We wave at everyone - been known to wave at Horseboxes too, me!

The trouble is, you know, I have to work out which head I have on, because I'll go out in the car and wave at motorhomes and motorbikes or we'll be in the M/H and I'll wave at motorbikes and vice versa. I have no idea how may totally bemused motorbike - esp Blackbird - owners there are by now - including one on Lesvos - and we were passengers in a minibus that day!
 

wivvy's dad

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After all these years, I have to say I've pretty much given up on waving.

I waved when I had the following (in no particular order):
2CV
Beetle
T25
Most sorts of motorcycle (except Harley tractors)

So.......call me a curmudgeon.

Our panel van conversion looks just like any other white van from the front, and I intend to keep it that way.
 

jg147

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When we collected our motorhome the other week I was unwell so did not feel like travelling the 2 hours each way. Our returning home our son who is 12 could not stop going on about how other motorhomers waved at them, Jack thought it was so funny and insisted if I was not going to wave I would have to go sit in the back.

Sure enough the following weekend as we set off we came across lots of friendly waves. We love it and what ever your size I promise to continue waving:thumb:

My husband drives a landrover 90 (I know I can hear the groans but he loves it and it's his second) the drivers of landis do acknowledge each other here in calderdale but it is more a nodd than a wave. This does not include discovery or range rover drivers, they are too posh perhaps

Keep up the waving we feel part of a special club

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DBSilverfox

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Interesting topic

we went to Norfolk in ours for the weekend (great site on the cliffs near Cromer) and we waved and got waved back by everyone except for the smaller campervan drivers. Lots of VW campers around, but not one of them waved. Odd really

I work on the basis that I wave because I am enjoying myself. If someone does not wave back, they are not having as much fun as I am, so their loss, not mine. :thumb:

David
 
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Well that`s our 13th year & still loving it.
this is interesting

Hi all,

Would agree with lots of the comments here, it does appear to be the norm that the VW campervan size don`t wave haven`t really noticed what the RV class size do as we haven`t seen that many of them apart from that after a month touring around Scotland we would say the majority even the foriegn plates waved.

Strange thing though when you got to the campsite were did all those friendly wavers go, walking around the site most people didn`t acknowledge you at all..
Funny things us human beings..:Confused:
 
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Hi all,


Strange thing though when you got to the campsite were did all those friendly wavers go, walking around the site most people didn`t acknowledge you at all..
Funny things us human beings..:Confused:

Yes, funny that? Tenters and tuggers very friendly, we often have bearly switched the motor off and we're chatting to someone (literaly last trip I was trying to stick a leveling ramp under one front wheel and had to switch off), but less so motorhomers, maybe it 'cos we're in an RV????

Whatever which way we're having fun:thumb:

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parkay3560

parkay3560

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Yes, funny that? Tenters and tuggers very friendly, we often have bearly switched the motor off and we're chatting to someone (literaly last trip I was trying to stick a leveling ramp under one front wheel and had to switch off), but less so motorhomers, maybe it 'cos we're in an RV????

Whatever which way we're having fun:thumb:

Thats very true and on most sites I have been on Ive got on well with people. On Twitchen Parc in Devon we had a problem with our leisure battery in or Elldis made Barrons special firestorm edition in that nothing would work on 12 volt even when lekky was plugged in. for some reason it turned out to be the battery and the tugger in the next pitch who looked like a grizzly old sea fairing type( I actuaally nicknamed him Captn Bob) lent me a battery for the time I was there which was really kind of him. Ive found MHers really friendly on the sites I have been on and we have swapped many a tale of grace and woe LOL

When I went down to Arwyn's CL the other week though was NOT a happy bunny. Some numpty in a caravan put their van the wrong way round in their pitch. I thought nowt of it and we went up to Benlech for a ride and when we came back the stupid eejats had errected an awning on our pitch grass which was two foot from our windows. They sat there each night looking through the awning til the wee small hours and I swear to god I have NEVER seen anyone smoke like these two. It was one cig after another.No wonder their awning was brown....was probably two weeks of niccotine LOL.. Anyway, wednesday came and they disappeared for the day and we thought...good no pillocks tooting through our windows but no.....they had actually been to Ireland on the ferry cos guess what they came back with.....you guessed it, loads of packs of ciggies.

On Thursday we had had enough and I said to them that they had their rig the wrong way round and the grass their awning was on was ours so could they contribute to our site fees as they had enjoyed our amenities. The bloke turned out to be a complete twonk cos he turned round and said " YOu know all you bloody Motorhomers think you own all the camp sites dont you. YOu all make me sick hogging the roads and holding us caravanners up!!!"


I was so annoyed I left him.......lying there( no just kidding) and went to speak to Arwyn pointing out to him that as a CL owner, if the CC reps came to inspect and saw the way the van had pitched they would give him a right rollocking for not enforcing site rules and saftey.

Up shot is the bloke had to swing his van round.I was so happy I watched as he took the awning down and swing the van round the right way. Felt good to actually use the back door for a change ....

Motorhoming......you know it makes sense:ROFLMAO:


Bessy regs

Kenny
 

kennygd

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::bigsmile: As a full timer I am on the road a fair bit especially on the M11 and A1, can't miss me in my white 6 wheeler with a big square illuminous sign on the front saying long vehicle with a blue smart car on the back, I waved to so may motorhomers and caravans last week I lost count, some motorhomers did acknowledge so that was great but a lot just looked as if I was a lunatic waving frantically, can't win them all, :thumb:
kennygd
 
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parkay3560

parkay3560

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::bigsmile: As a full timer I am on the road a fair bit especially on the M11 and A1, can't miss me in my white 6 wheeler with a big square illuminous sign on the front saying long vehicle with a blue smart car on the back, I waved to so may motorhomers and caravans last week I lost count, some motorhomers did acknowledge so that was great but a lot just looked as if I was a lunatic waving frantically, can't win them all, :thumb:
kennygd

I might be on the way down the M1 in the near future Kenny( gawd it feels strange to call someone else Kenny on the same forum LOL) cos I am going to be hopefully going down to meet an Army buddy of mine called Matt at Twickenham for a shoot with models and medium format cameras and the like so if I spot your rig I will be sure to give you a hearty wave mate.

Bessy regs

Kenny


oops.....glasses need changing.....thought it was M1 not M11 me bad lol.....if I get up the A1 I will still look out for you LOL

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May 16, 2010
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We always waive when we see an MH (SWMBO even waives to them when we are in the car)

I think its fantastic when people waive back makes you feel proud to be different.:thumb:
 

Jim

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Just done 200+ miles and waved at everything we met. I'd say the majority of those waved back. Even a gorgeous split screen VW, decked out with surf boards, waved back.

As little as 12 years ago passing other motorhomes was an event and everyone waved. As they get more popular waving will decline. The big grin that most of us wear when driving will always be there::bigsmile: and we will still be waving whether you wave back or not:Smile:
 

lallymc

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We class ourselves as youngsters (well 40) does that still count ?:ROFLMAO:

We wave to everyone and every size - must admit about half dont wave back and i wouldnt say they were youngsters either.

Carry on with the waving guys - and what would be nicer still for other motorhomers to actually talk while on sites:Smile:
 
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I have also noticed what feels like snobbery from the 'big boys'. We have been motorhoming for about three years, and in that time I have noticed a decline in the number of people who wave back at us. Hardly ever do we get a response from the 'big boys', even the larger coachbuilts don't always acknowledge us. I personally wave at everybody, but get most response from the small to average sized coachbuilts(which we are). Even the high tops look at us as if we're showing off.

Just to add an alternative viewpoint to this thread - I'm a 'younger' MHer driving a vehicle at the bottom of the size food chain and in the 4 months I've had it I'd like to think that I've waved at most opportunities. In all that time one person has waved to me - and that was a tugger! :roflmto:

So count yourselves lucky....I'm beginning to think that if you drive something that doesn't fit the stereotypical MH template, e.g. a panel van, is small and, heaven forbid, doesn't come in white then you've got no chance of a wave back :RollEyes:

As for communication while on-site, that's not a problem when the Funsters are around (as I've had the pleasure to experience the last few days) :thumb: And I've been quite fortunate when I've been on my own at other sites too.

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IrasciBill

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Wavers

....I'm beginning to think that if you drive something that doesn't fit the stereotypical MH template, e.g. a panel van, is small and, heaven forbid, doesn't come in white then you've got no chance of a wave back :RollEyes:
QUOTE]

Think you've hit the nail on the head Neil - we have exactly the same problem and someone on here, Scotjimland I think, reckoned it was possibly because we didn't look like a MH. At 24 ft long 8 ft wide and 4.5 tonnes, I don't think it's a size thing! :roflmto::roflmto::roflmto:

We continue to wave anyway and probably cause a fair bit of head scratching (and possibly the odd domestic) amongst those we have waved to. Who was that? Do we know them? They must be your friends, they're certainly not mine! etc. etc. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Not managed to any meets yet (the demon work) but you guys are making me really jealous!
 

Tommy_harry

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We wave !!!

We are new to motorhoming, and have had very good advice from the forum, in particular dont forget to give us all a wave when you mobile.

Hubby and me are 40 so youngish, and we wave to everyone, have found not many wave back which does annoy me when the children are waving at them, we now shout in chorus ...THEY CANT BE FUNSTERS !!! :winky::winky:

We will continue to wave... as at least we have acknoweldged them and it would be rude to ignore fellow MH....:thumb: YOU NEVER KNOW we may even raise the numbers now this thread has started...:Eeek:
 

chatter

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hehehheehe i dont worry anymore only been waved at once with our outfit and waved back as one would, most just stare at it or straight ahead or maybe its because some mad woman is driving it.

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AdgeRas

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I try to wave to all the motorhomes I see (and a few white vans that I mistake for motorhomes) but if I see a panel van conversion and realise too late that it is a motorhome and have not waved I start to feel sad.

Is that only me that gets that feeling when missing a motorhome? :Smile:

Rasmus
 
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parkay3560

parkay3560

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I try to wave to all the motorhomes I see (and a few white vans that I mistake for motorhomes) but if I see a panel van conversion and realise too late that it is a motorhome and have not waved I start to feel sad.

Is that only me that gets that feeling when missing a motorhome? :Smile:

Rasmus

I get that feeling too. But.....feel really foolish sometimes when you wave thinking its a MH and it turns out to the van Comet use for smaller deliveries and the driver thinks your a nutter LOL

Funny thing is when I'm out and about in the van you sometimes get that moment when you think....did they wave or didnt they so do I count it in the waves count for the journey. If I'd counted all the waves I wasnt sure of that were waves in the journeys Ive had I probably would have had a whole lot more than I actually counted :ROFLMAO:

maybe that idea I had of the home and away sign in the van should incorporate a waves counter...so mine might say......going to Anglesey and had 22 waves....followed by on my way home back from Anglesey and had no waves:cry:

Bessy regs

Kenny
 
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Interesting topicwe went to Norfolk in ours for the weekend (great site on the cliffs near Cromer) and we waved and got waved back by everyone except for the smaller campervan drivers. Lots of VW campers around, but not one of them waved. Odd reallyI work on the basis that I wave because I am enjoying myself. If someone does not wave back, they are not having as much fun as I am, so their loss, not mine. :thumb:
David
I have been driving my wee VW 50k miles in four years and I can honestly say I get a few fingers but never had a single wave. :Cool:

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