FLT's - Why?

[Jasz]

Despite the title, this is not meant to be a contentious thread and I hope it doesn't turn into a "My way is best thread" (some hope!). I am just interested and judging by many posts on other threads, other people would also be.
We have just spent a month touring France. We stayed on 6 free Aires, some we had to pay for and some sites (starting from as little as 10 Euros). Although the free Aires were fine for a night and well positioned to see where we were staying, they were not really suited to staying for more than 1 night, especially as it was hot and we didn't want to stay in the van! All the nicest places we stayed at, we had to pay for but we could happily have a BBQ dinner outside which was much more pleasant.
I have followed @Northernraider on his travels and fully understand why he would want to keep his costs to a minimum as he is effectively full timing , especially as he is planning to follow it up with another long trip.
1) Do FLT's avoid many of the nicest places to visit just to save a few £'s or Euros?
2) Are they happy sitting in car parks during the day (even if they are not tarmac), or do they move on every day?
3) Trying to avoid the usual "I don't need facilities so I don't see why I should pay for them" Why are you a FLT?
4) In England do you have to move on every day (Britstops etc.)?

 

[Jim]

A free loading Tosser is someone who finds a nice place were it is free and legal to stop, but takes the pee and to the detriment of everyone, stays as long as he/she can. Why do you think there is anyone here who can answer your questions?

 

[Southdowners]

A free loading Tosser is someone who finds a nice place were it is free and legal to stop, but takes the pee and to the detriment of everyone, stays as long as he/she can. Why do you think there is anyone here who can answer your questions?

Interesting. I gained the impression that it was a derogatory term applied to anyone who doesn’t wish to stay on a site.

 

[Popeye]

Why do you think there is anyone here who can answer your questions?

Q............ JJ.

 

[MattR]

Interesting. I gained the impression that it was a derogatory term applied to anyone who doesn’t wish to stay on a site.

I agree with @Jim (although it does not always have to be a nice place) but some people have taken to using it for anyone who does not wish to stay on a site, irrespective of how much impact they have on the area.

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[scotjimland]

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

We you may class as FLT as it is simply cost we don't have much money but we would never ever abuse anywhere we stay, always clean up other people's rubish where we can. We tend to move around and found some super places to stay. We cannot even afford a motorhome so we are in a seif converted van as pensioners it suits us and have met lots of interesting people of all nationalities. We don't paticaly want to sit in the same place for a month or more, and to go onto a campsite for a couple of days at a time is cost prohibitive for us.
This morning we have watched a Portuguese sea fishing match very interesting and we are not bothering anyone along the above river, so all I can say long live FLT.

 

[gus-lopez]

1) Do FLT's avoid many of the nicest places to visit just to save a few £'s or Euros?
2) Are they happy sitting in car parks during the day (even if they are not tarmac), or do they move on every day?
3) Trying to avoid the usual "I don't need facilities so I don't see why I should pay for them" Why are you a FLT?
4) In England do you have to move on every day (Britstops etc.)?

1) I don't visit anywhere.
2) I move on each day & only require somewhere to sleep. The only private aire I use on my travels I ensure I'm well away from anyone else.
3) I don't consider myself to be one.
4) No . I stay at friends/relatives.hooked up,plugged in water/waste

 

[Pia]

We stay on some free Aires in or very close to towns we want to visit, usually only for the night as we tend to arrive around noon at these places. We belong to Camping Car Parks in France. These have taken over a fair few of the old municipal campsites. They have a barrier system to enter and usually have free electricity and nearly always free wifi. They are excellent on the whole and cost around €10-12 per night. You buy the card at the first barrier and then just load it up with money as you need to. We particularly like these as the pitches are usually marked mostly with hedges and you can engage in camping behaviour. They are rarely full, in fact there are usually only a few other motorhomers...Most are exclusive to motorhomes but one or two that we have come across allow caravans and tents in high season ONLY. Oh yes, they are open all year to motorhomers.

 

[Jim]

Interesting. I gained the impression that it was a derogatory term applied to anyone who doesn’t wish to stay on a site.

It is a derogatory term, first coined here. But specifically at "Tossers" and certainly not 'generically' at people who prefer not to use campsites

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/wild-camping-not.28340/

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[andy63]

avoid many of the nicest places to visit just to save a few £'s or Euros?

A little bay in the middle of nowhere with the nearest village a few km' s away along the coast.. no facilities at all..
Is this what you call freeloading ?

All the nicest places we stayed at, we had to pay for but we could happily have a BBQ dinner outside which was much more pleasant.

Thats an unusual statement to me... the nicest places i seem to come across i dont have to pay for...
Andy.

 

[Littlewheels]

A little bay in the middle of nowhere with the nearest village a few km' s away along the coast.. no facilities at all..
Is this what you call freeloading ?
View attachment 261292



Thats an unusual statement to me... the nicest places i seem to come across i dont have to pay for...
Andy.

Unfortunately the example you set above are becoming rarer because of people who visit these exceptional places and post the location on the likes of S4S and CC and before you know it 200 MH’s flood it and then you do get a fair share of T@@@@@s that do not respect the obvious basic principles.

The authorities in Portugal are clamping down on such activity and Spain aren’t far behind it won’t be long before finding a special place becomes impossible.

 

[The Wino]

I think the FLT term was originally used as a derogatory term for people who don't give a toss about leaving the place they are in a mess but it's often used on here to have a go at people who just don't see the point in always paying when there's a free option just look at some of the britstops threads people want to stop anyone not buying the book staying at places in it.

 

[PhilG]

The issue here is that while people 'only stay one night'.. they are not the only people , someone will be there every night. so for the locals it quickly becomes a blight, same as people who stop on Marine Drive in Dover. I can see why folk get pissed off with it.

 

[PhilandMena]

A free loading Tosser is someone who finds a nice place were it is free and legal to stop, but takes the pee and to the detriment of everyone, stays as long as he/she can. Why do you think there is anyone here who can answer your questions?

Utter Cock!

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[andy63]

that do not respect the obvious basic principles.

Of course thats the case..
It doesnt take a lot of figuring out that you need facilities for disposal of waste even if you are self sufficient in power and water etc.
When motorhoming i keep all my waste in garage , quite often till im home ...two casettes does me for a week or more..
When kayaking and camping my toilet is usually the trowel i carry with me.. .. and all rubbish is kept till it can be disposed of properly..
Different circumstances and different locations ... different solutions , all acceptable as long as you have a bit common sense.
Andy.

 

[Jim]

Utter Cock!

Keep practicing. You're definitely getting more eloquent.

 

[PhilandMena]

1) Do FLT's avoid many of the nicest places to visit just to save a few £'s or Euros?
2) Are they happy sitting in car parks during the day (even if they are not tarmac), or do they move on every day?
3) Trying to avoid the usual "I don't need facilities so I don't see why I should pay for them" Why are you a FLT?
4) In England do you have to move on every day (Britstops etc.)?

1. Not at all, many FLT visit some great places, i.e.Cordoba which is free and legal to park for motorhomes. This is one example of many.
2.You need to get out and explore a bit more me thinks. What makes you think all FLT stay in car parks during the day.
3. We all need facilities and many of the free stop overs have them available for free. Occasionally we will go onto a campsite and use their facilities.i.e. washing machines etc., etc., Money saved by not staying on campsites can be redirected to museums, restaurants, day trips etc and it's a considerable saving. If you want to stay on a campsite all the time, get a caravan. A motorhome is a mobile home.
4. Don't know. The UK is crap for motor-homes so we spend almost all of our motor-homing abroad.

Long Live the FLT's I'm one and proud of it.

 

[Millcourt]

Interesting. I gained the impression that it was a derogatory term applied to anyone who doesn’t wish to stay on a site.

Always wondered what the “T” stood for. Had assumed it was a rather more vulgar word of only 4 letters!

p.s. On further thought, isn’t “Tosser” also rather rude, or does it have a more subtle meaning?

 

[Southdowners]

It is a derogatory term, first coined here. But specifically at "Tossers" and certainly not 'generically' at people who prefer not to use campsites

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/wild-camping-not.28340/

That makes me feel better then. I thought the term was aimed at folk like me!

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[ianthebuilder]

Always wondered what the “T” stood for. Had assumed it was a rather more vulgar word of only 4 letters!

p.s. On further thought, isn’t “Tosser” also rather rude, or does it have a more subtle meaning?

Only on pancake day!!

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

We always toss on pancake day.

 

[Southdowners]

Always wondered what the “T” stood for. Had assumed it was a rather more vulgar word of only 4 letters!

p.s. On further thought, isn’t “Tosser” also rather rude, or does it have a more subtle meaning?

It is a very offensive term.

The term 'tosser' has the same meaning as 'Wabbit'.

I got pretty upset at times as I thought people were referring to me in that manner because we don't use sites.

 

[Blossom]

A free loading Tosser is someone who finds a nice place were it is free and legal to stop, but takes the pee and to the detriment of everyone, stays as long as he/she can. Why do you think there is anyone here who can answer your questions?

I didnt know what FLT meant so thanks for the explanation Jim.

 

[138go]

We do a bit of everything. Stay on sites if we can find one we like. Aires both free and paid and a bit of wild camping.

It is true the locals in some areas are getting fed up of the influx of FLT. One of our favourite places now has sealed manhole covers and they have removed the water taps from the beach. Local residents now have cameras and will be informing the Police of any waste emptying that they see. The FLT have spoilt it for everyone.

We have just left one place. Nothing special just a small dead end road. Very near the beach and shops. The Dutch guy parked behind us told me this morning they would be staying till Christmas.

..

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[Jim]

got pretty upset at times as I thought people were referring to me in that manner because we don't use sites.

Exactly, if you read that thread from 2010 it lets you know how the term came about. Some of the nicest people I know choose to find their own way outside of a site network and are certainly not tossers in any way shape or form

 

[Millcourt]

It is a very offensive term.

The term 'tosser' has the same meaning as 'Wabbit'.

I got pretty upset at times as I thought people were referring to me in that manner because we don't ..........

Thanks for the explicit explanation!!!!!

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

Fishing match this morning this afternoon the youngsters sailing club we going soon for a bifarna and coffee.

 

[captainscarlett]

The issue here is that while people 'only stay one night'.. they are not the only people , someone will be there every night. so for the locals it quickly becomes a blight, same as people who stop on Marine Drive in Dover. I can see why folk get pissed off with it.

So if someone buys a property by the coast they have also purchased the view they may have? If motorhomers or campers want to park LEGALLY and behave sensibly then they are entitled to do so, local residents own their property not everything the eye can see, irrespective of how much they have paid for it.

 

[Hollyberry]

Where you stay in your motorhome depends on your situation at the time- not always a financial decision.
I had to stay in a not very attractive lay-by for several days and nights as my cat was at a specialist vet hospital having a scan and major surgery. I was 100 yards along the road so could check on him a couple of times a day. No rubbish left, dog poo all cleaned up and binned ( vets had dog poo bin in grounds which they said I was welcome to use) no one would have known we'd been there.
Another day was on Exmoor and getting too late to reach the site I wanted to book into ( and no phone reception!) so stopped near a reservoir. We were quiet, disturbed no one, left it as we found it. Through France I stayed, FOC beside lakes, in vineyard car parks, in forests, in Aires. . And also in France & UK, paid on sites and Aires.
The majority of Motorhomers, I think, are responsible people who respect the beauty of the places they visit. Whether it's free or paid for shouldn't have any bearing on how you treat a place. Just my opinion.

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