MH Snobishness - does it exist? (1 Viewer)

[ambulancekidd]

Yes, snobbery does exist big time. In our caravan years we always spoke to our neighbours & made some really good lifelong friends. Now our last caravan outfit consisted of a nearly new Range Rover Vogue SE and a brand new Sterling Elite Explorer twin axle caravan, so not a cheap outfit, but still motorhomer's wouldn't speak. We often tried to talk to motorhomer's but they'd walk past with their noses in the air. Its not as if we're noisy or antisocial. We were always puzzled by this, especially in light of the fact that I'd grown up with "caravanettes" & had been so used to my parents making friends with neighbours on sites. The other oddity we noticed & it almost became a sport for Hazel & I to take a small bet on what time the motorhome folk would close up for the night? Without fail the motorhome blinds, curtains & whatever else were closed up & shut the world out whilst it was still light. We always thought WTF is that all about?

Anyway fast forward 10 years & we have our PVC Sprinter we though oh perhaps motorhomer's would speak now, but oh no, the same system prevailed. So our thoughts have always been to hell with them, if they don't want to speak that's their problem & if they do want to speak then halleluiah we'd found actual human beings in a motorhome.

Now we have bought an Autosleeper Executive built in 2000 & on a frankly bloody awful Peugeot Boxer chassis, but we bought it as a project & are working our way through the problems, but the biggest difference is that everyone else in a motorhome smiles & waves, we always return the compliment. There is still one fly in the ointment though, those with nearly new motorhomes still will not be drawn into conversation WTF is that all about? Folks with older motorhomes are very friendly, but here's the rub, everyone in motorhomes still barricade themselves in at the first sign of the sun going down? Do motorhomers know something that we still don't? Do vampires come out at night & feast on the living with their blinds still open? Are there flesh eating zombies wandering around in the dark looking for a meal? If so then Hazel & I are about to be eaten, bitten or just killed to death by these creatures of the night as we do not close our blinds til bedtime. We think that a camp site slowing down for the night is a beautiful thing. We recently sat in Park Coppice (Cumbria) with the windows open listening to the foxes & wildlife going about their business, it was wonderful to sleep with the windows fully open enjoying the sounds.

So come on folks, drop your guard, keep your blinds open & enjoy the humanity of your neighbours. After all, we're all just doing the same thing, enjoying the country that we find ourselves in & chilling out with like minded folks. Even caravan folks who are described on here in a rather derogatory term as "tuggers" are just the same as you, even if they are a bit in the dark as to the beauty of motorhomes.

 

[magicsurfbus]

I don't know about snobbery, but ever since I started out in a second hand ridge tent anyone with more expensive kit than me has always been a posh b*****d.

 

[davanne]

Yes, snobbery does exist big time. In our caravan years we always spoke to our neighbours & made some really good lifelong friends. Now our last caravan outfit consisted of a nearly new Range Rover Vogue SE and a brand new Sterling Elite Explorer twin axle caravan, so not a cheap outfit, but still motorhomer's wouldn't speak. We often tried to talk to motorhomer's but they'd walk past with their noses in the air. Its not as if we're noisy or antisocial. We were always puzzled by this, especially in light of the fact that I'd grown up with "caravanettes" & had been so used to my parents making friends with neighbours on sites. The other oddity we noticed & it almost became a sport for Hazel & I to take a small bet on what time the motorhome folk would close up for the night? Without fail the motorhome blinds, curtains & whatever else were closed up & shut the world out whilst it was still light. We always thought WTF is that all about?

Anyway fast forward 10 years & we have our PVC Sprinter we though oh perhaps motorhomer's would speak now, but oh no, the same system prevailed. So our thoughts have always been to hell with them, if they don't want to speak that's their problem & if they do want to speak then halleluiah we'd found an actual human beings in a motorhome.

Now we have bought an Autosleeper Executive built in 2000 & on a frankly bloody awful Peugeot Boxer chassis, but we bought it as a project & are working our way through the problems, but the biggest difference is that everyone else in a motorhome smiles & waves, we always return the compliment. There is still one fly in the ointment though, those with nearly new motorhomes still will not be drawn into conversation WTF is that all about? Folks with older motorhomes are very friendly, but here's the rub, everyone in motorhomes still barricade themselves in at the first sign of the sun going down? Do motorhomes know something that we still don't? Do vampires come out at night & feast on the living with their blinds still open? Are there flesh eating zombies wandering around in the dark looking for a meal? If so then Hazel & I are about to be eaten, bitten or just killed to death by these creatures of the night as we do not close our blinds til bedtime. We think that a camp site slowing down for the night is a beautiful thing. We recently sat in Park Coppice (Cumbria) with the windows open listening to the foxes & wildlife going about their business, it was wonderful to sleep with the windows fully open enjoying the sounds.

So come on folks, drop your guard, keep your blinds open & enjoy the humanity of your neighbours. After all, we're all just doing the same thing, enjoying the country that we find ourselves in & chilling out with like minded folks. Even caravan folks who are described on here in a rather derogatory term as "tuggers" are just the same as you, even if they are a bit in the dark as to the beauty of motorhomes.
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We like to keep our blinds open as late as possible ....maybe because I'm nosy and frightened of missing something Oh and I'll talk to anyone

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[Rockcrawler]

Yes, snobbery does exist big time. In our caravan years we always spoke to our neighbours & made some really good lifelong friends. Now our last caravan outfit consisted of a nearly new Range Rover Vogue SE and a brand new Sterling Elite Explorer twin axle caravan, so not a cheap outfit, but still motorhomer's wouldn't speak. We often tried to talk to motorhomer's but they'd walk past with their noses in the air. Its not as if we're noisy or antisocial. We were always puzzled by this, especially in light of the fact that I'd grown up with "caravanettes" & had been so used to my parents making friends with neighbours on sites. The other oddity we noticed & it almost became a sport for Hazel & I to take a small bet on what time the motorhome folk would close up for the night? Without fail the motorhome blinds, curtains & whatever else were closed up & shut the world out whilst it was still light. We always thought WTF is that all about?

Anyway fast forward 10 years & we have our PVC Sprinter we though oh perhaps motorhomer's would speak now, but oh no, the same system prevailed. So our thoughts have always been to hell with them, if they don't want to speak that's their problem & if they do want to speak then halleluiah we'd found an actual human beings in a motorhome.

Now we have bought an Autosleeper Executive built in 2000 & on a frankly bloody awful Peugeot Boxer chassis, but we bought it as a project & are working our way through the problems, but the biggest difference is that everyone else in a motorhome smiles & waves, we always return the compliment. There is still one fly in the ointment though, those with nearly new motorhomes still will not be drawn into conversation WTF is that all about? Folks with older motorhomes are very friendly, but here's the rub, everyone in motorhomes still barricade themselves in at the first sign of the sun going down? Do motorhomes know something that we still don't? Do vampires come out at night & feast on the living with their blinds still open? Are there flesh eating zombies wandering around in the dark looking for a meal? If so then Hazel & I are about to be eaten, bitten or just killed to death by these creatures of the night as we do not close our blinds til bedtime. We think that a camp site slowing down for the night is a beautiful thing. We recently sat in Park Coppice (Cumbria) with the windows open listening to the foxes & wildlife going about their business, it was wonderful to sleep with the windows fully open enjoying the sounds.

So come on folks, drop your guard, keep your blinds open & enjoy the humanity of your neighbours. After all, we're all just doing the same thing, enjoying the country that we find ourselves in & chilling out with like minded folks. Even caravan folks who are described on here in a rather derogatory term as "tuggers" are just the same as you, even if they are a bit in the dark as to the beauty of motorhomes.
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Well said that man

 

[Lenny HB]

Being the owner of a N&B soon. I take it, You are John Cleese

I shan't let it change me - honest

Nope, young Robert will have to wait until he gets a Concorde or Morelo.

 

[jessthedog]

nearly new Range Rover Vogue SE and a brand new Sterling Elite Explorer twin axle caravan

With that set up, they might have been worried you were selling lucky heather.

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[Lenny HB]

Yes, snobbery does exist big time. In our caravan years we always spoke to our neighbours & made some really good lifelong friends. Now our last caravan outfit consisted of a nearly new Range Rover Vogue SE and a brand new Sterling Elite Explorer twin axle caravan, so not a cheap outfit, but still motorhomer's wouldn't speak. We often tried to talk to motorhomer's but they'd walk past with their noses in the air. Its not as if we're noisy or antisocial. We were always puzzled by this, especially in light of the fact that I'd grown up with "caravanettes" & had been so used to my parents making friends with neighbours on sites. The other oddity we noticed & it almost became a sport for Hazel & I to take a small bet on what time the motorhome folk would close up for the night? Without fail the motorhome blinds, curtains & whatever else were closed up & shut the world out whilst it was still light. We always thought WTF is that all about?

Anyway fast forward 10 years & we have our PVC Sprinter we though oh perhaps motorhomer's would speak now, but oh no, the same system prevailed. So our thoughts have always been to hell with them, if they don't want to speak that's their problem & if they do want to speak then halleluiah we'd found actual human beings in a motorhome.

Now we have bought an Autosleeper Executive built in 2000 & on a frankly bloody awful Peugeot Boxer chassis, but we bought it as a project & are working our way through the problems, but the biggest difference is that everyone else in a motorhome smiles & waves, we always return the compliment. There is still one fly in the ointment though, those with nearly new motorhomes still will not be drawn into conversation WTF is that all about? Folks with older motorhomes are very friendly, but here's the rub, everyone in motorhomes still barricade themselves in at the first sign of the sun going down? Do motorhomers know something that we still don't? Do vampires come out at night & feast on the living with their blinds still open? Are there flesh eating zombies wandering around in the dark looking for a meal? If so then Hazel & I are about to be eaten, bitten or just killed to death by these creatures of the night as we do not close our blinds til bedtime. We think that a camp site slowing down for the night is a beautiful thing. We recently sat in Park Coppice (Cumbria) with the windows open listening to the foxes & wildlife going about their business, it was wonderful to sleep with the windows fully open enjoying the sounds.

You just meet the wrong people, we rarely stay on sites and the odd occasion we do I would say the people on sites are far less frendly than those on Aires. As for going inside and closing the blinds we are always the last ones to close our blinds, yet see another van with blinds open when we close ours.
We live on the south coast and 99% of the time go south for hols now if were in the UK I can see the attraction of going inside once the temerature drops to 20 and putting the heating on, will even own up to doing that in France in May when it got down to 22.

 

[Stretto Boy]

Being the owner of a N&B soon. I take it, You are John Cleese

As the owner of something far more humble than a N&B, I regard myself as Ronnie Corbett.

 

[TheCaller]

Is there such a thing as MH snobbery, one-upmanship, or MHs that raise eyebrows everywhere because such a banger is still on the road?

I'm sure it exists in the wider mh/caravan world, but thankfully MHFun is a refuge from all that sort of thing. As @Jim said, it's all about the people on here, not what you arrive in. And appearances can be deceptive. One person with a 10 year old m/h may have a Range Rover, a Merc & three motorbikes in the garage at home, while the next person with a new PVC may have it as their only vehicle & have struggled to fund it.

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[Rockcrawler]

I'm sure it exists in the wider mh/caravan world, but thankfully MHFun is a refuge from all that sort of thing. As @Jim said, it's all about the people on here, not what you arrive in. And appearances can be deceptive. One person with a 10 year old m/h may have a Range Rover, a Merc & three motorbikes in the garage at home, while the next person with a new PVC may have it as their only vehicle & have struggled to fund it.

So true, just off to polish the Lambo

 

[TheCaller]

So true, just off to polish the Lambo

Why? Can't you trust the staff to do a proper job?

 

[chaser]

I'm afraid blinds are something I have never got my head round, you see vans draw up, and the first thing they do is put them bloody grey things over the windows why?
And it is a fact we have found , no one wants to speak and yet the French and Dutch will always acknowledge you even if we havnt got a clue what each other is on about.

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[Khizzie]

When on the road, I only wave to A class MH's, but havent found any type of snobbishness on my travels

Yep noticed that. Lol.

 

[beltsandbraces]

I have heard of a few car parks where they never pull up the blinds, I have yet to find one though!!!! something to do with dog walking/sitting or such like!!!!

 

[whoa]

@ambulancekidd whilst I take your point, we've had many laughs and discussions with as you say the "tuggers", but similarly with your comments of putting up or down the blinds, we have been on sites where the caravanners have hidden themselves and staked their claims with fencing and wind breaks, we are oldies but relative newbies, sometimes we retire quite early if we've been out all day walking, had an evening meal and a wee few drams, you do not need to see me falling over, it's very embarrassing to be seen next day as that Pi$$head from the van. we haven't had time to develop opinions for snobbishness, but our background is one of talking with others, whatever their mode of transport or habitation, oh yes we even converse with the tenters, or canvas dwellers ,as they used to say in the advert "it's good to talk".

I really can't answer your question as to why some people behave in such a way, they maybe of course very shy people who never get involved in anything, and just want a quiet life, I suppose it depends on what is going on in their lives. I have the utmost respect for those people we have met with serious disabilities, and they don't let their disabilities hinder what they enjoy, and the way their motorhomes have been adapted for them.

I'm sure you'll like this bit talking about canvas dwellers daughter and hubby just off to Chapel -le -Dale adjacent to the Ribblehead viaduct North Yorkshire and the Hill Inn pub for the weekend, having popped in en-route to request a pillow, mallet, and some pegs, and a local walking guide, good old mum and dad again, anyway SIL had been using a two man ridge tent and they have been away a few times, daughter not impressed so they have just bought a 5 person tent, with lot's of room, knowing the daughter it will no doubt have a dressing room/boudoir, anyway it arrived yesterday, unpacked it and checked all was there, but have not yet put it up, so I asked what time they were coming back to our house, no problem says SIL, I've got the small tent if we can't put it up, obviously a bloke who thinks ahead, boy is he going to be in trouble if new tent doesn't get put up, photos via WhatsApp have been requested

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[jumartoo]

We have a ten year old motorhome. We could buy a new one but it would only do the same job and as we take ours down some rough forest tracks to get to our competition parking areas, we'd be worrying all the time or wouldn't go!

We also find that mainly people travelling in older vans have the most interesting stories to tell.

If people are friendly it doesn't matter to us what outfit they have.

 

[chaser]

At the risk of upsetting anyone on here, which doesn't apply to funsters anyway, but I think these people who buy these 100 grand motors are already people who don't mix with us ordinary folks in normal life and think they are a higher class and don't really think of themselves as campers in the real sense and don't cook or use the toilets in their motors, just a status symbol that stands in the drive for 360 days a year and not something to actually use , that is why normal campers have so much warranty problems because they actually use them how they should be used.

 

[Minxy]

I'm starting to think about buying an old coach and making a big self build, but don't tell Alice!

... what's it worth to keep quiet ... remember I DO have Alice's phone number!

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[Charlie]

The only snobbery is in the small minds of a few.

Was away south last week and the van on the site that had my admiration was a P registration Auto Sleeper Duette because it was so immaculate ....!

 

[Charlie]

At the risk of upsetting anyone on here, which doesn't apply to funsters anyway, but I think these people who buy these 100 grand motors are already people who don't mix with us ordinary folks in normal life and think they are a higher class and don't really think of themselves as campers in the real sense and don't cook or use the toilets in their motors, just a status symbol that stands in the drive for 360 days a year and not something to actually use , that is why normal campers have so much warranty problems because they actually use them how they should be used.

Hoy there my good fellow I spent a 100 quid on our MH and I'm no.................









Errr Ohhhhh 100 grand ? .........................

 

[PhilG]

When on the road, I only wave to A class MH's, but havent found any type of snobbishness on my travels

What is this waving ??

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[Cat53]

Probably, but who cares. Life is to short to worry about what others think. There are plenty of friendly guys about and 'if you play your cards right' you might just get the chance to meet them and stroke puppies and cuddle babies, share strawberries and meet Spanish circus people too.

 

[Stretto Boy]

Yes, snobbery does exist big time. In our caravan years we always spoke to our neighbours & made some really good lifelong friends. Now our last caravan outfit consisted of a nearly new Range Rover Vogue SE and a brand new Sterling Elite Explorer twin axle caravan, so not a cheap outfit, but still motorhomer's wouldn't speak. We often tried to talk to motorhomer's but they'd walk past with their noses in the air. Its not as if we're noisy or antisocial. We were always puzzled by this, especially in light of the fact that I'd grown up with "caravanettes" & had been so used to my parents making friends with neighbours on sites. The other oddity we noticed & it almost became a sport for Hazel & I to take a small bet on what time the motorhome folk would close up for the night? Without fail the motorhome blinds, curtains & whatever else were closed up & shut the world out whilst it was still light. We always thought WTF is that all about?

Anyway fast forward 10 years & we have our PVC Sprinter we though oh perhaps motorhomer's would speak now, but oh no, the same system prevailed. So our thoughts have always been to hell with them, if they don't want to speak that's their problem & if they do want to speak then halleluiah we'd found actual human beings in a motorhome.

Now we have bought an Autosleeper Executive built in 2000 & on a frankly bloody awful Peugeot Boxer chassis, but we bought it as a project & are working our way through the problems, but the biggest difference is that everyone else in a motorhome smiles & waves, we always return the compliment. There is still one fly in the ointment though, those with nearly new motorhomes still will not be drawn into conversation WTF is that all about? Folks with older motorhomes are very friendly, but here's the rub, everyone in motorhomes still barricade themselves in at the first sign of the sun going down? Do motorhomers know something that we still don't? Do vampires come out at night & feast on the living with their blinds still open? Are there flesh eating zombies wandering around in the dark looking for a meal? If so then Hazel & I are about to be eaten, bitten or just killed to death by these creatures of the night as we do not close our blinds til bedtime. We think that a camp site slowing down for the night is a beautiful thing. We recently sat in Park Coppice (Cumbria) with the windows open listening to the foxes & wildlife going about their business, it was wonderful to sleep with the windows fully open enjoying the sounds.

So come on folks, drop your guard, keep your blinds open & enjoy the humanity of your neighbours. After all, we're all just doing the same thing, enjoying the country that we find ourselves in & chilling out with like minded folks. Even caravan folks who are described on here in a rather derogatory term as "tuggers" are just the same as you, even if they are a bit in the dark as to the beauty of motorhomes.
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View attachment 175688

The AS Executive is lovely. It is similar to my brother-in-law's Talisman. I know he thinks his Peugeot base vehicle is under powered but the construction of the habitation part is superb. It's a shame they couldn't afford to continue making the monocoque habitation bodies. As long as the roof lights and cable routes are properly seled you won't get any damp with on eof those and, even itf you do, it won't rot.

 

[Stretto Boy]

[/daughter and hubby just off to Chapel -le -Dale adjacent to the Ribblehead viaduct North Yorkshire and the Hill Inn pub for the weekend [/QUOTE]

Please forgive me for being a little off topic but I love the Old Hill Inn. Situate in God's Own Country (and I'm from Coventry and live in Leicestershire) in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Stunning views, great food and a lovely certificated site. We used to go there often, as we have a little holiday cottage down the road in Ingleton - which we hardly ever use now we have a motorhome - and it is one of our favourite haunts. I can recommend the Comic Song Contest at this pub - 2nd October this year - which is held as part of the annual Ingleton Folk Festival. Bits of previous contests are available on YouTube. By the way, we are not snobs even though we have a holiday home (he said in a flagrant and desperate attempt to get back on topic before @Jim sends me to my home town).

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[Robert Clark]

We also find that mainly people travelling in older vans have the most interesting stories to tell.

That's a bit ageist isn't it ?

 

[jumartoo]

That's a bit ageist isn't it ?

To whom? Don't suppose the vans are bovvered!

 

[bellabee]

Snobbery exists in all walks of life. However, it's important to distinguish between snobbishness and shyness, unsociability, lack of self-confidence etc. They can all come across as being similar. Some people like to keep themselves to themselves. This doesn't mean that they are being elitist - just quiet perhaps?

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[mojo]

At the risk of upsetting anyone on here, which doesn't apply to funsters anyway, but I think these people who buy these 100 grand motors are already people who don't mix with us ordinary folks in normal life and think they are a higher class and don't really think of themselves as campers in the real sense and don't cook or use the toilets in their motors, just a status symbol that stands in the drive for 360 days a year and not something to actually use , that is why normal campers have so much warranty problems because they actually use them how they should be used.

 

[LesW]

What is this waving ??

As a pair of total newcomers (this year) to motorhoming, we were a bit taken aback by all this waving lark, especially when in France!

I have to say it did start to get a bit silly though after finding myself waving at delivery vans, and once an ice-cream van..

 

[ambulancekidd]

The AS Executive is lovely. It is similar to my brother-in-law's Talisman. I know he thinks his Peugeot base vehicle is under powered but the construction of the habitation part is superb. It's a shame they couldn't afford to continue making the monocoque habitation bodies. As long as the roof lights and cable routes are properly seled you won't get any damp with on eof those and, even itf you do, it won't rot.

Yes mate I totally agree, the monocoque body is superb, that's what made us choose that model. We could have bought a much newer motorhome but the way the Autosleeper is build attracted us.

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