The Lemon Fool

Thinking of some UK holiday plans for the Autumn, possibly a few long weekends and the odd week away.

Considering the idea of hiring a camper van as a good option to stay away from people. The idea would be to drive the car to the pick-up point, grab the van and go.

No planning to do massive mileage or take something rather big into town, this is for getting away from it all, rather than getting in the way of anyone on a small road or taking the roof off trying to get into a carpark.

We live near Heathrow, so Scotland or Cornwall would be a bit of a stretch.

Interested in some of the Dark Skies areas, like the idea of being off grid for a day or two (provided there are logs for the wood burner and a 4G signal

Over to the group for ideas or advice please.

Thanks,

B.

you sukond as if you know what you are doing so this may be a tad redunedant.... so presuming you know mnothing...

* diont assume you can just opark and a sleep anywhere. It can be a minefield as to what TROs are actually in foprce,a nd enforcable, whether the sign disallowing you to sleep overnight is pukka, is still there but the TRO isnt worthwhile, or the sign is hidden by foliage but the TRO remains, or the lcoal residents are pissed off with the alst lot of CVs that came though and left their detrtitus everywhere, or ... etc etc etc.

Also note if yiou are renting whether the T&Cs actually allow you to wild camp.

Look at sites like wildcamoping.co.uk, and there are a plethora of FB gropups devoted to wildcamping, sleepover stops etc.

good luck!

didds (who has used CVs for sveral years now )

I have a VW T25 and its not easy. One option is Brit Stops where you can overnight in mainly pub car parks and very small informal camp sites. Its courteous in the case of pubs to take an evening meal in return for use of the toilets. The Chilterns is a nice area with plenty of interesting market towns. Hopefully the populace will have migrated elsewhere

https://www.britstops.com/

I am delighted that you think Scotland is a bit of a stretch, as I live there and the country is more or less overrun with campervans at the moment (as we are most summers these days). Camper vans, or at least their occupiers, do very little for the local economy, but clog up roads and cause general disruption. I will acknowledge that Scotland at least could do a bit more about being accommodating with proper sites with water and sewage but although we are a fairly big country we do not have the space, especially at popular tourist spots, that say Canada has.

Yes, France sounds like a good option.

Dod

Dod101 wrote: I will acknowledge that Scotland at least could do a bit more about being accommodating with proper sites with water and sewage but although we are a fairly big country we do not have the space, especially at popular tourist spots, that say Canada has.

Dod

I think a site with sewage would really turn people away

--kiloran

Haha, very topical for us. We’re thinking of buying a campervan. Off to browse tomorrow....

north norfolk isnt too far for you.

or yorkshire and northumberland .

plenty of CL site , not expensive .

Given the OP is planning to hire one, I would not be one teeny bit surprised if the hire contract specifies all overnights must be spent in formal campsites.

Probably campsites that are members of the Caravan Club, or perhaps a motorhome equivalent.

Mike4 wrote:Given the OP is planning to hire one, I would not be one teeny bit surprised if the hire contract specifies all overnights must be spent in formal campsites.

Probably campsites that are members of the Caravan Club, or perhaps a motorhome equivalent.

And how does anyone police that?

Dod

Mike4 wrote:Probably campsites that are members of the Caravan Club, or perhaps a motorhome equivalent.

There are two main clubs:
The Caravan and Motorhome Club (formerly the Caravan Club)
The Camping and Caravanning Club

Both welcome campervan/motorhomes and caravans.

Scott.

kiloran wrote:

Dod101 wrote: I will acknowledge that Scotland at least could do a bit more about being accommodating with proper sites with water and sewage but although we are a fairly big country we do not have the space, especially at popular tourist spots, that say Canada has.

Dod

I think a site with sewage would really turn people away

--kiloran

With sewerage might be a better way to put it I suppose.

Dod

Dod101 wrote:

Mike4 wrote:Given the OP is planning to hire one, I would not be one teeny bit surprised if the hire contract specifies all overnights must be spent in formal campsites.

Probably campsites that are members of the Caravan Club, or perhaps a motorhome equivalent.

And how does anyone police that?

Dod

At a guess, a hefty security deposit is taken and contract specifies that is confiscated if any complaints about the van being parked overnight in non-approved locations are received.

I don't think it's typical for campervan rental contracts to specify that you have to use official sites.

Scott.

swill453 wrote:I don't think it's typical for campervan rental contracts to specify that you have to use official sites.

Scott.

Why do you think that?

I don't know either but it strikes me any illegal overnighting by a hired campervan would firmly bounce back on the owner i.e. the company hiring it.

Mike4 wrote:

swill453 wrote:I don't think it's typical for campervan rental contracts to specify that you have to use official sites.

Scott.

Why do you think that?

I don't know either but it strikes me any illegal overnighting by a hired campervan would firmly bounce back on the owner i.e. the company hiring it.

Yeah like parking and speeding in hired cars, which is why I'm offence free.
I used to have a camper and overnight in road sides, laybys or country car parks, occasionally the cops would ensure I wasn't moving in but all conversations were amicable.

Mike4 wrote:

swill453 wrote:I don't think it's typical for campervan rental contracts to specify that you have to use official sites.

Scott.

Why do you think that?

I don't know either but it strikes me any illegal overnighting by a hired campervan would firmly bounce back on the owner i.e. the company hiring it.

Actually I am not at all sure (in fact I think it is very unlikely) that illegal parking is policed anyway, certainly judging by the conditions around my part of the world. Great idea in theory but in practice?

I am not just being a grumpy old man, this is actually a serious problem in Scotland. Those who turn up here in a campervan contribute very little that is positive to the economy and are a definite negative to the environment, a bit like those who race around the NC500 in a couple of days.

Dod















Dod

Mike4 wrote:

swill453 wrote:I don't think it's typical for campervan rental contracts to specify that you have to use official sites.

Scott.

Why do you think that?

I don't know either but it strikes me any illegal overnighting by a hired campervan would firmly bounce back on the owner i.e. the company hiring it.

Who said anything about illegal?

There are many places you can overnight legally that aren't official sites.

Scott.

The North 500 has become so over-run by Camper Vans and Wild Campers (particularly around Durness) that trowels have been placed in 90 lay-bys to allow considerate users to dig a hole for their excrement.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-53734992

Mike4 wrote:

swill453 wrote:I don't think it's typical for campervan rental contracts to specify that you have to use official sites.

Why do you think that?

I don't know either but it strikes me any illegal overnighting by a hired campervan would firmly bounce back on the owner i.e. the company hiring it.

I had a look at a couple of hirer sites.

One in Wales: "Provided you are on private property and you have the permission of the landowner to park there, you can park pretty much anywhere and sleep." https://prontomotorhomes.co.uk/faq/

One in Scotland: "we recommend that you choose to stay in campsites, which overall is better for the environment and sustains the local economy. However in Scotland you may find that you can “wildcamp” this is when you are parked freely in a rural location without connection to electricity. Please refer to the Scottish Access Code and follow the Road Traffic Act to follow guidelines." https://www.roseislemotorhomehire.com/faqs/

So no indication that they insist you use official sites, and certainly not only Caravan Club sites.

(Note nobody has endorsed "illegal overnighting", there are lots of legal ways of doing it.)

Scott.

scotia wrote:The North 500 has become so over-run by Camper Vans and Wild Campers (particularly around Durness) that trowels have been placed in 90 lay-bys to allow considerate users to dig a hole for their excrement.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-53734992

Quite. It is one reason why I have not gone up to that part of the world at the moment. Of course I think the local authorities have got a lot to answer for for not providing proper camp sites and/or sufficient public toilets whilst promoting the said NC500.

It is a bit like the local authority allowing, nay, encouraging, the construction of several hundred new houses to meet an apparent shortage and failing to do anything about the overcrowded Surgery or School.

Dod