The whole French aires thing is whats missing – probably because councils fear someone would take the piss and move in full time. Not sure why this isn’t a problem in France but is apparently here..
Cos they're on motorways that you have to pay to get off.
No they're not - pretty much every small village in France had a small Aire. Most are lovely - not the same thing as the motorway ones.
We have a T4 camper and occasionally we don't use a campsite, this has included car parks up on the hills or even Co-ops in small towns but mainly we use pub stops and campsites because its far more relaxing knowing that we aren't going to get any hassle (having said that we have never had any issues).
The main reason for not always using campsites is that we love not planning too far in advance so finding room on a campsite isn't always possible. We have a Freedom Trail loo from Go Outdoors so no need for a bucket or bag...
We had a lovely weekend over the bank holiday using a pub car park in Hebden Bridge 🙂
The French Aires are pretty good. There's an Aire here but it's a part of the main town car park has a tap and 30p a pee public toilets.
I’ve had a few camper vans. A high proportion of the likely looking ‘wild’ spots we stopped at in England were littered with human faeces.
we gave up for the most part, there’s loads of decent sites around, put money into the industry, support the people trying to make a living out of it.
TJ:Its not wild camping in a campervan. Its also often not under the auspices of the land reform act in scotland that states IIRC that if a campsite is available you should use it.
The land reform act (right to roam) makes no reference to using a campsite if it is available, if such a comment were to exist it would be in the Outdoor Access Code but I don't see any such reference.
The code does explicitly permit wild camping, but it defines it as "Access rights extend to wild camping. This type of camping is lightweight, done
in small numbers and only for two or three nights in any one place. You can
camp in this way wherever access rights apply but help to avoid causing
problems for local people and land managers by not camping in enclosed fields of crops or farm animals and by keeping well away from buildings, roads or historic structures. Take extra care to avoid disturbing deer stalking or grouse shooting. If you wish to camp close to a house or building, seek the owner’s permission. Leave no trace by:
• taking away all your litter;
• removing all traces of your tent pitch and of any open fire (follow the
guidance for lighting fires);
• not causing any pollution." (the bold is mine)
Note that access rights DO NOT APPLY TO MOTORISED VEHICLES.
IMO the actions of these folk in campervans are causing a lot of issues and will cause a reaction needing a change in the law. I would support a definition of allowable wild camping of more than 500m from a road only.
It doesn't need a change in the law, it simply needs at most (1) a clarification of the code; (2) some mechanism for dealing with anti-social camping outside the scope of the code. To be clear there is no de-facto right to "wild camp" in a campervan in Scotland.
Being a fixed distance from a road is initially logical, but being 100m from the A82, is rather different from being 100m from the B8069 or B862. You could be the other side of a loch (or on an island) and still prohibited.
I have genuinely wild camped <50m from a road, but only after walking many miles to arrive there. I'd say that the definition of "lightweight" should be clarified so that someone (or a group) camping should be able to carry all their equipment at once using the mode of transport that confers the access right - if you are making multiple trips to a car you are not lightweight camping.
spooky: Trying to find somewhere to camp usually involves a bit of faff, I prefer to park somewhere that is streetlit and isn’t completely deserted, such as a residential area on a corner plot so you are not outside someones windows, or a supermarket carpark. The wife would rather be in a dark layby shielded from the road in the middle of nowhere which obviously increases the chance of someone trying to break in, but less chance of being moved on.
Does it make you more likely to get broken in to? Not many thieves wandering around in the dark in the middle of nowhere hoping to get lucky and find an insecure van worth robbing. Either way if I spent my time thinking I was going to get broken into I'd pick somewhere nicer to go on "holiday". Most of the places I go people don't even bother to lock their doors.
https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/
We use good sites, MrsT is of a nervous disposition so not much chance of us wild camping.
However it would seem that the increase in campervans/motorhomes doing so is on the increase and causing many issues.
Waste disposal, waste water disposal, toilet waste disposal etc. Locally ‘van owners have been witnessed emptying their cassette wastecinto the rivercthey had parked beside!!!! Filling waste bins to overflow, blocking public toilets!!!!!!!!
Interesting Poly - I have certainly seen that in the advice somewhere. Looks like its been updated. I'll have a further look to see
Although camping beside a road is not normally considered wild camping, it does take place and is lawful. Following a few simple guidelines can reduce any impacts.•Whenever practicable use an official campsite with sanita-tion facilities. W
I assumed as this is the guidance that you are pointed to from the outdoor access code website that acting outwith this guidance would be assumed to be not acting responsibly
Being a fixed distance from a road is initially logical, but being 100m from the A82, is rather different from being 100m from the B8069 or B862. You could be the other side of a loch (or on an island) and still prohibited.
Good point well made. Its a tricky area but I do feel that roadside camping needs to be dealt with in some way that is not piece meal and is consistent across the country.
Some councils offer overnight camping places, best look on each local council website.
For instance, Havant BC used to let campers overnight on Hayling Island Seafront at Beachlands.. until it became like a version of a Gypsy on-mass parkup and all the spots filled with overnight vans.
Until the locals had enough of the mess, the council had enough of the mess and agro caused by en-mass parking and lack of payment for overnight parking which was only £8pn
Word got around that no wardens would come knocking for the fee (untrue) and it exploded into a mass campsite gathering during the summer.
I got blocked in by an arrogant git whilst out for a late evening surf, the arsehole rammed the back of his camper up against my bumper and refused to move it. When asked he got all aggressive so I called the police, the tosser went purple and threatened all manner of violence to me and my body parts... until the police turned up.
We had many an aggressive git turn up and park side on taking 4 spaces up just so they could watch tv whilst looking out at the IoW...
Then late last year Havant BC banned campers, and FB went ballistic..our local surf page got hacked by the wild camper lot and all manner of threats of death and killing our children ensued.. someone got a green waste bin thrown through their home window by some aggressive camper type when they spotted the surfers car reg on a photo, found out where they lived (must have followed him home)
Have to say not all camper types were that arrogant, some of them just simple old folk enjoying the latter years and being respectful and nice folks, but it was typically the ones that the world owed them a living types that spoiled it for everyone..
Now they’re banned from pretty much anywhere on the island other than the campsites.....
🤷♂️
My campervan is no bigger in footprint than a mondeo estate. It can do 100+mph, 40mpg if driven efficiently. It has 6ft bed, 2 gas stoves, cupboards, water, grey water and porta potti. It has 100w solar, hook up (never use it) and all manner of charging ports. Got back from Austria Tuesday morning having driven 1000mls non stop (ferry excluded) back home. We did 1000mls non Stop to get there too.
I built it to ferry me and my daughter to climbing comps and it does exactly what I wanted. I counted up the other day that by the time the next couple of comps are over I will have done about 30 nights in it this year. I would say that 7 of those have been on paid sites, 5 of which we just did in Austria.
At first I was nervous about finding spots but tbh I now don’t care if someone says don’t park here. I just find somewhere else. I NEVER leave any sign of me being there and 9 times out of 10 I am gone by 8am. Recently found myself short of a place in the Peak District. Drove for a while and found shilito woods. Had a great night fending off the doggers but even that wasn’t so bad as my black out blinds blocked out the worst of the lights flashing.
Have had some great nights in the lakes, wales, Scotland etc. Have parked on country lanes, lay-bys and in woods. I don’t have fires, I don’t leave rubbish and I take my grey water and other waste with me. I can’t see that I am doing anyone any harm
We almost always stay off grid in our camper and have found loads of top places to stay. Don’t mind using a campsite from time to time though. If you are persistent there are always places to find out of the way. Have loads saved in google maps but I’m not telling anyone where they are!
[i]Does it make you more likely to get broken in to? Not many thieves wandering around in the dark in the middle of nowhere hoping to get lucky and find an insecure van worth robbing[/i]
All vans are pretty insecure, especially campers with extra windows and no bulkhead! The layby I stayed in was pretty pleasant but theft is rife, and that's why all the truckers leave one of their back doors open to show when they are empty (or full of timber or something else unwieldy or low value). My van has windows but looks like a crew van so could easily be mistaken as being unoccupied and therefore an easy target.
If you’re determined to wild camp get to know an area first and work out what is ok and what’s not.
Personally I never stop over more than one night in a single spot. Always arrive late (after dark/ 11pm) and leave early (7 latest).
There are loads of great campsites, and plenty of reasons to have a van. There are just as many reasons not to. Personally I love the sound of rain on the pop up roof, the central heating, running water and fridge. I also dislike camping.
Have loads saved in google maps but I’m not telling anyone where they are!
Spot on. It's pretty easy to see potential from a map to be honest.
