Camper Vans

[sunny-dave]

Admirable Free Spirits

or

Annoying Freeloaders?

Not talking about people who stay on properly licensed/serviced sites – that’s the same as any other form of camping and is fine (although I sometimes wish they’d use the rear view mirror a bit more often and move over when they’ve accumulated a significant queue).

No – I mean the ones who ‘park wherever they can’. This seems all well and good in remote areas – park up, enjoy the solitude and move on the next day, leaving no trace behind. All good stuff.

But what about the ones I was seeing last night :

who parked in prime positions (using two spaces each of course)

ignored any/all prohibitions on overnighting

used the pub ‘facilities’ (one half of lager for the bloke seemed to entitle a whole family to have a wash and brush up)

and generally were a complete eyesore, adding nothing to the local economy (‘we never buy anything at the local shops – they’re all rip offs’) whilst enjoying everything that a delightful location offered (as long as it was free of course).

This isn’t being ‘free’, it’s being ‘cheap’.

[askyourgran]

The sand gets in everywhere?........Baldrick you didn't....did you?

[Baldric]

Jeza, No I didn't, much too close to electricity,
Tony has it right, back indoors long before it took effect.

[Jeza]

Sugar Tony or is that a euphemism. Years ago some kids stuffed grass cuttings in my petrol tank. Cost a fortune to get it sorted.

[Jeza]

It never crossed my mind that sugar would have that effect. How much do you need to do an effective job?

[tonyav]

No it's not a euphemism, Jeza. Petrol engines don't like sugar !.

[Baldric]

Think I used about 5 maybe 6 table spoonfuls, it was only a small tank, we
don't use sugar anymore, just keep a packet in 'in case of emergency'

[Jeza]

Thanks Baldric. I will store that info for future use.

[Svejk]

its a despicable, not to mention cowardly thing to do, imo.

[kvalidir]

Gness- I think if you read my post you will see that I had a proviso of not leaving litter and being a general arse. If you missed it let me reiterate it for you, we park and don't leave litter, make a noise or generally seek to annoy other people, so therefore I don't believe that we or most other 'wild campers' cause anyone any problems.
Dave insurance isn't an issue as long as the camper in question is considered to be a classic vehicle- it comes in at less than £2.5k for me to be the main driver of the vehicle I have in mind, assuming I was 17 at the moment. It's likely to go up somewhat by next year but not enough to make it prohibitive.
I can see people's issues if the campers in question cause a fuss, make a mess or otherwise get on people's nerves but really what is it to anyone if they don't? There seems a lot of 'disgusted of the caravan club' attitude here for something which if done politely doesn't affect anyone whatsoever. As for 'free culture' yes bring it on, many bands and other artists are doing far better financially within this culture than the old culture of record labels calling all the shots and strangling contracts. Times change thankfully.

[Baldric]

If that's the case Shar, you'd be welcome to park there, sadly these folk were not like that, they had been politely asked to put the generator the 'Sea' side of the van the previous night, but that would have disturbed them, so they wouldn't, you make your own luck at times!

[kvalidir]

You do indeed Baldric, I wouldn't behave like that because it's rude, just like I wouldn't be rude to someone I met personally, it's nothing to do with people in campers really it's just to do with people. I would guess that if you met them face to face they would be ignorant pigs as well just in a different sort of way because they clearly feel entitled generally. They sound like real horrors but don't tar us all with the same brush, we're nice campers :)

[Baldric]

I treat everyone as they treat me Shar, never prejudge.

[kvalidir]

Good call :)