Tide turning against wild camping

[billym]

They are all over here Steve.
On our walk to Albir lighthouse just outside the entrance car park is a piece of waste land. There must have been at least 10 vans on there. All looked to be tidy though .no chairs out but all on ramps due to the slope of the ground. There was a big concorde , A class and coachbuilt.
the same at the new car park between the market and Villasol in Beni .at least 14 vans on there.
I suppose if the local camp sites are full then they have a "reasonable" excuse. But once they start to make a mess and "camp" they will be moved on no doubt.

20 plus years ago when hundreds would freeload on the spare land next to Albir Garden we bumped into the owner of a large decent campsite in Lancashire that we had used a lot , who was staying there. He said all the campsites were full. They were not( we were staying on Cap Blanc) and I told him so . He told me to mind my own business. Never went to his site again.

 

[LesW]

Until getting a motorhome and joining MF, 'wild camping' was what I did when walking the Pennine Way or touring Europe on my motorcycle with a tent and not always using sites... but now I associate the term with just not using sites or recognised aires..

 

[cyberyacht]

Perhaps the term 'wild camping' needs to be uprated to 'wilderness camping' or perhaps 'off-tarmac camping' to reflect the true meaning although the latter would perhaps be commandeered by the grass verge brigade.

 

[hja]

Well I do nt like the confusion between wild camping and off grid. To me off grid means no ehu but I recognise the purists mean no ehu and no other services. Lots of pub stops of course have no services at all, but are authorised overnight stops. Don’t know what term you use for that. None of these terms have absolutely perfect definitions.

 

[PaulW2]

I think the 'wild' in wild camping just means that you are doing it elsewhere than in a place which has been specifically designated and authorised for it. Not in a campsite, or an aire, or a permitted spot in a pub carpark.

So 'wild' would denote beyond the controlled boundaries.

Is it camping or does that hurt our feelings? I don't know. Maybe some of us like the term and others don't. Wild glampers and wild rangers maybe.

(Edit: But the tide in my head has also turned against some of the wild defecators and litterers you see. Disgusting behaviour.
Edit 2: I never hook up to EHU. Born to be wild.)

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[nicholsong]

I tend to call it 'off grid' parking or park up.

Pete

Pete

That is near, but if 'off grid' means no EHU, the odd time we are on a campsite we do not use EHU, so we would be on a campsite but 'off grid'.

I tend to agree with Jim that 'wildcamping' has its own meaning in MHoming circles and forums.

I even include our stays on Aires and Stellplatz as wildcamping, even if there is a charge, so the 'free' definition is not a criteria.

I suppose we will have this topic come up annually.

 

[Bonsaiman]

Perhaps we adopt yet another Americanism and call it Boondocking

Meaning of boondocking in English according to the Cambridge Dictionary

The activity of camping (= sleeping outside in a tent or special vehicle) on land that does not have any services and is not part of an official campsite:

 

[PaulW2]

Perhaps we adopt yet another Americanism and call it Boondocking

Meaning of boondocking in English according to the Cambridge Dictionary

The activity of camping (= sleeping outside in a tent or special vehicle) on land that does not have any services and is not part of an official campsite:

We are, though, a bit short of proper boondocks in these here parts

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

but I can't see Morelo/Concorde

Some of them Morelo owners are very iffy

 

[jumartoo]

For us, we still DO wildcamping (except we park not camp) when we head off up an unsurfaced track to park well away from civilisation. We never put out a table, maybe an occasional chair in the shade nearby.

We also use free and paying camperstops, in Spain, mostly.

I don't say we are wildcamping on any place, especially, the latter, just because we aren't plugged into the leccy.

We've "done" all parts of wildcamping in our time. From kipping under a rock shelter, carrying tents by backpack and bike packing, and all sorts between. We've had campervans with no shower, but the tiniest portapotty and now have an old Hymer Tramp (the van's a Tramp, not us ).

We're as responsible as we can possibly be. We don't join in with huge groups of people, we try to find somewhere more suitable. We (me mainly) pick up litter anywhere we decide to stay, if it's necessary. I don't like to look out on litter. We don't empty our toilet anywhere unsuitable, we even try not to have to use public loos.

But, we'll still be hit by any future rules about motorhome parking if the worst comes to the worst and overnight parking is banned .

All down to the hordes of "don't give a damn" longstayers/freeloaders.

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[scotjimland]

If we call it "Wild Camping" in a motorhome . (which I don't) how do you differentiate between that and proper wild camping in a tent in the wilderness ?

The problem then arrises with those who read the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and Access rights that extend to wild camping and believe they can do so in a motorhome ..

This 'misunderstanding' has become a problem in many parts of Scotland .. I've even read on here that 'wild camping' is legal in Scotland, when in fact the same rules about 'off site camping' in England and Wales also apply in Scotland.



For that reason I will not refer to off site parking as 'wild camping'

 

[PaulW2]

All down to the hordes of "don't give a damn" longstayers/freeloaders.

Some short stayers in expensive vehicles too unfortunately.

It only takes a small percentage - for argument's sake 5% ? - to give everyone a bad name.

"We're not killers/thieves/litterers" doesn't work well when 2% of you are if only say 0.1% of the local population are.

 

[OldAgeTravellers]

We are parked, by the side of the sea near a small marina In Spain. In front of factory/fishing units not houses. There are six motorhomes of various nationalities And one transit type van with a table, office chair picnic chair and a few other things outside. The police just came round and quite rightly moved them on leaving all the rest who were obeying the law in Spain and parking not camping. If it had been sunny enough to sit out then we would have taken our chairs down to the beach and sat in the sun there. It annoys me profusely that people can’t understand the rules and obey them. We will have been here 24 hours and move on tomorrow.

 

[jumartoo]

Some short stayers in expensive vehicles too unfortunately.

It only takes a small percentage - for argument's sake 5% ? - to give everyone a bad name.

"We're not killers/thieves/litterers" doesn't work well when 2% of you are if only say 0.1% of the local population are.

We've just got back, today, from a few weeks away inland (we cant go to the coast ) we've been to an area we went to the same time last year and where we were, mostly parked alone.

This year we were joined by, mainly German vans. 6 or 7 each night in each place we visited. Now that's no problem, in fact it was nice, but it's showing the effect of the rammed coastal areas.

 

[jumartoo]

We've just got back, today, from a few weeks away inland (we cant go to the coast ) we've been to an area we went to the same time last year and where we were, mostly parked alone.

This year we were joined by, mainly German vans. 6 or 7 each night in each place we visited. Now that's no problem, in fact it was nice, but it's showing the effect of the rammed coastal areas.

One night, at a particular area, was, for us, very nice. A Danish family, us (Brits in a Spanish van), a German, French, two Austrians and, great for us, we all conversed in English, even the French guy (his English was perfect).

The Spanish van that arrived was out of place, although we could speak to them.

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[Outdoors Dad]

'Vanning off-grid' about sums it up

 

[Mike001]

In NZ we call it "Freedom Camping"

 

[Brains]

In NZ we call it "Freedom Camping"

That sounds way to American, the sort of thing Trump would come up with.

Like when they renamed 'French Fries' 'Freedom Fries' because of something the French disagreed with USA over.
(I think the French were quite happy not to be associated with McDonalds Chips, but the irony was probably lost on the typical redneck American)

 

[Mike001]

That sounds way to American, the sort of thing Trump would come up with.

Ouch...

 

[mark49]

When I tell pals who don’t Motorhome, it usually ends up getting called ‘avoid payment’.

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[lamyj]

In New Zealand they call it 'Freedom Camping' but you must be a self contained unit with registration documents and a sticker on the unit to prove you have appropriate toilet and water tank etc or you receive a very substantial fine . Why cannot authorities instigate such policy when you purchase any MH or Camper as you pay your Road Tax - linked to your Insurance and MOT certificate. Recognised around the EU and beyond

 

[TheBig1]

In New Zealand they call it 'Freedom Camping' but you must be a self contained unit with registration documents and a sticker on the unit to prove you have appropriate toilet and water tank etc or you receive a very substantial fine . Why cannot authorities instigate such policy when you purchase any MH or Camper as you pay your Road Tax - linked to your Insurance and MOT certificate. Recognised around the EU and beyond

Different way it's done over here is due to the crowded size of the UK and many places that might attract vans are national parks or private property

 

[TDub49]

Perhaps the term 'wild camping' needs to be uprated to 'wilderness camping' or perhaps 'off-tarmac camping' to reflect the true meaning although the latter would perhaps be commandeered by the grass verge brigade.

That's always assuming that sitting in your bed-sit on wheels, watching the TV, boiling a kettle on the hob, waiting for your roast to come out of the oven can be called "camping". It isn't is it. It's motor homing.

I guess in a really basic 'mattress in the back, cook on a primus and defecate in the woods' van you might stretch it to calling it 'camping' but you would still be surrounded by more or less solid walls and have minimum set-up and take-down times when you moved.

In a vehicle - free parking.

 

[AlunandFelicie]

Motorhome- Hotel on wheels?

 

[Just smiffy]

I just say off-grid….

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[Toady]

I call it off-grid or park-up

 

[tinkertaylor]

Stealth motorhome idea

 

[PaulW2]

In New Zealand they call it 'Freedom Camping' but you must be a self contained unit with registration documents and a sticker on the unit to prove you have appropriate toilet and water tank etc or you receive a very substantial fine . Why cannot authorities instigate such policy when you purchase any MH or Camper as you pay your Road Tax - linked to your Insurance and MOT certificate. Recognised around the EU and beyond

Isn't quite a lot of the UK anxiety about it based on concerns about travellers?

They may not have the same concerns in NZ.

 

[gus-lopez]

Murcian coast as well.

I'm now finding them all around the back of Carrefour up the road & there are usually at least 2 in the actual carrefour car park ocvernight.

but I can't see Morelo/Concorde

You'd be amazed.Morelos,concorde,palace liners, custom built Scania truck units

This year we were joined by, mainly German vans. 6 or 7 each night in each place we visited. Now that's no problem, in fact it was nice, but it's showing the effect of the rammed coastal areas.

On wednesday & Thursday night last week on the waste ground opposite carrefours car park ,where the fair was for a month until 7th January , we had a converted horse box on a MAN chassis along with a Duplex coach. Both German ,both converted & both with under school age kids & dogs.
The coach amazed me as I haven't seen one in decent condition outside of a museum for years.

 

[jumartoo]

This is what we get on the costas here. They were at Mazarron mines, not sure exactly what bit of coast they filmed. But it's all the same.

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