How do you big boys, and girls, do it

[UFO]

We have been travelling in our 6m PVC for nearly 15 years - 793 nights so far, 428 in Britain, 80% wildcamping.

We have just bought a 7m low-profile motorhome for our daughter and her family's tour of Europe and beyond later this year.

Just got back from a 19 night trip; Devon, Wiltshire, Somerset, South Wales, mainly wild camping. As we were travelling we were reflecting on whether we could have done this trip in the 7m MH. A lot of the overnight spots would have been difficult, even impossible without taking up multiple spaces, due to no or limited overhang for the rear of the MH. On the nights when we were not alone at CRs all the others were campervans, no motorhomes. Our trusty Garmin sat nav is set for the fasted, not the shortest, route but we still get taken down a lot of narrow roads with foilage brushing each side of the van.

Just womdering how those of you with bigger vehicles manage wildcamping in Britain, it's less challenging in Europe.

 

[Nabsim]

Mine is 7.5 mtrs long, low profile. If I physically can't fit in a spot I just go somewhere else. Usually I aren't aiming at being in a certain place so it doesn't matter if I am here or there.

For me it would be the width that causes a problem if I was worried about scratches, I aren't though so as long as whatever is there only scratches and not pierces I just push on through.

Only ever used the van in the UK

Edit: I am in the van approx 10 months of the year, not quite full time as Caz won't let me lol

 

[barryd]

Spent a lot of time down Devon and Cornwall goat tracks last two summers but only to get to hidden CLs. My vans ancient so I long stopped worrying about scratches. We stay for weeks though and just use the bike. In two really long tours I never came across and marvelous wild spots down there anyway. South west in a big motorhome is tricky.

 

[Val54]

We have a 7m van and sadly a lot of our favourite spots have disappeared. Just remember that Google Earth and street view are your friends.

 

[TJBi]

<snip> Our trusty Garmin sat nav is set for the fasted, not the shortest, route but we still get taken down a lot of narrow roads with foilage brushing each side of the van.

<snip>

Those roads probably have a 60mph speed limit, and that's what the Garmin uses to calculate fastest route.

 

[n brown]

our last big van was a 9m bus. the trick is to have a bike or scooter that can carry 13kg gas bottles and canbe easily deployed . this is for shopping obviously , but also to check out narrow tracksand overhanging trees and balconies etc

 

[campervanannie]

When I had the Rapido motorhome I never worried about scratches I just thought it added character. I just got fed up of having to replace wing mirrors taken off by a coach in Scotland a hired motorhome in Wales and a bin lorry in Norfolk.

 

[Nabsim]

haha Annie, I seem to rip off the rear marker lights on mine. So far (touch wood) the mirrors have just bumped out the way. One white van who clipped my drivers mirror with his passenger mirror lost his side window though. I just laughed at him

 

[Boris7]

At 8.5m I really have no issues, but at the risk of sounding cocky size is relevant. A 16.5m artic truck is normal for me and I find it easier than an 8.5m motorhome (an artic bends)

What I don’t like in the Motorhome is back roads/ lanes, when Matey boy in his works van comes upon a 44t truck he shows respect, he does no such thing when I’m in the Motorhome.

 

[guerdeval]

It is horses for courses, I’ve gone from this () to this() , the hymer was great for long stays abroad but was hell in the UK, I favour van conversions for the UK but having just spent 3 Months in Spain in it I can see why sometimes big is best.

 

[n brown]

It is horses for courses, I’ve gone from this () to this() , the hymer was great for long stays abroad but was hell in the UK, I favour van conversions for the UK but having just spent 3 Months in Spain in it I can see why sometimes big is best.View attachment 131404View attachment 131405

full timing with 6 of us in the van ; bigger was never big enough . my biggest was a home made one and a half decker. 9m long

 

[Wully]

8.9 meters never had a problem it’s all about planning ahead. I’ve had a tow car for a few years comes in handy in places like Cornwall. I find a place to use as a base and scoot around in the wee car. I was on the Isle of Cumbrae last weekend they were using a smaller ferry than usual it could only carry about 10 cars I took up half the ferry so me and four cars. I was just about to tail out on slipway because of the large overhang but the guys working the ferry used a few planks of wood under back wheels no problem. There’s always a way. But planning ahead is No1

 

[GMJ]

8.7m here. The dimensions of our MH are plumbed into the Garmin sat nav which is usually fine. We do get the odd scratches from overgrown foliage but there's little we can do about it so just take it slowly.

 

[Sharon the Cat]

At 8.5m I really have no issues, but at the risk of sounding cocky size is relevant. A 16.5m artic truck is normal for me and I find it easier than an 8.5m motorhome (an artic bends)

What I don’t like in the Motorhome is back roads/ lanes, when Matey boy in his works van comes upon a 44t truck he shows respect, he does no such thing when I’m in the Motorhome.

How right you are. Our worst part of any journey is the 3 1/2 miles to the main road from our cottage. Why won't people reverse? They would rather squeeze past you with 5mm to spare. In a few weeks it will be worse because the hedges are growing outwards, then someone is paid to trim them and they do one single swipe at car level. So, the lane is wider lower down but still overgrown above!
It is a joy to drive in the highlands with clearly marked and signposted passing places, all we have is field gateways and where tractors have worn the verge away.

 

[jacquigem]

Read somewhere that
Google maps do not record road widths only heights hence the narrow road routes. Found out the hardway in the Pyranees a few years ago when we actually met a Google mapping van coming the other way and waving at us not to proceed!

 

[jagmanx]

As posted planning and not being too fussy if simply staying 1 night before moving on
We used our 6.5 m MoHo In UK and abroad for 5 Months for many years.
Southern UK very difficult but New Dover Road P&R good
Midlands not used much as we would be on our way North
Enough sites in northern England
Wales OK
Scotland is very good Did the NC500 and more (2x) with very few paid campsites
France and Germany are both very good Austria OK. Some nice truly wild sites as well as the Aires/stellplatz.
Italy good, sostas variable but Many free and very good
Belgium OK The Netherlands tricky But harbours OK
We even found free spots in Switzerland
Norway and Sweden and Finland VG Denmark OK
Limited other experience but we often used campsites in Hungary and Romania but some freebies
ROI and NI OK but dumping and water and rubbish a minor problem

 

[UFO]

Those roads probably have a 60mph speed limit, and that's what the Garmin uses to calculate fastest route.

This makes sense. I don't blindly follow the sat nav and often I take a look down a road where the sat nav is diecting me and decide 'no'.

If we had anything bigger than the 6m PVC I would invest in a sat nav where the dimensions of the vehicle can be entered, although with no experience of these I don't know how good they are in practice.

 

[Nabsim]

This makes sense. I don't blindly follow the sat nav and often I take a look down a road where the sat nav is diecting me and decide 'no'.

If we had anything bigger than the 6m PVC I would invest in a sat nav where the dimensions of the vehicle can be entered, although with no experience of these I don't know how good they are in practice.

Not sure it makes much difference on width as it isn't recorded mostly on maps. Height and weight it saved me on a couple of low bridges, (signs not always visible) and weight limits. Weight doesn't matter now I am <=3.5t though

 

[UFO]

Parking up somewhere for a few days or a week and using a tow car, motorbike or pedal bike to explore the local area would work for some but it would mean using a campsite as that time wilding at a single spot is typically not advisable. We like to keep moving, maximum 2 days in each place although we may only move 20 minutes away.

 

[barryd]

Parking up somewhere for a few days or a week and using a tow car, motorbike or pedal bike to explore the local area would work for some but it would mean using a campsite as that time wilding at a single spot is typically not advisable. We like to keep moving, maximum 2 days in each place although we may only move 20 minutes away.

Thats mainly what we do now but we generally use off grid CL's hidden down goat tracks. Its an entirely different style of touring really. The scooter does all the miles and always does way more than the motorhome does on a trip. Only place we wild camp now really is up in Scotland and the Islands. In a sense we are more like Tuggers. I hate driving the van now anyway as its getting on a bit and I find it tedious. I might change my opinion on that again when we finally renew it but for us its all about the bike.