Independent Moi !!!

[Dezi]

Hi, I don’t mean independent in the - I started work at 14 in local pit doing 14 hours a day, worked all me life, expect nowt for owt and allus paid me way. Way (excuse Cambridge dialect.)

I mean as in wild camping. Wild camping hints at complete independence, free from campsites, supermarkets, Electric hook ups, karaoke bars etc. But how true is it? How long can you actually be wildly independent when on the road? To start the ball rolling we have recently gone 25 days without consorting to any of the above, not even a visit to a supermarket. I confess it was when I ran out of beer that finally did for me. We ate well we stayed clean & pink, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We only have a panel van conversion, but that’s irrelevant, the difference between 4 days and 40 is the life support system, batteries, water, gas, payload and I find most new motor homes are sadly lacking in this respect to the extent that I recently saw a six berth motor home with only 330 kg payload. An average of 75kg per passenger means 5 passengers and you are overweight and no allowance for food or water, daft.
So how about you, 2 days or 20?

Dezi

 

[DRS]

I agree most vans are only any good if you drive to a site and stay there. I wild camp but not generally in the middle of nowhere but my my van has a fair payload 600kg + but a stupidly small water tank 45l(whats that all about).

 

[Dezi]

Hi, Earlier this week I visited Murvi near Plymouth to have something fitted on the van. While waiting I picked up A leaflet with the latest list of extras that Murvi can now fit to make this already excellent “wilding” camper even more so. The following are based on the latest Fiat Maxi van. = 125 litre fuel tank [27 gallons] 2 burner ceramic hob that uses diesel from the vehicle tank. 2 x 130 amp leisure batteries.106 litre fridge freezer. Extra 12 gallon water tank. 95 watt solar panel. When you consider that this all fits into a panel van & still leaves you with a decent payload, I think its pretty good going. In fact I cannot think of any other non coach built motor home that comes close, and not many coach built ones.
Dezi

 

[smifee]

In theory I could last 4 weeks. That's when both gas cylinders would be empty.

In practice about 21 days so long as the little village shops in Portugal or France have a supply of dark chocolate. It's no good taking a supply cos I'd eat it all in a couple of days

Don't think I could manage in a PVC again. I find a 4 berth coachbuilt is just right for one man & his dog for 2 months.

 

[barryd]

So you went 25 days completely wild and independent. Didnt empty the loo or take on water or go in a single shop? Im impressed if thats the case!

Running out of beer is not good so 4 days max for us but I do know that as long as we do a few miles we dont ever need hookup or campsites.

Cheers
BD

 

[derekfaeberwick]

So you went 25 days completely wild and independent. Didnt empty the loo or take on water or go in a single shop? Im impressed if thats the case!

Running out of beer is not good so 4 days max for us but I do know that as long as we do a few miles we dont ever need hookup or campsites.

Cheers
BD

Sounds about right to me. I do about 5 days solo then I need a pub, be it a pub-- lic toilet or house, 5 days does.

Derek and

 

[ajs]

.


don't giveafek... my dads biggerer than yours


regards
aj

 

[Dezi]

So you went 25 days completely wild and independent. Didnt empty the loo or take on water or go in a single shop? Im impressed if thats the case!

Cheers
BD

Hi,
I did empty the toilet, providing you use non chemical additives in the thing then digging a hole to bury the contents in the wild is an acceptable practice. Water is not a problem we use about three quarters of a gallon a day including washing.The trouble these days is we are all hung up on power showers every morning at home and expect to continue the practice in the van, what a waste of a support system. The rest is simples.
Dezi

 

[Kontiki]

We usually go abroad for 2 to 3 months, don't know if you could call it being 'independent' as such as we do some wild camping, use aires, & very sometimes rarely a campsite (to do a bit of washing etc.) Did a three week trip around Scotland wildcamping. We have a large fridge freezer so we can stock up with plenty of food, apart from that there is only the water & emptying the toilet that limit us. We tend to top up the water & empty the toilet whenever we can (unless we are in France or Germany where there are plenty of MH service points) Our gas can last us about 20 days & I have a back up cyclinder which can give at least another 10 days & we are good for about 600 miles with a full tank of diesel. Solar panel keeps the battery topped up fine as long as the weathers ok, we went to the Bristol Balloon festival & we were parked up for about 7 days without hookup or running the engine & the battery was fine.

Maybe we ought to try & organize a truly wildcamping endurance rally where the last one to leave wins my guess it would be the smokers & heavy drinkers that would run out first

 

[barryd]

We usually go abroad for 2 to 3 months, don't know if you could call it being 'independent' as such as we do some wild camping, use aires, & very sometimes rarely a campsite (to do a bit of washing etc.) Did a three week trip around Scotland wildcamping. We have a large fridge freezer so we can stock up with plenty of food, apart from that there is only the water & emptying the toilet that limit us. We tend to top up the water & empty the toilet whenever we can (unless we are in France or Germany where there are plenty of MH service points) Our gas can last us about 20 days & I have a back up cyclinder which can give at least another 10 days & we are good for about 600 miles with a full tank of diesel. Solar panel keeps the battery topped up fine as long as the weathers ok, we went to the Bristol Balloon festival & we were parked up for about 7 days without hookup or running the engine & the battery was fine.

Maybe we ought to try & organize a truly wildcamping endurance rally where the last one to leave wins my guess it would be the smokers & heavy drinkers that would run out first

600 miles on a full tank! What are you driving a diesel Nissan Micra conversion? Im lucky if we get 300! I smoke and drink but carry lots of supplies! Im up for a wild camping endurance trip but Im not digging the dunny!!!!

 

[Hallii]

If I fill up my tank near Rouen (free camping on the river, quayside between the two bridges by the way.) I can drive to the Spanish border before refilling.

Hallii

 

[Kontiki]

600 miles on a full tank! What are you driving a diesel Nissan Micra conversion? Im lucky if we get 300! I smoke and drink but carry lots of supplies! Im up for a wild camping endurance trip but Im not digging the dunny!!!!

This is what I drive http://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/show-us-your-van-motorhome/8029-our-adria-izola.html the tank is 100 litres (about 22 gallon costs a fortune when I do fill up) & I get just over 27 mpg. 22 x 27 = 594 miles. The average over the 9000 miles I've done this year 27.04 the best being 28.48 & the worst 24.45.
On the downside I probably lose out running with a full tank as I am carrying all that extra weight in fuel, maybe I should try only keeping it half full at the most unless I can see some cheap diesel.

 

[barryd]

Thats pretty good for a big van but that is a big tank! I reckon we only get between 17 and 24 out of our Kontiki but I do tend to drive with a heavy foot. £70 fills it from empty so it must be quite a small tank in comparison.

 

[Nosha]

Chausson with Fiat 2.8jdi = 28mpg with 'normal' driving, under 'normal' use e.g. a good wash down each per day, minor cooking and washing up etc. 3 days and Thetford cassette loo is full and water tank is empty after 4 days so we simply use a campsite every 3 to 4 days, have a good hot shower, empty loo and fill water tank!

It then makes £18 a night seem VERY reasonable!

 

[Kontiki]

If we are somewhere warm we use the couple of solar showers we have to heat up the water, we use this for an all over wash. I bought a Maplins car shower (no it's not for showering the car ) I worked out that if we use this off the solar panel then we are getting a totally free shower no gas or battery power used
Toilet is always the limiting factor though, on our last van a Frankia A class they come supplied with 2 cassettes for the loo, with the spare one having it's own locker. It was a great idea that you didn't have to worry about the toilet until you had filled one of the cassettes.

We have found that when we have been in Spain & Portugal wildcamping almost one of the first topics of conversation is where can you dump & fill with water. The dutch seem to be able to find out which manhole is the one to use.