Stealth Camper

[RichardHelen262]

Wildcamping is illegal in England no matter what vehicle you have.

Then why join a wild camping forum if you think it is illegal ?

 

[belbri]

So does a stealth camper have windows or is it like being in a prison cell with a skylight ?
I love Being in my motorhome looking at our beautiful landscape, couldn't imagine being in a van without a view apart fro the front cab windows, not my idea of motorhoming.

Our camper is a converted Peugeot 807 people carrier with windows all round. The electric sliding door windows and rear windows are limousine tinted, allowing us to see out without anyone able to see in, apart from a slight tint, we get the same view that you have, unless we put the lights on at night, in which case we put the blinds up.
The car has comfortable seats which swivel to face the rear, cruise control, climate control, abs, esp, excellent performance and road holding allowing us to cruise at legal max in comfort and safety, also allowing us to go exploring down the narrowest of lanes and up the steepest hills, also able to turn at the end if necessary.
On a business trip this week, drove from South Wales to Liverpool met a colleague then to Sheffield, night in hotel Sheffield then down to Birmingham, dropped colleague off, home to South wales total 450 miles, on motorway with cruise set at 65 mph overall fuel consumption 45mpg. average speed 55mph, I aint going to complain at that.
We have a two burner hob and sink unit built in, a 6ft bed with spring interior mattress which is not the widest but my wife and I get a fantastic nights sleep, Eberspatcher heater, 16" TV with DVD player, toilet etc.
If we want the weather we go abroad, if we want comfort we go to a good hotel. very little in life gives us everything we desire, life is mostly a compromise. Decide what you want, add the pluses and minuses, if the pluses have it, GO FOR IT, but don't assume other people's criteria will be the same as yours or patronise them for it

 

[belbri]

My thoughts
You have attempted to make a silk purse out of a sows ear because you can't afford a decent motorhome.

I bet you turn green with envy in your £50,000 motorhome when someone turns up with an £80,000 unit.

Quality and pleasure is what life is about.

Some people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing

 

[sak]

Then why join a wild camping forum if you think it is illegal ?

Joining a wild camping forum is legal.

 

[hextal]

I bet you turn green with envy in your £50,000 motorhome when someone turns up with an £80,000 unit.

Or, worse still, an identical motorhome, but..... with even more optional extras.

 

[mark61]

Decent panel van is more then £50000.

 

[GRWXJR]

My thoughts
You have attempted to make a silk purse out of a sows ear because you can't afford a decent motorhome.

Well, aren't you just a delight!

I bet you're a lovely person to have a conversation with! Elitist much?

I hope you enjoy yourself while you're looking down your nose at us poor peasants, as its a pretty shoddy way to get your jollies, sunshine!

Edit. I wonder if it annoys oldpolicehouse that people with cheap van conversions can share the same places, views and experiences as they can in their nice expensive MH, and would prefer it if we were made to just go to "3rd class" places so they don't have to risk rubbing shoulder and slumming it with the likes of me?

But, seeing as OPH is too tight with all his wonga to become a Full Member, I dare say he'll never have the pleasure of my company anytime soon anyhow. That'll suit both of us nicely.

 

[RichardHelen262]

Joining a wild camping forum is legal.

but if wild camping is ilegal then you are being part of a group that are breaking the law,
being friends with drug dealers or bank robbers would not be ilegal,but i would not hang around people like this.
does anyone know of a case where someone has been prosecuted for wild camping ?

 

[hextal]

My understanding - quite likely flawed on this one - is that there isn't a law specifically banning it, there is just not a law allowing it. As such, you would 'technically' need to seek the permission of the land-owner. However, when it comes to public/council owned areas it's a tad more grey. I think the council have/can erect height barriers (to physically stop larger vehicles) and also place prohibition notices at specific locations (though the legality of these seems equally murky - so Temporary Orders having expired, some signs not related to either temporary or permanent orders etc).

I suspect that the worst that would happen would be that you were asked to move on.

 

[Obanboy666]

Decent panel van is more then £50000.

When I was looking before I decided between PVC's and a C class some of the PVC's's had what I have in my motorhome and more !

I'm still on the fence whether I made the correct decision going for the C class, time will tell and I may well change to a PVC in the future.

 

[whitevanwoman]

My van is a stealth camper, a self converted hi roof lwb transit. I bought it to convert to my needs specifically after looking at various coach builts which would not accomodate the large cage I have for my 2 dogs.

I have an anxiety disorder and, as a single woman with no close family to help or rescue me in the event of any problems, I prefer to be away from people, or if in an urban or less remote area, to be unobtrusive. I often park up overnight on industrial estates, or with truckers in laybys etc where no one bats an eyelid at a white transit parked up. I can relax knowing that no one knows I'm inside (i have no windows except a rooflight and have blackout curtain between cab and back) - it works for me but wouldn't suit everyone.

Being on a low income, I have to make do and mend so I know people do look down on my scruffy van, with an interior like a car boot sale, but it's either that or nothing.

I am thinking about having a window put in the side sliding door but it depends on £££ and it would have to be blackened. It would only really be to be able to see who is knocking on the van door, although I am considering putting in a door spyhole instead. I am also thinking of putting in another rooflight as it can be quite dark inside the van on gloomy days with the door closed. I'm actually considering fitting an old washing machine door on the roof as a rooflight - as they are often quite deep, it would project above the roof by several inches which, with a mirror on an extendable pointer, would allow a 360' field of vision :idea:

As for missing out on the views, I prefer to sit outside or in the open doorway with a morning coffee than see them through a window.

We all have different wants and needs, circumstances, finances, hobbies, skills and abilities and our vans reflect that. That's what makes meets so interesting, such a wide range of vans, and you find yourself talking to and getting on really well with people that you perhaps would never think of becoming friendly with because their lives are so different to yours, and like it or not, we all form our own prejudgements on people depending on how they look within the first few seconds, and this can prevent us from getting to know someone.

As for wild camping being illegal because it says so on the internet... well, somewhere on the internet it says I'm 5 ft 10, size 10, with long blonde hair and a G cup bra size. Doesn't mean it's true. Although I would have soooooooo much fun if it was :raofl::fun:

 

[sak]

Done a bit more digging while on my break and now I have read that wild camping isn't illegal but trespass is and is a civil offence punishable by law, so that contradicts things a bit.
Anyway I was wrong, am I the first person to admit this on here, so please stone me in the Station Inn car park but don't remove any stones from the walls because that is against the countryside code or the highway code or some other code or will let the sheep out, anyway just had the van in for a service so it is going somewhere on Saturday be it legal or not.
And who called them stealth campers anyway, it wasn't me but if you want someone to blame .......

 

[whitevanwoman]

Done a bit more digging while on my break and now I have read that wild camping isn't illegal but trespass is and is a civil offence punishable by law, so that contradicts things a bit.
Anyway I was wrong, am I the first person to admit this on here, so please stone me in the Station Inn car park but don't remove any stones from the walls because that is against the countryside code or the highway code or some other code or will let the sheep out, anyway just had the van in for a service so it is going somewhere on Saturday be it legal or not.
And who called them stealth campers anyway, it wasn't me but if you want someone to blame .......

Good for you, you may not be the first to say you were wrong, but you're certainly in a very small minority who are able to do that, and I respect that.

 

[portiapug]

Joining a wild camping forum is legal.

As long as you are allowed to post if you are a free member?

I bet you wish you could take that statement back sak. :lol-061:

 

[camping_gaz]

When I was looking before I decided between PVC's and a C class some of the PVC's's had what I have in my motorhome and more !

I'm still on the fence whether I made the correct decision going for the C class, time will tell and I may well change to a PVC in the future.

less chance of leaks/damp ingress on a pvc, and easer parking, sadly at the mo i cant afford either

 

[GRWXJR]

less chance of leaks/damp ingress on a pvc, and easer parking, sadly at the mo i cant afford either

This is why some people go down the self-build van-conversion route I suppose (while some do it cos they want to build their own too).

I went 50:50 I suppose - I got a van that had had a lot of the work and all the main bits sourced (it was converted as a 'Motocross' van initially so it had lots of space given over to carrying a 250cc 'Crosser) and then I altered and tinkered quite a bit to change it to suit our needs as well as tidying it up a bit.

I know there's people who have sorted vans for less than mine stands me, but I can't complain at what I've got for the spend.

It is possible to get yourself a camper without a huge budget thats very useable and comfortable - just dont expect it to be rolling Hilton for B&B money!

 

[sak]

As long as you are allowed to post if you are a free member?

I bet you wish you could take that statement back sak. :lol-061:

Why would I want to take it back, the forum wouldn't exist if it was not for the full members, paying our subs might be why some members haven't got the £50k to buy a mobile house.

 

[n brown]

i'm not au fait with flimsies-what's a pvc ?

 

[Winker]

I had a pvc van once, 1/32 scale.

I think it was called an 'Airfix'?

 

[CAL]

My thoughts
You have attempted to make a silk purse out of a sows ear because you can't afford a decent motorhome.

Please tell me you were just trying to wind people up with this statement ? If so it worked very well.
Although looking at your profile - you don't have any at all - Free member since 2009 and nothing to describe yourself at all. That just seems weird to me.