Takin' the mick ... 18 vans at Portinscale Keswick !

[SafariMul]

Just seen the FB post of 18 Vans lined up. Nice spot & I know folks spend in town. But a lot of "short arms - deep pockets" also park here. 18 ! Considering you can see this lot from the road it ain't gonna be too long b4 a nimby takes the hump. It's not a bloody aires ****. Has motorhomes become too popular ? Record sales 'n' all that. ?

Sad and disappointed where this is going. The number of feckless clueless eejits with too much much money buying 'homes and asking 'arf witted questions on FB. How about this -> & it's more common than I'd ever imagine .." I'm buying a xxxxx what's it like any advice". DID YOU NOT THINK OF ASKING BEFORE YOU BOUGHT IT. Numpties. I 99% never post on FB and avoid any "where to stay" q's. It's usually a source of amusement but not 2nite.

Only feel slightly better now... discuss.

Chrz Mul.

 

[Mick Browne]

Just seen the FB post of 18 Vans lined up. Nice spot & I know folks spend in town. But a lot of "short arms - deep pockets" also park here. 18 ! Considering you can see this lot from the road it ain't gonna be too long b4 a nimby takes the hump. It's not a bloody aires ****. Has motorhomes become too popular ? Record sales 'n' all that. ?

Sad and disappointed where this is going. The number of feckless clueless eejits with too much much money buying 'homes and asking 'arf witted questions on FB. How about this -> & it's more common than I'd ever imagine .." I'm buying a xxxxx what's it like any advice". DID YOU NOT THINK OF ASKING BEFORE YOU BOUGHT IT. Numpties. I 99% never post on FB and avoid any "where to stay" q's. It's usually a source of amusement but not 2nite.

Only feel slightly better now... discuss.

Chrz Mul.

That's one hell of a rant. But I do understand your concerns and I agree. I went through Arnside last May and the sea front was lined up with motorhomes. It didn't look good. In fact it looked intrusive for the locals. Find a nice quiet spot or go on a site if you want to visit towns.

 

[tidewatcher]

Initiative

The publicising of wild spots on Facebook is a road to nowhere. The total lack of personal initiative is mind boggling, I have always considered the real enjoyment in motor homing is planning, checking maps, looking for routes, places to stay and then making DECISIONS! These people seem to want to have a package tour organised for them at no expense and with no input from themselves.

The problem is it will make motor homing in general more difficult, more wild spots will have signs or height barriers and we will all suffer.

I wish I could think of an answer but I fear the power of Facebook will prevail.....bigly.

 

[Deleted member 43466]

Just seen the FB post of 18 Vans lined up. Nice spot & I know folks spend in town. But a lot of "short arms - deep pockets" also park here. 18 ! Considering you can see this lot from the road it ain't gonna be too long b4 a nimby takes the hump. It's not a bloody aires ****. Has motorhomes become too popular ? Record sales 'n' all that. ?

Sad and disappointed where this is going. The number of feckless clueless eejits with too much much money buying 'homes and asking 'arf witted questions on FB. How about this -> & it's more common than I'd ever imagine .." I'm buying a xxxxx what's it like any advice". DID YOU NOT THINK OF ASKING BEFORE YOU BOUGHT IT. Numpties. I 99% never post on FB and avoid any "where to stay" q's. It's usually a source of amusement but not 2nite.

Only feel slightly better now... discuss.

Chrz Mul.

hi
i was at keswick on new year. i stopped there for a hour during the day to
give dog a run. there was about that many vans there then. virtually no spaces
on right hand side of road. cars were double parking on left made it narrow to
go up.

 

[jagmanx]

Useful info

Thanks
as with other "over popular places" I will pencil that one out !

A local landowner could make a fortune simply by providing
1 Suitable standing and access
2 Fresh water
3 Sewage and grey water disposal

Maybe a simple barrier mainly to ensure they collect fees

Visit 2x a day to check and collect

Yes have a limit (agreed with LA) of maybe up to 10 vehicles.

Some (not enough) people/councils are waking up to this

My idea (and I know I will get good and bad reactions) would be o charge £7.50 (or£8) a night
£5 is too little £10 maybe too much but OK in Areas such as The Lakes

10 Vehicle x £10 x say 5 Days is £500 a week (ok maybe only for 5 months) but.....
(Minimum wage £50 a day ! but only 2 hrs work ! a day)

 

[Deleted member 775]

whilst i hold the belief that all this congregating of motor homes /campervans in towns and cities and holiday destinations is getting worse and will /could eventualy cause an overnight ban in many places many being accused of short arms and deep pockets ,surely the rising agreement of many members on here feeling a charge of up to ten pounds a night to park on some half grotty car park ,piece of grass with the chance of still being disturbed by the members of that community that still find it funny or have a beef with those parked up to frankly move them on a there not wanted i do assume that there would still be a extra charge for day time parking aswell putting the cost of staying for 24 hour or even longer up to some 20 quid a day in most places probably on a par with some smaller camp sites .most of these so called overnight stop overs will not have any facilities ,ie toilets water taps electric hookup and if they do they will more than likely carry an extra charge ,because we all know local councils want to squeeze the last dime out of the public , if they did provide these facilities how many would last more than a few weeks before there vandalised , plus look at many car parks out there there not in the best state of repair no toilets ,well there arnt many public toilet anywhere now . now weve wild camped for probably the last 40 years or so in cars campers and motorhomes but found a place out of town where little annoyance to the locals would be caused . now for certain reasons we have a caravan i would still prefer a camper/motorhome over the van , i cannot so easily wild in the van . but as things seem to be going and with more advocating an overnight charge as above ,belive the need for an caravan grafted on the back of a glorified builders pick up truck and then have the pleasure of paying many thousands of pound for it is unnecessary when for 10 to twenty quid a night i can have a small safe comfortable camp site with most of the facilities ,toilets showers leccy hook up and may i say clean and maintained by someone not left to go to rack and ruin by some council , and i wont be disturbed by hot hatch nobs ,doggers and the general dick brains that find it funny to run round banging on my van or throwing eggs at it for fun .

 

[ScamperVan]

hi
i was at keswick on new year. i stopped there for a hour during the day to
give dog a run. there was about that many vans there then. virtually no spaces
on right hand side of road. cars were double parking on left made it narrow to
go up.

And in November when we passed by on our walk - it made the place look trashy

 

[Deleted member 775]

And in November when we passed by on our walk - it made the place look trashy

yes my very point ,as i say if i had another camper i would be more willing to visit and then move out a few mile to find a quiet out of the way spot .the rise in motorhome ownership by many that lets face it are out for summat for nowt will in the end be its downfall i belive .
but please dont take my comments as an outright condemnation of motor homes there not meant that way as when i see one parked up i still feel the pangs of not owning one ,but i for one would use it a dam site more considerate to the local community than it seems many are at this time . and anyway more and more car parks are getting to look like camp sites anyway . just an extra thing ,how many have said i wouldent want to go on a camp site ,to be surrounded by 20 0r 30 other van all bunched together , then squeeze in a car park with a foot or so between others vans .

 

[Deleted member 12539]

I can understand the gist of your gripe, but it could be that the first van to arrive at that location thought "what a nice quiet spot" and then the rest arrived (possibly).
Would you expect that first van to move to another location just because others arrived? I don't suppose they would have, maybe they had already gone to take the dog or themselves for a walk or shopping.
There will always be inconsiderate people, even when they believe they are not, no matter what they drive or ride. I try to tolerate these people (to a point) because sometimes it is due to no fault of their own.
I arrived one evening at Scarborough and parked overnight near Sealife with no other vans around. Woke up in the morning with many all over the car park. Walked over to pay for the day and could hear car drivers grumping about "freeloaders in campervans", I felt guilty walking back to the van, but I had just paid to park the day just like them.

 

[funkylyn]

If I saw more than a couple of vans parked up, never mind 18 !!! ....... I'd run for the hills.....

We had the same problem on the coast around Malaga, washing out on lines, tables and chairs by the roadside etc etc then they wonder why they get banned.....Some people have no regard for anyone else at all.
Maybe there is now a "new breed" of motorhomer, I don't know, but for me the joy has always been to drive, discovering new wild places and moving on, I think it wasn't until after 25 years that I ever stayed more than 1 or rarely 2 nights anywhere....but then, maybe I'm weird ....just as well we are all different, but taking the pee doesn't help any of us in our quest for suitable places to stop.

 

[Deleted member 58330]

If I saw more than a couple of vans parked up, never mind 18 !!! ....... I'd run for the hills.....

We had the same problem on the coast around Malaga, washing out on lines, tables and chairs by the roadside etc etc then they wonder why they get banned.....Some people have no regard for anyone else at all.
Maybe there is now a "new breed" of motorhomer, I don't know, but for me the joy has always been to drive, discovering new wild places and moving on, I think it wasn't until after 25 years that I ever stayed more than 1 or rarely 2 nights anywhere....but then, maybe I'm weird ....just as well we are all different, but taking the pee doesn't help any of us in our quest for suitable places to stop.

New Breed...that is exactly what it is. Many on this group have been wilding for years when internet was in its infancy. This group came along and it was a closed society in terms of sharing but the numbers doing it was not a lot. Now there are thousands of vans wilding every day of they year and they have a marked attitude change in terms of the so called code we used to have, it is a free for all and we are verging on self destruct. The Aires idea is not doing so well and there are no obvious answers in the UK anymore to deal with it.

 

[Deleted member 775]

mabey it is the internet thats enabling the many to post there favourite places for all to see ,who knows , but i have never warmed to the idea of broadcasting ever knook and cranny you find to the world .yes even on here ,we all know that the poi maps have been used by other than the members on here .as for the answer to the emerging problem as some see it with vans parked everywhere ,ive no idea . as for the call for aires i doubt local counsellors/councils will be willing to commit probably thousands of pounds for one group of people and the inevitable upkeep of the places when there is already lack of funds for let face it what the majority would see as more important things in these days of cuts in funding ,and lets face it if an aire costs x amout of pounds to stay ,i am sure many would still plum for the freeby park up somewhere else down the road . i do belive some aires that have been set up in this country have been less than a success and received a rather lack of upkeep by the councils and misuse by many .

 

[maingate]

Thanks
as with other "over popular places" I will pencil that one out !

A local landowner could make a fortune simply by providing
1 Suitable standing and access
2 Fresh water
3 Sewage and grey water disposal

Maybe a simple barrier mainly to ensure they collect fees

Visit 2x a day to check and collect

Yes have a limit (agreed with LA) of maybe up to 10 vehicles.

Some (not enough) people/councils are waking up to this

My idea (and I know I will get good and bad reactions) would be o charge £7.50 (or£8) a night
£5 is too little £10 maybe too much but OK in Areas such as The Lakes

10 Vehicle x £10 x say 5 Days is £500 a week (ok maybe only for 5 months) but.....
(Minimum wage £50 a day ! but only 2 hrs work ! a day)

I strongly agree with your thoughts but the 1960 Caravan Act prevents this happening. It would take an amendment or a new Act of Parliament to change this. At this time, I cannot see this ever happening.

In the meantime, the vastly increased number of Motorhomes/Campervans will be problematic, especially when a minority act like idiots.

 

[Deleted member 775]

I strongly agree with your thoughts but the 1960 Caravan Act prevents this happening. It would take an amendment or a new Act of Parliament to change this. At this time, I cannot see this ever happening.

In the meantime, the vastly increased number of Motorhomes/Campervans will be problematic, especially when a minority act like idiots.

not only is the 1960 caravan act still in use and i think is ripe for a coat of looking at ,but i guess there are other problems nowadays biggest hurdle would be our senseless health and safety laws ,can you imagine the rules and regulations insurance liabilities ,and mabey a plethora of other rules a council or private individual setting up an aire or glorified camp site,after all an aire is only a fancy name for a camp site would have to adhere to now . and the initial cost water toilets hook ups because some would want them ,chemical disposal . even if there were these places and i had a motor home ,i suppose i would be off somewhere nice and quiet tucked out of the way .

 

[barryd]

Is this the long dead end road about half a mile or so outside of Keswick? Just what are the alternatives in the middle of winter in Keswick, are there any sites open? If not it might be a good idea to approach the local authority and see if they can either get it made official or if they would consider an off season alternative for motorhomes in or around the town. Clearly there is a demand if 18 vans are parked up mid winter.

The post earlier about a farmer setting up an aire is all well and good and there was a good one at Millers Field in Ambleside but it wasnt official and without planning permission got shut down. Unfortunately I dont think its as straight forward as you think.

If it is that dead end bit of road I dont see what harm they are doing to be honest, its not really near anywhere from memory and the road goes nowhere.

 

[Obanboy666]

Is this the long dead end road about half a mile or so outside of Keswick? Just what are the alternatives in the middle of winter in Keswick, are there any sites open? If not it might be a good idea to approach the local authority and see if they can either get it made official or if they would consider an off season alternative for motorhomes in or around the town. Clearly there is a demand if 18 vans are parked up mid winter.

The post earlier about a farmer setting up an aire is all well and good and there was a good one at Millers Field in Ambleside but it wasnt official and without planning permission got shut down. Unfortunately I dont think its as straight forward as you think.

If it is that dead end bit of road I dont see what harm they are doing to be honest, its not really near anywhere from memory and the road goes nowhere.

Plenty of C&CC CL sites open all year round, that's what I use when I visit Cumbria throughout the winter months.
Sadly there are lots of people who spend a fortune on their motorhome who wouldn't dream of spending a tenner a night on a campsite.
The ones I use only have 5 pitches, are usually on a farm or smallholding and in winter I'm often the only one there.

 

[maingate]

Maybe the Caravan Club is aware that change is needed.

So much so that they are changing their name to "The Caravan and Motorhome Club". I kid you not, I found this on another forum (and it is not April 1st either).

New brand | The Caravan Club

 

[r4dent]

... but it could be that the first van to arrive at that location thought "what a nice quiet spot" and then the rest arrived (possibly).

The thing is that there isn't a "first" van on that site. There is always a van on this location so no one is ever "first".

(Yes I know that you can prove that there was a first van using the same infinite regression argument that St. Thomas Aquinas used to prove that God exists ! )

I've been tempted to use it many times, but it is always too busy.

 

[alcam]

I strongly agree with your thoughts but the 1960 Caravan Act prevents this happening. It would take an amendment or a new Act of Parliament to change this. At this time, I cannot see this ever happening.

In the meantime, the vastly increased number of Motorhomes/Campervans will be problematic, especially when a minority act like idiots.

The huge increase in motorhomes would probably justify a review of this law ? Don't know if local authorities can override this ? If councils only provide spaces without facilities I assume this wouldn't invoke any rules and regulations ?

 

[jagmanx]

Yes Planning Permission

Is this the long dead end road about half a mile or so outside of Keswick? Just what are the alternatives in the middle of winter in Keswick, are there any sites open? If not it might be a good idea to approach the local authority and see if they can either get it made official or if they would consider an off season alternative for motorhomes in or around the town. Clearly there is a demand if 18 vans are parked up mid winter.

The post earlier about a farmer setting up an aire is all well and good and there was a good one at Millers Field in Ambleside but it wasnt official and without planning permission got shut down. Unfortunately I dont think its as straight forward as you think.

If it is that dead end bit of road I dont see what harm they are doing to be honest, its not really near anywhere from memory and the road goes nowhere.

Not suggesting it is straitforward
Several costs involved
1 Infrastructure
2 Planning permission
3 Cost of disposal of all items (maybe septic tank)
3 Management and wages
4 Routine maintenence