That's it. I've had it with the wild-camping zealots.

As it happens I prefer wild camping to camp sites. But we still use sites and sometimes I am surprised that they can be very nice. My o/h sometimes prefers them (eg to a car park) I think. It just shows we are all a bit different. For myself, I have been put off sites by the caravan club formal approach where you MUST park facing this way, etc. What nonsense.

Anyway, the point for me is that this site is called WILDCAMPING. It pre supposes that members have a shared interest in such activities doesn't it? If however we all felt exactly the same there wouldn't be much point to the site. Unless we wanted to keep patting each other on the back for our good ideas.

So .... in conclusion, I happen to like all the weird and wonderful, sometimes crazy, suggestions and ideas you guys come up with. That doesn't mean I necessarily agree with them (or you with mine). But it would be silly to be a member here and not to have wild camping at heart.

If you can't accept that general concept yourself then perhaps it is better to look for a site which caters more for your preference.

P.S. And hey, what is wrong with an unwillingness to spend money?

Just a personal view.
 
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got to agree with camp sites being like prisons,after all prisoners do live the life of luxury,especially in this country.
They have more in prison than our pensioners do and can keep warm during winter.
 
Hi All,

Interesting set of posts and comments.

I have a camper van and am a member of this site and the C&CC.

I go where I want, use sites when I want and wild camp when I want.

I expect that's what most of us do and that's the idea behind having a camper van, tent or caravan.

I hope you all enjoy doing it as much as I do and do as much as you want to do.

I also hope we can all get along but if not then I expect we move on.


Take care all

Boots
 
Boots said:
Hi All,

Interesting set of posts and comments.

I have a camper van and am a member of this site and the C&CC.

I go where I want, use sites when I want and wild camp when I want.

I expect that's what most of us do and that's the idea behind having a camper van, tent or caravan.

I hope you all enjoy doing it as much as I do and do as much as you want to do.

I also hope we can all get along but if not then I expect we move

Take care all

Boots
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very well said Boots
 
wild camping or ...caravan club ?

This forum is called..........WILD CAMPING ,not the caravan club ,so most members would refer to ' campsites ' as prisons,this is not a slur as such,and if you take it that seriously,you either have no sense of humour or you dont need this particular site (my thoughts)
It takes all sorts tomake a forum,but usually everyone has aninterest in the subject of the forum,otherwise why join unkess you want to antogonise members ( i wouldn't join a train spotting forum,to cal them anoraks sadoes ) :) thats another tongue in cheek Northerner,sowhy the heck wpuld xomeonejoining a ....'wildcamping ' forumtake offence to members stating the fact.....they dont like campsites/trailor parks,caravan clubs or whatever they are,
I also find it offensive for ' Northerner ' to have a sly underhanded remark,saying its about ' not paying' ,,,,is he a windup ? as stated by many,sites are confined,military,anti-social even (meaning i dont want to share my holiday with someones dog/kids,drunken idiot next to or IN my pride and joy)you may callme anti-social for thinking this way,but sorry,i like to choose my company,not pay for the privalage of 'sharing' another vans/family/whatever..........I CHOOSE TO WILDCAMP,same as i chose to use this site for that very reason,to be with like minded people and share experiences,sorry i cant share my times with the caravan club etc,as i dont use them,and i think i'm wiser for not doing so.
So Northerner,if you like campsites/'prisons' lol ,then its your choice isn't it? i/we aren't knocking it or picking on you,just stating facts.
I hope you have enjoyed and learnt alot from this great site,that has been around a while now,and will be for many more years to come .
Happy motoring/motorhoming...where ever you stay.
 
barnybg said:
This forum is called..........WILD CAMPING ,not the caravan club ,so most members would refer to ' campsites ' as prisons,this is not a slur as such,and if you take it that seriously,you either have no sense of humour or you dont need this particular site (my thoughts)
It takes all sorts tomake a forum,but usually everyone has aninterest in the subject of the forum,otherwise why join unkess you want to antogonise members ( i wouldn't join a train spotting forum,to cal them anoraks sadoes ) :) thats another tongue in cheek Northerner,sowhy the heck wpuld xomeonejoining a ....'wildcamping ' forumtake offence to members stating the fact.....they dont like campsites/trailor parks,caravan clubs or whatever they are,
I also find it offensive for ' Northerner ' to have a sly underhanded remark,saying its about ' not paying' ,,,,is he a windup ? as stated by many,sites are confined,military,anti-social even (meaning i dont want to share my holiday with someones dog/kids,drunken idiot next to or IN my pride and joy)you may callme anti-social for thinking this way,but sorry,i like to choose my company,not pay for the privalage of 'sharing' another vans/family/whatever..........I CHOOSE TO WILDCAMP,same as i chose to use this site for that very reason,to be with like minded people and share experiences,sorry i cant share my times with the caravan club etc,as i dont use them,and i think i'm wiser for not doing so.
So Northerner,if you like campsites/'prisons' lol ,then its your choice isn't it? i/we aren't knocking it or picking on you,just stating facts.
I hope you have enjoyed and learnt alot from this great site,that has been around a while now,and will be for many more years to come .
Happy motoring/motorhoming...where ever you stay.
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And your view sums up the entire point of my original post! Yes, this forum is called 'Wild Camping' and I enjoy true wild camping. I don't enjoy being stuck on an aire with a another ''van three feet on either side of me and I don't enjoy the kind of 'wild camping' enclaves that you see in Spain where dozens of 'vans congregate in the same places, which are almost camping sites in everything but name but without any of the facilities, such as easily available water. But just because I don't exclusively wild camp, are you suggesting that I shouldn't be a member of this forum? If I joined a Ford cars' forum, does that preclude me from using and enjoying another make of car? And from the feedback to this and other threads it is quite clear that exclusive wild campers are actually in a minority on this site and that most members, just like me, use a combination; wild camping when it's suitable, occasional aires and occasional site use. If you were to restrict this site to exclusive wild campers it would probably not be worth running as the number would be tiny!

So to be clear - I don't care how you camp, good luck to you. What I detest is the small number of wild camping Taliban, who use phrases which imply that those of us who like to use sites occasionally are some kind of sheep who are institutionalised! It's arrogant, insulting and just proves that it is they who think that their method is the only one and that the rest of us are deluded idiots. And the oft repeated phrase about camp sites being prisons isn't humour, it's just another extension of their narrow-minded bigotry, where the mixed campers, such as me, are concerned. How can you describe a French municipal in June as a prison? I have stayed on sites all over France that are spacious, in beautiful spots, with gorgeous views and far superior than any aire or some of the crowded 'wild-camping' spots where dozens of 'vans huddle together. And yes, I know there a lovely wild camping spots where you can have solitude and they are the kind that I use, but I will not stay on a grubby crowded aire if there is no nice wild camping spot nearby, or if there's a nice municipal that I can use where I can fill up my water, empty the toilet, do some laundry and shower twice a day if need be.

I state quite clearly once again unless some of you can't work it out. I don't care how you camp. Do what ever you like, that's what motorhoming should be about, but please, stop denigrating those of us who don't fit in with your own narrow-minded views on where or where not people should park their 'vans. If I choose to use sites it doesn't make me any less of a true motorhomer than you!

This is my last post on this thread. My views are quite plain and I won't repeat them again but I would like to repeat that I will not be renewing my subscription because I am fed up with the small number of people who continually insult those whose camping methods differ from those, the people whom I call the 'wild camping zealots'. They seem to think that this site should be reserved just for the likes of them. I doubt that the owner would agree! I suspect that he'd rather have a few hundred members who mix their camping, than a few dozen who exclusively wild camp.
 
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fairytooth said:
Oh you silly old fart, just let it drop and let's move on.
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Do you know, I thought that's exactly what I said I was going to do in my last post. Then again there's always some rude idiot who doesn't read them properly and posts obnoxious stuff like this just to stir things up! Well done you!
 
Northerner said:
Do you know, I thought that's exactly what I said I was going to do in my last post. Then again there's always some rude idiot who doesn't read them properly and posts obnoxious stuff like this just to stir things up! Well done you!
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well it got you to post again so there must be somthing in it ,as you said you wern't postin no more :lol-053:
its not fair getting our hopes up then dashing them so harshly :mad1:

anyway ime stayin ,i love it here you can just ignore the s**t posts and enjoy the rest ,onward and upward:wave:
 
Oh my! What on earth made you think I was referring to your posts HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !

Well, I suppose if the cap fits .......:banana:
 
For God's sake, let it drop you silly old farts. :wacko::wacko::wacko:
 
I work on campsites abroad, currently in Holland, but for the main part in France this year having been based in Frejus on the cote d azur.

The quality of campsites in France particularly, varies enormously in my opinion.

Away from the Cote d azur the owners make an effort to ensure their sites are well presented, and care somewhat about their customers.

In the cote dazur , it seems they have a captive market and there is a marked difference in attitude.

In Frejus on the touring part of the site I often saw motorhomes UK registered too, that were on site for a couple of weeks at a time.....so why wernt these people wilding ? a lot of the motorhomes far better set up than my own ?

One reason is the aire system in the South of France is not as robust as elsewhere, and for a few more euros a night electric , shower blocks bars etc. and I guess on an annual holiday people are prepared to pay the premium involved.

If that is what people want, Then I think it is down to them as to how they spend there time and money and I would be wrong in being judgemental.

On days off, I found places to wild, which in all honesty I wouldnt openly share otherwise they will become overused and ultimately lost..that said to those I trust a pm and I will share, and I know thats how some members with the uk spots think.

If someone enjoys the challenge of wildcamping, the self sufficiency etc etc ....then so be it ......I respect that equally I respect that some people are more comfortable on an organised site.

Even if it is down to guaranteeing no knock on the door to move on etc, some people are prepared to pay for that alone ...but I would be wrong in judging that.

Anyway for me , back in the UK in just over a week and I will be wilding as I am a fulltimer....and yes I will use a CC site or Cls .....for the laundry room a long shower and on occasion peace of mind when I have had a wine or two .

That is my choice and nothing to do with anyone else, I am not asking others to foot the bill.

I hold an Acops gas certificate have lived full time for 3 and a half years in a motorhome, Hopefully on a site like this, I have something to offer via experience lessons learned etc ...

If people choose to wild exclusively or use sites exclusivel for whatever motive I have no problem ...what is more important is th esharing of knowledge to make it all easier ?

My thoughts

Channa
 
for us, there are a few camp sites that i really like being on especially in winter (less people and kids), we like the abundance of hot water, amenities and security that a camp site offers. however on the other hand i just can't afford to stay on them, we don't get away nearly enough now-days as it is due to a severe lack of funds, so by wild camping we can double the amount of trips. and of course there are some really beautiful spots to wild in here in our country.
and we have on occasion had to stay in a layby, not first choice but sometimes as needs be and to be honest not really had any probs so ok for us.

there is far too much arguing on here again. there's always going to be differences in opinion, everyone should accept that, sad sad days, this site seems to have gone back in time:wacko:

so from now anyone being aggressive or naughty:idea-007: they should go stand in the corner until they can behave. :rockroll::rockroll::dance:
 
Hi, Like many other members of this site we spend 99% of my travelling time using wilding spots, or when on the continent free Aires. However common sense is not thrown out of the motor home window just because the Murvi is self sufficient on the habitation front. When we think a camp site is the better option we use it.

Recently we stayed for 4 nights at camping Della Serenissima just twenty mins by bus, stop outside gate, from Venice. It’s the third time in 20 years that we have used it & it’s perfect for our needs. True I have a wild site closer to Venice, but, when we visit larger cities for a few days & our trips are usually for 6 / 7 weeks we are prefer the luxury of hot showers, unlimited water, laundry facilities & the ability to empty & refill tanks before we continue our travels.

Our 6 / 7 week travels usually involve 4 / 5 nights on a pay campsite & as we get older this will probably increase, does that mean that I will feel obliged to leave Wild camping forums. NO.

Dezi
 
Dezi said:
Hi, Like many other members of this site we spend 99% of my travelling time using wilding spots, or when on the continent free Aires. However common sense is not thrown out of the motor home window just because the Murvi is self sufficient on the habitation front. When we think a camp site is the better option we use it.

Recently we stayed for 4 nights at camping Della Serenissima just twenty mins by bus, stop outside gate, from Venice. It’s the third time in 20 years that we have used it & it’s perfect for our needs. True I have a wild site closer to Venice, but, when we visit larger cities for a few days & our trips are usually for 6 / 7 weeks we are prefer the luxury of hot showers, unlimited water, laundry facilities & the ability to empty & refill tanks before we continue our travels.

Our 6 / 7 week travels usually involve 4 / 5 nights on a pay campsite & as we get older this will probably increase, does that mean that I will feel obliged to leave Wild camping forums. NO.

Dezi
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Not at all in my world, you do what is easy and convenient I dont see any charter that dictates you are somehow letting the side down using a campsite.
BTW I have been offered work next year in Ca Savio on the Venetian strip, albeit there are still issues to iron out ...If things resolve I would be very grateful for the wilding spots

You see I work on campsites and strangely time off ...I want to wild and enjoy my own thing. Work involves catering for the holidaymakers and their expectations.

in my own time a different perspective


Channa
 
I think we pretty much sussed out why we are not keen on sites on our recent long trip. I think for us we prefer solitude as well as freedom. The Aires we seek out seem to be smaller 5-10 van Aires or quieter out of the way aires. wild spots we use tend to be just us which is the ideal and when we have been forced onto a site we have hated the busy ones. Perhaps other wildys feel the same.

Having said that one of the nicest stays we had on our 5 month tour was an ACSI site in the Dordogne at the end of September. We just came across it in the middle of nowhere and were having a neb on the scooter with no intention of staying but the owner invited us to have a look round. It had its own lake which I could row our dinghy round and a lovely huge pool but what clinched it was there were just three other guests, a tugger and two motorhomes who for some reason were all pitched together on one part of the site. The owner said we could go where we liked so we parked up in a section all on our own. We stayed four nights and pretty much had the lake and the pool to ourselves. €11 a night. If it had been full I would have hated it though.
 
Northerner said:
As for your comment about enjoying winding people up, you've hit the nail on the head. Despite what you claim about others there is no one who enjoys stirring things and deliberately provoking rows than you. What a nasty and sad admission to make!
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Factual inaccuracy alert - the original quote was not "people"; it was "fools". And from the rest of what you have said, I think something I said may have made you feel wound up. :wave:
 
John H said:
Factual inaccuracy alert - the original quote was not "people"; it was "fools". And from the rest of what you have said, I think something I said may have made you feel wound up. :wave:
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Just so you know I have a policy now of no longer replying to your posts. I first did the same with Bigpieeater as it was utterly pointless debating with him as all he wants to do is have huge rows and keep them going, as you've just done. So please, fire away but, for the sake of greater harmony for all, I'll no longer be responding.
 
Northerner said:
Just so you know I have a policy now of no longer replying to your posts. I first did the same with Bigpieeater as it was utterly pointless debating with him as all he wants to do is have huge rows and keep them going, as you've just done. So please, fire away but, for the sake of greater harmony for all, I'll no longer be responding.
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Just to be sure - is that your final word, absolutely your final word or your very last and final final word? :lol-049:



Sorry, everybody - couldn't resist that one!
 
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