Wilding in Surrey part 1

Fancythat

Guest
Hello, I've been lurking on this site since October 2010, when I also bought my first motorhome and began full-time wild-camping, so I thought it was about time I introduced myself. My name's Frank, & I live & work around Walton on Thames Surrey. I have 3 children that stay with me at weekends. I own 2 x old Triumph Bonnies. I like psychadelic rock & history.

I'll try and keep this as short and sweet as I can, but at the same time I want to let others who are considering full-time wild-camping know what equipment etc I have, and what I think is necessary to make this venture work with as much comfort as possible. The sort of info I was looking for, but could never find in one place.

First the MH...2008 Swift Suntor 590RL 2.2 Litre (5 gears) 15,000 miles...I started off with absolutely no idea what MH’s looked like from the inside, so I decided to visit a couple of dealers to get some idea. At first I considered going for one that had a fixed bed & dinette, but after seeing a couple of rear lounge layouts, I decided that that’s what I wanted, & in particular an L-shaped lounge for the extra leg room. I was aware that I would lose the garage, but then I have a real full sized garage that I keep my motorbikes in (rented from the council). I saw a Swift Bessacarr on one of the dealers websites which looked good to me, but when I got there I realized that I didn't fit in the shower...I'm 6 foot 3 & around 18 stone. I then checked out the Suntor which has an ingenious moving wall shower arrangement which worked for me, as well as an L-shaped lounge. On further inspection I found out that it also had 2 x solar panels, a Maxview Omnisat crank-up dish on the roof and a 1000 watt inverter (…which I’ll probably never use). It cost me £28,995 part payment & part HP.

Once I moved into the MH, I decided the next thing to get sorted was some security, so I had an Autowatch Thatcham CAT 1 alarm & tracker fitted. The Fiat Ducatto already has a decent immobilizer, so I just had to pay for the Thatcham CAT 2 > 1 upgrade which cost £475 for the Alarm & Tracker. The tracker system I went for is the type that texts you the Google map coordinates when an intruder enters the vehicle. Any time I want to know where the MH is, I just text it, & it texts me straight back with it's coordinates. I then ordered some security stickers from eBay to stick in the windows £5. The habitation door already had a flip over Fiamma door bar fitted.

Now the 2 x solar panels of unknown wattage do a fantastic job of keeping the single 110 ah habitation battery topped up. Infact I can’t see how you can really wild-camp easily without solar panels. They are absolutely vital, & even keep the battery topped up on dull days…Amazing !! The only real problem I’ve had is when they were covered by a foot of snow (I don’t have a ladder). Also, sometimes it’s necessary to park under trees which can block out the light. I decided to get a generator. I opted for the Kipor IG2000 (pure sine wave) £300 & I’m glad I did. It’s been great. There are a few places that I have found where I can go where the sound it makes doesn’t cause offence. If it’s raining I found a bridge that I can park under which is really useful. I get about 3 hours use on a full tank of unleaded which I keep in a Gerry can wedged behind the drivers seat & the washroom wall. I use cheap Tesco mats either side of the Gerry can to prevent damage to either the seat or the washroom wall £5. I keep the Generator directly behind the passenger seat on another Tesco mat (as well as a piece of cardboard to soak up any possible oil spills etc. It kind of fits under where the backrest leans back & to the side of the habitation door causing no obstruction what so ever. When its running, I tend to get everything on charge, especially my big rechargeable camping lamp which further cuts down on draining the habitation battery. I also get my water heated up, my fridge on and my heating on electric. I tend to use the generator most weekends as I’m often in the MH with the TV on with the kids. Incidentally Tesco do some long mats for £10 which are ideal for the length of the MH. To further reduce the drain on the batteries, I also had LED lights fitted from Aten Lighting at around £5-7 each. I use the warm lights in the lounge area and the white lights for everywhere else. The old halogens used around 10 watts each, where I can now have all of the LED’s on & only be pulling about 10 watts for the lot…very efficient.

See part 2...
 
Wilding in Surrey part 2

My TV is a 12 & 240 volt Meos 15.4” with DVD player & Freeview. I’ve only used this a couple of times & only when I’ve had the generator running, as I try & use the habitation battery as little as possible. Instead, I prefer to use my Laptop which I bought a few spare batteries from Hong Kong on Ebay. I also have a tiny memory stick TV tuner with Freeview £30 (including a remote control) which plugs into the USB port on the laptop. The batteries get charged up each day when I’m at work. I’ve also got a Grundig Freesat HD receiver (£150 from Halfords) for the Satellite dish, but haven’t got around to using it yet. I still need to get my head around setting up the dish to point at a satellite. I’ll try & get it up & running over the Christmas break.

As well as charging all my electrical stuff up at work, I also get my water from work using an Ortlieb 10 Litre water bag which I transport back & forth in a small rucksack; once at lunchtime, & again in the evening. I transfer this to a 10 Litre watering can, which I then use to fill the MH tanks (9 x watering cans from empty to full). At lunchtime I have been putting the hot water tank on, as well as heating up the MH for an hour. I also make sure that the HW tank & MH are heated up before I leave for work in the mornings. This has prevented my pipes from freezing during this cold weather, which would be a disaster when full-timing. Getting water has really been my biggest headache, infact work has been my only source so far. I would love to know how other full-time wild-campers cope?

Emptying the toilet cassette has been relatively painless for me, as there is an old public toilet near me where the toilets have no doors, seats or loo rolls. They have proved perfect for emptying, and there is ample free parking for a MH just outside.

My heating is provided by a Trauma gas heater, which is very effective. I have 2 x 6kg propane (red) bottles. I have been getting through one bottle every 4-6 days (£23 each time). I wish I had 11 kg bottles, but they won’t fit in my cupboard. I am considering getting Gaslow fitted at some point, but money is a bit tight right now. The garages near me Chertsey/Walton have run out a few times, so I always try & get a new bottle as soon as one runs out. Having the generator handy really gives me peace of mind in this situation. Above the heater is the wardrobe. On top of the wardrobe door, I have put two of the plastic triangular hook things that you hang coat-hangers from. I air my towel here when I go off to work, using the residual heat from the Trauma heater…nothing gets wasted !

For storage, inside the cupboards I use two of those large square plastic food containers (…with the red trim on the lids) & one smaller one…fits perfectly, so all my bits & bobs are nicely contained. I also have six of these large containers under the over-cab ladder. I also use plastic baskets for things like sock and pants, as well as a couple of large plastic boxes under the lounge seats. The plan eventually is to get one of those huge Fiamma boxes installed on the back of the vehicle.

I do very little cooking now that I’m full-timing, mainly to save gas, but also to avoid making everything smell. There is a built in microwave, but to me this is just another cupboard where I store the kettle on top of a tea-towel. When I lived in a house I never used the microwave much either. Cooking raw meat is always going to use a lot of gas, unless you only stir-fry, then you stink the whole place out. Instead I use tinned meat mostly from M&S. Stuff like their Chunky chicken (…usually stir in a small tin of mixed veg), or M&S Hot curried beef etc. I tend to eat a lot of pre-prepared salads & also use self-heating meals from Hotbox, which works out at £70 for 20 meals. To avoid wasting water washing up, I often use plastic throw away plates (not the paper ones), as well as plastic throw away cups (the sort you get in vending machines). I also use plastic cutlery, but prefer the stronger clear plastic ones, not the flimsy white plastic ones. When water isn’t an issue, I use proper cutlery and Melamine plates and cups. When I do cook, I use a set of Tefal Compact pots with folding handles (£69 from Argos online). They are brilliant. The largest pot is like a high sided frying pan with a lid. The whole set takes up a tiny amount of space.

Another great buy is my 12 volt Black & Decker PAV1205 Dustbuster Pivot Automotive Vacuum cleaner, which I got from Amazon for £38 including shipping. It’s tiny and very powerful.

I tend to sit in front of a computer all day, so can use the internet whenever I like, so I’m not too fussed about using it in the MH. When I do need to get on, I have a usb Rocket booster aerial (£20) which can usually find an unprotected signal somewhere. I never abuse this, & only use this facility to fire off the odd email now & again. I also own a Nokia E90 Communicator which can be used for surfing using 3G. I also bought a few spare batteries for the E90 for about £5 each on eBay.

One of the most useful things I did was to fit one of those push-on LED lights (£4) just as you come through the habitation door. It’s on the side wall right up against the ceiling (making it easy to find in the dark) & it shines onto the control panel. This gives me a little extra time to sort myself out before the main entry light goes out, really useful if you have muddy shoes & are carrying shopping at the same time.
I’ve also put these inside the other cupboards too. Really useful.

I find keeping my hair really short helps with using less water. I just use my Philips rechargeable clippers once a week and I’m done…every little helps !!

I go to the laundrette every 2 or 3 weeks making sure I dry everything thoroughly before bringing it back. I made the mistake once, of not having enough 20p’s for the dryer & bringing back some stuff that wasn’t properly dry. I thought, no problem, all I have to do is hang it over the Trauma heater. It took ages & filled the MH with condensation. I couldn’t open the windows because there was a blizzard outside. With a few more coins I could have saved all the hassel.

Well that’s about it. I do occasionally see other MH’s passing by, so maybe there are other people in the area doing the same as me. If you read this & fancy meeting up sometime for a drink & a chat, let me know.

Frank
 
Hi there Frank and welcome to the site.
You will also find a lot of invaluable help and knowledge on this site as im sure you already know.Full timing is an obssesive interest of mine because the wife and myself are going to be full timing in a couple of years time.As well as this site being of great use you may also want to take a look at the motorhome365 website which has been set up specifically for full timers like yourself and preparing fulltimers like ourselves.It has also been set up to tackle the more difficult aspects of fulltiming and with more members we may get some clout to make full timing easier over the coming years.
 
Thanks Coolasluck, I'll check out the site. Things could certainly be easier than they are. I'd like to see an end to the rediculous height barriers that have sprung up in recent years.
 
Frank if i was you i would get as much water as possible whilst filling up with fuel each week at a service station,to prevent feeling awkward top up with say 15 quid of fuel at a time whilst making sure you top up your water tanks.Make sure first though that you can get the water first before filling the van up as sometimes they can make it difficult for you or even charge you for it.My local garage has a tap outside which i use and so therefore i buy my fuel from there.
We always take loads of bottled water from home when we go away and boil this for drinks although you can get some bloody good filters out there that would eliminate bugs and a nasty after taste that you can get.We intend to get the seagull unit where you could actually drink ditch water through these filters they are that good.
Maybe a second leisure battery wired parralel to your current battery would also be a good purchase.
Hope your keeping warm in this weather,but who needs the expense of owning a home,i bet your just as snug in your van:D
 
We brought a hymer for learning in for a few years before full timing so we could educate ourselves with wilding as we learn the pros and cons.We both absolutly love the motorhome and actually prefer it to the house!!
We have had the van for a year now and have spent as much time as possible using her.Whilst wilding i have learnt that some of the things to look out for are the pervert doggers and boy racers who can be a bloody nuisance,we have only had 2 occasions over the year where we came accross this i would always try to get as far as possible from towns and major roads where you should be able to more easily avoid the blight of this scum on our society. Just remember that not all car parks are great for wilding in,we find we are very selective now.Sometimes you may not be able to find that perfect place and we plan on using very quiet roads if we are in a town when we fulltime.
Stay safe
 
I always look for external taps when I get fuel, but have yet to find one. All I've seen is the Air/Water machine, and I'm not sure if that water is even drinkable, or if I could get as much as I need from it?

I did have one incident when I was parked up in a remote location. I heard a car pull up outside with a very loud exhaust...lots of revving. Then the twits pulled up behind my MH and banged on my rear window before shouting something and speeding away.

The public toilet I use to empty my toilet cassette seems to be the local gay pulling place. It's always full of blokes just standing around inside. Like I said, I'm 6 foot 3 and 18 stone, so don't get intimidated easily. I just do what I have to do and leave.

I really wish I could park in some of the numerous beauty spots around here with my kids occassionally, but there are height barriers everywhere for miles around. It is such a pity.

Yes, I'm as snug as a bug in a rug in my MH. I even put up my Christmas decorations last night. Is your Hymer winterized? I understand that most of the German ones are.
 
Fancythat said:
I always look for external taps when I get fuel, but have yet to find one. All I've seen is the Air/Water machine, and I'm not sure if that water is even drinkable, or if I could get as much as I need from it?

I did have one incident when I was parked up in a remote location. I heard a car pull up outside with a very loud exhaust...lots of revving. Then the twits pulled up behind my MH and banged on my rear window before shouting something and speeding away.

The public toilet I use to empty my toilet cassette seems to be the local gay pulling place. It's always full of blokes just standing around inside. Like I said, I'm 6 foot 3 and 18 stone, so don't get intimidated easily. I just do what I have to do and leave.

I really wish I could park in some of the numerous beauty spots around here with my kids occassionally, but there are height barriers everywhere for miles around. It is such a pity.

Yes, I'm as snug as a bug in a rug in my MH. I even put up my Christmas decorations last night. Is your Hymer winterized? I understand that most of the German ones are.
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Its a sick world isnt it,to think you cant use a public toilet because of gays is just horrendous.We also had an incident with boy racers banging on our window,total tossers.I have to remember that i am with my wife so cant get myself into a punchup!!!
Our hymer is a 1992 b544 and yes it is winterised,just in this weather you just have to leave the grey water tank valve open so it goes into a bucket.We were out in -7 last xmas and were snug in our van inb my opinion you cant beat the german motorhomes they do seem to be the best.Although we have not yet wilded abroad(thats for next year) you will find the continent a lot friendlier France in particuler,with numerous free aires and a much more possitive attitude towards motorhomers in general,a far cry from this backward and over populated little island.
 
wilding

:cool:fascinating-really mind ending.....
Having spend several months in my collapsing old Hymer over springsummer autumn and 6 weeks in my enault Kangoo "roo" wandering Europe I surely do know how it's done but such detail- such preplanning-so many solutions whew! I reckon that's really sorting out how to do it.
Mind you - the "roo" has p potti 2 burner water tank tv radio catalytic heater curtains etc -just spent one very very very cold night in Surrey and quite warm inside then hammered towards home via John Knight M'homes (Kidderminster) (and agreed on spot to p x for a Merc Vito that is well converfted b y someone who knew what he was doing. The v ito is 98, an ex Merc Benz dealer delivery van, and a very nice conversion (pix on Knight Motorcaravans).
After that, homeward on like blazes to Liverpool just ahead of sno another viciously cole night in Norfolk Fery car park at Birkenhead and cheapest (day) sailing available (£70) to Belfast and my cosy apartment just ahead of the snow! That said, I reckon I could still have managed to continue coping with the snow and freeze-up if I'd had to- I've fitted the lift roof with ply inserts outside the fabric-really cosi they make it and another trick- with the solar on roof just use half hight of lift and U can discretely park a "roo" almost anywhere -which is why i acquired it it it has proved so- I once parked in a police station yard and more than one in a town hall Member's private car park to say nothing of Parliament -Stormont it was!
Now I reckon the Merc will be much much larger, acomodate at least one passenger sleep[ing and it has a 4 seater lounge ahead of the pop top kitchen! I can't wait to get ging in New Year -until then am still under doc's orders after long Summer in and out Belgian hospitals ( this part for inmfo of wildie site friends asking where when and what as out of contact long time). So just had a more recent (short thankfully) stay in a German hospital in town called appropriately GRIMME (near Dresden)!they did a terriffic job of sorting my heart out en route to Prague-just signed into a7e and half hour later was in ward and bed for 2 days serious serious checking and re-medicating! prompt likely save me as the same sort of attention did in Summer in Belgium. But beware- but anyone hospitalising or medicating in belge -beware THE HOSPITALS AND DOCTORS ETC send YOU not THE WORK AND PENSIONS DEPT (in Newcastle) -the bill- OTHER and if it's not paid, they follow it up with sherrif's officers demanding u set another place for tea.!
and will be really interesting when I get at sorting it out to suit my 50 yrs mh-ing experience-always wild and mostly with little spare cash!
Good thing is I have shed full of bits, pieces -masses of 'em acquired over the years and all usable and the Ols Hymer ( I don't rust the insulation -its delaminated badly) any longer so no foul freezing weather hymer is still in reserve on a farm deep in Fermanagh's Lakeland-irish reg, its tax and mot free!
 
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Hi Fancythat,

Good informative post. Its a great shame we cannot promote people like you in the media as opposed to some of the bands of travellers we have locally, who have no respect for our parks and beauty spots.
If as coolasluck says , you had another 110 amp leisure battery, do you not think you would be able to run the generator a lot less. Fuel saving would pay for it over time and it would save a lot of messing about. A word of caution though. Unless the leasure battery you already have is new you would have to replace it as well.
We always use external screens in cold weather. Not very stealth I know but cuts down on heat loss and condensation.
If you join and become a full member you can download the POI file which we have found very helpful in finding spots when visiting new areas
Good luck with the wilding and I hope you and the kids see it as a great adventure for years to come
Richard
 
It's over a year and still doing my thing...

Well I've managed to survive in my mh for over a year now, so I thought I would give an update...

Getting water was always my biggest headache, but a friend has agreed to let me have as much water as I need from his outside tap (not on a water meter), although my needs are greatly reduced these days. I tend to go swimming now 2-3 times a week, so make sure I have a good hot shower and sauna at the leisure centre instead of in the mh. This also cuts down on the amount of condensation and mould that I was fighting.

My battery is just starting to fail now. It looses it's charge too quickly and charges up too quickly. I really haven't decided whether I should just get another single 110ah battery or run 2 x 110ah batteries in parallel. Does anyone know what are the best batteries to get that fit a 2008 Swift Suntor 590RL? Is there somewhere in Surrey that could supply/advise/fit leisure batteries?

I haven't needed to use the generator much over the summer, but when I have needed it, it just worked...wonderful piece of kit...so pleased with it (Kipor IG2000).

For added security I bought an SAS wheel clamp for when I'm at work. I found it a real struggle getting it on, particularly at night with a tourch in my mouth. It's just so hard to get the holes lined up to get the lock in. You have to get right down on your knees to peer into the lock hole to make sure everything is lined up. Even then it's a struggle to get the lock in place particularly if its raining. It's worn the knees out of a couple of pairs of trousers now. I certainly couldn't recommend it for ease of use.

I managed to find a way to fit my 15" Meos TV without drillling into the outer wall. I bought a piece of white melamine board about 1ft wide by 3ft high from a DIY store. I cut the height down to slightly higher than the gap between the work top and the overhead cupboard. I then filed off one of the top edges from the top of the board to leave a point. I put some white bathroom sealant along this edge before wedging it in under the overhead cupboard. I then ran a bead of sealant around the bottom of the board to secure it on the work top. I attached the bracket that came with the TV to the melamine board with countersunk holes and screws at the back. With the TV in place, the board isn't really visible. Looks really neat.

Any battery advice would be greatly received. Like which one's fit? What type is best? One or two batteries? Where to get them from in Surrey?

Thanks, Frank
 
Fancythat said:
I really wish I could park in some of the numerous beauty spots around here with my kids occassionally, but there are height barriers everywhere for miles around. It is such a pity.

You could try taking your kids over to Newlands Corner, its not too far from you and just down the A3, loads of space for MH there and lovely views and walks!
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The down side to Newlands corner is you do get a gathering of boy racers up there especially at weekends, Same with Boxhill nr Dorking.

There are a couple of Carparks around the Ranmore area, the main one is apay one, but I'm sure the ones nearer towards Guildford are free or were, failing that there are a few nice spots the other side of Dorking (midholmwood) such as Forwents pond etc
 
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