30/01/2022
Things to think about when hiring a Campervan or Motorhome:
Always try and view the vehicle you wish to hire to make sure it’s suitable for your needs. Remember a larger motorhome may be more comfortable inside but can be more difficult to park. Single track, narrow roads may be inaccessible, limiting where you can go.
Organisation is key, especially if more than two people are travelling- Once the beds are made up floor space is reduced. Personal items and clothes should be packed into soft, fold away bags so they can easily be placed on the bed or close by. Try and keep bedding to a minimum i.e. sleeping bags, unless the vehicle is fitted with a fixed bed/s.
Staying on campsites is normally a good idea. Campsites offer a safe place to stay and you can service your campervans water tanks as this needs to be done daily or every second day. Campsites offer; hot showers, hairdryers, dish washing facilities, laundry, shops, pubs, Gas exchange, fresh water taps and toilet emptying drains, etc.
Most Campervans/Motorhomes are fitted with a 60/90 litre fresh water tank, however this will quickly disappear when dishwashing, drinking and the odd shower. Every day or second day this tank will need to be topped up.
Toilet cassettes are small and should be emptied every day, especially in warm weather. The grey (dirty) water tank should also be emptied every day or second day.
Therefore, campsites can make your holiday much more comfortable as you can use them for all of the above. Many things like showering is much nicer at a campsite than a small washroom in a Campervan. You don’t have unlimited hot water for one, which is why even people in very large motorhomes will still walk to the shower block.
Campsites do fill up, so once you have secured your Campervan hire booking, try to get your campsites booked. Expect to pay around £15 - 45/night. Phone around for best deals. Check the size of the pitch they offer and look on Google Maps as some campsites pack you in very close to other vans. Try to find sites with pitches separated by trees if you like more privacy and space.
Free Camping or Wild Camping.
This is what it’s all about for some of us. Parked up in a beautiful, quiet location, doors open with amazing views. Watching the sun set and sleeping under the stars. I have been in so many of these locations and have great memories.
However…
Times have changed over these last two years and Campervans have become ‘far’ more popular. There are mobile phone Apps with 1000’s of free camping locations, park4night.com being just one. But remember, everyone has these Apps so those amazing, quite spots sometimes may no longer be quiet!
The reality of free or wild camping can actually be quite stressful, so you need to plan ahead and do some Google Map research of your desired locations. These spots, due to their popularity can start to fill up early. People will park up to secure their place. Quite often if you haven’t arrived by 2pm you may find the places are full and you end up driving around for hours trying to find a place to spend the night.
I’m certainly not saying these amazing places don’t exist but I always head in the opposite direction to the masses. It’s then when you find the best places. Very often though, you may be parked up alone in a very dark isolated place so that may not be for everybody either.
When free camping you will find it much harder to get fresh water and find suitable toilet cassette emptying facilities. Often garage forecourts will refuse to fill your water tanks as most places have water meters so water isn’t free. This is why we recommend campsites for your comfort and safety.
When free camping please be responsible. Don’t light fires or BBQ’s unless there is a designated place to do so and take your rubbish away with you. Always leave these places better than when you found them and respect our wildlife and countryside.
I hope you find this information of some help. If you would like to chat about anything to do with hiring, buying or perhaps converting your own van into a campervan please feel free to give us a call.
Gocampervan.
