Inconsiderate neigbours on a campsite

[Maud]

Whenever we've been parked next to a camper van on a site, I've always made a point of going over and having a chat while admiring their van. I'm looking forward to having a foot in both camps!

I have a foot in both camps too, Rhyddin; I have been on family caravan holidays all my life but have always dreamed of owning a campervan and I'm now loving every minute of owning, driving and using my Cali! However, my parents still have a touring caravan and we have, and will enjoy lots of holidays together. We mostly stay on Caravan Club sites so perhaps, like you, we have been spoilt with a generally more friendly bunch of caravan owners! Having said that, there are usually a good number of campervans and motorhomes on site too and everyone seems to get along well, whether they choose to spark up conversations or keep themselves to themselves

 

[crazygrandad]

I think this has been mentioned before on here, but majority of caravanners are totally different people to us campervanners.

For example when I arrive at a campsite I put the kettle on and sit outside and read book or maybe have a game of cards.

A caravanner ( or at least alot of them ) will arrive on a campsite, spend two hours putting up a stupid big awning and then the next hour they will be trying to find a TV or satellite signal so they can watch the soaps every night.

Nothing wrong with what they do as each to their own, I am just agreeing that we are different breeds of people/camper.

So long as they don't interfere with my they can do what they want

 

[Billy]

Caravanners also have a habbit of doing this when everyone else is trying to go on holiday

 

[BerndRos]

I agree with the last comment entirely.....just cos we have a camper van with a VW badge on it that we may have paid a fair sum of loot to aquire......it will still be a heap of rusted metal in 20 years...and does not make us superior.....

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

... which is why we 'wild camp', reafirmed that the world is a beautiful place, its just us humans that can spoil it

It's not just humans that ruin the wild. Three mornings last week I was woken up by whinnying horses! And their great big horsey hooves stomping around us! And don't get me started on the dawn chorus. Or cows.

Edit: Just in case of confusion, this post is not serious. Apart from the cow bit. It's wonderful waking up surround by nature's noises, even if it is 4.30am.

 

[Dottie]

I bought a tent 3 years ago, learned how to erect it in the shop, en route, and had a night when fellow campers walking to the loo at 4am caused the dug to bark frenziedly, so I swooped her up and went for a walk on the beach as a consideration to the few other campers on site. I had hoped to exhaust her and get a few more hours' sleep, but the same thing happened again at 7am, so off we went to walk the beach the other way. We had a great day's walk but returned to our tent being surrounded by two families' camp setup: bmw, Volvo, 10 kids, 2 dogs, trestle, BBQ etc etc....I didn't even have room to put a seat outside my tent. We stuffed everything in the car and went home....that was the first and last tenting expedition with the dug....and the start of thoughts of caravan, then motorhome and finally and perfectly...the VW van! The dug is ok behind windows and we have fantastic holidays....VWs are it!

 

[Dottie]

PS does anyone wish to buy a tent? Used for one night only....otherwise being kept for friends to join us.
As one friend said, she'd never seen a tent as an upgrade! The alternative is snuggling up beside the dog!!

 

[motacyclist]

A caravanner ( or at least alot of them ) will arrive on a campsite, spend two hours putting up a stupid big awning and then the next hour they will be trying to find a TV or satellite signal so they can watch the soaps every night.

I find this activity very amusing and it provides hours of entertainment, particularly when the erectors of the awning are not very adept

However, amusing provided it is within the confines of their own well defined pitch and not 1 metre away from our van! Nothing worse than arriving on site, finding a nice pitch, going for a walk or meal and coming back to find you're surrounded on all sides ... This has happened to us quite a lot and on one site I recall we had to move three times in order to gain some space for ourselves.

Being a "motorhome", it seems that other campers/caravaners often think we only need a single parking space. They pitch up their unit next to us then stick their 4 x 4 on one side , and sometimes a second car, and erect a bungalow on the other side. While all this building and parking is in progress, their kids will start kicking a ball around. On one occasion a ball landed in our dinner

Mind you, at least with a Cali you can quickly weigh anchor and park somewhere else (provided the camp site Stasi allow it

 

[calicasas]

All our experiences are very different and there are very good caravaners as there are very poor campervanners. I can only talk about my own experiences with people in caravans in the same way as I have had bad experience with people in motorhomes. Ultimately it's about the people not the vehicles.
What disappoints me more is that no one can appear to voice opinion on the forum without the fear of offending the sensibilities of others. We are all adults and as such we should be taking comments within the context in which they are made. Quite often I don't read through long threads as I dismay at the descent onto apparent anarchy. I know there are some others which will remain nameless and which I have private msg exchanges who feel the same. I have been part of Cali forums for over 5 years and I have to say that the forum, in this respect appears to have worsened somewhat.
I won't be visiting this thread again, but leave the few individuals who wish to do so, to battle it out between them.
On the plus side, some of the experiences above have made me smile... Particularly the bongo incident... Happy holidaying

 

[Kirk]

I have been part of Cali forums for over 5 years and I have to say that the forum, in this respect appears to have worsened somewhat.

You obviously do not use other forums, this is possibly the best forum I go on as far as well mannered conversation and I use a lot of forums ( not just VW ones)

Go and look at some of the arguments on the T4 forum if you want to be offended

 

[calikev]

It is a difficult one to call. If we start moving or deleting post we get accused of censorship if we leave posts that some may find a little offensive we get accused of running a poor forum. We try our best to let most things go and like kirk says we have been very lucky on hear as most forums inc facebook are full of swearing etc. Due to the amount of users we are bound to get posts from time to time that members dont agree with. We will continue to try and keep this a happy & helpfull place
Kev

 

[GrannyJen]

Compared to other camping forums that I am on this forum is a haven of peace and goodwill to all campers!

Goodness, most comments generally are positive and not just a constant liturgy of moan and groan like many other forums, the vast majority of interaction between members is civilised and respectful even when opinions differ and the eagerness to help others with general or technical questions leaves a warm glow in me 'eart.

Seriously, this is probably the best mannered and most positively helpful forum that I have experienced.

I am a moderator on a supposedly genteel academic historical forum and quite honestly it should be renamed hysterical for the collections of toys thrown out of the pram and dummies spit for miles.

 

[GrannyJen]

Disrespectful, unruly people can inhabit any space. The joy of a cali is that most times you have the greatest choice of where to park, from a discreet lay-by wild camping to a great big holiday park.

My last three worst moments were chavs in a tent (Belgium campsite... and German chavs), groping sex fiend in a caravan (Also in Belgium, and a brit) and some idiot in a motorhome who carried half the worlds population of unruly kids with him and let them loose whilst he and partner went off to the pub (Penrhos CC site, Angelsey).

It happens.

 

[cpjb@btinternet.com]

In truth the van must be in turn be an annoyance to some tent campers.

I've never had any personal complaints, and try and keep noise to a minimum, but there is the sound of the clicking heater when it's cold , and the frequent noise of the van door opening and shutting, and then the manoeuvring for the sleeping arrangements.

And then to rub it in, there are the ice cold beers and white wine, and the 12v flatscreen TV!!

 

[MattBW]

I've always thought how loud the sliding doors must sound to neighbours especially for late night bathroom runs. . I agree.

 

[snowy55]

I've always thought how loud the sliding doors must sound to neighbours especially for late night bathroom runs. . I agree.

I have tent camped for nealy 55 years and have on numerous occasions been woken by sliding side doors on camper vans, so I now try to be quiet, unless of course nearby tents have peeded me off, in that case the sliding door gets a good thrash!

 

[GrannyJen]

In truth the van must be in turn be an annoyance to some tent campers.

I!

Especially if you park on their tent

 

[daz60]

It's actually quite disappointing that there are so many anti-caravan comments coming through. Sounds like the unpleasantness between caravanners and camper van owners, mentioned earlier in the thread, is actually instigated by the camper vans, as I've never heard of this attitude from the other side.

you need to get out more often

 

[Rhyddin]

you need to get out more often

Not sure why, in the context of the quote, but you're probably right. Don't get to use the caravan anywhere near enough because I'm always at work - hoping the Cali will help alleviate that with spontaneous nights away between 'big' trips in the caravan.

 

[ceegee]

I think sweeping generalisations either way are unhelpful - I am sure we've all had good and bad experiences with all sorts of people.

Live and let live, and choose your sites carefully

 

[Borris]

It's not just humans that ruin the wild. Three mornings last week I was woken up by whinnying horses! And their great big horsey hooves stomping around us! And don't get me started on the dawn chorus. Or cows.

Edit: Just in case of confusion, this post is not serious. Apart from the cow bit. It's wonderful waking up surround by nature's noises, even if it is 4.30am.

Caravan owning horses that sing the dawn chorus with a bunch of cows? What ever next?

 

[barry]

Rutting stags at Applecross have been our worst neighbours: so noisy through the night

 

[Freeley]

Had our sleep interrupted by swans at Zell in Mosel last year - they make some weird noises!

Sent from my Galaxy S6

 

[shudycamps]

Once in France we had some young guys camping nearby playing Bongos all night!!!! Wouldn't have minded if they had rhythm but it was just random racket. Asked the to stop at around 2am but just got abuse. In the morning I was moving on early. Packed my Landrover up, had a cup of tea and quick look around to make sure I left no litter.
Started the engine, released the hand brake and started to pull away. BONGOS left outside the lads tent!
Drove right over the buggers. Brilliant!

I know..... I'll go straight to hell but it was worth it.

This is most excellent!!! It reminds me of the scene from Smokey and the Bandit when Jerry gets beaten up in a bar by bikers. He crawls his way back into his 18 wheeler artic lorry, looks through the windscreen, laughs, fires up the lorry and runs over all the motocycles lined up in a row. I would have done the very same thing to the bongos that you did. And as for parents not being able to stop their children from making unnecessary noise, I am an early riser and they would be too. Record on a USB stick the theme from Disney Land's "It's a Small World After All" which had been proven once this tune gets into your conscience, you can't shift it easily out.

 

[kave]

This is the reason I actually don't like camping, my last two attempts this summer where crap.
Tenting with noisy drunk people all night. I hope a Cali will be better.