When is your van a motorhome?

[toeknee]

I booked a site yesterday that said no motor homes or caravans (so assumed I was ok as it didn’t say ‘tents only’ and I don’t own a motorhome). But then after booking and digging deeper I saw another reference on the site saying no campervans or caravans. I’ve contacted them for clarification. The irony here being of course that if it was a normal T6 and I had a tent I could rock up no problem so why the difference?

Earlier this year I was on another campsite for a week so we brought a tent to store stuff on the pitch. In that case, on arrival, I was told a tent was only allowed if it was attached to the van. (I had said I was bringing tent in the online booking but must have been missed)

I feel confused by these inconsistent rules and curious as to whether there are underlying issues that necessitate these that I am not aware of?

 

[GrannyJen]

To a lot of "non-campervan" owners anything with wheels, a motor and a bed is a motorhome. If I see "no motorhomes" without reference to length then I assume it applies to me. There are plenty of other places to stop, I don't need the potential hassle.

What really had me choking on my tea was when Alfie was called a "caravanette"

 

[toeknee]

This makes sense. Still relatively new to the the whole campervan thing (always done tents) and I think this makes sense. Better to steer clear of the confusion for a simpler life.

 

[ArunAlec]

I booked a site yesterday that said no motor homes or caravans (so assumed I was ok as it didn’t say ‘tents only’ and I don’t own a motorhome). But then after booking and digging deeper I saw another reference on the site saying no campervans or caravans. I’ve contacted them for clarification. The irony here being of course that if it was a normal T6 and I had a tent I could rock up no problem so why the difference?

Earlier this year I was on another campsite for a week so we brought a tent to store stuff on the pitch. In that case, on arrival, I was told a tent was only allowed if it was attached to the van. (I had said I was bringing tent in the online booking but must have been missed)

I feel confused by these inconsistent rules and curious as to whether there are underlying issues that necessitate these that I am not aware of?

I imagine that the local authority licence that will have been granted will be on the basis of what is allowed on the site, so may only allow tents or only caravans/motor homes.

 

[Borris]

So if your Cali is registered as an MPV does that mean you should be able to camp anywhere and stay overnight at any location?

 

[dripster]

It’s the ten/awning thing that gets me in a twist. I don’t really see the difference between a tent adjacent to a van and an awning, so I used to assume those banning stand-alone tents are trying to discourage what they perceive as undesirable “tent thrown in the back of a van”, but from what you say they may not have a license for tents? That’s news to me and makes more sense. I’ll take more notice of whether those banning tents with vans allow stand alone tents.

Still a pain!

 

[Borris]

From my long distant days as a Fire Officer, there was a local goverment code of practice for campsites. From memory licences were usually issued if the codes guidance had been followed. Well at least they were in Kent. That may all have changed since then. There may also be further conditions placed on the campsite by the local authority, possibly planning considerations. However, I wouldn't be surprised if these rules are little more than the site owners personal preferences. I don't remember any aspect of the C of P that limited the use.

 

[Azteccamper]

We recently stayed on a camping site that was tents only - as long as we had a tent up (which we do for storage occasionally) they were happy. All sorts of vans doing the same and I think it was down to local planning regs?

 

[California4x4]

Maybe a benefit of all the conversions out there that can’t get reclassified by DVLA as a campervan and are classified as a van with windows.

 

[dripster]

From my long distant days as a Fire Officer, there was a local goverment code of practice for campsites. From memory licences were usually issued if the codes guidance had been followed. Well at least they were in Kent. That may all have changed since then. There may also be further conditions placed on the campsite by the local authority, possibly planning considerations. However, I wouldn't be surprised if these rules are little more than the site owners personal preferences. I don't remember any aspect of the C of P that limited the use.

I thought there were regs about safety for campsites, spacing of tents etc? When we were tenters we stayed somewhere that had clearly massively overbooked, tents with overlapping guy ropes. We complained and left, demanding a full refund. I felt sorry for the people who stuck it out, miserable conditions when you're so close together.

I assume there's something similar with caravans / motorhomes etc? But whether that then restricts what kind of set up you are allowed to have I have no idea. Always seems odd as an awning is generally just a tent with a bit of adding material hooked up to a van. Oh and a 50% price hike for the addition!

 

[willwander]

Lot's of tent only sites don't let you park next to your tent, you have to put the car in a car park.

 

[SusiBus]

WHEN IS YOUR VAN A MOTORHOME ?
VW say in their brochures :- a Grand California is a Motorhome.
a Ocean is a Campervan.
a Beach is a Camper.
Obviously to VW, size does matter.

DVLA says our T6.1 Ocean is a MOTOR CARAVAN, others have been told by DVLA that their Ocean is an MPV. !

I think that for campsites, you either sleep in a van on a bed or in an attached awning, or on a bed in a stand alone tent.

 

[dripster]

Lot's of tent only sites don't let you park next to your tent, you have to put the car in a car park.

I guess I'm lucky. Only ever been to one like that, it wasn't really a campsite, more of a farmer's field.

 

[Borris]

I thought there were regs about safety for campsites, spacing of tents etc? When we were tenters we stayed somewhere that had clearly massively overbooked, tents with overlapping guy ropes. We complained and left, demanding a full refund. I felt sorry for the people who stuck it out, miserable conditions when you're so close together.

I assume there's something similar with caravans / motorhomes etc? But whether that then restricts what kind of set up you are allowed to have I have no idea. Always seems odd as an awning is generally just a tent with a bit of adding material hooked up to a van. Oh and a 50% price hike for the addition!

Yes, amongst other things, that code of practice did specify the distance between pitches to help prevent fire spread and it was down to each local authority to issue permission to operate as a campsite and to police it. They often subcontracted the work of inspecting the sites to the local fire authority as agency work. However many things have gone over to a self assessment approach since those days so who knows what happens now.

 

[ArunAlec]

So if your Cali is registered as an MPV does that mean you should be able to camp anywhere and stay overnight at any location?

I think the reality is that it’s down to the site owner/management to decide what they consider to be a motor home, MPV or campervan. If they decide they don’t want you on their site, they have the whip hand, whatever the log book says!

 

[Mickyb123]

Arrive in your car, which just happens to be a VW van, pitch yr tent. Sit in yr car to read the paper paper, accidentally fall asleep. Repeat

 

[flying banana]

If you wear crocs and watch telly it's a motorhome. End of

 

[Whistler]

If you wear crocs and watch telly it's a motorhome. End of

So what if you are wearing Crocs but don't have a telly ( or projector ) in your Cali?

Sent from my SM-A515F using Tapatalk

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Our reg document says Body type Motor Caravan. Taxation class. Diesel car. That was 2015 registered.

 

[SusiBus]

Our reg document says Body type Motor Caravan. Taxation class. Diesel car. That was 2015 registered.

Campsite operators will not be interested in your Taxation class, or your Body type. Just whether you will be sleeping in it. To me Motor Caravan just doesn't sound the right description, a caravan should be towed in my mind. How about Motorised Sleeping Unit (MSU)

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Campsite operators will not be interested in your Taxation class, or your Body type. Just whether you will be sleeping in it. To me Motor Caravan just doesn't sound the right description, a caravan should be towed in my mind. How about Motorised Sleeping Unit (MSU)

What is on your reg document? Don’t forget you can sleep in a car if you really wanted to. Maybe we could try that argument with the DVLA.