Aires and Waste Water

JGWSmart
JGWSmart Forum Participant Posts: 2
edited November 2017 in Overseas Campsites & Touring #1

I am a first time Campervanner with a VW conversion. Go Motorhoming published by Vicarious Media says on page 183 that if you have a Waste Water Container outside of your vehicle that you are not classed as a Motorhome for France and therefore you are Camping and cannot use Aires. Has anyone any experience of this.

Gerard Smart

Moderator Comment - Moved from the Story Section

Comments

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,196 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #2

    Hi and welcome. This section is for stories so you may get a better response if you post your thread again in the overseas discussion section. There's plenty of knowledge on here. Don't know the answer re Aires but if you need to empty a waste tank most of us use collapsible buckets. Easier to store and no issue such as that you raise.

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,389 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #3

    Are they referring to autoroute aires or those not providing disposal facilities. I cannot imagine it applies to those supplied by village aires etc where disposal points are provided.

    peedee

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2017 #4
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  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #5

    Hi Gerald,  The tone of the information you getting surprises me.

    The prospect of enforcement officers visiting unstaffed Motorhome Aires and swooping on anyone seen with an exposed bucket is far fetched. Life is more relaxed over there. 

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2017 #6
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  • Unknown
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    edited November 2017 #7
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  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #8

    as WTG says, these 'rules' are to disallow the setting up of tables, chairs, awnings etc...the typical trappings of 'camping' that would cause havoc on a busy aire....they are for 'overnight parking' (stationment).

    WRT 'policing' of aires...methods of payment etc vary greatly from one to another, its not unusual to have an 'official' person visit at a set time to collect 'the dues' where appropriate...

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2017 #9
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  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited November 2017 #10

    I think if you are using it to empty your main on-board tank and moving it to the disposal point that would be fine.  If you have it out all the time because you do not have an on board tank then some places may take um bridge to that.  Like everyone else we have seen some Aires where you cannot sit out as it is so tight and others where we had the awning out, set up chairs and table, BBQ etc and its fine.  See what Pierre is doing and use that as a guide.

    We did get told off by another vannner in Sarlat this year, we had visited the facilities to top up and empty out and parked up but had not closed the grey water valve and the last few dribbles of grey water were coming out.  Lots of pointing and gesticulating so closed it to save any arguments...

  • KeithandMargaret
    KeithandMargaret Forum Participant Posts: 660
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    edited November 2017 #11

    A Motorhome/Camping Car is a habitable motor vehicle.

    The definition of a Camping Car/Motorhome states that it should have seats and a table, berths obtained by converting seats, a kitchen area and storage spaces - this equipment must be irremovable.

    Any vehicle howerever small or large should have these as a minimum.

    I've seen vehicles as small as a Ford Escort Van conversion up to large single decker buses, and all manner of vehicles in between, throughout France who use the designated overnight stopping Aires in towns and villages.

    Only when you been on a variety of Aires do you realise how few rules and regulations apply to them and with the use of common sense and consideration to others almost anywhere in France is available to stay overnight.

    Information above is on www.ffcc.fr (Les Fédération des Campeurs, Caravaniers et Camping-Caristes)

     

  • JGWSmart
    JGWSmart Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited November 2017 #12

    Thanks for all of the input. Our new VW T6 conversion will not have an on board grey waste tank and will rely on discharge (only a sink) into a special grey water waste container placed outside of the vehicle. Does anyone have a VW short wheel base with an onboard grey water waste tank.

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