Inconsiderate motor home owners
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/motorhomes-block-public-toilets-north-norfolk-8258232
I would use stronger language than 'inconsiderate, but it would get me moderated !
These people are nothing less than cheapskates who are just looking for a free ride ! The council should be enforcing their rules with night time visits insisting that they move on !
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Isn't this one of the reasons behind the proposed change in the law as mentioned in other discussions?
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"Can of worms ".If the situation is really as reported,then a minority are getting the rest a "bad name".There is a "community" on YT of "van lifers" who proffer an"alternative" to the motorhoming style of "weekend -warriors" (that is the gainfully employed who pay for the facilities which they use).To be frank they irritate me but each to their own;Freedom or Freeloading?A system of Aires would require financing somehow either by private or public funds and charges would have to be made for their use.There are CS and CL sites available to Club members at reasonable cost as alternatives to commercial and Club sites.
In 34 years of caravanning and motorhoming we could count on one hand the times when we have "wild camped" out of choice but we would not wish to deny others the chance to do so responsibly,The latter being the operative word,
Sadly ,as elsewhere in Life,a selfish minority are spoiling things for the majority.We live on an ever more crowded island and that is leading to pressures for reductions in our 'freedoms" in all sorts of ways,
As I said earlier "can of worms".....
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Here's one thread -
I'll leave you to research the bill.
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see here too
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Yes it’s very disappointing that the MH community is increasingly being perceived as a source of anti social activity. Seems there is a huge increase in MH ownership this year. Until recently 3 MH owners in my street, now doubled to 6 this year alone. I’m not sure how typical that kind of scale is, but overall MH ownership has never been so popular. I don’t think it’s just about Covid and staycation either, but a lifestyle that people increasingly want to embrace, and not just the oldies. Overall, growth in problems created is going be proportional to the numbers out there.
In parts of Cornwall there’s always been a problem with so called ‘surf vans’ parked illegally along roads and verges near the beach. As far as enforcement is concerned, many of them have settled in for the night and had a drink or two by the time they’re moved on so that risks putting drunk drivers onto the road. In those circumstances they’d need to be breathalysed and the vehicle confiscated - huge Police resources required but would certainly put some off the idea.
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I suspect we’re talking cassette with a few days accumulation of ‘no 2’ and paper down the pan in one go.
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It’s not just new owners causing the issues. We spoke to lots of MH owners last year and this year who normally tour overseas, and are only going on Sites when they have to, or cannot find a place to pull in. General comment is that “it’s not like this overseas, lots of free and very cheap pull ins” and “we only use a Site when we have to”.
I fear a small, but growing, minority will change MH touring in this country for those of us who have toured for decades over here, using all sorts of Sites. And whilst some changes might be beneficial, there will be some that won’t be. ☹️5 -
We have been on 7club sites so far one more to go on this tour
In Yorkshire/Notinghamshire. at three sites motor caravan users have not used the ccep to empty their cassette
one used the waste tap point at lower wensleydale
another the back of their pitch and then opened the waste tank tap from the pitch on departure at another site(they have been reported to EGH)
The third was when we were on a one night stop at Clumber Park he was just starting to empty it down the drive over waste drain, when I went to the loo and could see no reason not too when I pointed out that the ccep was just near
What chance of educating freeloader's
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Not sure I’d entirely go along with that, but in that event behaviour towards the facility would generally be respectful, certainly not in the NC500 style!
What has struck me this year is the volume of DIY van conversions seen in ‘wild camp’ locations.
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Yes, lots of conversions, and a lot more older MHs out and about.
Folks on Sites were very respectful, I agree. But we were asked umpteen times if we knew of somewhere to overnight free. Doesn’t of course mean that they would do anything like the issue in the OP, more that they didn’t want to use or pay site fees.
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Not sure if such a thing exists, but in the same way as you can purchase an optional ‘winter pack’ from some manufacturers, something like a ‘wild camping’ pack would be useful providing option to store more waste in double cassette/tank with easy switchover mechanism.
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I think some folks do carry dual poo tanks, but there is a bit of manual labour involved😁
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The problems are not going to go away especially with the increase in motorhome use. It may well lessen once the Continent opens up but the only real way to solve the problem is to provide parking, both daytime and nightime for touring motorhomes and campervans and access to proper discharge facilities for them. Once these are in place there will then be an apportunity to come down hard on those that abuse.
For my part I simply avoid touring in areas where you cannot park a motorhome. As far as I am concerned, its their loss if they do not want my money..
I had hoped to tour more in the UK next year and in the future but with attitudes like those displayed by North Norfolk, where is the encouragement not only for UK residents but also for the foreign visitor.
peedee
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I was in a public car park, yesterday. A MH arrived and parked on 2 spaces (side by side). They all went to the local public toilet (no problem there) but the driver took his cassette toilet with him presumably to empty it rather than use it. Not a good practice.
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I think the world of our hobby has been turned on its head in the last two years. Not only have we not had so many people going to Europe for obvious reasons. Then we have had those who have chosen motorhomes at home as an alternative of other overseas holiday. We have also had a massive increase in "lifestyle" newcomers. When national newspapers feature young couples buying a white van and converting it to a motorhome with the express purpose of being free to explore is it any surprise we have situations that all reasonably people would find unacceptable? The other side of the coin is of course that many local councils have buried their heads in the sand as far as motorhome parking is concerned. Fortunately there are some enlightened councils that do see the sense of making provision and no doubt making a bit of extra money by charging reasonable fees for overnight stays in otherwise unused car parks. Personally I am happy to use sites but it would be nice to have the reassurance that I could take the van out for the day and be sure of finding somewhere suitable to park and I would have not objection to paying a reasonable fee for that opportunity.
David
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This 12month pilot scheme South Hams MH Parking is fairly radical by SW standards and features some popular locations. I’ll be watching with interest.
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When we are in Cornwall our regular morning dog walk is across the miles of open land on Penhale Dunes which back on to Perranporth beach. In summer there are very often surfers in camper type vans who park overnight on the lane adjacent to the dunes and carry their boards over to the far, less busy end of the beach. (Seems an awful long way to carry a surf board to me, but that's another story!) But surfers are, I guess, pretty environmentally aware and rarely leave anything behind when they move on. 👍
The worst incident we've seen this year was a big 20 registered MH that stayed for 4 days and when they moved on left 2 full big black bin liners by the side of the road and something considerably less pleasant on the other side of the hedges backing onto the road.
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But surfers are, I guess, pretty environmentally aware and rarely leave anything behind when they move on. 👍
There are surfers and there are ‘all the gear, no idea’ types who come for the party. 😉
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Don’t wonder. Travellers don't usually camp solo.
Sadly such behaviour is all too common with our lay-bys and cliff tops proving very popular, especially in summer, as M described.😤😤😫
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M, that’ll be the SAS Surfers Against Sewage👍🏻. They were/are increasing awareness of the marine ecosystems suffering from plastic waste before it became a thing, excellent environmentalists👏🏻👏🏻
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Yup. Ones a lifestyle choice. The other is a question of morality. Hoping to get away with something periodically.☹️ It’s not just MHs either, we saw a number of vans on cliff tops and above dunes in Northumberland last year. As we returned to beach daily, they didn’t move, so can only assume they were there overnight.
I can recall the early days of the Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) campaign in Cornwall. The surfers were so fed up of being ill after taking to the waters, they created a grass roots campaign to educate and activate. Still going strong as well, even more relevant in today’s plastic ridden World.Edit, posted together Rocky😁
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I can't really see the problem with emptying a cassette into a toilet (public or not) after all, it's going to the same place as it does when you're instructed to lift manhole covers etc at CLs. If my toilet cassette needs emptying at home it goes into a manhole in my garage which is the next stop on from my bathroom toilet.
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It is not the process of emptying. cassettes down a standard toilet pan it is the idiot doing it, that causes most problems , how many times on sites is the ccep hopper not big enough for some to be able to empty their cassette and not be able to get in the hopper
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Not all toilets , public or otherwise are on the mains sewer system . More rural areas utilise a septic tank, and 'blue' is terminal for the bacteria upon which they rely for processing ! Then there are 'composting' toilets. Yes, some idiots have poured their waste in those !!
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I tend to agree with ED as I have emptied our cassette in our toilet at home without issue. If there is a problem its probably to do with the facilities not being in working order in the first place. You assume that anyone using that method of disposal is doing irresponsibly but its quite possible that the flush was not working. That could be true of quite a few Club sites!!! How is one to know the precise details of waste disposal, it is a toilet and you expect it to work. Is it general knowledge what sort of toilet disposal a public toilet has?
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We were at Lady Margret's at Chirk this week, on Wednesday evening an old guy walk over to the foul water waste point and emptied the content of his toilet then used the tap to rinse out leaving all it content behind, no attempt to use the toilet disposable point right next to it, then got in his motorhome and left ?
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