[Closed] The Charm of Motorhoming

This is an old picture the vast majority of motorhomers are much more responsible. That said there are a number of problems with motorhoming holidays.
Many local people are finding their roads blocked and vans parked adjacent to their house repeatedly.
Motorhomers and campers are leaving rubbish lying around.
Particularly in the pandemic years people were sold a false vision of the Highlands by NC500 and others like them. The reality was that most places including public toilets were still closed or operating on much reduced capacity.
It's not clear how much money local communities make from motorhomers and campers yet communities are being asked to provide facilities from their own pocket.
Last year Highland Council introduced rangers who were able to reduce the conflict that arises between locals and visitors, as far as I know the budget for the rangers has been cut this year.
Hopefully with compromise from all involved and better info from the motorhome hire companies we can work things out.

NC500 have a lot to answer for, another trade group that benefits those that are part of it to the cost of everyone/thing else.

Vans are still parking up for the night outside a friends house in Durness, in their actual wee street with houses on both sides. If you ever go on their forums the disregard for rule one seems to be in the majority not the minority "I ignored the illegal no overnight parking signs." Or asking if C-B really check if you have a campsite booked on Harris/Barra.
The toilets were closed on Vatersey at the cafe because of camper vans dumping waste in them last year, likewise the cafe car park is always 50% full of vans in the Summer. We need the basic hard standing areas you get in Europe and a no tolerance policy to parking overnight in turning areas/passing places, local car parks that are already under pressure eg Portree. Infrastructure paid for by the company that invented the NC500, rather than locals council tax would be good as I question the financial benefits locals get from van users.

NC500 ruined Sutherland for me.

Of course the vast majority of motor homers are more responsible, but 10% give or take of any group are throbbers. When (say) 100 motor homes a night park up in Lochaber, that 10 metaphorical turds with a half life of two months hitting the deck. Builds up over a tourist season.

I work in the outdoors in the Highlands and I lose half and hour each day to selfish driving and stand in human excrement occasionally in the line of my duty.

There is a substantial subset of Motor homers when spend nothing locally and do quite a lot to reduce the 'quality' of the Scottish Highlands via a whole group of minor misdemeanours.

Opinion summary - please pull over if doing substantially less than the speed limit, let cars overtake by pulling over on single track roads, use proper camp sites. Don't act like sheep by all flocking to the same place (see Skye, NC500......)

I thought the charm of motorhoming was in finding beautiful unspoiled locations then spoiling them by filling every available layby and viewpoint with bus sized motorhomes?

in their actual wee street

Does this mean they have an actual poo street too?

Devil's avocado: It's not just motorhomes and camper vans that do the NC500 though, is it?

The people I know who've done it have used cars, stayed in B&Bs and eaten in pubs.

Are there possibly many more of them, who just aren't as visible as the big white boxes?

Devil’s artichoke: people jealous of other people in big white motorised boxes complaining about stuff...again

Motorhomers are the new cyclists, everybody hates them.

I thought the charm of motorhoming was in finding beautiful unspoiled locations then spoiling them by filling every available layby and viewpoint with bus sized motorhomes?

I had this discussion with a relative, proud of thier new camper. I was shown all sorts of nice FB and Insta posts of empty beaches and hills.

The reality a few trips in use is that they are staying mainly on campsites, and the few Loch side stays have been really difficult as everyone seems to go to where the insta was taken.

It seems that everybody hates everyone else nowadays

The miscreant in that photo is probably from less salubrious parts of Dundee, London or possibly Pontefract where that behaviour is normal

I fear the lady dost protesteth too much...

I don't hate motorhomes or 'Van Life'

But it does appear to be the middle class dream of the minute.

Going 'wild camping' in beautiful deserted locations.

Except every other bugger is a great big white van wanting the same 'experience'. They are crap for the environment, and actually when they get to said location the vehicle is completely impractical.

Motorhomes tend to have cassette toilets, the person squatting is as likely to be a motorist (see the parked car) or walker.

I'm no fan of the motorhome despite living in a T2 for a year and owning a white-van-man van for some years. If wealth equates to the power to pollute then they're a very visible example. They bring the infrastructure issues of a town to the countryside where there isn't the infrastructure capacity if only because planning permission wouldn't be granted for it because it would then become a town in the countryside.

I don't see a solution, it's man encroaching on every bit of the planet, and in this case in comfort.

We could buy one, we've mulled it over, priced it up and ultimately decided to either camp or or stay in hard accomodation. A question of not wishing to be a part of the problem or adopting the lifestyle.

The white shanty towns are a price we pay for "freedom".

I have an old VW camper - we did the NC500 5 years ago - we came to notice that the visibility of other vehicle users was inversely proportional to the size of the vehicle.
We had the Mull Music Festival at the weekend - the entire public car park in Tobermory was taken over by motorhomes and caravans freeloading for the weekend. Many shops and local businesses shut early on Saturday as there was no car parking for visitors. There needs to be an overnight levy for each vehicle night in remote areas/islands to help fund infrastructure / waste disposal facilities as many contribute little to the local economy - often just leaving a bag and rubbish and a steaming pile in a lay-by somewhere.

Last time I rode up the broken road to Mam tor in the Dark Peak it was full of crappy converted vans and the odd proper camper, with stuff strewn about, bags of rubbish, awning and piles of stuff around the vans.

Not nice at all.

If that’s van life I’m quite happy staying in a house!!

It's not just the NC500 though. It's a much wider problem.
It's not just the motorised white boxes though. People are leaving areas like the west highlands because they can't get a non motorised box to live in. Leaving businesses stuck for people to do all those low paid jobs Some businesses are closing.

Why motorhomes and caravans are white and not dark green or even dark blue I’ve no idea

It seems that everybody hates everyone else nowadays

I think for many it's about fantasy Vs reality.

Fantasy: green open space, peace and quiet and your own agenda.
Reality: busy places and roads, practicalities for both locals and visitors around sharing space, resources and public services, local businesses seeking to earn a living, some antisocial behaviour on both sides, unrealistic expectations on both sides

For me, the 'romance' of it all is wearing out, I think vans are good on balance, we've just got to work better at managing everyone's expectations.

I also have a suspicion that the cost of diesel may have a significant impact on vehicles that do 20mpg...

People are leaving areas like the west highlands because they can’t get a non motorised box to live in. Leaving businesses stuck for people to do all those low paid jobs Some businesses are closing

https://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/news/community-owned-restaurant-at-highland-beauty-spot-to-remain-272921/

I think a levy would be a good idea for all motorised transport in these areas (but not for residents).

I can see a time in the near future when entering any national park or AONB area will require a levy to be paid. Following on rapidly will be a ban on non-electric vehicles in NPs

Vans are still parking up for the night outside a friends house in Durness,

NC500 ruined Sutherland for me.

We had a week in a cottage up in Durness last June. There's not a cat in hells chance I'd even bother with the NC500 now. The roads were rammed with an unpleasant combination of motorhomes & boy racers who seemed intent on breaking the world NC500 time record. I'm pleased we were based next to the Cape Wrath ferry so slightly out the way.
Anyway, I did the 'NC500' in 1979 in a 1600E Cortina, when it was just called, 'Round the Top of Scotland'. The roads were very uncrowded. No need to do it again.

I can see a time in the near future when entering any national park or AONB area will require a levy to be paid.

Coming to a Peak District near you...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-60122784

The roads were rammed with an unpleasant combination of motorhomes & boy racers who seemed intent on breaking the world NC500 time record.

And yet our week around Sheildaig, Torridon and Applecross last year was fine*.
.
.
.
.
*just don't wander into the grass or bushes from any car park however.

@matt_outandabout I was a frequent visitor to shin falls in the past. My daughter lives nearby.

When we came out of a restaurant a few weeks ago late at night we were confronted by a couple of Mädels taking dumps under a tree in the middle of the pavemnent and there wasn't a motorhome in sight!
Makes you think....

Makes you think….

"Die machen das beruflich ?"

Exmouth seafront a few years back was a total pisstake with dozens of them living there for weeks & months on end.

Now been banned

Anyway, I did the ‘NC500’ in 1979 in a 1600E Cortina, when it was just called, ‘Round the Top of Scotland’. The roads were very uncrowded. No need to do it again.

Gold BL Maxi with orange velour interior for us.

Setting off tomorrow for a tour of the Highlands and part of my route will touch on the NC500. However I', only staying on proper campsites and will be eating / drinking / buying locally as much as I can.

I could think of nothing less appealing that parking the van at the side of a road to overnight. Its not like there is a lack of sites up there.

Last time I rode up the broken road to Mam tor in the Dark Peak it was full of crappy converted vans and the odd proper camper, with stuff strewn about, bags of rubbish, awning and piles of stuff around the vans.

That was a designated "safe site" during Covid - somewhere the police wouldn't come and bother you for daring to be out and about. However, it is little more than a middle-class travellers site now. Same down the bottom of Broken Road just up past the parking for the caves.

However I’, only staying on proper campsites and will be eating / drinking / buying locally as much as I can.

I could think of nothing less appealing that parking the van at the side of a road to overnight.

In the middle of nowhere with a fantastic view in the morning? I would. Why else do motorhomes have water tanks and batteries?

The reality however, is somewhat different.

The two are also not mutually exclusive. I can't think of anything worse than a packed camp site.

Our van up at Sands at Gairloch on Sunday, rammed... 😉
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/23ykMy9b/PXL-20220424-093350235.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/23ykMy9b/PXL-20220424-093350235.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

I converted our van for bike events, festivals and the odd wild camp for early hill walking starts, I definitely feel it's been spoilt for the many by a selfish few.

It’s a complicated issue

I think the only van lifer i know is in Cornwall. He has a well paid permanent job based in Cornwall. He Lives in van as there is literally nothing he can afford to buy

So staying in a house when you arrive in a popular area didn’t necessarily make it easier for the locals and living in a van doesn’t necessarily mean you’re an unemployed free loader

“Die machen das beruflich ?”
Keine Ahnung. Ich glaube, sie waren wild! 😉

I can see a time in the near future when entering any national park or AONB area will require a levy to be paid. Following on rapidly will be a ban on non-electric vehicles in NPs

It does sort of work in the USA, you pay $20 for access to them for a week. It is a bit different in that people don’t tend to live in them over there and it’s a bit easier to police via entrance toll booths as there aren’t as many roads in and out of them as there is the UK and ours are obviously well populated. But if we can charge people coming into cities for pollution reasons I can’t see why it couldn’t be made to happen, and local residents could get a free pass if they live or work in them.
Probably won’t happen though.

That was a designated “safe site” during Covid – somewhere the police wouldn’t come and bother you for daring to be out and about. However, it is little more than a middle-class travellers site now. Same down the bottom of Broken Road just up past the parking for the caves.

I didn’t know that, that’s a real shame.

Mind you if they were middle class then I must be royalty in comparison!!

Why motorhomes and caravans are white and not dark green or even dark blue I’ve no idea

Because it's the best colour to reflect the heat and stop them getting too hot inside in the summer.

I feel lucky to have seen many of these places before the Insta crowd wrecked them.

But, y'know, you can still fit into the gaps. Got home today from 200+km out of the front door, a big bivi loop from the head of the valleys into mid-Wales and back. Encountered one cyclist, no walkers, and a handful of cars on minor roads. Planning, local knowledge, and a total refusal to follow other people's recommended routes (don't even get me started on the ****ing KAW). Woodland bivis, leave no trace; be part of the solution rather than part of the problem...
[img] [/img]

Wales - it's the new Highlands. But don't tell anybody.

Wales – it’s the new Highlands. But don’t tell anybody.

That's exactly what we said last year while staying in Snowdonia.
Until we went back to the North West highlands a couple of months later that is.
Wales is lovely, but It's still 2nd place.
(We've booked again though all the same)

260km walking in 10 days in NW Spain this Easter, Monty. Buses to and from start point. There's so much space it doesn't matter who knows, it still won't be crowded. Madame likes hard accomodation at this time of the year, it rained and snowed a couple of days.

Well, having a small motorhome was great last August when the only accommodation available was the Fort Bill Travellodge at £180 a night. We did a mix of sites and wild camping, never left any shite or rubbish anywhere. We used cafes and shops, went to some fantastic quiet spots (I'm not going to tell youse lot about where) staying over (for a small charge) was encouraged.
In terms of fuel efficiency, a family of five flying to New York and back is about five tons of CO2 and you can drive a motorhome most of the way round the world for that.
I've done shit loads of camping over the years and now prefer to be more comfortable.

Don't you come on this thread displaying your reasonable behaviour

😜

be part of the solution rather than part of the problem…

....by posting about your trip on social media 🤔