Setting up a caravan for Wild Camping

[Albatros]

Any advice you guys have for setting a Van up for wild camping would be gratefully received, I posted few days ago and got no info. Am looking at a Burstner Ventna 500 or similar or a hobby similar size, 3berth fixed bed single or twin axle

 

[colin-yorkshire]

Any advice you guys have for setting a Van up for wild camping would be gratefully received, I posted few days ago and got no info. Am looking at a Burstner Ventna 500 or similar or a hobby similar size, 3berth fixed bed single or twin axle

hi mate, you probably got no useful answers because there is unlikely to be many [if any] members that have experience of the type of lifestyle you intend to embark on. this forum is mostly populated by people who use a caravan purely for leisure purposes, and by the most part stay on recognised sites, true there have been some that for short periods have used the van full time when circumstances dictate but all of these as far as I know used either a site for long term use, or at the btm of thier garden while a new house was built or repaired.

there have also been a few that on occasion have done a bit of wild touring myself included [in a motor home] but this again was unlikely to be for more than a couple of days between sites. due to the lack of a sufficient water supply and power source [the life of the battery without an EHU].

I responded to you last question on the subject, asking if the wild camping would be for holidays or full time. you responded by saying full time, that is outside any experience I have had so could not advise any further.

I don't believe this is the right forum for the information you seek, as it is outside the remit of leisure caravan owners.

 

[travellerone]

Go the US websites or maybe down under. You make like this - http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/

 

[Dwarfer]

Hi Albatross, we bought our wee van (a 1993 eldis Tornado XL) with the intention of doing some wild camping. Its early days and we have only had a couple of nights away wild stile. We spent one night in glen coe and the next night at loch earn without any trouble.

from our first three days and two nights away I can tell you that the limiting factor is going to be water. We used the full 55L we took with us in that short time. The toilet would probably have lasted another couple of of days before needing emptied or maybe more with careful flushing.
you will be limited to the amount of water you can carry by the weight limit of your van and will have to take great care balancing it all out to keep a safe nose weight.
I think we can safely get buy on 25L a day/night if we are careful with our usage and I am planing on fitting a trigger shower head to help reduce waste when showering and we are going to carry most of the water in the car since irs a land rover with plenty of space.

power wise we took an extra battery with us which I didnt have time to hook up in parallel with the existing battery but it did power the tv with an inverter and a 12v hair dryer and straightners for the trip. I am intending on connecting it in parallel and adding a 100w solar panel which I recon will about keep up with our needs.

If you haven't seen them before theses sites are quite good for finding places to stay

Wildcamping.moonfruit.com

wild about Scotland

 

[RayS]

My wild camping in a caravan was largely in Scotland in the late 1960's when there were many more laybys and areas suitable for such ( the CC site map in those days actually showed big laybys on their UK map). We had gas lighting heating and cooking so no problems apart from condensation. Water was no problem as most filling stations had drinking water taps if you ask - but fuel little and often so you become a customer not a casual.
Security was much less an issue in those days. Now i would fit better locks to the caravan and carry at least one loud panic alarm ( although who is going to hear it if you are truly wild camping is a good question).
The bigger problem is toilet emptying. Again we used to ask at filling stations and rarely were refused. There are less and less public conveniences these day and very few have a tap for rinsing. So best to use facilities in pubs, restaurants shops etc. when you can to minimise the use of on board.
In coastal districts of Spain wild camping - mainly in motor vans - has become a serious problem with height restriction barriers and police action becoming increasingly common. Some part-built housing estates have become notorious due to these campers parking up on finished roads with no houses yet built and emptying toilet tanks down the street drains.

Frankly, I can't recommend the idea other than for very occasional or emergency use - there are plenty of sites about including some very isolated and rural if that's what you want.

 

[rcpilot]

What do you mean "wild camping" is this power wise or something else, if power wise forget it unless you have bottomless pockets but if that is the way you want to go reply and I will put you in the picture