Wild Camping In A Motorhome Tips and Tricks

A few bits and pieces I have picked up along the way, I'm adding these as I go along and find new issues, these are just my own personal observations and if they help somebody then great.

1) Never Use The Side Door:

Always leave and enter the van through your drivers door, anybody giving you the stare will think you are simply parking up. Using the motor home door clearly indicates you are staying or camping, whatever you want to call it, plus your chance of burglary is much increased.

2) Keep Your Blinds Down

My Kontiki blinds are great, you cannot see any light or anybody inside when they are down. Keep them that way, especially as it starts to get dark. I sometimes lift a few of my blinds up and use the fly screen blinds in the day time, its ok as you still cannot see inside really, but when it starts to get dark you need your van to be a parked vehicle not a home

3) Get An Alarm

I find I sleep less well wild camping, its a security thing in my mind. On the Kontiki  I can sleep in the big bed in the rear lounge, draw the curtain and cut off the rest of the van. So outside of my bedroom I installed an alarm from Maplin's, it covers the whole of that area including the driver and passenger doors, it's bloody loud when it goes off and costs just £15. It helps me sleep much better knowing it's there

4) Try Not to Park Outside Somebody's House

You are simply asking for trouble, even though nobody owns the road you are still going to cause issues with the size of your motorthome, take the time to find somewhere better, street corners are better or near flats where there is no individual person to hassle you (here is a pic of one of my fav parking spots)

5) Fill Your Water Tank At A Garage

I first filled my water tank at a garage and was wetting myself a bit as I thought somebody would start moaning but its easy. Most big garages have a combined water and airline system. Find a garage that has a big forecourt though so you are not upsetting anyone queuing for petrol. Simply pull up alongside where your water tank is on that side, make sure you cover the whole area ie: the air/water unit is hidden by the size of your van. Fill your tank. It takes a while but if someone questions you simply tell them its the filler for your washers or radiator system, they are so un-clued about motor homes they won't say anything. Don't out stay your welcome by doing the tyres!

6) Change Your Lights to LED'S

Old motorhomes like the Kontiki use small florescent lights normally 2 together in one unit 2 x 8 watts, and there are quite a few. Changing to LED strip lights will save a 5th of your battery output, vital when you are wild camping, you can buy them on EBay but be careful some are rubbish, you need to ensure you can buy them with a " not happy send back warranty " as some of the lighting units do not give out the same "white light" look.

7) In The Cold Buy Propane!

The blue gas  bottle is butane, ok ok its gas but...Its crap in freezing weather. The red gas bottle is called propane, it's also gas, still following?? But the red bottle isn't really affected by the freezing cold weather. The other stuff (butane) stops working as it freezes up. But....Propane is much more money. Lesson..If its winter and near freezing or below, propane is the kiddy to get.

8) Get some Wet Wipes!

Now I'm not a smelly person! I don't think so anyway but on the streets it can be hard to keep clean, water can be low, gas is low etc etc . I find the kiddies wet wipes are perfect, clean up under the arms and your bits and pieces they are ideal in between showers if you have to miss a day.

9) Internet

I can't do without Internet it's my job, so I have to have it. There are several ways of getting Internet while wild camping.

Visit a pub (of course), which I do sometimes. Here you can also charge your laptop as well, if any body says you can't plug it in to the mains tell them to get lost and you will take your business elsewhere, if you're advertising free Internet you must presume people will need electric.

Learn to hack. Learn to use Backtrack 4 a Linux operating system that boots from a USB stick. I do this regularly, now I can hack 90% of WEP security encoded wifi signals in under 15 min's. Its complicate to learn but once done its a breeze. Now listen...I don't go snooping around peoples stuff or try and break into their PC's I simply use the Internet.  99.99999% of people don't know I'm on it.

Tether Your Phone The mobile phone companies don't want you to know this but you can attach your phone to your PC and run the Internet on your laptop through the phone. If you have a plan like mine on Orange that gives you unlimited Internet then why not take advantage of it. When I can't get a hacked wifi signal this is what I use and its fine. I simply activate a piece of software on my Iphone called MyWi and it turns my phone into a wireless router. I simply search for the MyWi signal with my laptop, join (using a password you set) and there you go! Wireless Internet in your motorhome.Look up Internet Tethering on Google for more info, and / or Cracking WEP on You Tube.

10) Hide your keys re drink driving

Hide your keys! Let’s say you've been down the off license and bought a nice bottle of red and drunk the lot with a couple of cans, if the old bill turn up technically they can do you for drink driving even though you are not moving? But you have to be in charge of the vehicle i.e.: be able to drive it, if they can't find the keys they can't do you so be careful and hopefully I have saved someone from a ban.