Keith Gooden
Welcome back to the Motorhome Matt Podcast. I’m Keith Gooden and our expert as usual – Motorhome Matt Sims. Welcome, Matt.
Matt Sims
How are you, Keith? Are you well?
Keith Gooden
I’m fine. Good. Great being here again with you.
Matt Sims
It is, yes.
Keith Gooden
We’ve had some great reactions to the podcast over the last month. So it’s hard to believe it only started – what, the end of last year, the beginning of this year?
Matt Sims
Just before Christmas, wasn’t it, the first one?
Keith Gooden
It was. It’s going great guns.
Visit Matt at the NEC Show
Keith Gooden
You’ve got some news, of course. You’re going to be at the big show in October. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Matt Sims
The big show indeed. Yes, it’s the Motorhome and Caravan show at the National Exhibition Centre in October. We have a stand. We’re going to take the podcast, we’re going to recreate our studio here on the stand at the show. And we’re there for the full week from Tuesday to Sunday and meeting lots of old friends, lots of industry commentators, industry experts, and of course you the listener, we hope.
So please, if you’re going to the show, do come and say hi. We are going to be doing lots of interviews as well. People’s take on the show, talking to them about their motorhome, campervan, caravan and their adventures. So if you’ve got a story you want to share, and you want to come and share that with us at the show, we’d love to hear it. And hopefully, it will give us lots of great comedy content for the podcast going forward.
Keith Gooden
Now, we record these podcasts ahead of time, so tickets may be sold out. But I would recommend you, if you can, to get on the website for the show at the NEC in October, and see if you can get some tickets. And when you do come along, as Matt says, we’re not going to be there just for show. He wants to speak to you. He wants to speak to experts. He wants to hear from you as consumers and motorhomers because we’re nothing without you. So get along, say hello, and be on the podcast.
Matt Sims
Yes, do. Can I share a little secret? We’ve actually got some tickets to give away. The tickets sold out for the February show really quickly. And there were thousands of people that couldn’t go as a result – people who’ve gone for years, who just turned up, bought a ticket at the door and walked in. You couldn’t do that in February.
It’s expected that the show is going to sell out again very fast. The organiser very kindly said, ‘We would love to give some tickets away via the podcast.’ So we said, ‘Great!’ How we’re going to do that, I’m not yet sure. The tickets aren’t with us yet. But stay tuned. Listen in, because they will come. And we will have some tickets to give away. So you’ll have to wait for a future episode to find out how you can get hold of them.
Keith Gooden
Fantastic. I’ve got a great idea for a competition. Send me £50 and I’ll put you in a draw. I don’t think that one will fly.
Matt Sims
There are probably rules around that.
Keith Gooden
Yes, probably!
Matt Sims
There are lots of rules around you.
Learn proper campsite etiquette
Keith Gooden
Let’s get on with the main subject today. It’s campsite etiquette – what you should do when you turn up on that campsite with your motorhome or your caravan. How you should behave, the good things and the bad things.
Now listen, if I turned up on a campsite with my motorhome, I would definitely do the wrong thing. And that’s the thing. If you’re a newbie to something such as motorhoming or caravanning, you do worry about doing the wrong thing. And everybody does. But there’s no shame in that, is there?
Matt Sims
No, not at all. We all did it for the first time once. It’s like anything. Don’t go there. It’s a learning curve. And the first time you do it, it’s a massive learning curve. Don’t go there. But the great thing is, the other people at the campsite are going to love to help you. They’re going to welcome you. As soon as they realise this is your first time, they will, I’m sure, love to help you. It is a really friendly community that you just become part of.
So the idea of this conversation, I hope, Keith, is that it is for the listener who’s maybe never done this before, they’re going to learn something. And maybe there are people who’ve done it for years. I’m sure there’ll be something you’ll pick up and go, ‘Yes, I never thought of that.’
I remember someone once asked me – they were hiring a motorhome from us, and they said, ‘When we get there, do we drive on? Or do we reverse onto the pitch?’ I chuckled and thought, ‘A great question and sort of a daft question.’ It depends where the view is, doesn’t it? It depends on where the pitch is located. But it was a really valid concern for this couple.
And I said, ‘Well, consider the view. You’ve got the windscreen. What do you want to look at?’ And really it doesn’t matter unless the campsite has an opinion and they want to tell you which way to drive on to the pitch, then it really is up to you. So how you park on the pitch is a really, really important thing. The campsite may have rules around that. So check with them.
Ensure you check-in
Keith Gooden
So I’ve arrived. I’ve got through the gate. They’ve let me in and I’m going up to the pitch. I don’t have to worry about parking, forward or reverse. I suppose it makes a difference where services are on the pitch.
Matt Sims
So back up a bit. You’ve arrived. The first thing you should do is check if there’s a warden on site and announce your arrival. So check in, because they will have probably allocated you a pitch number, so a spot that is going to be your holiday base. And go and check into their reception.
It will vary from campsite to campsite. Some have brick-built reception areas, the bigger campsites certainly, and others will be a warden in a tent. And there’s a tiny sign hanging outside of it that says, ‘Warden.’ Some won’t have any reception at all. There is a blackboard and your name is chalked on it with a number. It really will vary depending on the campsite you’re on.
So make sure you know what pitch you’re meant to be on. Announce your arrival.
Fill up on water straight away
Matt Sims
The next thing to think about is water. So before you go to your pitch, do you need to fill up your leisure vehicle with water?
Now, your campsite pitch may not have a tap on it. It is unlikely you’ll have a tap unless you’ve bought some super premium pitch that’s got facilities on. You may then need to take the motorhome camper to the tap to fill it up. The number of times that we’ve gone to the pitch set everything up and gone, ‘Oh, we need water.’ And then we’ve got to unhook everything and drive off the levelling ramps and put water in it.
Keith Gooden
But you’ve got one of those great water carrier things that you sell here, which I just think are fantastic. It’s like a garden roller and you fill it full of water. So you take it empty along to where you get your water, you fill it full and then you can pull it or push it back. And I just think it’s the greatest invention.
Matt Sims
They are until you want to empty them into the motorhome. So they’re called an Aquaroll. And they’re traditionally used by caravanners. Older caravans certainly don’t have onboard water tanks, whereas motorhomes and a lot of campervans do. So an Aquaroll is a great way of getting water from the tap full back to your pitch because you can roll it with the handle. And then you need a pump to get it from there into the vehicle.
Now, motorhomes generally have an onboard water tank that you fill. So you shove the hose in the fill point, fill the motorhome up and then you’ve got your water and then you go to your pitch. One thing about an Aquaroll is if you’re parking a campervan or caravan that needs an Aquaroll, make sure, please, you park it to leave room for the Aquaroll at the edge of the pitch. Going back to parking on the pitch, be mindful of that line that is your perimeter and leave space for an Aquaroll to sit, and for the waste tank to sit.
Maybe you’re putting up a windbreak. Leave room for the guy ropes. Don’t let the guy ropes go on to the neighbour’s pitch. It is just bad form. It’s bad practice. So be mindful that’s your space and park considerately.
Consider how you’ll get your vehicle to your pitch
Matt Sims
So we’ve sorted water. We’ve then gone to the pitch. It might be that you want to walk to the pitch first. If you’re new to driving, you might be nervous about towing the caravan through the campsite or driving the motorhome through the campsite. Go and walk to the pitch. Go and find it and go and suss it out and work out how you’re going to get there.
Some campsites will drive your caravan using their own little vehicle. It might be a tiny tractor. And they will tow the caravan onto the pitch to stop the risk of you causing any damage to it or to anyone else.
Keep everything on the level
Matt Sims
So you’ve got to the pitch and then it’s a question of levelling up, so getting it level. You’ve parked considerately, you’ve considered your perimeter, and you want to get the motorhome or camper flat. And we’ve gone through the accessories before in a previous episode. And one of them was levelling ramps – they’re really useful.
And not all pitches are going to be flat, some are going to be gravel, and some are going to be grass. Some will be laid to concrete, the really posh ones. They’re not always flat, though. And as we’ve discussed before, most motorhomes don’t sit flat. The nose is lower than the back because of the way the chassis is built, the weight, the engine at the front, and so on.
So you want to level them up and get it level. And that means you’re going to sleep better. The showers and the sinks are going to empty and you won’t lose your gin and tonic across the table, most importantly.
Keith Gooden
The tomatoes won’t roll into the sink.
Matt Sims
I’m sticking with the G and T.
Be considerate of the noise level
Keith Gooden
So we’re on, we’re parked, we’ve got some water, we’re having a fantastic time because we aren’t stepping over the line into our neighbour’s pitch. We’ve done all the right things. What’s the one big no-no that you can do when you go on? What’s the thing that annoys absolutely everybody every single time?
Matt Sims
Oh, noise. For me it’s noise. Don’t be noisy, especially if it’s late. Something that does annoy campsites is if you arrive in a group and you go to the pitch and you’ve cleverly booked two or three pitches next to each other. And you just park up in a U and you create your environment. There are many campsites that don’t have an issue with this at all.
We used to go away with our friends in their motorhomes as a group of three, four, or even five units. And we would tell the campsite we were doing that. Some campsites won’t allow you to book if you’re doing that, because they think it’s just going to be a big party.
We befriended a campsite and they knew that we just had young kids and we were just a group of parents looking to get away together. And so they would always book us together and we would create a fantastic environment with a central gazebo and a central barbecue and so on.
But you need to ask before you do that. Parking in any way other than straight onto a pitch, so parking in a U can be a no-no. And that does annoy campsite wardens. Because they might have stopped someone else doing it and you’ve done it and it’s not fair.
Keith Gooden
Isn’t the general feel a holiday feel? Aren’t people a little bit noisy, having a good time? Don’t they want to party? Are these sites just like churches?
Matt Sims
Churches? Churches have a singsong, have a morning prayer time, why not? Go for it. So I’m not being boring when I say that.
Keith Gooden
You are.
Matt Sims
I am, alright. Maybe I am boring. But I’ve seen it before where a family arrives. And the kids are excited. I’ve got four kids. And when they were younger, they were very, very excited. But it’s just trying to manage that so you’re not making a huge impact on the campsite. You’ve turned up on a campsite and you’ve not assessed what the level of noise is on this campsite. And if it is full of retired couples who are having a really quiet afternoon, and you’ve turned up – we would turn up like the Waltons.
My four kids would pour out, we’ve often got friends with us as well. And you can imagine the impact we have, and we change the dynamic on that site. So it’s just being considerate, and I think turning up and shouting, and so on – there’s no need for that. So just be considerate.
If it’s appropriate to be noisy, go for it, shout! What we would tend to do is – one of the first things we’d do when we arrived is I’d get the kids on their bikes or with a football into a field where they can kick a ball. And there are sometimes rules around ball games as well. So be mindful of that. But I will try and distract the kids, leaving me to get everything set up. And then eventually they’ll come back. ‘Dad, we’re bored. When’s tea?’ Or whatever it is they’re after. And by then hopefully, we’ve got levelled up, we’ve hooked up.
That’s another thing as well – running your cable considerately, the orange electrical cables. Normally they’re orange so that they’re visible. That’s one of the reasons they’re orange. And making sure you’re not running that across someone else’s campsite.
And please, when you’re driving to your pitch – this happened to a friend of mine. It was at a horse event so it wasn’t an official campsite. Someone drove straight through the middle of their campsite pitch. And she’d gone and bought these lovely LED fairy lights. These were a big deal for Jules. If you’re listening, Jules, you’ll love this story being shared.
And they drove clean over and smashed them. It was a bit of a disaster for Jules. She loved her fairy lights. So don’t walk through someone else’s pitch. Don’t drive through it.
Keith Gooden
I suppose you’re on a pitch. There are white lines there. And as human beings, we are very territorial.
Matt Sims
We are. Yes, we are. And two years ago, we were very territorial. Windbreaks were the number one selling product, as people wanted to create their own COVID bubble. And they’re still really popular. Windbreaks can be antisocial. But they can serve a great purpose, especially if you’ve got a dog or a cat. Maybe you’ve taken the ferret. I don’t know! But you want to create a safe environment for kids even as well. And you just want to contain them, especially younger ones.
So just be mindful. If you’re going to build a barrier to your neighbour, make sure they don’t perceive you as rude, maybe. People are incredibly friendly at campsites. I know that we’ve had people come back from hire holidays.
And one of the first questions the team will always ask was, ‘How was it? Tell us about your trip.’ ‘Oh no, not for us. We didn’t like it.’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Well, we arrived and this guy came over and offered us cups of tea. He offered to help and was asking us about it.’ Obviously, the motorhome has got, ‘Motorhome hire,’ written on it. ‘He was asking us where we’d hired it. And it’s like, just go away, leave us alone.’
Keith Gooden
‘Mind your own business.’
Matt Sims
“And then in the evening, they’re cooking steak on the barbecue. They brought steak over.’ I said, ‘This sounds like an amazing campsite. Where was this? Are they still there?’ They didn’t like it at all.
And I think the reality for this couple is they spent their life looking down at their phones. And they lived in central London or just outside London. And I think for them, it was a shock that the rest of the world was actually a really friendly place because where they hung out – and they commented, this was their view, ‘We’re just not used to it. And we didn’t like the fact that this guy was being so friendly.’ And he said, ‘We were very uncomfortable. And so it just isn’t a pastime that we want to pursue.’
Keith Gooden
If you’ve ever been to London and been on the tube, nobody talks to each other. And by the way, just a quick note, a windbreak will not protect you from COVID-19.
Matt Sims
That’s true.
Dog’s on campsites
Keith Gooden
Other don’ts, I suppose, if you’ve got dogs – why can’t somebody breed something which is sort of halfway between a cat and a dog? Do you know what I mean? So it comes up, it greets you. It takes a stick back and goes and poos in somebody else’s garden.
Matt Sims
A ‘cog.’
Keith Gooden
Yes, a cog!
Matt Sims
Or a ‘dat.’
Keith Gooden
Dog mess.
Matt Sims
Yes, that’s awful, isn’t it? Good etiquette, anyway. Clean up after yourself and your dog. And no, you can’t poo in a hedge, Keith.
Keith Gooden
What about when you’re caught short and you do want to wee up a tree?
Matt Sims
Well, people do it, don’t they?
Keith Gooden
Men do it.
Matt Sims
You’ve not met my wife. There are toilet blocks on the campsite. Why would you do that?
Keith Gooden
Prostate issues.
Matt Sims
Get a pitch nearer the toilet block, then. Sticking with dogs, some campsites, and club sites have a rule where the dog has to be on a five-metre red lead. It looks like a washing line. And it’s attached to a corkscrew which is screwed in the ground so the dog stays on your pitch. And the red lead is red so that it’s an approved lead and it’s visible. That’s the idea. You can buy them everywhere online. We sell them in the shop.
And on a lot of club sites, that’s the lead that they want your dog on. And they want the dog to be kept on a lead and this particular lead. You can use your own lead as well, of course, but if the dog’s going to be just chilled out lying on the grass then you need to check whether that type of lead is a requirement.
Keith Gooden
And on these sites, dog owners actually do pay attention to, ‘Dogs must be kept on leads,’ because in every open space where I see that sign, dog owners don’t bother to comply. So motorhomers and caravanners are nicer people, clearly.
Matt Sims
Yes, generally I think we are. We’re fairly law-abiding, rule-obeying people. When you’re booking the campsite, if you’re taking a dog, check that dogs are allowed as well. The same with kids. There are campsites which are adult only. So check the kids are going to be welcome. That’s a thing.
Ensure you’re barbecuing considerately
Keith Gooden
Okay, then. Barbecues. I like to stand there grilling as any man does, but I like the gas ones because you can just switch them on and go. But a lot of people insist on charcoal and lighting it. And if you’re all lined up in your pitches and people are having a barbecue, it’s smoky, isn’t it?
Matt Sims
Well, you know the answer. Invite them along.
Keith Gooden
What, through the smoke?
Matt Sims
Get them to bring their burgers and join your barbecue.
Keith Gooden
But it’s true that even a small amount of smoke if it goes over your property or maybe even into your campervan, it leaves an odour. It leaves a smell, doesn’t it?
Matt Sims
It does. And it’s worth noting that sometimes barbecues like that are not permitted. The disposable ones that you put on the ground are going to leave a square burnt grass tile. I’ve mentioned before, when we sold an American motorhome, we emptied a load of house bricks out of a locker that we’d forgotten were in there. All this extra weight we were carrying around. They were in there to put these little barbecues on.
Once the barbecue is lit, they don’t tend to smoke. It’s only when they’re getting going and dying out. That’s when they tend to smoke. So yes, just check the rules of the campsite. Same with open fires as well. Open fires – sometimes campsites will rent you or lend you a fire pit. And they’ll sell you logs or give you logs. It’s going to vary from campsite to campsite. So just check the rules when you’re booking. And if you’re not sure when you get there, ask.
Keith Gooden
And of course, most of us barbecue in the evening. In the summertime, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t get dark here until about 9:30 at night, 10 o’clock, does it? But at different times of the year, it gets dark at different times. And the easy thing is to just switch the headlights on, isn’t it, to give yourself a bit of light. But that’s a bit of a no-no as well, isn’t it?
Matt Sims
Well, that is just going to annoy people. Buy a torch. Most leisure vehicles have an awning light on the side. So that’s going to illuminate your pitch and give you some light to work and live by. And that’s completely acceptable. But yes, flashing your headlights. That’s a special kind of campsite. You need a mask for that type of campsite.
Keep common sense in mind
Keith Gooden
So when I come onto the campsite, then, I park. I’m slightly on the white line and making a bit of noise. I’ve got children but they’re not very well behaved. I let my dog run free. I’ve got the headlights on, I get the barbecue out. It’s quite smoky. I’ve got some loud music. I’m not the sort of person you want, am I?
Matt Sims
You’re a dream guest, you are.
Keith Gooden
I suppose it’s all common sense. What would you do at home?
Matt Sims
Of course, it is. It’s just living at a human level and considering others. And I think generally the people that partake in going on a campsite do that. We’ve seen a bit of difference over the last couple of years. And this episode came about as a result of several campsites saying, ‘Matt, please can you just talk about campsite etiquette.’ And so here we are, guys.
And I know that campsite owners will have other items on their lists of things you can and can’t do and they want you to do and want you not to do. But most campsites will lay their rules out or their guidance on their website. Before you book you can read it. And they’re there to make sure everyone has a good holiday. And if you’re going to a campsite where groups aren’t welcome or children aren’t welcome because it’s an adult-only site and you’re a family of six, then don’t book it. Go somewhere else.
You will find a campsite that you love. We have found several. We favour, as I’ve said before, the simpler campsites that don’t have the clubhouse and the bar. So they are generally quieter campsites, and you know what type of experience you’re in for. If you’re going to go to a site where it’s got a skittle alley and a bar and an arcade area, one of these big corporate sites, you know the type of experience you’re likely to have at midnight as everyone goes home. We avoid campsites like that.
We’ve been to them, with big pools and the tubes and the kids love it. But we love going to simpler campsites where there’s a loo block, a shower block, somewhere to empty the toilet and get fresh water. And it’s a field that might be on the edge of a cliff near a beach and there’s plenty of places to go walking, cycling and so on. Those are the types of campsite locations we favour. And often we’re with the children. If we’re not with the kids, then we’re off walking. And we will be on Lizard Point or down at Beer or somewhere close to us where we can go and have the weekend we want to have.
Keith Gooden
I suppose when you book you can check the website. But we do have a great British tradition in this country, don’t we? And I’m very much aware that you said that some campsites have said to you, ‘Can you do a podcast?’ And this is why we’re doing it.
But the great British tradition of signs. You can look at the website, can’t you? You can think you’re booking the right thing, but you get there and there’s a sign on the door as you go in. And there’s a sign on the pitch when you go in. And there’s the sign on the loo block saying, ‘Don’t do this and don’t do that.’ It is a very British thing.
Matt Sims
It is.
Keith Gooden
Not all campsites are the same. So read the reviews.
Matt Sims
Some campsite owners were given a laminator for Christmas, let’s just say that.
Keith Gooden
But it’s true, isn’t it?
Matt Sims
It is true. And it’s very easy to get consumed by that as a campsite owner and try and manage. I don’t own a campsite. But I’ve worked with several and particularly over the last couple of years, we were trying to manage how many people are in the loo block at any one time.
Pegs – I saw an ingenious idea with pegs and you had to grab a peg and peg it to yourself. And if you were wearing a peg, you were allowed in the loo. And then as you left you had to leave the peg behind. No pegs – you’ve got to wait. I thought, ‘What a great idea.’ Those kinds of rules have been relaxed, undoubtedly. The toilet blocks are all open again.
Campsites are utilising more of the space, welcoming more people. Of course, there are rules and guidelines. But there are some good practices that hopefully this episode has inspired you to follow. It is common sense. There are some real technical things like driving on or reversing on, leaving space for your Aquaroll. That’s stuff you learn.
Another one is, ‘Leave no trace.’ Now, that applies to campsites as well as it does anywhere you park and stay. But please clear up the campsite after you leave.
Keith Gooden
People aren’t there to tidy up after you.
Matt Sims
No, and it doesn’t take much, just as you drive off the pitch. You may have less than dead grass behind as a result of being under your awning mat or your levelling ramps. There’s nothing you can do about that and the campsite will accept that.
And that’s another thing as well. If you’re taking an awning, tell the campsite. If you’re taking a car, tell the campsite. They might want to charge you for that because you’re taking up some space, but let them know.
And when they say, ‘Awning,’ often it’s referring to a caravan awning, which is a proper tent, but it attaches to the side of the caravan. On a motorhome, ‘The awning,’ refers to the sun canopy. And campsites often, although not always, are less worried about the motorhome awning. It is the caravan awning.
And the reason there’s a charge is it’s a fixed entity that is going to take up space. And they may have to invest some time, effort and possibly some materials and money in repairing the grass after you’ve left.
Keith Gooden
And you’re basically doubling up the amount of space you’re using. And there’s the guy ropes and all the rest of it.
Matt Sims
Yes, that’s right. That’s right.
Just be nice!
Keith Gooden
So just to wrap up then, quickly – be aware. Read the guidelines on the website for the campsite you’re going to. Read the reviews. When you get there, be sensible, be nice. You’re with people of a like mind. Don’t be antisocial. If you’ve got pets, stick to the rules. If you’ve got children – well, they’re kids, everybody loves kids, don’t they? But I suppose the underlying message is just be nice.
Matt Sims
Be nice. Enjoy it.
Keith Gooden
Enjoy your holiday.
Matt Sims
And there are some warnings that come with this. There is a risk you’re going to catch the bug. My advice is that you might need to consider recruiting a handyman for all those DIY jobs at home because if you do get the bug, they’re not getting done.
Keith Gooden
You’re not going to be spending weekends at home.
Get in touch with Motorhome Matt
Keith Gooden
Well, thanks for listening and watching the podcast, the Motorhome Matt Podcast with me, Keith Gooden and our expert Motorhome Matt Sims. And don’t hesitate to get in touch. Remember, we always like to hear your questions. We haven’t got any in today’s podcast. But that doesn’t mean to say that the next time you couldn’t be asking Matt the questions. So thanks very much, Matt.
Matt Sims
You’re welcome, Keith. And to ask a question, just go to the website – www.motorhomematt.co.uk/askmatt. You can record your question there. Just click the orange button, ask your question, check it back and press submit. Or you can just fill in the form which will send us an email and we’ll read your question out on the podcast and do our best to answer it.
Keith Gooden
And what about your socials?
Matt Sims
You can find us on Facebook and Instagram – just search Motorhome Matt. We’re @motorhomematt.co.uk on Instagram. And we’re on YouTube! So if you want to watch the podcast, you can do so on YouTube at Motorhome Matt.
