How to start wildcamping in your Motorhome
Wildcamping, parking up, stealth camping, off-grid camping, off-grid parking, free camping, boondocking. People call it many different things. But what is it?
It's basically staying overnight in your Campervan or Motorhome, not hooked up to any amenities and usually away from a campsite. It offers a certain freedom when touring in your van. Usually people love the flexibility it offers, especially if you don't like to hang around in one place for too long.
Have you tried it? Do you want to try it?
Do you want to try wild camping?
If you’ve never done it before and want to try it but you're scared, this post is going to help you no end. Whether you camp as a family, a couple or even a solo female, I've got it all here for you.
I want to help YOU do more wild camping!
For those that prefer watching, I’ve got a wicked YouTube video version of this post here
Why I’m called the Urban Motorhome
Quick intro, if you’re new to my YouTube channel and website, I'm Darran. I've lived in my motorhome for nearly 6 years and, as the name suggests, I predominantly park ‘urban’.
I've never had any problems, never had any trouble, and I will park pretty much anywhere.
If you want to see the places I’ve parked previously, I've got a back catalogue of free videos about how I find places.
Why choose to do park ups over campsites?
Despite the popular myth that all campsites are regimental and boring, there are many beautiful sites around. Particularly in remote areas, there are some stunning sites in unusual places.
But, it's no secret that campsites will have rules, arrival times, departure times, and you are likely to have a neighbour! Depending on the time of year, you also need to book ahead for the majority of campsites. Granted not all, but most.
For some people, myself included, one of the things they enjoy most about motorhoming/vanlife is the flexibility. That's why park-ups instead of campsites work really well.
For others, they enjoy staying on campsites because it suits their holiday style, but they want to break up the adventures with a few wildcamps, not only for a change of scenery but to help the budget.
Campsites can be quite expensive so a mix of stopovers can make a big difference to the cost of a trip. Even more so if you are full-time - the cost of campsites soon mounts up.
How to get started doing wildcamping
If you are a bit nervous and are not sure where to begin, I think a good start would be a supermarket car park.
Disclaimer - Make sure there is no ANPR. That is the first thing you need to do! And make sure there are no restrictions on parking.
Might sound like a weird starting place but you're pretty safe and secure. Plus they're usually quiet at night, there should be no real bother.
Ideally, park next to the trolley bays or in the corner so you're out of the way.
Top Tip: Park your hab door closest to the trolley bay so no one can get down that side. Of course, make sure there is still room for you to enter/exit the vehicle!
Because you're close to a structure, if there are any boy racers they won’t want to be near you. If they're going to do donuts, they're not going to burn rubber right next to a trolley bay!
Always have back up park-ups
My number 1 bit of advice for wild camping would be to have a few locations pinned.
There are a number of reasons. Firstly, if you pull up somewhere and it is busy or there is no space, you want to have another option to go to.
Secondly, if something did happen in the night and you need to move quickly, you've got somewhere to go straight away.
I’m not saying anything will happen, it’s very rare so don’t be put off. But it’s always best to have that option just in case.
Lastly, if your gut doesn't feel right, you feel a bit uneasy, or you’re simply not feeling the vibe of the place, leave. Trust your instincts 110% and move on.
Don't try and brave it out because your brain will kick in when you go to bed. You'll start thinking about things, every little noise will bother you and you won’t settle.
Always park politely and legally
Make sure you park politely and legally. It sounds obvious but I have seen some really stupid parking in my time.
Don’t take up more space than you need. Motorhomes and Campervans don’t generally fit in one space, that's a given.
However! That doesn’t mean there is any excuse for parking sideways, long ways, or blocking access.
I’ve heard of people parking longways across spaces so that their door ‘opens up on to the view’. No, just no.
One thing that will keep spots open for us to enjoy is if everyone is considerate and keeps it fair.
Other park up housekeeping
A few other golden rules I would like to mention;
- Don't litter, take it with you if there are no bins.
I apologise if this sounds patronising and I am not for one minute assuming that my fellow van-lifers are litter bugs. The sad fact is that I, and a few of my friends, come across litter regularly and it's normally us lot [as a community] who get the blame.
2. Don’t get your camping equipment out.
It’s not acceptable to get tables, chairs, mats etc out while parked up. I understand this happens a lot on the continent but the difference is, they have designated motorhome parking spots (aires) for that.
It doesn't set the right scene and more often than not, it can end up annoying locals or other users of the parking place you're in.
3. Finally, never empty your toilet anywhere other than a designated elsan point.
This shouldn’t have to be pointed out but, sadly, I’ve seen and heard of this happening where people empty their cassette on the side of the road, in bushes etc. It's just an absolute no, you should not be emptying human waste anywhere that isn't a designated emptying point.
(Or, worst case scenario if you are unable to find an elsan point, empty in a public toilet. But leave it as clean as you found it. In fact, probably cleaner than you found it).
Also, always make sure that the elsan or toilet you are emptying into is compatible with the fluids or chemicals you choose to use in your toilet.
Personally, I use Solbio. It’s the world’s only 100% natural, organic, and environmentally friendly toilet fluid. It is pet and child safe plus it can be used in waste tanks and flush tanks. Use code 'URBAN' for 10% off
Safety when parking up
Parking up with others is a great way to eliminate those park up nerves.
There are vanlife meet up facebook groups you can join to start networking and connecting. It’s a good place to get hints and tips too. (always use extreme caution when meeting people offline for the first time! The van life community is fantastic and always helpful to one another but please always exercise extreme vigilance when meeting people you don’t know!)
Another great way to meet people is when you go to van life festivals or motorhome shows. In my experience, you meet people for the first time and by the end of the weekend, you feel like you've known them for ages.
You may meet someone else who has never done a wild camp before and you can do one together.
It’s always a good idea to tell a friend or family member where you are, certainly for the first few times.
What if you’re not a man with loads of experience?
My tips and advice for doing free camps are great, but they are from a single guy who travels on his own and has plenty of experience.
My advice is not going to cover all bases.
What happens if you're a woman and you want to travel and do wild camping on your own?
I've got you covered.
Solo Female Wild Camping
I’ve reached out to Tash and Lou to ask for their advice and this is what they had to say.
Lou: ‘I'm Lou from Camper Vibe and I've been wild camping in my van for over 12 months. I travel with my wife but I also do plenty of solo trips.’
Tash: ‘I'm Tash, one half of Life Beyond Bricks and I've been full-time in a motorhome for over three years, but since July last year, I've had my own van.
Since then I've been doing solo adventures, camping, park ups, that sort of thing.’
L: ‘It's a little bit daunting the first time because you have to sort of think, you know, is anything gonna go wrong or you do worry, but there's a lot of information out there, that you can kind of see that other people are doing it. So I thought, why not? F*ck it, just give it a go!’
T: ‘I'd say before we went wild camping [solo], I probably was quite nervous. Hearing noises and things used to freak me out, but over time I've gotten used to it. I did find that when I went solo for the first time, it was kind of like going back to square one.
I don’t know if you [Lou] found that but, compared to when I'm in the motorhome with Jon, going by myself was quite nerve wracking.
When I look at park ups online, I try to use other people's recommendations and I'll pick stuff that might be a bit, you know, more like not busy, but, stuff that's less secluded. And then I've just built myself back up to wild camping.’
L: ‘Yeah, you're right though. There's definitely, if you've done it with someone else and then you go on your own, there's definitely, you've lost like that backup, that safety net. So there's definitely that to consider. Um, rather than going straight out on your own, you've gotta make that one jump, that one leap. But we were lucky enough to have kind of slide into it, I guess.’
T: ‘Yeah. It's almost like we had a buffer. Like we sort of did stage one and then you do stage two. So, yeah, hats off to anyone that jumps straight in with both feet.
L: ‘Well now we've got rid of that buffer. We're happy on our own!’
T: Yeah. To be fair! It’s like where's my husband? Dunno, I'm off in Van.
‘What Advice Can You Give New Wild Campers?’
Lou: ‘So for people that are a bit dubious, a bit scared, I'd say you just kind of need to bite the bullet, do your research. Use apps like park4night and read all the reviews because you can kind of get a gauge then for if there's been trouble there before, if it's a common spot, if it's less used.
And for me, one of the things I really focus on, if I'm ever worried, I think, I'm a woman on my own in a van, but whoever's outside this van doesn't know that. At least I can sort of see who's coming towards the van.
But in their mind, I could be with a bloke, I could be a group of blokes, I could have a dog, I could have, you know, a whole group of us in here.
They don't know, necessarily, who's in that van. So I would say, if you're a bit dubious, don't make it obvious that you're there by yourself. Try and keep out of sight of what's going on around you. That would probably be my thing.’
Tash: ‘Yeah, I'd actually, yeah, I'll back up everything you just said to be fair, like do your research and I've never thought about that before actually. They don't know you’re in here on your own unless they've seen you, that's a good point.
One thing I did to ease myself into it was I started by doing pub stops. That way I knew that I was somewhere I was meant to be and I was not secluded and then I just built myself up from there.
And also for me personally, I don't get everything out and set the van up in the same way I would if I was somewhere, like I am now [at a festival]. I would have the campervan, just for my own peace of mind, so it's ready to go.
I know that if I need to leave quickly, I can because I've got everything set up as minimally as possible.’
L: ‘Yeah, I agree. In our van, we've got swivel seats. If I'm on my own, I leave the driver's seat, front facing, and my shoes are always in the gap. I know if I've gotta jump out of bed and go, I just bang my shoes straight on’
T: ‘Yeah literally exactly that. I wouldn't have my pop top roof up if I was doing a park up, just to keep it low profile and make sure I could go quickly. I probably wouldn't have all my kettle out and that. I'd literally have it so I could go and, like you say, shoes, ready to go.’
L: ‘Your keys, that's another thing. You don't want to be scrambling around looking for your keys, although touch wood in this or in any country, we've never had a problem. I want to drop the stigma that you're going to have a problem. It's very rare.
Just use common sense and try to be as safe as you can.’
T: ‘Gut feeling. Always go gut with your gut feeling! Even if you think, Oh, it's just me being silly. If your gut says no, move, find another. There'll be another park up a mile down the road. So if your gut says no, go. That's good, I'm coining that!’
What about wilding with children?
You've had my hints and tips as a single guy and also from experienced single females.
What about couples? And couples with children?
I’ve got you covered there too.
I asked my friends The Rolling Rocks what they do, how they started wild camping, and what their hints and tips were.
If you haven't seen them on social media, The Rolling Rucks are Charlie, her husband Stu and their 3 children.
Wild camping as a family
Stu: ‘Wild Camping was a big issue for us when we started, wasn't it?’
Charlie: ‘I was a bit of a scaredy cat, wasn’t I’
S: ‘I was completely calm and quite excited about it but you were very nervous, obviously we've got three kids,
C: ‘For me it was always that feeling [that] you shouldnt be parked there or someone was going to try and break in, or you're going to get moved on.’
S: Yeah so you were always very nervous with it. We actually did our first wild camping session last year on a beautiful beach just south of Aberystwyth in West Wales. I slept all night. We had a beautiful night, but, how was your evening love?’
C: ‘It was nail biting wasn’t it. I didn't sleep all night. I literally panicked I think from the moment it was pitch black until morning. And then I felt like, I was happy to be alive because I'd done it. I was happy we didn’t get moved on.’
S: ‘You were very tired.’
C: ‘I was exhausted and I vowed I wouldn't do it again for a long, long time.’
S: ‘We do do a lot more while camping now than we used to. Charlotte's obviously come a long, long way with it and I think it's a combination of, we use apps to sort of find the spots and then we'll go on to Google Maps and we'll have a little look around the area.
Obviously we try and do it so that we're not going to be a nuisance or a pain to anybody and that we can just do our little wild camp and leave without a trace.’
‘What Were Your Fears of Wild Camping [with children]?’
C: ‘Yeah. I used to get scared of location, I always kept thinking, are we going to get moved on? And also, instead of enjoying the peace and quiet, I felt that that was actually detrimental to us as a family to begin with.
I felt that we were more at risk. The reality is, wild camping is really quite safe, isn't it?
S: ‘Yeah, it is. I think, again, you've just got to pick your spots wisely. And I think it's one of those things as well, the more you do it, the more you relax into it. Like Char now is a lot better than she ever has been.
Like if I say we're going wild camping tonight, she wouldn't say a peep. She would be quite happy with that.
If we're in a spot, the spot's perfect, but maybe we're a little bit more exposed, then we might take some measures to sort of settle it. Like I'll do the seatbelt trick around the door and clip that in.’
C: “Yep, that made me feel way better when I realised people couldn't get in the cab. Silly as it sounds, it's just little safety tricks that just put my mind at rest to be. But then you said to me, someone could just walk on a campsite and break in if they wanted to?’
S: ‘Exactly. It doesn't matter. This is my attitude to it, it doesn't matter where you are, if you're on a campsite, wild camping on your drive, wherever you may be. The fact is, you're outside in your motorhome, nobody wants to come and break into your motorhome when you are in it.
Obviously you have nerves and there's lots of different reasons why the nerves are there. Is someone going to try and break in? Are you gonna get moved on, saying you can't stay here? Is it going to be an inappropriate spot where you can have people complaining or you're going to get a lot of road noise by the side of you?
But this is something that comes with experience. The more you do it, you start to learn all these kinds of things and you're able then to plan a little bit better.
It doesn't take a lot of time, it just needs five minutes with your phone, find the area you want to. Have a look at the general area because the last thing we want is to be a nuisance to anybody or be somewhere we shouldn't.
And we've been fine with it since, haven't we really? Still a bit nervous [aren't we].’
‘What Sort of Park Ups Do You Look For With The Kids?’
Charlie: ‘Well, we found some nice spots. I think going to Europe for us was a massive help because over there that, you know, camping is really okay, wasn't it?
Stu: ‘Yeah, it's a lot more accepted and there's a lot more rural areas for you to easily find a spot.
Because we've got the kids, when it comes to our wild camping spots, we'll always try and find somewhere that's got either a nature walk nearby or a park. Something so that we can take the kids [to], we could be at a coastal area so we can take the kids down to the beach.
It depends what time of day [it is]. If we're there for the day or night, then we’re looking for places like your coastal [spots], the beach or your nature walks, or a park nearby or a town we can go into.
So then we can obviously entertain the kids. If it's just an evening stop off, and we're getting there quite late, then obviously we relax that a little bit and we'll go with somewhere that's safe, out of the way.’
C: ‘I'm not really keen on roadside destinations, laybys, things like that. I wouldn't do that with the kids. You know, there's a risk of traffic exposure. Are we gonna get hit? You know, are the children going to wake up in the middle of the night and try [the door]?
In fairness, they've never tried to open the door but that would just be something that would freak me out. I wouldn't park next to a lake or a pond, again, same reasons. I'd always be thinking, are the kids going to go out and accidentally, you know, be not sure where they are perhaps, and then end up in the middle of a road or something.
So safety, stuff like that, I would be looking for in a park up. I'd be more inclined to do a car park than do a layby.
‘What Tips Do You Have for Wild Camping?’
Stu: ‘If you are thinking of doing wild camping, if the security side does make you feel better, look into that. If you've got friends that you can go along with, this would be our biggest thing, safety in numbers for sure.
Or maybe it's a spot that you know quite well and you go to it, it's a good way to meet people as well. So you get the best of both worlds. Join the community.’
Charlie: ‘And also I just need to drop in, if obviously you are world camping and you've got kids, be aware that the toilet is going to get full real quick.
If you can nip to the local shops, pubs, restaurants, whatever. If you go somewhere that's near a town that you can use their toilets, pop in, use 'em because you don't want to get that full. Once it's full, that's it. Your wild camp has ended.’
Final thoughts, leave your comments!
I think I've covered the board completely. You've had me giving my experience. My hints, tips and advice for starting to wild camp from a single guy's point of view.
I spoke to Tash and Lou to get experience from a single female's point of view. What they’ve done, how they started, and their hints and tips for wild camping.
Then lastly I spoke to The Rolling Rucks and heard from a couple's point of view, with children. How they started wild camping and their hints and tips.
What you need to do now is go out, follow all these hints and tips and try a wild camp!
If you've got any hints, tips, or advice you’ve picked up along the way about wild camping like how you started, what helped you overcome your fears, leave them in the comments below!