Where can motorhomes be parked? The debate about where motorhomes can be parked has been heated this summer. The fact that motorhome owners are spending the night in car parks is causing campsite owners to see red and now the "motorhome war is escalating".
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According to a report on Swedish Radio, campsite owners are upset about motorhomers staying overnight in car parks and Expressen writes that "the motorhome war is escalating". Only one in three motorhomers spend the night at a campsite, and campsite owners are angry because they are losing income. Some municipalities are trying to get around the 'problem' by banning camping outside campsites. But this raises the question of definition - what is camping?
Is the line drawn at unfolding the footstep, or is it camping only when I unpack the chairs and table? Because it certainly can't be called camping when you switch off the car and sleep for a few hours. Sleeping in the car is not forbidden, either in a lorry or a passenger car. On the contrary, from a road safety point of view, it is usually encouraged to stop and sleep instead of driving when you are tired!
Banning is the wrong way to go
We believe that campers are going the wrong way when they get angry and try to impose bans. First of all, you have to accept that many motorhome owners do not want to pay for services they do not need. This does not mean that these tourists are uninteresting to the municipality from an economic point of view. Quite the contrary! The money that is not spent on camping may instead be spent on restaurants, shopping and various attractions.
What about the campsite owners? Well, they have to attract them with an interesting offer. There are of course motorhome drivers who appreciate nice beaches and activities for children. Then they can actually profile themselves with a number of pitches with basic services for a lower price. What do you reckon?
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BP says:
You are right in your reasoning, personally I would not stand in a car park in the middle of nowhere. Would be terrified of being robbed.
18 August 2013 - 12:51
Aila & Niklas says:
Abroad, you often see campsites with pitches. There you get limited service etc. Maybe something for our Swedish campsites? Then they can get both the puppies and the others?
18 August 2013 - 13:23
Aila & Niklas says:
The campers, I mean...
18 August 2013 - 13:24
Rolle o Carina says:
Yes, there has been an unnecessary war over us camper van drivers because no one...
want to go to a campsite and pay a lot of money, we have everything!
Rather focus on more car parks like Germany and France.
as an example, there it works well and cheaply !!!
We prefer to stand by some nice lake or by the sea and enjoy!!!
Take care/Kram
18 August 2013 - 15:03
Anna says:
My mother lives in a small fishing community on the west coast of Sweden where the harbour has arranged parking spaces for what I consider to be relatively cheap money (batfjordenshamn.se/1/6/stallplatser). The problem is that a lot of foreign-registered people park around the coastal strip. If they weren't so many or didn't spoil the beautiful landscape, no one would probably react, but these people settle in properly and stay for several days. The days I am up and visit, it does not look nice to see a lot of motorhomes parked at the cliffs (they drive out as far as possible). It "ruins" the nature experience. Then sleeping overnight in a car park is not the end of the world.
18 August 2013 - 15:17
Lars Permeln says:
The behaviour of the campsite owners this summer is very strange and incomprehensible. All entrepreneurs normally have to constantly adapt their business and their range of services to the needs and wishes of their customers. They are also often required to exceed the customer's expectations in order to keep the customer coming back or give positive feedback to other motorhome tourists in this case.
It's actually getting to the point now where many motorhome tourists are becoming anti-camping and deciding never to visit a campsite again. For example, we have only visited one campsite this year.
18 August 2013 - 17:23
Lennart says:
Totally agree!
Motorhome tourism is increasing and their needs are not the same as those of tents and caravans!
Campsites need to rethink and municipalities need to help create more pitches with the services that motorhomes want!
18 August 2013 - 17:34
Hörni says:
I agree with you. I really understand that you don't want to pay to stay at a campsite if it's not necessary. I'm a bit angry that the campsite owners are protesting... it's none of their business, I think.
18 August 2013 - 17:44
Matts Torebring says:
Paying $250 to $350 to stand in a queue and check in and out at frequently scheduled times is not for us when we want to stay one or two days in one place. We shower in the motorhome but would like to use a real toilet if available. Paying this money for a toilet visit is not something we do. However, in Southern Europe we use camping when we want to be still and relax for a few days. I think it is the campsite owners who have to adapt to the market demand. We motorhome owners will not do that. If there is a parking space on a campsite for a maximum of SEK 150 per night and preferably payment in a vending machine without times to suit, then perhaps a few more people will enter the campsites.
18 August 2013 - 19:31
Ditte says:
How sad that campsite owners have become so greedy. I don't have a motorhome myself, but I think there should be more freedom of choice in terms of price depending on the level of service you want. I have a sailing boat and of course pay a sum if I am in a guest harbour. But I can decide whether I want to be there per hour, day or day and pay for just that. A washing machine costs extra, but I have access to shower and toilet, electricity and other services. Otherwise, in natural harbours you don't pay anything and there may also be rubbish bins and toilets.
18 August 2013 - 21:52
admin says:
BP, you don't want to go anywhere. But you learn what feels safe. We've stood many times in the middle of the city centre among lots of people, or at petrol stations with the trucks.
Aila & Niklas, yes, we have also experienced that. For example, a bunch of sites on gravel at the entrance to the campsite. Can be an alternative in some places.
Rolle and Carina, that "war atmosphere" doesn't make it feel more fun either...
Anna, how exemplary and good that the community has organised pitches! Does it get full there, is it not well enough signposted or do people choose other places anyway? It is of course sad if people park in places where they are perceived as "ruining" the experience for others. If there are specific places where you don't want motorhomes to park, I think it's perfectly okay to put up prohibition signs there. Then you can relate to it as a motorhome driver and choose another place.
Lars Permeln, you are so right and isn't it strange? You can't "force" the market, you have to adapt to it...?
Lennart, exactly, the campers have to recognise that this is a new customer group and think about how they can reach them. They will never reach everyone, but they can probably reach more if they make an effort.
Guys, yes, it's strange behaviour to protest that someone doesn't want to buy your product or service... then you have to think about whether it's time to change it in some way?
Matts, I can only agree! Isn't it normal for a seller of something to research the market and adapt to it?
Ditte, that's the problem with campsites. It often feels like you're paying for a lot of things that you don't use. Sometimes we actually want all that stuff, and we're happy to pay for it. Other times we just want to sleep one night and go eat at a restaurant - and then it doesn't feel right to pay so much.
19 August 2013 - 6:19
Håkan says:
We have been travelling by motorhome for many, many years now and mostly only stayed at a campsite 1-2 times per season. You have what you need in your "expensive motorhome", we have chosen that type of leisure activity. However, when you stop in a public place for rest/rest, you should not be so stupid as to unfold awnings and place chairs and tables, to the annoyance of the public, we ask that people should think badly of us in a motorhome, make sure you park, nothing else! We often travel in southern Europe and there you can park overnight in many places without problems but you have to think about "how" you park! In the south, they have also understood what the motorhome people want and need. If Campingägarna continues its current development (with 35% increased motorhome sales), they will soon be alone on their campsites.
// Håkan
19 August 2013 - 17:49
Britt says:
Like you, I think that in the interests of road safety it should be possible to sleep in a car park, if you dare. There have been burglaries and robberies along the roads.
19 August 2013 - 18:05
Henrik Hagström says:
Campsites often do not work well for motorhomes. This is because the campsites are usually located a bit outside the communities by a lake or by the sea. For a caravan this is perfect, scenic and peaceful, you take the car to go to town to shop or visit tourist attractions or whatever you want to do. But with a motorhome, you're locked to the site. That's why people want to stay in centrally located sites rather than campsites outside of communities.
Read more here. http://home.aland.net/m04188/document/ej_campingplatser.pdf
19 August 2013 - 20:40
Henrik Hagström says:
You don't have to be afraid of robbery if you use common sense. Where do the robberies take place? Along our major roads, mostly on European roads, of which the E6 is the worst affected.
Therefore, never stop at a rest area along these, unless you are travelling with several cars.
Don't think that night-open petrol stations increase security. in the evening, petrol station staff lock themselves in because of the risk of robbery and pay through a small hatch. the chance of them seeing you being robbed is minimal, and if they do, they do nothing but call the police. The robbers are long gone by the time the police arrive.
No, turn off and away from the main roads, Go to a small village, park at the village church or some other suitable place, The important thing is that you can't be seen from the main roads and petrol stations. if the robbers don't know you exist, they can't rob you.
Then a small detail. Those of you who have motorhomes with original cabs. 99% of the robbers enter through the cabin doors. This is because these are similar on most cars and they learn how to open these doors. before when we had a car with such doors we had a wire between these and a padlock.
But getting off the main roads is key.
19 August 2013 - 20:53
admin says:
Håkan, I agree! It's obviously important to show respect for the surroundings and not to annoy people. Of course, we would never bring out the outdoor furniture in a car park... We always think about following parking rules, not "sticking out" in any direction, etc.
Britt, safety is another important aspect! You have to choose car parks and rest areas with some care...
Henrik, I agree! We actually use the motorhome for different purposes. Sometimes we want just that with nature and swimming and then camping is perfectly ok. Another time we want to go into a city, and then it doesn't fit at all! And thank you for sharing all the tips on how to position yourself to avoid robbery!
19 August 2013 - 21:13
Besserwisser says:
Met an angry campsite host in Hampetorp today. We stood outside the campsite. The place was signposted, with no camping and a picture of an unhooked caravan. I tried to make him understand that it was okay for me to stand there. We had spent the night in our motorhome and taken out our camping chairs, to sit in the sun for a while before moving on. There were no other vehicles in the car park. If it had been bathing weather, we would have gone down for a swim. Now he thought I was stupid and if we were not gone within an hour he would charge a camping fee, when he came back ... Now we were going to leave anyway so it was no problem. But I urge you who go by motorhome and intend to stay overnight, stand in the place outside the campsite we had to stand one night without paying. Because the campsite host has nothing to come up with just empty threats!
Staying overnight in a class Ii car is not camping!
09 September 2013 - 16:13
Anna Lindberg says:
Motorhome sales have increased by about 30 per cent. It cannot be ignored that the motorhome is here to stay. If campsite owners get angry because a motorhome is parked outside their campsite, it means that the campsite is too expensive. At Böda, a campsite costs between 400-600 SEK....
23 July 2016 - 14:05
Birger Solvik says:
Hi a small parenthesis to Camping or not HB owners may not so on a car park and sleep What with all the trucks that stop and sleep in the car park it is law Or ? When you drive non-stop to the North Cape to get there as quickly as possible, you don't book into a campsite, so a car park is a good alternative.
02 June 2018 - 15:02
Birger Solvik says:
It is allowed to sleep in a lorry but not in a motorhome, what is the difference?
02 June 2018 - 15:06