Currently on a 7-pitch adult only site next to a pub and I come here reguarly.
Only my pitch was occupied, being Pitch No. 5 this morning.
Two MHs arrived in early afternoon, one in Pitch 4 and the other in Pitch 7 on both sides of my pitch, and immediately started to shout across to each other as if I was not there!
Pitch 4 also walked across the back of my van to reach Pitch 7.
I was trying to work, so I stepped out of my van, for both pitches to be able to see me, to ask if they would like to move closer to each other, etc. etc., and they quiet down.
They did ask the management if they could move closer together and was informed they could not as they have already been booked out during their stay, good on them.
I shall have a word if I catch Pitch 4 walking across the back of my van.
I do not believe I am being unreasonable as I consider them as basic camping etiquettes.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Very sadly, the kind of behaviour that has become commonplace and needs to be almost considered the norm and expected nowadays! One of my favourite sites I regularly visit near Coniston has really had some of the joy taken out of it over past few years by the 'oiks'!
I stay quite a lot on CAMC sites, and many regard them as being too rule obsessed, but if all the rules were observed/enforced then they should be lovely, but that's not how it is, the bad and inconsiderate behaviour of some impacts the rest of us! - they just ignore rules and seemingly never get picked up by the wardens!
Week or so back, stayed on a Adult Only CAMC CL for 10 days. Just me and a delightful elderly couple for first few days, then others arrived and filled the 5 pitches, BUT what a delightful bunch of people, guess the youngest couple were in their 40s, rest 50s to 70s. All of us had dogs. EVERYONE was considerate, dogs were kept under control, no one was noisy, everybody was sociable but not intrusive. Sad but true, it took me back years to how camping used to be, and rather reinforced my more recent experiences of bad and inconsiderate campers!
On other public forums, I've been near abused for suggesting that etiquette is very poor these days, with suggestions I'm spoiling people's enjoyment to do as they please (apparently feral children running amok having 'fun' at other peoples expense, whilst parents enjoy 'child free time' is ME being selfish!!!!) - and there lies the problem, not entered their tiny little heads that it's a shared space and EVERYONE is entitled to enjoy it by shared and common standards, it's not a place for the morons only to enjoy!!!!
Don't see it getting better any time soon! I do the best I can by picking Adult Only sites where possible, avoiding 'popular' destinations and holiday times! ..... and there are types of sites you couldn't pay me a fortune to stay on!
You have my sympathy, dk. The only time we use a windbreak or the awning is to mark out our personal / pitch space - which one we use depends where the intrusion is happening. The dog’s metal travelling crate is handy for diverting people too. Enough was enough when someone literally tripped over my feet to get to a water stanchion, when I was sitting at the back door.
Burning plastic bottles in a chiminerea, or smoky wood in a tent stove, is pretty irritating when you’re downwind too, especially on a pleasant evening when you’d like to be outside.
My fault in leaving too much space behind my van to be used as a short cut by Pitch 4!
Put my small table and chair behind the van now to see if they get the hint.
Otherwise I shall use my second set of string lights and tie it between my van and pitch post marker.
They had their takeaway supper in the pub's beer garden and shared a table instead of dining by one of their vans.
We did exchange glances when I walked past.
Kept telling myself to be mindful with what I do/say and don't and be more tolerant of other's behaviours, etc., etc., however, there are times when I am pushed to my limit of tolerance.
Not long before they arrived, I had to deal with some bureaucratic cr at p for one of the charitable organisations where I volunteer, and had to be really polite and diplomatic which does not come naturally to me!
So I was already wound up before they started to shout to each other as if there was no one else on the site, and walked across the back of my pitch.
Don't care if they think I am being petty - my pitch is part of my castle while I am camping.
And don't get me started about feral critters and ankle biters!
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
The other culprits are the dog owners who think they don’t need to keep their dog on a lead. Ours is always attached to the MH, so she attracts these loose dogs over to sniff her & lift a leg on the picnic table or one of our wheels. Sometimes the owner will eventually follow when they notice the dog’s gone, or when they hear me shouting at their dog, always with feeble excuses.
I'd love to share a site with you lot (rather than some I'm forced into contact with!!!!), we may not agree on a shed load of things and be especially social, but we'd all have respect for each other's little Kingdoms and strive not to annoy, and surely that's what camping etiquette is all about! .... is it really that difficult? I don't feel it is!
You never know, any of us could be pitched next door to another, and we’d never know.
The flip side of lack of etiquette is the willingness to ask if someone would like some help - getting a new or borrowed tent put up before the rain starts, or a solo tent camper suddenly having to respond to high winds. We’ve been known to offer a hot drink to someone whose gas kept blowing out.
Quote: Originally posted by Fiona W on 06/10/2026
You never know, any of us could be pitched next door to another, and we’d never know.
The flip side of lack of etiquette is the willingness to ask if someone would like some help - getting a new or borrowed tent put up before the rain starts, or a solo tent camper suddenly having to respond to high winds. We’ve been known to offer a hot drink to someone whose gas kept blowing out.
Funny you should say that, site I was on a couple of weeks back in Lincolnshire, I found myself in rare need of assistance. .... and it materialised without prompt from the only other resident on 5 pitch CL site, an elderly gent slightly older than me, well into his 70's I'd guess.
I'd started to put up the awning in less than ideal conditions perhaps, a bit breezy, but I'm pretty adept at overcoming adversity with ingenious ways sometimes by way of temporary pegging, and didn't think I'd need help ..... but the weather thought otherwise. The awkward breeze turned into more of a gale in very short time, and hellbent on blowing the loose flysheet under the van! I'd never have started if it'd been that windy to start with or expecting it to blow up, but finding myself with flysheet in the rail and a couple of pegs in, going forward seemed easier than going backwards with then an entire awning loose in the wind! Well, we fought on against the now VISCIOUS wind and finally got there - never would have succeeded on my own! Probably shouldn't have the awning up in those conditions, but almost convinced 'it can't get worse' - it did, ended up TRIPLE pegging (single rock pegs pulled out, double rock pegs loosened!) all the vital points as it got a damned good thrashing in the wind that rocked the van! After getting the awning settled, I measured the wind (I know, horses and barn doors etc!), it was blowing at mid 20 mph and gusting near 40 mph at times - and did that for about 50 hours non-stop!!!!!!!
My good Samaritan refused reward by way of bottled goodies, just dismissing it as "it's what you do, no payment necessary" - what a gent, and a awning if not life saver.
I've made similar gestures to other campers in need over the years, for the very same reason my Samaritan did 'it's what you do', well, it's what we used to do! I tend to be better equipped with tools, and know how to use them, or just experience, than many campers, so have lent lump hammers where rubber mallets can't hack it, unbolted and rebuilt roll out canopy arms damaged by wind etc. Where is any satisfaction in watching someone struggle when you know you can assist for want of an offer!
I'm getting all nostalgic for the 'old days' of camping where good things were the norm.
We've helped folk over the years, in France mainly as that's where we camp as a couple. One Chinese? couple we lent a hammer to brought it back with some delicious cooked snacks. And a rather drunk young Frenchman gave us a nice bottle of wine for erecting his borrowed tent with no instructions, whilst he sat by in a stupor.
Maybe we should all make more effort to 'fly the UKCS flag', or at least, put the sticker on your unit. I display mine on site, but seldom see any Brits. Then if you see a sticker, you might be able to choose the next door pitch, hopefully next to some quiet respectful folk.
I did not put up my windsock and UKCS flag for this trip, however, I normally do.
I have been offered help many a times in the past, and I normally kindly refused on the grounds that I need to be able to do it myself; bless them!
What I can't put up myself = bin or sell, and the cheapo Sunncamp awning is unloved in the shed, so is the Isabella windbreak which is a faff to put up as guys are still needed.
I would normally offer hot drinks. Help would be offered for solo campers, not for 2 people/couple as I do not wish to get involved with their arguments.
Not sure if I would help to minimise further damage by wind if a tent/awning/windbreak is not pegged down securely and flapping in the wind, for concerns of being accused of causing the damage in the first place, etc. etc... Sad that we live in this world of blame culture and lack of common sense and decency nowadays.
I try to be a good camping neighbour and would ask the same from my pitch neighbours, am I expecting too much?
Update on my pitch neighbours - Pitch 4 got the hint not to walk behind my van, so string lights have not been deployed. They all avoided me in passing which is fine by me.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Quote: Originally posted by dk168 on 06/10/2026
......
.. Help would be offered for solo campers, not for 2 people/couple as I do not wish to get involved with their arguments.
Not sure if I would help to minimise further damage by wind if a tent/awning/windbreak is not pegged down securely and flapping in the wind, for concerns of being accused of causing the damage in the first place, etc. etc...
DK
You just made me involuntarily laugh out loud DK!
My warped and lateral thinking mind doing what it does best and picking up on two points you made, combining them, and deriving a comic situation!
Not sure how well thoughts convert to words, but here goes! - "So you would avoid a ménage à trois situation of the 'divorce in a bag' shenanigans of a couple struggling to put up an awning!"
Sorry DK, can't help it, I have to laugh at life, or it all gets too miserable!
TBH, it's one I'd probably avoid too, in fact I have, been away with groups of friends when the 'divorce negotiations' start soon after the holdall unzips, and I and others withhold our assistance for fear of being witnesses in court for one or other party! …. even worse, being identified as a better, more useful individual than the now despised partner!
Conclusion: campsite etiquette includes staying well out of any “discussions”. It also includes pretending you didn’t hear anything when they “made up” that night.
Quote: Originally posted by Fiona W on 07/10/2026
Conclusion: campsite etiquette includes staying well out of any “discussions”. It also includes pretending you didn’t hear anything when they “made up” that night.
TBH, I've heard far more 'discussions' and 'making up' in thin walled hotel rooms than I've EVER heard on camp sites!
..... poorly placed lamps in tents is another matter entirely though!
Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 07/10/2026
..... poorly placed lamps in tents is another matter entirely though!
Should we revive the nookie in a tent thread as it has gone very quiet?
And yes, I have witnessed too many divorce in the making scenes, or said to myself: how do they put up with each other like this?
It is usually the gent in a hetero pair who is unpleasant to the lady - I certainly would not have put up with that kind of put down for being a chocolate teapot in public etc...
No wonder I am single!
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
I have always been ready to help people having problems with their unit. However, aces years ago I saw a couple struggling with their awning. They could not get it to slide along the awning rail. So I picked up my can of silicone spray and went over to help. When I arrived and offered the spray I was quickly told to…… off.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets