Newbie here looking for advice: is it legal to park your caravan at the side of the road or in a lay-by all day long, or overnight, while we drive off to sight-see elsewhere?
I realise it might not always be advisable from a security point of view but assuming the place looked alright and the caravan was secured with a wheel clamp and hitch lock, would we be able to leave it unattended?
The question stems from the fact that sites seem to want you to leave by midday which leaves a whole half day of sight-seeing pulling a caravan before going home at the end of a holiday.
A place allways 'looks alright' to an opportunist thief. I wouldn't leave my van anywhere like that.,much better to pay an extra day and leave when you like. John
------------- Life is our Holiday enjoy it before its time to go back!
would have to agree with js2, you may well come back to your 'van to find it still there but all it's contents gone, much better idea to book some extra time on site and leave when your ready
------------- no tin tent outings booked as yet ,just another cruise in Sept' booked so far
I think you can only park a trailer/caravan for up to 48 hours in a layby.personaly i think your taking a chance no matter what security you have on it if they want it,they will have it.
You often see trailers minus the cab unit parked in laybys so, even if not strictly legal, it would seem that you are unlikely to get "pulled".
However, the security side of things, as already stated, is a totally different matter. Empty trailers are often left with a door fastened back to indicate they are empty; not planning a similar strategy, are you?
So the message has to be; unless you want to take a high risk of ending up with grief, and the probable lack of help from your insurers, DON'T do it!
Hi GarethLooker, Welcome to the forum,You can in Scotland,(sleep over night in lay-bys)best places are the lay-bys with grass verge between lay-by and road,the ones that come to mind are on the west side of Loch Lommond shores,(last year the Travelling community were using them), there are a few wild campers on here who will be able to give you more advice on this, But leaving van there while sight seeing, would be a definite No No,as for all the above reasons stated,better to see if campsite has an area where you could park van for the time required.
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probable lack of help from your insurers, DON'T do it!
Bertie.
agree with bertie i do not think you will be insured leaving the caravan unattended where it should not be. think it may be illegal too in some parts of the country as its an obstruction. see also
Quote: Originally posted by michael on 18/7/2011
probable lack of help from your insurers, DON'T do it!
Bertie.
agree with bertie i do not think you will be insured leaving the caravan unattended where it should not be. think it may be illegal too in some parts of the country as its an obstruction. see also
The 'obstruction' situation is worth considering. More years ago than I care to remember, I had parked my car at the end of a road where building work was in progress. What would have been a pavement was an area of waterlogged rubble, not fit to walk on, and I parked there.
Further along, there was a line of parked cars near to a drive-in bank. The manager had complained about his customers having difficult at the exit, and a police officer had come along and booked the lot; including going further down the road and booking mine.
Being in the AA at the time, I had a solicitor go to the court for me. I was fined two thirds of what it cost the other drivers. The solicitor told me that once a vehicle has been parked on the public highway (which includes verges, etc.) it is an obstruction and this would apply even if the road was in the country and 500 feet wide. Not being prosecuted is a concession on the part of the police.
Quote: Originally posted by jhsw on 18/7/2011
Hi GarethLooker, Welcome to the forum,You can in Scotland,(sleep over night in lay-bys)best places are the lay-bys with grass verge between lay-by and road,the ones that come to mind are on the west side of Loch Lommond shores,(last year the Travelling community were using them), there are a few wild campers on here who will be able to give you more advice on this, But leaving van there while sight seeing, would be a definite No No,as for all the above reasons stated,better to see if campsite has an area where you could park van for the time required.
Sorry you may be able to park, there but the thieves are still about.As we found out.
When we had parked our old fc on the road between Inverness & Oban my brother in law left his caravan as well. Both men went back to pick up the stabiliser bar he left at the CC&C site Oban. Meanwhile my big sis & I stayed back with our respective units. Then a dark red estate car with towing gear drove up/down and slowly drove up again looking round at the unit all the time. There was 3 men in it.
My sis was sitting in her caravan just perching her bum on the step and then suddenly whilst they were looking an slowing down even more I got up onto my 2 crutches (which is how I walked at that time ) to let them know I was there and made a noise to sis and she let them know I was not alone she too was there.
. Had we left any or either of them they would of been gone in a flash. Sneaky opportunist thieves are on the lookout all the time just driving along. Up & down 3 in a car usually apparently.There was when our first VW camper was nicked. (2 to do the job & one lookout)
This year we saw a big trailer that had been left and someone had slashed into the side back of it just to see what was in it. Opportunists again. Just driving along
Is it really worth it. if you want to suss out a site then take it with you or leave more than one person behind with it possibly in a car park. Not children only obviously.
There would be a lot of tears as well as arguments when you all got back and found either smashed,or not there and quite frankly & totally it would be all your own fault. As there are so many thefts all over the place, nowadays worse than ever it would br stupid of you to risk anything like that.
You make the wise desicion not to leave it, cos you will sure as hell get all the blame when its nicked. Is it worth that also.
Look into the stolen vans sections anywhere & see how many have been stolen at speed.
Enjoy your camping with your unit in your own hands and not weep as its in others just for a quick trip to suss out a place to stay.EVERYWHERE
By the way our camper was stolen outside our own home at 3.15am so it does mean 24 hours they are on the go just driving around.Hence all the security you need nowadays
Quote: Originally posted by jhsw on 18/7/2011
Hi GarethLooker, Welcome to the forum,You can in Scotland,(sleep over night in lay-bys)best places are the lay-bys with grass verge between lay-by and road,the ones that come to mind are on the west side of Loch Lommond shores,(last year the Travelling community were using them), there are a few wild campers on here who will be able to give you more advice on this, But leaving van there while sight seeing, would be a definite No No,as for all the above reasons stated,better to see if campsite has an area where you could park van for the time required.
Was not that in the CC&C magazine earlier this year saying they were stopping it as they were causinf to much erosion. I could be wrong but I do strongly believe I am not. Around Loch Lommond there is alot of soil damage erosion slipping inot the Loch itself. I am sure it was this year it was being stopped
Quote: Originally posted by jhsw on 18/7/2011
Hi GarethLooker, Welcome to the forum,You can in Scotland,(sleep over night in lay-bys)best places are the lay-bys with grass verge between lay-by and road,the ones that come to mind are on the west side of Loch Lommond shores,(last year the Travelling community were using them), there are a few wild campers on here who will be able to give you more advice on this, But leaving van there while sight seeing, would be a definite No No,as for all the above reasons stated,better to see if campsite has an area where you could park van for the time required.
Was not that in the CC&C magazine earlier this year saying they were stopping it as they were causinf to much erosion. I could be wrong but I do strongly believe I am not. Around Loch Lommond there is alot of soil damage erosion slipping inot the Loch itself. I am sure it was this year it was being stopped
Phoned up the club it was earlier this year when the Scottish National trust passed a by law because of the travellers that left litter, lit fires, so they stopped a lot of the wild camping as its called. they never used to ask they just stopped causes erosion & filth left and passed the problem onto those trying to keep it beautiful as it is.
They advise always ask, then they can suss you own. These so called travellers have caused no end of trouble to genuine campers have they not.You can wild camp but be clean hopefully like our members but not all campers are clean.
But you can camp virtualy everywhere in Scotland but ask the Landlord,.(laird) first.We have in the past it was a great feeling to do but we always respected the land and protected it also.After all it is those that cause trouble that spoil ti for the rewst of us who do not. I would love to do ti again, but would prefer to be more that just Bob & I .
Quote: Originally posted by jhsw on 18/7/2011
Hi GarethLooker, Welcome to the forum,You can in Scotland,(sleep over night in lay-bys)best places are the lay-bys with grass verge between lay-by and road,the ones that come to mind are on the west side of Loch Lommond shores,(last year the Travelling community were using them), there are a few wild campers on here who will be able to give you more advice on this, But leaving van there while sight seeing, would be a definite No No,as for all the above reasons stated,better to see if campsite has an area where you could park van for the time required.
Was not that in the CC&C magazine earlier this year saying they were stopping it as they were causinf to much erosion. I could be wrong but I do strongly believe I am not. Around Loch Lommond there is alot of soil damage erosion slipping inot the Loch itself. I am sure it was this year it was being stopped
Phoned up the club it was earlier this year when the Scottish National trust passed a by law because of the travellers that left litter, lit fires, so they stopped a lot of the wild camping as its called. they never used to ask they just stopped causes erosion & filth left and passed the problem onto those trying to keep it beautiful as it is.
They advise always ask, then they can suss you own. These so called travellers have caused no end of trouble to genuine campers have they not.You can wild camp but be clean hopefully like our members but not all campers are clean.
But you can camp virtualy everywhere in Scotland but ask the Landlord,.(laird) first.We have in the past it was a great feeling to do but we always respected the land and protected it also.After all it is those that cause trouble that spoil ti for the rewst of us who do not. I would love to do ti again, but would prefer to be more that just Bob & I .
I would feel safer
Hi, I posted on here a few month ago about the wild camping being stopped on the East side of Loch Lommond near Balmaha, as there was so much rubbish left by campers, they now charge you £5 per head to stay on the site set up by local authorities.There are travelers using the lay-bys on the west side near Luss. there are lots these kind of lay-bys around Scotland which is more suited to over night stops than the lay-bys on the roads,As stated in my post leaving a van in a lay-by is a No No
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
If in Doubt Check it Out.
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
Topic: Roadside / lay-by parking
