Camper van field info required PLEASE

[5co77ie]

In East 13 no toilets actually in our field but two blocks in easy walking distance, lots of space, nice neighbours, even the hill of death wasn't so bad - will definitely be doing it again - although the quietness was un-nerving.

Oh and searched every time - think they liked me.

Edited July 6, 2009 by 5co77ie

[Hiphopopotamus]

It was our first time in a camper van and we loved it, this was our 6th Glastonbury and waking up on a real mattress was amazing. We were in E11, got there around 2am on thursday morning after a 15 hour journey from Manchester, surviving the traffic chaos this year was a lot more bearable in a camper van than it would be being couped up in a VW Golf that's for sure. The walk takes about 10 minutes and is fine, the only downside is the pass out each time but you can't have it all your own way i suppose, i wasn't searched but a few of our group were, that happens no matter what if you leave the site though. I'd definitely recommend it anyway

[souldancer]

Ah, a couple of positive threads thats cheered me up a bit

[typingjo]

Ah, a couple of positive threads thats cheered me up a bit

[amfy]

I took evening warm/waterproof gear and left it in the free lock-ups until needed. I felt ever-so organised and clean and it just wasn't quite right! Tents anyday.

[beamends]

Now that's a good idea! We have always nipped back to the tent at some point in the day to top up the rum/vodka, grab a jumper etc as I hate carrying loads of stiff with me! That is something I'd miss in that field.

The water was also undrinkable in Paines this year - clearly enough chemicals to make it safe but it tasted disgusting. We drunk it because we had to but it was a trial. That wasn't just the camper field.

We are taking my mum for the first time next year and she will be 68 (I've always known she'll love it but have only just got unselfish enough to take her!). We realised this year that for us even at 45 & 47, camping is getting too much so it'll have to be a campervan I think - but I'm a bit dismayed by initial cost searches. How much have people paid to hire a van & when is the best time to book? Is it better to have one lined up before you even book tickets? Can anyone recommend a company? It doesn't have to be luxury!

[oafc0000]

Not down a portaloo loo you don't. You should empty chemical toilets into the tank provided.

p.s. Not all of the campervan fields have public toilets in them anyway.

Edited July 7, 2009 by oafc0000

[cassandra13]

We have always gone in a campervan as carrying heavy camping stuff is not possible for either of us. As we don't have the choice to camp on site we have to pay whatever the campervan price is, there are fors and against's and the price goes up every year but the facilities don't improve. We have been in various campervan fields, and early arrival does not seem to ensure a space closer to the gate, there is little choice where you park as you get told where to go. There does not seem any set pattern to how they fill the fields up as we have been closer to gate C when arriving later in some years. The water supply is always bad so we buy 5 litre bottles to take for drinking, on arrival we get a rolly-ful from the tap and try to make that last for washing etc. This year it did seem more chemically than before, even when left overnight in a bucket the chemical smell was strong.

The toilets are usually ok, but the waste tank was never emptied so there was no choice but to empty portapottis into the toilets.

We had to pay full price for our tickets in October to get the campervan pass and they did sell out quickly.

We did get a good spot this year with room for our tent behind (arrived wednesday) but late on the Thursday heard a steward asking the people next to us to move their chairs etc as they wanted to put more vans there (although there was no room and it was next to a gate so they refused) so they could avoid opening the overflow. Spaces are supposed to be 8m x6m but that isn't measured, you have to tell the steward about awnings and make sure you get the space you need when you are parked as it is impossible to move later on if you need more room.

Didn't get searched on entry this year, and did use the lockups for things so we didn't have to carry everything with us all day, its the first time we have used these and we will use them again.

The hill of death seems to get steeper every year and is the worst bit of campervanning it to us, the positives of having safe accomodation, and making it possible for us to go, far outweigh the negatives which we make light of.

[Sam Crawley]

I'd save the £65 another year and take a tent in - there were no facilities and that felt like a real rip-off to be basically parked in a car park. The water up there was unusable, even boiled for tea. Queues for the loos were worse than on site. As for the loo emptying facilities, I wouldn't have been physically able to lift my loo that high up to empty it, it came away with me to better facilities! I was in the further field away from entrance, but at least this meant that vans weren't parked bumper to bumper by the Thurs pm - fire risk or what. I was lucky this way, and that I wasn't camped next to a smelly take-away food van or a blinkin' noisy generator with overpoweringly bright security lights, what a nightmare that would have been. The good sleep made it well worth the walk back, I wasn't searched but I look so innocent anyway (which of course I am). The field was as quiet as the quietest sites I've ever stayed on, which was a bit confusing for a Glasto experience, but made for a wonderful sleep. The walk from van to gate was only 15mins or so, but you wouldn't want to do it more than once a day - I took evening warm/waterproof gear and left it in the free lock-ups until needed. I felt ever-so organised and clean and it just wasn't quite right! Tents anyday.

[oafc0000]

What rubbish, are you supposed to pick through your waste box to separate it out? That tank was for chemical loos from all the vans, you dump the lot in. The one in E17 did fill up though, so one of our runs we had no choice but to dump it down into the loos.

Edited July 7, 2009 by oafc0000

[Sam Crawley]

Its not rubbish!!!

There was f**king big sign saying "LIQUID WASTE ONLY!!!!".... Just because you couldnt be arsed to check before you broke the rule dosent make what I am saying rubbish.

Do you think I imagined the sign or something ??

Your not meant to separate it... Your meant to but it in a porta loo....

[miniand]

Our first stab at the campervan fields, here's my thoughts......

Arrived at the site by the main gate at 8.30 am Wednesday having camped overnight just down the road the other side of Street. Got on site at about 11.30, and then to E10 (no choice in where to go as far as I could see).

Nice fence all round, with guards manning security towers 24hrs. No one actually checked if we entitled to be there, but then that would be difficult with guests etc but is a security hole (NOT complaining, just observing!). With some Germans next door I had to remember not to make reference to Stalag V ;-)

Burger van in the corner of the field still open at 3.00am if not all night - nasty Maxpac coffee at £2.00 - didn't even bother with the food.

Toilets - about a dozen but in pretty much the same state as the rest of the site. If you are new to campervans check out the toilet before you decide to use them for a dump - access is to say the least "difficult" in most vans/caravans if you are over 4ft tall! And someone has to empty it........

Water tap/Elson point near the bogs - water tasted wonderfully of blue plastic pipe! Or was that "our third-world water" experience? Bit of an eye-opener anyway.....

No partying going an at all, the few people about seemed to stick to their own groups really, just chatting a bit amongst themselves. We were "out" all day, but it was very dull back at the van in the late evening/early morning.

No torch required for going on/off the main site, but felt very isolated from the event. It took around 30mins each way going in and out. Didn't get searched, but the chance of it happening so often was a real downer at the start and end of the day. The hill of death wasn't that bad, and I'm no athlete, but if you were limited in any way the walk would be a killer. The view from the top is pretty good though!

We wouldn't consider a van again, the going on and off site bit made it feel very much like going home at the end of each day, rather than just having bit of a kip and starting again if you see what I mean.

On the plus side - it was safe to leave stuff in the van. And, er....... well.

The rules say you can have one tent behind the van, and you can have one other vehicle as well, and you can have an awning but no one can sleep in the awning.

[oafc0000]

You didn't imagine it; merely interpreted it incorrectly: Liquid waste means the mushy mix of disgustingness, piss, poo, horribly strong chemicals and water that comes out of your portaloo. Liquid as opposed to solid waste, i.e. rubbish.

[Sam Crawley]

hmm...fair enough...might have to concede this point

[jameshunt]

WRONG!!!!

The tank provided was for "liquid" waste only... aka urine... Solids should go into the turd tardis....

This was CLEARLY marked on the tank...

Edited July 7, 2009 by jameshunt

[denwyn]

Hmmm.......

This has made a big hole in my plan for 2010, i had thought funds permitting buying a campervan, or failing that a caravan or trailer tent, i like the idea of quiet, but did not know that it involved such a long walk to and from the stages ect, and with the crowds even longer late on at night. With it being outside the fence area does it have any security patrols,or is access restricted by some sort of pass. This is making me have some doubts on our accommodation for next year,maybe i will just have to buy a bigger tent and brave the camping area again,although i did find the dairy field not that bad on the whole,just i fancied a bit of comfort next year.

[miniand]

We went in a tent 2007......Caravan 2008........Took the caravan and tent this year.........Sorted us right out as we had a base camp during the day and a fab caravan to go back to if we decided to. There is no comparison to being in the festival camping as to being in the campervan fields.

Being in E10 we had porta loo's security disposal for waste and a long walk down to gate C.

We are thinking of chains on tyres for next year as having got stuck twice now 07 and 09 !! Although the people in the campervan fields are much more willing to give people a shove, possibly due to the fact they were stuck behind us tho...

Edited July 7, 2009 by miniand

[jameshunt]

Hmmm.......

This has made a big hole in my plan for 2010, i had thought funds permitting buying a campervan, or failing that a caravan or trailer tent, i like the idea of quiet, but did not know that it involved such a long walk to and from the stages ect, and with the crowds even longer late on at night. With it being outside the fence area does it have any security patrols,or is access restricted by some sort of pass. This is making me have some doubts on our accommodation for next year,maybe i will just have to buy a bigger tent and brave the camping area again,although i did find the dairy field not that bad on the whole,just i fancied a bit of comfort next year.

[oafc0000]

Shout all you like, it doesn't make your point any more valid. Please have a think about portable chemical toilets and their contents. Hint: it's all liquid waste as you shouldn't be putting trash or tampons or incontinence pads in them.

If you are going to use a portable chemical toilet in future please be responsible and dispose of its contents in the right place.

Edited July 7, 2009 by oafc0000

[jameshunt]

I did you arrogant prick...

[oafc0000]

You don't understand correct disposal of chemical toilets (as evidenced by your posts in this thread) and have the nerve to shout about it and I'm the arrogant one?

Edited July 7, 2009 by oafc0000

[jameshunt]

It perfectly fine to empty a chemical toliet into the porta loo.... There is aboustly no rule against doing this... if there is please feel free to point it out

Please also point out where I said I actually emptied mine into anywhere other than the big main tank

Also don't confuse rudeness for arrogance

You felt the need to highlight my apparent mistake after I held my hands up... thats arrogant and very twatish

[oafc0000]

Oh dear......how sad.

[amfy]

Ahhh! So - can you take a car and caravan into the campervan field? I thought it was just campervans (i.e. just the one parking space)......and can you put a tent next to it too?.........and if you did how big could it be? Ours is a 6-man tent - would that be too much?

My "in-laws" have a small caravan and this may sort us out without the expense of the campervan hire. Although I'm not sure how the SO will feel about towing a caravan - he may decide that this makes him very old indeed!

[Sam Crawley]

Ahhh! So - can you take a car and caravan into the campervan field? I thought it was just campervans (i.e. just the one parking space)......and can you put a tent next to it too?.........and if you did how big could it be? Ours is a 6-man tent - would that be too much?