Folding camper / campervan questions

[jonboyp]

Hello forum,

Can people who have stayed in the campervan field please answer?

1. I take it there’s no electrical hookup?

2. Does your car stay next to your trailer/caravan?

3. If not, do you tow your van into place, unhitch, then drive away and park nearby, or do you get put into the main car park?

4. Are awnings allowed / popular / frowned upon?

5. Do you have your own separate toilet/shower block etc or just use the main ones?

6. Is it generally a bit more well-behaved than red camping?

7. Is it (the campervan field) right near to the arena entrance?

8. What’s it like getting off the site on Monday morning? We usually end up taking about 2 hours queueing in the car to get off site.

We’ve been coming to V for about 6 years and we’re seasoned campers, but we’re mid-thirties now and last year the behviour in the red campsite where we were camped was frankly disgusting. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old and cyncial but I just don't find people pissing on other people funny. This year we are bringing our new folding camper for a degree of luxury, but not having done it before I wondered what other people’s experiences are.

Thanks

Jon

[ashdanmike]

Hello forum,

Can people who have stayed in the campervan field please answer?

1. I take it there’s no electrical hookup?

2. Does your car stay next to your trailer/caravan?

3. If not, do you tow your van into place, unhitch, then drive away and park nearby, or do you get put into the main car park?

4. Are awnings allowed / popular / frowned upon?

5. Do you have your own separate toilet/shower block etc or just use the main ones?

6. Is it generally a bit more well-behaved than red camping?

7. Is it (the campervan field) right near to the arena entrance?

8. What’s it like getting off the site on Monday morning? We usually end up taking about 2 hours queueing in the car to get off site.

We’ve been coming to V for about 6 years and we’re seasoned campers, but we’re mid-thirties now and last year the behviour in the red campsite where we were camped was frankly disgusting. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old and cyncial but I just don't find people pissing on other people funny. This year we are bringing our new folding camper for a degree of luxury, but not having done it before I wondered what other people’s experiences are.

Thanks

Jon

[ashdanmike]

Jon

Answer to your questions are :

1. There is no electrical hook-up available, but use of generators can be used but if running constantly would be frowned upon because of noise factor they make. Solution would be to use a car or leisure battery with a invertor if 240V is required. Also the battery can be topped up every morning by using a jump leads from your car battery to your external battery, as your car will be parked by your camper. Each camper pitch is a 6 metre by 6 metre.

2. Yes your vehicles are parked in you designated pitch area. If there is other groups of you going with pitches booked, ask the stewards politely to reserve a pitch next to yours for your friends who are arriving later/shortly. I always believe in making polite conversation to festival members of staff, they are their to do a job, and will help anybody if you treat them as you would like to be treated by other people. I have found that a friendly smile, a morning greeting, etc goes a long way.

3. Answered in question 2. But it is only one vehicle per pitch.So if friends are joining you for the festival and are coming in other vehicles they will need to park in the designated car park, then you will have to met them at the campervan gate to confirm with the gate stewards that they are joining you - don't for get you are only allowed 4 persons per pitch. You will need to change your red/yellow wrist bands for campervan wrist bands, and this needs to be done before leaving the campervan area or you will find that you will be unable to re-enter the campervan area. All you need is to take your campervan pass with the wristbands to the exchange box office and they will mark on you campervan pass how wristbands you have exchanged, so you can change from one to four at any time.

4. Awnings are allowed as long they do not extend over your designated pitch area.

5. There is a separate toilet block in the campervan area ( which tends to be more cleaner than the ones in red/yellow camp and those in the arena). There is no shower block in the campervan area, only the main ones that all festival goers use.

6. Yes it is much more well behaved than red camp, (I have been to V-Festival many times, and camped in red camp, but like you have changed a couple of years ago, by using my caravan for the comfort and security). Plus the other advantage in having a campervan pitch, is that you do not need to walk with camping gear from your car to red camp area, so setting-up is much more easier.

7. It has changed position over the last two years, but last year the campervan area was about 5 minutes walk form my caravan to the main arena gate. It is far less walking when I stayed in the red camp to get to the arena gate.

8. Getting off the site on a Monday is easier, but from my experience it is far better to stay until after 12 o'clock, last year we left just after one o'clock in the afternoon, sun was shining, and we drove straight off the Hlyland Park site without stopping and no traffice and got home within 40 minutes. Footnote, if you remember last year, it poured with rain all Sunday night, so when we got back to my caravan, and all sat in the awning, having a few more drinks dicussing the days events in the dry, and that night we all slept well and didn't have a damp tent to wake up in.

Other info.

If you are taking a folding camper bring some leveller blocks as the ground slopes in areas so you can pitch your camper on a level plane. BBQ are allowed and worth bring if you are in a group. As for food, from my experience, buy frozen meats, etc, because you can keep them in a cooler box for a longer time, so you milk, etc will also be kept cold in the box. Again, any glass material i.e. glass bottles are not allowed, but they never search you vans, so if you do bring some it is at your own risk. And if you do, don't display it in view of the campervan area as security setwards do wander around. Final there is a septic tank for toilet waste and water supply for drinking water containers, I find the easiest way is putting the containers, when needed to re-fill or clean, and drive with the car to area to get what I need, and then just drive back.

P.S. Have been going to music festivals since 1970, so I'm bit of a veteran, and have seen many changes to music festivals over the years, I remember going to Reading Festival when it was over three days and there were two main stages at the front only, so while one band performed on one stage the other was being prepare for the next band, and tickets with camping then was only £25.00.

[jonboyp]

Ashdanmike,

Thanks for acomprehensive reply, that is indeed most helpful.

I can easily accept a 10-15 minute walk to the arena instead of 2-3 in exchange for comfort\security\convenience of having car next door\better behaviour\using a proper bbq etc and the wife and I are really looking forward to it now!

[mama_camp]

Really excited! Can't wait - am hiring an old vintage caravan from retro-caravan-hire.com! They've also got one of those very shiny, 40s style teardrop trailers. If anyone fancies some comfort (it's awesome) I'd take a look. It was still available today...???