Some Campervan Questions

[e2p2]

Hi there, we are a couple coming from abroad with a 2 years old kid (that's a first) and we're hiring a Motorhome from a place near heathrow Airport. We've been before in East CV Quiet when we hired a pre-delivered caravan so this time will be my first driving to the site and sadly we only manage to get tickets to East CV (not Quiet). I have a few questions:

1. In order to be parked as close as possible to gate C, is Tuesday arrival better than Wednesday?

2. What navigation app are you using in England for driving? I see posts that people advice other people to drive in that road or the other, is there a reason for not using an app?

3. How do you fill water in the tank in the Motorhome? When we hired a caravan there was a rolling water tank outside of the caravan. According to the pictures I saw, in the Motorhome it looks like its inside the Motorhome and not rolling at all 🙂 

4. ...Which leads me to ask where can I fill the water tank with ease before arriving to the festival site?

5. Is it allowed to park the Motorhome in regular car parking spots? I don't mean for overnight sleeping - if we want a stop at the supermarket or for a coffee.

6. Any recommendations on where to stop on the way to the festival for essentials (beers, nappies, etc)? After we pick up the Motorhome we drive to Redhill, Surrey to pick up a stroller we rented and only then we go to the festival.

7. Witnessing with horror the amount of Motorhomes waiting for tractor to bail them out in 2016, I took an extra day after the festival before our flight home. Of course the weather will be glorious (🙃) so we'll have time to travel on the Monday after. Any recommendations where to stop on the way back to London for a hike or a view? I'm also looking for a recommendation for where to camp\sleep with the Motorhome near London for the night, so I can easily return the Motorhome on Tuesday morning.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[Smeble]

1. It all depends what fields they decide to fill up, it seems a bit random, 2017 we arrived quite early on the Tuesday and ended up in e17.

2. If you aren’t going anywhere other than Glastonbury in the MH then apple or Google maps will be fine. When you get the van make sure you ask how tall it is, then you can keep an eye out for low bridges and petrol station canopies. From Heathrow/Redhill to Glastonbury and back will all be major roads so no low bridges to worry about, in a MH anyway.( make sure you know the height in metric and imperial, bridges will be marked in imperial and petrol station canopies in metric)

3. ask the rental firm to fill the water tank for you. I use 2 10 litre water bottles to fill my onboard tank, light enough to carry easily, but between them 1 trip fills 1/5 of my onboard tank. In a rental I’d recommend a separate bottle for drinking water, use the onboard tank for washing, washing up and cooking.

4. some motorway services, petrol stations have water available.

5. yes, but park at the far end of the car park where you will have more room, keep an eye out for height restrictions going into car parks.

6. theres a Morrisons supermarket at Wincanton just off the A303 not far before the festival.

make sure the rental firm shows you how everything works and provides you with enough LPG for a week, your fridge will run on this. Make sure you know which is the fuel filler and which is the water filler, don’t mix them up. ( it happens)

any issues with how things work when at the festival just ask your neighbour, everyone will be happy to help.

[e2p2]

56 minutes ago, Smeble said:

1. It all depends what fields they decide to fill up, it seems a bit random, 2017 we arrived quite early on the Tuesday and ended up in e17.

2. If you aren’t going anywhere other than Glastonbury in the MH then apple or Google maps will be fine. When you get the van make sure you ask how tall it is, then you can keep an eye out for low bridges and petrol station canopies. From Heathrow/Redhill to Glastonbury and back will all be major roads so no low bridges to worry about, in a MH anyway.( make sure you know the height in metric and imperial, bridges will be marked in imperial and petrol station canopies in metric)

3. ask the rental firm to fill the water tank for you. I use 2 10 litre water bottles to fill my onboard tank, light enough to carry easily, but between them 1 trip fills 1/5 of my onboard tank. In a rental I’d recommend a separate bottle for drinking water, use the onboard tank for washing, washing up and cooking.

4. some motorway services, petrol stations have water available.

5. yes, but park at the far end of the car park where you will have more room, keep an eye out for height restrictions going into car parks.

6. theres a Morrisons supermarket at Wincanton just off the A303 not far before the festival.

make sure the rental firm shows you how everything works and provides you with enough LPG for a week, your fridge will run on this. Make sure you know which is the fuel filler and which is the water filler, don’t mix them up. ( it happens)

any issues with how things work when at the festival just ask your neighbour, everyone will be happy to help.

Thanks a lot! Regarding the imperial system - that's good to know, I know the height (it's 3 meters) and I didn't think it might be a problem so that's an important heads up.

These 10L bottles can be found in a supermarket or only in a designated camping stores? 5 trips are time consuming but there's no way I'm lifting more than 2 10L bottles🙃

[Smeble]

The water carriers I have were from a camping shop, but you may be able to get something from a supermarket ( a big one) I fill up at home with a hose and then top up 20l at a time every so often. 2 x 10L is better than 1 x 20L  as it’s easier to carry and lift.

Oh and if you see a bridge with no height marker then  it’s at least 16 foot 6 or 5 metres high.

[Summertime]

We are also picking up a van from the Heathrow area and have done this from there once before. To add to the answers you have above:

2. I use Waze but Google etc are good too. Just need to be aware of the height thing as already discussed. I got some tips from people here about routes to Glastonbury (and avoiding the busy Stonehenge road ) in case it’s useful for you: https://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/topic/239887-best-route-with-a-motorhome/

3. Ours has an internal tank too and it can be tricky lifting a large rolling water container up to it so we use a pump to help get it from the container to the tank, see link here: https://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/topic/239887-best-route-with-a-motorhome/

4. I haven’t found anywhere to fill the water tank before getting to the festival so just normally do it on site, but the idea of asking the hire company is a good one. 

I’d also definitely recommend testing the fridge before you leave the hire company - testing it on both the gas and the battery, and then leaving it on while you drive to the festival so it gets cool.  It’s the one thing we’ve tended to have problems with each time so I’m always sure to check the fridge definitely works before setting off. 

Also if the company have them, levelling ramps can be useful in case you end up on a bit of a slope and need to prop up one side of the van when parked. 

 

[irnkrtn]

Most things covered here. You could order a click and collect from supermarkets, such as Tesco and Sainsburys. If you do this, I'd try and find one about half way on your route rather than very close to Glastonbury as depending when you get there, you might find the shelves bare of everything but glass.

We use google maps in the van. When I'm driving abroad, I download the map in advance to save on data. Can still have live data for traffic info but uses a lot less than if you're also getting the mapping at the same time.

[e2p2]

These are great tips guys, thanks!!

2 hours ago, Summertime said:

We are also picking up a van from the Heathrow area and have done this from there once before. To add to the answers you have above:

2. I use Waze but Google etc are good too. Just need to be aware of the height thing as already discussed. I got some tips from people here about routes to Glastonbury (and avoiding the busy Stonehenge road ) in case it’s useful for you: https://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/topic/239887-best-route-with-a-motorhome/

3. Ours has an internal tank too and it can be tricky lifting a large rolling water container up to it so we use a pump to help get it from the container to the tank, see link here: https://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/topic/239887-best-route-with-a-motorhome/

2. Yeah it was your topic I was referring to because I read it and wonder why no one just says use Waze or Google Maps.

[irnkrtn]

 

56 minutes ago, e2p2 said:

These are great tips guys, thanks!!

2. Yeah it was your topic I was referring to because I read it and wonder why no one just says use Waze or Google Maps.

A mix of reasons I imagine. People have been travelling it for so long there are a handful of set routes that people know, that predate maps and especially, some personal knowledge of the blocks. While google maps is cracking, its basing its predictions on predictable conditions and Glastonbury is anything but predictable traffic wise, except, there will be lots.

I will of course be Google Mapping my way until I get closer to site, when the festival signs take over!

Edited June 5, 2022 by irnkrtn

[carlosj]

The end point is under the postcode BA4 6TA, and Google maps shows 3 routes from Redhill. I'd take the top route coming past Frome and Shepton Mallet as I know those roads from earlier journeys.

I try to minimise plastic, but to save you money, Aldi do 5L of water for 99p which will give you the containers to fill up, and store drinking water too. If you do have glass bottles, you can buy the smaller water bottles to decant any alcohol. Security checks are to remove bottles etc from going into the fields. You should be OK with the rest of the contents, and explain that it's part of the rental vehicle and won't be used. My van has glass and mugs, and we've never had an issue. 

Last thing, take a clear plastic sheet or cling film, and stick your CV field sticker on this and then place in your window. That way, you're not having to peel it off when you return your vehicle, and you have a souvenir.

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

44 minutes ago, carlosj said:

The end point is under the postcode BA4 6TA, and Google maps shows 3 routes from Redhill. I'd take the top route coming past Frome and Shepton Mallet as I know those roads from earlier journeys.

I try to minimise plastic, but to save you money, Aldi do 5L of water for 99p which will give you the containers to fill up, and store drinking water too. If you do have glass bottles, you can buy the smaller water bottles to decant any alcohol. Security checks are to remove bottles etc from going into the fields. You should be OK with the rest of the contents, and explain that it's part of the rental vehicle and won't be used. My van has glass and mugs, and we've never had an issue. 

Last thing, take a clear plastic sheet or cling film, and stick your CV field sticker on this and then place in your window. That way, you're not having to peel it off when you return your vehicle, and you have a souvenir.

Have they changed this year or should I have a sticker?

This is my first time in campervan and we just have a paper ticket not the usual window sticker we get for a car

[carlosj]

45 minutes ago, BBC7BBCHEAVEN said:

Have they changed this year or should I have a sticker?

This is my first time in campervan and we just have a paper ticket not the usual window sticker we get for a car

You'll swap your paper ticket for the sticker, just before the inspection field, I think. This method is probably an extra step against ticket touting as there are checks against the name/photo on the festival ticket.

You'll also get a small paper chit each time you leave gate C which you must hand back in on re entry, when they inspect your ticket and wristband otherwise it's a pain to get back in. 

Edited June 6, 2022 by carlosj

[e2p2]

3 hours ago, carlosj said:

The end point is under the postcode BA4 6TA, and Google maps shows 3 routes from Redhill. I'd take the top route coming past Frome and Shepton Mallet as I know those roads from earlier journeys.

I try to minimise plastic, but to save you money, Aldi do 5L of water for 99p which will give you the containers to fill up, and store drinking water too. If you do have glass bottles, you can buy the smaller water bottles to decant any alcohol. Security checks are to remove bottles etc from going into the fields. You should be OK with the rest of the contents, and explain that it's part of the rental vehicle and won't be used. My van has glass and mugs, and we've never had an issue. 

Last thing, take a clear plastic sheet or cling film, and stick your CV field sticker on this and then place in your window. That way, you're not having to peel it off when you return your vehicle, and you have a souvenir.

Thanks!

[Twiggy553]

-check for glass items in the vehicle +  give them back to the rental company if there are.

- before you leave the rental site make sure you can get into every cupboard and external locker on the vehicle in case security want to inspect them