Are you a rude caravanner?
It’s easy to break the unwritten rules of caravan park etiquetteA panel of ‘experts’ have named their pet peeves when it comes to the unwritten ‘rules’ of caravan park etiquette.
In a lighthearted segment on ABC radio recently, Victorian Caravan Parks Association CEO Elizabeth White said it was often minor misdemeanors rather than ignoring official park rules like a 10km/h speed limit, that were most annoying to other park residents.
“I think that it's basically a bit of common sense and caring for everyone else’s comfort,” White said.
“It’s the small stuff (like) when everybody has gone to bed and it’s quiet and sleepy and someone bangs the car door or crunches over freshly raked gravel,” she explained.
“Some of these are not rules, it’s more about consideration that you’re in a much closer living proximity than you normally are… When everybody is tired or collapsed -- and that’s generally a bit earlier in a caravan park -- think about the other people who are asleep.”
Another important unwritten rule for grey nomad ‘Dave’, is to never come to the rescue of some-one struggling to back their caravan into position unless requested, even if it looks like a marriage breakdown is on the cards.
“Rule number one is to never assist anyone reversing a caravan,” he said.
White agreed, claiming that to keep the peace she had a “marriage agreement” with her husband “that we would never work together on setting up camp. I take the kids and go into town and stock up on all the goodies and leave Geoff to do the lot”.
White said one of the best features of many parks is where staff assist nervous caravanners back their van into position.
“Many of our park owners greet guests and say 'You know mate, why don’t you go and have a swim in the pool and I’ll park it for you',” she said.
Radio presenter Tim ‘Rosso’ Ross said one of the first caravan park ‘unwritten rules’ he learnt as a child concerned the ‘dangers’ of public shower blocks.
“Staying at a caravan park was the first time I had to learn to wear a pair of thongs when going to the shower,” he explained. “Tinea is not pleasant but it’s the weirdness of wearing thongs (in the shower) and never really drying your feet and then walking back through the caravan park and your feet getting all dirty through the grass!”
Other unwritten rules mentioned included “Don’t put your grille in my space”, “Don’t ask me questions while I’m setting up or pulling down”, “Go easy on the sauce at Happy Hour” and “Don’t leave your undies flapping on the line in front of your van”!
However, Dave said that caravan etiquette was just as important on the road as in the caravan park.
“Grey nomads sit on 80km/h… so let the trucks go by when you’re driving. If I see a road train behind me I just put on the right indicator to let him know he can pass,” he said.
Commenting on recent media publicity around the rise of ‘grumpy’ grey nomads in the popular tourist hotspot of Broome, White said it’s important to keep things in perspective and always try to think of others.
“Remember why you’ve gone on the road (in the first place) and it’s to chill,” she said. “In the scale of things it doesn’t really matter, let it go and just enjoy.”
On a more positive note, White said caravan parks are a great place for social interactions with strangers, and getting assistance if something goes wrong.
“When you enter a caravan park there’s a special bestowal of extra gifts so that every man is an expert,” she joked.
“As proof you only have to have one guy open the bonnet of his car and five men appear from nowhere and they’re all talking diffs and oil changes and towability ratios and the women just go a get a glass of wine and sit by the pool!”
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