Top-8 caravan park rules

Don’t forget your manners on your next camping holiday

Etiquette seems like such an old-fashioned word, something that belongs to 19th century top-hatted gentlemen and curtsying ladies.

Yet if you want to make the most of your camping holiday without creating friction with your caravan park or camping neighbours, there are certain things you need to do that involve the delicate art of etiquette.

While having some common sense and respect for others should be simple, sometimes we forget. So here are a few gentle reminders in our Caravancampingsales guide to modern camping manners…

Use headphones

Many of us enjoy the peace and tranquility of a camping holiday; you’ve chosen a beautiful caravan park in a bush setting, with the gentle sound of the surf breaking over the dunes, the birds singing… So the delicate issue of noise is perhaps the number-one problem in caravan parks.

Ask yourself, is this really the right time to break out your favourite AC/DC CD, slide it into the caravan’s you-beaut sound system and crank it up?

You might get a few fellow Akka Dakka fans that will be into it but mostly your neighbours will hate you for it. Plug in some headphones and then break out the air guitar.

Stick to curfews

Sometimes noise is all about timing. Having a BBQ with a few of the neighbours joining in is part of the fun, and with a few sherbets under the belt for some it becomes difficult to contain their enjoyment.

Most caravan parks have a noise curfew, but if you’re having a nice, loud chat around the fire after about 10pm, you’ll be wearing out your welcome. Keep it quiet, or go to bed.

A double-brick home can keep out a bit of noise (as can a well-insulated caravan), but those around you trying to get some sleep, particularly in a canvas camper or tent, are going to hear every word you say. Noise travels more at night, too.

There’s also the matter of how many people with whom you want to share your conversation. Didn’t expect to divulge your problem with piles over a drunken campfire chat? Don’t worry, the whole caravan park will know all about it.

Sound generator

The dear old generator… As campers turn to a good solar set-up, petrol generators are starting to thin out. But if you have a genny and you’re in a free camp or caravan park with no 240V available but you must get some 240V charge going, pick your times.

Running the generator during the day for a few hours to charge the battery is not going to drive everyone up the wall, but even the quiet hum of a gennie left on overnight to keep the air-con running is going to drive some of your neighbours spare.

And if the generator’s exhaust is a bit rattly these days, well get it fixed before using it at camp!

Stop dribbling

Not so long ago, having grey water piped away from the van with some hose to some grass nearby was the done thing. Your van won’t end up sitting in a pool of used dishwater, and the caravan park grass gets a watering.

Problem is, if there are more than just a few campers around, you’ll end up making an unpleasant mud bath for everyone else. Get a grey water tank fitted to your van, or even use that old-fashioned but very effective device called a plastic bucket.

Stick it under the grey water outlet and empty it regularly at a suitable dump point. Simple.

Respect personal spaces

Perhaps it’s the herd mentality, perhaps it’s the idea that there’s safety in numbers, but if you can choose any site in a caravan park, don’t sidle up to the one van out by itself in the park.

There’s a very good chance that the people camping there actually might enjoy the sense of being by themselves in the park.

And speaking of sites, stick to yours. If you need to peg down the annexe ropes a little out of your site, ask your neighbour first if they mind.

Kids tend to like dropping their bikes or scooters where they land so you have to keep reminding them to keep possessions within your site. Just as you wouldn’t like people traipsing through your campsite, resist the temptation to take a short-cut through someone else’s.

Not all dogs are cute

Pets are great companions to have on a camping holiday and there are plenty of caravan parks that allow them. But even if you’re in a pet-friendly park, do us all a favour by keeping your dog on a lead when around the caravan sites.

It’s all very well for natural wildlife such as dingoes pinching foot left out on the picnic table, but not the neighbour’s dog. Some dogs don’t like being tied up at camp; the answer might be to buy a portable fence enclosure to keep them contained and providing plenty of water and perhaps bones or toys to keep them happy.

That doesn’t mean leaving the poor things in there to howl when you decide to head out in the car for the day. If you’re away for a longer period, take them for a long walk before you go, or better still, take them with you or get a fellow pet-lover to mind it.

Keep an eye on kids

Kids love camping; the freedom, the excitement of all the new things to do in a different environment. But a caravan park isn’t your all-day babysitter so, depending on their age, you still need to supervise them to some degree, and keep an eye on what they’re up to.

Stay calm

Sometimes you’re going to be at the receiving end of badly behaved or just inconsiderate neighbours yourself. The reality is that during peak season, when there’s more people camping, it follows there will also be more people who lack the finer points of good manners.

Camping out of peak season in less popular spots is one way to avoid the worst kind of uncouth or inconsiderate camper.

But if you’re stuck with a neighbour who isn’t doing the right thing, the best advice we can give is often the hardest thing to do: stay calm. Then politely ask if they can stop whatever they’re doing that’s driving you nuts.

If that doesn’t work, there’s always the park manager or, as a last resort, a tactical retreat -- move on to another park. Some battles aren’t worth fighting and, on holidays you want to avoid all hassles if possible.

What do you think? Are good manners a dying art in campgrounds?

Top-8 caravan park rules

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