Tips and advice on free camping

Thor · Member

Tips and advice on free camping

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

Yes you should be fine with the setup you have but as regards to needing a solar panel it does depend how long you want to stay in each spot, as if you are on the move every couple of days the battery will get charged as you travel.

Wiki Camps loaded on your tablet or smart phone will give you all the info you need to find caravan parks and free camps and the one off cost is under $10 and it is updated all the time, much better than large books which are already well out of date before you purchase them.

Just head out and you will learn as you go there is no absolute right way as everyone is different in the way they approach caravanning.

Cheers

David

Izabarack · Guru

Thor wrote:
Also if one is to do free camping is a solar panel setup worth the investment???

I find the fridge to be the biggest user of power while free camping. If you use gas, then a small house battery should be sufficient. A portable panel would be a good investment.

I habitually free camp and have never had a problem. Start out careful and talk to a few more on the road to get a better idea if free camping is for you.

Iza

Olley46 · Guru

Hi Thor

If I was free camping no way in the world would I leave my van in a free camp to go exploring ,you are likely to come back to no van, that's just my thoughts ,everybody has a different veiw on the matter I suppose.

-- Edited by Olley46 on Sunday 28th of February 2016 03:50:04 PM

rockylizard · Guru

Olley46 wrote:
Hi Thor
If I was free camping no way in the world would I leave my van in a free camp to go exploring ,you are likely to come back to no van, that's just my thoughts ,everybody has a different veiw on the matter I suppose.

Gday...

Thor, hopefully there will be others who will soon come on and also provide some balanced comment regarding safety in "free" camps.

There are 1,000s of no-cost and/or low-cost camps that you will find and use around this fantastic, wide, brown and attractive land.

Many of these are perfectly safe to leave the van for a few hours or a day as you wander around sightseeing or doing some catch-up shopping in the nearby town.

However, it really does depend completely on what sort of camp you choose to stay at/in.

I have been travelling full-time for seven years, camping at no-cost/low-cost camps away from towns about 80% of the time. There are many others on the forum that have also been travelling for many years full-time and predominantly (or only) "free" camp.

My pursuits are to camp at camping places and I am a mad photographer and bushwalker so I am constantly away from my van for hours at a time - often all day from 8am until 4pm or so.

Before spending the last seven years being a retired full-time caravanning grey nomad I have been a solo camper in tents and camper trailers since I was a youngun of 14. I have always left my camp for the day to wander off around the place and (dammit I hope Mr Murphy is NOT reading this) have yet to have anything stolen or disrupted at my camp.

However, as I said, it will depend COMPLETELY on what sort of camp you choose. A simple example would be the infamous Greens Lake that so many on this forum make good use of. You can definitely leave your van there for the day to go off for whatever you wanted to do - safely.

Again, there is always a BUT ...... but if the camp is a fairly 'obvious' spot eg close to highways/roads/towns, and you feel that your van will be 'exposed' without someone there - then common sense dictates to exercise caution.

If I were to stay in "free" camps within or near a town which are glorified rest areas (and sometimes not even that good) then I would NOT leave my van and I sometimes feel a trifle insecure even sleeping there. The vast majority of crime, threat, theft, vandalism and thuggery occurs in towns. If you are away from them in an area that has been set aside for genuine camping you will be very safe.

I am not sure any of that long-winded opinion helps ... but I have no qualms about leaving my van at my camps - albeit I do not stay at those 'obvious spots close to highways/roads/towns'.

Cheers - and just get out there, relax and enjoy - John

-- Edited by rockylizard on Sunday 28th of February 2016 04:21:21 PM

rockylizard · Guru

Thor wrote:
Hi there fellow Grey Nomads.
We are about to commence our journey into the unknown. As I haven't travelled the Big Island before I am seeking some advice / tips relating to free camping.
We have a pop top without a shower and toilet (although I have a portable loo and hot-water heater for showers and privacy tent). This should suffice quite adequately depending on the type of "free" camp you choose. Many are travelling with this set-up
Fridge is fine as it is three way - have LED lights throughout the van. Yep - fridge on gas is fine (I do the same with my 3-way). LED lights are excellent and use very little battery
The better half has questions about free camp sites. Issues raised are site security, leaving the van whilst exploring locally, can one survive with porta loo and shower tent and a few other questions. See my unfortunately long-winded response already
Also if one is to do free camping is a solar panel setup worth the investment??? I travelled for two years without solar without issue - although had a generator every couple of days to keep battery in charged condition. I have solar now and I consider it is probably the best 'investment' I made on the van - it gives me so much extra 'freedom'.
Any advice / tips appreciated as we would rather go into the unknown with some knowledge about what one may expect.

Gday...

My comments in BLUE

OH ... and welcome Thor

Cheers - and just get out there and ENJOY - John

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Thor - I apologise if this is seen as an indulgence but attached are a few words and pics from a journey I took in the latter part of last year.

I "free" camped throughout the trip and left my van at each camp for the majority of each day as I walked off to take photos and see the local sights.

The trip covers about six weeks.

I feel it very much typifies much of my life in the past seven years and gives some idea of how safe "free" camping is - for personal security and the security of your van if you wander off for a bit of time.

There are dozens of others on the forum who live the same lifestyle as I. Hopefully they, too, will stumble across this thread and provide some re-assuring comment.

cheers - John

Thor · Member

Thanks for your advice - much appreciated. Your comments about 'free camping' in towns in noted.

smile

rainy1850 · Senior Member

Enjoyed reading your story and especially the photos. Many thanks to hear your travels

Desert Dweller · Guru

We also have a pop-top with no en-suite (by choice) We have an awning with a privacy screen & end walls. If we're staying just one night we use our Thetford Porta-loo under the awning, for longer stays we erect our loo tent. We spend around 6 months away spread throughout the year & ''survive'' quite comfortably. We spend most of our time in the bush alone or in free camps or small community CPs. We have 3 locks on our van & never worry about leaving it parked while going on day trips. We never stay within 30kms of large rural towns to avoid the local bogans. Never had a problem.

Phil C · Guru

Gday Thor, welcome to this great forum.

A couple of things about free camping

1. Security...

If a bad thing is going to happen to you it will, weather you are in a caravan park or out in the sticks. We do a bit of free camping and love it when others arrive at the site, great happy hour and even better security. We look after each other in the event of a nasty occurrence. BTW Never leave the van at a free camp. The likelihood of a problem is pretty minimal depending on where you camp.

2. Toilet and shower...

We are just about to go to Perth. I am told there is very little water on the way. Wikicamps tells me there are a number of places that let you have a shower for a few bucks. We are lucky to have a full ensuite in our van. We plan to shower every other day and use wet wipes on the odd day. May save a bit of H2O. The loo will be emptied at every possible dump point, if it fills up then out comes the shovel.

3. Power...

Our van is fitted with 2 110AH AGM batteries, a 100W solar panel and I have a generator just in case. My strong suggestion is this is an area that needs an upgrade. We get by watching TV, lights at night etc. The fridge runs on gas and the lighting is all LED.

We have found a better type of person at free camp than caravan parks most of the time. If you camp as a community then the crooks think twice about worrying you. I have a rule of thumb, if nobody else turns up by 4PM I move on to a more populated free camp.

All the very best, this is one heck of a great lifestyle well worth enjoying.

-- Edited by Phil C on Monday 29th of February 2016 05:59:35 PM

Tony Bev · Guru

Hello Thor

To add to all the other posters above, who have all given excellent advice

I can ease your mind about personal security whilst free camping.
I have come across several women who travel on their own. If they are safe, then we will all be safe.

My modus operandi is to introduce myself to some of my nearby fellow travellers, at each campsite I visit.
If I am going into town, I will always ask if anyone requires anything.
I try to be as helpful, as my abilities allow me to be.
After a long drive I like to walk around, to limber up. While I am walking around the campsite, just to be sociable (and for a bit of exercise) I have a pick up stick, and I start picking up any rubbish.
To secure my unattended vehicle, I will politely ask someone to keep their eye open.
I find that friendliness rubs off onto other people, and have always found at least one person as friendly as myself.

I am not a full time on the road person, and have only been camping for the previous four years. I am sure that others may have had different experiences, but I have yet to meet, what I would consider, a bad person, while free camping.

Bruce and Bev · Guru

we always lock our towball with a padlock lock that is inexpensive and available at most caravan yard shops and camping shops. This will not prevent a determined thief, but stop the opportunistic one from just backing up to your van, hooking up and driving off. Its not that youre not insured that is the issue, its the loss of gear and personal items inside as well as the inconvenience. Vans also get stolen from caravan parks as well !

Don't leave expensive BBQs like Webers and gas bottles outside as they will likely go and portable generators are not covered by insurance even when chained and padlocked to the outside of your vehicle. We padlock everything that is loose outside, even in a CP - its the light fingered dork that will most likely pinch something than a serious thief.

And agree with Phil about free camping with others and moving on if no-one else turns up - unless you can get well off the road and rest area (many WA rest areas have full size caravan and motor home tracks leading off the rest area proper and back into the scrub, so you cannot be seen from the roadway or any idiot who might drive through the carpark with light fingers).

-- Edited by Bruce and Bev on Tuesday 1st of March 2016 11:41:02 PM