POLL NOW CLOSED – Thanks to everyone who voted. See the results here!
We know you all absolutely love caravanning and motorhoming but there are going to be some things that get your back up, either when travelling to your chosen campsite in your caravan, campervan, motorhome or trailer tent or when on site.
Big or small, in this month’s community poll, we’d like to know what your motorhoming or caravanning pet hate is.
From putting up the awning, to noisy neighbours and charges for Wi-Fi, what’s the one thing that can turn your motorhome holiday sour or put a damper on your travels?
We’ve come up with some of our own motorhoming and caravanning pet hates, so choose from one below or add your own pet hate to the comments section and we’ll add it into the voting options.
We’ll report back your top 10 pet hates in September.
Bless you, Helen 🙂
my pet hate is electric prices for hookup in summer its ridiculous the prices, you use hardly any in summer in winter yes you could argue the prices are right but 5 pound a night at some sites is way to much,think what you use at home and all the things you have running doesn’t make sense ripping us off is what I think
Yapping dogs. Every site I visit has a yapping dog (usually a small dog) and the owners seem to believe it is acceptable. You occasionally hear the owner tell the dog off but the dog just carries on. If you own such a dog, please keep it in the caravan/Motorhome/tent. Also if you take the dog for a walk please don’t stand talking to other dog owners whilst ignoring the yapping dogs, especially when it is before 8 in the morning.
My wife insists I add dirty toilets. Its hard to believe that some people seem to have no idea what a toilet brush is for. At our last site the Warden said the women are worse than the men. Wonder what their toilet at home looks like?
Kids in general.
Sorting the caravan back at home.
Dogs barking at anything that moves. A camp site is not the place for them. They have spoilt 50% of our camping trips. Local Councils have a process to deal with it so why not campsites.
Incosiderate, selfish car/whitevan drivers who choose to park their vehicle in the Caravan only” parking slots at Motorway Services parking areas.
People/children who use a toilet,flush it and shoot out of the cubicle as fast as possible without checking their deposit Is not still in the bowl.
Fixed beds with corners missing so your legs hang over the edge making it uncomfortable to sleep
Exorbitant wi fi prices
Lack of new caravan design ideas that work well in motor homes; like fixed beds that lift up and store leaving space for day use but just drop down to sleep. It worked well in the 60’s
Fitting caravans out as if everyone went on fixed pitches with electric hook up, ie microwave or electric hob, just unnecessary extra weight
Sadly I have a bit of a list.
1. Dogs, yapping, fouling and generally being considered by their owners to be superior to human campers.
2. People who walk through my pitch, would they walk through their neighbours gardens? I think not.
3. Campers who think I share their taste in music so have it on at high volume.
4. Campers who seem to think it’s OK to have a raucous party and don’t keep the noise down late at night.
5. Campers who fail/are incapable of supervising their children
6. Exhorbitant Wi-fi charges on campsites (C&MCC please note!!!)
Well that’s quiete a list isn’t it? Maybe I AM “A grumpy old git” or maybe just someone who would like others to think a little about the impact their actions have on others.
Andy C
I agree the two main uk clubs are still living in the past now that Motorhomes often outnumber other units. The 6m rule is irrelevant and one night stops with or without bookings should be catered for. It would be great to see motorhome only aires found in the rest of Europe located in sought after areas, with basic facilities, run by the clubs.
apparently my cash spend at a lot of destinations is not wanted, this is the only conclusion that I can make for the erection of height barriers at many car parks. Also the lack of parking spaces for motorhomes. Also the lack of waste emptying facilities at motorway service areas. Rant over!!
Inconsiderate people who use the washing up facilities and leave the sinks in a mess – I often have to clean the sink before I can start my washing up!!! Pure laziness.
As motorhome owners it annoys us when caravan owners set up caravan, awning, windbreaks etc to fill their pitch and think that they can put their car on our pitch.
I believe that those who have so much equipment should pay more than those of us who would be happy to use aires if they existed in this country.
I also wonder how Dutch caravanners can ignore the motorhomes only signs on continental aires, take up two spaces and get away with it.
Campsites that insist you book a minimum of 2 or even more nights. The whole purpose of a touring site is to tour, not to remain on the same site for days on end. Thats what statics are for. Height restriction barriers on car parks. Shower blocks closed mid morning for cleaning. Not everyone wants to get up at the crack of dawn – some of us like a lie in on our holidays. Screaming children or kids running wild or riding round on bikes whilst their parents are completely oblivious.
Barking dogs and Barking owners while others are trying to get a little hard earned peace and quite.
Let’s face it that’s why some of us go Caravanning and shouldn’t have to listen to dogs yapping all day.
Absolutely spot on wonder how these dog owners would feel if I weed on their awning on the way past there van.
I agree with Helen…also 5ft 4in!
Height barriers and no designated parking bays for motorhomes in car parks. Often we have not been able to visit the attractions because the local council has put height barriers across its public car parks. We spend money in the towns as well!
I agree wholeheartedly. Why is it that everyone assumes that we all like dogs. Our recent stay on a Caravan and Camping Club CS was spoiled by dog mess not being picked up by the owners, and dogs “just being friendly “.
Next time I shall carry my Dog Dazer in my pocket to deter dogs from approaching me. Maybe there should be some sites where dogs are banned, in the same way that children are banned on adult only sites.
Lovely sites without toilets and why do the clubs arrange so many temporary sites with no toilet facilities?
Lack of parking on Motorway Service Areas for caravans. When they are provided not adequately policed to ensure that they are not abused by others not driving caravans
Dog fouling & uncontrolled dogs on other peoples pitches .
Lack of fully serviced pitches for us oldies that struggle to haul water & waste to / from pitches .
My pet hates are when Motorhome owners use the waste and fill area dumping there gray waste and after filling up they just drive off leaving their spaghetti and other bits and pieces around the manhole cover leaving it for everybody else to clean up after them.
Yapping dogs and dog fouling with their owners thinking that that’s except-able and not bothering to keep the dog quiet and clean up after it.
People setting up too close us
Spot on .
Dogs in general. Barking dogs. Dog owners who let them toilet on empty pitches, (picking up the mess does not remove the residue which is left for the next users). Owners who assume everyone likes dogs and let the dogs introduce themselves to you via extanding leads, Dogs in food establishments. Sites should be segregated into dog owners and non dog owner areas.
Now that the “new-age” travellers who got motor-homing a bad reputation seem to have departed, there is the threat of irresponsible motor-homers who are not parked on designated sites and who empty their waste indiscriminately. I suspect it could be some people who hire vehicles and are not “drilled” in acceptable practices. The lasting effect will be that all motor-homers and camper-vanners are discriminated against and off-site nights prohibited. Perhaps the introduction of “aires” in appropriate locations might overcome this.
Being charged extra to put our pull out sun awning out when we’ve already paid for our pitch!
WiFi charge at Caravan and Motorhome Club sites are excessive. If you use five sites a year that’s £5 per site. Most restaurants, cafes and pubs have WiFi free areas. Why in this day and age is it not included as part of the overall cost of the site pitch?
Site staff who behave like its inconvenient to help you. Any shop whose staff behaved like that would be quickly out of business.
noise late at night,
dogs not on leads and allowed to continually yap
people walking across pitch so close they almost walk through the van
Lack of local authority designated motorhome overnight parking aires. Provision of these would assist the current demand on other caravan touring sites. Motorhomes are self sufficient and dont generally require full site facilities.
Height barriers – this is an indiscriminate method of controlling illeagal encampments but prevents those who legitimately wish to visit many locations. Quite happy to pay or pay more for larger vehicle!
Other motorhomers or caravaners dawdling at 40mph (or less) in National Spped limit areas with huge queues behind but lacking the common courtesy to pull over and let other traffic progress.
My pet hate when motorhoming is the obsession of the two main clubs with cleaning the facilities block just when most people want to use them
I hate toilets being shut before 12:00 for cleaning. We are on holiday and do not get up at the crack of dawn.
Nowhere to park any Motorhome in most towns without taking up 2 bays or parking in coach parking,
Yapping dogs with owners that think its acceptable to let them. They call it vocal. Everyone else calls it a nuisance.
unfortunately I can only vote for one category of pet hates , but would like to add , inconsiderate caravanners, dogs , children , and speeding
Not enough spaces for motor homes to park in towns and being banned at certain times of the year at seasides
We hate petty rules and officious wardens. In particular we object to being told which way to park our caravan. We understand the need for fire gaps between outfits but this can just as easily be achieved with the caravan at right angles. This never occurs on the continent and the pitches are often smaller there.
CAR PARK HEIGHT BARRIERS
Poor road signs when nearing the site
Barking dogs
Taking the awning down
Leaving to go home
My campervan toilet is too tall – I’m 5ft4 and my feet dangle!
also do not like motor homes with sliding doors
WAVING TO EACH OTHER
Our pet hate is abroad loos without toilet seats
My big big big pet hate is height barriers! It’s almost racial discrimination!
Dog owners who use extending dog leads to allow their dogs to go near other people and other people’s pitches. Dog owners who stretch the extending leads across the path of other people.