Wild Camping in a Motorhome: how to stay safe and keep out of trouble

Home » Wild Camping in a Motorhome: how to stay safe and keep out of trouble

PAGE UPDATED: 10.06.2022

The number of people wild camping in a motorhome has seen a dramatic increase over the last few years. But confusion abounds…

What exactly is wild camping in a motorhome? Is it even legal in the UK? What about the situation north of the border: can you wild camp in a motorhome in Scotland?

On this page we’ll do our best to answer these questions and share some of our personal experiences.

We’ll look at safe, responsible and respectful wild camping and share our wild camping tips that will keep you out of trouble with locals and the police – and help protect the environment at the same time.

Let’s go into the wild…

The call of the wild

When Chris McCandless left the confines of modern America and set up camp in an old bus in the wilds of Alaska – as told poignantly in the book, ‘Into the Wild‘ – he was addressing a yearning in us all. Getting back to nature and reconnecting to something more essential is what drives the urge to wild camp.

It’s about getting off the beaten track, going off-grid, and (if you’re lucky) finding your own private utopia, far from the madding crowd.

Referred to as ‘boon-docking’ in the US, wild camping is something we’d wanted to do for ages. But we kept putting it off for one reason or another. We imagined all sorts…

What if the police tell us to move on? Maybe there’ll be a gang of rebel-rousers looking for trouble? What if there’s a mad axeman in the night?

See, when we first got our van we always used campsites, booking in advance and planning our route before we left home. We knew exactly where to go and that we would be spending the night somewhere safe. 

Being risk-averse curtailed any spontaneity though. So, we got a little braver, looking for a campsite, trusting to chance, whilst actually out on the road.

This gave us the freedom to turn left or right but the downside was that we’d waste time on the internet searching for a nearby campsite which was a) open and b) answering their phone. Many were not.

In the end we decided we had no alternative. The call of the wild became overwhelming. We bit the bullet and went for it, stepping way out of our comfort zones!

What is wild camping in a motorhome?

Ok, we were not going into the wilds of Alaska, like McCandless did; there would be no grizzly bears lunging at us from out of the darkness.

So, what are we actually talking about?

To most people, wild camping is perceived as trekking miles away from anywhere with a backpack carrying basic supplies, including a trowel in case you need to dig a hole! Wild camping is about sleeping in a small tent somewhere in a field, in the woods, or on the mountainside.

To some motorhomers, wild camping means sleeping overnight in a fully-fitted van on a small and perhaps more ‘rustic’ campsite without electric hook up. Being off the electric grid is about as wild as it gets.

To others – us included – wild camping in a motorhome has nothing to do with campsites. Indeed, campsites and electricity don’t come into the equation. It’s proper off-grid van life, where you find a quiet, secluded spot. A spot hopefully out of the way of others, where you can settle down and sleep for the night.

That’s the theory, anyway! The truth is somewhat different and questions abound because wild camping in a motorhome is far more complicated than wild camping under canvas.

FAQs about wild camping…

If you’ve not ventured into the wild yet, you will no doubt be curious about it and have a heap of questions that need answering such as…

• Where will we sleep tonight? (Will we be able to find anywhere to park up?)
• Will we be safe? (Are we cut out for this?)
• What happens if there’s trouble? (Do we have a strategy in place?)
• Will we actually get any sleep?
• Are we breaking the law?
• What if the police tell us to move on?

These questions – and many more ‘what ifs’ – are an inevitable part of wild camping. We all ask them.

One thing’s for certain: you probably won’t feel as safe out in the wilds as you would on a campsite. This might seem unnerving to begin with – even scary – but it gets easier with practice.

With that in mind, let us share with you the story of our first wild camping experience…

The first wild camp in our motorhome

So let’s take you right back to our first ever wild camp. We still remember it well. We were out in the wilds of the North Norfolk coast in mid November and by 6pm it was dark already. Very dark…

As you probably already know, being out in your van creates a space to drop the workaday worries and find yourself. It gives you a chance to nurture your soul and reclaim a sense of peace.

Sitting in an out-the-way spot with a simple meal and a mug of tea, watching the sun set or listening to the rain on the roof is perfect. The weight of the world drops from your shoulders.

But when night approaches – and if you haven’t booked up anywhere to stay – where do you go? This was the dilemma we faced.

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We’d made up our minds to risk the perils of motorhome wild camping – roughing it without a campsite – and tonight was the night! No electric hook-up. No designated pitch. Not even a campsite. This was way out of our comfort zones…

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A foray into the wilds indeed, we sneaked into a small empty car park close to a nature reserve, spending the night feeling like naughty kids wondering if we would get moved on at any moment.

See, you just never know. That feeling is a constant companion on wild camping trips.

On a psychological level, wild camping is about stepping into the unknown, like going on your own Hero’s Journey into unfamiliar territory.

But of course, whenever faced with uncertainty, it is human nature to prepare for any eventuality. So, we put some safety measures in place…

Wild camping safety measures (to fend off mad axe murderers!)

One of our primary human needs is to feel safe and secure. Being the cautious types, we agreed to the following on our first wild camp. These safety measures apply to this day. We’d recommend you follow them or make up something similar of your own.

To feel safe when wild camping overnight we decided….

• There would be no opening of any van doors to strangers during hours of darkness. If there was a knock on the door we’d keep the door closed and locked and talk to the person through the hab window. (Of course, if it was the police, we’d have to open up!) Mike Hudson talks about this in our favourite van life book. He tells of a night when a stranger knocked on his van door asking to borrow…a knife!!!

• We had to be able to get away quickly if need be. If there was any sign of trouble, we wanted to be able to drive off easily. For this reason don’t use chocks or your stabilisers. And have the van facing the way you want to drive away.

• Hobo Gav would always sleep closest to the door. This is still the case today!

Funnily enough, as it turned out, the wildest thing about that first night was the weather!

However, we were perversely happy to have been reported to the warden the next morning. It made us rebels! He came and gave us the, “don’t do it again,” chat. He was a nice guy though, telling us a lot about the wildlife.

The warden explained that motorhomes were not welcome to park up overnight because onboard toilets had been emptied into the little stream, contaminating the wildlife area.

We were indignant and ashamed to be grouped with such people. Who would do such a thing?

Seven things we learned on our first motorhome wild camp

So let’s list some things we learned from our first venture into the wild…

#1 Some people wild camping in motorhomes have no respect for others or their surroundings. Have a look at the scenes of chaos in Applecross in Scotland. This type of behaviour will get wild camping outlawed.

#2 We learned that wild camping in a motorhome is not easy, especially in England. In August 2020 the BBC reported that police in Wales were issuing £70 fines to anyone caught wild-camping in their vans.

#3 Time and diesel are wasted looking for a suitable place to park up; most motorhomes are not stealth vehicles!

#4 We also learned to arrive late and leave early! Perhaps very early! (Had we left before 6am the warden wouldn’t have seen us).

#5 We learned that taking a risk and leaving a few matters to chance can be fun. Sometimes you’ve just got to trust that all shall be well!

#6 We learned to (eventually) relax and enjoy being away from other people and closer to nature.

#7 And this first night’s experience prompted us to research the laws about motorhome wild camping, which are rather woolly to say the least. (More on this below).

But even if the laws have several grey areas, there are definite rules about wild camping that you should abide by.

This is our list…

The basic rules of wild camping in a motorhome

Follow these rules when you’re wild camping to help minimise your risks of getting into trouble…

The bottom line is this…

When wild camping in your RV leave nothing – bar tyre tracks.

By being respectful and responsible the dreaded “NO OVERNIGHT CAMPING” signs won’t turn up to haunt us all.

But there are other things you can do to stay out of trouble…

Wild camping in a motorhome isn’t like being on a campsite

Wild camping by the road side or in a secluded spot doesn’t mean setting up like you would on a campsite: chairs out under the awning, chocks under the wheels, corner stabilisers down, BBQ on the go etc. This is asking for trouble.

The wild camping rule of thumb is to keep a low profile. (Then the police or anyone else generally won’t ask you to move on). Low profile means no noise, no rubbish, no fires, and definitely no awning set up.

If you see anyone or are asked to move on please be polite. It’s about being responsible and respectful to others and the environment.

And here’s another important point…

Wild camp at any one place for one night only (unless it is a recognised wild camping spot where you know the authorities are turning a blind eye). Remember, you’re not setting up camp – you’re simply staying the night.

If you are willing to adhere to the ‘rules’ – and brave enough to deal with the uncertainty that is par for the course with wild camping – you’ll want to go fully prepared…

By that, we mean you will need certain gear if you’re going off-grid…

Getting your motorhome ready for wild camping

If your van has all the latest gadgets and uses a lot of electricity, make sure that when you go off-grid your leisure batteries are fully charged or that you have a way of charging them. The thing is, batteries won’t last long if you’re using too much electricity.

Solar energy is great and in 2020 we bought ourselves a solar panel. If you wild camp a lot, it is worth looking into. You must have some way of charging things and solar seems to be the most eco-friendly way of doing it.

RELATED CONTENT: See our full solar panel set-up

We use a USB and three-pin plug adaptor in the cigarette lighter whilst on the move to charge computers and phones. That works well if we have a long drive. Parked up, the same gadget becomes an inverter that connects to the solar power’s control panel.

A good quality torch is essential if you’re in really dark places. You just never know when you might need to venture outside the van.

We’ve already mentioned not using levelling chocks when wild camping. But if you’re on really uneven ground and it’s blowing a gale (and if you feel the place is safe) you might still want to use them.

We’ve had a few rough nights in Scotland and Wales where the wind rocked the van all night. We could have lowered the stabilisers but that, of course, would have prevented a quick get-away if needed.

Amusingly, we saw a chap testing uneven ground with a spirit level. Yes, we’re not kidding. One step too far, we decided, but who were we to judge? We had already taken the most level area!

Our biggest wild camping issue

Perhaps the most essential item you’ll need in your van – wild camping or otherwise – is toilet paper!

We’re going to get a little bit personal here and hope you don’t mind…

See, the biggest wild camping issue for us was not about the possibility of our lives coming to an end via the flailing arms of a mad axeman. No, it was about using the onboard loo for number twos! It just seemed wrong.

Maybe because we don’t have an en-suite back home? We’re just not used to doing this in close proximity!

In the end we overcame our inhibitions by turning the radio (or You Tube) up loud and just got on with it. Sometimes you just gotta go! This became our favourite loo song…

But a question arises here…

Where do you empty the motorhome loo when wild camping?

What do you do with the toilet waste if you’ve been wild camping for a few days? And what about ‘grey’ waste from the sinks and shower? Where do you empty it all?

The thing is that a full toilet will begin to smell after a while, as will the grey water tank, so you’ll want to empty them well before they get full. But how, if you’re away from any facilities?

Well, this is what we do…

When on a ‘wild camping tour’ we will book onto a campsite every second or third day to empty grey and black waste tanks, and fill up with fresh water. Simple. Yes, it means you’ll have to pay to camp but that’s far better than having your toilet waste overspill into your van – or tipping your waste into a ditch – heaven forbid!

Some campsites will allow you to empty/fill tanks without a pitch. They may require a small fee. Approach them when they are not busy with admissions and departures and you’ll stand a better chance.

But having to venture onto campsites every few days is a stark reminder that facilities for motorhomers in the UK fall way short of our European neighbours…

Using Aires and motorhome service points

It is possible to avoid campsites altogether by using motorhome service points at garages – if you can find any.

The thing is that the UK is miles behind when it comes to service points for motorhomes. In France, for instance, there is an extensive network of ‘aires de service‘ all over the country.

Not so in the UK…

Here, you might have to resort to emptying your toilet cassette into a public loo, though this is not going to make you popular. And is it even fair on local folk who need to use (and pay for) these facilities?

Grey water (from your sinks) can smell as offensively as black (the toilet). Dispose of it responsibly! Cree, our van, certainly has a malodorous whiff at times!

Can I empty my motorhome toilet cassette in public loos?

In response to an email we received, we asked our Twitter followers about emptying toilet cassettes in public loos. It seems that many motorhomers have used public toilets at some point without apparent problems. However, the Highland Council told us that they’ve had to close public amenities due to blockages.

Whilst we may not all agree that this is solely due to motorhome toilet cassettes, it seems that us motorhomers get the blame – like we do for much of the litter left behind from people wild camping in tents.

The thing is that emptying the motorhome loo into public toilets can be a contentious issue with local people.

As responsible motorhomers, we are keen not to upset anybody living in the area where we wild camp. We accept that motorhomes are not always popular when they arrive en masse along small country roads, such as on the NC500.

Therefore we stress that it is vitally important to dispose of black and grey waste (and onboard litter) carefully. This must – if at all possible – be into designated receptacles.

In our opinion using public toilets to empty your black water cassette should be an absolute last resort. If it’s full to the brim and you cannot find a designated waste disposal facility or campsite, you might have no alternative but to use a public toilet rather than tipping it down a drain or into a ditch. Please don’t do that!

The campaign for real Aires in the UK

What all this points to is the lack of proper facilities in the UK for motorhomes.

CaMPA (campervan and motorhome professional association) provide a map of Scottish waste disposal points. There are far more disposal points than we realised. It also reiterates correct and responsible procedures for disposing of your motorhome waste.

The more responsible motorhome owners are, the less trouble we cause people who live in the lovely areas we wish to visit. Then we are welcome – or at least tolerated. The dreaded ‘No Overnight Camping’ signs and height barriers don’t get erected.

The thing to remember is that many “out of the way” places beloved by motorhomers are not connected to mains sewers. Motorhome loo chemicals may prevent a septic tank from working properly. Also someone has to pay for the tank to be emptied. Consider the chemicals you use and have green ones for when you are asked to use them.

We use these environmentally-friendly products, for our motorhome toilet.

But, the main point is that if locals are not happy, then we will have problems. So be mindful at all times. Respect the land and those who live there!

The good news is that some Aires have been piloted in the UK over the last year or so. Supply is trying to meet the demand; we’re finally making an effort to catch up with our friends across the channel! You can do your bit by signing the petition and joining the Campaign for Real Aires in the UK…

How to find wild camping places

Since our early wild camping experiences we have spent many nights on ‘unauthorised’ ground. But we always respect ‘No Overnight Camping’ signs, our fellow travellers, the local people, and the environment (often cleaning up other people’s rubbish).

Some places have a spectacular view, others are simply somewhere to park up and sleep.

As well as pilot schemes for Aires in the UK, some councils in tourist areas are waking up to the fact that motorhomers boost the economy and are providing designated parking spaces and overnight stop areas. In Scotland there are now a few motorhome service points along the NC500.

Closer to home, in our birth town of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, you can park in your van all night in Ram Meadow car park for just £1.

Recently, in Hay-on-Wye in Wales we parked and slept in the town centre car park – legally – all night for free.

However, sadly, some councils are making motorhome parking more difficult. Many car parks have height barriers and others have length restrictions leaving us with the impression that, as motorhomers, we are not welcome. And more car park signs now clearly state that overnight camping is not allowed.

RELATED CONTENT: Why do councils make it so difficult to park? And why are motorhomers getting the blame for everything? Read our thoughts in ‘Vanlife Vendetta’

Using Apps to find wild camping locations

So, if it’s difficult to find a place to park up and sleep in towns and cities, it’s best to stay in the countryside.

We have spent a few nights “roughing it” in Wales, including one night at the Pen Y Pass car park along the Llanberis pass in Snowdonia. We paid £10 for a 24 hour ticket and slept in our van all night. We’re not sure if this was legal, but nobody said anything.

We suspect you wouldn’t be able to get away with this now, not after the wild camping shenanigans of the last few summers.

So, instead of trusting to luck, what can you do to locate some of the best wild camping spots?

We’ve used these apps to find places to wild camp…

• Search for Sites – a really popular app/website
• Park 4 Night – both Search for Sites and Park 4 Night can be really useful, though some of the locations shown on their maps have since disappeared
• Britstops – although not wild camping, Britstops makes for a good back-up if you can’t find anywhere wild to camp, though you do need to be a member.
• And, of course, there is the Pub Stopovers scheme which, like Britstops, offers you an alternative to campsites.

RELATED CONTENT: See what we say about Britstops in our blog post: Is it really free?

Can you wild camp in a motorhome in Scotland?

Ah, Bonnie Scotland, the land of the free. Or is it? Can you stop anywhere in a motorhome in Scotland?

Short answer: NO!

The ‘rules’ certainly seem to be different north of the border, compared to other parts of the UK. In Scotland there is a ‘right to roam’ and although wild camping in a tent is allowed, the Access Code states that the freedom to wild camp doesn’t include using motorised vehicles.

That said, even though the right to sleep in your campervan is not actually enshrined in law, wild camping is certainly more tolerated in Scotland.

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Our advice, whether you’re wild camping north or south of the border, is to be sensible, considerate, and respectful. Try to get permission from the landowner (if there’s anyone about). And if in any doubt about a place, move on and find somewhere else.

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From August 2020 in Scotland a new scheme was trialled called ‘Stay the Night’ where you could park your van in forest car parks. It was designed for motorhomes and campervans only – not for people in cars with tents or those with caravans. We feel it’s a great idea for us motorhomers. After all, 99% of us are decent, responsible people.

The thing is that we wild-camped all over Scotland during our honeymoon road trip in 2019. We drove until the sun got low before pulling over. We had no trouble from anybody. And we caused no trouble for anybody. That’s how it can be if you follow the advice in this article.

Each morning we woke to a different view. The header picture on our home page was taken in the Cairngorms. On another occasion we parked up overlooking a loch on the way to the Isle of Skye. And our wedding night beside a babbling mountain stream was our best wild camp ever.

Is it legal to live in a motorhome?

So, we’ve looked at some of the rules about wild camping to minimise your chances of getting into trouble. But what does the law say about sleeping and living in your motorhome?

This is what it states…

There is no legislation prohibiting you from sleeping in your vehicle (even if it is beside a road).

But what about living in your RV? Is it legal to actually live in your motorhome or campervan?

You are allowed to live in your vehicle provided it is road legal (taxed, MOT’d, insured etc.)

But here’s the issue…

You have no legal right to park up and sleep anywhere you want.

In the UK, where you sleep in your RV is fraught with vague restrictions. These vary from region to region, and some of the legislation doesn’t fully apply to wild camping in a motorhome.

So, is wild camping in a motorhome legal or illegal?

In much of the UK, wild camping in a motorhome is expressly forbidden by county-wide by-laws, and you could face fines and/or be wheel-clamped.

Town and city authorities frown upon inhabited vehicles parked in streets and tend to move them on.

Supermarkets have become tired of their parking facilities being used by boy-racers and drug dealers at night – as well as motorhomes. They have installed gates for when the store is shut. And landowners have clamped down on overnight parking.

So, you are permitted to live in your motorhome but it seems like this is mostly restricted to staying on campsites and the like (such as Britstops, Pub Stopovers etc.)

But what else does the law say?

What is the law on wild camping in a motorhome?

The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 places regulations on camp sites. The Act could, in part, be applied to a group of motorhomes (such as travellers) who take up residence anywhere for a period of time without permission. But this Act could also apply to the lone road-trip motorhomer, such is the confusion.

The problem is that nearly all land in the British Isles is owned by someone. So even though the law states that it is not illegal to sleep (and live) in your vehicle you must have the permission of the landowner.

And that’s where the problem lies…

How do you get permission from the landowner if you don’t know who it is? What about lay-bys? Who owns them?

Actually, the second question is easy; local authorities own roads and land to either side, such as lay-bys. Whether you get a tap on the door from the local constabulary in the middle of the night often depends on the attitude of that authority and the behaviour of those who have used the area before.

Parking and sleeping in laybys

The Road Traffic Act allows parking within 15 yards of a road, for instance in a layby. The idea is to provide a resting space for tired drivers. It is, like all similar legislation, vague – deliberately so. By leaving it open to interpretation, overnight parking is tolerated, but ‘antisocial behaviour’ can be punished.

The latter is usually the important part. Local residents get sick of having refuse dumped, or worse, onboard toilet cassettes emptied in the bushes or rivers. They will nag the landowner, their councillor or bobby on the beat. Where previously a blind eye had been turned, action will now be taken.

But there are loop-holes…

If the “No Overnight Sleeping” sign is not visible, then the rule cannot be enforced. On Anglesey, such signage regularly gets taken down by those who wish to park up. Read the news report here.

The outcome of such ‘vandalism’ is that the council will not be able to keep paying to replace the signs and the police will get fed up trying to move people on who are, in the absence of signage, legally parked.

So, either the matter will be dropped and overnight parking will be tolerated, or the land will be made inaccessible to overnight motorhoming. The way things are going, it’s more likely to be the latter.

Wild camping in a motorhome – our summary

So let’s try to sum this up in one neat paragraph…

In our experience – and the stories we’ve read from other motorhomers – is that wild camping in a motorhome is possible in the UK but there are certain protocols you must follow to stay out of trouble.

It’s clear that in the UK it is easier to wild camp in some places than it is in others, not helped by grey areas in the law.

For the most part though, if you are respectful to others and the environment, your wild camping adventures should pass without too much trouble.

If you can learn to tolerate the uncertainty – and don’t mind being asked to move on now and again – you’ll be able to enjoy more remote, out of the way places when you wild camp. And surely that’s one of the reasons you got an RV in the first place?

And even if there is a brush with the law, a landowner, a grumpy local, or boy racers, you’ve got a great van life story to tell! Please share it with us in our questionnaire (see below).

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We hope you’ve found this article helpful. Please scroll to the bottom of the page if you’d like to leave a comment. We’d love to know your thoughts about wild camping.

If you’d like to be kept up to date with all the latest changes to wild camping regulations and the development of Aires in the UK subscribe to our free monthly newsletter.

Before we end this article we’d like to ask you a question…

Can you help us? Please answer our wild camping questionnaire

The last few years have seen a massive increase in wild camping in motorhomes and campervans – and sometimes things have gotten out of hand!

As pointed out above, litter was often left strewn about by mindless idiots, giving us all a bad name. Councils, landowners, and the police started clamping down to the point that we now fear for the future of wild camping in a motorhome.

Unless we do something it looks like we’re all going to be marshalled onto warden-controlled campsites, like sheep into a pen. We mustn’t let that happen!

Please help us gather some objective data by completing our short questionnaire about your wild camping experiences in your motorhome, RV or campervan. We must all fight for our freedom – or at least campaign for better facilities like Aires!

P.S. If you’ve already sent your answers we’d like to say a huge thank you! We’re going to continue to gather data throughout 2022 and 2023. The wild camping situation won’t be resolved for some time!

Read these related blog posts and please share your thoughts:

Freedom in a Motorhome: is it really possible?

Vanlife Vendetta: why do motorhomers always get the blame?

Where Can I Empty My Motorhome Loo?

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