New to caravanning and camping and wondering what is considered good
Travelling Australia in a
There are now a wide range of people travelling for various reasons: families with two, three, or four kids or more, couples with their ‘fur babies’, and singles as well.
Throw in a few backpackers, and what you end up with is a big mix of people from varying social, cultural and economic backgrounds, confined together in a sometimes small area. So there are bound to be conflicts or disagreements over personal space or noise, right?
What is Good Caravan Park And Camping Etiquette?
A recent post in our group, Planning a Lap of Australia certainly got the conversation flowing. There seem to be a few things that are a big no-no when it comes to sharing space with others.
Plenty of group members shared their opinions, too! So, I have combined a few of those answers, along with a couple of our own.
Keep The Noise Down
This was probably the most mentioned thing that annoyed people. Let’s face it, if you’re on holiday, you just want to relax and enjoy yourself. And having excessively noisy neighbours can be a problem. The most complained about noise was:-
- kids
- late night drinkers
- outside TV’s
- generators
Our Thoughts
Having travelled with our kids when they were younger it can certainly be a challenge to keep them quite at any time of the day, but early mornings were probably the worse.
These days, having a selection of books or games handy—perhaps a book or iPad—might help keep them entertained until the campground or
Sometimes I would hop up and take them to the beach or grab their scooters and go for a walk. We always preferred them to be awake early rather than still running around at 10.00 pm!
However the point of going on a family holiday is for everyone to have fun, especially the kids and who doesn’t love hearing the sound of kids having fun?
Late-night drinkers can be a problem, too. Unfortunately, some people get louder the more they drink. I don’t mind talking and laughing, but I really don’t need to hear streams of offensive language.
If this is you, perhaps a
TV noise or even radios can be annoying as well. Try to keep the volume down, especially if the rest of the park is quiet.
Generators can be noisy, but some people need them to run medical equipment. Most people I have encountered have good-quality ones that are really just a quiet hum, and they do try to tuck them away to minimise the noise. This is considered good camping generator etiquette.
However, if the camp ground or
Don’t Walk Through Other Campers Sites!
I have encountered this and would never do it. You wouldn’t take a shortcut through someones yard if you lived in suburbia, so you probably shouldn’t do it in a
One I encountered recently was kids riding over our hoses. This was totally unnecessary as they could have ridden across the front of our van instead of behind it.
Their parents also decided that right next door to the end of our awning was the perfect place to do a boxing workout. Clearly, they didn’t realise anyone was home as our car wasn’t there.
Our Thoughts
I know this can be hard sometimes when a park is very busy; there often isn’t much room to walk around, but walking through someone’s site and even under their awning is unnecessary.
Walk around. If you do have to encroach on someone’s site in a crowded park, give them a wave, a smile, and a sorry. They will appreciate you acknowledging them.
Clean Up After Yourself
We used camp kitchens often in our camper trailer days, and I was always disappointed to find that some people would not clean up after themselves.
Our Thoughts
If you are using the camp kitchen, rinse the sink out when you are finished, wipe the benches down and put any utensils or equipment you may have used away.
Leave the BBQ clean as well so that the next person who wants to use it doesn’t have to clean it first.
Make sure you take all your rubbish to the appropriate bins as well. If no rubbish bins are available, please do the right thing and take your rubbish with you. This will ensure that the following people to use the area will have an enjoyable experience.
Another thing that came up frequently was mopping the showers out if a mop and bucket was available. This really only takes 2 minutes and just helps keep everything clean for the next person. It is good bathroom etiquette.
Be Friendly
For us, meeting new people and having new experiences is a big part of caravanning and camping. Say hi to your neighbour next door—you might make new friends.
Our Thoughts
Did you know that maintaining social contact is a great way to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s? I can’t think of a better place for social interaction than a
So many places have organised ‘happy hour’. Often, there will be a fire involved, and you can come and have a drink, even pop your camp oven in, and have dinner cooked whilst you chat.
This is a great way to meet new people and share experiences. It’s often the way to discover the best spots to visit. Say hi to your next-door neighbours—you might just make some new friends.
Remove Your Washing
Most people said they don’t like other people removing their washing from the machine or dryer when it’s finished. They also expected washing to be removed from lines promptly.
Our Thoughts
I don’t wash on days that we are going out sightseeing. That way, I can keep an eye on it while it’s in the machine and also on the line.
Washing machines often have different cycle times, and it’s not always written on the machine how long it will take. Generally I allow between 20 to 40 minutes and then go back and check it.
I would consider taking someone’s washing out of a machine after it had finished if they had not returned in 15 minutes. I would only do this if they had left the basket on the machine.
Someone once removed my washing from a machine and then didn’t put another load on….must have changed their mind!
We have a folding clothes line, so I mostly hang our washing on it. Or one that Kev put up under the awning, depending on where we are camped and the weather.
Pets
With so many people travelling with their pets, especially dogs, following simple rules will make sure everyone enjoys their stay.
Our Thoughts
If a park requires your dog to always be on a lead, please do so. Also, make sure the lead is short enough to keep your dog under control.
It’s no good if your dog can get under a
Also, don’t allow your dog to bark or whine continuously without making some attempt to stop them.
Park Rules
Most places have a set of rules. These are usually handed to you when you check in. I generally give these a quick scan just to make sure there is nothing out of the ordinary that I need to know.
Our Thoughts
Rules are generally put in place to ensure the safety and security of all guests. Rules such as no bikes or scooters on roadways are put in place to make sure our kids are safe especially somewhere that there are a lot of big four-wheel drives with sometimes limited vision. Other rules are there to ensure all guests enjoy their stay.
Keep Your Speed Down
One of my pet hates is people who drive through a
Many
Our Thoughts
As a mentioned above, parks and campgrounds are full of all kinds of different people. Young children in particular, can dash out from behind a
And Now For A Laugh
The following were actual comments from the original post in our group. They offer some good advice and a bit of a laugh!
- Turn down your outside speakers if you are watching an ‘Adult Movie’
- Wear pants if your blinds are open
- Ladies, please don’t shave your legs in the swimming pool
- If you don’t want golf balls thrown at your kids don’t let them hit golf balls at peoples cars and caravans
- Don’t let your young son ‘take a leak’ on the neighbours tent
Thanks to everyone who contributed suggestions. The bottom line is to to be respectful and treat others as you would like to be treated. But above all else have fun!
What do you think makes for good
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What about rules for tv watching in communal kitchen / lounge spaces? We had one lady watchjng two and a half men with her 10-12 year olds and asked her to change the channel as we had our 3 &8 yos. We got in trouble!
Doesnt seem fair as commonsense media puts that programme as 16years plus!
A must read for anyone going to public camping grounds so everybody can enjoy there stay.
Great article thank you
Thank you. Glad you found it helpful.
I’ll 2nd that.