Demands for ban on camper van parking

I can actually see this argument from the campsite owners point of view. Every wild camping motorhome they see parked "for free" on the side of the road is a lost revenue opportunity as far as they are concerned. It's funny that a lot of these campsite owners are well-to-do and willing to get loud at town meetings and rev up the local councillors to get on their side.

They don't consider motorhome owners pay road tax and are currently entitled to park where they are legally permitted.

Despite the fact their overpriced campsites are packed with tent and caravan clients, they still seek to squeeze in the motorhome owners too.

It's all about greed if you ask me...

I agree with all of your posts, but we are preaching to the converted here on the Forum. Individually we don't have much clout but Collectively we sure do, I think it is high time for all clubs/ Forums and Motorhome Dealers etc. put their differences to one side and take on these Councils with a united front. What can we do?? Do we drive a large number of Motorhomes through these Towns Peacefully and have the Media in attendance and let them know our plight. I know these Councellors will not like been taken on on their home turf. These kind of demonstrations have been very sucessful for the IFA (Irish Farmers Association) in the past.

Any other suggestions? (Legal Ones )

Typical of the greed shown by site owners. I know of quite a few who have diminished their touring section in favour of static vans and require minimum stay periods in touring area whilst still complaining to Councils about Motorhomes parking up for one or two days in areas bothering no one. They want everything. Perhaps site owners should have it made a requirement by councils to provide a number of basic pitches for motorhomes at low rates to make it more attractive and easier for motorhomes to use their sites. It could help solve all parties problems. Here's hoping but I wont hold my breath.

I hope Kerry county council watched that.

Good for the locals. It's up to them to vote for responsible councillors next time.

Looks a bit like my van in the opening shot

Don't worry Mark, Michael Healey Rea will make sure they know about it!
Hopefully more communities will take their Lead

I don't know about that Siobhan, I never felt too welcome in the Motorhome

I was not initially going to post on this thread, being new to Ireland and if I read some posts correctly from the “Dark Side”. That said I think I can write a balanced post looking at the issues contained with some of the previous posts. I am sure I will not convince everyone but maybe you might look at the issues with a different perspective.
Firstly I do own a small campsite I also own a MH. I owned the MH before I bought the campsite. I have wildcamped very infrequently. I have stayed on Aires and the German equivalent of Aires. The reason I don’t tend to wild camp is that I like water, electric and grey and black disposal. This is my choice and I know of other who use the MH in the opposite way a rarely use campsite and nearly always wildcamp, again their choice and I entirely respect that.
I know the campsites I have seen in Ireland are different to a lot of the sites in the UK. In the UK there are touring sites and there are static sites and sometimes a combination of the two, where the sites around me tend to be aimed at the static market and the touring aspect tends to be a bolt on or addition to rather than the primary focus. In the UK I tended to avoid the multi use sites and I would aim to stay on touring sites rather than feel less than welcome by some of the owners staying in their statics. My site does not and will not have park homes or statics. We have one seasonal caravan which was on the site prior to our purchase.
I can honestly say that I am not “well to do” be that posh or well off, neither apply in my case. I do not require a minimum night stay nor do I insist on bookings in advance. I charge per person and I charge extra for electric, I do not charge for dogs, early or late arrivals, awnings, extra cars etc etc. And whilst €21 for two people with EHU (€9 + €9 + €3) is expensive compared to wild camping it is not bad value for a night away near the sea. The costs in running and owning a campsite are quite high, it is not simply a field that you mow and then collect the money each day. Rubbish disposal costs are high, water is expensive, electric whilst it pays for itself based on the charges does not factor in the cost of providing 3 phase electric and 16amp EHU to every pitch. A single hard standing plus the access road works out €500 each. Providing toilet rolls soap dispensers and hand driers may not sound expensive but having paid for this over one season it is surprisingly high.
The village I live in, in particular the business owners have been very supportive and helpful to me during our first season, they clearly see the benefit in have a campsite down the road likewise there are two places that are great for wild camping in the village I have not nor do I intend to go to my Cllrs and ask that they put in height barriers of signs to deter the wild campers who are legally parking their MH in the same way as you or I could park our cars.
I will finish by saying there are good campsites there are bad campsites there are good places to wild camp there are bad places to wild camp.

can I just say that there are two adults and three children in our camper.

we have been charged over €40 euro for a night,with extra for awning and showers

our 6 berth takes up the same stand as a 4 berth with two people in it,who pay €20 ish

I cannot see how it €15 euro for the kids on any campsite is justified.

what do the kids use from the site,that we do not use

for our fee, it SEEMS that all we get is that our tv works(we rarely use it) and we can use the toaster in the morning for toast.
we are self sufficient for almost everything else over a weekend break

from our family point of view, the camping sites are expensive.

I have no issue with paying to stay on a site and paying extra for a shower for example.
One site wanted to charge us per person, plus the dog, plus if we were putting out chairs or awning ,extra for a car .
We ended up wild camping that night.
As the controller says above, we spend money in the locality.
It sometimes just seems hard to justify the Price,when all you want is somewhere to park the van and get some sleep

Extras. Fork, I get where you are coming from. Families and groups are charged more on my campsite than couples or individuals. Whilst I have heard some campsites charge by space and charge little or nothing for kids. We don't operate that way, it can be a benefit to individuals who are charged €9 where others include a second person in the price irrespective of there being a second person. In my experience I found to date that kids of all ages tend to use the toilets, some even shower on a regular basis, they eat food which creates washing up and rubbish. In some cases they are messier which means more cleaning. In reality children incur the same costs to us as an adult but we also understand that it becomes quite expensive for a family unit hence we charge less for kids. But in you case it would cost nearly €40 euros to stay on our site for a night, actually €36 but yes that mounts up for a week or even a weekend away.

I am not a fan of extras as my maths are poor. But also because I like to know what I will be paying and what will I get. I have stayed on places where showers are extra and the tokens have to be obtained from reception and the token only gives you a trickle of water for 3 minutes or less. I have stayed on sites where you have to supply you own loo roll but personally I don't like having to carry a loo roll to the toilet block so that all the others campers can guess my next move.

The majority of my business so far has been MHs followed by tents, caravans very few but they do tend to stay for longer periods when they do arrive. I don't make anyone stay on my site and I respect those who wild camp, that is their choice, unless they do so in the plot next to my site which I think is a bit of a pee take.

They say nothing in life is free, but actually wild camping can be, they also say you get what you pay for and in some cases that is true as well.

@strandcamping. Thanks for your input to this discussion. You have made valid and reasonable points.
I suppose that at the end of the day, you have to run a business.
All I know that in our particular case it means that we will not get away as Often if we had to pay 40 to 50 Euro each night
On our typical weekend away, because of work and school, we are startilng off at 5pm on the Friday evening and we normally drive for within a 2/3 hour limit
Then you are pitching up around 8pm.
We would normally Wild Camp that night and then maybe a campsite on the Saturday night .
Again I want to stress that we are trying to save money to spend it on food or activities in the area.

And we are supposed to do what for the 6 to 8 months of the year that camp sites are closed?
Just looked through an Ireland camp site guide and even now on 9th October, many are already closed!!!!

Some campsites have now become so expensive for our family (2 adults & 2 teens) that it is only a little more expensive to book into a B&B or one of the many hotels offering 2-3 nights family room with B&B and evening meal! Campsites are pricing themselves out of the market. We've gone to more hotels this year than campsites as a result of this!!

Motorhomes are self contained ,they just need a place to park everything else can be at extra charge if required by the individual.
To me this is a no brainer and provides cheap parking for motorhomers and income for the site owner

^^^^^^^^

i just find it bad value to pitch up in a campsite on my first night at 8 or 9 pm and pay 40-50 euro.

but don't mind the cost as much for the second night as i am there all day and evening.

how about a two night rate?
may be a rate for two nights of €60 ish?

Off first thing! This is my pet hate about nearly all campsites, you must be off site for 11 or 12. I have been on one or two where you can leave anytime you like which suits my laid back lazy attitude when away in the caravan/motorhome, but why can you pitch fee not be for a 24 hour stay.

I am not getting at you personally SCD I'm just airing my thoughts.

Just back from France and although most of the aires were free the paying aires charged from 5 to 8 euros for 24 hours this was ideal as you were not under pressure to leave first thing in the morning, in some cases water ,waste etc was free and others you paid a few euros,however most sites require you to leave by 12 oclock
( before you say some aires were much more expensive especially on the coast)