Campervans

[Laxdale]

Look very closely at your insurance before installing a dashcam.
I bought one for the very reasons you suggest and was then informed that I could benefit from a reduction in insurance premiums if I let my insurers know.
The reduction was around 15%- not to be sneezed at.
But boy, oh boy, the small print.
If you hard wire one into your car you MUST inform your insurers. It counts as an alteration- like a tow bar etc.
When installed, even if you receive no discount, you must maintain it in an operating condition and operating at all times.
You must hand over any recordings to the Police (if asked), to your insurer if making a claim or reporting an incident. And to any insurer making a claim against you.
Failure to comply with any of the above invalidates your policy. What counts as "installed" is a bit vague.
I was interested in the fact that my dashcam records GPS, speed, braking etc. The rules for images also apply to this data.
It gets worse. If you have a SatNav or GPS system fitted as standard or by yourself the same applies.
I ain't finished yet. If your car manufacturer has installed monitoring systems (many do, even if you do not know it, and may be only accessible through registered dealers) that data is treated as above.
Lastly, and I have not managed to verify this story, it is reported that a driver was convicted of a motoring offence on the basis of GPS and accelerometer data on his passenger's iPhone.
The Stasi were amateurs.

Not bothered by the above as I tend to be a law abiding driver.
The fact that it may save me from the jail if I splat a few cyclists in the rear who are driving about in the half dark with no lights trumps that. By a lot.

Edit
Also incredibly handy in certain situations in my job as a water bailiff (or am I now a "Fisheries Officer"). My mate recorded a whole conversation where several very aggressive pikeys threatened to insert his phone up his erse if he took a picture of them, for example.

[Wildfisher]

several very aggressive pikeys threatened to insert his phone up his erse if he took a picture of them

This is when a 500MM lens comes into it's own, you can photograph the Ne'er-do-wells  without them even knowing you are there.

I'd put money on the gents from Eastern Europe who are seen almost daily spinning in the South Esk estuary being permit-less. They are brazen because they know fine that even if they are caught or questioned nothing will happen.  Of course they are just fishing for 'flounders'. 

[caorach]

Not bothered by the above as I tend to be a law abiding driver.
The fact that it may save me from the jail if I splat a few cyclists in the rear who are driving about in the half dark with no lights trumps that. By a lot.

Edit
Also incredibly handy in certain situations in my job as a water bailiff (or am I now a "Fisheries Officer"). My mate recorded a whole conversation where several very aggressive pikeys threatened to insert his phone up his erse if he took a picture of them, for example.

It pains me to say it Gordon but I don't think it will save you at all.

There was a case here where a motorist hit a cyclist, and killed him, in the dark on a dual carriageway.

When it eventually came to the court case the police gave evidence that the cyclist had no lights, was wearing dark clothing, the motorist was travelling at 50mph (20mph less than the speed limit), and that the motorist didn't brake before hitting the cyclist further supporting his statement that he simply didn't see him until he hit him. The police evidence exactly matched the evidence given by the motorist in terms of speed etc.

The motorist was found guilty, I can't remember exactly what of as I think this was just before the laws changed, and the judge expressed great regret that he couldn't put him in jail but that he would give him the maximum sentence that was open to him. As I recall the motorist got what was basically a lifetime of community service.

Even if he'd had a dashcam it wouldn't have saved him and I think now the laws have changed here in NI he would have been in jail for 5 years.

[Tweed]

I absolutely love my campervan.  I didn't buy it as an investment and when the bubble bursts - as it will - I'll still have a fantastic means of visiting and staying in some remote places and a great tool to facilitate wild fishing.  Not to mention some priceless memories of trips with kids and friends.  Less of them about would also mean I can get into campsites easier and yes, the roads will be less clogged.  Works for me.

It's not the vans that are the issue - just some of the half-wits that drive them, and the fact there's been no thought given to providing sufficient infrastructure or modifying (and policing) legislation to prevent some of the undesirable practices (filling carparks/laybys etc, leaving litter or worse) .  If there's a demand for them, temporary or longer term, there will be those that profit from it by churning out the conversions regardless of whether the increase in them can be catered for, or is desirable.  Such is life.  Unless the irate locals actually own the roads, I'm pretty sure they're free for all of us to use.  I live in a nice place too, and that means folk might want to visit it.

Andy T.

[burnie]

Funny the cops never had any reports of damage or anti camper actions? No, because it is all fiction. On another rlate note, I am getting a dashcam to aid me if one of the moronic motorhome drivers or cyclists I am meeting daily manages to hit me. Bunch of bastards, so the are.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsscotland/motorhomes-egged-and-tires-slashed-popular-hire-firm-warns-tourists-to-avoid-north-coast-500/ar-AANfe3T?ocid=msedgntp

[Wildfisher]

I think the real problem with campervans is the same as the problem with anglers, cars, football supporters, Munro baggers etc etc

It's OK until there are too many of them.  :lol:

[burnie]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/motorhomes-and-caravans-banned-from-stand-by-scottish-ferries/ar-AANhDcv?ocid=msedgntp

[Laxdale]

I am on several of the NC500 pages (banned off a few as well), and this was discussed a lot. It was concluded that the terms and conditions of hire are so draconian, all sorts of excuses are being invented for damage caused by the hirers. The local cops said no complaints were made, and (probably important), break down wagon drivers say a lot of vehicles are getting damaged on the roads and also getting their clutches burnt out.  All good reasons for hirers of vehicles to stop people travelling to the area.
To be clear, I have no issues with 99% of campervans. My ire is directed at motorhomes and their drivers. The vehicles are almost all too big for island roads.

[Tweed]

To be clear, I have no issues with 99% of campervans. My ire is directed at motorhomes and their drivers. The vehicles are almost all too big for island roads.

Sounds a bit rich, but believe me, as a van driver I share the frustration with motorhomes - have seen some pretty hairy moments when stuck behind them. A VW Transporter is essentially an oversized golf and not much bigger than an SUV.  They all have a right to be there I guess, but at some point common sense has to prevail.

[caorach]

Sounds a bit rich, but believe me, as a van driver I share the frustration with motorhomes - have seen some pretty hairy moments when stuck behind them. A VW Transporter is essentially an oversized golf and not much bigger than an SUV.  They all have a right to be there I guess, but at some point common sense has to prevail.

I think that you are correct - I am sure most campervan drivers are decent normal people but there is a proportion, and it isn't just one or two, who are causing a lot of trouble but if you try to pack all the people who would normally sit in a bar somewhere in Spain punching people they don't like into a lot of vans and send them off to rural Scotland then there has to be trouble.

How we get back to common sense I just don't know but the obvious thing to do is ban all wild camping, make the penalties huge, enforce the penalties, and then control the number of vans in a given area by restricting the number of official camping spots through the planning process. My problem with all of this is it involves the councils and quite frankly I've no faith in them being able to sit the right way around on a toilet plus it opens up lots of opportunity to take a bung. It also involves banning more stuff and I'm really against banning stuff, Tony Blair did enough of that to last the UK for 500 years.

You could solve the problem by unbanning stuff - like make it legal to give people in campervans a good kicking north of Perth or something - but I'm not sure I'm keen on that approach either and it sounds like a bit of a step backwards :-)