The NCC (National Caravan Council), together with the Camping and Caravanning Club, the Caravan and Motorhome Club, BH&HPA and the Scottish Caravan and Camping Forum have produced a leaflet to encourage responsible motorhoming.   

Their top tips for smooth motorhoming and campervanning, which help to ensure the tour is both enjoyable and responsible, are:

BE READY FOR THE ROAD

• Ensure lockers are secured and the gas cylinder is switched off.
• Check your lights and tyres and that external loads, such as bikes, are secure.

KNOW YOUR LIMITS

• Know your motorhome’s height and width to avoid problems with low bridges and height barriers. 
• Check your vehicle’s speed limit as it may be lower than your car’s.

LOAD SAFELY

• Your motorhome has a maximum authorised mass (the most it can legally weigh including people). Each item inside your motorhome counts towards its overall weight. 
• Keep heavy items low down – they can fall out of overhead lockers!

CHECK THE DIRECTIONS

• Plan ahead especially if you have a larger vehicle that may not be suitable for certain roads. Most sat-navs will think you are driving a regular car!

STAY ON A CAMPSITE

• ‘Wild’ or ‘freedom’ camping is only permitted in parts of Scotland but there’s thousands of campsites and holiday parks across the UK to choose from.
• When parking up, check any local parking restrictions.  Lay-bys may only be used for resting.

LEAVE NO TRACE

• Wherever you are, dispose of litter in bins or take your rubbish home with you. 

SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITIES

• Treat local communities with respect and do what you can to support local businesses – then you’ll make sure motorhomers are made more welcome in future.

DISPOSE OF WASTE WELL

• Please ensure you dispose of the contents of toilet cassettes at appropriate chemical disposal points such as those on campsites.  (Public toilets in rural areas often cannot cope with toilet cassettes being emptied.)  Consider what chemicals you are using, too!

A PDF of the 4-page leaflet can be downloaded here and a printable 2-page version can be accessed here. NCC members can request free supplies of the leaflet by emailing membership@thencc.org.uk