overlanders van festival 2023 Review

18/09/2023 / 0 Comments

overlanders van festival 2023 Review

It’s with a certain sense of irony that the last van life event of 2023 was at the same location as my first van life event at the Stratford Upon Avon racecourse back in 2023.

Organisation and Parking.

Couldn’t have been easier. Rock up to the front gate with the friendly staff, scan the QR code, follow the track around and park up. I was lucky that once again Heather had kept a spare space for me and there’s no better moment of rocking up seeing your mates, grabbing a chair, settling down with a drink, or even better being offered a brew when you arrive. It’s those moments when you haven’t seen your van life mates for months that make that 4 hour drive disappear into the either.

Spaces were nicely marked out, plenty of space around us all and the ground nice and level for the most. I did spot some vans with the ramps and all that yet overall the ground seemed nice and level.

There were plenty of vans in the main attraction area pumping out tunes, live music but never so much to permeate into the sleeping areas and best of all I had no idea what time the music stopped. The quietness ended naturally for the event it felt unlike other events where the hammer went down at 10am (looking at you Warner group).

The Cost.

For 3 days of camping, plus talks, live music, showers and facilities was around £80 for 3 days. A price given the cost of living you really cant complain at. There are campsite which will charge more just to park on a bit of grass in Pembrokeshire that charge a lot more for a lot less.

What was on offer was a nice mix, the usual trade stands where you can buy a van starting from 20k, fancy a roof box for 2k or how about a total cool over priced solar panel or fridge for £200? You were covered but what I personally liked was the jumble sales. A change to get bits and bobs that you might need and I ended up taking a chance on a battery for my van just costing me £20. Will it work im not entirely sure but I’ll take a punt to support people who turn up.

The downside was the location of the jumble, being in the concourse of the racecourse with only one crossing point going over the raceway to the jumble area. This would of been better placed over with the tanks on the far side of the walking about and mooching area rather than a protracted walk to get there.

Back to costs
Beer and cider £5
Fish and chips £12.50
Pint of Pimms £10
Curry Goat £12
Coffee £3.50
1/4 Burger £7.50

Over the three days there was a definite pattern of food traders being dead during the day and then picking up early evening onwards. The cost of living has put pay to “cant be bothered to cook, let’s eat out”. Now it’s more people choosing to have a treat night than anything else.

Even during the last of the summer weather on Friday where it was baking, there was never a queue for the bar even when the late night acoustic bands were in effect. No fault of the event more a combination of the cost of living and the artificially inflated prices of holding an event at a racecourse.

The Traders Feedback

Like I’ve mentioned there was a nice little mix of those selling vans, expensive trailers and new heating equipment through to those handy bit’s and bobs for a few quid. People were mooching around yet to me it seemed more like something to do rather than spend money. That being said quirky bar b cues were oft seen being carted around the site and who could blame anyone with summer seemingly having an agreement with autumn to finish a few weeks early and let it take up the slack.

I always try and speak to traders how they have done. It’s more common for the majority to say we have covered costs, made fuel money and it’s great to see their enthusiasm still there for these events. Do bear in mind this being a smaller event the same was said from traders at the bigger van life events.

There has been some feedback on the disappointment of traders lacking on a Sunday. A valid point but have some sympathy for them, a severe weather warning was in place for Sunday and I would say the majority were there till 3pm.

Overall.

Had Friday’s sunny balmy blitz continued onwards through the weekend I have no doubt this would have been heralded as a a punctuation for the end of the season. No doubt in my mind if the Indian summer had prevailed it would have been a completely different experience. That’s not to say it was bad at all.. More a case of what if.

05/09/2023 / 0 Comments

Skegvegas Vanlife Festival 2023 – An Unexpected Surprise

Booked on a whim and in the midst of a great depression, I booked a last minute ticket to a van life event in Skegvegas. Ok so it was nearer to Boston but it turned out to be Lincolnshires Biggest Vanlife event. Here’s my video of what was like

Skegvegas Vanlife 2023

If you dont want to watch the video was ti any good. Hell yes. Despite having I would say a couple of thousand van’s there it still managed to retain a certain charm and atmosphere but that was no doubt helped but the good, if somewhat windy weather.

It’s definitely worth going to and indeed getting there early unlike me to really make the most out of the weekend as theres no staying overnight on a sunday. This is friday to sunday event.

Will I go again. For sure. Despite it not being a event I would say you would make friends at due to its size and the hipster nature of it, read the cliche of guys wearing baseball hats, short sleeve Teese and a long beard is becoming a touch cliche now, it’s well worth a visit if you are in the vicinity.

Other than me ripping on the hipster style of things the only bad thing I have to say about Skegvegas Vanlife is the fact it’s so far away from where I live.

03/09/2023 / 0 Comments

Can you drink alcohol in your Van / Campervan Whilst Stealth Camping

The law is clear in the UK: don’t drink and drive. However, while drink driving is clearly unacceptable, there is a difficulty for Campervan and motorhome owners. Part of the reason motorhomes are so popular is because of their flexibility. They’re both a vehicle and living accommodation all wrapped up in one tidy package. However, while at home you can pour yourself another glass knowing that you aren’t breaking the law, in a motorhome it’s far from clear.

Just as by arranging motorhome insurance demonstrates you’re a law-abiding citizen, how can you stay on the right side of the law when it comes to drinking alcohol in your motorhome?

Laws on alcohol and driving

Drink driving laws in the UK are strictly enforced and carry severe penalties upon conviction. Figures from the Department for Transport show that in 2018 alone around 240 people were killed and 8,700 people were injured in crashes on British roads where at least one of the drivers was over the drink drive limit.

The two main offences are:

To drive or attempt to drive with excess alcohol (while exceeding the legal limit).
To be in charge of a motor vehicle with excess alcohol (while exceeding the legal limit).

Drinking and driving is clearly going to fall foul of the first offence. However, it’s the second offence that can cause particular problems for motorhome owners. After all, being drunk ‘in charge’ of a motor vehicle on a road or in a public place is a serious offence and carries similar penalties to drink driving.

According to the government website, being ‘in charge’ while unfit through drink could lead to three months’ imprisonment, up to £2500 fine or a possible driving ban. While ‘driving or attempting to drive’ while unfit through drink could lead to six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine or a driving ban for at least one year.

If you’re unclear about the rules concerning drinking and sleeping in your motorhome, make sure you contact your motorhome insurance provider for further information.

Roads and public places

What about when you’ve parked up for the night and want to have a glass of wine while you watch the sun go down? What are the issues then?

If you’re staying at a private campsite there should be no legal problem with having a drink or two with dinner and then settling down for a restful night’s sleep. However, if you’re parked in a layby, next to a highway or even a pub car park then things get far greyer. In these situations, it might be advisable to stay within the legal limit or avoid the booze altogether. Check out our compiled list of where you can legally park up within the UK for some tips.

In charge of a motor vehicle

There is unfortunately no hard and fast definition of the term ‘in charge’. So, each case will depend on the exact circumstances you find yourself in. While you have a legal defence if you show there was no likelihood of you driving when drunk this is for you to prove – and to do so might require a stressful appearance in court.

Clearly if you’re sat in the driver’s seat with the keys in your hand, you’re at greater risk than if you’re in your pyjamas, with your curtains drawn and your bed made up. However, you’re still not entirely safe from prosecution. Remember that not only do you have to show that you don’t intend to drive but also that there’s no likelihood of you driving until you’re sober enough to do so.

How much can you drink?

There’s simply no fool-proof way of drinking alcohol and staying under the drink-drive limit. How much you can drink before exceeding the driving limit will vary from person to person. It depends on:

Your weight, age, sex, and metabolism
The type and amount of alcohol
What you’ve eaten
Stress levels

Be aware if you’ve had a lot to drink, you may still be over the legal limit the following morning. Use this calculator, courtesy of the Morning After drink-drive campaign, to find out roughly how long it can take to sober up from a night of drinking. You’ll be unpleasantly surprised!

Be prepared

If you’re going to drink in your motorhome then follow these steps to protect yourself. Before even your first sip of alcohol, you must:

Ensure your motorhome is already parked up for the night. Do not take the risk of having to move it later to the right place, even if it’s just a short distance or manoeuvre. A large motorhome is tricky to handle at the best of times.
Make sure your motorhome isn’t causing an obstruction. You don’t want to have to move it later.
Have some evidence that you’re planning to stay for a while, so you could prove your intention to sleep overnight in the motorhome rather than driving elsewhere. For example, put your silver-screens in the windscreen, pop on a steering lock and put jacks or steadies down.

After you’ve had a drink of alcohol, you must:

Pop the keys in a safe if you have one.
Never start up the engine in your motorhome, even to charge batteries.
Never place the key in or anywhere near the ignition.
Never sit behind the steering wheel or in the driver’s seat if it’s facing forwards.

Now all of this wont protect you from the law because theres always the “intent” which is why its of paramount importance to park somewhere that you wont have to move your vehicle.

For more insights and adventures related to van life, check out my other articles on A Van Life Thing. From reviews of van life events to personal experiences like The Hangry Van Man’s Adventure, there’s a wealth of knowledge and stories to explore.

Month: September 2023 (page 1 of 1)