Its all very well living the van life and calling yourself a vanlifer But are you a responsible vanlifer?
With the massive increase in the number of people joining the van life community here in the UK (which is great) this does unfortunately mean we are all tarred with the same brush and there are a few vanlifers out there that are giving us all a bad name.
What Is A Responsible Vanlifer?
A responsible vanlifer is a person that has nothing but respect for the land, the law, their surroundings and the people that they share it with.
A responsible vanlifer doesn't exclusively mean you live in your van full-time, many people consider themselves a vanlifer by simply owning a campervan/motorhome that they use regularly.
Anyone that owns a campervan/motorhome is more than welcome to display the sticker to let others know that they are a responsible vanlifer, not just those that live in their vans full-time.
Unfortunately the van life community is getting hit with some pretty negative press lately, some of the complaints include:
Multiple vans parking together for long periods of time in public areas.
Rubbish being left behind.
Noise complaints.
Bushes being used as toilets & emptying toilets in bushes.
Very rude when asked to move on.
Obviously this is a very small part of the van life community that are causing problems, this does however reflect badly on all of us.
What Can We Do?
For those of us that care about our reputation as vanlifers and do not want to be seen in a negative way, I`m sure we can all agree on a set of simple principles:
I WILL DISPOSE OF MY WASTE PROPERLY:
I will never leave any rubbish behind once I leave, I will either take it with me or throw it in the nearest bin.
I DO NOT MAKE UNNECESSARY NOISE:
I will always do my best to keep any noise to a minimum.
​I DO NOT LIGHT FIRES ON THE GROUND:
I will never light a fire directly on the ground, I use either a fire pit or BBQ.
I DO NOT PARK WHERE I AM NOT WELCOME:
I always try to park somewhere that is discreet, I will never cause an obstruction, I will never park on private land without the owners permission and I will always move on if asked politely.
I AM CONSIDERATE TOWARDS OTHERS:
I am always respectful of others and will not interfere other than by invitation or by necessity.
MY DOG/S ARE UNDER CONTROL AT ALL TIMES:
I always keep my dog/s under control and always pick up after them.
I DISPOSE OF MY TOILET & GREY WATER CORRECTLY:
I always empty my toilet and grey water tank by using the correct facilities.
IT`S LIKE I WAS NEVER HERE:
I aim to leave the land in the same condition as I found it.
Display The Responsible Vanlifer Sticker In Your Window.
One small, simple thing we can all do is display the responsible vanlifer sticker in our window, this shows that we all care about our lifestyle and we are not all the same, Its a small gesture that can bring us all closer as a community.
If any concerned member of the public wants to scan the QR code or you would like to show them, they will be directed to a webpage where they will soon see that you are a respectful and responsible vanlifer.
If you are staying at a pub stopover the landlord can have peace of mind knowing that you are not going to take advantage of their kindness.
If you park up next to another campervan that is displaying the sticker, you know you can relax and get a good nights sleep.
The QR code will take you to THIS PAGE
Lets spread the word, Lets make a change and help each other out.
The stickers are 75mm round, gloss white vinyl, for internal use, can be taken down and re-used and can be read/scanned from the outside.