First Time Campervaner - any tips

[upshitcreek]

Hi guys,

ive taken the plunge to the dark/light side this year and am coming down in a campervan. I'm a complete first timer in a campervan so not really sure what to expect. I'm also coming down with three Glasto virgins which adds to my anxiety as I want those guys to have a great experience. So have any of you lovely people got any hints or tips that would come in handy. We're staying in blue east!  

 

Much love USC

[JanieM28]

1 minute ago, upshitcreek said:

Hi guys,

ive taken the plunge to the dark/light side this year and am coming down in a campervan. I'm a complete first timer in a campervan so not really sure what to expect. I'm also coming down with three Glasto virgins which adds to my anxiety as I want those guys to have a great experience. So have any of you lovely people got any hints or tips that would come in handy. We're staying in blue east!  

 

Much love USC

Which day are you arriving? Tuesday? Loads of efesters in Campervan East to help out, at any rate.

[Trout Mask Replica]

Take an aquaroll to save many trips to fetch water. 

Use levelling blocks to keep the van level and stop you rolling out of bed.

Use the portaloos rather than your van toilet, especially for wees. The toilet cartridge fills up pretty quickly with everyone weeing in it.

Motorhome showers are not like the one you get at home. Unless you want to be fetching water all the time keep it to a soak, lather and rinse. Aim for a minute all done. Take a bucket or jug if there are ladies who want to do their hair. 

 

 

[upshitcreek]

We're arriving on the Wednesday. I've not been as active this year on here as I've been busy as fudge for a few months. Gonna start the obsessive reading that you guys have been doing for the past 10 months and hopefully pick up some tips. Thanks for the info guys 

[JoeyT]

If you're able to - pre fill your water butt before coming. Saves a bit of time when you get to the festival!

[FreshPegg]

Make sure whoever you're renting it from has refilled the gas canister - otherwise it'll be cold showers in the morning... Brrr.

[carlosj]

There's a list of suggested things to bring by stone circle if you can search for it. Avoid glass in the van if you can, getting water on-site is easy, especially if you have an aqua roll or big tub. Make sure you know how the water, shower, fridge work before you arrive, and minimise lights on, to prolong the battery life.

As TM Replica days above, and a level can allows the water to drain from sinks etc rather than up a slope. toilets can be emptied into tanks by the loos, if you use them.

Enjoy!

[The Nal]

Sweet talk the stewards at the gate. You do not want to be in E17 or 18 which is where they'll send you on Wednesday. Its fucking miles away. I was a 25 minute walk away from the entrance at gate C one year. 

[donshakey]

Get there as early as possible on the Tuesday to be as close to the gate as possible. Decant all of your glass bottles as they check your vehicle on the way in and will confiscate all glass (they don't check too carefully so you can stash some glass bottles if you need to)

[upshitcreek]

16 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Sweet talk the stewards at the gate. You do not want to be in E17 or 18 which is where they'll send you on Wednesday. Its fucking miles away. I was a 25 minute walk away from the entrance at gate C one year. 

Good advice we can't set off until Wednesday due to work commitments. I forgot to mention the van is one of the virgins so not rented, we had to book a double spot as its a big fuck off thing, does that change where we will be situated or still first up is best dressed?

[The Nal]

1 minute ago, upshitcreek said:

Good advice we can't set off until Wednesday due to work commitments. I forgot to mention the van is one of the virgins so not rented, we had to book a double spot as its a big fuck off thing, does that change where we will be situated or still first up is best dressed?

Pot luck in that case. Just really try to avoid E15, 16 or 17. They're so far away that I was considering buying a tent and staying on site after the 2nd day.

[Brave Sir Robin]

You'll need to keep your ticket safe to get in and out, and the little 'Pass Out' slip they give you on the way out to get back in. The lanyard that the Guardian guide comes in makes a great little holder for these.

[StoneCircle]

2 hours ago, upshitcreek said:

Hi guys,

ive taken the plunge to the dark/light side this year and am coming down in a campervan. I'm a complete first timer in a campervan so not really sure what to expect. I'm also coming down with three Glasto virgins which adds to my anxiety as I want those guys to have a great experience. So have any of you lovely people got any hints or tips that would come in handy. We're staying in blue east!  

 

Much love USC

Here is my list, hope you find it useful!

 

[hfuhruhurr]

Will all of you be sleeping in the van? We're half and half - so have  a couple of tents set up next to our van. If you do this, remember to ask the steward for a little extra space for your "awning".

You might be tempted to cook breakfast - I'd say no to that malarkey - have just enough to keep you going and eat on-site if funds permit. It's a right old fuss - uses water, creates waste. This year we're hobnobs and cider until we get on-site for lunch.

If you don't have an aqua-roll, then make sure you're comfortable carrying the water carriers - it can be a 100m walk from the tap. Trolleys and water carriers are a comedy duo. Also, there's often a shorter queue at the water tap that's further away. Getting water last thing at night helps, avoid 8am-noon.

 

[ClementsMike]

I've been parked up behind the actual entrance gate which is as far away as it gets, its a hike, but its manageable and there is a laid down metal surface if its wet/muddy.

Avoid getting water if you can, queues are long, or as said, do it at night.

If you take a trolley or similar with your day stuff in it, its a quicker pass through the ticket gate. Take what you need for the day, unless your very close, popping back to get stuff isn't really an option.

 

[The Nal]

Leave booze, clothes for night time etc in the lockups at Gate C. Saves you the return trip to the van.

[Wooderson]

Make sure you know how the water/battery works. Have stayed in a camper 7/8 times and something always goes wrong.

[upshitcreek]

20 hours ago, The Nal said:

Leave booze, clothes for night time etc in the lockups at Gate C. Saves you the return trip to the van.

That's a cracking shout. Cheers for that! Defo going to be Wednesday now, was almost going to be Thursday, but planned to be setting off form Manchester at about 0430 Wednesday. 

[carlosj]

20 hours ago, Wooderson said:

Make sure you know how the water/battery works. Have stayed in a camper 7/8 times and something always goes wrong.

How right you are. I was filling the water tank on arrival, and wondered why the taps weren't sending out water. After about 5 minutes of trying all sorts, a mate noticed the water flowing from under the motorhome - I'd forgotten to close the valves after recently draining the water system.

[Avalon_Fields]

A CV fridge when parked up, without access to electricity, runs on the leisure battery or the gas bottles. The battery isn't powerful enough to keep the fridge cold, so if you want the luxury of a fridge work out beforehand how to operate the fridge from the gas.

One of the best aspects of being in a CV is almost no restriction on what you can bring, so load up with whatever drinks you want and save a fortune, same with food...hence the fridge. 

Arriving on Wednesday you will almost certainly have a long walk to the gates. It's not that big an issue as you don't have to carry lots, unlike those in tents, just be organised so you don't have to trek back to the CV unnecessarily during the day.

hope this helps

 

[Wooderson]

Something as simple as a funnel can help enormously with getting water into the tank.

[clarkete]

1 hour ago, Avalon_Fields said:

just be organised so you don't have to trek back to the CV unnecessarily during the day.

I've stayed in rented caravans, which are usually at the far end of E25, so we go out for the day with the intention of making  no return trips at all. 

As others have said, you can put into lockers, in my case I put other layers into a folding rucksack and then put them on as the day progresses, then fold the rucksack up and shove it in a pocket.

[funkyuk]

Leave a bag of spare clothes or other festival essentials at a lockup, so you dont have to schlep all the way back to the van if it turns wet, cold or sunny all of a sudden

[Nick S]

My advice. Tuesday is too early. Feels like you're hanging round forever waiting for the festival to start. We were all burned out by Saturday morning last year because of it! Going up Weds this year as a result. We know we'll be at the back of the east CV fields, but it's negligible. What's an extra 5 minutes on a whole days walking....

[funkyuk]

Last year in big ground the family in the tents next to us were campervanning, and had a couple of small tents with their clothes where they could kick back and chill during the day within earshot of the pyramid they only went back to their van late at night for sleep.