In recent years, roadside stations and RV parks have been developed all over the country, and van-dwelling and car trips in campers are popular.
Van-dwelling has many advantages, such as being able to easily travel without being tied to accommodation reservations, check-in, and check-out times, and being a car for families with small children and pets.
If you leave your home and head to your destination when the road is open the night before, you can travel comfortably without traffic jams.
If you are traveling by car, if you get sleepy while driving, you will often take a nap at SA / PA or a roadside station and head to your destination once more.
However, recently, the bad manners of staying in the car for some passengers have become a social problem, and it seems that the number of roadside stations that prohibit staying in the car is increasing.
As a van-dwelling fan or a camper owner, I can’t leave it alone.
We all want to follow the rules and make the car trip more comfortable!
So, this time, I will introduce the manners and rules that you must follow at least when you stay in the car.
I think most people are protecting it, but let’s take this opportunity to check once more!
10 manners and rules for enjoying a car trip
Do not stay for a long time
Roadside stations, SA / PA, etc. are not accommodation facilities.
If you use it as an overnight stay, use an RV park or campsite, and stay at the roadside station or service area only for breaks and naps, and do not stay for a long time such as staying consecutive nights!
Also, I think that most parking lots are free of charge, but it is also a violation of etiquette to leave the camping trailer and go out with only a head car.
Do not camp
Basically, you cannot spread out tables and chairs outside the car to eat, barbecue, and cook with a burner. Don’t forget that it is a facility for breaks and naps! If you want to have a barbecue, use a dedicated facility such as a campsite.
Use of power supply
If you have a power source, don’t use it without permission, such as connecting to a camper or charging your cell phone.
If you need power, use facilities that allow you to use power, such as RV parks and auto campsite power sites.
Illegal dumping of garbage
Of course, it is not good to illegally dump garbage in parking lots and other places, but even in places where trash cans are installed, this is basically installed to dispose of garbage generated in the facility. Don’t throw trash from your travels or travels to a takeaway facility.
Toilet treatment
If you use portable toilets or cassette toilets in your car, do not perform these processes in public parking lots such as roadside stations.
Drainage of gray tank / water supply to water supply tank
A gray tank for domestic wastewater installed in a camper.
Let’s not let the drainage flow to the place without passing through the tank, let the gray tank flow into the gutter, etc., and conversely, stop supplying water to the water supply tank without permission.
Use of generator
I think that some people use the generator loaded in a camper van to charge the sub-battery. Since the generator uses an engine, when using it, carefully consider the time and place so as not to inconvenience neighbors and other passengers, and do not use it in places that may be annoying. ..
Use with multiple units such as off-campus
It’s fun to get together with friends who have the same hobbies, such as off-campus meetings and club meetings!
Of course, it is okay to use the roadside station, but if you use it with multiple cars or multiple people, be careful not to make noise or occupy the parking space. Just because you are using it as a group, it may be seen by other users as such, so it seems that you need to be more careful than usual.
Parking in the wheelchair mark space
Protect your parking space, not just the wheelchair mark space.
Do not park your regular car in a place dedicated to large cars, or park it in a place other than the parking space.
Useless idling
Air pollution due to air gas and noise will cause inconvenience to neighbors and other passengers.
If you have a camper with a home air conditioner or FF heater connected to the sub-battery, you can use it even if the engine is stopped, so stop idling. Also, even if your car is not equipped with such a thing, take measures once morest the heat and cold to minimize idling.
summary
The above is the “10 rules for strict etiquette in public parking lots” announced by the Japan RV Association.
Campers are attracting a lot of attention at roadside stations and SA / PA, and are a longing existence. It would be nice to be able to use it as a model for other users!
Of course, you should follow the instructions here, but don’t let anything that isn’t written in your way disturb the facility, other users, or neighbors, and enjoy your car trip!
* In addition to the above, there may be local rules for each facility, so please check in advance before using.
Writer: DRIMO editorial department
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