With increasing demand, both caravans as well as the regulation of parking lots needs. Once these are in place, the confusion will be cleared and our country more tourists will visit.
The number of people traveling by caravan in Turkey has recently increased more than ever. However, it seems inevitable to make some changes in the legislation on caravans as some deficiencies have emerged with the increase in demand. This is because the last time the legislation on motorhomes and towed caravans was amended was between 1997 and 2008. Nothing much has changed since then. So what is the problem?
YOU CANNOT OPEN AWNINGS IN THE CARAVAN PARK
Before answering this, I would like to emphasize the difference between a caravan park and a caravan camp. When we say parking area, we should think of places supported by the local government, usually close to the city. When you park here, you cannot open your awning or put your table and chairs outside. Motorhomes can generally park in these areas, towed caravans are prohibited here. There are no shower/WC areas. There are only gray water discharge for caravans, a place where you can fill clean water (this is the name given to domestic waste water collected from showers, bathtubs, sinks, etc. other than septic tank waste) and facilities where you can empty the WC cassette, which we call black water in the caravan. Most importantly, especially abroad
you can park here for free. However, you can stay for a maximum of 4 days for others to benefit. Caravan camps are places where you can spend your long vacation. They are usually near the sea, lake and have many facilities from washing machines to dryers. We can say that it resembles a kind of resort hotel.
RULES NOT YET CLEAR IN TURKEY
Since there are currently no restrictions in Turkey, you can easily stay by the sea or lake, in touch with nature, without ever entering these facilities. However, this is almost impossible in Europe. Laws do not allow you to stay wherever you want with a caravan.
As a person who makes long caravan routes in Turkey, one of the most disturbing issues for me is those who see caravanning as a free vacation opportunity and find caravan facilities expensive, so they usually stay on the seaside irregularly and for a very long time, causing disturbance to the environment.
As if this is not enough, there are also those who spread out in the location and own these places for a few weeks or even a few months, which actually causes ecological problems. When you ask, every caravanner will tell you “Caravan is freedom, nature friendly”, but discharging the gray and black water that forms over time somewhere indiscriminately means harming the environment. That’s why we need to support caravan parks and camping businesses so that new ones can be built and multiply.
More camping and parking areas also means more caravanners coming to our country from abroad… Unfortunately, foreign caravanners usually come to our neighboring Greece and stay there because there are not enough facilities and publicity.
We can say that caravan parks are just gaining importance in Turkey. Local governments are now trying harder for this. The first steps have been taken with the logic that those who come with caravans should visit our city, shop, taste our local dishes. Caravan parking lots were built in cities such as Tarsus, Konya and Gaziantep. The continuation is also coming rapidly.
We say that a caravan park or campground should have norms, but let’s explain what this is with a few short examples from abroad. In order for caravan parks and campsites to get approval
a certain square meter requirement is required. This is two different values for parking and camping.
In addition, gray water, black water separation, showers according to capacity, number of WCs, fire extinguishers (there are no fire extinguishers in the parking lots), fire trucks can easily enter and maneuver comfortably inside
.
There are also laws for caravan manufacturers, which are more difficult for them. Here, there are separate norms for everything from which cable for where, the size of the gas cylinder, the characteristics of the cabinet where the pressure cylinders are located, to clean water, gray water, heating and cooling connections. There are separate units that control these.
NAVIGATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE ROUTE
In a passenger car, the TÜV caravan you know is one of them, and a gas test is required every two years. If you do not have a water tightness test, your vehicle is out of warranty.
Caravans also have special navigators. Since they are generally high and wide vehicles, you define this information to the navigation device and it draws a route for you accordingly. It gives the width of the road and the height of bridges and tunnels.
There are also apps where you can easily find camping and parking areas together according to your destinations. The most well-known and used of these is ‘park4night’.
Recently, caravan-related festivals and fairs have increased in Turkey. In fact, caravan manufacturers, camping owners, distributors, dealers and material suppliers who sell caravans are coming together and preparing to produce solutions for the problems in Turkey and present them to the relevant authorities. Who knows, maybe in the near term, local and foreign tourists will come together in more camping venues!
