G'day ,on boxing day we are hitching up and going to have a go at free camping for a couple of weeks ,we were going to camp along the Murray River but with all the flooding we will have to wait till closer to the day to make a final decision, if not we will just go with no set plan ..As we have never free camped while touring what are the ground rules to follow that would be acceptable to most reasonable fellow campers ..Things like open fires (if there are no fire bans, try and have them where there has already been a fire, so that you dont leave another burn mark, if you have a choofer all the better), when you arrive or leave (it's up to you as long as you're not waking people up at 6am or 10pm),how close to camp next to your neighbour (if there are only 2 of you there, park at the other end to where they are, if it's busy leave at least 2 van lenghts, as said before, but that could allow somebody to park closer if it gets realy busy),cleaning up mess left by other campers (when ever we get to a freecamp, if there is a mess, we get the rubber gloves and plastic bag out and clean up) ,when to stop any noise (its depends again on how busy it is, if it's quiet and you are away from neighbors then noise at your discression, if it's busy and they are close then talk to them and ask what time the settle down, most people think 9 is about the time for lights out, but can stretch to 9.30),how long to stay if the area is crowded to give other folk a chance to stay there (with any freecamp it is first in, first served, but some areas have a maximum time specified, if it's busy then move on at the time allowed),is it acceptable to empty the overnight wee bucket in the bush away from other campers (not realy, if you have a porta potty, that can usually go about 3 days, then go for a drive and find a long drop [OK if you use nappy treatment in it] or public toilet or dump point, IF you have to use a tree, do it well away from the camp area [and the river] and dig a hole, even for #1's only [you can still use nappy treatment in a bucket).Is it a no no at truck stops and are there signs to say trucks only (trucks only, means trucks only, usually means that there is no room for vans and it could be dangerous, if you have to stop and if it says truck stop and no other signs, get out and talk to one of the truckies there and ask him if he thinks it's OK tell him you need to stop and ask where the best place to park is) ,any hints you can give will be appreciated as we would like it to be as hassle free as possible and to fit in with fellow campers ...Cheers ..BoB...

what is the go with port a potties in public toilets?
I know dump points are the preferred- but sometimes they are not available within the alloted time

Is it ok to empty into a toilet? Just wondering on etiquette.