Chair Kate Joblin shut the debate down just as His Worship and councillor Rob Vinsen began to lock horns.
Mr McDouall said Whanganui should roll out the red carpet for freedom campers saying that as "tourist beggars" Whanganui could ill-afford to be choosers.
Freedom campers are good for the city and spend money here at gas stations, cafes, restaurants, supermarkets and so on.
Many park up overnight along Taupo Quay near the iSite centre but those not in self-contained campervans need access to a 24-hour toilet facility.
A proposal to convert a disused dangerous goods store on Taupo Quay into a 24 hour toilet facility is before council.
By not providing it, the city risked discouraging important tourism dollars and put pressure on existing facilities such as the toilet in the iSite centre which was close to capacity use during opening hours, a previous report said.
Some councillors think the freedom campers should be moved on, others oppose the new toilet facility.
But the mayor is adamant the city should embrace the tourist dollars.
"We risk putting up the barbed wire and the drawbridge and saying to freedom campers 'you're not welcome here'. I think we should be doing exactly the opposite. In fact I'd be extending the red carpet to freedom campers," Mr McDouall argued.
Whanganui currently enjoys a good reputation among freedom campers, he said.
"When I was representing Whanganui at the big Campervan Association expo, three people came up to me and said 'Whanganui - freedom camping friendly'. "
Mr Vinsen raised concerns about freedom campers who do not drive self-contained vehicles and suggested they should be provided for elsewhere.
"We should be aware of the problems others are having.
"Timaru are telling us they have at least 50 un self contained vehicles camping every night in Timaru. They've been really concerned about it.
"Thames-Coromandel has gone to the extreme of banning freedom camping altogether.
"I don't see any necessity for that. All we need to do is put up a sign and say self-contained vehicles only.
"Non self-contained vehicles can go to another area, where we might provide them with a facility.
"There's no move afoot to try and ban the legitimate camper van owner."
Philippa Baker-Hogan waded in saying the city needed a policy on freedom camping before it could make a decision about the toilet facility.
"We have no teeth at all. We can't be pro-active and educational because we have no bylaw and no policy. And that's the issue," Ms Baker-Hogan said.
Helen Craig said a more in-depth discussion was needed.
"It's not necessarily a case of shove a by-law in and control things that way."
Ms Joblin said time was allocated in August to examine and debate the issue.
"What is scheduled is a thoughtful, timely, well-informed look at freedom camping and how we should respond as a town, without getting on our high horses."
FOOTNOTE: Asked by the Chronicle for a photograph with his mattress in the back of his vehicle, Mr McDouall said he's love to but the car was written off three weeks ago when it was nose to tailed while lent to friends. "We will again when we get another station wagon."
