The “10-Year Rule” in the camping business is something that experienced RVers love to debate but likely have seldom, if ever, experienced in their own travels.
Rules that ban RVs with more than 10 or 15 years of “experience” are the Bigfoot of camping. You likely haven’t run into a park that enforces those rules, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there.
Most RVers assume the reason for the 10-Year Rule at any park has to do with a big dose of snobbery. Park owners assume those folks in the brand-new $500,000 rig won’t want to rub shoulders with the common folks rolling in with their “vintage” Winnebagos and Shasta trailers.
Most campground owners do all that they can to stay away from age-limit rules, too. One recent RVtravel.com reader called any 10-Year Rule “outright discrimination,” which it isn’t. Parks that do institute an RV age rule do it for many reasons. It is a deliberate business decision on the part of the campground owner, not discrimination.
Similar to HOAs
Private campgrounds can resemble small towns on most summer weekends, with thousands of folks in close proximity hopefully all having a good time. But any time you put that many people in a somewhat confined space, you are going to have to have some “rules of engagement.”
Just like most HOAs (Homeowner’s Associations), campground owners have developed certain rules over time that help them smoothly run their businesses and also aid in the enjoyment of most of their guests. A few owners may have chosen to include the 10-Year Rule in that list of rules, and that’s their right as a business owner.
They may have decided to concentrate on luring more high-end motorhomes. Also, they might assume—rightly or wrongly—that those high-end owners won’t want to park next to the 20-year-old diesel pusher with a few dents and dings. They may also have had some problems with older rigs in the past. It may have been a broken rig unable to leave the spot, leaky plumbing, etc. Regardless of the reason, it’s their park, their rules.
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It could get worse
Since the summer of 2020, we’ve entered an era where supply and demand now favor the campground owner. There are so many campers out there competing for a finite number of sites that owners can afford to be picky.
With the RV manufacturing industry cranking out 600,000+ new units a year, the ability of campground owners to pick and choose their customers becomes greater. A campground full of nothing but shiny new motorhomes has more curb appeal than one sprinkled with Shasta Airflytes and retooled school buses.
The other side of that coin is that existing RV owners—spooked by tales of rubbish RVs rolling off assembly lines—are more likely to hang onto the rig they have a bit longer, thus exacerbating the issue as they perhaps step over the 10-Year Rule line.
Millions of new RVers in brand-new rigs
The wave of millions of new RVers out there, rolling down the road in brand-new rigs, might be less likely to use a campground that allows the older rigs. All RV park owners want to get their share of these newbies, because the glut of campers we are currently experiencing won’t last forever.
Another factor in a potential increase in the number of campgrounds with 10-Year Rules could be changes in ownership.
As more “Mom & Pop” campgrounds are snapped up by large investors and big ownership groups, it stands to reason that the 10-Year Rule will more often make their list of park laws. After all, investors aren’t the ones who have to enforce the rules, or stand toe-to-toe with angry RVers. There are plenty of campers right now to pick and choose from, and its likely these investors will see someone driving a half-million-dollar RV as someone they’d prefer to do business with.
What you can do
If you find yourself driving or pulling a rig that’s ten years or older, don’t panic! Here are a few things to consider:
- There are still far, far more private campgrounds that allow older rigs than those that don’t. If the one closest to where you want to go isn’t allowing older rigs, look next door. They likely have close-by competition that is more than willing to take what they don’t seem to want.
- Public campgrounds (federal, state, and national parks) aren’t interested in guessing the birthday of your rig. You’ll always have a safe landing there.
- Try to keep up appearances. If your vintage RV looks like it’s been well taken care of, it’s more likely to pass muster.
- If you see a 10-Year Rule posted on a campground’s website, it’s OK to call and ask if an exception can be made. Be ready with nice looking (but current) photos of your rig, should they ask to see them before confirming. Sometimes the 10-Year Rule is there to give owners an out when a truly undesirable rig rolls in.
- If you’re all set up at a park with a 10-Year Rule, keep it quiet. It’s tempting to brag to your camping neighbor about how well your 15-year-old RV looks and performs. But you might be talking with a rule follower who just can’t help reporting you to the owner.
- Be aware that occasionally (and hopefully very rarely) you might run into a campground with a 10-Year Rule. Just like those Bigfoot sightings, we’ve all heard tales of these encounters and it’s certainly possible that there are more out there. Have a Plan B in place and be ready to roll with it if need be.
The RVing landscape will no doubt continue to evolve rapidly as parks add more sites and more RV campgrounds come online in desirable areas. If you do run head-on into a 10-Year Rule park, an angry outburst won’t get you far. All you can do it ask nicely, and graciously accept the owner’s ruling. It’s their park, their rules.
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##RVT1045
That’s funny. The first thing that came to mind when I read the lead-in to the article was HOA. I don’t ever want to live anywhere that’s in one, but I get why they exist.
I have read about campgrounds, especially those with seasonal spots that have old rv there, owner dies, no family, so it is up to the park to get rid of the rv. That comes with great cost of time and money. As for 10 year rule, drive on by if you do not agree, the owners have the right to make their own rules. For me personally, safe and quiet and friendly people and little families always put a smile on my face, no matter the age of the RV.
We are in a Florida park that has 6 abandoned RVs that the owner must now dispose of. Latest figure is $32,000. There is no 10 year rule but will be next year.
I’ll do it for $16k!
Are you kidding me?. My heart bleeds for them! It’s less trouble than picking up the trash every day.
In other words it is just a cost of doing business. Suck it up buttercup!
Seems to me a junkyard would probably pay them a little something and take them away.
The park owner doesn’t have title to these units and must take legal action through the courts to dispose of them. That usually means lawyers and $$$.
Why don’t the campground owners change the contracts they have campers sign? My gosh, if I don’t pick up my shirts from the dry cleaners, the store has the right to dispose of them. Sign in store explicitly says it. An rv is not real property. “Real” property is a legal term.
This is just nonsense. Put them on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace for free. They would be gone so fast your head would spin.
Yes, the ten year rule is 100% about snobbery.
Cost of doing business. They were happy to take lot rent for who knows how long on those sites.
This is part of the problem with RV parks that turn into permanent parks, people age in place and die, and their rigs stop running when never used to roll down the road. And it is part of the cost of doing business for those parks to have a ‘plan B’ for those sites. I have heard the corporations brag about how hard it is to remove a park model, so they are guaranteed rent for a lifetime.
Normal RV parks have rules that rigs must be occupied and must be roadworthy, and there are time limits on stays. No 10 year rule is necessary for those parks.
We are wintering near PHX in a nice RV Park. But, the corp goal is to fill it with annual rentals. They have no rules that they enforce. Several RVs look like they belong in a junk yard and some of the RVer behaviors are less than desirable. We have an 18 yr old MH in excellent condition and will stay in a 10yr rule park next winter.
What? You have an 18 yr old rig and you plan to move to a 10-year rule park? You are not allowed in them!
That sure sounds like discrimination to me. Fortunately, I don’t own a “vintage” RV. I have met some really fine people in rigs older than ours. It is older but you can readily see some effort in keeping it up is being made. What happened to the ideal among owners that we are all seeking the freedom of labels and hassles of daily life.
If it is discrimination, then so would age 55 and older RV Parks
I don’t have the Beverly Hillbillies rig with Granny’s rocker on top. I use my ‘17 TT that I bought in 2020.
These issues always boil down to money. Sure, they’ll get the same “$55” per night from any rig but if they believe million dollar snobs will poo-poo the site that doesn’t discriminate, they will draw the line.
Our 2012 Lance 1685 is too old and too short (!) for us to join our friends at their favorite resort in Arizona. We would have to find a different place to stay then visit them, I guess. Our trailer is in excellent condition.
We encountered the 10 year limit. They requested pictures and we were accepted. I was angry but we wanted the single night in that vicinity. It’s a concern to them of beat up vintage with mold and torn awnings and such. Take care of your RV and all should be well.
We have a park with over 200 RV sites and currently we do not have a 10year rule but we do have a 20year rule that is about to change to a 15year rule. We make exceptions for restorations that we will inspect upon arrival at the park, we do not allow “Conversions” or Vans, Pickup Bed Tents, or anything like that, the rig must have been built to be an RV from day one unless it was a custom in which case we will verify that as well upon arrival. Statistics in our park and area show that people in old rigs tend to abandon their rig once it has major repair issues and is deemed not worth fixing, we’re finding in more recent years that younger people who shall we say prefer the unecumbered lifestyle buy old rigs because they’re dirt cheap and too many of those are concession stands for drug dealing. We currently have long term stay accommodations (Snow Birds, Construction Workers, etc), older rigs turn into tenements very quickly. Lots of money to get these people and rigs out.
Great that means me and my drug dealing wife only have 1 more year to camp at your establishment. Oh well maybe you will have the 15 year rule by then and it will be no problem. You see it’s not so much the reason you have the rules because I truly do understand the reasoning. I know the whole spill about how much it costs you to operate. However it is the snobbish way you present yourself that rubs people wrong. We should have learned this in kindergarten.
Oh, I am sorry as I will never make the trip to your facility as my 33 y/o restored Airstream “might” not pass your inspection. I am sure if I was a minority, being allowed in would be tough as well…
One star! If I call that’s what you are guaranteed!!
We have been asked about the age of our rig several times when making reservations. One campground in North Dakota enforced it. The campground owner claimed that too many older rigs were abandoned at his place leaving him to figure out how to dispose of them.
I would not call it “rare” over the last 13 years of full time travel we have seen many, some enforced some not, most use the rule to stop unsafe rigs from entering. You don’t want a rig blowing up next to youdue to a propane leak, or a homemade wood burning stove. yup we’ve seen a few.
I read in the news that a Tesla had a fire. Wasn’t more than 4 years old. Age of a rig is not synonymous with quality or how well maintained it is. Just because something is older doesn’t mean it is unsafe. You can purchase a great used rv or a piece of junk, but you really can’t determine unless it is fully inspected from the inside out and not vice versa.
On it’s face it sounds like discrimination. You are refusing service because of someones socio-economic status.
Then several times you confirm it by mentioning the snob factor.
We don’t want ‘those’ people in here.
Exactly, this writer confirmed it’s snobbery after saying it’s not.
It may be true that people in the lower socio-economic levels can’t afford a new half million dollar motorhome, or a ten year old one. But there are a lot of us at higher levels that are perfectly happy with our older units – our 2005 Dutch Star is 17 years old and well kept. We have been looking for newer units, but even without the problems we hear about with DEF and computer controlled everything, we haven’t found a newer unit with a floor plan and size we like better than what we have. We’ve never bought new vehicles, not because we couldn’t but because I consider that big initial depreciation as wasted money, plus we have fewer problems with manufacturing defects and less need for 20 year financing.
Exactly. We are in the same boat. We went looking for a new model and nothing had good enough quality and a desirable floor plan.
Our DP was bought new 10 years ago. I would challenge anyone to guess its age without checking the registration. We have been in the market to replace it, but at 79 years old it does seem foolish to spend what is required for an equivalent coach even if we could find one with a great floorplan (for us). Other than at our home base, Jojoba Hills SKP Resort, we seldom stay any place for a week or more and I would be willing to send photos to any campground manager wanting to see them before letting us in.
I’m all for park owners being able to do this. Like you said, “Their park, their rules”. But it is in fact discrimination. Just check the Merriam Webster dictionary – item 1b. They have indeed made a distinction and the category in this case is – Older than 10 years.
discrimination
dis·crim·i·na·tion | \ di-ˌskri-mə-ˈnā-shən \
Definition of discrimination
1
a: prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment
racial discrimination
b: the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually
Definition of discriminating
1: making a distinction : DISTINGUISHING
I would not just concede to their draconion rules if my rig is 12 years old and looks new.
Unless you stand up and fight for your rights, nothing will change except bully park owners pushing you around, like elites do. Some of us are adults in the room. C’mon man!
Their park..their rules..
One star reviews for “their rules”!!
Nice job on this article. Factual and polite.
We just got home from Heritage RV Resort in Orange Beach Alabama. It’s class A and has the 10 year rule. The lots are all beautifully landscaped and have casitas and outdoor kitchens on them. You can use the outdoor seating, kitchen but not the casita. They are all owned privately and we like this. No kids running around on skateboards, no one bothers you, everyone cleans up poop, everyone goes for nice walks on the beach that’s part of the resort. We try to find places like this when we vacation. There’s a nice one in Montana and near Ft, Lauderdale we have been to.
Tiger Run in Breckinridge used to be Class A years ago, but has changed a lot because of families with kids wanting to visit, they still have the 10 year rule, but I have seen teardrop campers in there and lots of travel trailers over the last 10 years.
It’s interesting how you just illustrated the point about those driving expensive Class A rigs don’t want to mix with the mere “common folk”.
I am glad there are parks out there that accommodate people with half million dollar or more rigs and the people who own them. I personally don’t care if a park has a 10 year rule or not. It’s really not a slap in the face of us that love our less expensive, older rigs. It’s a lifestyle thing. And as you know their are all sorts of lifestyles. It takes all kinds to make the world go round.
So are you bragging or complaining?
Bologna. It is *exactly* a matter of snobbery and discrimination, and comparing the rules to those of an HOA doesn’t help: what do you think *those* are based on?
We have an RV park on Galveston Bay and have a 10 year “flexible” rule meaning show us pics for approval. Like mentioned in the article and comments, it allows us to maintain appearances and safety, especially for our long term guests. Vacationers or weekenders, we welcome most pop-ups, pickup bed units, etc. You are right, it is discrimination, but the kind that is designed to keep out the drug dealers and rif-raf.
No matter how I look at it, a 10-year rule is just discrimination. Yes, our 20-year-old, well maintained Gulf Conquest is not perfect or shiny, but neither are we anymore.
Private campgrounds can do what they please, but young and new does not mean safe. Nor does it mean it won’t break down.
In this article, you declare that it is not discrimation, yet you don’t back that up with reasons to defend that declaration. It is indeed discrimation against those who cannot afford a new rig in the size they need.
Great article. It’s purely a business decision and they have the right to do so. If I had an older rig and kept it up well then I’d email pictures in to request or find another campground.
Some restaurants require you to wear a jacket and tie. It limits their audience but maintains their branding. This rule limits the audience but makes sure to keep that business branding to the audience it is targeted towards. Try showing up to mar-a-lago in a 20 year old rig.
Boondocking has no such restriction. Although perhaps it should given the litter people throw out there. Good idea for the town boards.
The cost of housing is so high that some folks are choosing to live in vehicles. Many parks would rather not do business with people who are “homeless” in the sense that they cannot afford a house or apartment. This rule weeds out the majority of those cases. It’s actually a symptom of economic collapse.
It also “weeds out” very responsible people with plenty of money who choose not to spend it on a quickly depreciating asset.
I work in the office at an RV resort in North Ocala. We have a 15 year rule for monthly or longer stays. We ask for pictures if the rig is older as many are kept up nicely. Most people understand that. We do have older rigs here that have been here for many, many years and we are not about to ask them to leave.
It will not be long before social justice warriors are demanding that RV parks lower their prices for older rigs to achieve equity.
Of course it’s their right to make rules and deny public accomodations based on predjudices regardless of the actual condition of the rig, but that doesn’t make it right.
Its also the right of those with well maintained rigs in good working order who are turned away to spread the word far and wide what a crappy business they are, that their “stay” there was a miserable experience when making recommendations to other campers or posting reviews. Smart businesses don’t count their success by gabbing as many dollars as they can in the short-term, but in their reputation, goodwill, and what their customers say about them. Smart businesses know that businesses with poor reputations usually don’t last.
I see nothing wrong with saying rigs must be in fully functional and in good working order. That management reserves the right to refuse rigs that do not meet these conditions. This is reasonable in terms of safety and reducing risk. Otherwise, it’s just arbitrary.
This is right!! Fight back with one star Google reviews!! Businesses try very hard to avoid those. This is BS. We have money but we prefer living frugally. That’s our business. Every single RVer denied for some BS discriminatory rule absolutely needs to leave a bad review and give the reason why. Businesses can make their own rules, sure. And customers can fight back.
I read all the posted comments and some understand and some clearly do not.
Lazy Q has obviously never tried to scrap an RV. Only RV junk yards (those are few and far between) will even accept them. Most RVs have very little scrap value. Much of the coach is actually difficult to dispose of cost effectively.
Our coach is a vintage classic and our organization is strong, but we have still had occasional run-ins with this rule. It is relatively rarely an issue outside of places called “RV Resort”. While I am not going to call this a suburban legend, I do believe that many have made more of it than it really is.
If an owner was to request a recent photograph of our coach, I would probably e-mail it to him, but at the same time, I would start looking for alternatives.
We have faced this over 20 years ago. So this policy has been around for awhile. We were camping in our TT with our young family. It was all we could do to afford our setup. It was not trashy, just older truck and trailer. We were not allowed in. We have also been turned away because we have traveled with our children. Again 20 years ago. I’m sure with the homeless and so many people living in rigs these days that is all they ca afford, this type of park rule will continue and likely get worse.
Sorry, I still believe it IS DISCRIMINATION!!!
Believe what you want but you’re still wrong. It’s a business and it’s a simple way for campground owners to deny access to a run down neglected & possibly dangerous RV from being your neighbor. Guess what…if your personal vehicle is more than 10 years old you can’t use it to be an Uber driver either…and no one considers that discrimination.
I’ve run into the 10 year rule several times now and every time it is in Florida so far. I send photos of our clean, well maintained 2003 Monaco A and hear back within a few minutes that we are welcome. To me it’s a minor annoyance that gives a park an out if they need it.
What some parks need to do is apply the rule to their permanent park models!
It’s ashame that some rv parks expect people to buy a new camper every year, I bought my motor home with a 15 year loan and no way will I or want to buy a new one at the age of 73, I think we should boycott any RV park that discriminates, just my 2 cents
We have a 2003 (19 years young) A Class, which is our home. We have been across the country twice, stayed at hundreds of campgrounds over the last 5 years. Many campgrounds do have the 10-year rule, BUT, we have found that it only applies to campers who want to stay a month or more.
We have the philosophy that, A) if they ever ask the age of our rig, we look elsewhere, B) we never look to stay anywhere that has the word Resort in their name – not for us, we’re not the snooty type.
Sorry that you think the word “Resort” in a campground name means that they or their guests are as you put it “the snooty type”! I’ve stayed in quite a few RV resorts and have found the owners pleasant and the other RVers just like me…an ordinary Joe. What the “Resort” term does usually imply is that it’s a campground with better amenities, like a bigger or several pools, nice restaurant, nicer bathrooms, and nicer level large RV parking spots. I stay in both and don’t consider myself to be the snooty type!
We have been full-timing for 8 years and have found that ‘resort’ in the name means nothing. At first I assumed the park was more upscale or had more amenities but that hasn’t been the case at all.
The word “resort” RV park is a loosely used term. We have been in many “resorts” that are completely run down, algae in the pool, broken concrete patios, mud to park in and walk in and out to your rig, bathrooms that I wouldn’t send my dog into and the list goes on and on. it’s just a word that sometimes has no meaning.
Probably a better rule would be that the license and state inspection for the vehicle must be kept current and the vehicle be ready to move with a day or so notice, and a limit on stay times to ensure they will move.
I think it is “loose” discrimination. If this was the 1950’s, you know who the owners would be trying to keep out. Just my opinion. I drive a 15 year old car. It’s clean and looks great. I think what the campgrounds don’t want are rv’s that look like they went through a war. That’s different. Age shouldn’t matter.
Mike Gast offers a poorly constructed apology for discriminatory park operators. Yes, of course, a blanket age limit policy is economically discriminatory. Not all RV enthusiasts can refresh their rig with a new $50k plus unit every few years and, more importantly, nor should they have to. Even a lightly built RV with care, maintenance and improvements should be serviceable for well beyond a decade. Well built RV should easily exceed two decades with similar attention and care. Mike Gast’s solution – have recent photos of your rig handy. What’s next? Will hotels and airlines want to see a snap shot of your luggage before accepting a reservation?
I have a 2001 Lazy Daze motorhome (a very high-quality unit), which I keep clean and polished. When the monthly rent on my space in Austin got higher than I could afford, I called all the other RV parks in Austin and Georgetown. NONE of them would accept my then 16-year-old rig. One of them went even further and would not accept it because it was under 30 feet long! That’s when I applied for residency at Escapees CARE and was accepted.
Our RV is nearly 20 years old & completely redone. Its waxed several times a year. It has been paid for for a while now. We are considering painting it which would be a substantial investment. So we recently looked at new RVs. Junk Junk and more Junk We have been turned down in both east and west coast parks several times for having an RV over 10 years. It may not be “officially” discrimination but it is still wrong to only accept RVs younger than 10 years. Just like it is wrong to not allow children in a park but to allow animals. So here is my proposal, don’t allow any RVs in government owned parks that are over 35 feet. These large RVs are more prone to use up more shore power, break limbs and small trees when parking, Dont allow pets in government owned campgrounds. Children use the bathroom and go to bed at night. Pets bark all the time and pee and poop everywhere. Children do not catch and kill birds. No park would consider this proposal because it would wrong!
I would love to go to a park with dogs and no children – do you know of one?
Children are extremely annoying. I would pay a premium to stay away from them.
Your parents probably would agree 😁
Tina W. I feel sorry for you that you was never a child and that you never got to go camping. It’s not the child’s fault that their parents didn’t care enough to teach them any manners.
The perfect response! The letter of the law vs the spirit or intention behind it. Age discrimination is a form of elitism our country should not indulge in. It’s just not the American Way to look down on people who may not have the means to replace their older rigs.
It is interesting that you claim that parks not discriminating, true not all are, but some do. Such as the Class A only motorhome parks. Which never made any sense to me, since some fivers are well over $250k. Being pulled with a semi truck that probably cost over $150k. Or a high end Class C. As far as the 10 yr rule goes, if I drove into those parks with 15+ yr old Prevost Bus, I can almost bet they wouldn’t ask questions. That is if it looks good. These campgrounds have gotten so picky because there’s so many people buying RVs right now.
My RV is over 20 years old and is well taken care of. She (her name is Winnie) thinks of herself and relates to younger 5 years old rigs therefore she should be looked at, considered and treated as such. Isn’t that what our world today is about?
My rig is -and always will be- perpetually 2-5 years old. I keep it immaculate and nobody ever questions me.
This “rule” is simply an “out” for the RV park owner. If some person pulls in with an old clunker that screams “trouble has arrived”…its an easy out for the park owner.
Sort of like the “no liveaboards” rule and many marinas. In fact, there are many…but the people who ARE play by the rules…keep their boats nice, low key, no potted palms and junk on the dock, etc. I lived 15 years aboard my 57′ diesel trawler-yacht in downtown Sausalito and was firmly told “no liveaboards” when I signed the slip lease. I eased on in…they watched my act…and I passed muster.
Frankly, with all of the crowds swamping the RV parks in this current overheated, hyped-up FAD..and all of the gouging, greed, and unpleasantness growing….I just may sell my rig- gouge some newbie like everybody else is doing….and take up some other past time. The shine is leaving the RV experience, IMO…greed and hype, as usual. Glad I enjoyed a decade of great trips. But first- I’ll head out again to check things out…perhaps all this is BS
It is a silly rule. Period. I prefer to camp beside a well kept older RV with experienced owners than someone cussing because they don’t know what they are doing. Fortunately we haven’t run into this problem but could soon as our beloved Windjammer is 7 years young. When it happens I will challenge their reasons on social media and take my money someplace else.
Looks like lots of people have seen bigfoot! I’ve been turned away from several parks. My frustration is that they haven’t advertised that restriction so I wasted time giving them all my information only to have them say no older rigs. The pushback on your comment about discrimination is probably because of the definition: the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of ethnicity, age, sex, or disability: “victims of racial discrimination” Or, for us, the “victims of age discrimination.” The last place we ran into cost me a nice visit with friends because we had to go quite a ways out of our way to get to the next place. Bottom line for me is, “If they don’t want me, I don’t want them!”
Totally not discrimination, they just want to make sure your betters don’t have to be near [fill in the blank according to decade].
I drove a 10 year old MH for 6 years and parked in cgs that had the rule of 10 years. I travel where every stay has a reservation. If they didn’t ask , I didn’t tell and if the did ask I said it was 9 years old. I seriously don’t think a cg could tell a older model that is in good condition anyway. The opposite situation could be way too old for a stay in the first place. I have been in cgs that had glowing pictures and verbiage of the place and ended up as a parking lot for 20/30 year old rv’s around the green stagnate, frog infested lake with the power and water covered with weeds, but I stayed there for one night only. Also had cgs that stated big rig friendly, and the turning radius was not ready for my 45 ft rig. I have backed up many times to leave. Let’s face it if you dont want 11 year olds in a cg just look at your permanent customers too.
It’s not “discrimination” because RVs are not a protected class under Federal law.
I might be misunderstanding your point, but are you implying that in a ‘moral sense’ of discrimination, or that you can’t be discriminated against unless you are part of a recognized, Federal ‘class’?
My statement was very clear. Perhaps it is “prejudice”, but it is clearly not discrimintation.
Also note that I did not give an opinion about it. Just stating the facts.
Thank you, Debby. Well-stated.
You’re welcome. We constantly see people screaming about discrimination against non protected classes. An example is solo work campers. Not hiring them is not discrimination. It’s Economics 101. If a campground owner can give away just one RV site for two workers instead of two sites, the second site is a revenue stream. It’s not even prejudice. It’s purely financial.
I bet a good lawyer could show that owners of older RVs tend to come from legally protected classes…
Here is some info on not working on 10 year old RV’s.
The Problem With Servicing RVs Ten Years Or Older (rvlife.com)
If I recall correctly, auto manufacturers are not required to keep parts for autos over 10 years old. My two daily driver cars are 26 years old. I have found a mechanic that will work on them for me. Sometimes I have to find the parts for him. Pull a Model T into a Ford dealer and he will not work on it. My VW dealer quit working on my 1960 rear engine, air cooled, Bug years ago. My 2014 Class B looks the same as one 10 years older and will probably look the same 10 years from now. I doubt they will come out and look at the door sticker to check the age.
I recently stayed in a park with the 10 year rule with my vintage 1998 MH. I just sent photos and was OK’d. This park also had a rule I had not encountered before, no rigs under 22′ . . .
So…the average RV buying loan is 10-15 years with some going as far out as 20 years. But forget camping if it’s over 10 years.
That is pretty f*%$ed up.
K.So that’s the subscription plan. You are expected to roll it into a new loan every 9 years. New down payment, new financing, new warranty (that will never be serviced –but hey you got the paper right) upside down, no tradein value. But Now, look- you have shiney new rig, you are now club approved again.
The quality is less on each roll over, the frame might come unglued on the interstate, and the floor was rotting the day you picked it up, oh and the lp system, wasnt connected, but hey-its new, you are in the club again. Looks Great.
Of course you wont ever pay anything off, and nor should you, thats not the game. Owning free and clear.Is.Not.part of the system.
I run into a campground like that, I turn around and leave. I won’t give my money to a place that has its nose stuck up its rear. I don’t care if I am driving a shiny new rig or a 20 year old one. They can have all the rules they want. They won’t be using my money to enforce them. Plain and simple.
Our MH is a 2006 built by National. We have been considering upgrading to something new or newer but after a trip to one of the large dealers with lots of units to look at we will keep our much better built older MH. The new ones are el cheapo. So if a campground does not what my over 10 unit I will not stay there. The new ones look shiny on the outside but falling apart on the inside.
Something is missing from this article: the concept of RV parks’ insurance policies. I’ve heard several times that the RV parks turned down campers saying their insurance policy forbids rigs over a certain age. Don’t know if it’s true or not. It would be nice if the article dove into that a bit.
I guess I could see it being true. Maybe older rigs are more likely to leak fluids on the ground (engine fluids or coach fluids), maybe they’re more likely to catch fire. Or maybe it’s a BS answer to hide behind. Would be interesting to find out.
Blaming insurance is a great dodge. Who is going to call them on it? The one park that demanded to see our registration (its a 2015) said it was an insurance requirement. I asked for the company and agent’s name and number (yes I’m a bit of a smart-ass) (and an Investigator for the Feds at the time). The agent laughed and said no chance they’d set that as a requirement. He speculated that the park ownership used it to justify the rates and maybe keep some folks out. We skipped the park and went down the road to another more welcoming park.
When I did my survey 4 years ago on 218 parks nationwide. I asked about the insurance question. Not one of them said it was insurance related. In fact most stated No, its not an insurance thing, we just say that so people don’t ask questions further
There were about 10 or so that literally fessed up, to deciding who gets to stay or not based on their mood that day.
Some said they just wing it, sometimes yes sometimes no, some said they want their parks to look like rv showroom floors. Some said they were in charge. I would say 60% or more had some kind of God Complex.
When I asked these same people if they currently or in the past owned an rv only a few said yes.
I lived in a beautifully restored and maintained 20 year old class A rig for 5 years. Pulled my brand new bright red sports car behind it. Ran into the 10 year rule A LOT in south Florida. I ended up staying in smaller family owned campgrounds which made for some interesting fellow campers.
Not that I drive one but if I rolled in with a Newell or Prevost that’s 11 years old they would send me packing?
If you could afford that, you can afford getting it washed and waxed several times a year – by hand!
That’s the point. Condition vs. chronological age. As with people, the two do not always equate.
Considering where I live the rule is nothing over 20 years, and God forbid you have a pop-up for you and the spousal unit(empty nesters). There’s even a couple of the parks that don’t allow children or pets. Then what? They get stuck boon-docking if you will and being harassed by the police. So, how it is not discrimination? I feel that HOAs are the same thing, legalized bullies. They tell you what you can and can’t do, don’t pay dues and where do you end up? And you have to get all outside work approved by their standards, at the with county approval is only for a new structure.
We all discriminate most every day. I discriminated as to which neighborhoods that I wanted to buy a house in. As to HOAs, I totally agree with you, that is why I used my discretion and decided that was not the neighborhood for me. I didn’t like their rules and they probably wouldn’t like me. I discriminate as to if I will open my door when a stranger rings the bell. I discriminate between Lowe’s and Home Depot, because of how I was treated at one – my friends, which neighbor I will talk to or stay away from. I do not go to restaurants that REQUIRE a tie – both their and my discretion. My property, my money, my right to discriminate. By law, and I agree, I cannot discriminate on who I hire beyond talent qualifications or who I sell my house to if it is on the market. HOAs – their rules. Camp grounds – their rules. They do use their discretion as to who stays there, but that is not Discrimination as to how many people choose use the word.
In 2017 was the first time we encountered this. It was in Oregon. We had, at that time, a 1999 Excel 35′ Fifth Wheel bought new. We used only seasonally and stored it inside the rest of the time. It was in pristine condition. When we made a reservation on-line it asked the model year of the trailer and I accidentally entered 2009. We showed up, registered, they looked out the window at the rig, and no questions were asked regarding age. We enjoyed our stay and they enjoyed our business.
I don’t blame these business owners at all. I’m in a business where I have to be very selective in my clientele. Some think it is discriminatory but it is a necessity in the personal security consulting and firearms trade. One bad apple can spoil more than a bunch. Reputable campground operators understand that. I’m quite sure if they had checked the build date on my Excel, they would have made an exception (their business, their right) and let me stay. They want to maintain a welcoming image. Good.
Discrimination against the lower income. Ridiculous.
Is there a sticker price on age? I don’t think so. Get a brand new Casita and you can get in.
A business does have the right to refuse service if it causes harm or potential to their business income.
Actually not always true. I’ve been asked 3 times about age & always followed by by length. 28-30′ minimums. What about motorhome & 5th wheel only, no toyhauler,class c, bumper pull.
Not rare in Phoenix /Mesa Arizona, Been that way for 20 years in RV resorts. Notably in large corporate parks.
a friend of the family owned an RV park. They let an older not-so-nice RV stay. The RV owners paid for a week, then disappeared. I forget what the laws were but they actually could not move the obviously deserted RV until they paid a boatload of money filing legal papers, had to send registered letters to the owners and what not. They were finally able to have it towed at their expense (not the RV owners who disappeared). So they also lost what revenue they might have made if the site were not taken by the abandoned RV. All in all, they literally lost $1,000’s thanks to this RV. This is not likely to happen with a newer RV
EXACTLY!!! I’m an RV park owner and we enforce a 15 year rule only for monthly Stays. Not because we don’t like older RVs or the people that travel in them. But because some are in disrepair and have caused damage to our electric system and also the ever present danger of one being abandoned on site as stated above.
They should have rented it out. LOL!
First, If the rv was abandoned, They. Likely. Did. Not . Own. It..
Second, the campground owner, should have had a sign up. This sign needs to be in the specs of whatever state law is applicable citing the Vehicle Code Applicable. Towing unsauthorized vehicles is anywhere from 24 to 96 hours depending on the locality. The park owner should have reserve funds for this issue should it come up.
If the campground owner lacked the forsight, that literal public parking has, without an active attendent even on duty, then that is really their bad.
To then say “New is good” “Old is bad”, is just, well, we are hitting Ren and Stimpy time now.
I’ve not traveled in an Rv older than 10 years. But I have encountered the rule. By your own article you describe the practice as discrimination. And it is. I think what confuses people about the word “discrimination” is that we’ve attached it to legal concepts. There are many ways a private business can be legally discriminating in the clientele it chooses to serve. The 10 year rule is one of those.
Note that I’m not sharing my opinion on the practice. Just stating the facts. It is, of course, possible to lobby local, state, and federal governments to pass laws declaring the practice illegal. And I suspect if it gains popularity that’s exactly what will happen.
Again, no opinion on the practice. Just a little civics lesson.
And, in my opinion, such discrimination will remain legal because it is in the best interest of the RV manufacturing industry to build in obsolescence. And they have plenty of money to lobby government and encourage campground owners to engage in the practice.
I was just going to comment the same thing! “Discrimination” as a word is just that and anyone can be discriminating without it being a legal or criminal act.
The legal issue can play in when one person with the same exact rig is allowed in when the next is refused – for a defined equal reason. But you would have to prove it.
I understand the reason for limits and the easiest general rule is over a certain age – otherwise it’s completely subjective. Random example: How about the new coach that has the Cousin Eddie RV wrap? It’s new but it looks old and decrepit. Reverse discrimination if they let them in? Who knows.
So if Jed Clampett showed up in his new Provost, his hillbilly personality would somehow go unnoticed? Not all rich folks have class or manners or make good neighbors.
Judging folks by the outside is snobbery or worse. Same with RVs and their owners.
It 100% is discrimination. Maybe you don’t understand the definition, but discrimination just means to treat one group differently than another group. While it’s most often used in the context of prejudical treatment against a protected class, the definition of the word is a lot more broad than that.
Here dictionary.com
“treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit:”
Plenty of types of discrimination are logical and legal.
Discrimination is against people, not objects. An RV isn’t a person. At least not in my mind.
Well think of it this way….if I have a well used but outstandingly well kept RV and am refused…guess what? I have been refused service based my vehicle. That indeed is discriminatory. Why should I have to purchase a new vehicle? Classic “Class Discrimination”.
Totally agree!
Recently stayed in a brand new cg. At the high end of the scale of cost per night. Only reason I stayed is I took a promotion for a steep discount. And I had to submit a photo of my ten year old rig. The brand is known for pricey hotels and drinks. Happened to talk with someone in management and inquired about their 10 year rule. Was told they want to keep the park looking picture perfect as they are always out and about taking pictures for marketing purposes. Yes when you agree to stay there it is in the fine print they can use your photos in their marketing. The second comment made was they want the clientele that can afford the high end rigs as they are more likely to spend more money in the bar. Yes everything about the place is over priced for a reason.
I don’t care what my neighbor’s rig looks like, as long as they have manners, follow the rules, and their kids aren’t screaming and dogs barking non-stop and running loose. Many people with very spendy Class A or new, 30 foot anything’s are looking for cheap or free spaces, like Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome, and I would think they could afford a nice resort; maybe they don’t want one. My dinky trailer is seven years old, and I can’t afford a new one. If I want to stay anyplace but state and national, I tell them what i have. But it’s already hard to find camp spots in the Northwest without ten year rules.
10 yr rule actually comes up quite a bit , usually a picture of your rig gets you cleared to come in. It’s not anything to do with brand new rigs being around an older rig, it’s all about keeping keeping cousin Eddy out of the campground.
I hate people in general so I wouldn’t stay in probably any of these places. My wife and I are happy to sleep in our carp van. We have a 2005 40’ freightliner, but honestly we prefer our 2006 dodge caravan cargo with a full-size mattress and a peejug. (Yes she uses it too) RARELY do we pay to camp because we don’t care where we sleep, it’s where we go. BLM land is great. No people, No Rules more or less, no rent, can openly carry my pistol for 🐍, great hiking, biking, and grilling out. Just have to have a rooftop carrier and a hitch mounted carrier for the bikes. Most fun you can have on 24mpg.
BLM land… No people? Clearly you haven’t been to southern California and Arizona BLM managed lands. I decided to try dispersed camping this year and was horrified by the site of 1000’s of campers at Imperial Dam LTVA. I lasted 3 days. It didn’t feel like camping, there was no veg to camo the numbers. Maybe it’s because I’m from a treed landscape. I was told there was an exodus of more than 600 RV’s a few days before I arrived. If I had seen that I might have turned around. I’m not giving up yet, there’s a vast amount of BLM land. Most of it I can’t access with my rig and possibly those are the places you are referring to. Maybe I’m more suited to FS dispersed camping.
You really can’t judge BLM camping by LTVAs, they are designed and intended for large numbers of campers, most BLM land is wide open.
“It’s not discrimination” immediately compares it to historically racist HOA’s
Look up the word discrimination before trying to explain how this isn’t an example of it.
It clearly is discrimination just as my not eating red M&Ms is, but the legal definition of discrimination is not the same as the dictionary definition.
You are aware that you say it’s not discrimination, but then your article is basically saying that middle and low income people are not worth doing business with… That’s discrimination.
To clarify, I should have stated that a business decision by a campground owner to prohibit older RVs is not ILLEGAL discrimination. Discrimination, in those terms, is only recognized for those persons in a protected class (race, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc.). It doesn’t pertain to things, such as RVs, and owners are within their rights as business owners to reject older rigs so long as their decisions aren’t linked to discrimination against a protected class of person. So yes, an owner can “discriminate” against an older RV, just as they can state in their rules that they don’t allow dogs, motorcycles, etc.
I disagree, I think that it could easily be shown that owners of older RVs do tend to come from demographics which are underprivileged and those will also tend to be protected classes under discrimination laws. One lawsuit is all that is needed, maybe I’ll call the ACLU.
can we start a class action? I am having a 1996 Winnebago completely refurbished. Decided to go to Prescott today to see about staying there for 4 months this summer and was told my motorhome is too old. I told them it was being refurbished as we speak. She said, “will let you know” I offered to send pictures. I’m really very miffed. It costs a lot to re-do one of these and I was so excited about it only to find out they wont let me in.
Experienced RVers don’t “like to debate” this. It is newcomers who keep hearing about it and live in dread of it. That’s why I did not read the article.
I fulltimed for 5 years starting in 2010 in a 1989 Barth class A. I was asked a few times about rv age, I lied. The Sikkens paint was showroom new even after 20+ years.
Once we had to stay in Indio, CA because of a toad breakdown. RV resort was $85 per night. The park let us in no questions asked. We thought it would be a snobfest with all the high-end coaches. It couldn’t have been further from the truth. Some of the friendliest people we met.
My point is if you have an old rig in great condition, you can get in about anywhere. Maybe things have changed?
So do you still lie about the age of your RV if asked?
I object to the use of the statement, “10-Year Rule will more often make their list of park laws”. A “rule” is not a “law”. Also, even though I work hard to maintain my RV, and don’t worry about 10 year rules, this is a bad bad business decision. Why? Because if you discriminate against someone(s) and word gets around, no one will want to stay at your facility. It may be their “right”, but if park owners lose enough business (i.e. money) over it, they’ll change the “rules”.
I believe the 10 year rule was created to weed out vehicles with old or non standard electric hookup on their rig.
Once plugged into the park wiring it can cause outages and fires that the park owner has to deal with.
As an Florida RV park Owner from a land far away, I would like to say we do not filter bookings on the basis of age. Yesterday we had an amazing Class A staying with us from the 1970’s that was in better condition than some campers under 10 years old! It was a delight to host such a camper with their delightful guests. One of our regular guests (G’day Lonnie!) drives an RV that cost $3.2 million to build and it is really something!! He couldn’t care less who he was parked next to, and that it is just how we like it!!
Pete Swales
Outback Springs RV Resort
Bonifay Florida Panhandle
Thank you for your decency! It’s not the rig but the owner who matters. Oh, and the care he applies to his rig!
I agree with “Rollin McKim”!
I’ve been thrown out of nicer places!
My question is do the people in $500,000 RVs pay more for a space than someone in a 1974 winnebago? And if not then why should park owners care what you roll in on, as long as you pay your space rent on time.
I appreciate the author’s perspective, but I think he missed the mark on the reason for the 10 year rule. One of the biggest headaches for a campground owner is a tenant who checks in and will not leave. It is tough (and costly) to physically remove a camper from a campground. Unfortunately, the Campground Owners implement this rule because they believe (and it may be supported by facts) that the owners of a newer RV will be less likely to move in and not want to move out.
Further, the author keeps commenting about older Motorhomes being the issue. While that can be the case, it is the Travel Trailers and Fifth Wheels that are being targeted with this rule. Some of travel trailers being built are not designed to survive 10 years (not all, but some). So, many of these older trailers are economically disadvantaged, that may have leaking plumbing and cause issues.
My mom and step dad where camp hosts at an RV park in Florida and used to enjoy traveling in their RV. Now let me tell you the main reason thy have the 10 year rule. There are many people who live in their RV full time that can’t afford a house or apartment, unfortunately many of these people are less than standup people, drugs, alcohal abuse and they don’t follow park rules. Rude and trash, broken RV’s there always fixing and hard to get them to move on once they park. Basically squatters in the park, so they have these 10 year rule to keep them out in the first place. The parks just don’t want problems. But of course park owners won’t come out and say that because it sounds discrimitory.
People that “are less than standup people, drugs, alcohal abuse and they don’t follow park rules” they dont own rvs. They go out and find abandoned rvs and then bring them to a park. k. Cause owning an rv..takes money. You have to register it, keep it roadworthy and functioning in order to maintain future use value.k. So Easy. “License and registration please”. Cutting out everyone who is not on a payment plan, that is the literal definition of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. It does not sound discriminatory. It is discriminatory. Definition # 3 – Treatment or consideration based on class or category, such as race or gender, rather than individual merit; partiality or prejudice.
“The wave of millions of new RVers out there, rolling down the road in brand-new rigs, might be less likely to use a campground that allows the older rigs.” This is a ridiculous statement. When someone is reserving a space either online or by phone, I’m sure they are not asking “will my space be next to someone with a rig that’s not as nice as mine”? These days, they should be grateful to get a space. Sheesh!
Exactly.
If your hoping to land a spot on the Central Coast in California be ready for the ten years old rule. Whether you are camping out in the wine country of Paso Robles or off Highway 1 along the beach of Pismo the ten years old rule is enforce. Call to ask though first, some parks do make an exception but it’s rare. That includes the state parks too.
“That includes the state parks too”
I doubt that, instant lawsuit. It could easily be shown that owners of older RVs tend to come from specific and generally underprivileged demographics and thus the 10 year rule would be legally defined discrimination. Furthermore the state cannot discriminate against its citizens on the basis of the age of their RV anyway, and California in particular seems extremely unlikely to try. I just checked a couple near Napa Valley and none mention RV age.
At the park I work at we do ask the year of the RV for longer stays. If it is older than 10 years we ask for photos. Although we wouldn’t LOVE having an RV here that looks like its been sitting in the sun with no care for decades…we do make exceptions all the time on older models. Mainly in the photos we look for black burn marks around compartments, window unit ACs and if the photo shows the RV in a site then we like to see how the site is kept currently. We can’t maintain landscaping if people leave loads of junk in and around their yard and RV. Also we are in a large tourist city so don’t want it to look like people are living here. You can’t see all safety issues from photos but at least we can pick out the issues I mentioned above. On top of safety issues we have had guests in junkers staying less than a month unable to move the rv out for whatever reason. This is also something recommended by our parks insurance company.
In general, I like this article. As far as it goes. RVing, however, isn’t exactly like HOA’s. There are very large divergences. But, for me personally, I’d simply follow the suggestions mentioned in the article and make a personal note to walk away from campgrounds never to return that are inclined to discriminate against owners of “collectible” RV’s. Discrimination is, in many cases, acceptable behavior. By the way, I sold off my expensive Airstream ten years back in favor of a much easier and more financially relaxing 1976 collectible 20′ Swinger made entirely in Elkhart, IN and the USA .
Good for you. Enjoy!
At my campground they changed to this rule a few years ago. An older camper with aged wiring caught fire in the night. The wiring in these campers deteriorate over time. One person died in the blaze. It was horrific. I had an older camper too but quickly reupped to a newer one. We are all very close in proximity together…and there was no time to move the campers that were close.
Our campground has a 10 year rule and I’m glad they do. If you have a 10 year or 20 year old RV and it is well maintained and presentable you are allowed in. The rule is there to keep the junkers out.
I don’t stay at age restricted campgrounds/RV Parks (RVs or 55+). Their parks, their rules. My money, my choice. And they go into a little book. I will NEVER go there. And I have a long memory for some things. I might forget where I left my sunglasses, but I will never forget how Crooked Hook RV “Resort” treated my husband and I back in 1979. Fair? Probably not. But my money, my rules.
First, I would correct your statement that not allowing campers ten or more years old isn’t discrimination- it is without question. Discrimination is in fact making a distinction, which having a campground but only allowing certain campers in it is exactly that. It is also a business decision but, in my opinion, a foolish one. It is understandable if there are concerns but a blanket age rule-wow. Just a point, one of the nicest campers I have seen is from 1960. A redone Airstream that was fabulous. Are these so called dumps driving in to stay for a long time? Oh well. I would not want to stay somewhere that I knew they did this. My camper is now ten so I guess I will see how it goes.
You are correct.
# 3 Definition is as follows:
“Treatment or consideration based on class or category, such as race or gender, rather than individual merit; partiality or prejudice.”
The “Rv Age Rule” would legally fall under “class or category” by definition.
After years of looking at this, I think the general population is woefully not understanding this.Is this really about junk rvs? Is it? Because in the last 17 years of rving, we have literally seen about 5 of these in any campgrounds we have ever been to. K. And I cant say any of these folks ever bothered us. Miles and Miles of travel. It affects. Those Who pay in cash. Those who do not finance. Those who practice finanacial stability vs financial calamity. That. Is.The Effect. At the end of the day, it makes it impossible to rv without being on a subscription plan, of whatever kind applies, to the rv industry at large. Folks need to stop parroting what they read online and look around them.