By Gail Marsh
We all want to be happy campers, right? Well, here are ten tips to make sure your fellow campers are happy to be camping near you. A little consideration and simple campground manners will make everyone happier.
12 ways to make fellow campers happy
1. If you notice that your RV neighbors are hosting an outdoor picnic and games, please wait to dump your tanks until the festivities end.
2. Take your cell phone off speaker when outside your RV, unless you want everyone in the campground to know about your dad’s bowel issues.
3. Pick up your dog’s poop! Every. Time.
4. Watch your little children. It’s very hard for motorhomes and large trucks to see (and stop) when a child darts out into the campground roadway.
5. Monitor your big children. Make sure they know and follow the campground’s rules. Set the example by following the rules yourself!
6. In the evening, douse all bright outdoor lights (like RV porch lights and super-bright awning lights) so that others can enjoy stargazing.
7. If you use the campground’s laundry room, always clean the lint out of the dryer vent. Also, set a timer or stay and wait for your loads to finish. Others might be waiting to wash and dry their clothes, too.
8. Park your truck or towable vehicle well within your campsite boundaries or the campground parking lot. Do not park on your neighbor’s site, even if they aren’t using all of their assigned space.
9. When you go inside your RV for the night, make sure your campfire is completely out. That means no smoldering embers with smoke drifting into your neighbor’s open windows.
10. If you see something in the campground that requires attention, don’t complain about it to all of the other campers. Tell the management or camp host instead.
11. Make arrangements for your dog(s) if you plan to be away from your RV. Your neighbors may want to listen to nature’s sounds instead of your barking dog.
12. Wait to greet your RV neighbor until they are safely parked, unhitched, and all set up (electric, sewer, water).
How do you ensure that your campground neighbors are happy? Or is this even a concern for you?
Which of the above list items make you the most unhappy if you experience them in a campground? Please leave your comments below.
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Just one? I’ll give my top 3 (in no particular order). 5, 6, and 10. Watch your children! Too many parents let their kids run wherever throughout the campground. They’re not even sure where they are or what they’re up to most of the time. Lights! No one else is impressed by your light show. Turn them off. Your lights shouldn’t be lighting up another camper or campsite. Report problems to someone who can and will check into it and fix it.
#6 is HUUUUUUUUUUUGE!
Thank You!
Do not leave your motor running for the entire time while you set up (or break down) camp and have a few long conversations, particularly if you arrived just as sunset was beginning.
No loud music-EVER!! Those oudoor speakers they install on rigs are ABSURD.
Same with inside- especially loud bass.
And no outdoor televisions. Good Lord, that’s what most campers want to escape from!
No barking dogs or loud conversations.
No political flags or banners.
No ridiculous “party lights”
…Please just enjoy your rig in your own space and not disturb others.
Show some common sense and class!
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. Even though it won’t ever happen, I’d like the campgrounds to have an adults only section. Don’t want to hear screaming kids and barking dogs when I commune with nature.
Don’t smoke, especially marijuana! The smell is disgusting.
Most of this is what we used to call common sense. The problem is that that is in very short supply. Most campgrounds have a whole assortment of ferrel children, some refer to them as free range. Some well behaved, some spend their day clogging toilets and terrorizing the play grounds. I believe there are just too many people who believe they are entitled to do whatever they like since they paid for their site, membership, etc.
If I can hear your music at my site, it’s too loud. I don’t care if it’s Beethoven or rap, turn it down!
Regarding dog poop, I ALWAYS pick up after my dog, even if I have no bags and have to use big leaves. I have even bare-handed if necessary. I also pick up ‘cold’ ones left behind by crappy dog owners. I am disgusted by the thought of someone stepping on poop (especially children) and having to clean up after. If you cannot deal with poop, DO NOT own a dog or have children!
There’s always that one camper who ruins it for others. We are at a nice campground where there are campers who have 2 large Mickey Mouse lamps outside their RV on all night. Apparently they are Disney fans but no one really cares. If they turned them off at 10 pm that wouldn’t matter but why they are blazing at 2 am is rude as hell.
Thank you, Gail! 🙂 As someone already said, doing these is common sense. But they matter enough to repeat. Unfortunately, as many have said elsewhere and in response to other articles here, common sense is woefully uncommon, 🤔😯🙁 so repetition is important. Additional hints? No, not really. We do speak to people that we see when we walk our dog through the campground. Maybe that qualifies. 🤔 Sometimes we even compliment them on their rig. Thanks again, have a great week, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
Loud music and bright lights late into the night really raise my hackles. I’ve been known to strap on my six shooter, walk to the offenders camp and explain the Golden Rule.
(I was a lot younger when I did that and could run quite a bit faster!)
Even now, I don’t suffer fools gladly. If no one speaks up, how do thoughtless people ever catch on?
Pretty hard not to hear if your site is next door. I hear music all the time with someone with the site next to me though not loud. As long as it’s a whisper it’s fine. Issue is put up the darn wind chimes I don’t want to hear them all night long. I’ve removed them and place on the picnic tables because of being annoying.
In response to number 3, drivers please, please, please slow down in camp grounds and adjacent areas. Most have 5 mph speed limits. If you have an animal or child dart out in front of you it won’t ruin your day… it’ll ruin your life!!!
Please! No screaming arguments outdoors!