RV sales have slowed and fewer people are buying RVs than has been the recent trend. Has that changed campground crowding? Is it easier to find a campsite now, particularly in state and national parks? Campgrounds are changing and evolving, some for the better and some for the worse. RV Travel readers discuss their experiences and offer a few tips to help other campers find that perfect spot.
Here are a few observations from our readers.
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Only three sites left… Really??
Conni C. found a great spot but there were only three sites left. I wonder if it is a marketing ploy? She writes, “I had reservations for the 4th of July weekend that I had to cancel due to issues with our truck. We were able to get our truck fixed so I went on the search for something, anything, the week before. I was able to find a great spot in a great place the day before we wanted to leave. According to the website, it was one of three sites left; however, the area we were in was mostly empty the whole time we were there. We left Monday before the 4th, so maybe it filled up, but for the weekend it was quiet and pretty empty.”
Go to a hotel
Tommy R. is finding the campground costs so high that a hotel may be better. He says, “Good campgrounds are getting too expensive. I find that if I’m looking for a campground with decent amenities, I find the prices not much lower than checking into a hotel with those same, and even more, amenities. Plus, I don’t have the increased gas expenses nor have to go to the trouble of setting up my RV and site, then breaking it back down afterward.”
No luck with ReserveAmerica
Bill C. has no luck with ReserveAmerica even when it says sites are available. He explains, “We are Rhode Island residents and most enjoy one of our state parks called Fishermen’s Memorial in southern RI. They require reservations through ReserveAmerica. Over the years, we have had virtually zero luck getting something in that park, unless we look at one of their sites near the highway, away from the ocean.
“The frustrating thing about ReserveAmerica is that it says there are free spots, but when you try to book those, it then says not available. We also try to get canceled spots at 9 a.m. each morning. Again, it says spots are open, but when you click to reserve, those are always already booked. Either hundreds of people are competing at exactly 9 and hitting the enter button at the same time, or their system is broken or hacked. What’s going on here?”
Mike B. also writes us about his New York state experience with ReserveAmerica. “We live in New York state and have to utilize Reserve America for State and DEC park reservations. For years it has been almost impossible for a New York state resident to get a prime site at the park near us, Ausable Point Campground. Almost all the lake sites are reserved by out-of-state/country campers, mostly in Canada.
“The ReserveAmerica system is broken and needs a major overhaul. Complaints to ReserveAmerica, local politicians, etc., all fall on deaf ears. This is not an issue only on our part but is voiced by every New York state camper we know and talk to. Several members of our group no longer camp due to issues such as this. We have not given up yet but we are spending our $$ outside of New York and at campgrounds that do not use ReserveAmerica.”
Campground rates so high they put their RV in storage
Carrie W. has had to, sadly, put their RV into storage. She tells us, “We had to put our RV in storage due to the high monthly RV sites. The cheapest we could find is $850 per month at a run-down campground in Missouri. Plus, it’s the only one that would accept our restored 1983 Winnebago Brave.”
Throwing in the towel after 35 years
Robert S. is going to go to hotels from now on. He hit his last straw. He wrote, “After 35 years of owning four RVs, we have thrown in the towel. Our last RV was a 2017 Winnebago Cambria. It was well-built and we only had one problem with slide-out, which was a clothes closet.
“In May we traveled to Nebraska so my lady could see her hometown after being gone for almost 50 years. We left there and went to visit her brother in Minnesota. We found that most gas stations are designed for cars, not large vehicles. Truck stops only sell diesel in their large truck lanes, so you are left with dealing with inconsiderate people in the gas lines. People would leave their car at the pump and go inside to eat, shop or whatever and block the lane.
“You just couldn’t pull into an RV park and find they had a space. My lady would get the Good Sam RV directory out and start calling in mid-afternoon. We always found a park after a couple of calls. Prices varied from $50 to $100 for one night. We spent almost $2,000 in gas for this trip. We got home and had a letter from the insurance company that the RV’s insurance was going from $89 a month to $150. That was the last straw.
“We decided it was cheaper to drive our car and stay in motels. At 72, the magic of RVing was over. I hope the new buyer enjoys RVing as much as we did in the past.”
Life changes and the hassle is too much
Milton V. had to cancel reservations made in advance and it is too much of a hassle. He told us, “To reserve a ‘decent’ campsite versus ‘just any site,’ we are having to reserve from six months to a year ahead. As a result, due to life’s changes, we end up canceling or not being able to show up as scheduled for probably 25-30% of our reservations. As we are in our late 70s, the hassle has become too much and we will be selling our travel trailer and quitting camping.”
Now, some questions for you:
- Are you finding campgrounds booked up? Or is finding a place to stay not a problem?
- Are campgrounds changing for the better or for the worse?
- Are you seeing more permanent and seasonal RV parks?
- Are rising costs affecting your camping style?
- If campgrounds continue to be crowded and RVing continues to become more popular, will it affect how or when you RV?
- Do you have any tips or secrets you’d like to share about finding campgrounds that aren’t as crowded?
Please use the form below to answer one or more of these questions, or tell us what you’ve experienced with campground crowding in general.
Read last week’s Crowded Campgrounds column: “We don’t use the campground amenities but have to pay for them anyway!” Can you relate?
##RVT1114b
It’s basic economics. You know those no frills campgrounds full of dilapidated full timers with weeds as high the bottom of the trailer? Where there little to no water pressure and the electricity is anywhere from 100 to 115 volts? The sites are rutted and you use every block and cribbing to get your rig level?
This is apparently what the complainers desire. Super cheap in every way to the point the campground owners either break even and/or don’t care. That’s a reason these campgrounds have openings and are your desired $25/night. If this is how you want to spend time in your RV or trailer, you are now in a super minority.
A lot of owners are not retired and just wandering the country with no planning. We only have a certain amount of time per year to vacation and travel. And when we do vacation, we want as much stress removed as possible. So a level site, reliable electricity, a pool for the kids, and other accommodations are very desirable. And because of this, the market that will pay the going rate is enormous. Glamping is a lot more attractive nowadays and the market has adjusted accordingly. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it.
We sometimes struggle to get Friday or Saturday night reservations but always find something. Too many of the complainers require hookup campsites…that’s your problem right there. Lithium batteries, solar panels, tanks and generators mean you can have the basic services without the hookups. We rarely use our generator, and refill fresh water and dump tanks every 4-6 days. No hookups needed.
Decent amenities. If you’re staying in a hotel because the amenities are better, why were you ever camping to begin with??
Sounds like Nanci just writes gloom and doom articles so she can get better rates camping full time lol
Ha! But Nanci doesn’t really “write” the content of the Crowded Campgrounds articles, she just relates what our readers write about their experiences. Have a great day, Brian. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I stayed several days at Walker Lake near Hawthorn Nevada for the price of $4.00 per night. Our site didn’t have a live band, chlorinated Olympic sized pool, horseshoe tournament, Bingo night, basket weaving course or BBQ buffet but the site was level, clean, quiet and the view was great. Using Recreation.gov, Campendium and Google, folks can find sites other than overpriced KOA and Thousand Trails.
I think if half the energy invested in complaining was dedicated toward a bit more sleuthing, outcomes of the frustrated might be different. Regardless, I appreciate them giving up and reducing the crowds even more!
Walker Lake is a dying lake ranks right up there with the Saltan Sea in CA. No boating, swimming or recreation of any kind. Camp grounds are always empty.
Try crown land. Free!!
With higher camping rates and packed in like sardines no privacy and sitting at camp fire with next rv 5feet away really not that fun anymore. So I changed perspective campsites are only for sleeping and I go out and see the area or catch an event. Leave most of camping gear home. If I want fire back yard firepit is just fine.
We Pa residents have a hard time like Mike B. with out of state residents taking our prime campsites. Reserve America does need fixing. Why should they fix it, they have a monopoly thats reeling in cash that works for them.
I have been retired and a camper for years. I have given up on camp grounds! 1, they have become WAY TO EXPENSIVE. 2, THEY HAVE BECOME WAY TO NOISEY. PEOPLE TALKIN ON CELL PHONES. 3, PEOPLE RUNNING GENERATORS ALL NIGHT. PEOPLE BRINGING DOGS THAT JUST BARK ALL THE TIME, THERE ARE CAMPSITES THAT SOUND LIKE THE HUMAIN SOCIETY. BARK BARK BARK. I DONT THINK YOUR DOGS ARE CUTE, I DONT WANT TO MEET OR SEE THEM OR EVEN WORSE HEAR THEM. WHEN DID AMERICA 🇺🇸 🤔 😳 BECOME SO INTERESTED IN JUST MAKING NOISE???
Why are you yelling at us?
Poor guy’s upset. It would be nice if campers who complain about high cost of campsites indicate if their talking about private or government campsites.
Not being an RV Park person, I don’t want hookups, just a safe place to park (restrooms are good) with trails to walk the dog and putter around looking for things to photograph. The more who get out of it, the more choices for me. One thing that bothers me, though, is whether it is reserveamerica or national forest campgrounds, they rip me so bad to cancel. I assume the people who reserve two or three spots have money to burn.
Times are getting tougher for the middle class to move around. Those same conditions are accentuated for RVers.
This is insane. At this rate, RV companies will slowly start dying out. Would you want to spend a whopping 40-50% more on RV insurance? Add the hassles of maintenance and shocking vehicle depreciation. Sadly, one day, RV trips will only be for very wealthy people, celebs and career politicians.
I’m 71. I pumped gas at my Dad’s station in the 60s that cost 18 cents a gallon. New cars were 2000 dollars but salaries were lower. Can’t worry about what used to be, the past is the past. I just retired in 2019 and started doing some RVing. Prices have crept up but I’m able to pay and RVing works for me. I don’t stay at resorts or look for fancy stuff. Just need some water and electricity and sewage is nice but not absolutely necessary. Haven’t had a problem so far. If all these folks are quitting it may even get better.
A new car in the 60’s was little more than a tin can on wheels. There’s a reason they were so cheap.
Here, west of the Rockies, I find that the biggest pain in the keester is ReserveAmerica and its ilk. These reservation systems are basically free handouts from political groups to their donors that have established these “businesses”. You’ll have to look up the history of one of these grifters yourself as I did to get the full picture.
The main issue affecting campers is the allowed practice of people overbooking and then not showing up thus leaving empty sites unbookable by others for the duration. The rules under which the State and Federal Parks, among others, operate in association with these grifter reservation companies generally don’t allow cancelling for no-shows. No solutions ..
This is the issue I’ve run into in Colorado/Wyoming/sometimes New Mexico. The competition for reservations is crazy, but then, when you finally manage to snag a day here or there, you pull in and no one is there! The campground is half empty because people booked everything, but no one showed up. I went to a reservoir nearby recently that said it was completely booked up, and there were like 3 sites being used in the entire campground. It’s ridiculous! There ought to be fines for no-shows that ruin availability for the rest of us who actually use the days we book or cancel if we can’t.
With ReserveAmerica you have stay a month ahead of you chose monthly. Mississippi changed reservation services which I thought would be , but they also went up $125 a month at the same time.
I had to sell my travel trailer before all these “overbooking problems ” started, however, we still want to get another rv . If you find that a campground you are staying at has many empty sites due to no shows would it be beneficial to publicize that somewhere so that other rver’s could maybe contact the campground directly to get into those unoccupied sites? Some how these reservation systems have got to be bypassed so that the no show problem starts to become a problem for them.
ReserveAmerica has nothing to do with any Federal campgrounds. National park, monument, seashore, lakeshore, and recreation area, USFS, COE, TVA, USBR, BLM, and FWS campgrounds all use Recreation.gov. And the COE cgs. charge no reservation fee, although most of the other agencies do.
We haven’t had much issue with finding places to stay, but we prefer state or national parks, love COE. We don’t try to go out just for a holiday weekend and generally avoid any of the “tourist spots”. We’re mostly snow birds, but don’t look for a spot for more than 2 weeks at a time. We prefer electric, like water and sewer but are happy to use the dump station if needed. We don’t need a pool, hot tub, store, community center etc. etc. Perhaps the issue is in what and where you are looking to go?
You are absolutely right!
The people with the big affordability and availability issues tend to live in New England or in large metro areas, where any weekend venture will still encounter crowds and high prices, and affordable public parks fill up far in advance. Private parks can be few, costly, and booked up with all-season leases. It’s not a case of insisting on luxuries. You are lucky to be in an area which has COEs and good state parks, not everybody has that.
I’m in the Rv’ing with dogs! I can find a sort of nice motel but have to pay an extra 50 for my dogs.
Prices for everything A-Z has risen to historical highs with no end in sight. With that said, you MUST pay for all the finer things in life or you can sit and wonder. Whining doesn’t change your situation. RV if you want, glamp if you want and camp if you want. They all cost!
Cancelproof, I for one do not at all think you are ignorant. I do think that you will lessen your chance of ulcers or stroke if you cut back on the news. I do not want to lose you from these conversations. The news hasn’t changed a thing. Hiding under my desk to avoid nuclear “something” from Russia, then from Cuba, and now from “something” that the news has made us afraid of? News and events haven’t changed my whole life. I just heard that it is going to be hot this summer and cold this winter. I kinda figured that out before the news evidently just did. Take care my friend.
Love ya KellyR. I laugh at this stuff. No ulcers involved. It’s the running around with hair on fire crowd that entertains me so much but certainly, I’ll pull it back a bit. Be well.
Sounds like all these people moving to motels or storing their campers will make more access for those of us who still enjoy getting out.
Agreement here.
Yea!
Glamping or camping. I don’t nor use a swimming (P)pool or hot tub, don’t want a gift shop or community center or food center. Just give me hook ups which I consider basics and and a clean camp ground and I’m good. Seems those with luxury coaches and campers whine the most for some reason(s).
It seems that people complain and cry poor me no matter what. This behavior is the reason our country is in the shape its in. If you don’t enjoy camping move on but quit bitchin.