RVer claims weekend campers are the problem; plus, the difference in amenities and space at RV resorts and state parks

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.

Cut campsite costs with just a little work… literally

Gary D. tells us about how to completely cut campsite costs. He wrote, “My wife and I recently found a campground in Texas. We live in northern Michigan and we got a job work camping. We have been here for almost four months and noticed the campground is only full or close to full on weekends. Probably 75% of the campers are Texas plates.

“Very affordable, probably $600 to $800 a month. We work for our site and it has turned out well. We haven’t had to pay a cent for our space while we were here. We think it’s a good idea if you have the funds to be able to get down to the campground or the area that you are looking for. It’s a great way to enjoy an area and not have to spend big money on monthly costs. Although I’m not a huge fan of Southeast Texas, my wife and I do like Alabama and parts of Florida to possibly travel in the future.”

Fighting for online sites

Linda L. is finding getting a campsite is tough, even before getting the RV! She writes, “Been camping my whole life. Just bought a travel trailer but even before buying it I found it was hard to get a campsite. I had picked out a site and had it ready to press to reserve at 8 a.m., 6 months in advance of the day. Well, somebody grabbed it before I pushed the button. You should at least be able to reserve it if it is in your cart!

“I liked it when you called the campground and booked from them and not from .gov site.”

Hard to find and then have to leave campground unexpectedly

Karen S. wrote about difficulty getting a site when needing to move unexpectedly. “Hubby works on the road and lives in our RV. Always a hard time finding places that understand he may have to move at the last minute. Then it’s hard finding a new place.”

Get the most self-contained RV possible

Steven M. has a suggestion to help with crowded campgrounds. He wrote, “For newbies, I would get the most self-contained camper possible so you could stay anywhere. Best places are non-campgrounds like forests, parks, etc.”

Festival prices soared, too

John G. sent us this email about increasing costs at festivals: “Colorado: Used to do weekend festivals in the mining towns. The cost went from $500/month to over $800. My opinion was to reduce the ‘permanent’ who could trash the place to those who could ‘afford’ the price. However, doing festivals we needed to get over the basics $$ and eventually gave up. But we were getting older anyway. Best to boondock or use BLM.”

Nope, not handing out their best spots!

Don T. is keeping his best info close. He wrote, “I live in the foothills of the Rockies. When I find a great huckleberry picking spot or a great place to go 4-wheeling, I don’t publicize it. Many people do and when that happens, it’s no longer a good spot to go because all the city dwellers think they need to now flood the area.”

Not seeing full-time permanent sites with a lot of trash

Brad M. writes to tell us their observations on permanent full-timers in RV parks. “Campground rates, like everything else, have climbed significantly and we see many full-timers at most CGs. Usually in the parks where we have stayed, we don’t see much of the issues of full-timers with a great deal of clutter outside their RVs. We have driven through a few, though, that we felt the parks should have made efforts to work with residents to clean their sites up.”

RV resorts: Long on amenities, short on privacy

Michael J. reports on differences in RV parks and campgrounds. “I have camped for eight years now and I have stayed at luxury RV places. As someone previously posted, they are long on amenities but short on privacy. To me, it’s like camping in a trailer park. I have camped in privately owned campgrounds and they are slightly better than the luxury ones.

“The best for privacy but short on amenities is state parks (usually only power and water). I have camped many times in state parks in the south and they typically suffer from lousy bathhouses. Some of that is funding, lazy hosts, and some people are animals. In the eight years, finding a spot has always been a challenge—you have to book way ahead to get a decent spot. Even with all of the challenges, I love to camp.”

In defense of seasonal RVers

Joel K. writes to us in defense of seasonal RVers. “To those complaining about seasonal campers: Seasonals care about and keep their sites clean and neat. They invest a lot more into their rigs than weekenders and it shows. They know their neighbors. The weekenders are always the ones who trash the campgrounds.

“Over the last 15 years that we have been seasonals, we have seen it all. [Weekend campers] damage and/or dirty the facilities, speed through the campground, and ignore campground rules, especially quiet time. They trespass into and steal property from other sites. We saw one weekend camper that turned out to be running a meth lab, and another that sold illegal drugs right from their camper. One walked right up to the front door of our camper while we were right there and he tried to steal our golf cart charger. They all were weekenders. They also were arrested. You do not see seasonals acting like that.”

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: Disabled veteran writes of being turned down at campgrounds, judged, and snubbed; plus, are campgrounds really ‘handicap-accessible’?