RVers and camp hosts share a trick to getting around the 14-day stay limit. It works, but are the consequences worth it?

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. RVtravel.com 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.

No issue getting sites in a Class B

John D. likes to plug in and has had little difficulty finding sites in their Class B. He wrote, “My wife and I traveled full-time from January 2023 through August 2023 in our Class B RV. We rarely had trouble finding an available campsite. Occasionally we had to make a couple of phone calls if it claimed to be full online. We only boondocked twice as we prefer to be plugged in. Newer campgrounds had nicer accommodations, especially with showers. There were a few times that we stayed overnight at a full-time RV park but we tried to avoid those if possible. KOAs were our go-to if available.”

Host for Harvest Hosts even has problems getting sites!

Rob C. tells us he even has problems getting sites on the same day. He wrote, “I’m a host for Harvest Hosts. It’s a great way to camp for the most part. My only problem is when I’m traveling myself I can’t get a same-day stay. A lot of times I don’t know where I will be two or three days ahead of time!”

Temper expectations: Relax, enjoy, move on

K A. sent us some good advice when traveling and staying at RV resorts: “I temper my expectations at RV resorts and enjoy what’s available. It’s nice to be off the road and hooked up. it’s a place to stay, not a permanent thing. Relax, enjoy, move on.”

More RVers on the road, fewer parks

David H. shares a crowded campground equation with us. He writes, “For years I never had a problem finding a campsite for my RV. But now, it seems like many are full and you have to make reservations months in advance. It seems like there are more RVers on the road but fewer RV parks. Parks are being closed so condos can be built. Village residents don’t want a new one in their backyard. And the BLM and FS are closing off lands to camping. More RVs + fewer spaces = crowding.”

Supply and demand determine prices—not greedy owners in a free market economy

Leonard R., one of our Canadian friends, shares his thoughts on booking, site lock fees and the free market economy. “I write this note as I wake up to a beautiful Palm Desert sunrise! We are from Toronto, so RVing in the Southwest is quite a journey for us, but we love it here! We spend 3-5 months away, staying at 5-6 destinations as we chase the weather.

“It is not very difficult to find sites, as I plan our snowbird winters a year or more in advance. I use Harvest Hosts for the trips here and back; even these I book as early as possible. I no longer pay the extortion cost of a ‘site lock fee’ and have not had an issue with getting a great site.

“I have seen more permanent and seasonal residents over the last several years. However, this appears to be a combination of lifestyle and economic choices. I have zero issues with crowded campgrounds as the most important part in selecting a site is the space it provides.

“RV parks are a business just like an airline or a Walmart. They must make a profit or they will be gone. Supply and demand will determine prices, not ‘greedy owners,’ as so many people like to blame it on. If the value is there I will return, if not I will go elsewhere. Isn’t this a free market economy? What separates Canada and the USA from say Cuba, China, or Russia? As an RVer, I remember that most of my problems are just ‘first world problems’.”

Unexpected high maintenance costs as RV and RVer age

Jim J. writes about the high maintenance costs of full-time RVing, particularly when both RV and RVer age. “This isn’t really the intent of your Crowded Campgrounds column, Nanci, but I am seeing an important trend. As a seasonal RVer, we stay long enough in one spot to know a lot of FT RVers. One of the things I am seeing with the increase in FT RVers is they substantially underestimate maintenance costs.

“Few RVs are meant to be used FT, so things wear faster than might otherwise. While retirees might not be on fixed incomes, usually dipping into 401k retirement savings outside their budget means both higher taxes that year and lower investment earnings from there on. And as these RVers age, they are less able physically to deal with things they used to do, and hired labor costs have gone up. It’s not hard to see where this poor planning leads.”

Nanci’s note: So true, Jim. We let our “fingers do the walking” more and more often now instead of our fingers doing the working. It definitely comes at a cost.

Cheater, cheaters!

Don W. calls out the cheaters that get around the 14-day rules. “We used to go to Arizona as a snowbird for many years. They have beautiful State Park camping but reservation cheating is rampant and State Park officials know about it and look the other way. The most common tactic was to reserve two weeks in the husband’s name then two weeks in the wife’s name and just continue that tactic for a couple of months. An easy rule would be to use your license plate as a requirement. But the State Parks won’t do it. So we RV mostly for 3-4 days in our own state in the middle of the week.”

Nanci’s note: We see this all the time as camp hosts in Minnesota. The online reservation system doesn’t catch it, particularly when they use different names and addresses. We are usually the ones who notice an RV has been in the park for over two weeks. They are then not allowed to reserve for the rest of the season. However, with 260 sites it is definitely difficult to catch everyone.

Check this state park out with a rave review

Steven M. is giving us a great tip on a state park in Pennsylvania. He writes, “I will give away the ghost right away. Caledonia State Park near Gettysburg, PA, is a great place to camp. I don’t know what is allowed or not but since I tent camp there it is no problem. I have seen a variety of RVs there. There are many sites. The bathrooms and showers were excellent. They have over a hundred sites. There is plenty to do nearby. They even have a pool for kids (in a state park, no less). I stay there and travel out to destinations in WV, MD and other parts of PA. Check this out.”

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: ‘An Airbnb for a month is cheaper than our campsite!’ Plus, a tip for getting around lock-in fees