RV sales have slowed and fewer people are buying RVs. 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 tips to help other campers find that perfect spot.
Here are a few observations from our readers. These do not necessarily represent the views of RVtravel.com.
No RV sale here!
Kay R. was on the cusp of buying a trailer until she tried to find a campsite. She wrote, “We have owned a couple of boats—34′ and 42’—and decided to get off the water due to high maintenance and fuel costs. We sold our boat.
“We’ve always enjoyed camping and went looking for a travel trailer. We found a 27′ travel trailer that would be perfect. Before purchasing, I checked on insurance and a place near our home to store it—no problem. Then, I thought, ‘If we wanted to get away this weekend, are there campsites available?’ I pulled up NUMEROUS, and I mean NUMEROUS, campsites, RV resorts, etc., and couldn’t find one that we could reserve for many months out!
“Because of our jobs, we’re the spontaneous types—when we want to get away, we make that decision a week or so out. Because RV camps/resorts seem to be in such high demand, we decided not to purchase the travel trailer, as we realized it would sit in storage more often than being used for travel. Needless to say, we were extremely disappointed.”
Zero rules in RV park means rundown trailer park
Rick S. says Encore Resorts have let the rules slide. He wrote, “This is our 7th year spending the winter in Florida. This year Encore Resorts, which is one of the largest owners of parks across the nation, has basically implemented zero rules. The result is what many would imagine! We now have a run-down trailer park. When residents approach management about conditions they are told, ‘You can leave because we have a waiting list.'”
Friendly and nice? They’ll stay
David N. looks for a friendly campground but will leave if they don’t like it. “We’ve been full-time for five years and there are more long-term campers than there used to be. If we find a friendly and nice campground, we will stay through the season; if not, we will travel. Rates are up. Just have to research.
“We have a 2000 Bounder 39-foot DP. We’ve run into one park that enforced the 10-year rule. It was in AZ. Keep your older rig serviced and clean (if possible) before or after your arrival. Safe travels!!”
Not telling anyone his secret spots!
Skip H. is no longer giving his secret places away. He wrote, “I hold my favorite locations close to the vest. I know it sounds snobbish or standoffish, but you tell one and the next thing there’s 50 people trashing that quiet spot you enjoyed. It happened, as I told a couple of one spot and two months later I went to spend time there and there was a large group. I asked how they heard about this location. The parents of a friend told him about it, and they told him an older friendly RVer told them, and gave me their name. So this friend RVer will never again tell anyone, no matter who they are, of any good hiding spots. I won’t attach any photos of any favorite isolated spots.”
Mother’s point of view changed when daughter moved into long-term RV park
Cynthia B. tells how her views of long-term RV parks changed when her daughter moved into an RV park with long-term RVers. “I’m glad to read what John K. had to say about experiencing prejudice and snubbing because they drive and live in an older RV. Not long ago I read online that people looking for a place to camp would pull into a park and note the tired-looking conditions and scurry on to more upscale ‘pastures.’ Until my daughter left the upkeep of a two-story house with a yard behind and moved into one of those parks with old RVs, I’d have had a similar response.
“I’ve ‘discovered’ what I should have known: Most of the folks living there are friendly, salt-of-the-earth types. Maybe life dealt them a lousy hand, especially our Veterans, but they will offer kindness in return to the kindness received.”
Opposite view of long-term RVers
Tom S. avoids parks with long-term RVers. He wrote, “The problem is folks who move into a campground long term and then think that they own the campground and what they want goes. I avoid campgrounds that offer seasonal or permanent camping because the long-termers are usually belligerent and possessive.”
Finding campsites is like trying to get concert tickets
Tim W. can find sites when booking out six months but finding last-minute ones is harder. He wrote, “This is our first year camping (bought the RV late last fall). We have found good camping sites but had to book six months or more out to get them. We have our campsites reserved through October at this point.
“I am purposely avoiding South Carolina at this time. The cost of even the state parks near the coast is too high.
“I am hoping to see good sites available on shorter notice, but with the availability of websites who go out and find those last-minute cancellations, etc., I’m not expecting it to get better until demand goes down and they can’t make a profit from it. It’s like trying to get concert tickets. The tix get bought up and resold at inflated prices. If we continue to have trouble getting into places we want to go, we will most likely try to find more out-of-the-way places like Boondockers Welcome with fewer overall sites, or get into boondocking.”
Fast-dialing fingers get the disabled sites, too
Jeanette A. writes about New York being unfair to disabled campers. She writes, “New York State is terrible to disabled campers. They rent out the few handicapped spots to whoever has the faster finger the day the sites open for reservation and to Hades for those who really need those sites.”
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: Campsite fee up 300% – but no extra services
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This Memorial Day weekend, we are RVing from Indiana to Alabama. Only found one full campground. In RV park right now with a multitude of empty sites. All stop planning was done on rvparky app. Flexible is the key.
To @Tom S.: I can visualize some parks with long-term folks behaving as you say. However, as someone who does both long-term and short-term stays, I haven’t yet encountered that attitude. What I DO see are long-term residents reminding short-term residents of park rules (which the short-term guest got, but either forgot or in some cases didn’t bother reading). The reminder may be given in a polite tone, but sometimes received in a defensive manner.
Typical infractions are rules about what can and cannot be placed on grass or attached to trees. Or reminders that the park has a fenced dog run for unleashed dogs.
RV travel readers complain about no shows at campgrounds. Here is a rule from a New York Campground. Check-in time is from 2:00 p.m. until 9 p.m. Campers must register for their campsite before 9 p.m. on the first night of reservation or the site will be subject to re-rental & all fees will be forfeited.
There is only one thing missing from the rule. They should be prevented from making another reservation for 6 months. We see it all the time at State Parks, totally booked and half empty. For the most part, a lot of people have so much disposable income, they don’t care. In fact, what they loose in fees, they make up by not spending the money on fuel to get to the campsite.
Of course, there are those that have family emergencies, etc and can’t go. It is not an easy problem to address.
Great idea!
Thank you, Nanci! 🙂 Have a great weekend and safe travels! 🙂
Due to current political economics in this country…too many people have been pushed out of rentals and homes they can no longer afford.So what do they do..find a smaller cave and give up their mammoth cave…in this case RV’s. Add that and a healthy dose of greed and what do we have? I don’t see the problem getting any better anytime soon. Us older fogies can remember like it used to be.
As a fellow O.F., I agree with the meat of your comment with the exception of the dose of greed. I’m not sure exactly who is being greedy other than those who’s greed for more power and control are our self professed leaders acting as elected representatives who do have an insatiable lust for control and power, without end. The more they make the masses dependant, the more power and control they have. That is the greed I see. Now back to my cave.
We aren’t new to the rv world…but in the last few years I will admit it is impossible to get a reservation especially with a state park (we live in houston)…galveston? At least a year out…also…noticed that many parks do have permanent residents and I must say…geez…3 now of these parks we have been to would be camping in the slums…we r not snobs…but we do not want to camp next to long term residents that look like they have a junk yard collection meanwhile staff is expecting our rv to be up to snuff….we r almost ready now to throw in the towel…
I was talking to a NPS ranger yesterday at a major National Park. He verified the no-show situation, stating that the annual revenues for no-shows ranges from $11,000-$15,000 monthly! Money for nothing… why would they want to change?
As full-timers who probably stay in campgrounds 95% of the time, for anywhere from 2 weeks to a month at a time, I’m not sure why people have such a hard time finding campgrounds. If this area is booked… you must move on. Maybe that’s different for folks who can only range so far from home in a limited time window.