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. RV Travel 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-shows have no great loss at $15 a night
Eric N. writes about the ever-growing number of no-shows at parks. He says, “Stayed at Ronald Caspers Wilderness Park in Orange County, CA, over Labor Day weekend. Booked two months prior and very few spots were available. We got to the park on Thursday and there were only a couple of other campers. Throughout the entire weekend, the park was less than 25% occupied.
“The problem, in my opinion, is that campsites are only $15/night so it’s no great loss if you don’t show up. Talked to another person there, his business partner could not get a spot because the park was ‘full’. I think parks need to have a deposit system (say, $100) that you forfeit if you don’t show up.”
Waiting by computer to win in the last nanosecond reservation a year out!
Alan N. did not expect this issue when they bought their motorhome. He writes, “We’re new to the motorhome camping world, and were quite surprised by the quantity of ‘No Vacancy’ availability when trying to make a reservation. We owned an Airstream in the ’90s when we had small children and the norm seemed to be we would choose a week of a month we wanted to be somewhere and called and made the reservation. Now it’s just the two of us and we have to wait by the computer like Ebay-ers trying to win a last nanosecond bid to get a reservation for the next year! Not the scenario we imagined when we bought our MH and couldn’t wait to hit the open road!”
Honeymooned in a pup tent, then Class C, and it sure has changed
Linda W. laments the days of just being able to pick anywhere to camp. She wrote, “We have been camping since 1980, starting with honeymooning in a pup tent. When we retired in ‘15, we spent two years on the road in our 28’ Class C. We closed our eyes and poked our fingers at the roadmap kind of camping. Those days are forever gone. Now: Too much time finding a site, too many pets pooping everywhere, sites are no bigger than parking spaces that place your table next to neighbors’ dump hoses, etc. It’s been fun, but it’s about over for us.”
A couple ways to solve the campsite reservation cheating
Don W. has a suggestion for curbing campground reservation cheating. He wrote, “It’s getting so bad that the only real solution is first-come, first-served. Another solution is using license plates, which prevents husband/wife from reserving two weeks and then another two weeks. Something has to be done.”
The RVIA has never in 40 years of camping asked his opinion!
Randy H. sold his RV because it was just too much of a hassle and he doesn’t see the RVIA (Recreation Vehicle Industry Association) helping. He writes, “I think it’s in poor taste to call any commenter out even if their comment is negative. They still have a right to their opinion. In my view, I think the camping and RV industry as a whole has taken on a negative slant and the effects are what we are seeing today.
“Camping today is very unlike what we grew up remembering it to be. In my opinion, RVtravel.com isn’t negative (or positive) but seems to just report what is. If it’s negative, well, there it is. Personally, I would rather them just tell it like they see it and let us sort it out for ourselves, rather than try to make us believe a certain way. We have the news media for that.
“As for campgrounds, I think they have taken a huge slide in the wrong direction for a number of reasons. In many cases, campgrounds are struggling just to stay afloat in this volatile economy. However, as more than one commenter has stated, greed is definitely a factor.
“Personally, I still see campground overcrowding and lot shortages as a growing issue that has not peaked yet. A friend just took a ‘lifelong dream trip’ to Alaska in her camper van. It was difficult for her to reserve sites along the way in advance because she really didn’t know where she’d be on any given day and didn’t want to book herself into racing to her next campsite and possibly missing important sights along the drive.
“She was forced to stay in Walmart parking lots and other less desirable overnight situations because there were no campsites available, or as was predominantly the case, the campgrounds she found were full. In one place in Alaska, I think near Homer, she had to overnight on the beach and boondock with no hookups and still had to pay for the parking spot, which incidentally had a good 12-14 other campers there doing the same thing. She had a wonderful and memorable trip but her biggest problem over the entire six weeks was finding places to stay for the night. If that’s not a problem, I don’t know what is.
“For me, I sold my Dynamax motorhome because I got tired of the hassle. At 32 feet, it was a mid-sized rig but it became increasingly harder and harder to find sites in the small tucked-away campgrounds I enjoyed. When the cost of a campsite is comparable or sometimes more than the cost of a hotel, Airbnb or VRBO, the camping industry has a problem.
“Now if we want to be negative, listen to this. The RVIA has never in 40 years of camping asked my opinion about anything. Not that I’m anything special, but I don’t know of any other camper they’ve asked either. In my opinion, they’ve done as they pleased, never listening to campers’ opinions. If there is something negative to be noted, it’s that the RVIA does not consider the views of the folks they claim to represent. There, I’ve been ugly.”
Related to the above comment from Randy H.:
Essay from publisher Chuck Woodbury: RVs do not break down. RVs do not leak! (according to the RVIA)
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: Full-time RVers regret RV life, desperately want to live in a house
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It has been my experience that there are two issues at play. 1) too many campers not enough spaces (demand exceeds supply) giving CG’s the excuse to use the customer robbing “on demand” pricing and 2) speculation bookings causing empty no shows spots. I believe a good place to start to curb these issues is a policy of “you reserved it you bought it”. No refunds. I understand that there are many reasons why you may not be able to show up but those situations are few and far between compared to the speculators (book a bunch now and decide later crowd). This too would allow “mom and pops” to stay in business and profit without the worry of the need to sell out to the “big guys”.
SIMPLE wins again! …not to mention COMMON SENSE! As for the “unexpected situations”…couldn’t campers have a way to “confirm” that they WILL be there. Otherwise their spot is open for someone else?
The reservation and lottery system all but encourages exploitation by default. How do you improve your odds of “winning”? Submit more entries….(duh)
My vote is if you want to block out a willing/paying customer from purchasing, you be the willing/paying customer. Upfront. You’re not guaranteeing a site, you’re guaranteeing nobody else can have that site. Cool, pay for it.
No reserving, you pay your fee on booking as the whole reason you’re going through the motions is to ensure nobody else has access.
You’re not buying “experience insurance”, you’re paying to prevent others access. No refunds for cancelling, you bought it, you own it and nobody else can have it.
Problem solved.
I kinda like that idea – similar to an airline flight – you can pay a higher fee & it is refundable / changeable but without a significant reason than the site is yours – no refunds. Within the systems frequent no show campers could be put-on last-minute reservations only status for a time period after enough no shows
No shows are a big problem in many areas and one solution could be a reservation database where multiple reservations for the same time period by the same people could result in forcing them to cancel all but one. If they won’t cancel excess reservations, cancel all of them, Habitual no shows can be tagged, warned and if continued, banned for a period of time from making any reservations. It will only seem harsh to those who continually take advantage of the system.
Although I agree with your sentiment, James, just whom do you suggest manage and pay for such a database, the Government, or a “Big Brother” NGO?
It seems a lot of people would be happy if the campground was full. I don’t care if there is a no show as long as they pay for the site, the CG isn’t economically impacted. Less campers means less barking dogs.
Regarding the RVIA, you must understand that the RVIA is a manufacturer’s trade group, and does not represent or care about the endpoint consumer RVers. They do not represent us. RVIA stands for Recreational Vehicle Industry Association.
People always seem to have the mistaken impression that they are some kind of consumer organization for RVer’s. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Currently there is no organization which truly represents RVer’s.
I absolutely agree there needs to be a significant deposit on reservations and that it becomes non-refundable if you are a no show and do not bother to cancel.
This is especially important for Federal and COE parks where Senior passes are being used. Some sites are as little as $9/night with electric using the pass. If you decide to cancel a week at the last minute, or really only want a 3 day camping trip but had to reserve a week in order to snag that campsite, losing $63 or $36 is chump change for some people.
It’s a bit unfair to single out Senior pass holders as the “no-show” culprits. Both my wife and I have been Federal Lifetime Interagency Senior Pass holders for more than 15 years. We haver NEVER been a no-show at any public campground without first cancelling our resrvation despite a cost of only $9-20/night, some with hookups. The COE campgrounds are
. . . . our favorites and we have stayed in them from GA to OR and TX to MN. Unfortunately, there are few in our region: none in CO, WY, UT, AZ, NV, and only two in NM.
I find it somewhat hilarious when people rant “The greedy campground owners don’t listen”. They absolutely do listen; as long as RVers only complain yet still pay the high prices and abide by their rules when camping, that is listening!
Everyone complains of the high cost of an Apple Iphone, yet they are the second most valuable company in the world. Apple is listening; “The consumer will pay whatever we want to charge.”
I don’t like it, but I do pay for expensive campgrounds and I just bought an iPhone Max Pro. Ridiculous prices, but again a first world problem, IMHO.
Sorry, but a 32 foot Dynamax is not the vehicle to take to “small tucked away campgrounds” LOL
In reference to Randy H., it’s the RV INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, not the RV OWNERS Association. They couldn’t care less about what you think.
Sorry Randy that Homer spit campsite is a jem of a camping site. Its right on the ocean and within walking distance to activities. Different strokes for different folks.
With a timely stop at the Salty Dawg saloon.
Trying to get a campground reservation anymore is akin to bidding on what you want on Ebay…better have your finger on the button at the last micro-second.
Thank you, Nanci! I can empathize with the comment on the woman traveling to/in Alaska in a campervan. It takes a lot of research and planning to do the trip adequately or better. We went in 2019, had a great trip, learned a lot, and are planning to go again this summer. We are leveraging our experience to plan next summer’s trip, which includes making reservations, particularly around the 4th of July. Happy new year and safe travels!