I’m getting confused, and apparently so are a lot of government officials and media folks in the U.S.
Just what IS “camping” these days?
A week doesn’t go by when I don’t see a news story about some community’s efforts to ban “homeless camping” or “campers” living on the streets full time in ramshackle RVs. These stories pop up right beside those for proposals for the construction of fancy new campground/RV parks and other good tales about the RVing lifestyle.
If you aren’t a camper yourself, it’s easy to see the confusion caused by lumping together a traveler in a $400,000 Tiffin with an unfortunate soul huddled in a cardboard box village under an overpass.
At first glance, you might say, “What’s the big deal?”
Real campers are getting a bad name because these officials see few differences. In the minds of many officials, “campers” – whether in a lean-to with a blanket or a palace on wheels – are often tarred with the same brush and deemed “undesirables.”
The big deal is that misinformed city councils and planning boards all over the country are lumping all “campers” into the same bucket whether they are considering dealing with their homeless problems or debating the approval of multi-million-dollar RV resort developments. Take a look at our recent story about that issue HERE.
The facts are that RV park developments are big business, and they bring a constant flow of fresh dollars into local economies that would not have access to that cash any other way. RVers spend locally, and those dollars roll over several times. To put true campers in the same category as the unfortunate folks living on the streets is a disservice to RVers, RV park developers, local citizens, and even those who are truly homeless.
Homelessness is a national crisis and needs to be addressed at every level. But let’s not confuse it with camping.
The desire to build an RV park and the need to deal with homeless Americans are different issues that require very different solutions. We can’t let local officials dilute either by continually misinterpreting the definition of what camping really is.
Keep your eyes open for instances where the term “camping” is misused and be ready to call the offenders on the carpet. Recreational camping is camping. Homeless encampments are something else entirely.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
##RVT1011
Homeless has always existed. It is an unfortunate fact of life. Driven by drugs, lack of skills, poor life choices. Society has yet to deal with a viable safety net. There is no “Grand one solution.”
Amen. A hand up. Not a hand out.
“That’s not real camping”. There are a lot of differences, on the front of my truck are two bumper stickers, one says Escapees and the other says Philmont. When I talk to a group I ask “how did you get here?” On foot, by bicycle or by car/truck? Are you using canvas tents or a synthetic material tents? I backpacked at Philmont in 2011, “do you know what backpacking is”? Camping is tents, RV’ing is motorized, and covers everything from Teardrops to monster motorhomes. Campers and RV’ers have place to go and places to go home to. We rarely stay longer than a week, but some may stay a month. We have interesting conversations afterwards.
Really? This a truly opinionated non-article. While I do wonder about many of our elected officials, I cannot believe that they need an article like this to distinguish between homeless people and those who are use the RECREATION aspect of RV’s. I cannot believe that there are many local officials who think they have to restrict all RV activity to keep the homeless off their streets. The homeless souls need real help, not just restrictive legislation that takes them even farther away from living a responsible lifestyle.
Where do you live, under a rock? Come to Seattle. Tents and derelict RV’s on every street corner. It’s the most crime-riddled city in the country. Officials and news media all call them “campers”. I don’t want to be lumped into that group.
Call me a retiree who’s traveling/sightseeing in an RV.
It seems that there are a lot of articles about small towns opposing new RV developments because of the fear of bringing in ‘undesirables’. So they do get lumped in with recreational RV’rs.
Not to be snarky or disrespectful, but I would like to live in your world, where “common sense” exists. I have begun using the term “uncommon sense”, as rationale is gone from what appears to be the majority of people.
If you read the articles in the local newspapers about proposed campgrounds, you will see that many of the locals feel that there will be too many undesirables inhabiting the proposed campground. They don’t seem to understand that campgrounds (in general) don’t allow squatters, so they don’t have the undesirables in their midst.
I will disagree with you that this is an opinionated non-article. If you want to open a campground near/in almost any town, you would find that this article is spot-on. Too many elected officials don’t see the difference between recreational camping/glamping/RVing and squatters.
Most new campgrounds and even some older ones now restrict RVs to 10 years old. We have brand new RV park about 2 miles from us. A friend of mine trying to park a Mercedes class B motorhome there. Told him that it was too small for the park. They only wanted fifth wheels, travel trailers and motorhomes.
Please tell us the name of the park.
Well because of the homeless influx using RV’s. This has put a strain on those that are what I would consider true RVer’s. We were in Folsom California several years ago at a Walmart. They told us we had to leave because they were trying to keep out the criminal element! I’m there with a 34 ft fifth wheel, that was brand new, brand new Dodge Ram diesel truck. But I guess I was the criminal element! This is the case and most cities in California, and I ended up having to drive to Nevada for the night to get out of that rat hole!
Camping and RVing are very loosely and confusingly used–even without the homelessness issue.
• Some people go to a site and stay there for the entire weekend, sitting and cooking outside, having a campfire, swimming, etc.
To me this is tent-camping or RV-camping and the uses below aren’t camping.
• Some people use their RV as a portable hotel room; leaving during the day and early evening to sight-see and go to restaurants with little to none of the “camping” activities.
• Some use their RV mostly for tail-gating.
• Some use their RV as their home while working a temporary or seasonal job.
• Some are making a one-night stop while traveling.
Trying to fit these and other uses under just the two terms of “Camping” or “RVing” causes a lot of confusion and misunderstandings.
We do more than “park” and don’t really “camp,” so I call what we do “pamping.”
The word “Camping” is just a term, not everyone looks at it as sitting around a camp fire. We full-timed for several years, and I hardly ever sat around a campfire, or even cooked on one. We just enjoyed being out doing our thing, moving from place to place, visiting historical places, sampling local foods, walking our dog and visiting our follow campers.
I saw a discussion on the website used in my former neighborhood, opposing a new apartment building because they promote a transient lifestyle. Sheesh.
Sold our house and are living in a fifth wheel on a monthly basis in a campground.
Is this ‘camping’? No. Not even ‘glamping’.
Although we do cook outside sometimes over a fire and go for hikes/swimming, still can’t really call it camping.
Basically, it’s in the description: “living in a fifth wheel”.
Homelessness looks like basic survival. I wonder how many are former military? A Sad commentary for the “richest” nation.
Too much of the available money is concentrated in the hands the uber-rich. To solve the homeless problem, our country needs fairer tax laws and money spent on projects, such as infrastructure, that benefit everyone.
Campers only use tents ? Not true, most “Campgrounds” include tents and RV’s . That would classify both tent and RV users as “Campers”. But yes I’ve seen and read about the derelict RV’s and tents in Portland Or. In no way are these people campers. These are homeless people, regardless of how they got there they are struggling to survive every day. They are not going to move from the street to the new KOA in the area. It’s a shame we elect people who have no clue about people or life skills.
I blame the state of California for not dealing with this issue years ago. For what ever reason those politicians controlling the state don’t seem to care about homeless. Governor Newsom should have been removed from office because of his lack of taking care of this problem and other problems that California face. But that is why people are moving out! Moving to other states and imposing there way of thinking, bad way of thinking for sure. Arizona has seen a large influx of homeless because of our irresponsible neighbor!
To me Camping is what one thinks it is. Please don’t tell me camping is only this or that or what you think it is. I see camping that has many definitions.