By Nanci Dixon
In last week’s issue, I told you about the top 5 complaints campers voice at the RV park office. This week I thought it would only be fair to write about the top ten complaints RV parks have about campers. Now you’re in the hot seat! The office staff were a vocal group, hence 10 this time instead of 5! My husband and I are park hosts and deal with a lot of these issues, so I can verify that these points are all valid.
1. Loud parties and gatherings
This is the number one complaint of the campers to the office too. Some groups have no idea how loud they have become and quiet down immediately when asked. Others can get hostile, lower the sound a decibel or two when told and then resume immediately when the host or park official leaves.
2. Dog poop
Again, dogs can be a problem for campers and park staff. While campers complained more about barking dogs and dogs off-leash, dog poop is a problem for the park staff that needs to pick it up or has inadvertently stepped in it while taking care of a campsite, trail or walkway. Note to dog owners: Please pick up after your pooch.
3. Dogs off-leash
Looks like we’re seeing similar complaints, aren’t we? Dogs off-leash was a concern for the campers last week too. Campers can go to the office to let staff know, but it is the park staff that needs to approach the people to have them leash or tie up their sometimes very unfriendly, territorial dog. It’s not a fun task!
4. Non-burnable trash in the fire pit
Burning plastic? You can always tell by the acrid smoke and smell. The staff that clean out the fire pits and grills know that plastics do melt but seldom burn completely, that aluminum cans don’t melt, and that bottles don’t burn (and can even explode). And you’d think campers would know to not throw rocks in the fire pit… but that happens more often than you probably think.
5. Trash left on-site
The next complaint is the amount of garbage that is left on the site. There are dumpsters all over the park for garbage. The hard-working staff just wishes more people would use them!
6. Parking on the grass
Cars, trailers, trucks driving over grass leave deep ruts and kill the grass. Some parks have sprinkler equipment in their landscaping that is harmed when driven over. Even in the desert, where the hard-packed desert may look barren, fragile struggling plants or topsoil that took decades to build can be destroyed.
7. Not checking out on time
Overstaying the checkout time usually leaves two sets of campers upset. There are those that don’t read the checkout times and those that intentionally stay too long. Either way, slowly packing up while someone is waiting causes a domino effect of unhappy campers and staff waiting to clean the site. Please know your checkout time, and leave on time.
8. Setting up camp at the wrong site
Just like some campers don’t know the campground’s checkout time, some don’t know their own site number either. Setting up camp on the wrong site is a major hassle for the campers that already set up, and a hassle for those people that are actually assigned to that site. Most people are apologetic when they are on the wrong site and hasten to pack everything up and move.
9. Stealth camping
One of our jobs is to double-check that everyone in the park has a reservation, particularly now when campers are registering online and going directly to their site. As the weekend warriors clear out, more stealth campers come in late and leave early before the office opens.
10. Staying an extra day
Staying an extra day or two without paying is also a form of stealth camping. This usually involves campers that have paid and registered, then try and stay an extra day without paying or registering again. This happens more often as the weekenders leave and toward the end of the season. I am always very polite when I let them know that they are not on the park list and that I am just taking down their RV and car license number so the office can expect them when they go to pay in the morning…
Have any of you worked as park hosts or in the office? If so, what are some of your biggest complaints about campers?
If you missed it, be sure to read the top 5 complaints of other campers too, that we published last week.
Related:
• Dealing with a nosy campground neighbor
• Boondocking gone badly wrong!
##RVT969
As a current park host…. my number one complaint is campers who do not fully flush the toilets. Its unsanitary and disgusting and inexcusable. Second complaint is loud kids running free without supervision. We’ve seen little kids bolting in front of traffic on park roads and running through people’s campsites after dark. Seriously – control your children for their safety and everyone else’s sanity.
Sometimes the song ‘Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right” describe some campgrounds. People with dogs are like people who smoke, they enjoy the smell that annoy the rest of us. I have sprinkled red pepper around my camper more than once.I am sure that owning a RV park is expensive, and they crowd as many RV’s in as possible. Many campgrounds are closing for the winter, so their costs must the higher than RV parks in Texas, open all year.
Red pepper to keep the dogs away?
I take exception to this! We have a dog and we clean up after her the second she goes. Do not lump all of us together! Most of us are considerate of our neighbors!
Let your dog poop on a plate and “clean up” the plate. Want to eat off it?
Tire of tracking left over dog poop into my rv!
That’s malicious, cruel animal abuse and I hope you get prosecuted for it.
The common walking areas are for all to share, walk along and say Hi to their fellow neighbors. That’s what camping is all about – meeting new people, being friendly! If you want to live alone, then GO live alone outside of a communal place like a campground, don’t make the rest of us suffer for your lack of tolerance for your fellow humans.
Also, do YOU clean up that red pepper when you leave your site??! Ever think that many campers have children or grandbabies who could get a burn from your red pepper, or even anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction? What about thinking of ANYONE ELSE who then pulls into your site after you leave?! We all get to share in your horrible red pepper.
What a selfish, PETTY person you are! Shame on you!
I have a child with life-threatening allergies, we always carry FOUR epipens. You’ve given me one more stupidly random worry to risk losing my child’s life over.
People rent an RV site for a lot of different reasons–many wish to avoid a communal experience!
I am currently working in the office taking reservations. The most vexing problem is that folks call or email to ask about vacancies but don’t have any idea about when they want to arrive or leave. I can’t tell you if there is a vacancy if you don’t know when you want to be here. We are located on the Texas Gulf Coast and beginning next month will have the Winter Texans returning so will be quite full. There are a few scattered vacancies for a weekend or maybe a week, but if you don’t know when you’re going to be here, I can’t help you.
Years ago, thought it would be fun to own RV park, today, not on your life. Many of the people are rude, have pets which they think are people, and the rules apply to them too. Camping is getting to where it’s not so much fun anymore. We are talking about selling RV and just staying home, why travel, we can go to the store and see all the rude people and nuts we need to get our fill.
Yup! Also at home you can see just as many pets that will poop and pee on your lawn without regard to whose property it is cuz they do not know better…
A lot of that goes back to bad parenting. Fur kids or human kids.
The more I see of people the better I like dogs. Trouble is we still allow these idiots, slobs or self important humans to breed. In the dog breeding world when you get a bad result from a cross you stop breeding those two dogs together. Could be applied to other species. Your JOB as a PARENT is to raise socially well adjusted and productive members of this society. You are not their friend or buddy. You are their PARENT. Act like one. Here endeth the sermon of the day.
VERY Well Said!!
I’m working maintenance in a 150 site park. I found a way to address dog off leash that more often than not is greeted with a chuckle and compliance. I will approach the “offending ” pup and tell him/her to go tell their human they need to be on a leash. My 2 biggest complaints are guests who don’t read the park rules and then get upset when you try to enforce them. And seasonal who know the rules but think because they are seasonal are privileged and don’t have to follow any that they don’t like.
I haven’t stayed at a park that cleans the site before a new guest arrives. I’m sure a few exist but we’ve never stayed in any of them. I’ll bet Andy Z’s park however cleans up the sites.
I workamped in northern Florida last year. When a guest departed I would clean the firepit, rake all the gravel smooth, check for ants, move the picnic table out of the way, and generally make the site ready for the next guest. This was EVERY site, EVERY time a guest left. I was also there when ever a new guest arrived, sometimes helping them get set up, and gave them a quick rundown of where to eat, sightsee, etc.
Whew! Can say have never done any of those. If we might be early, I would call and ask if it was ok.
Last Wednesday we pulled into a state park at 3:20 pm and nobody at registration. We drove into the campground and found a site that was unoccupied. We went to self register. Nowhere was a rate list. ( camping/electric ) posted. Others were there wondering the same thing. I put $3 in the envelope for daily admission and a note i would come back in the morning. Went back to the campsite and 15 minutes later a couple said I’m on their site. They had the receipt that they got from the office but went somewhere rather that going back to the site and posting it to alert others that it was gone. We moved on but the state of Wisconsin needs to get its act together. There were 20 people trying to get into the park and nowhere was anyone of authority. It’s been my experience that 3 and later that people come off the road looking for a campsite. In Wisconsin,the employees go home then. Something is wrong with that picture.
Wisconsin state parks are not currently allowing camping without reservations. They do currently have same day reservations however.
wow. people do these things? No. we haven’t done any of these things. amazing . didnt used to be this way.
As a county campground host my pet peeve is entitled occupants. When pointing out rule infractions, I’m met with “ I’ve been coming here for twenty years!” I would respond with “oh, I didn’t realize, obviously these rules don’t apply you!” And many believed me. Also, people using the campfire rings as trash bins. Ever try to remove a pot full of cooked spaghetti?
I would reply with “if you want to make it 21 then you will follow the rules”
We camp with 3 medium size dogs. They enjoy camping as much as we do, but they are always on a 6’ leash whether at camp site or walking. Always have poop bags attached to leashes to pick up after them. But more & more people think that leash rules don’t apply to them & no way are they going to pick up after their pets. Seems state parks & private RV parks don’t want to enforce their own rules. Kicking these people out of the camp grounds without a refund might stop this.
Campgrounds ? RV Parks ? I gave up both… Traded the fifth wheel in and got a truck camper. Set up solar and water purifier and a few other need items and went 100 % boondocking. Its smaller then a Larger RV but the pay back is to die for. Free campsite or very cheap, quiet and private. While traveling I can stop at any rest area for the night and I fit in the car section which has open spots always. Can now go up a forest back road and be able to turn around at those dead ends. NO reservations needed ever…… 🙂
Hopefully you leave your site better than you found it! 🙂 Thanks!
Wow! Certainly worthy of consideration. Thanks for sharing. Will this work for two people and a doggie?
Im getting ready to do the sae thing
I just read all comments below. Yep I have a lot of the same pet peeves, but none are unlike problems that one may have in their stick n bricks neighborhoods. AND if this stuff bothers you this much, you are not cut out to manage dormitories at a university!
Our campsite policy is one I learned decades ago from my Dad and Boy Scouts; leave a campsite better/cleaner than I find it. I always police our campsites and pick up trash, including small bits and others cigarette butts and I’ve cleaned a lot of trash out of fire rings. It’s the right thing to do. Hopefully other campers will see and think, hey, that’s something I will start doing, too.
Don’t count on it
My mother taught us the same thing and I still follow that lead! 🙂
As a past Scoutmaster..leave no trace!
I will do that when the site is free or cheap or volunteer-maintained. At $40 a night, no, it’s not my job.
It’s not a money matter – it’s a respect for the outdoors and a respect for others that should drive this behavior. Become a responsible citizen.
Maybe you could put up a sign that invites others to dump their trash in your firepit, have their dogs crap on your site, and let the folks next to you to drink and get loud until 3:AM.
yeez, pick up your site. How selfish …the park workers are usually busy cleaning the bigger issues like the bathrooms or the remains of a roudy group from the night before. A small effort on your part Mr fisher goes a long ways to keeping up the cleanliness of the rest of the park. Don’t be that entitled tool that gets everyone else upset over such a simple gesture such as picking up litter.
Sorry to Mr Fisher, Wanderer was supposed to be the target of my comment. I agree completely with Mr Fisher, leave no trace
Just read all the comments and as a park owner agree with most of them. But I can’t believe no one mentioned vehicles speeding in the campground. Definitely in our top 3 complaints.
Sheeeesh! You folks sound like that turd down the street yelling GET OFF MY LAWN at people walking on the grass between the sidewalk and the street.
Using red pepper to keep dogs away! Really? How insane are you?
Can’t deal with people that arrive early? Get a grip. Tell them they need to get out of the way.
And heaven forbid! KIDS are out in a trailer park where the speed limit is 5-7 MPH.
Please
GET OFF MY LAWN!
Rules are rules. You didn’t make them but you tacitly agree to them when you check in. Don’t like them – go somewhere else.
the biggest issue we have encountered is getting to a site late at night, it’s just a stop over to a longer trip, and some idiot parked in our designated spot. it’s an issue when you’re tired, do not know the camp ground and not sure what the heck happened. fortunately, in this case, the camp office, even though late at night, was very responsive and came out to check to make sure we were set up (we had called them to tell them we were taking a different spot and gave them the number). everything ended fine, but again, when you are tired, it’s the last thing you want to deal with
I know?? Unbelievable. Glad you tell them to leave. The last few campgrounds we were in, we were shocked when people started arriving two to three hours before check-in. I said to my husband, I thought check-in wasn’t until 3:00, how are all these people coming in here? We didn’t even know that was allowed. BTW, Andy, we have stayed at your campground three times and love it.
Red Pepper around the RV to keep dogs away ? Thank you for the idea.
I was a camp host for 2 months. No law enforcement ranger on staff. I tried to get the rangers to evict a class c that smelled like a meth lab and whose occupants were already stirring up trouble to test what they could get away with. After about a week of putting up with them myself and complaints from neighbors (in the middle of the night) an incident requiring 911 assistance started and I was the only staff available. I did what I could to deescalate the situation while waiting an hour for the state police (I do not carry firearms) to arrive. Then they left the guy there for me to babysit and arrested the women. The guy was still acting up when they left and again scared the neighbors in the night (snuck out of his trailer). The troopers brought the women back in the morning but didn’t fulfill their promise to evict them because they had another more urgent call. Another station sent a ranger oblivious to the situation. Someone could have died because no one took the matter serious.
Rocks in the fire pit? Of course! They are useful for elevating and positioning logs and creating better air flow as the fire burns. Hadn’t ever considered them a problem, and still don’t, so baffled by this concern.
They can explode!
Also have to be removed by clean up people. Rocks may not be a good thing where fire pit ashes are dumped
Good point but if they are industrious enough to put the rocks into the firepit, they can take a couple minutes to remove them. As has been said, leave the site like you found it.
People go RVing for many different reasons–not ONLY for the reason you go RVing!
Some go for a communal experience, some to get away from city crowds; some are just stopping for the night; some are there to party, some for quiet enjoyment of nature; some to work remotely, some to play; some to have a big campfire, some are bothered by the smoke, some to let their kids run wild; some stay in the campground their entire stay, some only sleep there and use it as a base to explore the area; some to escape the city, some to explore a nearby city; some love dogs, some wish to avoid them; some think they’re camping, some are avoiding motels.
Please don’t assume that everyone else is like you. Whatever your reason for camping, try to minimize your impact on everyone else.
How about people being filthy in campground bathrooms? I’m amazed at how people leave dirty sinks and stuff on toilet floors. I just left a toilet that looked like a horse was there last.
One of my jobs in college was cleaning rest rooms. The women were worse than the men.
I think a “security deposit” of $100, pending rules violations would be appropriate. Post the rules and deposit information on the website plus give them a large, bold print list at check-in. Make sure they read it. Noise issues can rate 1 warning, then on 2nd notice, ask them to leave. I have workamped and had to clean many firepits with egg shells, cans, aluminum foil, etc. Not fun.
Staying an extra day without paying sounds like STEALING to me. Should be held account-able.
My husband and I have camp-hosted in multiple national & state parks over the past couple of decades. For the most part we have truly enjoyed the campers we’ve met. We consider part of our job to teach newbies how to camp (getting quite a workout on that lately – lots of newbies), so we enjoy those kinds of interactions. Our biggest complaint would be about selfish attitudes. You are joining a temporary neighborhood; you should be a good neighbor.
Problems arise most frequently when there is a mismatch between a camper’s expectation for a campground and its reality: a person who wants solitude should be boondocking instead of coming to a multi-site campground; a group that wants to party hearty should be renting a group site away from the main camp; parents hosting junior’s birthday party featuring confetti & fireworks should consider a non-park picnic pavilion. Doing a bit of research before going would avoid this.
In years past almost every time I camped at a state or national park I saw stealth campers sneak in. I don’t see it so much anymore because the campgrounds are so full. Still, that’s just rude. And how can you “accidentally” camp in the wrong site? Every campground I’ve ever been to are clearly numbered. I think people do that on purpose hoping the other campers will take another site and they will get to stay in the better site.. Again, that’s just very rude.