Think back to when you first started RVing. Your early campground experiences, your first neighbors, the unspoken rules everyone seemed to follow… Ah, the good ol’ days.
For today’s poll, we want to know: Do you think campground etiquette has changed since you started RVing?
For some of you, the change feels obvious. Quieter nights, shared spaces, and simple courtesies don’t always seem as universal as they once did. Things like loud music, bright lights, ignoring quiet hours, or letting kids and pets roam freely can make campgrounds feel very different from how they used to.
Others aren’t so sure. You might feel that every generation complains about the next, and that good and bad behavior has always existed in campgrounds. From your perspective, etiquette hasn’t really changed; it just varies from place to place and neighbor to neighbor.
Then there are the situational changes. Reservation systems, bigger rigs, more technology, and busier parks can all affect how people interact. When campgrounds are crowded and stressful to book, patience can wear thin on everyone involved.
So what about you? When you compare today’s campgrounds to your early RVing days, do they feel the same or different?
Go ahead and vote in today’s poll, and feel free to share what changes you’ve noticed along the way in the comments below. Thank you!
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RVT1244b
As with all of society, people in general have become entitled. They feel they can do what they want at the expense of everyone else. It’s becoming tougher on those of us who operate campgrounds.
People have lost respect of one another, no matter where you are. We are too divided as a nation. Religious, political, and just any opinion you have has or can be under attack by someone. I blame social media. F.B. is where I feel it began.
Although many more people are enjoying the outdoors these days, I don’t think ratio of the “etiquette challenged” within the camper population has changed much.
Maybe it’s where/how we typically camp or perhaps how few things trigger us, I dunno. We mostly encounter good people just enjoying life and those around them.
But don’t get me started on etiquette at the airport. Holy cow, the things I used to see when I traveled daily for business. Yikes!
The % of entitled, ignorant slobs is at least 50% of todays younger newbies. When I grew up-50’s and early 60’s- if you said or acted out of line there was a quick, up close and personal interaction to set the offender straight.
Depends on the park. What I call ‘party’ parks are worse. Life is seemingly a non-stop free-for-all. We try to avoid such parks, at least during that type of park’s peak season. The flip-side that IMO is almost as bad are parks that are scary quiet. Nobody talks to anybody else for fear of an emotional outburst. Any speech is in low tones to solely reach the ears of your own group.
As we mostly travel in the shoulder seasons, RV life remains pretty good. Take a walk along the roads. Note license plates and unless the site occupant looks like they are facing a serial killer, call out a hello and ask what part of the state they come from. It’s a great ice breaker.
Thousand Trails Indian Lakes in Batesville, IN; The Mecca of atrocious camping behavior.
I’ve found that it depends on which parks you’re at and what time of year. We tend to camp in the off season times and at parks that are not that close to large cities. We have been to some parks that cater to the younger crowd that bring their loud electronics and we didn’t stay long. We’ve found most campers are more interested in enjoying nature.
I don’t see the question, so I can’t make a selection.
I’m close to 60. I grew up when there was a lot of emphasis on manners. Opening doors for and saying hi to strangers and saying thank you was very commonplace. Not so much anymore. Entitled is a good description and most likely starts with our politicians promising all sorts of goodies in exchange for nothing (except votes of course).
Parks are just a reflection of our society. Many today can not tolerate ideals other than their own. I avoid that drama. I grew up at a time where we respected age and tenure. Today, now that I’m that old guy, I am told to be subordinate to the entitlement crowd. Nope!
Bigger rigs, bigger batteries, and LED lights have enabled more and brighter exterior lights. My fellow campers use them too much. The worst offenders are the lights on the front of a big 5th wheel-type rig. They serve absolutely no purpose other than to advertise the manufacturer and annoy all the neighbors.
Not just camping. Social media and the current administration has given people permission to be terrible to each other.
Not sure what you are referring to Ralph, but societal discourse has been around long before January 2025. Remember the ‘Summer of Love’?
The answer may depend on WHERE you stay. COE parks are almost always quiet and polite. We avoid commercial parks like the plague.
OK by definition, etiquette means: “conventional requirements as to social behavior” so has the actual etiquette changed or just the compliance to proper etiquette has diminished? I find people disregard the actual campground rules such as not cutting through campsites, cleaning up after your dog, dogs on leashes, quiet times, etc.
Courtesy varies inversely with population density, whether it is proximity to urban areas or within the campground proper. Jerks are everywhere and it only takes one to ruin it for everyone. Driving etiquette is a great indicator of what you can expect.
So bad< I only camp on my private properties.
ALL you folks need to remember:
IT’S ALL ABOUT ME!
We camp mostly at national parks or state parks where alcohol is prohibited. Doesn’t mean people can’t discreetly sip a beer at their camp site but there’s no falling down drunk partying going on – mostly it’s families enjoying the outdoors.
I don’t think it has changed for the worse, there is just more people RVing. Ask any first responder and they can tell you wild stories, and they have been able to for decades. It takes all types of people to make the World go round. As the population grows, and the World grows smaller, the people experience widens.
We just stayed a week at a KOA in Tucson recently and the sites across from us was one of those dual sites where you can park with someone with your campsite facing each other. The site had a shared covered ramada with, tv, sink, fridge, fireplace and table and chairs. The site was very nice but the people were not. They had 4 dogs never on a leash, a few kids and several adults. They were all extremely loud all day long. Their music was loud so they all had to yell at each other. No respect for their neighbors. The only good thing was they were quiet after 10:00pm. We might as well have parked next to a ball park stadium. Out of 26 years of camping this was the worst bunch we ever had.