Community Forums

Warpath · 04-12-2006, 09:15 AM

About a month ago we finished our plans and reservations for the entire summers of RV'ing. I don't think I have ever planned anything out this far into the future let alone RV'ing plans! Last year we had done alot of planning with the "Pond Piggies" (which is the fun name we call ourselves here in the Great Lakes Region), but not the whole summer! But each year it has been getting harder and harder to get in to many CG's with out planning further and further ahead.

I remember a few years ago you could decide late on a Friday to take off for the weekend and get into pretty much any campground unless it was a holiday. And pre 2000 you could even do that on a holiday.

Are we running out of campground space? Is the hobby getting to popular? I haven't even heard of any campgrounds complaining about Walmart over nighters lately and I am assuming this is because pretty much all of these campgrounds are booked up solid.

At this rate what will it be like say in 5 years? Will RV'ers begin to get frustrated and just get out of the hobby if you can't get in anywhere with out months of notice?

Obviously, a big factor of what takes place in the future is what happens with fuel prices. But again I assume that most RV'ers unable to absorb the cost of fuel will park their RV in one campground and become a seasonal. That still does not open up campground space.

If you where thinking about getting into RV'ing and you based that on the "Go RV'ing" commercials you would think you'll be camping in wide open spaces with nothing around for miles. But in reality many CG's have you packed in like sardines.

I would like to hear what some of you think, is this a problem? Or am I getting worried over nothing.

Bill

Warpath · 04-12-2006, 09:15 AM

About a month ago we finished our plans and reservations for the entire summers of RV'ing. I don't think I have ever planned anything out this far into the future let alone RV'ing plans! Last year we had done alot of planning with the "Pond Piggies" (which is the fun name we call ourselves here in the Great Lakes Region), but not the whole summer! But each year it has been getting harder and harder to get in to many CG's with out planning further and further ahead.

I remember a few years ago you could decide late on a Friday to take off for the weekend and get into pretty much any campground unless it was a holiday. And pre 2000 you could even do that on a holiday.

Are we running out of campground space? Is the hobby getting to popular? I haven't even heard of any campgrounds complaining about Walmart over nighters lately and I am assuming this is because pretty much all of these campgrounds are booked up solid.

At this rate what will it be like say in 5 years? Will RV'ers begin to get frustrated and just get out of the hobby if you can't get in anywhere with out months of notice?

Obviously, a big factor of what takes place in the future is what happens with fuel prices. But again I assume that most RV'ers unable to absorb the cost of fuel will park their RV in one campground and become a seasonal. That still does not open up campground space.

If you where thinking about getting into RV'ing and you based that on the "Go RV'ing" commercials you would think you'll be camping in wide open spaces with nothing around for miles. But in reality many CG's have you packed in like sardines.

I would like to hear what some of you think, is this a problem? Or am I getting worried over nothing.

Bill

powerboatr · 04-12-2006, 09:52 AM

I thinkmore and more folks are spending more time with the family as a whole unit and rving makes sense, even with higher fuel prices.
i have been to rv parks, state and private with WIDE open spaces and some with very cramped qtrs,
i would prefer large open spaces, like many of georgia state parks and florida parks

but overall
150 for a weekdn of full hookups plus 50 in food, plus bicyclces and good family fun, sure sounds better than flying off somewhere and eating hotel food and dealing with rude airlines, or airports like Atlanta
but that just me

Pat Z · 04-12-2006, 09:52 AM

It is becoming a problem. Another issue beside over crowding is a lot of the older campgrounds can't accomidate a 40' RV. We stopped at 2 campgrounds this winter on the way to Florida where we had to unook the toad even though the ad's said "Pull Throughs - Big Rigs Welcome"

RustyJC · 04-12-2006, 09:56 AM

A related issue is that development is driving property values higher which results in campground real estate being snapped up for use as tract housing, strip malls, etc. How many new campgrounds are being built versus the number of campgrounds that are disappearing?

Rusty

**NLOVNIT** · 04-12-2006, 10:32 AM

Basing my opinion on just the few short (6) years we've been rv-ing & the crowds each year at the rv shows we attend, I can only see campgrounds getting more crowded. Reservations are a must anymore & you definitely must plan ahead or you won't get in when you want/where you want. Although with the prices campgrounds charge going up each year, ya'd think they'd be doing upgrades & making improvements with that money. But that isn't usually the case. Many campground owners, seeing the increase in rv-r's take what once were spacious sites & turn them into 2 sites (or more) just to make more money. Alas, we've spent a lot of our precious money on our rigs, so it looks like we better get used to close quarters in many places.
L-

CyberVet65 · 04-12-2006, 11:31 AM

Four words, Bill.

GO WEST-Young Man!

Chet
p.s. remember California is not West. California, is, well, California

Rick A · 04-12-2006, 11:35 AM

It is just like anything else, when demand goes up, so do prices. As more and more families hit the roads in RV's, the competition for those sites is going to drive up the prices. It has gotten to the point that to get a full hook up site at one of our favorite state parks in MD, we have to make a reservation months in advance. I guess it is just a matter of what we will put up with to do the things we love.

CyberVet65 · 04-12-2006, 11:42 AM

I remember the first time that I saw motel rooms down the street from the RV park that had rooms for $10 less per night than the campground fees.
Chet

Frankie · 04-12-2006, 11:46 AM

We also booked our choice campgrounds over the winter.One of our favorite already started taking rez for 2007 season.I get scared a little when you call a campground on a fri afternoon and they have plenty of sites

Izzyblueye · 04-12-2006, 02:14 PM

I have watched it get worse every year for a number of years now. Campgrounds that at one time had 75% of their sites open during the week, are now full all week. I have to make reservations all the way from Florida to Ohio just to be sure I have a place to overnight, on our trip home in the early spring. I am going to start going the Wal-Mart route. C/G fees are going up to approaching small motel chains. So many c/g's are taking on permanents for cash flow, that available sites are diminished. I am not sure how some of the people that have entered Rv'g afford the hobby. Many finance their RV, hence high debt service,plus high fuel cost, extremely high maintenance cost, high c/g cost, very high depreciation loss. Tires every 5-6 years whether you use the RV or not. I don't have the answer either. No there are not enough campgrounds any more.

TXiceman · 04-12-2006, 02:29 PM

As I posted in another thread, the state and corp parks in the most popular areas are booked for the up coming camping season. We have pretty much reverted to private parks and go farther out than we'd like to go.

In the 20 plus years, the campgrounds have gotten extremely crowded and run down. A lot of the campers are stretched pretty thin on $$$ and have to camp as cheap as possible, so they want the state and corp parks to keep the cost down. People that do not camp, do not see a reason for them to be taxed to pay for the state parks. Someone has to pay and should be the folks that use them. So I don't have a problem with paying a bit more to get a nice well care for state or corp site.

Also, more people are wanting the full hook up sites so they can have all of the luxuries of home. We have seen tenters taking up sites with water/electric and sewer. They have a TV or stereo blaring and even have an window unit rigged on the ground to blow in the tent.

It will only become more popular until the cost of fuel keeps folks from driving a larger truck or SUV to pull a trailer. I know we keep the F350 parked and only drive it every week or two to keep the batteries charged and everything working.

Just remember ...."GO RVIN"

Ken

rebelsbeach · 04-12-2006, 03:27 PM

Some good points here.....yes, the value of land in many areas has driven the property owner to explore very lucrative development opportunities, but how do you explain the tourist meccas where there are several campgrounds in a row?
I myself have made reservations for our biggest trips all the way into August...
While a lot of it does have to do with campgrounds being shorter in supply,have you ever looked at the numbers of how many units the manafacturers are selling?

Those people are camping in those things somewhere!!

Lorna · 04-12-2006, 04:49 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TXiceman:
...the state and corp parks in the most popular areas are booked for the up coming camping season... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Maybe you need to check out the "undiscovered" places. The National Park system even has a link for their less "popular" parks.