How do you pick a campground

[Harley1994]

Keeping records of good and bad CG's sounds like a good idea, we've done alot of touring on motorcycles, and I keep a record of good bike shops, restaurants and motels. I see what you guys mean with reviews, I was checking out some CG reviews and one said the food tasted like truck stop food, (she meant it as being bad I guess) I happen to like truck stop food!! I have alot of good info here to sort thru and ck out .

[RPOD]

My favorite is Ultimate US Public Campground Project . It's updated monthly, and there's mobile and desktop versions of it.

[MSHappyCampers]

I decide in the order below:

Location

50A service available

GS/Trailer Life directory rating

Passport America discount

Escapees discount

Good Sam discount

Big rig accessible

cost

[vsheetz]

Passport America I check first to see if there is a suitable CG in range.

[2500HD]

Location (near or on water) appearance, amenities, trip advisor reviews, and good same rating of 8 or better.

[Firebug5]

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

I decide in the order below:

Location

50A service available

GS/Trailer Life directory rating

Passport America discount

Escapees discount

Good Sam discount

Big rig accessible

cost

Can we just follow you around, Joe?

Bruce and Judy

[vincee]

Firebug, X2!

[chboone]

Almost anywhere near the Ocean.

[VSPA]

Where I stay depends on whether it's just an enroute overnighter or and extended stay. Enroute overnighter I generally stay at know KOA's. No matter which, I do a Google map search to see the layout and current reviews. I also do a Google search of gas stations near the prospective parks and do a street view to see if I can get my RV and dolly or car trailer in and out with ease.

[MisterT]

2014 Thor Palazzo 33.3 DP with 4 bike Rack, BlueOxAlpha tow bar, and 2014 Ford FiestaSE...

Since June 2014 we have traveled 18,000 miles across country, twice, and have stayed at more than 150 different 'places'...

Here's our typical 'agenda' when choosing a place to 'park'...
* How long will I be there? Is it just for an overnight stay off the interstate, to dump tanks, etc? Or is it for an extended stay in an area where we might be visiting? These will play into your decisions on where to stay...

A)PRICE: PassportAmerica, certainly if you are on a budget. $44 annual membership with 50% MANY rv parks and campgrounds around the country. There are some exceptions: each park can set it's own rules, such as 'not applicable on weekends', only for a maximum of 2 nights, not during the months of Dec - April, etc. But many also have no restrictions on the discount. We start our search with PA on my smartphone APP to see if any are within our travel range for the day.
B)or Discount: GoodSam - annual membership gets you about 10% off the standard price. They also have a great smartphone APP that shows you not only GS parks, but also others in the areas you are traveling.
C)Proximity to INTERSTATE or Main Roads - especially for one-nighters. You don't want to find your park is actually over a mountain pass on a single lane dirt road several miles from the main road! (unless, of course, you like that sort of thang!)
D)Daytime arrival: I never want to find a parking place that I may not reach until after dark, no matter the price or discount. Any of us who have run into issues trying to 'find' the 'easy to find' park will attest to this. Backing at night, finding the assigned site number, etc are not easy in the dark.
E)Google Maps 'overview' of the park or area you are heading to. It's nice to get a beforehand idea of what you are to expect, though it's not foolproof. And, don't let Apple or Google maps be the final GPS directions that you depend on. Do your homework and look carefully at every entrance and road to the park. Many times GPS maps may try to send you to a 'closed' or old entrance that is no longer correct!
F)30a/50a Service: Seems like a no brainer - why pay to park and not have electricity?? I will attest that many State and National Parks seem cheap and attractive, but have no 'facilities' to speak of, only a parking place.
G)WIFI !!!! Just sayin'...especially if you are going to be there a while
H)Large sites, wide sites, easy entry - PULL THROUGHS(even if you don't always need a pull thru site, they are the easiest site when you are only staying for a night and don't want to 'unhook' your tow vehicle)
I)Cable TV - if you don't have your own Satellite system
J)Laundry facilities

I didn't mention SEWER and WATER. These two are available at most, I dare say all?, parks and campgrounds, at least at a Dump/Water station if not at every site. Even State and National Parks that have nothing at the sites will have a Dump/Water station as your are leaving the park.

Believe me, EVERY park and campground is different. And, there are a lot of camping 'sites' that may not even show on the net or maps, they are just there off the interstate. We don't typically use those since there is no information ahead of time to gauge their fit for our situation, or to know the price ahead of time.

FREE Parking Lots: Walmart parking lots/Sams, etc... I have heard that many people use these almost exclusively while traveling long distances. It's great to have these, and we have used the option several times. I typically will contact the Manager and let them know we are a customer and may have to park overnight. They usually have no problem and just let us know to not look like we are 'camping' - no slides out, no Sat dishes out, etc. and stay near the outside edge of the lot as far from traffic as possible. Even stores that have the dreaded 'No Overnight Parking' signs are usually for the SemiTrucks that block traffic, not for paying customer RV owners. MALLS and Truck Stops are another option.

FREE other options: We have also used corporate building parking lots, especially when there is room at the far back or rear of the building away from street traffic. There are a lot of options for parking places if you are willing to 'think out of the box'. If you start looking, you will usually find RVs in places you might not normally think of.

REST STOPS: We have found that some Interstate Rest Stops have Dump Stations. Not most, but some. We have also found a lot of Motorhomes that overnight here.

(photo: Grand Canyon RV Park, full hookups, free snow - 01/13/15)

[Beak12]

We used to pick a CG BASED on reviews on line and and fellow campers. However we got a brand new Winnebago Itasca Suncruiser 37'. And our ideas changed we looked for place close to Winnebago dealer. Because we knew something was going to stop working. Sorry buy that's truth.

[spritz]

That one looks nice, or a Brochure, MH/RV Show, Word of Mouth,
irv2.
Tim

[dieharder]

I'll be the first to admit that what I do is not really "camping".

I need cable and wifi. Yes, I can get my own provider(s) or high power antenna and wifi stick, but if there is a campground that provides this, they'll get my business to save me some $. Mind you, I'm really only a weekend warrior at this point, so it's not worth setting up my own right now.

Then, I need a pool. Lake or ocean is great, but when it comes time for just lounging around in the water, hard to beat a pool.

From there, price. Luckily there is an awesome place only a couple of hours away from home that provides all this at under $40/night, taxes in. While we don't camp there exclusively, we do tend to stay there at least twice every camping season.

[mike brez]