Pet Peeve on Long Shake Down Trip

[Domo]

Originally Posted by falconman

Maybe the campground owners should drive around their park in a big rig to see how “friendly” their sites are. Tight corners, low branches, un level sites. Things look great from a golf cart.

That would be like having the folks the design and build motorhomes actually using one before they are allowed to determine layout and assembly procedures!

[Mr.Mark]

I agree with Dave and Monica,

I'm in the camp of 'why put a boulder in a curve that can damage a big coach'??!!!!!

I think it's just common sense to keep boulders and tree placement in RV parks to a minimum as not to damage the customer's RV's/trailers/etc.

Case in point, the KOA in North Little Rock, AR, is an older park but has been updated. We have stopped going there as our first choice because of what the original poster is complaining about. They built a curved block wall in the worst place possible.

If a coach/trailer has to go on the grass to maneuver around a tight corner then you NEED a larger road!!! The way this wall is placed, you have to go around it very carefully to reach the 'big rig' sites.

We now try to coordinate our trip to include Ivy's Cove RV Retreat in Russellville, AR, which is on the west end of the state. It is definitely big rig friendly. I was so irritated about the new wall and rock placement at the KOA, I avoid it now unless we need it as a desperate stop.

Safe travels,
Mark

[Busskipper]

Not sure where this will land in this debate of using Boulders to Keep Coach from Cutting Corners.

IMHO, the main reason the boulder had to Be Placed on the Corner IS because the Idiot who designed/built the roads had no Idea what He was doing, This comes from a old Fa*t who Build Interstate Highways (other roads too but trying to make a Point here) if the road is built Correctly you do not need Boulders to keep people from cutting Corners, But if the corner is too tight ....... then you might just have an Issue, and the Simple solution is to place a Boulder to Highlight YOUR Mistake.

Sure all of us CAN drive the Coach around these Obstacles - But Why should we Pay for that Challenge, just asking? And then on a late night arrival - after driving more miles than we should have - we are directed INTO the Challenge not around it ........ - - Why would anyone do this. -

So as I've said more times than I can remember - if it's dark - you are tired - and there is a Wal*Mart close by - just use the Wally*Mart and arrive fresh and ready in the Morning. -

JMHO

- -

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by Busskipper

Not sure where this will land in this debate of using Boulders to Keep Coach from Cutting Corners.

IMHO, the main reason the boulder had to Be Placed on the Corner IS because the Idiot who designed/built the roads had no Idea what He was doing, This comes from a old Fa*t who Build Interstate Highways (other roads too but trying to make a Point here) if the road is built Correctly you do not need Boulders to keep people from cutting Corners, But if the corner is too tight ....... then you might just have an Issue, and the Simple solution is to place a Boulder to Highlight YOUR Mistake.

Sure all of us CAN drive the Coach around these Obstacles - But Why should we Pay for that Challenge, just asking? And then on a late night arrival - after driving more miles than we should have - we are directed INTO the Challenge not around it ........ - - Why would anyone do this. -

So as I've said more times than I can remember - if it's dark - you are tired - and there is a Wal*Mart close by - just use the Wally*Mart and arrive fresh and ready in the Morning. -

JMHO

- -

Some years pack, a 2 lane state highway, from a US highway past the state park was due for overlay. The powers that be decided that too much traffic was missing the normal sized lanes. Company that I hauled for cut the shoulder down 3 feet wide, filled with asphalt, then overlaid the whole road. 2 years later, on the inside of of every curve the new shoulder was beat down enough to hold water, forcing it under pavement. Of course road was in need of repair...
And your talk of freeways bring up another point. In campgrounds, people walk and kids play in or near the roadway. A sign will not slow down as many divers as a curve. And for that curve to work for everybody it might work better for people driving bigger than there skill level...
And as to design. The more pavement in a area, the more water will run off that area, and that water must be handled in the design. Grass will let at least some of it soak in. Grass and trees soak up heat. A parking lot will feel hotter than a park or lawn.
It has been proven, that risk of damage to the landscape will not make sure a percentage of people will take care to stay on pavement. But when the risk of damage is moved to the driver, the amount of damage is reduced I would bet that if you asked people in general "What do you prefer more pavement, or more grass" a large majority would say grass. And if you limited the question to RV owners the percentage would be even higher in favor of grass.
It looks like some people want to have a RV as large as the average house was 100 years ago. Anybody remember the song Pave Paradise, put up a parking lot?

[Domo]

Originally Posted by Mr.Mark

I agree with Dave and Monica,

I'm in the camp of 'why put a boulder in a curve that can damage a big coach'??!!!!!

I think it's just common sense to keep boulders and tree placement in RV parks to a minimum as not to damage the customer's RV's/trailers/etc.

Case in point, the KOA in North Little Rock, AR, is an older park but has been updated. We have stopped going there as our first choice because of what the original poster is complaining about. They built a curved block wall in the worst place possible.

If a coach/trailer has to go on the grass to maneuver around a tight corner then you NEED a larger road!!! The way this wall is placed, you have to go around it very carefully to reach the 'big rig' sites.

We now try to coordinate our trip to include Ivy's Cove RV Retreat in Russellville, AR, which is on the west end of the state. It is definitely big rig friendly. I was so irritated about the new wall and rock placement at the KOA, I avoid it now unless we need it as a desperate stop.

Safe travels,
Mark

Sadly, it's not the rock that does the damage... and, the driver does have many choices; reposition slowly for better/safer entry, find a different site, go to a different campground, stay at Walmart.

[Easyrider]

Sadly, for every park with boulders there are countless poor drivers. We saw a motorhome driven into a boulder once when the owner of the RV had to move to a different site because the site he had been on was reserved by somebody else for that weekend. He was too lazy to remove the sun blocker he had on his windshield and drove into a boulder! Lots of cussing was heard about the boulders and the campground making him move because of a reservation. The campground's roads were plenty wide with gentle turns for anybody with clear vision!

[A Traveler]

If you cannot drive your motor home through an RV Park without hitting the boulders, then you should not be driving a motor home at all.

I sure wish there was a driving test for motor homes as there is for a commercial truck.

[Mr.Mark]

A boulder placed to save a few blades of grass...... I don't get it, make the road wider.

Mark

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by Mr.Mark

A boulder placed to save a few blades of grass...... I don't get it, make the road wider.

Mark

Well part of your statement I must agree with.
When you drop the inside tires off the pavement you hurt more than few blades of grass. You also compact the dirt. This makes a low spot, and because the part next to pavement gets hit more often, so is lowest at the edge of pavement. And because the dirt is compacted water will stand in that spot. Downhill for that water is under the pavement. And one of the most important jobs of pavement is keep the sub-grade dry. Water under the pavement, now the pavement gets the extra stress of of freeze/thaw cycles. Then there is the fact running on and off the edge of pavement will cause the edge to crumble.
And make the road wider? How wide? Ever sat in a rest area, and listened to how many vehicles run on the rumble strips? Now matter how wide you make the road, unless something is placed to many people don't care enough to stay on it..
BTW, does the inside sidewall hitting the edge of pavement know it is not a outside sidewall hitting a curb? Never mind, most people don't understand the damage that does to tires...

[DavenMonica]

I guess I didn't this would start such a conversation! LOL, although I feel personally insulted now like we can not drive around such obstacles-- I did point out we had no issues. WE DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING. Just such an inconvenience and unnecessary worry. I think ScoobyDoo must have owned a campground at some point for his more than thorough explanation and defense of everything. From another perspective-- we own a company and will do anything for the convenience and ease for our customers, so it was a bit of a surprise- when you are in the business of attracting big coaches, small coaches, travel trailers, fifth wheels, etc. that you make the decision to decorate with things that will easily cause damage. It would be like us selling sub-standard parts for huge production lines and saying-- no we never warned you-- lol- go ahead and buy the stuff that will shut down your production lines! We would immediately lose their business. It IS their due diligence- we believe it is, however, more ours to try and take care of them. The campgrounds/resorts are in business because of us. We have been to far more campgrounds WITHOUT all the boulders (or better placed ones like you gotta be an idiot to hit them) and they were just as nice- or better. LOL- we enjoyed the not worrying. I guess unlike some others- we make a lot of effort to not drive on the grass and such so it was just a bit mind boggling. And I'm also talking about the ones placed STUPIDLY around already tight corners or turns or irresponsibly on your site, ETC.

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by DavenMonica

I think ScoobyDoo must have owned a campground at some point for his more than thorough explanation and defense of everything.

No, never owned a CG, but have maintained property in commercial areas in exchange for a place to park my equipment. And have done a lot of road/driveway/parking lot repair.

From another perspective-- we own a company and will do anything for the convenience and ease for our customers, so it was a bit of a surprise- when you are in the business of attracting big coaches, small coaches, travel trailers, fifth wheels, etc. that you make the decision to decorate with things that will easily cause damage. It would be like us selling sub-standard parts for huge production lines and saying-- no we never warned you-- lol- go ahead and buy the stuff that will shut down your production lines!

Anything? Would you for instance ruin your production machines to satisfy 1% of your customers? Or even take a action that would shorten the life of a major investment by say 80%?
You are under the impression that the rocks are only for decoration.

It IS their due diligence- we believe it is, however, more ours to try and take care of them. The campgrounds/resorts are in business because of us. We have been to far more campgrounds WITHOUT all the boulders (or better placed ones like you gotta be an idiot to hit them) and they were just as nice- or better. LOL- we enjoyed the not worrying. I guess unlike some others- we make a lot of effort to not drive on the grass and such so it was just a bit mind boggling. And I'm also talking about the ones placed STUPIDLY around already tight corners or turns or irresponsibly on your site, ETC.

I think anybody that hits a rock should answer to "Idiot". And the tighter the curve, the more likely somebody is to straighten the road. And while you may take extra care to stay in the road, a large percentage don't. And this is not just a RV park issue. I once took a job where had to run down a church driveway. To keep drivers away from the edges I drove PCV pipes in at a angle so the ends where a foot over pavement. We finished, I was going to pull, they asked if I could leave the ones on the curve, just cut off at edge of pavement.

[Mr.Mark]

I see 100% where Dave and Monica are coming from, Scooby, not so much.

But, it's a big country out there with 1,000's and 1,000's of campgrounds, we'll chose the better thought-out ones.

Safe travels to all and Happy Halloween!
Mark