Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > REGIONAL CHAPTERS, CAMPOUTS & RALLIES > Southeast Region > Carolina Campers
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-09-2013, 05:12 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
National RV Owners Club
Ford Super Duty Owner
Carolina Campers
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Wilmington, NC
Posts: 858
Long Term Campers

Just curious if anyone else has noticed the increase in long term, nearly permanent campers in campgrounds including franchise campgrounds like KOA and Good Sam. I have stayed in some that put me next to sites that are full of junk, including empty bottles, trash and broken-up furniture. I have encountered this in many campgrounds, mostly places near interstates where we have made stop overs. Many times I have felt uncomfortable when I see these sites, with people coming and going, often times at all hours of day and night. On one such occasion I was stopped over in Ga on way to Disney with wife and gandkids, we were next to one of these sites and 2 unsavory looking characters kept coming in and out of trailer next to us, taking packages back and forth to vehicles, getting drinks from a refrigerator sitting on ground outside, and had two great danes tied to leashes so long that the dogs were urinating on the tires of my coach.

I notice more and more of these situations, most especially in the south in small towns, but have noticed a campground about 25 miles from my home town that has become more of a trailer court with some 70-80 vintage trailers in desperate condition that are there all the time, most set up on cinder blocks. Have notice that this campground reviews over the years have declined significantly. I understand the hard times the economy has brought for both the CG owners and folks staying there, but I do not want to camp out in squatter towns.
__________________
Tom and Patty
The "Rode Crew"
2012 Itasca Navion J - Sprinter Chassis.
trode is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 07-09-2013, 05:31 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Theluckys's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 198
We were traveling from FL to Virginia recently and stopped at a CG in Selma NC. The CG was nicely maintained but as we were walking our dogs we noticed that over 80% of the campers were long-term - wooden steps and wooden decks.

Seems like this is happening more and more because it's cheaper to purchase a 5th wheel and stay in a CG than it is to rent.
__________________
2006 Essex
Theluckys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2013, 06:01 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
jzick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,193
Quote:
Just curious if anyone else has noticed the increase in long term, nearly permanent campers in campgrounds including franchise campgrounds like KOA and Good Sam.
Unfortunately, this has been a trend for at least the last five or six years. Because we tend to park for a month or more when we travel, we typically stay at no frills commercial campgrounds. Many of what used to be our favorite stopping places now have the ambience of a low rent trailer park. Many of the residents we talk with are just nice folks whose lack of education and dependence on jobs like construction made them especially vulnerable during the economic downturn. Apartments require credit worthiness that many can not satisfy. It is relatively easy for them to scrape together a few bucks for an old rv and live in it. The upside, of course, is that most will work their way through their troubles and eventually move to different surroundings.
jzick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2013, 09:55 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
bsirby's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Appalachian Campers
Coastal Campers
Carolina Campers
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,828
Yes, campgrounds are affordable for people who are right on the edge of homeless. At one park, people worked at the campground enough hours to get their rent and they lived in tents. So sad. Also sad the cg owner wouldn't let them work more hours for a little cash to get ahead. One cg we worked at had their permanent sites in a separate location of the park which was nicer than having them scattered throughout. At some campgrounds they need the income during the winter months, when no one is camping. We can only hope the economy and job situations improve.
__________________
Brenda and Frank, FTers, Zebulon, NC
Raisin our mixed hound and BooBoo our cat.
2004 Itasca Suncruiser
bsirby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2013, 10:55 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
lgarcia's Avatar
 
Pond Piggies Club
Appalachian Campers
Forest River Owners Club
iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 547
In our area, it is often a result of the oil and gas industry. Marietta, Ohio recently expanded their fairground campsites for this reason.
__________________
-Laura
2016 Shasta Oasis 18BH and 2004 Aliner Expedition towed with a 2015 Ram1/2 ton Hemi
lgarcia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2014, 12:11 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
NY Camper 86's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Sheldon, SC
Posts: 235
Well I am currently one of those people...but my camp site is clean and organized. I have lots of plants and veggies growing. It came down to I couldn't afford my student loans along with a place to live. So not everyone is uneducated and living in a camper. I have a degree.
__________________
*Diesel Girl*
*Yellow Lab -Ace *Two crazy cats- Kamie and Midnight*
*2004 Fleetwood Prowler*
NY Camper 86 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2014, 01:29 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
docj's Avatar
Official iRV2 Sponsor
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,305
This topic comes up repeatedly these days and almost every time it does there is a derogatory implication that somehow these "long term residents" are lower quality than the "regular" customers one might encounter. However, that is such a gross exaggeration and simplification IMHO that it groups together anyone whose RV happens to sit on a site for more than an "appropriate" period of time.

So, at the suburban Maryland RV park where we currently are parked, are the campers still here on Monday after the weekenders have left lower quality than those who were here over the weekend? Are the RVs that are here as seasonal "vacation homes" better quality than those owned by people who I saw leaving for work this morning?

IMHO just get over it. We full-time and travel extensively. Long term residents have become the norm at RV parks all over the country and the reasons they are there vary greatly. We try to select nice parks to stay at and we've never felt uncomfortable by the condition of someone else's site. OTOH maybe that's partly due to the fact that we don't get ourselves worked up by counting the number of long term residents at a park.
__________________
Joel (AKA docj)--
RV Technology Specialist
docj is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2014, 02:50 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
LakeKerrGuy's Avatar
 
National RV Owners Club
Florida Cooters Club
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Salt Springs, FL
Posts: 453
Quote:
Originally Posted by docj View Post
This topic comes up repeatedly these days and almost every time it does there is a derogatory implication that somehow these "long term residents" are lower quality than the "regular" customers one might encounter. However, that is such a gross exaggeration and simplification IMHO that it groups together anyone whose RV happens to sit on a site for more than an "appropriate" period of time.

So, at the suburban Maryland RV park where we currently are parked, are the campers still here on Monday after the weekenders have left lower quality than those who were here over the weekend? Are the RVs that are here as seasonal "vacation homes" better quality than those owned by people who I saw leaving for work this morning?

IMHO just get over it. We full-time and travel extensively. Long term residents have become the norm at RV parks all over the country and the reasons they are there vary greatly. We try to select nice parks to stay at and we've never felt uncomfortable by the condition of someone else's site. OTOH maybe that's partly due to the fact that we don't get ourselves worked up by counting the number of long term residents at a park.

Sure wish there was a like button on here.
__________________
Jack & Beverly
1999 National Tradewinds 7371; Cat 3126; 6 Speed Allison; 7.5 KW Onan; MS-2012,
2014 Jeep Patriot on a EZE Tow
LakeKerrGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2014, 03:01 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Naples, Fl.
Posts: 1,303
Quote:
Originally Posted by docj View Post
This topic comes up repeatedly these days and almost every time it does there is a derogatory implication that somehow these "long term residents" are lower quality than the "regular" customers one might encounter. However, that is such a gross exaggeration and simplification IMHO that it groups together anyone whose RV happens to sit on a site for more than an "appropriate" period of time.

So, at the suburban Maryland RV park where we currently are parked, are the campers still here on Monday after the weekenders have left lower quality than those who were here over the weekend? Are the RVs that are here as seasonal "vacation homes" better quality than those owned by people who I saw leaving for work this morning?

IMHO just get over it. We full-time and travel extensively. Long term residents have become the norm at RV parks all over the country and the reasons they are there vary greatly. We try to select nice parks to stay at and we've never felt uncomfortable by the condition of someone else's site. OTOH maybe that's partly due to the fact that we don't get ourselves worked up by counting the number of long term residents at a park.
I agree. When traveling, if the park is "trashy," I blame it upon the management either not having rules to prevent it or enforcing existing rules.

Our winter home park in Florida has over 50% permanent residents, but you could never tell, because of the rules and their enforcement. Things like, no permanent decks, no outside refrigerators, no broken down cars, etc. People may say: "Wow they have a lot of rules." Yes, they do and I am thankful. The rules keep it nice.
__________________
Camping Rig: 2006 Outback 27 RSDS--
2005 Dodge 3500 - Dually- Cummins
Full time since June 2006
Dog Folks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-14-2014, 04:04 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
bsirby's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Appalachian Campers
Coastal Campers
Carolina Campers
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,828
We work the summer season in a KOA near Charleston. The owner recently sent out a letter to the long term residents(approx. 25). He stated that the sites need to be clean, free of excess furniture, trash, extra vehicles, tarp garages etc. He was just trying to clean up the campground so all could live in decent surroundings. 90% of those folks left because they don't want rules or be told to clean up their RV's and the area they live in. Campground looks really nice now. The residents that remain are happy and our daily campers are happy. Nothing wrong with expecting a clean, orderly campground to stay at. If I am going to pay money to stay in a park, I have expectations of a clean environment.
__________________
Brenda and Frank, FTers, Zebulon, NC
Raisin our mixed hound and BooBoo our cat.
2004 Itasca Suncruiser
bsirby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-14-2014, 04:22 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Hammer bird's Avatar
 
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Colorado
Posts: 285
We just stayed in Iowa at the coralville dam complex. The people on either side of us had been there awhile. The ranger came and told the neighbor his " time was up". The neighbor lived about 30 miles away and used the park as a"summer home". He had a choice spot on the lake. But the park recently revamped their rules to a max of 14 days down from 30 so " weekenders" have a shot at getting nice lake view spots. The neighbor was peeved since he had to "pack it all up and move". Gee. So sad...
__________________
Coleman pop-up, Jayco Kiwi, Jayco Eagle
Monaco Knight 2006, Lance 1995 ('20)
Hammer bird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-14-2014, 07:38 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
JEEPOHOLIC's Avatar
 
Forest River Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 246
Quote:
Originally Posted by jzick View Post
Many of the residents we talk with are just nice folks whose lack of education and dependence on jobs like construction
dont you just love being lumped into a general stereotype of people, we bought our truck and trailer to be able to go to where the work is, yes that makes us boomers, keep in mind we build America and we try to buy American made union products, we are also very proud of what we do, there are many trucks and fifth wheels out there but this one is mine Pin by Lyman Beach on trucks and bikes | Pinterest
__________________
2007 Forest River fifth wheel toy hauler 385 RLTS, 1999 Freightliner FL-60 with Western Hauler bed, new 3126B CAT motor, new Allison MD3060 transmission, air ride rear suspension, air ride cab, air ride seats
JEEPOHOLIC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-14-2014, 09:05 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
docj's Avatar
Official iRV2 Sponsor
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,305
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEEPOHOLIC View Post
dont you just love being lumped into a general stereotype of people, we bought our truck and trailer to be able to go to where the work is, yes that makes us boomers, keep in mind we build America and we try to buy American made union products, we are also very proud of what we do, there are many trucks and fifth wheels out there but this one is mine Pin by Lyman Beach on trucks and bikes | Pinterest
Nice ride!
__________________
Joel (AKA docj)--
RV Technology Specialist
docj is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:36 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.