Crowded RV campgrounds

[Gerry1013]

Has anyone done ratings that included crowded sites? New to the RV world but have been staying at campsites that are just too close to one another. I thought I would be in the great outdoors ( and not ready yet for giving up most amenities) but instead am crowded into row home conditions like many cities.

Stayed in 5 places so far and they all seem to be the same, I.e., pack as many units that you can in a small area.

If you know of any rating apps that deal with this please let me know. I can’t be the only one that thinks being with the rest of the sardines is a good thing.

[bst24351]

I’ve only been at it for 2 years my self and that seems to be a very common occurrence. I guess camping just isn’t camping any more if you don’t have 5 campers within 75 feet of your self anymore.

[Ivylog]

OP with only 1 post and no information filled in about your rig, it sounds like they have been FullHookUps (FHU) sites where the cost of roads and utilities makes it hard (expensive) to have sites far apart.

It is impossible to have sites far apart with FHU, level concrete sites that are pull through for $30/night. Add the pool, nice bathhouse (free showers) on a desirable piece if property that’s open all year you are up to $50++ with people complaining about the price. If only open during the summer $75 will barely let you survive. Oh yea, and the 2 years it took to get the permits and another 2 years in construction. Welcome to the forums.

I find the fewer services the further apart the sites tend to be with dispersed being the best and free.
In answering your question... https://www.campgroundviews.com/ and https://freecampsites.net/ but you need to be self contained and know how to dry camp.

[Lt Dan]

Look up sites and areas your are interested in on Campground Reviews where you can see what others say about spacing. In addition, you can look at the RV park on satellite view to get an idea of how crowded it is. Welcome to the world of current RVing. A land owner wants to maximize the use of space so they are going to put as many sites in available land as they can comfortably fit.

[LETMGROW]

This time of year you wouldn't find a whole lot of empty campsites anywhere even in a normal year. Everything in the northern states is closed for the winter. The campgrounds in the southern states are all filled to or beyond capacity due to the added influx of people trying to get away and the large number of new campers who have come onboard.
With the economy being the way it is you can hardly blame the campground owners for trying to pack more RV's into their facilities. I wouldn't expect to see much relief until this pandemic passes and who knows when that will actually be.
RV sales are at an all time high. Those who have bought RV's are anxious to get out and use them. If they can squeeze into a space and park somewhere they will.
If anyone isn't satisfied with the current situation I would suggest they buy a lot of their own and have all the space they want. There isn't much anyone will be able to do about it otherwise.

[Ivylog]

Good luck finding a “lot” where you can live in just a RV on less than 5 acres where it’s warm in the winter. Our snowbird park in WPB, FL is currently half full. You could be a walk up and pick a site in the middle of 3 vacant ones...plenty of room.

[mbridinger]

Our first trip years ago was a disappointment in a parking lot RV resort. Almost sold it then and there. It has taken years to find spots. There is only 1 organized campsite that we use a few days a year, the rest is boondocking in the forest or state land. I spent over 100 days camping in the last year. This year has been the busiest ever, even the forest is packed. I am in AZ so we have plenty of areas to hide. I recommend you give dry camping a try.

[garmp]

There are RV parks, there is camping and then there is camping. We are not proponents of boondocking, but do enjoy camping. RV parks/parking lots are a no go for us, unless as a last resort. As sociable as we want to be, we don't want out neighbor 10 feet from ours. No parking lots mentality for us. Campgrounds, state, COE and even municipal parks can add the "camping" experience without being on top of one another. Not to knock big rig destination RVers, but we prefer the outdoorsie type site. One where neighbors get out to cook on the open fire, enjoy the views and walk around. Not get out only to adjust their TV dish.
Just my rant.

[LETMGROW]

Originally Posted by Ivylog

Good luck finding a “lot” where you can live in just a RV on less than 5 acres where it’s warm in the winter. Our snowbird park in WPB, FL is currently half full. You could be a walk up and pick a site in the middle of 3 vacant ones...plenty of room.

A friend of mine went down to Florida two summers ago and bought a five acre lot near the west coast for what I thought was a very reasonable price. The lot had a well and septic system on it along with an older mobile home which he sold for salvage. He bought a 5th. wheel camper up here for a good price and hauled it down to his lot, stayed a couple months and made some improvements with his tractor and backhoe which his wife hauled down at the same time. When he came back north he took his 5th. wheel camper to a storage lot and left it there, brought the tractor back and his truck as well. Next week he and his wife are going back down for a couple months to stay until it warms up up here. He'll move the 5th. wheel back, hook it up and be good to go. He'll always be able to sell the lot for as much or more than he paid for it so his rent is nothing other than the taxes he has to pay which he says aren't much. He'll have to pay for electric but he'd have to do that here anyway.

[Danattherock]

Look for state parks and army Corp of engineering campgrounds. Avoid RV 'resorts' and 'parks'. Only been using our travel trailer for 11 months, but figured out pretty quick parks and resorts means parking lot with WiFi.


Dan
NC

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Danattherock

Look for state parks and army Corp of engineering campgrounds. Avoid RV 'resorts' and 'parks'. Only been using our travel trailer for 11 months, but figured out pretty quick parks and resorts means parking lot with WiFi.

Totally agree!

[2cyber71]

All depends.
I’ve been in parking lot RV parks and I’ve been in beautiful wide open RV Resorts.
I always research when I’m going to go before I go.
YouTube helps a lot.
It’s how I picked my RV Resort in the Black Hills last year.
There are usually a few videos that you can watch and get an idea what a CG looks like.
Stops along the way don’t matter. as long as I can hookup with 50 amps without taking the Jeep off. I don’t even need water or sewer for one night stops.

[PandS]

Corps of Engineers and State Parks generally have very nice sites with lots of elbow room. Lower cost than most private campgrounds is a bonus.



BUT....you have to plan and reserve spots in advance. Some places, like in Florida, you're looking at 11 months lead time. Worth it, in my opinion.


We are currently in John Pennekamp State park in Key Largo, Florida. $48/ night. Half of that if you are a Florida resident (we are). And we get to dock the boat for the duration of our stay for no additional fee. This is the tightest Florida state Park we have been in, but the Keys are a special case. All of the others have been very spacious.


All of the COE campsites we have stayed in were huge, quiet, and clean with very good utilities no matter which state they were in. They generally accept reservations 6 months in advance.


KOA's can be really crowded. We try to avoid them, but as full timers in a big rig, sometimes they are the best option for an overnight or two. - Paul

[Spdracr39]

We find the park then use google satellite view to see how close the sites are. I have seen some that you could barely tell the rv's weren't touching. Campground reviews is a great resource also.