Campground Rates (2 Adults, 2 Children)

[Rick A]

I am curious about all these campgrounds that are charging extra for more than 2 children. I have 4 children ages 5, 8, 9, & 9 and am starting to have to pay extra for the ones over 6 at a lot of campgrounds, especially ones that are "Family Oriented". For example, Yogi Bear, I pay enough for the site already, why do I need to pay even more for an extra child. Does anyone know the rationale behind this, or is it to get more money? I would seriously like to know the reasoning.

[Rick A]

I am curious about all these campgrounds that are charging extra for more than 2 children. I have 4 children ages 5, 8, 9, & 9 and am starting to have to pay extra for the ones over 6 at a lot of campgrounds, especially ones that are "Family Oriented". For example, Yogi Bear, I pay enough for the site already, why do I need to pay even more for an extra child. Does anyone know the rationale behind this, or is it to get more money? I would seriously like to know the reasoning.

[allendp]

I have always had a real problem with campgrounds charging by the number of people in a rig. As far as I am concerned, I am renting a site, not a motel room. Heck I wouldn't be camping if I wanted to stay in a motel.

To me this is just another "gimmick" to pad the bottom line - like banks charging ATM fees or grocery stores charging non-members higher prices.

Just pure and simple greed and when one business starts doing it they all seem to jump on the band wagon. MY 2 cents !

Off my soap box now >>>

[Texas Bubba]

I presume you really want an answer to this question? The park owners I have talked to say that the extra people burden the systems. That is six people use 3 times the water, sewer and electric that a couple use. Also, children tend to utilize the facilities such as the pool more than a couple would. A couple might hang out at the pool for a couple of hours, but the kids will stay all day if allowed. I think basing the cost of a site on two people and charging extra for each one over two is more than fair. Some state and federal parks do not charge extra and you could utilize those if cost is a problem.
Comparing the cost to a hotel is exactly right, hotels/motels charge extra for extra people for the very same reason. Standard industry procedures. I've always favored voting with my money. If you don't like the way they conduct business, don't go there and if enough feel the same way, things will change?

[dancogan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by allendp:
I have always had a real problem with campgrounds charging by the number of people in a rig. As far as I am concerned, I am renting a site, not a motel room. Heck I wouldn't be camping if I wanted to stay in a motel.

To me this is just another "gimmick" to pad the bottom line - like banks charging ATM fees or grocery stores charging non-members higher prices.

Just pure and simple greed and when one business starts doing it they all seem to jump on the band wagon. MY 2 cents !

_Off my soap box now &gt;&gt;&gt;_ <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Let's just take one of those "greedy" examples you cite: banks charging fees for ATM usage. What is wrong with that? Should it be free? Do you think banks incur no costs for the purchase, upkeep and servicing of ATM's? No, as a matter of fact, the cost of maintaining an ATM can be as high or higher than the cost of hiring a full time employee. And, for the most part, banks charge non-customers for use of the ATM, and don't charge their own customers. Sorry, but that's how I see it.

[drfife]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Texas Bubba:
...The park owners I have talked to say that the extra people burden the systems. That is six people use 3 times the water, sewer and electric that a couple use. Also, children tend to utilize the facilities such as the pool more than a couple would... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Bubba:

There are campgrounds we've stayed at that don't have pools and other "facilities" for the kids, but still charge $2-4 extra per child extra.

The air conditioner is the #1 electricity consumer in the camper. Electricity consumption is not significantly different if one or six people are in the camper.

I doubt I could run the water all day and use the $6-12 extra some campgrounds charge for the kids.

The sewer system will be slightly more challenged. If you had kids you know they don't always take a shower everyday. They don't produce that much black tank waste either.

I think the extra charges are a way to cover their expenses. If they raised rates across the board the couples would howl. Better to heap the extra expense of the families.

Just my personal opinion, you don't need to agree with it.

[Rick A]

I guess I can understand the extra burden put on the systems, but I do not believe that 2 children are using $12 ($2/Night extra per child x 3 days x 2 children)more water and sewer, or causing that much more strain on the systems. When I paid for city water and sewer, I did not pay that much for one full month, much less one weekend, and that was for a whole house. I am not complaining, and $12 surely is not going to make or break me, but from a consumer standpoint, I would be curious to see numbers in balck and white that would justify this. Especially if I am getting a primitive site with no hookups and still being charged for extra people. The cost of camping just seems to keep going up every year and it is at the point where it is almost financially a breakeven to stay at hotels when factoring in fuel and camping fees while traveling. An example, I have reservations at a Maryland State park for 2 nights, and it is costing $70 for full hookup. Last year it was $50 for 2 nights. Where is the justification in that, and when do we say enough is enough.

[Lorna]

Personally, I think kids should stay free. If they want to put a limit on it, then charge $0.25 per child over, say 2. Not $2+ per kid. I think they are trying to limit the number of families that stay as opposed to saying "We really don't want families or LARGE families staying here". It's like the charginging extra for pets. Yeah, yeah, all the rational excuses about having the campground workers pick up after the dogs (I have yet to SEE a campground worker clean up a pet mess, or even hose down the pet walk area, in over 25 yrs of camping but maybe I was looking in the other direction). But they charge extra for CATS!!!! They don't clean out my cat's litter box (and I would willingly pay them a $1 a day to do that!) so I don't get some of these "extra" charges for things that I don't feel is extra. The pool, cable TV, Internet hook-ups, even sewer is optional... my kids are not "optional". We don't go back to the money-grubbing places.

Can you imagine pulling into a campground one day and being charged for:
$ the site
$ your tow vehicle (even if it is doing the towing and I have heard of some places that do this)
$ per person charge (that's all persons)
$ per pet charge
$ water
$ electric
$ sewer
$ cable TV
$ internet/WI FI
$ bath house fee (coin thingys on the doors to the shower & toilet stalls... ick!)
$ pool
$ playground
$ dump station (thought you'd save by not using the sewer hook-up didn't you)
$ security (that's for the gate they close at dark so you have to walk-in to your site)

Sounds silly but I have seen charges for many of these things, just not all at the same place. The campground that charged per person sold out after the 2nd year and many things changed. Or so I heard, we never stayed there.

The odd thing is that when we stay in a motel/hotel (a rare occurance), our kids tend to be included in the price of the room (usually kids under 18 stay free with adults).

We prefer public campgrounds over private so many of these things might be more common that I think. We stayed in a private campground once last summer. That was only because we needed to be close to the airport in Nashville and we needed camping cabins for some folks we were meeting (my daughter's boyfriend, and his mom,- flew up from Texas to finally meet face-to-face after over a year of "internet dating").

[Rich & Zara]

The title of this thread is, "Campground Rates (2 Adults, 2 Children)". Substitute the word Campground for Movie, Bus, Ferry, Ballgame, Zoo and I (you could too) go on and on. What is the difference? It would be nice to think that there is not an additional cost to many things that kids do but that is usually not the case. I'm not saying that the amounts charged is always justified but to expect it to be completely free when we adults have to pay? In this world today, it is more of a 'pay as you go' with few things to be free.

Texas Bubba's post above is indeed on the right track.

Rich
Our RV trip to Alaska

[kerfcutter]

Well, you all did a fine job of justifying the added expense for just about everything. However, you did miss one. This one was an actual charge at a campground we stayed at. They charged an extra $1/night if you wanted a campsite with shade! Yep, shade. Do you want to know what consisted of shade? It sure wasn't a forest. It was one lone maple tree on your lot. And for that you paid an extra $1 for. The guy ahead of me checking in almost had a canary over it. I really thought he was going to come unglued. I personally opted for the "no shade". We sat under our awning while we watched the others attempting to keep up with the sun as it began to set with their little maple tree there for protection. I myself cannot find justification for this one...other than more $$ as others have said...

[firesafety912]

The last campground we stayed in wanted to charge $1 per night for a pet...my pet is a 9 lb Dachsund(sp)...don't know why they wanted to charge for her, but being cheap, I pulled out and went elsewhere..

I don't mind paying my way, but I don't like being robbed.

Happy camping

[Vette Racer]

Besides the extra people, my big ??? is the extra vehicle. Why is it that an extra vehicle costs more. Just because I put mine inside a toyhauler why do I have to pay more than a MH with a car behind. I consider my TV a part of my trailer since I don't want to drive it around sight seeing. Why does it cost more for a RV park to have me park my vehicle with the trailer? I agree with the other guy that said they are just looking for a way to make more money. Just another reason to find another way to stay overnight than use their campgrounds.

[Sunflyer]

If you are referring to a Jellystone park(Yogi Bear?)then take into account that Jellystone parks routinely provide salaried camp counselors and planned activities(arts/crafts w/supplies) and usually additional facilities specifically for kids. That is an expense that justifies charging more.

That said, I don't think it's justified at most rv parks that provide nothing extra beyond a playground for kids. Often families are in smaller 5ers, travel trailers and pop up campers and will not be using the amount of utilities that a 40' DP with a washer/dryer, microwave, house sized air conditioner/furnace, double wide refrigerator, LCD TV's, stereo's, 50 Amp hookup, etc., etc. So yes, there is a discrepancy here if the park is claiming that merely being at the campground indicates a family will use more resources.

And don't even get me started on charging for dogs.....

[George Miklas]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Lorna:
Personally, I think kids should stay free...
We don't go back to the money-grubbing places...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Amen Lorna!<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Can you imagine pulling into a campground one day and being charged for:
$ 5.00 the site (includes one vehicle or trailer)
$ 1.00 your tow vehicle (even if it is doing the towing and I have heard of some places that do this)
$ 1.00 per person charge (that's all persons)
$ 1.00 per pet charge
$ 2.00 water (only if you're connected)
$ 2.00 electric (only if you're connected)
$ 2.00 sewer (only if you're connected)
$ 1.00 cable TV (only if you're connected)
$ 1.00 internet/WI FI (only if you're connected
$ . bath house fee (coin thingys on the doors to the
$ .00 cold shower (free)
$ .25 hot shower &
$ .10 toilet stalls... ick!)

$ 1.00 pool (per person)
$ 1.00 playground (free at McDonalds)
$ 5.00 dump station (thought you'd save by not using the sewer hook-up didn't you)
$ 1.00 security (that's for the gate they close at dark so you have to walk-in to your site)
Sounds silly but I have seen charges for many of these things, just not all at the same place. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Lorna, I took some liberties with your list. I hope you don't mind. Just like a grocery store, you only pay for what's in your cart!

George