Thinking of living or vacationing in an RV?

[Wrapped]

Bouncer 2006 where'd ya go

[GypsyR]

I think he didn't want to play no more so he took his ball and went home.

[R.Wold]

So I’m camping for a few days at Abalone Pt (Union Landing State Park)) one of my favorite locations on the North Coast (Ca). Rolled in at 8pm and felt very lucky to get an ocean front site. Had trouble sleeping (typical for me) so I sat up reading from 1:30-4:30. And listening to the neighbors dog bark in their tent (or outside all night) every 15 minutes for three hours. I went back to bed, got some sleep, woke up around 7am, made coffee, sat down to enjoy it and read some more and was “entertained” by a loud domestic disturbance in a 5th wheel on the other side.

Am I complaining? Not really - more observing. Camp ground life isn’t always perfect, and there’s always trade offs. But this is a rarity and it does not in any way change how I feel about vacationing in an RV. You take the good with the bad and deal with it.

[rcnuts]

Originally Posted by R.Wold

So I’m camping for a few days at Abalone Pt (Union Landing State Park)) one of my favorite locations on the North Coast (Ca). Rolled in at 8pm and felt very lucky to get an ocean front site. Had trouble sleeping (typical for me) so I sat up reading from 1:30-4:30. And listening to the neighbors dog bark in their tent (or outside all night) every 15 minutes for three hours. I went back to bed, got some sleep, woke up around 7am, made coffee, sat down to enjoy it and read some more and was “entertained” by a loud domestic disturbance in a 5th wheel on the other side.

Am I complaining? Not really - more observing. Camp ground life isn’t always perfect, and there’s always trade offs. But this is a rarity and it does not in any way change how I feel about vacationing in an RV. You take the good with the bad and deal with it.

PERFECTLY SAID! Couldn't agree more. Ya gotta take the good with the bad.

[R.Wold]

Also campground demographics, at least in public parks, are changing. I’ve noticed two major post-covid changes: Campgrounds are much more crowded with people staying longer, and the old rules and norms of behavior no longer apply.

Here at Abalone Point/Union landing it actually looks like a refugee camp with 3-5 cars and multiple families and half a dozen tents in each site, with all the typical impact of each person (and dog), but concentrated because the sites are overpopulated.

I’ve also noticed that the local regulating officials (State parks and local LE) are turning a blind eye to folks camping in day-use only areas. I’ve never seen this before and can only conclude that enforcement of policies previously held dear to State Parks folks have gone out the window post pandemic.

So if you want to camp in public parks or private ones with minimal enforcement and/or standards, what you see is what you get and “tolerance“ is going to be the order of the day. I’ve camped in state parks four or five times since the grand re-opening of the State and found this to be the case every time. Once I even booked a group camp site at $125/night (Eagle Lake and worth it!) just to have some peace and quiet.

Yes, times they are a changing.....

Edit- the staff here are really quite nice and interestingly told me, and I quote: “usually when decent people come here we send them up to the northern camp ground. It’s kind of the wild west around here.”

Telling, hmmmm? Imagine how the OP would deal with that...

[BruceDeville]

Originally Posted by R.Wold

Also campground demographics, at least in public parks, are changing. I’ve noticed two major post-covid changes: Campgrounds are much more crowded with people staying longer, and the old rules and norms of behavior no longer apply.

Here at Abalone Point/Union landing it actually looks like a refugee camp with 3-5 cars and multiple families and half a dozen tents in each site, with all the typical impact of each person (and dog), but concentrated because the sites are overpopulated.

I’ve also noticed that the local regulating officials (State parks and local LE) are turning a blind eye to folks camping in day-use only areas. I’ve never seen this before and can only conclude that enforcement of policies previously held dear to State Parks folks have gone out the window post pandemic.

So if you want to camp in public parks or private ones with minimal enforcement and/or standards, what you see is what you get and “tolerance“ is going to be the order of the day. I’ve camped in state parks four or five times since the grand re-opening of the State and found this to be the case every time. Once I even booked a group camp site at $125/night (Eagle Lake and worth it!) just to have some peace and quiet.

Yes, times they are a changing.....

Edit- the staff here are really quite nice and interestingly told me, and I quote: “usually when decent people come here we send them up to the northern camp ground. It’s kind of the wild west around here.”

Telling, hmmmm? Imagine how the OP would deal with that...

Because wife returned to work, due to nurse shortage, our rv trips have been limited. But we do many four day trips. These are short regional trips of 200 - 300 miles in the Arkansas Louisiana Texas area. In that area in the places we stay, federal, state and locally owned, we have not experienced the problems yoi have

[TXiceman]

The permeant tenants in parks are a different group than a true RVer for the most part.

It also has to do with the park and the management. We stay a few months a year in an RV park outside of Houston. They have a fair number of permeant residents, and long term winter folks, but they enforce the rules and will evict you if you do not follow the rules.

I'd look for another place to spend my money and time.

Ken

[Preacher44]

Originally Posted by R.Wold

So I’m camping for a few days at Abalone Pt (Union Landing State Park)) one of my favorite locations on the North Coast (Ca). Rolled in at 8pm and felt very lucky to get an ocean front site. Had trouble sleeping (typical for me) so I sat up reading from 1:30-4:30. And listening to the neighbors dog bark in their tent (or outside all night) every 15 minutes for three hours. I went back to bed, got some sleep, woke up around 7am, made coffee, sat down to enjoy it and read some more and was “entertained” by a loud domestic disturbance in a 5th wheel on the other side.

Am I complaining? Not really - more observing. Camp ground life isn’t always perfect, and there’s always trade offs. But this is a rarity and it does not in any way change how I feel about vacationing in an RV. You take the good with the bad and deal with it.

Your narrative reminds me of an incident while set up in n RV park in Elk City, OK some years ago. A neighbor kept their dog tied up outside of their RV and would often leave it there for a few days as they traveled somewhere else in their tow vehicle. Evidently a fellow RVer looked after the dog (food,water). The problem was that the dog would bark throughout the night. The park managers were unconcerned. So one night I couldn't take it any more and called the police. They evidently got hold of the manager and a few days later my rude neighbors were gone.