Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Do many of you frequent "RV Parks", as opposed to state parks and more rustic campgrounds? If so, where do they put you? With the RV's? With the tent campers?

What is the reaction, generally, from the guy with the 40' goldplater? Polite curiosity, or down the nose?

Do they generally have a problem when you bust out your ez-up, awnings and changing/potty cabana?

Becky

When I say "I have a 17ft teardrop trailer" they put me with the trailers/rvs. But some state and national parks here in CA don't have hookups so I get put where ever there's a long enough back in slot. My trailer is a 4' X 10' but has a really long tongue, so my hitch to back end length is longer than usual.

My 1948 all aluminum teardrop attracts a fair bit of attention, more when I'm in the trailer/rv crowd, but sometimes even in parking lots when I'm passing through. But then I love being the center of attention

<Chas>

I've only stayed 1 time in a major RV type campground, on the way to Minden Ne. in '07 at Evanston Wy. They wanted the really nice high dollar stuff right up front to show off....

I was subjected to the rear of the lot near the RR tracks and the local heavy equipment yard. I was OK with that...till a guy that checked in just ahead of me was walking around came up to me and said that he was going to go into my site. He had to walk the grounds since it was too large to pull through and just pick a place. OK...so I moved to another....1.5 hours later, he and his wife were still jacking around with their trailer trying to get into my old site while I had cooked dinner.

It was a good show, lots of verbal stuff, mostly words that I've used before when working on a difficult item, and arm waving. I was just there to sleep and get a shower, then on to the ITG. I avoid those places...just not my type of "camping". They can be entertaining however. Doug

Wow Doug. That does not sound like the relaxing experience we would be looking for.

Maybe I am a bit nieve but if I am the customer I have every intention of take a tour thru and will pick my own spot. If this doesn't meet with the parks ideas I will simply motor on. I have made many an advanced scouting trip to our selected state parks prior to our formal gatherings to find and reserve that "just right" spot. I look for afternoon shade prefer to have and end site as we often have the dogs and this affords some elbow room on one side to keep them a bit further from the neighbors. Tree snags...... anybody but me ever look up ? a dead and dangling tree limb is somewhat of a phobia of mine, I don't know why! So I will endevor to find a campgrounds that will appreciate my business enough to allow me to have some say so in the selection of my site.

When camping or hiking in trees, it is best to look up. Snags (old dead trees) can break off or have limbs break and fall at any time. Once, when I was hiking, I caught some movement just at the brim of my hat. Quickly looking up, an entire dead tree was floating down through the air without making a sound. It hit the trail in front of me, made a terrific noise hitting, broke into two sections, and threw dead branches and twigs all over the place. There was no wind involved, it had just reached its rotting point and snapped-off up on the mountain side. I measured off 16 paces to the tree, called it a day, went to have a beer, and offered up thanks. Please pardon me for somewhat hijacking the thread. At RV parks, the thing I do not care about is they always want to charge for hook-ups and I don't need any with the teardrop.

Jim B / Utah

The thing that I don't like about RV campgrounds is that most of them don't have SHADE! (The tree limbs might get in the way of those big motor homes.)

Doug, I don't think they should have been able to move you once you were settled in. That just wasn't right. They should have at least been kind enough to ask you rather than tell you. And, if you agreed to move, they should have given you a discount on your site. I would have written an unpleasant letter to the management about that.

Belly-aching aside, it’s probably best to call ahead and talk to the people in charge.

Building the teardrop will be the first learning experience and camping will be the next. I guess we have a lot to learn in both arenas.

I did some camping as a kid. We grew up with (ahem) modest means, 6 kids, and we would borrow my grandfather's pop up and a tent and camp in the Smokey Mountains every summer. No agenda, just playing and running amok. Fun, but usually somewhat boring.

As an adult my only camping has been on organized bike tours, tent camping organized by whatever group was putting on the ride. Those could be anywhere from a state park to a fairground to a high school ball field depending on where the ride was. It was fun because of the group experience, but far from what I would call comfortable. This probably tainted my view of "camping" and the luxury of the teardrop may change the way I feel about it. When we are using the tear for a sagwagon I suspect a lot of the camp areas most convenient to the railtrail heads will likely be in state parks.

But when we travel the tear will be mostly for getting off the road to sleep at night enroute to wherever and I would think for that purpose the RV parks would be most convenient, easily accessible and more plentiful. Am I wrong?

Becky

Becky, I do a lot of camping by myself (and with Sunny Day, my dog). I've found that I do feel safer in an RV park. They want to protect their reputation and their AAA ratings, so they do take care of their campers. And, they do normally provide water and electricity to each site.

When I'm traveling, I normally do not bother getting reservations, except during holiday weeks/weekends. There always seems to be empty spots.

I did get AAA camping tour books for each state. These are a wonderful source of information, plus great for those days that you just need to travel longer distances, but need to make sure you can get a campsite when you do finally get there.

I used KOA's in May and June of this year, and while they do pack a lot of trailers in, without a lot of wasted space, they do maintain both security and attention to noise rules. Water and electricity was provided at each site. Plus, their restroom/shower facitilies were normally really good.

Now, I can only speak for Indiana in recent years, but our state parks here seem to be providing more security than in past years, so I feel very safe in our state parks.

Just my viewpoint

Verna

Thanks Verna. That info is much appreciated.

Becky

i usually only ask for a site with electric hook up. but don;t have to even have that.
usually you can request what ever site you want. i'm cheap so more likely to ask for a $12 tent site then a $75 full hookup with cable and internet.

you paying the bill and they usually will take your money no questions asked.
all that being said, i have never gotten anything but curious ,joyfull receptions. everyone seems to love these little trailers and love seeing them in campgrounds.

though i have seen some asked to leave,,,it was more a reflection on the occupent then the teardrop.

My camping of choice is in the wilderness, but anywhere that teardrops gather is MY kinda campin !

I only stayed at 1 KOA and it certainly was a pleasant experience. Clean and quiet. A bit 'spensive ($45) but I was in a "pinch" in Las Vegas so I took it.

My vintage VW bug will tow the TD nearly anywhere I wanna go and always draws a crowd...

Thanks everyone. We have stayed in KOAs before, in the camping cabins and that was very nice.

The couple of times I used an RV campground I actually was tent camping on the trailer I carried my old CJ on. I was only asked how long the trailer was and they assigned me a space that would accomodate the trailer.

I don't mind being placed away from the larger RVs. Its usually quieter and a lot less foot traffic.

Glad you posted this question. We've thus far only parked in one non-state park and it wasn't an RV park since it didn't have electric. The responses are confirming my fears about trying it.