What category do you choose?

[honeask]

I have been looking at websites for camping places and when I look to see the rates they have a pull down for what type of camping do you want. Tent isn't really correct so I usually put travel trailer. Some of them ask even more questions and I think to me that you have to get a site that may have more than what you want, hence, pay more for it. Just wondered if it has happened to you or how you handle it. Just looked at a KOA and teardrops don't seem to fit in their way of thinking. I like a good deal as much as the next person and don't want to pay the same amount as the huge motorhome next to me. Also I have seen some places are sorta snobby and might not even welcome a teardrop, I will avoid them but was really wondering if anyone has come up against that?

[H@nk]

The same is happening overhere in Europe. You pay for a place to stay, not for the size of RV. So, if you travel with a verry big camper or caravan, you pay less, than coming over with a teardrop and a little 2 person iglo tent.
IT IS NOT FAIR

[toolman]

Don't take this as gospel. Ask when making a reservation or registering.

Most KOA tent sites have water and electricity, no sewer. Hence, a walk to the shower/restrooms. Get a tent site and save the $$$ for full hook-ups.

You will not get a pad to park on and if it rains you get to get in and out of your rig in wet grass or worse.

Jerry

[caseydog]

In Texas State Parks, you basically pay extra for a site because it has water and electricity. You pay even more for a site with sewer, which will usually also have a higher amp electric hookup.

You are not paying by the size of the trailer, but by services you get with the site. That's fair, IMO.

A lot of campgrounds don't allow any size trailer in tent sites. Make sure you ask before booking one.

I have never had any problem with owners of the big RVs not wanting me around. If I see them at all, they are polite -- and it is not unusual to have some big RV owners come over and check out my TD.

Private RV Parks that are geared towards the big RVs are probably less accommodating to teardroppers, but in State Parks, diversity of camper size and type is expected.

CD

[honeask]

Thanks CD, we are pretty much experts with Texas State Parks, got my pass and everything. The private places were mostly what I was thinking about and in the past some of the places even state no RVs older than 10 years old, not worried about the other patrons but some owners don't make ya feel too welcome, their loss. I guess when the situation happens I will say "travel trailer~less than 20 feet". and leave it at that. I don't mind spending money for services I get.

[JuneBug]

We camped at Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah at the end of May this year. I was stunned at the sheer SIZE of many of the RVs there and only a few campsites were in tents (we were sleeping in our van). Because all of the sites had electricity, I noticed that it was a very QUIET camping experience -- everybody stayed inside their monster motor homes & 5th wheels watching TV in the evening and nobody needed to run a generator. Kind of sad in a way that everyone was inside on such a wonderful, bug free evening. Not even the sound of kids playing.

As a side note, a quiet drama played out in the adjacent campsite. A couple in a small sedan drove in and the guy started to set up a very small tent. Somehow (as I said, a quiet drama) some key component of the camping experience was not packed in the car, it was someone's fault, the tiny tent came down and off they went. In the morning, there was another generic silver sedan (Camry, Ultima?) and two dome tents, side by side. What the heck? Someone drove up and set up two tents in the middle of the night and we never heard them? A bit later, three girls came out of one tent, two boys came out of the other tent, they ate granola bars quietly, broke camp in a quiet organized way, packed the car efficiently, all five got in and drove away. Not weird by any means, but just.....unusual for five college-age kids. (Not complaining, no, not at all).

Wanted to note that state parks in Texas and the few we've been to in NM, CO and Utah all seem to accommodate both trailers and tent campers pretty well. Many state parks, though, aren't set up to accommodate the monster RVs and 5th wheels.

[anntann]

...
Private RV Parks that are geared towards the big RVs are probably less accommodating to teardroppers, but in State Parks, diversity of camper size and type is expected.

CD

A few years ago we were traveling in the southwest with our conversion Astro van. Not many campgrounds in the area of Arizona we were in. We went to one RV park to camp, and they said no. We weren't an RV so we had to leave. Seems that unless you have a built in toilet, some places will not let you park. The place was basically a parking lot with lots of concrete pads for the monster sized units. We ended up getting a motel room for the AC.

Michael

[Wolffarmer]

While I have seldom camped in commercial RV parks ( can't hardly call them camp grounds these days) I HATE THEM!!!

Seems that if you sleep on wheels you pay for electric, sewer, cable and a tiny bit of grass with a crappy table. If you are very lucky there will be a tree for some shade. And they will charge you just as much as if you are a large RV barge.

Bah.

Someone needs to start a movement. And we all need one every day

Randy

[robfisher]

Every KOA I've stayed in let me choose the level of sevices I wanted which always put my teardop in the "Tent" sites. I've been very happy there. The restrooms are usually a little closer, I don't pay for hookups I can't use, and I find that generally the tent campers are quieter early the next morning. Seems those big units have to break camp about 4:30 am so they can be first in line at the next campground.

I HATE camping next to the big rigs for that reason alone.

One state park in MO had two choices, RV or tent. We went to the RV first. What an eye opener! The place was packed wall to wall with the campers no more than 8 feet apart. EVERY RV had a generator, air conditioner and some sort of stereo blaring along with 4 wheelers running to and fro. The noise level was close to rock concert level.

The tent sites were about 1/4 mile away. Theplace was almost empty and there were only about a dozen different tents. It was totally quiet. We camped there.

[Wolffarmer]

I will say that I seldom stay in a commercial RV park but the last KOA I stayed at would not let me in the tent area. And that is the only KOA that I have stayed in after I got my trailer. Just my experience with one KOA and perhaps that one person at the desk. Also have a little experience with non KOA parks.

If i was trying to run a commercial campground I think I would try to cater to the tent/teardrop/tiny trailer crowd. They seem to be a bit friendlier and looking for a camping experience and not another place to stay for the night to park their motel room they have on their back.

My dad and his wife does that. The only reason they have a motor home is so they don't have to sleep in a strange bed. So they now have a $200,000+ motor home. They once had one for over ten years before anyone even cooked in it. The paper bands was still on the stove burners for that long. They would keep snack foods in the frig along with some booze and ate in resturants.

Oh well

Randy

[honeask]

Funny Randy!
Start a movement
Need one every day
You crack me up.

[Wolffarmer]

[doug hodder]

In '07 Sue and I stayed in a KOA in Wendover NV on our way back from the ITG. We got in about midnight...a while later...the guy came by and made us move our trailers so that we didn't have 2 in one site. Go figure...there were maybe 30 empty sites and we both had paid. Not my favorite place to camp, but late at night it's a known entity...a hot shower and relative security was fine with me. Doug