Campgrounds Only For New(er) Rigs?

[Kevin A]

In making plans for our Christmas vacation trip to Florida. I contacted an RV resort in Tampa for a two-day stay. The place had great reviews, is highly rated by Woodall's, Good Sam, and others, and seems to have lots of amenities. Today I received an email response from the resort, with this note:
We appreciate your interest in our RV Resort, however we do abide by a 10-year or newer policy. I have listed other parks in the area, hoping to help with any inconvenience our policy might play in making the plans for your trip.

Has anyone else run into this type of policy? Nowhere on their website is any mention of this "age of camper" policy noted. I should have wondered why they asked for the model year of our trailer (1986 UHaul VT). I'm guessing they allow only recent units to avoid old, beat-up trailers. I responded and thanked them, enclosing a picture of our beautiful trailer. I have since found another campground about 20 minutes west of this resort, so we are set for the trip.

[steve dunham]

Yes : We have encountered both age and size restrictions. Several campground we stayed at also required you to have on board bathroom facilities even though the campgrounds had shower /bathroom facilities of their own

[kb1flr]

Hi Kevin,

I have seen this before, but never stayed at a park that had this rule. Our FG rigs, if clean and polished, look new at 20 or 30 years and I don't think they would balk. I think they just don't want ratty, beat up rigs in their parks. The stick-builts seem to age less gracefully.

I would call and ask and maybe send a photo.

Rick

[MC1]

For sure. I'm guessing it is a way to keep the junkers out of their campgrounds. I understand that but it is a shame that most of us that have respectable looking rigs get penalized.

Our Stream is 40 years old but looks almost new.

[Darwin Maring]

Profiling - Do you by any chance have any Grey Pupon?

Not only would it keep junkers out of the parks but would keep those people who are less fortunate (Ones that can only afford a junker) out.

Discrimination.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

Profiling - Do you by any chance have any Grey Pupon?

Not only would it keep junkers out of the parks but would keep those people who are less fortunate (Ones that can only afford a junker) out.

Discrimination.

Answer... "But of course...I always "Poupon Dijon"!

Heck my Ranger tow vehicle is 13 years old, but I don't tell the campground Eggy-Sue's Age, especially if they ask.(She'll be 10 in June)
Below is a recent photo....
If it was a decent campground you wouldn't be able to see the other trailers from your site, so maybe that's a way of weeding out the "slab cities"
We had a ScampCamp once at a CG which had that rule, but they made an exception for Scamps and fiberglass RV's.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by floyd

Here's a recent photo....

Looks like brand new! It has central air too... Nice!

[CindyL]

I think that the ratings folks should be notified. As a member of Good Sam's, I think I will.

CindyL

[trainjunkie]

I've heard of and read about this policy many times but have not encountered it myself. I'm surprised I haven't though. On my last trip down from Alaska to California I had called a park in Leavenworth, WA called the Icicle River RV Resort. I had never been there, knew nothing about it, but it was a convenient stopping point for me for the night. When I called the previous day the host I spoke with was super nice and although they were "full" due to the Washington State Autumn Leaf Festival taking place that weekend, the host promised to find a space for me. I told her I would be a late check-in, and I was, arriving well after dark.

Upon arrival they greeted me warmly, checked me in efficiently, and personally guided me to my space and spotted me as I backed in. Incredibly nice hosts which was very welcomed after the long day's drive.

And a hellacious drive it was, all the way from Prince George, BC and through some really nasty weather. I was beat. My truck was filthy. And my Bigfoot, after being dragged all the way from Alaska, must have looked like war surplus.

That night I didn't really look around the resort after I parked. All I knew was the place was crammed full and I could hear the rapids from the river somewhere behind my space. I was completely beat so I got set-up quickly and went to bed.

The next morning I got up and opened my curtains, looked around and realized I was in a sea of quarter million dollar Class A RVs. There were also some Class C rigs, some fifth wheels, and a few travel trailers. But all of them were new and spotless. I can only imagine what people thought upon waking up and peering out their spotless windows trying to figure out what time of the night me and my forlorn rig showed up to take a nice spot among them.

I'm sure there were some comments made, although not at me directly. The people I encountered were actually quite nice, and upon seeing my Alaska license plates, were more interested in hearing my story than complaining about my humble, dirty trailer.

Anyway, I lucked out and my one-night stay there was pleasant. But I can imagine how the "serious" Class A types would want to keep the "riffraff" out of their regular domains.

[mary and bob]

We avoid the places that list themselves as a "Resort" because some of the people there can be snooty. We recently stayed at Fort DeSoto near Tampa. Nice campground, but windy, and had to drive 50 miles through heavy city traffic and tolls to get there. Well probably not that far, but it felt like it!!

[carlkeigley]

I had checked on one of those really nice places that you
actually purchase the lot. After reading through the website,
it was obvious that us little guys were absolutely not welcome.

That's okay, I will just go where I am welcome.............LOL

[carlkeigley]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

We avoid the places that list themselves as a "Resort" because some of the people there can be snooty. We recently stayed at Fort DeSoto near Tampa. Nice campground, but windy, and had to drive 50 miles through heavy city traffic and tolls to get there. Well probably not that far, but it felt like it!!

Our son just moved to Brooksville, Fl.
Where he was before there wasn't a good place
for us to stay. We wound up staying in his warehouse.
Which I was glad to use. But now it seems to be several
Camp Grounds around Brooksville. So we'll be looking into
that in the near future.

[Melanie B in NC]

It seems to me that "exclusive" campgrounds have lost the meaning and beautiful texture of life - by restricting themselves and their environment to others just like themselves with pretty new toys, they are going to miss the taste and feel of "edgy life" which is much more fascinating. That's one reason antique furniture and buildings are valued over sterile modern stuff - character - not vanilla conformity. The most interesting people you meet are the "common people". Oh well - it is their loss and the sad part is that they probably will never realize what great experiences they are missing.

[melissab]

I'd probably say something like if you can't guess the age then I'm not telling, lol.

[gage]

Originally Posted by Kevin A

I'm guessing they allow only recent units to avoid old, beat-up trailers.

You hit the nail right on the head. Although a couple of years ago I stopped at an RV Resort in Las Vegas with my Vintage stick-built trailer (1956). They also told me my trailer was to old. I told them it was fully restored and probably looked better than half the stuff they had in the park. Just go out and take a look at it and then tell me I can't stay here because I'm to old. Well they went out and looked at it up close (they weren't even interested in seeing the inside). And guess what, they let me in. Not only that but I went into the office the next afternoon and extended another night. Durning the day that I was there I gave more tours of the trailer that I have with my teardrop.

Originally Posted by mary and bob

..........."Resort" because some of the people there can be snooty.

All trailer/RV groups have snobs. I use to think that only Air Streamers were snobs but we have a few 'egg' owners that are also snobs. Mainly those with new eggs (at least here in California).


P.S. When making reservations at an RV park, I do stay away from those that have an age restriction. But if I drive up with no reservation and unaware of their age restriction, I ask them to look at the trailer, then make the decision.

[CindyL]

What Kevin has not said is that he sent the campground a perfect reply. He said that he was sorry they would not take us particularly when their website did not include the information that old campers are excluded and that we found another spot. He sent them a picture of our camper and signed the reply with Dr Kevin and Dr. Cindy (We both have our doctorates.).

CindyL

PS: They probably did not read it.

[Robin G]

Originally Posted by trainjunkie

But I can imagine how the "serious" Class A types would want to keep the "riffraff" out of their regular domains.

Having owned a rv park, I can tell you that was not and is not the reason for most places to have a age restriction. I owned the type of park much like the one you had the pleasure to stay at. Even the majority of our million dollar rig owners were kind wonderful people. Of course there are always a jerk in every crowd. But again we did not have a age restriction rule to keep out older trailer/rv owners. Hell, I was known for sticking a pop up or two in between rows of million dollar rigs!

Does snooty attitudes exist? Of course!

But I (as well as all the park/campground owners I know) had the rule to protect the 99% of my guest who are not "riffraff". You so don't want to know the riffraff types that try and stay/move into a campground/rvpark. Meth/Crack cookers are just an example of some "riffraff" the age restriction can and does weed out.

The people we sold our park to, didn't extend the rule the first summer they had the park and guess what? It cost them big time, not only in site rent (months of site rent) , but court cost (to evict) then tow fee's when the "riffraff" bailed and left the crappy trailers/rv's behind. And that is not even taking into account the comfort level of any and all other guest in the park. Who knows how many guest didn't return due to not feeling comfortable due to a few "riffraff" guest?

There is no good way to weed out the undesirables, so most parks just went with the age rule. But I will have to say, I see that rule changing, as the industry has changed drastically and people are not buying 200 plus thousand dollar rv's right and left anymore. But seriously, I as a rv'er appreciate the campgrounds and parks trying to keep some control over who and what I am camping next to.

[mary and bob]

We are now in a campground that is mostly occupied by big motorhomes and 5th wheel campers, most of us here for the winter. We have never encountered anyone "snooty" here, that's just an expression I picked up from another camping couple who claim to have camped with such people at a vintage rally. The best part of this place is that one of the first trailers that is visible when entering the campground is occupied by a couple that are state police officers, and they bring the patrol car home with them! No meth labs here. Maybe we are labeled as "hillbillies" for being in such a small camper, probably rightly so, but we all get along great here. So far we haven't been called Yankee Snowbirds, we are called "Winter Guests".

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Robin G

Having owned a rv park, I can tell you that was not and is not the reason for most places to have a age restriction. I owned the type of park much like the one you had the pleasure to stay at. Even the majority of our million dollar rig owners were kind wonderful people. Of course there are always a jerk in every crowd. But again we did not have a age restriction rule to keep out older trailer/rv owners. Hell, I was known for sticking a pop up or two in between rows of million dollar rigs!

Does snooty attitudes exist? Of course!

But I (as well as all the park/campground owners I know) had the rule to protect the 99% of my guest who are not "riffraff". You so don't want to know the riffraff types that try and stay/move into a campground/rvpark. Meth/Crack cookers are just an example of some "riffraff" the age restriction can and does weed out.

The people we sold our park to, didn't extend the rule the first summer they had the park and guess what? It cost them big time, not only in site rent (months of site rent) , but court cost (to evict) then tow fee's when the "riffraff" bailed and left the crappy trailers/rv's behind. And that is not even taking into account the comfort level of any and all other guest in the park. Who knows how many guest didn't return due to not feeling comfortable due to a few "riffraff" guest?

There is no good way to weed out the undesirables, so most parks just went with the age rule. But I will have to say, I see that rule changing, as the industry has changed drastically and people are not buying 200 plus thousand dollar rv's right and left anymore. But seriously, I as a rv'er appreciate the campgrounds and parks trying to keep some control over who and what I am camping next to.

We stayed in a nice state park (picture below)... It was a nice place until two brand new toy haulers moved in about four sites down and across the street from one another. They immediately set up and the cacophony and chaos ensued.They let the dogs and kids out, opened a case of beer and cranked up the tunes. The adults all gathered in the middle of the street and proceeded to ignore the kids and dogs while they partied at the top of their lungs. They wouldn't even acknowledge pedestrian or automotive traffic who had to walk or drive around them on the grass, hoping someone there might pay enough attention to gang way.

The kid ruckus started to dial down about 9PM,the adult noise and loud tunes mitigated a bit around 10PM and tapered off...until by sometime after midnight, all that was really left was the constant yeowling of the dogs who apparently weren't very fond of each other. The respite lasted until about 7AM...We left around nine, rested and content, due to our ability to ignore the "riffraff".

The point of all of this is to say that "riffraff" comes in all social strata, and with a 10 year loan and a home equity line of credit, many of them can take possession of the very latest camping gear.

There must be other ways to run a campground, like good judgement and enforcement of reasonable rules which don't include the build date of the people or the vehicles they drive or tow.

I drive an old truck and intend to keep it. I have a Scamp 13 which will go into my estate after I'm gone. So how does that make me a bad neighbor?

[carlkeigley]

I think us old timers are using an old term (riffraff)
but actually mean "undesireables"