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Old 12-23-2017, 06:06 PM   #1
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Name: Mitzi
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Intimidated...

Been at the Kingsland/StMarys Ga/North Jacksonville FL KOA for a couple nights now.
I get it that those who love and travel in molded fiberglass campers are a special breed and we are rare birds. However, the last few times we took out the Snoozy we found a few teardroppers, small stickies, and converted cargo trailers around the campgrounds.

Here, there is a small teardrop, metallic, that I have not seen a car with it at all. The rest, all night long coming in late, are behemoths. I mean 30 feet long or more, extra wide, 4 slideouts apiece, driver sitting up about 10 feet above the highway humongous behemoths.

I know WE had never RV camped before but we had no problems asking for aid and assistance. The monster that came in yesterday took out the campsite marker and that was in daylight. I shudder waking up at night worried those people driving past will take out our van or snoozy accidently clipping a corner. Feel like a mariner seeing the gigantic Kraken eeling past..

The people who climb down from most monster RVS make me feel like an inept child. Let us just say their children are most probably older than DH or me. Much, much older...

Hoping to see some smaller rigs come in soon, before I wind up in a fetal position muttering "how could they possibly fit their gear in a 5 gallon bucket???" (My mantra from Boy Scouts)
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Old 12-23-2017, 06:27 PM   #2
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Yah you’ll get your influx of land yachts, super slideout 5th wheels, and the like. Most ofd the time the operators are competent. They’re all just folks doing their thing, I’d pay them no mind and go about my business. When we select sites and park our tow rig for the night, we get off the road as far as we can and if there’s a protector tree we use it. Insurance and a camera, don’t leave home without it.
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Old 12-23-2017, 06:39 PM   #3
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Mitzi, I hope you are not truly as bothered as you made it sound. Stuff happens sometimes, but to paraphrase a famous person, the only thing worth fearing is fear itself. It is not woth agonizing or whipping your emotions up over mere possibilities. Even if someone did dent your rig, that is whar you buy insurance for.

I have been conscious of the size disparity, too. I felt a bit out of place... until I found out that a number of those big rig users were fascinated by or envious of my diminutive trailer. Sometimes it's great to be obviously different.
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Old 12-23-2017, 09:37 PM   #4
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Mitzy, don't worry -- not a lot different than driving a small car in the middle of a bunch of semi trucks. Like Mike said, be careful, think ahead, use the protection that is there, but don't worry -- it never really changes anything except your health, and not in a good way.
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Old 12-23-2017, 10:02 PM   #5
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We were at that KOA about a month ago. There was a teardrop down at the far end of the campground. Never did see anyone there, but we only were there one night. Was hoping to see the owner as we also own a teardrop.
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Old 12-23-2017, 10:33 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Mitzi Agnew-Giles View Post
Been at the Kingsland/StMarys Ga/North Jacksonville FL KOA for a couple nights now.
I get it that those who love and travel in molded fiberglass campers are a special breed and we are rare birds. However, the last few times we took out the Snoozy we found a few teardroppers, small stickies, and converted cargo trailers around the campgrounds.

Here, there is a small teardrop, metallic, that I have not seen a car with it at all. The rest, all night long coming in late, are behemoths. I mean 30 feet long or more, extra wide, 4 slideouts apiece, driver sitting up about 10 feet above the highway humongous behemoths.

I know WE had never RV camped before but we had no problems asking for aid and assistance. The monster that came in yesterday took out the campsite marker and that was in daylight. I shudder waking up at night worried those people driving past will take out our van or snoozy accidently clipping a corner. Feel like a mariner seeing the gigantic Kraken eeling past..

The people who climb down from most monster RVS make me feel like an inept child. Let us just say their children are most probably older than DH or me. Much, much older...

Hoping to see some smaller rigs come in soon, before I wind up in a fetal position muttering "how could they possibly fit their gear in a 5 gallon bucket???" (My mantra from Boy Scouts)
You trailer is a lot larger than a campsite marker <_<
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Old 12-24-2017, 08:37 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitzi Agnew-Giles View Post
Been at the Kingsland/StMarys Ga/North Jacksonville FL KOA for a couple nights now.
I get it that those who love and travel in molded fiberglass campers are a special breed and we are rare birds. However, the last few times we took out the Snoozy we found a few teardroppers, small stickies, and converted cargo trailers around the campgrounds.

Here, there is a small teardrop, metallic, that I have not seen a car with it at all. The rest, all night long coming in late, are behemoths. I mean 30 feet long or more, extra wide, 4 slideouts apiece, driver sitting up about 10 feet above the highway humongous behemoths.

I know WE had never RV camped before but we had no problems asking for aid and assistance. The monster that came in yesterday took out the campsite marker and that was in daylight. I shudder waking up at night worried those people driving past will take out our van or snoozy accidently clipping a corner. Feel like a mariner seeing the gigantic Kraken eeling past..

The people who climb down from most monster RVS make me feel like an inept child. Let us just say their children are most probably older than DH or me. Much, much older...

Hoping to see some smaller rigs come in soon, before I wind up in a fetal position muttering "how could they possibly fit their gear in a 5 gallon bucket???" (My mantra from Boy Scouts)
Hi: Mitzi Agnew-Giles... We stayed at Crooked River St. Pk. in Georgia on our way north. Had a res. but not site specific. It's the Georgia way!!! Ended up we had a corner site with a very long driveway. Put the trailer at the back and made the mistake of putting the truck by the road. A Georgia resident moved in next door by driving his 40' MOHO diagonally thru our site towing his pickup truck and boat & trailer
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 12-24-2017, 08:49 AM   #8
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Yeah Mike, I was trying for a humorous spin on the topic. But it IS intimidating to wake to a monster passing you in the darkest dark.

Mary & Bob am going to ask the campstaff about it when we get back from brunching w/My High school bestie.
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Old 12-24-2017, 08:52 AM   #9
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We usually rent sites without hook-ups, where there tend to be fewer behemoths. Even when competently handled, they block the views!

I agree about parking well clear of the roadway when possible, both for privacy and to avoid errant big rigs and kids on bicycles.. Nice thing about our small rigs is that's usually easy to do! I protect the trailer with the tug because (1) we're not in it, and (2) insurance and repair is a lot more straightforward.

Never experienced anyone driving through one campsite to get to another, though- that's a new one, Alf! Seems like a matter for the campground management. Rudeness aside, it's potentially damaging to vegetation and utilities, as well as personal property. State parks out here are pretty strict about vehicles staying on paved/gravel surfaces.
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Old 12-24-2017, 09:05 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by Alf S. View Post
Hi: Mitzi Agnew-Giles... We stayed at Crooked River St. Pk. in Georgia on our way north. Had a res. but not site specific. It's the Georgia way!!! Ended up we had a corner site with a very long driveway. Put the trailer at the back and made the mistake of putting the truck by the road. A Georgia resident moved in next door by driving his 40' MOHO diagonally thru our site towing his pickup truck and boat & trailer
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
We stayed at Crooked River SP for three Winters in a row .
Very nice park ,very nice staff.
As Alf pointed out Georgia residents have a problem keeping their rigs on the road and for some reason prefer to drive on grass then on blacktop.
On several occasions Georgians have taken the designated shortcut through our camp site to get to where there going.
After a while you don't notice anymore or you can try
Amicalola SP in Northern Georgia, better climate and the sites are on the side of a mountain so it's hard to cut through someone else's site or take out a road sign.
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Old 12-24-2017, 09:43 AM   #11
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Very frequently I see someone with a mobile Taj Mahal struggling to maneuver it into some spot that is difficult for them but would be easy with a small trailer. What I feel is more akin to pity than intimidation. On more occasions than I can remember, and at least once during each multi-day campground stay, while walking my dog thorough the grounds I see someone coming close to hitting something during these maneuvers. And many times I stop to help, or sometimes just watch until just before they hit something and then yell out, “stop”! Still, it really is the small things that they always seem to hit. This is also evidenced by the scars on the campground posts and small trees near the roadway. I would not worry about them hitting my camper or vehicle unless it was parked where it should not be.

I also have observed that many times these Taj Mahal drivers have someone assisting them such as a spouse, and their assistant is equipped with a two way radio or some other technological device that should help, but that they fail to place themselves where they can see the campsite marker posts or some other obstacle that is hard to see, even with their rear-view and sometimes side-view cameras. I even saw one woman who was standing behind the backing-up behemoth and so focused on a portable screen for the on-board camera that she completely failed to see that the opposite corner of the Class A motor-home was about to take out a four foot post (which was only prevented by my terse verbal warning). A close call often seems to be followed by a few tense words between the Taj Mahal owners, which ironically seems to result in the opposite of the stress reduction that we expect from a camping or RV excursion. I can only hope that their 52 inch TV and such provides some distraction from their struggles.
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Old 12-24-2017, 10:13 AM   #12
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There have been only 2 things that have intimidated me .
One was a man that had a large pistol pointed at my head and the second was my wife . Both taught me to talk softly and not to make any fast unexpected moves .
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Old 12-24-2017, 10:15 AM   #13
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Very frequently I see someone with a mobile Taj Mahal struggling to maneuver it into some spot that is difficult for them but would be easy with a small trailer. What I feel is more akin to pity than intimidation. On more occasions than I can remember, and at least once during each multi-day campground stay, while walking my dog thorough the grounds I see someone coming close to hitting something during these maneuvers. And many times I stop to help, or sometimes just watch until just before they hit something and then yell out, “stop”! Still, it really is the small things that they always seem to hit. This is also evidenced by the scars on the campground posts and small trees near the roadway. I would not worry about them hitting my camper or vehicle unless it was parked where it should not be.

I also have observed that many times these Taj Mahal drivers have someone assisting them such as a spouse, and their assistant is equipped with a two way radio or some other technological device that should help, but that they fail to place themselves where they can see the campsite marker posts or some other obstacle that is hard to see, even with their rear-view and sometimes side-view cameras. I even saw one woman who was standing behind the backing-up behemoth and so focused on a portable screen for the on-board camera that she completely failed to see that the opposite corner of the Class A motor-home was about to take out a four foot post (which was only prevented by my terse verbal warning). A close call often seems to be followed by a few tense words between the Taj Mahal owners, which ironically seems to result in the opposite of the stress reduction that we expect from a camping or RV excursion. I can only hope that their 52 inch TV and such provides some distraction from their struggles.
That’s what happens when you take your vacation home with you rather than a camping trailer.
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Old 12-24-2017, 04:15 PM   #14
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When we camp at Quartzsite our little 13 Scamp in amist the sea of huge Rvs. It is quite the site. Another time we are the envy of the campground. One of our California beach campgrounds most of the sites are very small. We have no problem parking both of our trailer and truck. But everytime we are there a couple of rigs cant extend their awnings and several can't use their slideouts at all. Must really suck having a great RV and dodging the inside slide outs. In the summer here the beach campground spaces are usually booked for a full 7 days. No awning or slideouts really must suck for a week. Sometimes having the biggest or the best doesn't work out well.
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Old 12-24-2017, 05:12 PM   #15
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Yeah Mike, I was trying for a humorous spin on the topic....
Oh ok, I was concerned you really felt like .Glad to hear is was more like .
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Old 12-25-2017, 09:58 AM   #16
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Last night we had a more reasonable mix of sizes. Including a nice young Mennonite family with 4 kids in a class C .
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Old 12-26-2017, 07:11 AM   #17
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Mitzi, years ago we were camping in our very first camper, a tiny Coleman pop-up tent camper. Kids were in bed when the "bus" pulled in next door. Next morning husband and I are having coffee outside. Much older couple comes out of that big bus to have their cups of joe. We all wave. Nice. After a bit our 10 year old comes out to sit with us...with the 4 year old. Nice. About a half hour later the 8 and 6 year old step out. By now the couple next door are shocked and stairing, no doubt wondering how we all fit in our little camper. We just chuckled at their disbelief. Ever since we've always enjoyed the "small camper" stare, lol.
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Old 12-26-2017, 07:15 AM   #18
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Mitzi; did you get a look inside the teepees at the KOA. They even have TV in them.
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Old 12-26-2017, 07:48 AM   #19
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Go boondocking koa is 👎
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Old 12-26-2017, 08:03 AM   #20
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Go boondocking koa is 👎
We like boondocking, usually more secluded and away from big rigs. But, we’ve also enjoyed some nice KOA’s. Depends on where you’re at and what you’re doing. Nice to be able to have options. It’s all good! Mike
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