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Old 04-13-2012, 02:38 PM   #1
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campsite stealing

I was at Joshua tree tent camping with my kid's earlier this week, we arrived pretty late around 7pm after backpacking on the Channel Islands. After driving around the campsite a couple times, I found my site, had right campsite number on the post, index card with my name on it and the right dates. But wait, there's a van and tent trailer all set up, chairs out, firewood, the whole works. Looked around the site and in the trailer, nobody's around. Drove around a while looking for the camp host, when finally a couple shows up and says they made a "mistake" when they took my reserved campsite, that it would take them an hour to pack up, blah blah, and if I could swap with them. So trying to be nice, I said I would look at their site. It was in a middle of a more crowded loop surrounded by other RV's. Then I realize they probably didn't make a mistake, our camp site had no numbers common, were in completely different loops etc... I started getting pretty steamed, especially since I chose this particular site months in advance. I figured they just wanted my site because it was in a quieter part of the campground. So back I went to my reserved site, and again they said it'll take them at least an hour to pack up, etc... I said fine, I'll start setting up my tents and cooking dinner. They packed up grumbling and left. Ironically once they realized I wasn't abandoning my site they packed up in 30 mins. Other than this bad experience, I really enjoyed the park.
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Old 04-13-2012, 02:58 PM   #2
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wow!! thomas, you rock! i, too, would have stood my ground and insisted on their packing up. accidents DO happen, we all know that...but if i were ever to accidentally set up on the wrong site, i'd be insisting to the rightful reservee that i pack up as quickly as humanly possible. i cannot imagine the gaul of those folks!!!!!
good on ya', buddy.
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Old 04-13-2012, 04:10 PM   #3
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And just think: If you had a pickup mounted camper or a small moho that does NOT tow a car behind, then every single time you go to town for groceries, every time you go out for dinner, every time you go to see the local attractions - you get to lose your site all over again!
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Old 04-13-2012, 04:14 PM   #4
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And just think: If you had a pickup mounted camper or a small moho that does NOT tow a car behind, then every single time you go to town for groceries, every time you go out for dinner, every time you go to see the local attractions - you get to lose your site all over again!

Been there and done that. I spent 6 months traveling around the USA in a converted Econoline. Even carried saw horses with a sign, which people would move before they backed in.
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Old 04-13-2012, 04:30 PM   #5
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Joshua Tree has a huge space problem at this time of the year. As I read your post I was more surprise to find that your interlopers had another site at all. At least in the spring, it's not uncommon at Joshua Tree, especially if you arrive at night, to find someone else squatting on your reserved space and the site tag has disappeared.
More often than not they will ask you to double up. I usually refuse, unless it's the girls bikini rock climbing club that wants to share, then I am Mr Nice!!!



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Old 04-13-2012, 05:03 PM   #6
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This was at the Black Rock campground in Joshua Tree, and the entrance sign did say campground full. Actually this is the first time my all my years of camping that I've had a squatter in a reserved site. I surmised that the squatters figured I was a no-show being that I was running late that day and didn't arrive until 7pm. I don't blame them for trying to squat, but when the reservation holder shows up, they gotta leave, period.

As they were packing up their tent trailer, pushing in the beds, cranking it down, I thought, boy I'm glad I didn't buy a tent trailer as I was considering before I found my Burro. I get pack up and leave in 10 minutes if I had to. And I've had to, in Arches I couldn't get consecutive nights in the same site, I had to pack up and move each morning.
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Old 04-13-2012, 05:31 PM   #7
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I love it, Glad you did it!


When we owned the rv park, I had people try to do that all the time. The worst offenders, were people off the road who wanted a premium site that was reserved by someone who had actually taken the time to make a reservation months in advance, instead of traveling by the seat of their pants and wanting the best sites.



More than one jerk told me to just move the guest who had not arrived yet! So they could take the better site! Yeah, not gonna happen!
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Old 04-13-2012, 06:36 PM   #8
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dave--you mention having to pack up all one's belongings each and every time the vehicle needs to be moved...that is EXACTLY why we do not own a motorhome, a van conversion or (any longer) a VW vanagon. we did own one, many moons ago BC (before children). it was such a royal pain to have to secure everything, unhook all the lines etc. etc. etc. every trip out of the park. never, ever again!
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Old 04-15-2012, 09:07 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomasE View Post
After driving around the campsite a couple times, I found my site, had right campsite number on the post, index card with my name on it and the right dates. But wait, there's a van and tent trailer all set up, chairs out, firewood, the whole works.
Thank you for sharing this. I hope you reported it to the host/ranger even if after the fact. Sure, it might be to late for them to enforce the reservation but they need to know that this stuff is happening.
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Old 04-15-2012, 09:24 PM   #10
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I probably would have gone to the campground host or whoever was in charge in the first place and asked them to handle it.
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Old 04-15-2012, 09:44 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThomasE View Post
I was at Joshua tree tent camping with my kid's earlier this week, we arrived pretty late around 7pm after backpacking on the Channel Islands. After driving around the campsite a couple times, I found my site, had right campsite number on the post, index card with my name on it and the right dates. But wait, there's a van and tent trailer all set up, chairs out, firewood, the whole works. Looked around the site and in the trailer, nobody's around. Drove around a while looking for the camp host, when finally a couple shows up and says they made a "mistake" when they took my reserved campsite, that it would take them an hour to pack up, blah blah, and if I could swap with them. So trying to be nice, I said I would look at their site. It was in a middle of a more crowded loop surrounded by other RV's. Then I realize they probably didn't make a mistake, our camp site had no numbers common, were in completely different loops etc... I started getting pretty steamed, especially since I chose this particular site months in advance. I figured they just wanted my site because it was in a quieter part of the campground. So back I went to my reserved site, and again they said it'll take them at least an hour to pack up, etc... I said fine, I'll start setting up my tents and cooking dinner. They packed up grumbling and left. Ironically once they realized I wasn't abandoning my site they packed up in 30 mins. Other than this bad experience, I really enjoyed the park.
We had an almost opposite experience...
We reserved a site at a campground but were told that we could only have it for 3 of our 7 nights, so we reserved another site for the balance of our stay.
After the three nights stay , the new occupants showed up as we were preparing to move. They were driving a large motorhome with a towed.
Our first site was small and wooded which was just right for our Scamp 13 but way tight for the bulgemobile. They were concerned about trying to fit into the site.
Our second site was a large drive through, so we offered to trade sites.
They were thrilled at the prospect, and we asked the Ranger if they would approve the swap.
They refused to allow it,saying that we would each have to cancel our reservations then each reapply for the other site. There would not only be a cancellation fee, but we would risk losing our reservations.
We moved and they squeezed.
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Old 04-15-2012, 11:26 PM   #12
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I would be surprised if that would happen in ND. I know many state park rangers. That deserved a letter to the main office. They are suppose to be "user friendly" at the parks.
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