No pop-ups or tents allowed?

[Iwritecode]

Just wanted to get some thoughts and discussion about a recent decision that was made by a local campground... oh excuse me, they now bill themselves as an RV resort that I happen to be familiar with.

Some background:

My wife and I were seasonal at this place a few years ago when it was still a family-owned campground. Then they were sold to a large corporation who immediately came in and a started making all sorts of "improvements" to the place. With all these "improvements" came rising costs.

We saw the writing on the wall and got out ASAP. Many others followed suit in the next couple of years. From what I've heard they've probably lost somewhere around 25% or more of their seasonal base.

Now I've recently learned that they are no longer allowing tents or pop-up trailers. From the comments I've read on this, NOBODY is happy about this decision.

I simply don't understand why a company would alienate a percentage of their customer base like this. For no reason at all.

Sadly, they've just recently purchased another local campground and I'm sure they be implementing the same changes in it as well.

Aside from a a few national parks that have this rule due to wild animals, I've never heard of a place making a rule like this. Anyone else?

[MT Biker]

We have many campgrounds here in the New England area that do not allow tent camping, have not seen any that don’t allow a pop-up.
My guess is that they want the higher price tag of bringing in trailers and motor homes.
Some campgrounds will not even allow you to have a tent on your site.

[Ejs4029]

I've heard that some campgrounds prefer not to have tents or pop up campers since they are not self contained forcing the occupants to use the facilities on site causing higher operating fees

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Ejs4029

I've heard that some campgrounds prefer not to have tents or pop up campers since they are not self contained forcing the occupants to use the facilities on site causing higher operating fees

That's an interesting thought.

I do know that during one of their many floods last year much of the sand and dirt that was surrounding one of their bathhouses got washed away making the building completely inaccessible.

Originally Posted by MT Biker

My guess is that they want the higher price tag of bringing in trailers and motor homes.

This is probably the correct guess. They've put a bunch of money into the place and they are trying to make it back as quickly as possible.

[JohnD10]

Business is business...

And it sounds like the company that now owns this campground has changed it from a campground to a place that caters more to people who aren't camping...but RV'ing.

Probably no campfires...possibly age controlled to keep the kids out...that kind of stuff!

Nothing wrong with that...

[IsleDog]

Originally Posted by Ejs4029

I've heard that some campgrounds prefer not to have tents or pop up campers since they are not self contained forcing the occupants to use the facilities on site causing higher operating fees

I ran into this once or twice when we had our popup, but we had a shower and toilet. i usually see this rule for sites that are well away from the facilities. they dont want people peeing outside at all hours.

to the OP: it really is sad when places take camping options away from all of us. they want to charge more money for the bigger units. and people will pay, and their sites will fill up. just look at this as a way to explore your area a little bit more, find a new place to call home that suites your needs. new friends are just waiting for you!

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by IsleDog

just look at this as a way to explore your area a little bit more, find a new place to call home that suites your needs. new friends are just waiting for you!

Already done.

[Wifshowfur]

They are just trying to keep the rif raf out. I dont stay at those type places. It is just another way to keep the less fortunate out sight of people who think they are better than everyone else because they got money. I dont want to camp with those upity a$$ed people.

[D W]

I'll just say this,... I have come upon some of these CG's & RV Parks in the Pacific Northwest. I don't agree with everything, but it is their property, and their business. Some were tolerable, others we put on the no return list. Rather than complain I say "let the free market speak".

[AquaMan]

I've seen "campgrounds" that banned all travel trailers, and fifth wheels had to be 5-7yrs old or newer, and had to be over a certain footage and not tin sided. Motorhomes had pretty much the same criteria. All units couldn't have any major visible damage. If you had an older unit, you could send in a picture of it to get an approval.

[NMWildcat]

Lots of privately owned RV parks out this way (Southwest) have limiting rules; 55 and over, no RVs over 10 years old, no popups or tent trailers, hybrids can't extend their canvas popouts, sewer hoses must not lay on the ground, no washing, no generators, no campfires, .... On and on. And most rates seem to go up every year.

Doesn't seem to hurt them any. All of them are full of snowbirds every year! The increasing demand for RV resorts allows them to dictate pretty much whatever they want.

And it's only going to get worse as more RVers hit the road. It's even getting harder to avoid other campers when we boondock in the backwoods.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by Wifshowfur

They are just trying to keep the rif raf out. I dont stay at those type places. It is just another way to keep the less fortunate out sight of people who think they are better than everyone else because they got money. I dont want to camp with those upity a$$ed people.

Just because some have a popup or tent doesn't mean they are rif raf. It also doesn't mean they don't have the money to buy a $100,000 trailer or motorhome. Maybe, they are frugal with their hard earned money or just like that type of camping.

I'd rather see someone with a decent car, truck or suv camping in a tent or popup than someone with a beat-up truck pulling a fairly new tt or 5'er. Or a newer motorhome pulling a toad that would look better in a junkyard. I have seen several of each over the years.


I had a neighboring camper where the people walked away from the TT and left it to the campground owners to dispose of it. When the cg owners pulled the 34' TT from the site the box fell apart from the frame. The site was kept immaculate and the TT looked great from the inside and out. The TT was a wood framed, siding and sub-frame on steel running gear and had sat on the same site for 18 years.

[ependydad]

I read a post once that said a campground owner said they had the most issues with tenters being loud at night because they stay up around the fire and don’t go in until it’s time to sleep.

Don’t know how accurate it is. Just sharing what I read.

I’m betting it’s also a cost thing. You can charge more for RVs vs tent sites.

[Wifshowfur]

They usually have very high rates also.

[waybeck2018]

Originally Posted by Ejs4029

I've heard that some campgrounds prefer not to have tents or pop up campers since they are not self contained forcing the occupants to use the facilities on site causing higher operating fees

This is exactly the reason a campground (now calling themselves a resort) began the no tent rule. We had leased a lot here for eight years when it was privately owned and they allowed tents with only a few issues. Owner kept rules enforced and evicted folks that would not follow the rules. We still have a leased lot there with a new Corporate owner. First time the bath house had overflowing trash cans, there went the tent camping. But, the prevalent smell of marijuana near the tents was a cause as well along with blazing campfires into the night with raucous noise well past midnight. Younger folks can only afford tents and they party hard.

[formerFR]

the conversation really is one of 'who' makes the decision of 'who' they are catering to in their business - especially privately owned businesses like campgrounds or rv parks. They can certainly require certain sleeping facilities in order to stay there, though it might seem annoying to others. We've seen it all, and the 'name' on the sign, whether calling itself a 'campground', and 'rv park', or a 'resort', has no real bearing on what we people 'think' that each title means, it only means what the owner wants it to mean.

We like parks and campgrounds that either don't allow tenting or similar camping, or else have special sections in other areas for that. We think that camping styles are different and what everyone expects when they go camping does not have to be the same. Staying in a tent, or even a small pop-up, is not really the same experience as when staying in a self-contained RV, whether a fifth-wheel, travel trailer, Class A, B, C, Super C, Diesel Pusher, etc.
Many tenters don't like it when surrounded by Class A rvs, either, even going so far as to say that those folks in those RVs are not really 'camping'... well, yes, we all want our experience to be what we want it to be, not what others 'think' we should want it to be.

There is no 'definition' of camping, rving, resorting, or rv parking that is going to mean the same for anyone, or everyone. An rv park or campground is welcomed to make that determination itself, as it sees fit, for the type of business and environment that it is being built to accommodate. A hotel that does not allow pets does the same. And many of us welcome that, just as those who have pets welcome the hotels that cater to them.

Does an rv park have to have a pool? No. Does it have to provide power, or water, or sewer, or a bath house, or laundry facilities, or paved parking, or trees for shade, or a low price, or the ability to stay more than 14 days, or allow pets, or allow campfires.... no.


I get that it's annoying if something is now 'different' than it once was ...

[Stormrider151]

Someone could probably turn this around and make out very well. A campground for tents. tent trailers and trailers 29' or smaller. If it was well maintained and rules enforced with adequate restroom/shower facilities would do quite well.

[dannyabear]

The RV industry has been breaking all of their previous records for sales of RVs, Building new campgrounds, RV parks are not meeting current demand for space so the owners choose who they want to attract, reservations now need to be made 6 months to a year in advance;expect it all to get worst

[emm-dee]

The CG near my home, and the one we use a lot, always has tent campers. Maybe it’s not the norm but what I’ve noticed the most is small families camping with young children. That creates good and lasting memories for them.

[formerFR]

..there are probably well more campgrounds in the U.S. that are for TENTS only... so the ability to park a large RV is probably way more problematic than where someone who is looking to pop a tent.