RV campsite space holder

[Old_hippies]

Most campgrounds have a occupied sign or marker on the post to indicate site is occupied along with dates, particulary in first come first served places. Never had an issue but if they don't have one, just make one up

[ProCharger]

Originally Posted by Finch

We paid for a site in a National Park, left a chair at the entrance to the campsite plus a table cloth on the table as well as the paid campsite sticker on the hook outside of the site. When we returned some other people had moved in, broken our chair and thrown it just outside of the campsite. They would not move, claimed there was no sticker on the post, and that they thought someone had just forgotten the chair. Despite out receipt, the ranger told us he would not get into a confrontation with them and we had to move! We had to drive 20 miles to find another vacant campsite in the dark. Very disappointing and disturbing. Thankfully this only happened to us once - but I won't soon forget it.

There would be confrontation no matter what on this one....whether it be from the squatters or myself. That ranger would have to pick his poison. You paid it is yours.

[Bobaloo]

After reading these problems, which I haven't had, I just thought of this idea. When we camp at state parks I always lock the electrical pedestal to protect my surge protector. If you were to padlock your site pedestal when you go out I bet some of these but holes would not be able to take your spot.

[Wolverine 1945]

Last year we saw rangers in a Michigan help some folks move there stuff because they set up on the wrong site,,, they had tents - sunrooms - and all kinds of stuff !!!

[KyDan]

Seems like an orange cone with an attached Occupied sign would do it.

I actually took someone elses site once myself.
We were camping in a Red River Gorge National Geological Park (that's a mouth full!) in a first come first served camp ground. The guy actually had a little piece of paper on the post but I missed it and backed in and set up.
By the time I walked to the sign in station and got the envelope and paid my money and walked back he had returned and just parked in the site next to us. He never said a word and we felt really bad once we realized what we had done.
Both sites were about as equal as could be but still...... it can happen.

If he'd left anything on the table or in the spot we'd have check closer and not made the mistake.

[rlh1957]

Like mentioned above, even on the first come first park system, you have registered/paid to be there and they give you some permit or paper to put on your spot and vehicle when you setup camp. I have seen Class C and even a Class A leave for the day and come back. Site was marked with their site #, name and dates. Most left some sign of life like chairs, cooler, etc. I have only met honorable nice camping neighbors, but I'm sure there are a-holes out there. But at least our camping and rv'ing family is not eat up with riff raff and scum. Maybe a little family flag in the ground or some other cute flag indicating life!

[KyDan]

12" tall orange cone at Wally World is a
whopping 4 bucks.

Even if some butt-head steals it you're not out the price of a good folding chair or other place holder item.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-PVC-No...-Cone/41456434

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by KyDan

12" tall orange cone at Wally World is a
whopping 4 bucks.

Even if some butt-head steals it you're not out the price of a good folding chair or other place holder item.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-PVC-No...-Cone/41456434

Just one more thing to carry around ???

I still like my Idea better,,,
Picnic table cloth & 2 folding chairs bike chained to the table !!!

[RedLdr1]

Or a four pack of orange cones for $4.46 also at Wally World... That one popped up as a "customers also considered" option when I looked at your link KYDan...

[SmilinBeard]

Originally Posted by Jmkjr72

At least every public camp I’ve been too. When you pay there is a thing to hang on the post that marks the site saying it’s been paid for and who paid for it

I thought the same thing too, until we became camp hosts at Elk Neck State Park in Maryland. They use the hang tag on the rear view mirror, to show the car is that of a registered camper, but no hang tag for the site number post. They do other things differently than at least some of the Maryland state parks we've been to.

I think the idea of leaving a couple of chairs in the driveway, or a sign,
is a good one. On our first week of hosting, I spoke with a camper who, before we started, took her trailer to have the fridge repaired. She left her leveling boards and chocks to show she was occupying the site. She thought about leaving a sign too, but didn't. Unfortunately her placement of the items was such that someone thought they were left behind, and took her chocks! She couldn't leave her electric cord, hoses, etc. because the site has no hook-ups.

[ben31]

Originally Posted by formerFR

no campground is going to allow someone to 'steal' your site, if you already PAID for it. If you are at a place that allows for 'pick your own site', then they will provide you a receipt/marker to put on the post in front of the site.

no worries. site 'stealers' are very, very rare : )

I don't believe any of us have seen a Site-Stealer in the wild.

[rlh1957]

I saw a bear helping himself in a cooler once, a family of raccoons in a trash can, squirrels walking right up and stealing morsels, a deer strolling through and lightning hitting a tree, but haven't seen a Site-Stealer yet.

[Rubaby]

We have a 25 Ft. B+ and do not pull a car so when we leave the campground for the day we obviously take the camper. The only time I have had problems having my things taken at the campsite is at KOA's. Even had them pick up my sewer hose while we were gone.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by Rubaby

We have a 25 Ft. B+ and do not pull a car so when we leave the campground for the day we obviously take the camper. The only time I have had problems having my things taken at the campsite is at KOA's. Even had them pick up my sewer hose while we were gone.

Really? We use KOA's all the time and have never had a problem.

Of course, we always leave the electrical cord locked to the post, some items on the picnic table and a couple of cones in the site.

We've never lost a campsite, but I can see how it can happen in state national parks. Some of those post markers aren't very durable and I've had to encase a couple of them in a plastic sandwich bag to protect them from the rain. A lot depends on the camp host removing them when people leave so that they can be reoccupied.

I've seen lots of rangers drive through and issue 'tickets', but the tickets all refer you to camp hosts who are frequently volunteers.

Guess we've been pretty lucky.

[Wolverine 1945]

In Michigan State Parks you have paperwork that you must keep in your windshield,,, driver side !!!

[67L48]

In Colorado, I camp exclusively in USFS campgrounds and State Parks. I've never been in a park here that didn't have occupancy notices at the site. So, in Colorado, you'd either have had to forget to clip your camping permit (receipt) to your post or the squatter would have had to have willfully ignored it.

Also, here the sites become forfeit 24 hours after check-in of the first day of your reservation. So, if you reserve a site for Fri - Sat - Sun and don't show up, the site becomes available on Saturday at 1 PM (or whatever the normal check-in time is).

CO State Parks will not allow you to hold a site without an actual vehicle and our parks are heavily policed by a ranger force the size of the Death Star's compliment of storm troopers. So, here, you're not getting away with holding a site for friends in a State Park. I've seen it done at a USFS CG, though only a few times.

I'd definitely use orange cones and notify the camp host if I left my site in a MH. There would be no ambiguity about my site when I left.

Good luck.

[ernest917]

Leave mother-in-law in her lawn chair....

[5picker]

Originally Posted by KyDan

12" tall orange cone at Wally World is a
whopping 4 bucks.

Even if some butt-head steals it you're not out the price of a good folding chair or other place holder item.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-PVC-No...-Cone/41456434

Originally Posted by RedLdr1

Or a four pack of orange cones for $4.46 also at Wally World... That one popped up as a "customers also considered" option when I looked at your link KYDan...

... or these for $1.69 ea...

Orange Sport Cones

[CampingGator]

We parked in the wrong spot at a Florida state park a few years ago and were almost set up when the guy who had the spot came along. The sites were poorly marked and we thought the sign was for our site, but it was for the next site over.

[elchilero53]

Originally Posted by CampingGator

We parked in the wrong spot at a Florida state park a few years ago and were almost set up when the guy who had the spot came along. The sites were poorly marked and we thought the sign was for our site, but it was for the next site over.

Well, mistakes do happen, especially with poorly marked sites. If you discover it, move. If not, move when notified. Makes for nicer neighbor relations, especially when the site you accidentally parked in is already reserved.