56 replies to this topic

[Bseek]

I was going to post that there would be door slamming noises in a camper, but got to reflecting on my time spent in campgrounds. Tent campers constantly get back into their vehicles for something. I think in many ways I would be much quieter because it is just pop six latches and lift. I always hate the clanging of tent poles when someone is setting up or taking down.

Regardless, they make rules and we should follow them.


Sent from my iPad using Wander The West

[Andy Douglass]

We just returned from a trip to Canada. No problem camping in any site and the campgrounds were clean and well patrolled. It seems that camping in California is getting worse in regards to parties, generators, dirty restrooms, and lack of proper management.

 

We live in California and have tent camped all over the place and I would agree to a certain extent.  We have found that out-of-the-way National Forest campgrounds almost always suit us perfectly.  They usually have pit toilets and potable water, and harvesting downed firewood is almost always allowed if you don't want to pay 10 bucks for a small bundle of beetle-ridden pine logs from the host.  We stayed at one in the Payette NF in Idaho last year that was fantastic.  It was at a dead end of a fairly long dirt road, had new pit toilets and a nice hand-pumped well.  There was one other camper there for the 2-3 nights we stayed.

[slus]

We just returned from a trip to Canada. No problem camping in any site and the campgrounds were clean and well patrolled. It seems that camping in California is getting worse in regards to parties, generators, dirty restrooms, and lack of proper management.

Right, Oregon State Parks that I have been to make California State Parks look like homeless camps. Clean, dog friendly, soap in the nice clean bathrooms with free showers. We were blown away. The campground in Brookings even had someone driving around selling ice and ice cream!

 

On subject, the only time I have ran across similar problems is booking "Tent Only" sites online through Reserve America, I have to pay attention to driveway length. Occasionally I'll see a tent only site with a very small single car parking spot, and a small trail leading to the site, and those don't work for us. Got one one time by accident and ended up spending the night in the overflow parking lot because of it. Also occasionally we will find the sites marked tent only online have very off camber parking areas, I usually take two sets of leveling blocks to NF campgrounds just in case. No one has bothered me about being in a tent only or RV only site with the FWC

[RockCod]

After just returning from a 3 state ,3 week fishing,hiking and camping journey, I stayed dispersed or tent only with great results. I always set up a tent for both Action Packer boxes and slept in the ATC. This kept my site occupied while I pursued fish or trails. In sites with a host,Eastren Idaho and Eastren/Central Oregon, they were nothing but accommodating and friendly. I think having the tent set up kept the hosts from needing to explain the site was occupied. All were National Forest/BLM or district water manegment sites, many with water and vault toilets. Happy people everywhere. I have spent 1/3 of my life in the ATC since picking it up in late April. I'm loving it.

[hoyden]

I try not to stay in campgrounds, and much prefer tent areas when I do. Because of the soft-sides of the FWC, the generator noises from RVs is super annoying. When I do pop-up near tent sites, I don't use my water pump or other non-tentish things but I must say that the constant zipping and unzipping of the tents is also annoying and the frequent trips to their cars to get stuff with the opening and closing of doors. Yeah....

 

This is why I avoid campgrounds as much as possible. I am campering to get away from people.... :-D

[Squatch]

Best part of being retired is mid week camping off season! Often have small campgrounds to ourselves.

 

I often use campgrounds that just have sites. They are for tents or rvs if they will fit.

 

I have stayed in a couple of state park campgrounds that were basically side by side parking lots for motor homes. The tents site were kinda like the places they forgot to mow between the road and the trees. I never return to those!

 

As far as using My FWC in a tent only site I've never really tried that.

Edited by Squatch, 19 September 2017 - 06:56 PM.

[2tallDA]

Right, Oregon State Parks that I have been to make California State Parks look like homeless camps. Clean, dog friendly, soap in the nice clean bathrooms with free showers. We were blown away. The campground in Brookings even had someone driving around selling ice and ice cream!

 

On subject, the only time I have ran across similar problems is booking "Tent Only" sites online through Reserve America, I have to pay attention to driveway length. Occasionally I'll see a tent only site with a very small single car parking spot, and a small trail leading to the site, and those don't work for us. Got one one time by accident and ended up spending the night in the overflow parking lot because of it. Also occasionally we will find the sites marked tent only online have very off camber parking areas, I usually take two sets of leveling blocks to NF campgrounds just in case. No one has bothered me about being in a tent only or RV only site with the FWC

Concur on the clean,dog friendly campgrounds of coastal Oregon. We were up after mid Sept. last year and the mobs had gone home, and peace and quiet had been restored. Bonfires on the beaches,people riding horseback. Geez. It brings me back to Southern California in San Diego in the 50's. I'm anxious to make another run up there.

[klahanie]

First off, I amazed the OP got a refund. Seriously, did not know that was possible.

 

I get the tent only site rule. As mentioned sometimes they have a raised gravel pad (very useful), or uneven parking or remote parking.

 

I've noticed a lot of CGs have a mix of site types to accommodate different users needs. Where we camp this is usually not enforced rather there is a degree of courtesy employed by the users. Imagine you are a tenter, wouldn't you want to have a site with a pad left available? or have a long trailer, wouldn't you want to find a pull thru ? kids, a spot near the playground ? two rigs, double site; weak bladder, near the toilets. You get the idea ... Pollyanna perhaps but I have seen such consideration occur. That said, we've had plenty of bad experiences camping in Canada LOL

 

Funny thing, when choosing a site we consider tenters a con - assuming they will be up after dark talking, not having a place to go inside, unlike the RVers. Best are the old RV couple that have been together so long they have nothing to talk about and who are asleep by 9pm

 

[smlobx]

?..... Best are the old ...couple that have been together so long they have nothing to talk about and who are asleep by 9pm

We may or may not resemble that remark!

[ottorogers]

We reserved site #282 (online) at Twin Harbors State Park to go surfing in Westport for the weekend.

 

Our site was horrible with ultra bad smoke and overcrowding to the max. 

 

We went to front desk for site change / refund. Front desk informed us that vans and campers and FWC's were not allowed at tent sites and that we must park amongst the RV's. 

 

My Tacoma and FWC take up the same amount of space as any of the tent campers' cars jeeps edsels pickups minivans or vans. 

 

Rule was made by the Park Manager and may not be in place state-wide but is a steaming pile of BS either way. 

 

Thanks to the park employee who did issue us a refund for our site and reservation fee. 

 

Anybody else have issues with this kinda thing? We have a call in to the Manager - keep you posted. 

We avoid any RV park camping, as well as  State or Federal, as much as possible, over crowding is the norm these days, sad it has come to this