RV parks with limits ?

[Danny Bell]

So far...We have not experienced any snobs at RV parks ! I hope that day never comes ! Last fall, we stayed at the Wine Country RV park for (4) days in S.E. Washington. We were quail/pheasant hunting with friends who live in those parts. The park was very nice but not lavish. They did offer free wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres every night for an hour. A very nice touch !!!

We prefer to stay on one of the ends close to the dog walking areas as we have (2) labs & (2) brittanys. At night they stay in their porta-kennels in the back of the truck that has a shell. Each trailer spot has it's own large grass lawn with shade trees that separate each trailer spot. The park is use too accommodating hunters.

When coming in from hunting, we leash the dogs to the provided picnic table so they can stretch out and relax. The only issue (if you can call it that) was when the lady manager of the park walked by carrying her toy poodle. All (4) of our dogs started barking ! I thought, OH S***, we are gonna get tossed out of here ! I quieted our dogs immediately ! The lady manager smiled and said, "my husband is out hunting right now with our (2) labs !" Blood pressure went back to normal !

We happened to be neighbors with a Bambi on the left, and an Excella on the right. That night after the wine tasting I grilled some quail & pheasant. The lady manager and husband, along with 12 other campers showed up with food and grog. It turned into a quiet block party. Us three Airstreamers ended up giving trailer tours ! Guess where we will be staying this fall !

Danny

[tvketchum]

We are currently at a park with the ten year rule, as well as others. Skirting cannot be pink or blue insulation board, for example. There are a number of permanent residents whose rigs are beginning to look really shabby, but they have been parked for years. Not the best impression for new arrivals. The owner, I believe, just bought the place a few years ago, and inherited some of this. He has made improvements, and is planning more. Because the rates are very reasonable, people with limited means love these kinds of places....


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Tom
TVKetchum

[urnmor]

"The Ten Year Rule" Is this not a business decision on part of the owners. If they believe they can operate their campground with that rule so be it. In fact I do not see much of a difference then an Airstream park limiting it uses to only AS.

[Skater]

On the other hand, I was booking a campground the other day, and the guy (presumably the owner) said, "Can't wait to see that Airstream...I love them!"

Just thought I'd provide a counterexample to the bad stories in this thread. Carry on!

[kscherzi]

The last private RV park we stayed at was a quick overnight. It linked to be mostly permanent residents, all arrayed and backed in around the perimeter. Many trailers looked as if they never and couldn't move. The transients were assigned to the middle. Though we went bothered it wouldn't surprise me if someone was cooking up some meth on the side. While others probably it was all they could afford. This is the flip side of a ten year rule and why RV parks have a bad rap.

[RareStream]

Originally Posted by kscherzi

Many trailers looked as if they never and couldn't move. it wouldn't surprise me if someone was cooking up some meth on the side.

Yeah...just because some people have an older RV or live in a campground means they're cooking meth.

THESE are the kind of snobs that give Airstream owners a bad name.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by RareStream

Yeah...just because some people have an older RV or live in a campground means they're cooking meth.

Now, now. "Wouldn't surprise me" is hardly snobbery. A snob is someone who "looks down his nose" at people he considers his inferiors. Kind of like a misspelling of the snot you see when you look up the nose that he's looking down. Snobbishness is a form of bigotry, based on perceived differences in social class or position, and like all bigotry is characterized by judging an entire group of people based on one (real or imagined) example.

In my opinion, just because kscherzi wouldn't be surprised if some of them were cooking meth, that doesn't make kscherzi a snob. Because he (she?) also allowed, in the very same post, that there might be other reasons for the decrepitude of their rigs. There was no judgment of an entire group of people, and thus no snobbery.

[xrvr]

Lots of snobbery amongst AS owners. Most on the forums are descent people, many others not so much. The air forums seem to moderate people because of the discussions here. Makes you glad to be on here. Does that make me an Airforums snob? Hope not! Peace, Jim

[goodshepherd]

While I have never had a problem, I have been asked, several times (in Arizona) how old my "rig" is. One time, even though I had mentioned it was an Airstream, they asked if it was dented or wrecked in any manner but I was not refused. Even at that "campground" they were much more accommodating after mentioning it was an Airstream!! And, while there, I will say that most of the "campers" were the $100,000 plus outfits so I am assuming there was some "prejudice" relative to our then 23 foot, '79 airstream. We were, by any means measurable, the smallest "rig" in the campground!!!

[gandttimes]

Just came back from 11000km, four month trip through 4 states and 28 " homes" and on phoning ahead for available space was not asked once about age, but always length.
The only place that I felt any snobbery was to me, reverse snobbery as we were placed in the crappiest ( by an open sewer pump) behind the office when there were plenty of other available spaces that would have fit our unit much better.
Left early and in a hurry.


George

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by zigzagguzzi

Lots of snobbery amongst AS owners. Most on the forums are descent people, many others not so much.

Let's not confuse snobbery and elitism.

Examples:
Elitism - "My Airstream is better than your other brand."
Snobbery - "I'm better than you because I own an Airstream and you don't."

See the difference? We don't own Airstreams because we're better people; we own Airstreams because they're better RVs.

My personal opinion is that very few Airstream owners are snobs. But an awful lot of us are elitists. But that's going to be true of the owners of any iconic brand. Harleys. Corvettes. Mustangs. Learjets. Whatever. So we're not alone in our elitism.

[RareStream]

Wow.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by RareStream

Wow.

What's to "wow" about? If corporations couldn't extract money from every person on the planet by mastering the art of psychological differentiation through purchase, there would be one single brand of shoe, shirt, razor, kitchenware, soda, trailer, tow vehicle, hitch, tire, coffee maker - and this forum would be the most boring discussion on the planet.

If one buys Levi's jeans and not a no-name brand, is s/he a snob? Certainly not because of the basic purchase preference. If that person attends a party, sees that others are wearing generic/off-brand jeans and thinks s/he is a better human being than everyone else in the room BECAUSE of the jeans - THAT's a problem and something to "wow" about.

That's not what we have here. Airstream, SOB, old, young - it's just preferences. No big deal. Parks can have preferences too and if a park wants all Airstream or no Airstream or trailers of a certain age or condition - consumers have their preference in selection of campgrounds as well - if my trailer isn't accepted at site A - there are a million other sites open to me.

Life is short. Go camping wherever you can. If you're not one park's "type", drag your camper somewhere else and enjoy life. One guy's $0.02...

[Hittenstiehl]

;o)
Out on a limb here but I bet the "Wow" was for Protag's ability of precise articulation.
;o)

I on the other hand chuckled at the mention of duct tape and 10 years old. I do only use the silver duct tape and put it on very carefully. Looks almost like a storage door hinge or a window frame. Hate to loose those items while bumping down the road. Tried the yellow tape once but it was quite tacky, and that is not talking about its adhesive ability.

Smiling as I try to justify my use of duct tape and convince myself its okay if its silver.

[SteveSueMac]

Duct tape of any color/pattern is acceptable. :-)

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

Out on a limb here but I bet the "Wow" was for Protag's ability of precise articulation.

"Precise"? Only in print, and only because I used to write technical specifications for a living. There's a word for it, and it's not complimentary— pedantic. That's me all over.

In person, I get my tongue wrapped all around my eye-teeth and can't even see what I'm saying. If it wasn't for using my photo as my forums avatar, people who read my posts and talk to me face-to-face would think I'm two different people!

[HeadWest]

I see three different situations with park and campground limits. The first is physical limitation. This can be a maximum size because of campsites or tight turns. I also see restrictions out west for "hard sided campers only" because of bears.

The next are regular privately owned campgrounds that don't want older rigs or have size or type limits to keep them more exclusive, limit liability, or for whatever reason they see fit. I feel many of these will flex with an older, nicely maintained rig.

The last are the condo association campgrounds with individually owned sites. Because of the bylaws and restrictions set up with the association, there is usually no flexibility with transient site rentals. I ran into a few of these in Michigan where my brother was staying in his class A motorhome and we were unable to stay with a travel trailer. Really tics one off when a new Airstream is unacceptable but an older ratty 5th wheel is ok.

[Gearheart]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

I get my tongue wrapped all around my eye-teeth and can't even see what I'm saying.:

I am so adding this to my list of one liners.
Thanks Protag

[BAB]

Have never been refused admittance with my Airstream, though last year we were stuck for an overnight in a park in NJ that was well-populated with derelict trailers. If it hadn't been late, I would have pulled out. I didn't realize how bad it was until daylight the next morning. Not sure what the "business model" was for the park owner.

[kscherzi]

Originally Posted by RareStream

Yeah...just because some people have an older RV or live in a campground means they're cooking meth.

THESE are the kind of snobs that give Airstream owners a bad name.

Sorry my comment bothered you. I profiled the individual that wandered over to bum a cigarette (I don't smoke) who was mostly toothless, around age 30 going on 60, skinny as a rail and talking 100 miles an hour. Meth is a serious problem. It destroys lives and can make its victims desperate. You can make a batch in a two liter soda bottle. Sadly, it is not uncommon in our state. By appearances, it looked like a lot of the older RV's were pretty permanent fixtures. Maybe the cinder blocks instead of wheels, or piles a crap under and around them, or the four or five vehicles crammed in and around. I get it, people have to live somewhere, but its was definitely not what the internet website marketed. I was just passing through so just ate dinner, went to bed, and left early.

But beyond all this my bigger point, that you missed or I was unclear on, is that its not about the age of the RV but the people that inhabit those things. I'd wager to guess that the RV Parks believe owners of new RV's spend more, are more likely to be lawful, be respectful of the property, stay neat, pay their bills on time, you get the idea. I'll stick my neck out even further and wager most RV travelers would prefer not camp next to a some homesteader hoarder with five pit bulls wandering in and out. Some RV Park owners have decided there's a market for experience predictability of a certain caliber and have chosen to use RV age as the filter and I'm okay with that.