Park Rules - Elitism or Discrimination?

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally posted by Porky Pig
Pedophobia: an abnormal and persistent fear of children.

Pork, I agree with almost everything you post, however, I too love kids, but more times than not, parents just turn their kids loose on the campground and fail to respect that others are around. It's a BIG problem I've noticed almost anywhere I go and I myself cannot fault any one person for wanting to use the footage from some of these children in campgrounds as prime ads for birth control, better parenting, etc. I think it's terrible how some of these parents don't keep a choker on some of these kids. I mean here we are at our campsite and these kids just ride their bikes right through our campsite, across our outdoor mats. Others litter, thow balls and hit our $40k coaches.

I'll tell you what, when you camp with your new coach and you come across some kid that nearly scratches the plasticoat off your new warbucks Classic as they come flying through your campsite or they dent your new tow vehicle or coach throwing baseballs all over, come to talk to me about fear.....I don't think fear has anything to do with it...these kids need a good butt whoopin as do their careless parents.

As for it being elitism or discrimination, take a look around...clubs and policies based on age, race, religion, etc are everywhere. What I find hard to accept myself is the fact that folks that don't fit the criteria for the other clubs to belong will cry discrimination, racisim, etc.

I could list affermitive action as one, minority based quotas for government contacts as another. Yacht clubs and country clubs that are white only...there is one club out here that refused Michael Jordan...seriously!

The lists go on and on and on.....these types of campgrounds are just another part people's needs to be part of a group with similar interests, etc. Is it right or fair, heck far better folks have debated this in the humanities, social interaction and psycology programs for years. Far smarter folks have taken and argued cases through the legal system. Me I just try to get in where I can have fun and not get my coach all tore up!

If someone doesn't want me there, then it probobly isn't a place I would want to be...but there are other places that will gladly take us in and I am happy to find those places and have a good time!

[RoadKingMoe]

Found doing a Google search for adult RV park washington


Cranberry Adult RV Park
1801 Cranberry Rd - Long Beach
360-642-2027

Pegg's Adult RV Park
15301 Pacific Way - Long Beach
360-642-2451

There are more....

[John]

It warms my heart to know how fortunate we are to be in a country where our concerns are whether or not we can use certain RV parks or if kids are going to run through our campsite. We are truly blessed!!!

[norbert]

Please..cant we get along....cant we all,just....get along....

norby

[dmreilly10000]

I say "to each his own". If a park can make a living catering to only a small part of the market, fine.

I can see both sides of this argument.

I can't wait until I get my 1953 Cruiser restored and be able to answer: "How old is my rig....ah ah ah fifty" "But I'm only 47, with a 2 year old toddler"

Guess this excludes me from a lot of parks. I will just take my money elsewhere.

[norbert]

At your age you'll never have a hockey team....
norby

[Janet H]

Rather than restrict the age of the folks camping, wouldn't it make more sense to say "no kids allowed" IF that is truely the intent of the restriction?

There was an interesting article in the local paper about a family with an older mobile home being denied permits by the city due to the age of their home. Turns out the city is in direct violation of State law..... http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/lo...-4577836c.html I've seen the place they want to park their trailer. It's run down and full of delapidated older structures. Go figure.

I still don't understand the length limitations imposed by some parks (nothing under 21 ft.). Since when is a nice shiney new Bambi an eyesore?

[RoadKingMoe]

I submit this to try to be helpful and not to be offensive, at the risk it may be taken that way.

We're a culture with a "victim mentality" that's quicker to whine and cry "discrimination" than to try to find solutions. It's easier to find obstacles and reasons why something can't be done than it is to find ways to do it.

Janet, I believe you really do want to find a solution (when you finally got around to asking "what's... to do?"), but your first post strongly communicates that you just wants fellow whiners instead of a solution. To seek help, help others to help you.

Define the problem without all the irrelevant and distracting stuff about diapers and chickens. If that fluff replaces the location you want to camp in, you haven't helped others to help you at all!

"I am a near empty-nester who would like to camp, without children, in/at [location still unknown]. I'm too young to qualify for 55-over parks, and my Argosy is too old and too small for some parks with the 10 year unit age limit and 21' minimums."

Identify to potential helpers what you've already done to help yourself. The more you've done for yourself, the more likely the better problem solvers will see your question as a challenge.

"I have looked for adult-only parks that would accept my age and Argosy in Trailer Life Magazine, but have found none. I've searched the Internet for [whatever]. Does anyone know of any parks in the [location area] that meet my criteria? What other resources could I use to search for them?"

Even with a succinct post like this, you're going to get useless responses from whiners, but if you really want a solution, it gives those who would like to help you something to work with.

There are those who go through life shrugging obstacles aside and making things happen without complaining even if it may require substantial work. You don't have to be smart or experienced to be one of them. You just have to show those who are, that you're determined and ready to do the work it takes to make it happen if they'll point you in the right direction. Some of them are more creative and can often find ways to make it happen with less work! Whining does just the opposite and just gives a poor impression. It encourages sour grapes responses from other whiners and smart-ass comments, neither of which are constructive.

No solution is perfect. Don't sweat the small stuff. Solve the major problems (like kids riding bikes next to a new $40K trailer), and ignore the rest.

Hope this helps,

[thenewkid64]

Janet,

I don't think the under 21 foot rule has anything to do with Airstream's. Airstream is just the first company in a while to respond to the market for a smaller trailer that is not a pop up. Many pop ups are under 21 feet. Have no tanks let alone a toilet. This creates a difficulty for the park operator. If they have bath houses and a park full of pop ups then there is going to be shower/bathroom trouble. If their sites do not offer sewer then they will have gray water on the ground. This places the park guests into violation of the rules, but I would bet the park operators can get into even more trouble if they do not stop it.

I think this goes hand in had with the 10 year rule sometimes. Eliminating the gray water issues as well as keeping out the pop ups (actually the PC term in the RV industry is fold down )

As was said above the parks can do what they want.

[wahoonc]

I have come to the conclusion that we Airstreamers: #1 Own trailers that have a good chance of being more than 10 years old. #2 May or may not have reached the age of 55. #3 May or may not have young'ns in the household (BTW that is a whole nother topic about upcharging for kids at a campground!) #4 More than likely have a pet of our choosing. So what we need to do is band together and purchase at least one acre of land in every township, county, or any other destination place and designate it for AIRSTREAMS ONLY! Any takers? Maybe the WBCCI units could get in on the act and as a NonProfit purchase land in their respective areas. (Or we could set up a church...Call it the Caravan of Believers or something like that, churches get exempted from most zoning ordinances ) I believe this has already been done in some areas. Just a few rambling thoughts

Aaron

[nds]

I think the idea behind a lot of these "Adult Only" parks are from complaints or suggestions made by those who are now in their late 50's and up.

They may not necessarily hate children as much as they've just decided that they've had theirs, they've grown, and moved on...

Sort of a been there done that and now I just want to relax and not have to listen to them or be bothered by them.

[87MH]

Chappel - Less than 22'
Church - 22'to 31'
Cathedral - Anything over 31'

Do you think we can get tax benefits if we sign on as clergy?


On Edit - Sorry, way off thread subject. Amazing how these threads evolve.

[Janet H]

A simpler way to "select" your clientelle at a park might be to have a fee structure that discourages families or the those living lean.

About whining: it is almost always useful to question policies or practices that are exclusionary. It is intersting to gain understanding of others views.

Thenewkid64: "I don't think the under 21 foot rule has anything to do with Airstream's." Under 21 feet affects Bambi owners. Airstreams may be more spendy to own (or polish) per foot but that doesn't exempt them from length restrictions.

[Stefrobrts]

I haven't run across a park that didn't allow under 21' trailers yet, but when I bought my trailer I was looking for one 20' or smaller because a lot of state park campgrounds only allow the smaller trailers. I assume this is because of small spaces and difficult access roads. I would be shocked to find my choice of a little trailer could also keep me out of a park - I figured smaller would have the best chance of getting me into anywhere I wanted to be!

[RoadKingMoe]

This is how you get help on where to camp when there are limiting factors.

It doesn't have a Subject of "Discrimination against Dogs."

It doesn't whine about parks that don't allow pets or question the merits of the policy, neither of which are relevant to finding a site.

It goes right to the point and gives potential helpers relevant information.

It actually gives the location the requestor wants to camp in (hint, hint for the second time) and specifically includes off-strip sites as possibilities.

[RoadKingMoe]

Steph, it is unlikely state parks will ever adopt an under 21' policy, or a 10 year-old limit for that matter. They are, however, more likely to enforce the "no grey water on the ground" policy, but if you have a blue belly, that shouldn't be an issue.

[rluhr]

You could just look at the exclusionary parks as providing an advantage. They tell you where you don't want to stay! Any place that doesn't encourage a diverse group of people is not a place that is interesting to us.

We bought our little Caravel so we could camp almost anywhere, and avoid big campgrounds with crowds. The best places to stay IMHO are usually the county, state, and national parks. Just say "NO" to over-engineered, overly restrictive campgrounds!

-- RL

[overlander63]

Originally posted by Janet
I recently saw several ads in “Trailer Life” for RV parks. The ads say “55 or over only” and “no RVs under 21 ft” (some also mention rigs older than 10 years subject to approval - see other threads).

I understand the intent (I think) but would you rather camp next to a 54 year old in a nice new Bambi or a 56 year old in a 9 year old, 24 ft. SOB? If I promise not to hang diapers over the propane tanks, leave my chickens and kids at home and invite everyone in the park to the kegger shouldn’t my money spend at these parks as well? I also want to stay at clean, well run parks with good facilites and respectful neighbors. Do I have to wait until I'm 55?

If younger folks are to be encouraged to participate in (and spend money on) recreational activities that involve big dollar RVs, then the industry must change to accommodate them or slowly wither away. Any other opinions?

Janet, remember the old W.C. Fields' line: " I would have nothing to do with any organisation that would have me for a member!"?
It is their loss.
Terry

[Stefrobrts]

Originally posted by RoadKingMoe
Steph, it is unlikely state parks will ever adopt an under 21' policy, or a 10 year-old limit for that matter. They are, however, more likely to enforce the "no grey water on the ground" policy, but if you have a blue belly, that shouldn't be an issue.

There's a number of state/nat. forest campgrounds in OR and WA with 20' limits on their trailers. I don't have my book with me here at work or I could tell you which ones. Like I said, it's probably more a matter of access - they don't want you trying to drag a 30' trailer up a barely improved mountain road just to find there's no room for it at the top.

[Big Dee]

Originally posted by rluhr
You could just look at the exclusionary parks as providing an advantage. They tell you where you don't want to stay! Any place that doesn't encourage a diverse group of people is not a place that is interesting to us.
-- RL

Exactly! I definitely do not want to stay in an RV Park that is ALL seniors with ONLY big, expensive Prevosts that look down on the rest of us RVers... so I am glad to know. I'll choose another one. There are lots of FRIENDLY parks out there.