Camping Culture & Newbies

[John&Vicki]

One of the things that I have long appreciated about camping is the culture that is in place, with mostly unwritten rules. Just an overall sense of friendliness, courtesy and politeness. However, lately I have noticed an increasing number of videos on YouTube about rude campers and RVers. Is our culture being disrespected and eroded by the jillions of new campers?


I've only been out once this year, to a small family run campground in Central Oregon, so I don't have first hand experience. Has anyone experienced this? Or are the YouTubers just trying to get more viewers?


It seems almost inevitable that with the numbers increasing greatly there will be some impact. One for example is the difficulty in reserving campsites. Another is the almost universal requirement for advance reservations. Another is that most campgrounds are packed. Another is the U.S. Forest Service closing a number of boondocking areas due to human waste and trash.



What's been your experience this year?



Cheers,
John

[Lily&Me]

It has been my experience, generally, that many, many RV’ers out there have a generalized fear of others.

They have lived rather narrow lives in terms of who they interact with, and carry that with them on the road.

I smile and say hello to anyone who will meet my eye, people who don’t I figure want to be left alone, which is what I do.

I have also noticed that campgrounds kind of have personalities…some are very friendly and warm, in others people don’t speak and pretty much stay to themselves.

I remind myself that I am one of the others that others may be afraid of, and try to do my part not to add to that in any way.

I haven’t noticed any bad behavior this year that I can recall, but I think that any time the masses increase the likelihood of some bad apples also increases.

We can only do our part, and my intention this year is to spend my time away from the most popular areas.

Maggie

[Dennis C]

I haven't seen any bad behavior at all this year. As Maggie said, most campers that I've encountered have been friendly, or have kept to themselves.

[John&Vicki]

Encouraging. My hope is that folks will familiarize themselves with the great camping culture and observe it. The YouTube folks are probably just trying to stir things up in order to attract viewers. Negativity sells.

[Dennis C]

I'd like to hear more about your "Air Cooled Porsche Specialist" title. I've been a PCA member for the last 15ish years. I'm in the water cooled world, but I love them all.

[Hittenstiehl]

You have a lot of people entering the rving and camping world that may not have been there years ago.

Anytime you add people to the equation you're going to have people problems. If the campers are getting more rude maybe that is a reflection of society in general.

One can see by following the threads here that we greatly disagree about camping etiquette.

We are in the "not afraid" group but we don't blindly trust either. We greet everyone, make eye contact and smile and wave. We believe greatly in trusting your instincts.

[KelloggKid]

We unfortunately had had some less than stellar experiences last year and this year both. Hate to sound like a grumpy old man but many 30 somethings don’t seem to have a lot of respect for others. They seem to think we want to listen to their music all day and night, and when you ask their children not to run full speed through your campsite on their ebikes and 4 wheelers you get an earful of foul language that I suspect they learned from their parents. It has gotten bad enough in the Pacific NW that we no longer camp on weekends during the school year and after this week we have no further reservations until after school resumes in the fall.

If someone came out of their trailer at 2am and asked us to hold the noise down a little I would be totally embarrassed. The folks we have been running into are offended and angry that we should even suggest that they tone it down.

[John&Vicki]

Originally Posted by Dennis C

I'd like to hear more about your "Air Cooled Porsche Specialist" title. I've been a PCA member for the last 15ish years. I'm in the water cooled world, but I love them all.

I've been a lifelong collector of Porsches. I currently operate an e-commerce site specializing in lighting for air cooled (1965-1995) Porsches. You can also find me on Instagram.


Cheers,
John

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Every so often we run into a group that has a couple dozen tents / rigs sprawled across two or three sites. They are there to party. This is not the crew you want to have next to you / across from you. It gets pretty crazy after they open the 4th keg of beer ......

Past that, everybody seems to be nice and friendly.

Bob

[GetawA-S]

Well, since you asked…
On our last stay, someone took to dumping their carry-out leftovers in the bathroom trash. The day after Chinese, you would swear you were walking in on a cosmic intestinal tumult.
The COE decided to place tire bumpers across the sidewalk to the bathroom. One person with a Wrangler placed his vehicle far enough to the left to completely block the sidewalk, leaving easily six feet of “car space” behind him. (Was gracious about moving it)
Smoky fires! We run the A/C double because of these! When did Gulflite become a substitute for a hatchet or kindling (NOT choking cardboard)? Then there was the neighbors who left his firewood uncovered during the Florida afternoon downpours. He attacked it with one of those weed burning propane torches. Very clever, but the acrid brown smoke delivered three hours of labored breathing for this asthmatic old guy.
The camper who relieves herself in the shower (with the inevitable olfactory assault) to spare herself a side trip to a stall?
Icing on the cake: my wife sets her stuff on a bench in a shower stall and visits the toilet (I was overhearing from the other side - less than two minutes total!) to find her stuff on the floor with someone in the shower. Said someone refused to go to one of the neighboring stalls (my wife needs the bench because of balance issues, said someone did not) and makes my wife wait until said someone had finished hers! The main consolation was that my wife’s stuff included a lantern she had just dunked in a toilet bowl.
Consideration for others seems to be history…

[Lily&Me]

Kinda sad to hear horror stories, but I still believe these are the exceptions rather than the rule.

I would not camp in an area that allowed a couple dozen tents/rigs across two or three sites.

Most campgrounds, even federal sites, have limits.

That said, years ago Doug and I were in a federal campground somewhere in Tennessee, I believe.

No hookups, beautiful and wooded, fairly full, but all well until a young couple with four little stair step kids, brand new camping equipment and FOUR PUPPIES set up across the road.

Come bedtime, each puppy was tied to their own tree outside, where they yipped and yapped and yipped and yapped. Continuously.

Where is the camp host when you need one?

About 11 pm, we vacated our site and spent the rest of the night parked by the dumpsters.

There were no vacant sites, but at least by the dumpster it was quiet.

One more story…a couple of years ago I paid extra at a state park for a “lake view” site, in a specific loop with a lake view.

In the second row, all was well until a tent camper set up next to a rundown looking trailer in the first row, and proceeded to string a huge blue tarp between the trees, completely obscuring my view of the lake.

Still, the exception rather than the rule.

Maggie

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

......

I would not camp in an area that allowed a couple dozen tents/rigs across two or three sites.

Most campgrounds, even federal sites, have limits......

Hi

Everyplace I've run into these crowds (and it has not been very often), there were limits. By my interpretation of the limits ( kegs generally don't fit with "no alcoholic beverages"), these folks were well past them. I don't work for the state / municipal / federal park police so my interpretation isn't what counts in this case ....

Some parks are pretty rigid about what you can do. Others not so much. You only really know which is which when somebody bumps into the limits.

Bob

[Ray Eklund]

I have to agree about individuals who can be nice and saying nice things on casual Boondocking camping situations among a Group. John and I agree. Although Videos... can be spurious and the acting is very well rehearsed.

Then the same person turns Nasty. For no apparent reason, other than I should wear a shirt when in public. I compensate by wearing socks with my sandals, though.

When people do this, do not let it bother you. Just get the point across that their... zipper is down... and you just wanted to save them some embarrassment. I should have said "your flag is half staff".

Or. "Did someone in your family die? Your flag is half staff". Teenagers in the 1960's.

Or the toilet paper is stuck onto your left shoe... the entire roll.

Or a skirt is tucked in the back at the office and no one is whispering the situation, so to avoid embarrassment

I have never found a Campsite Limit in the National Forest when I entered. The only signs I have noted were to Close the Door to the outdoor privy so it can Vent. I follow instructions, very well. I also never found an Entrance Sign nor Exit... to my chagrin. How does a Neanderthal EXIT THE FOREST?

[JunkYard]

I’ve had a couple recently. Not all from newbies. In Idaho I ran into a couple weirdos. One group wanted to park in our campsite so they could get the one next to us. My dw said ok (because two dudes were pressuring her) then they sat in the neighbors camp which was occupied by two women and drank coffee and wanted to help them pack up. At 7am!!!! I had to tell these guys to not walk through the middle of my campsite as well. I ran them off and the ladies thanked me.

At the same place another group kept coming by and walking in our campsite and sticking their heads into our camper. As seen from the lake, Always while I’m gone and dw has the kids. Later a giant dude from their camp walks up to my wife while she’s at the camp fire and badgers her about wanting our spot when we leave, in three days. He just told us though didn’t ask. This is a first come first serve place. Come to find out after we told someone else they could have our spot as we were leaving. He had badgered the host into accepting payment 3 days earlier, thus reserveing the site. Then they told me how the man is a school teacher and isn’t a dick head. But I’ve know a few teachers and know better.

Great Lake spots arnt always so great. I don’t know if it was covid or people from Boise or what. Other people around us said it was Boise. I asked how can you tell? The license plates, Idaho has profiling license plates. I did meet plenty of nice respectful people.

[civeng99]

No real issues 99% of the time.

I’m in the want to be left alone catergory. I don’t want a new best buddy. I don’t want a plate of your special goulash and I don’t want you to pet my dog. Respect that many of us want to quietly do our own thing and be left alone please. We aren’t serial killers.

99% of people are good folks. It’s the 1% who ruin it for everyone else.

[Shiny16]

Originally Posted by JunkYard

I’ve had a couple recently. Not all from newbies. In Idaho I ran into a couple weirdos. One group wanted to park in our campsite so they could get the one next to us. My dw said ok (because two dudes were pressuring her) then they sat in the neighbors camp which was occupied by two women and drank coffee and wanted to help them pack up. At 7am!!!! I had to tell these guys to not walk through the middle of my campsite as well. I ran them off and the ladies thanked me.

At the same place another group kept coming by and walking in our campsite and sticking their heads into our camper. As seen from the lake, Always while I’m gone and dw has the kids. Later a giant dude from their camp walks up to my wife while she’s at the camp fire and badgers her about wanting our spot when we leave, in three days. He just told us though didn’t ask. This is a first come first serve place. Come to find out after we told someone else they could have our spot as we were leaving. He had badgered the host into accepting payment 3 days earlier, thus reserveing the site. Then they told me how the man is a school teacher and isn’t a dick head. But I’ve know a few teachers and know better.

Great Lake spots arnt always so great. I don’t know if it was covid or people from Boise or what. Other people around us said it was Boise. I asked how can you tell? The license plates, Idaho has profiling license plates. I did meet plenty of nice respectful people.

If it’s first come first serve it doesn’t seem like you should be able to promise the site to anyone.

[Otis Porsche]

Originally Posted by John&Vicki

I've been a lifelong collector of Porsches. I currently operate an e-commerce site specializing in lighting for air cooled (1965-1995) Porsches. You can also find me on Instagram.
Cheers, John

.
We always know when the other half has returned in our 964 RSA. Both from the sound and the big grin on our face. Intent at one time was to trailer the country doing SCCA SOLO & PCA autocross events.
On topic we have noticed many new to camping. Great to see the more experienced helping the new ones. Had a 'neighbor' with their new AS on its first adventure. They had never camped before.

.

[Ray Eklund]

We were tent camping near Crystal Park, Montana. You can go there and dig for double terminated quartz crystals. Hard work, but they are beautiful.

We did not camp on the Parking Lot, but nearby off a ways from the parking lot.

A Van pulls up and parks. This is in the National Forest with thousands of acres just around the Crystal Park. Three late teens get out with three dogs. They noticed we had a Blue Heeler. One came by to... visit.

They had NO Dog Food and could we spare some?

We picked up and left. Take your Rabies Shots when in the forest. Not from the wildlife... but the humanlife that may show up.

[banderabob]

Not newbies, but recently, had to close windows because of smokers next door. They eventually got the hint and stepped away to smoke. Then they lit a fire which despite everything being closed, seemed to permeate the trailer. Thankfully it rained the next night, and we then moved on.

[Atwebs]

We've camped for 50 years and rudeness comes and goes. Newbies, especially folks who've never camped before and who now own an RV and a generator are eager to hit the road...but often clueless.

This year we had a single guy and dog in the next campsite who had a 60" television OUTSIDE his brand new trailer (think it could be flipped inside or out) facing our windows. He watched sports, then at dark swapped to action movies while sitting at a picnic table. Our trailer was rocking with each mighty explosion, gentle reminders of quiet time did nothing. Next morning, he got up and fired up a gas blower to clean all the needles off his truck blowing them onto our truck and off he went apparently leaving his canine friend chained to something inside his trailer -poor dog howled and cried the entire time he was gone. When he got back, he let Fido out and Fido ran over and promptly peed all over the picnic table on the next campsite, and was left off leash to roam the entire campground. The next camper over (with the wet picnic table seats) went crazy and demanded his picnic table be cleaned with soap and water and the mutt tied up. Pretty ugly but it worked.

End of the weekend, the TV guy packed up faster than the rest of us. Wet seat man started to tell him something "Dude..." and TV guy slammed his door and drove off -ripping his awning cleanly off his trailer when he hit a tree with both the awning and parts of his trailer. Wet seat man said "I was going to say you'd better put your awning in...". The rest of us went inside our trailer so he couldn't see us laughing.