Quality of Park Reviews

Be sure to look at the latest reviews. Conditions and owners tend to change over time. Someone who had a wonderful time 3 years ago doesn't really help.

It's good to be a little adventurous every now and then. After all, before the internet, we had no idea what a campground was like unless we talked to someone that went there.

Roadpilot wrote:
I like rvparkreviews and use it regularly. I always dismiss the worst review as a disgruntled person and dismiss the best review as most likely the owner. If I see any negative or positive review by a person that has only done 1 review, I dismiss that reviewer. When I read the content of reviews I look for objective issues like the streets were too narrow for my popup. Anyway, we always use their site.

I am currently staying at a KOA by Niagara Falls - it has every kid activity know to man and is 4 miles from the falls has over 160 spaces and is very nice

Last reviewed on rvparkreviews August 2014 - and a poor rating because of Wi-Fi - and traffic noise - Dah they picked the cheap sites in the back of the campground near the freeway

This is why we are huge fans of CampgroundViews.com instead of writing reviews we send in pictures and video. They have something like 2,000 parks on film and another couple thousand pics. Videos range from great to meh but all show the parks for what they are.

I find reading the reviews amusing really although I do glean some useful tid bits at times. It all boils down to a persons expectations. 2 campers at the same CG will have their own experience and perspective on their stay. I have stayed in CG's where you stick the payment through a slot in the door and never see any sign of a manager with good results. Been in CG's with good reviews and was glad to be leaving. Some people are just not happy with anything unless its free, even then it still may net be good enough. Be flexible and go with the flow. Your blood pressure will thank you.

I like rvparkreviews and use it regularly. I always dismiss the worst review as a disgruntled person and dismiss the best review as most likely the owner. If I see any negative or positive review by a person that has only done 1 review, I dismiss that reviewer. When I read the content of reviews I look for objective issues like the streets were too narrow for my popup. Anyway, we always use their site.

Checking the reviews on these sites is usually the last thing I do if at all. All sorts of people have all sorts of opinions, and molehills are generally made into mountains behind the anonymity of a keyboard. I've had recent review experience with RVParksReview and read prior posts about the CG I was about to review. Stopped after so many complaints about sandy sites, sand in my camper, blah blah - the CG is at a beach! People had the gall to camplian about how dark it was at night - imagine that, posters of RV.net!

I'm very familiar with this CG as we go there yearly, so as a rational person, I could see right through the nitpickers. So I tried to focus on an area of concern with the good and what I considered the bad - and yes it was a valid point (even westerrvparkowner would approve), and my interaction about it with the staff, but my review was sent back as it did not fit the model they wanted.

So I dumbed it down, but it was not an honest and full account of the point I was trying to convey. I'm not sure what they get out of it - there is no advertising on the site, but they are really picky about the review structure. Whatever. Spending time doing this, is no longer a priority for me.

I usually read the reviews and if posted "see other reviews from the same party" I'll look at those too. That will give me some idea of the reviewers thought process. If still unsure I'll post a request from others who have stayed at the CG in question and get their feedback. I've have stayed at places that got bad reviews but were great for me thanks to folks on this site who stayed at the CG and provided their experiences. Good luck!!!

philh wrote:
Looking to make our first multi state longer trip with 2-3 day stays at multiple parks. As I'm beginning to plan out our trip, I'm overwhelmed with discrepant reviews. One reviewer said the showers are filthy with bugs and worms crawling on the walls, while another states it's one of the cleanest parks they have ever been in. Friendliness of personnel, quality of park sites, list goes on and on. It's even worse when there's only 2 or three reviews, don't people review parks on a regular basis? How do you separate the wheat from the chaff?

I agree entirely with the posts above. Reading reviews and extracting the useful information is almost an art form.

• I mostly use http://www.rvparkreviews.com, but I also Google the campground and read reviews there and on other sites, like http://www.tripadvisor.com.
• From that, I usually have enough reviews to start the analysis.
• Like others, I discount the extreme reviews on both ends.
• I tend to look at reviews only for the past couple years (campgrounds change), except for things like nearby attractions, waterfront sites, etc., that are permanent.
• I also discount reviews that read something like, "My campsite had a bug and the staff wouldn't deal with it and when I threatened to sue they treated me rudely..."
• Where a review indicates a potential shortcoming, I check the reviewers other posts. Some people are just perennial grumps and frankly I don't care what they think.
• After all that, I usually have enough left to go on, so I make my best judgment and live with the consequences. FWIW, I can count on one hand the number of times my educated guess about the place was way off.

I do agree. I wish people would post more reviews. Well, I wish normal people would post more reviews. :)
Skip

I use Good Sam Club ratings and RV Park Reviews. Have had pretty good luck so far.

Throw out the odd highs and the odd lows and go with the trend of the majority. Some will downgrade a park for the most trivial things, particularly if they arrogantly feel they were somehow treated less than they feel they deserved. And some just seem to see everything thru rose colored glasses.