Substancial deposit required

With DW's parents both at 89 and all grades of medical catastrophes last year we can't reserve much until the last minute.
With the booming numbers of new rvers that doesn't leave much. We'll manage a short trip here or there and that's ok for now but no nonrefundable reservations.
I don't blame the CG owners, they have a business to run. No different than a restaurant that refuses reservations or spends the evening watching over a half empty place.

The CG owners need to protect their investment. If you make a no deposit reservation and don't show up, they loose money.
At the state parks in Wisconsin, if you make a reservation for multiple days for multiple days, you pay for the entire stay up front. If you cancel a long way out, you get charged a cancellation fee plus loose your reservation fee. It costs you about $20 in this case. If you cancel on short notice, you loose your reservation fee plus the first night. That amounts to about $30 to $50.
If you want a place to stay at the parks, you pay it.
We never cancel so we don't worry about it.

To everyone.....THANK YOU for all your replies!!!! All seem varied and all have valid points to which I never thought of.

Crowe wrote:
Have run into multiple types of deposit situations. If I don't like it I just go elsewhere.

THIS!

There has been a couple of times when I have said "No thanks" and when asked for a reason I just explain I do not agree with their policies. They do not owe me an explanation.

MI state parks require reservations to be paid in full at the time they are made. Cancellations receive a partial refund.

Crowe wrote:
Have run into multiple types of deposit situations. If I don't like it I just go elsewhere.

Same here, the policies are all over the map for private campgrounds. The latest private campground we booked said they collect payment when we check in. Some private's collect one night. Some charge all.

I can tell you ALL the California State Parks collect FULL payment when you reserve the site online through reservecalifornia.com, even if you're going 6 months from now.

We stay in NP's NF's, and a few SP's. They all require payment in full and will refund if you cancel (with a fee, usually around $8). So for our trip next summer, I've basically already paid for all our camping (except for those outside the six month window).

So my bill for the camping will come soon and the bill for all the other expenses (gas, food, etc) will come in July, August, etc. Kind of spreads the pain out a little.

I used to be in a somewhat similar business as a CG & no-shows were a huge problem until I started taking deposits, or at least credit card holds. People thought nothing of not showing up. No call. Nothing.

My business was a sightseeing/snorkeling by private charter. I did not make up groups. The charterer & his party had the boat to themselves. Custom trip. This was like booking the entire campground for a rally. You don't bail out without a sizable penalty.

4runnerguy wrote:
We stay in NP's NF's, and a few SP's. They all require payment in full and will refund if you cancel (with a fee, usually around $8). So for our trip next summer, I've basically already paid for all our camping (except for those outside the six month window).

So my bill for the camping will come soon and the bill for all the other expenses (gas, food, etc) will come in July, August, etc. Kind of spreads the pain out a little.

As much as I don't like the idea of paying for a full "X" amount of time at a CG, I do like your rational.