Questionable Campground Ratings

durangoan wrote:
I don't know how Good Sam arrives at its rating, but my experience differs from the published ratings. We full-timed for 2 years in our Class A diesel pusher and covered a good part of the country. we found many ratings grossly overstated. My recommendation is to go to rvparkreviews.com and compare ratings there for the parks that interest you. That site is non-commercial and appears unbiased (i.e., no paid campground advertisers).

I totally disagree I think in all the campgrounds we have stayed in recently I would only say that 2 were way over rated - that is 280 since July 2009

DutchmenSport wrote:
Just don't bother reading any reviews, they are all "opinion" anyway...
Just pick your campground and go. Let it just "naturally" happen with no pre-conceived expectations. Then you can be pleasantly surprised or disappointed. But at least you're going in with "zero" expectations. That's 1/2 of the fun of it all .... "discovering" new places!

Truthfully, to even be able to read 1 or 2 reviews is a luxury. My parents and grandparents used to pick their campgrounds either from previous experience, word of mouth, or the old fashioned catalog-style book they had. No updates, no pictures...pick up the phone for a long-distance call and take a chance. Yes, yes, times were simpler back then.

My grandparents took the bait once on a fancy Dolly Parton campground in TN...said it was the worst dump they ever stayed in, even though it was advertised as a luxury resort.

durangoan,

Thank you for contacting Good Sam and providing your feedback.

Thanks,
Stacy
Good Sam Care Team

I don't take reviews at total face value, however I think they do have merit.
Yes there needs to be some reading between the lines to factor out the BS and bias. However you will see a reoccurring theme when there are issues.
Post months or years a part referring to grouchy owners. Or post where several referto disgusting bathrooms. If there is a legit issue it will surface within the reviews more than once.

Factor in how quickly a "clean" private campground can become a "dirty" campground...restrooms, pool, clubhouse, grounds. With a new manager it can go either way in two days or less.

I agree with Dutchmen Sport as NO 2 campers using the same campground have even close to the same opinions of the CG. Even campers with high end MH's have given totally different opinions in the various ratings sites and review sites.

We always love hearing a numbskull with a 40' several hundred thousand dollar MH or 40' 5th wheel with having full hookups and never even once used the CG bathrooms or showers but yet complain about the bathrooms and showers in a CG they stayed in but give them low ratings. Hear it so often!

For crying out loud, you are simply renting, not buying, the site for your RV for a day, a few days, or maybe a week or 2, and then you leave and take all your stuff home or to another CG. Some rarely ever even come out of their RV's during their stay.

If what you really want is a 5 star resort that pampers their behinds, then pay the going price for such but few really want to. They are so often too CHEAP to do it. Yet, then they complain that the normal or average CG sure is not a place to give a 5 out of 10 rating to! Be advised that CG's must be profitable or they will close or go belly up and then RV'ers will have even less choices and because there's less choices, the price will increase too. That law of supply and demand is always alive and well!

Dutchman has it right.
Go and make your own opinion. The good is a lot better when you see the bad, and we have turned around and left on more then one occasion.
Many poorly rated campgrounds turned out to be very good places to stay

Just don't bother reading any reviews, they are all "opinion" anyway. High society folks will complain because the sites do not have full hook up. Low society folks will complain because they have night lights and guards for security.

Just pick your campground and go. Let it just "naturally" happen with no pre-conceived expectations. Then you can be pleasantly surprised or disappointed. But at least you're going in with "zero" expectations. That's 1/2 of the fun of it all .... "discovering" new places!

And truth be told, the moment you drive into the campground and stop at the office, you'll already have an opinion. .... and yes ... we HAVE turned right around and left after pulling in to the office on more than one occasion.

durangoan wrote:
I don't know how Good Sam arrives at its rating, but my experience differs from the published ratings. We full-timed for 2 years in our Class A diesel pusher and covered a good part of the country. we found many ratings grossly overstated. My recommendation is to go to rvparkreviews.com and compare ratings there for the parks that interest you. That site is non-commercial and appears unbiased (i.e., no paid campground advertisers).

I would agree. It seems rvparkreviews.com is a little more accurate. If I'm planning a big trip I sometimes ask for suggestions from forum members also. I'll use several websites to make a decision on where to stay.

I find the Campendium reviews to be good/useful. Even when the quantity of reviews are minimal, I like the format of the webpage and access to additional information.