Am I the only one bothered by a pet charge at RV parks?

We (collectively), will go to great expense for our "Fur kids". I mean everything from cute little sweaters, toys, etc all the way up to expensive medical care, and I'm going to complain about a small pet fee? Doesn't bother me. A ten cent raise in diesel price for the trip will cost me more!

Did you ever consider that the parks that don't have a pet charge just went ahead and rolled one into the price they charge everyone? So if your in a park the does charge extra, and you don't have a pet, think of it as a discount.

No, irresponsible pet owners bother me way more than a few dollars to have our dog included.

It doesn't bother me one bit.

If I hadn't read here (long ago) about it bothering people it certainly never would have occurred to me on my own to even think about it.

All we care about is the bottom line -- how much will it cost us to stay at a campground per night? It makes not one whit of difference how that figure is reached--don't care if there's an extra charge for kids or pets or whatever. Just tell us the final amount and we'll decide whether or not it's worth it to us or whether we need to look for another campground.

To me worrying about a pet charge would be like trying to figure out how Walmart (or any other retailer) decides how to price their products. Who cares how it's determined? I just decide if it's worth it to me or not to pay it.

colliehauler wrote:
Their campground their rules.

My money my choice.

Bingo.

I don't really like paying extra for my dogs but it's the owners park and they can do what they want. It is their campsite after all. If I don't like the charge I can always go somewhere else.

If they have a leash free dog area I'm fine with the fee.

if there's a pet fee my dogs are staying home, I just tell them , sorry your not going and the neighbor is going to feed you. Lol , i don't care about pet fees I also don't care about those tent campers partying all night next to me.

I keep my campsite clean, and always pick up after my dog. Guess years of involvement in Scouting (Girls and Boys) ingrained the idea of leave it better than you found it. Sadly, this is not always the case with others (not even close to always). If someone at the campground were not designated to pick up poop, keep the poop bag dispensers full, rake the runs, and wash down messes, I can't imagine (yes I can) how bad the campgrounds would be. So I pay the 2 buck, expect a clean campground, and complain if the facilities are not maintained. JMHO

If I'm just spending the night I will pay the extra fee because it isn't worth hunting for another cg. If I'm staying several nights or more, then those fees add up and I will find one without the added cost. Just for the record, I have seldom been in parks where campers didn't pick up the poop. Once in awhile, yes, but really not often. At least, no in private parks. There seems to be more guilty parties in state or federal cg's where more people feel they are entitled to do what ever...radios, barking, partying, etc.

I will admit I get more irritated by owners that let their dogs bark and bark...either inside or outside their rigs. And no extra fee will stop that.

I guess there is no point in continuing this conversation since you seem to know everything and have all the answers. Good night.

Mr. Camper wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

Mr. Camper wrote:

Crowe wrote:
Just musing here. I think what BOTH sides (RVers and park owners) have to come to terms with is that a "one-size-fits-all" approach no longer works. With the plethora of RVs now available and the myriad of different types of those who participate I think it's time that a different way of charging might be in order. Do I have the solution to what it should be? No. But I have no issue with a base rate plus a charge for certain elements such as kids, dogs, use of ACs or whatever. I know some get peeved at being nickeled and dimed to death but some also get peeved at paying for things they don't use. I have only one child but always paid the family rate which usually includes two kids. Maybe I have too many other things to concern myself with other than a few bucks on a campsite.

Actually, I can think of five RV parks that have closed due to excessive fees.



What's your basis for this statement? Conjecture or proof?

That campgrounds we used to visit on a somewhat regular basis suddenly raised their daily, weekly rates and began charging for each pet, cable television, each extra person (over 3 or 4), 50 amp, WIFI, pull throughs (even when all back-ins were in use), use of A/C, electric heaters, and one place wanted extra $ for use of a picnic table. We aren't fans of, in your words, being nickled and dimed.

Have those parks subsequently closed? I doubt it. What has happened in they have adopted business models that no longer meet your needs and you are no longer their target customer.
And of course they have raised their rates, just like over the years you have seen the cost of most everything rise and also probably have seen your wages increase as well. Why would RV parks be exempt from raising rates?
If you quit patronizing every business that has raised their prices over the years, you are quickly going to run out of places to patronize.

Hasn't happened yet. I understand the need to raise camping fees from time to time but not to split off what were inclusive fees and begin to tack on additional add on fees. Many businesses, not just campgrounds, go out of bussiness when they price themselves out of business. For the five we know about it wasn't just our business they lost but many others bailed out as well. Should we ever run out of places to patronize we'll adjust and overcome to find places that do meet our needs. Is your yard available to rent?

Still waiting for some examples of those campgrounds that have priced themselves out of business. Businesses close all the time and I doubt you have insight into why they actually closed. Businesses lose customers all the time and seldom is that due exclusively to pricing. Doubt you would want to RV in my yard, since my yard is part of my RV park and I get a premium price because I offer premium services and amenities. And yes, I do have some add on fees on top of that premium price. (though not yet a pet fee)