Do I need to reserve in advance?

^^^^^ Jim@HiTek gave our answer. He does it just like we did and even with our 40' motorhome we didn't have issues, including staying in national parks. Some campgrounds don't even accept reservations. Then too, we don't do touristy things and busy city areas. We enjoy the countrysides and mountains. We also liked boondocking on public lands and any kind of public park - national forests, county, city, etc.

There's no way we would have full-timed and traveled constantly during our 16 years if we had to make reservations.

I'm with the other poster that says that most of the time, there's no need for reservations. Especially if you time your moves for during the week instead of the weekends and than stay over a weekend. In addition, even during holidays, I've traveled, arrived early at a state RV park, and just waited until they have a cancellation...and they always do. Gotta get there at noon or so, and put your name in.

Most of the time though, I arrive at a RV park early during a holiday week on a Sunday afternoon or Monday/Tuesday, and pay for a week. Lots of people leave on a Sunday so there's almost always open spaces. And I'll pay for a week plus a day or two if it's a holiday on the following weekend. All in order to be there before the holiday and a couple days after.

Most of the year though, I travel freely without worrying about reservations...but, I still keep to the schedule of only traveling so I arrive at an area between Sunday afternoon and early Friday afternoon.

In California at BLM and USFS CGs on non-holiday weekends and arriving by 1 pm, no. Some CA State parks too.

It depends. I know that's not a very helpful answer, but it's the best one I can give.

If you're going someplace or some time (e.g. a holiday weekend) that is quite popular, reservations well in advance are essential, doubly so on weekends. If you're going someplace that is not especially popular, reservations are usually quite unnecessary, though I still often make them particularly for weekend trips so I know I'll have a place when I get wherever I'm going. It has sometimes meant having a reserved site at a park where there are only a couple of other campers there to occupy the dozens of sites.

If you're limited in what sites you can take (say because you have a long RV and it's a park with mostly little sites, or because you want one of the few full hookup sites, or something), then reservations are more important than if you can take any old site.

If you'll be arriving late in the evening, reservations are often more necessary than if you arrive earlier in the day. Whatever first-come, first-serve sites may get taken as the day wears on.

If you'll be camping on a weekend, reservations are more often necessary than if you're arriving on a Monday or Tuesday as you won't be competing with people who work during the week.

Many of the online reservation systems let you see how many sites are available on a given date. If you generally keep an eye on how many are left unreserved as time goes on, you can get a reasonable feel for how necessary a reservation might be. If it's a month out and all but a couple are reserved, it would probably be prudent to make a reservation yourself before they're all gone. On the other hand, if nearly all the sites stay available, it's pretty well likely that you can get one without a reservation in advance.

You kinda have give a better idea where.

Are any places popular? Many popular places get booked months in advance.

Dunno in your part of the country and where you want to camp, but I like the State Parks in WA state, as that's all I can do since I live here and the "private" parks" are not my style...

Anyway, I have to reserve 9 months ahead of time, and that's the max time you can reserve, or you are just SOL on the nice sites for the most part...

It's all done online and starts at 7am , 9 months ahead of time..

I do long weekends, so Fri thru Mon, so if you are doing the middle of the week thing, you can usually walk on in with no problem.. Weekends around here however are all booked up.. Sucks when you have to work during the week, so that's my camping choices I'm left with..

I just make it work.. 9 months reservation.. Something else comes up on that weekend.. Depends on what it is to make me cancel.. Basically, it has to be a death in the family, or a major illness... ;)

Otherwise, "sorry, I'm booked up that weekend".. :)

Good luck!

Mitch

If I really specifically want to stay at a certain place I make a reservation. Otherwise, when just traveling around I've never had trouble finding a camps site. Yes, sometimes you'll pull into a campground and they will be full; I just move along to the next one and find a space. That's part of the flexibility you're talking about.
Holidays are a different story entirely. If you want to camp on a holiday weekend you better make reservations way in advance.
ON a typical week or 2 week trip I might have a couple nights reserved at key places but the majority of the trip we just "find" a place.