Are RV forums dying?

I belong to another forum (Brand specific), and the reason I think it seems to do better than this one is the members treat each other as old friends. Even the new posters. They even have get togethers. Threads get to be conversational and personal sometimes. You want to know why this forum is so heavily moderated? Because it has to be. I for one am glad some posters here aren't allowed to just keep being rude, and condescending. If good old fashioned manners were adhered to it would solve a lot of the problems, and maybe people wouldn't go to facebook. My opinion about people not wanting to search, and not wanting to be told they should have searched is that they want a little interaction with folks of the same interests! It's human nature to want to converse back and forth, and bounce ideas, and experiences off each other. Same as getting to know the camper next to you at the campground and talking trucks, or RV's. Simple as that.

We all individually have the power to take this forum in whatever direction we choose, and to make it a place where new people want to join, and current members want to stay.

I have enjoyed, and learned much here, and hope it continues, and prospers.
Happy trails everyone.

I used to lurk here a lot, started to post some, but not so much anymore and I'll share why:

As with any longtime forum, there's a solid core userbase here that has seen about every question possible. To this group, every question is a repeat and the answer is often 'use the search'. Unfortunately, the search in these old Coldfusion forums just isn't good. Who wants to comb through a bajillion threads to find that one solution that worked for that one guy back in 2008??

Some topics are a religion here. The responses can get quite abrasive. God forbid I show up to a campground with my loud diesel truck, running 2000 pounds over gvwr on China bombs with my radio blasting and Champion generator singing the song of its people. I'd leave, but my dog has to poop and I'm all out of bags. She's got a loud bark though, doesn't she? Btw don't mind the dripping valve, it's just grey water. You know what I mean.

I've gained a lot of useful knowledge from this forum and it would be a huge loss to the rv community if it faded away, but imo there needs to be a concerted effort to attracting and retaining new users.

DSDP Don wrote:
There are many reasons for the reduction in posts, but abuse by others is probably the biggest reason.

That's a good bet.

Example-

I am thinking of using Carlisle tires---What do you guys think?

Standard answer by people who refuse to change anything in their own minds:"They stink I would use them only for a wheel barrel or rope tree swing."

Reality-Not even the same products that was produced 10 years ago. That's why this forum page count is WAY DOWN even though the camping season is starting. Same people spouting same old prejudices...over and over and over again.....

I do a lot of fabricating and mods on my coaches, including residential refer installs....it's the hot rod I always wanted. I use to post the improvements, but no post goes unpunished.

I recently installed a simple shield under my Freightliner XCR chassis that diverted the air flow off of the ground and eliminated the dust storm my side radiator made going into a campground. At least two dozen people copied the mod on another forum. I posted it here and immediately had two knuckleheads tell me my fan wasn't running right. I pulled the post.

On another post, the OP was looking for solutions to his steep driveway. I have the same issue. I posted a photo of the concrete ramps integrated into the landscape of my $650K home and had some idiot post that my house looked like a cheap track home. This came from a guy driving a $1500.00 motor home.

So.....people are tired of the abuse by heroes behind keyboards who don't have the skills to interact with the public. There are many reasons for the reduction in posts, but abuse by others is probably the biggest reason.

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
The other site even automatically goes to the last post I read in a threat. I'm sure such upgrades are not cheap but they sure make a site user friendly.

It's not hard to imagine this particular forum gets less traffic because of the downtime, the difficulty posting pics and links, the 'portal dance', general outdated software issues, poor search, missing archive posts..etc.

Search? That would be way down the list. Many forums present you with a search page for you to use BEFORE posting a repetitive question. Why this forum is so against that, I don't know.

Forums have been over-moderated and filled with arrogant know-it-alls for years. If people enjoy the subject matter, they will ignore all that.

Newbies don't stick around because they just want an answer to their question or validation of their idea. They don't want to be "pals" and discuss the merits of a residential fridge versus an RV fridge. Go on any forum and you will see post after post by newbies who never return. It has nothing to do with moderation or snarkiness.

Yes, this forum is heavily moderated, but no more so than any other big business-owned forum. I know one forum where the company created a specific "off-topic" board and encouraged the problem children to post there - made it out that they were in agreement that politics, religion, etc., and attacks on others had a viable place on the forum. Then they closed it off to all new posters. So the bickering, vindictive, snotty posters could argue with each other without interfering in the main purpose of the forum - to bring in new customers. It was actually pretty clever. As the problem children piss each other off and leave, the pool gets smaller and smaller. Soon there will be one person left and she'll only have herself to fight with.

Nik wrote:
Have possibly Facebook groups taken the place?

We have a winner.... several FB groups I see are much more active then any web forum

"Go search for it" is the worst, especially when the search feature isn't the best.

A problem I've seen with several forums is outdated software. The best forum I'm on shows when new posts have been added to a thread I've viewed as opposed to hear where it's just all "new" posts with a mark since I was on the site. The other site even automatically goes to the last post I read in a threat. I'm sure such upgrades are not cheap but they sure make a site user friendly.

bob213 wrote:
From what I've seen, newcomers are not treated very nicely on these forums. Old timers and "know it all's" seem to answer disrespectfully to newbes asking questions that are old hat to most of us but in need of answers for them. If you don't like the topic, if it's been asked a 100 times, or you have nothing positive to add you should just move on instead of berating the OP. My first day here was almost my last day because of the answers I received to my first post. It takes a thick skin to stay on these forums and it takes a while to learn that. Many are impowered by the ability to hide behind a keyboard and say things we would never say in a face to face conversation. Like I've posted before, we all need to be nice when we answer people or the forums will die. JMO

I totally agree. Many think a question is stupid. They give sarcastic answers. Also things don't stay on topic. They start wandering and silly jokes are thrown in and soon the whole topic is lost. I really feel sorry for some posters not getting a straight answer.

...and the comment "go search". I don't mind answering questions over again. I've tried searching on my own and realize how difficult it is to wade through all the extra stuff that has nothing to do with what I want to know.

We've all been newbies and I think we've all asked questions and have gotten our answers. Let's help others. That's the purpose of these forums.