I wasn't sure where to post this question so I figured I would try here. It's as much of a rant as it is a question, but it is a legitimate question.I've been tent camping my whole life but am new to RV camping and was completely unaware of all the campgrounds that allowed year round/long term camping. I've even noticed that some State Parks which have rules against this allow guests to use loopholes to stay year round.I've already been to 3 campgrounds (one state owned, one KOA, and one private) which were not much more than a trailer park. Sure the brochures look wonderful, with pictures that accentuate the positive but leave out the rows of dingy, tarped RVs with permanent decking built around them. Not to mention the fact that the "campers" there are now locals with local friends coming and going and cars parked wherever they can wedge them in. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against trailer parks or those that live in em, but a campground isn't built for coming and going and cars parked everywhere or with enough room in the "yard" to spread out all your "stuff." I know there are snow birds that stay places for extended times and I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about the folks that use a campground as their low income housing project. Does anyone know of a way to verify how many "permanent" campers are at a given campground or if there are any chains of campgrounds that strictly don't allow this? I though I could count on KOA and state Parks for this, but have been sorely disapointed. I wanna take my wife and kids out camping...not trailer parking.

I'm about to be one of those long term campers, either going back to Texas or Florida. I'm here in New Jersey now came here to spend time with my pop then he moved to NC and I stuck around just for a bit and got stuck here from Covid. Anyway they have nice campgrounds here. Their about from April to October. It's all about camping and pretty much 95% the owners don't allow alot of traffic but people leave their campers there all year and some like I did have decks. My campground had a nice deck in front, some lights I didn't go nuts they were mostly for nite time horse shoes. The deck was nice for the rain so we could stillsit out and watch the fire. Along my one side I had put up a nice simple fence I guess about 12ft long only because I was on a path to the lake, pool and bath house and if you were doing shoes you'd get people cutting threw. But it was just a nice barn red fence nothing trashy. Also brought down some old rail road ties to mark out where I parked so if anyone came to hang out didn't have to tell anyone to back up or anything. I also had enough room to keep my boat there. This was a pretty big site , there were circumstances. The people who actually had it they did all the water wells for the original owner years before and he set them up with it. They bought a couple of houses down there but their one daughter stayed there so I put my camper there too, it was awsome. Go boating, canoeing, woods all around to go exploring ( Warton State Forest ), went 4 wheeling, craving tons of stuff. Towards the back they had places for tents. But you could come and stay for the season and pull out or as I said stay for the few months where most people came on the weekends. This was at Bell Haven Campgrounds. There's plenty more around that area too. Also with a little driving you could head to a beach, Ocean City ,Atlantic City along there is the closest I'd say 30 to 60 minutes, I could be off probably am but just giving you an idea I'm not sure where you live. In florida my Aunt has told me of places that are slums and ones that have full time but it's low numbers only gets higher with your snow birds and your weekenders all during their time of year. Hope this answers your question some and I didn't go to far off track, I do understand what your saying

You are responding to a topic that is 10 years old.

We no longer RV, but your experience matches ours. One thing we found to be true was if a campground was owned by a city, you could count on it being full of permanents, Why?, simple , city's use them as a source of income. State parks, Corp of Eng. parks generally put a limit except in the winter season, then they allow unlimited to accommodate snowbirds and to get that income.

Mac1 wrote:We no longer RV, but your experience matches ours. One thing we found to be true was if a campground was owned by a city, you could count on it being full of permanents, Why?, simple , city's use them as a source of income. State parks, Corp of Eng. parks generally put a limit except in the winter season, then they allow unlimited to accommodate snowbirds and to get that income.Our city's campground has strict limits on length of stay.

High income and low income high density parking. All RVing happily together :B

Campground = low income housing??? | Good Sam Community

BigMark1
Explorer
Jul 22, 2024
I'm about to be one of those long term campers, either going back to Texas or Florida. I'm here in New Jersey now came here to spend time with my pop then he moved to NC and I stuck around just for a bit and got stuck here from Covid. Anyway they have nice campgrounds here. Their about from April to October. It's all about camping and pretty much 95% the owners don't allow alot of traffic but people leave their campers there all year and some like I did have decks. My campground had a nice deck in front, some lights I didn't go nuts they were mostly for nite time horse shoes. The deck was nice for the rain so we could stillsit out and watch the fire. Along my one side I had put up a nice simple fence I guess about 12ft long only because I was on a path to the lake, pool and bath house and if you were doing shoes you'd get people cutting threw. But it was just a nice barn red fence nothing trashy. Also brought down some old rail road ties to mark out where I parked so if anyone came to hang out didn't have to tell anyone to back up or anything. I also had enough room to keep my boat there. This was a pretty big site , there were circumstances. The people who actually had it they did all the water wells for the original owner years before and he set them up with it. They bought a couple of houses down there but their one daughter stayed there so I put my camper there too, it was awsome. Go boating, canoeing, woods all around to go exploring ( Warton State Forest ), went 4 wheeling, craving tons of stuff. Towards the back they had places for tents. But you could come and stay for the season and pull out or as I said stay for the few months where most people came on the weekends. This was at Bell Haven Campgrounds. There's plenty more around that area too. Also with a little driving you could head to a beach, Ocean City ,Atlantic City along there is the closest I'd say 30 to 60 minutes, I could be off probably am but just giving you an idea I'm not sure where you live.
In florida my Aunt has told me of places that are slums and ones that have full time but it's low numbers only gets higher with your snow birds and your weekenders all during their time of year. Hope this answers your question some and I didn't go to far off track, I do understand what your saying
- way2roll
  Navigator II
  Jul 24, 2024
  You are responding to a topic that is 10 years old.
Mac1
Explorer
Jun 04, 2014
We no longer RV, but your experience matches ours. One thing we found to be true was if a campground was owned by a city, you could count on it being full of permanents, Why?, simple , city's use them as a source of income. State parks, Corp of Eng. parks generally put a limit except in the winter season, then they allow unlimited to accommodate snowbirds and to get that income.
Pawz4me
Explorer
Jun 04, 2014
Mac1 wrote:
We no longer RV, but your experience matches ours. One thing we found to be true was if a campground was owned by a city, you could count on it being full of permanents, Why?, simple , city's use them as a source of income. State parks, Corp of Eng. parks generally put a limit except in the winter season, then they allow unlimited to accommodate snowbirds and to get that income.

Our city's campground has strict limits on length of stay.
coolbreeze01
Explorer
Jun 04, 2014
High income and low income high density parking. All RVing happily together :B
Dog_Folks
Explorer
Jun 04, 2014
Pawz4me wrote:
Mac1 wrote:
We no longer RV, but your experience matches ours. One thing we found to be true was if a campground was owned by a city, you could count on it being full of permanents, Why?, simple , city's use them as a source of income. State parks, Corp of Eng. parks generally put a limit except in the winter season, then they allow unlimited to accommodate snowbirds and to get that income.

Our city's campground has strict limits on length of stay.

Some Corps.parks may allow this, but they are very much in the minority. Most Corps. parks, do NOT allow stays longer than 2 weeks,and except in the south, are closed entirely during the winter months.

I have seen some state parks that allow longer stays in the winter.
travelnutz
Explorer II
Jun 04, 2014
All Michigan State Parks have enforced rules against staying longer than 14 days in a CG or having a messy squatter type sites. So do the National Parks here and also most of the private parks too. A few private RV parks allow seasonals in an area of their parks and they do it meeting the laws on the books. You, of course, can go too a different park CG as in moving around but that's not being a permanent resident in a park. City parks can differ somewhat as some rent or lease for a season or by the month but are also totally closed during the Winter.

Membership parks have very different rules and governed by the state laws but you have to be a member to stay/use. Other than a couple day promotional stay to see if you like it and want to buy a membership and pay dues to even be able to use a site or be seasonal or lease or buy a site but the State of Michigan has an enforced 11 month max occupancy law.

Then there's the condo sites in RV resorts in our state where you must own the deeded land and pay property taxes etc and have your own electric meter, to code approved septic system or approved community sewer system hookup, and your own approved well or hooked to an approved community water system. NO bending of the rules that we've ever seen or heard of in Michigan in our 51 years of RV'ing.

A mobile home park in our state can have different variations but are governed by the state rules and laws on the books regarding RV occupancy. We know as we/ve owned 4 one acre plus condo sites in a very large RV resort north of our main home since 1987 in Michigan that we use as a get away as it's in the huge national forest and we let our family use too with their RV's. Had to have our own water, septic, and electric and it's inspected and approved. I was on the Board of Directors for 9 years and know the state laws and they are enforced.

I/we do have a problem with seeing so many "recreational" CG's packed with permanent RV's/campers, park models, half converted busses, and pig sty sites when we travel around the country as that's not what the "recreational" CG's are for or were ever built for. Some states do allow it!

Camping is extremely popular in our state and nearly all of the several hundred thousand sites are needed in mid Spring, the Summer, and the Fall and of course, most close up for the Winter season so it couldn't be permanent camping/living anyway. In Winter, nearly all shute off the water and blow the lines out, close the dump stations and bathouses, and lock the gates. Those open all winter enforce their state mandated time stay limits.
the_bear_II
Explorer
Jun 04, 2014
If you look through the reviews from RVers on www.rvparkreviews.com a lot of the reviews will usually indicate if there are long term/permanent residents. In additon the reviews will also indicate if the permanent spots are trashy or noisy locals frequent the rv park.
2oldman
Explorer II
Jun 04, 2014
It's one reason I avoid these kinds of parks. I don't like staying in a place where people are getting up and going to work at 5am. I said the same thing Op did (LIH) and I got deleted.
bigdogger
Explorer II
Jun 04, 2014
One of the best ways to avoid those types of parks is don't go bottom fishing for price. If the going rate in the area is $40.00 and you stay in the $20.00 park, you are mostly likely going to get the park you describe. By definition, low income housing requires low rental prices.
Mr__Camper
Explorer
Jun 04, 2014
If it's not up to your standards, move on down the road. I don't see the problem. If the owner allows it that's their right.

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Campground = low income housing???

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