Campgrounds with Seasonals. Yes/No?

Here in WI, it seems that most privately owned CGs allow seasonals. They are the most run down looking as well. We avoid them, as it just doesn't seem like there is any room for "transient" campers. These CGs do no maintenance and don't enforce the most basic rules of camping etiquette.

We've found that the county and state run CGs are very well kept, and WI is striving to make them better by installing electrical in most. We've found some beautiful CGs in northern WI that offer pristine beauty and peace and quiet. It's refreshing.

In my area most seasonals are just for the summer as most parks close after Oct/Nov. I am sure cost of gas, economics have driven more RV owners to go the seasonal route. Not having camped much in the south or Midwest it very well could be different. I've always felt my rv'ing should never intrude on another's. I've met some great folks and had some good times with other RVer's. its just been my experience with the campgrounds i have been to with a larger % of seasonals has not been great. Maybe as we expand our travel territory we will have better experiences.

I've seen many cliques come in for the weekend and ruin other campers experience as well. Large groups sometimes don't think of the impact they might have. Like going out to dinner, when more than 4 of my friends and family go out, I always call ahead. I also don't go into stores 15mins before closing time. Other people's time is just as important as mine.

I'm thinking a clarification of the words seasonal and permanent is needed!!

Seasonal Sites: are people that put an RV (or sometimes park models) on a site they pay for the entire year but only stay seasonally. They are used 'seasonally'.

People up north have seasonal sites and only stay there during the summer months and mostly only use them on weekends and/or their vacation. They don't live in them year round. I.E. seasonal. "MY" observation is that the seasonal sites are kept up quiet nicely in most cases.

Permanent Sites: are people who 'LIVE' year round in their RV.
Sadly in "MY" observation it is the permanent sites that you will most likely see run down and nasty. "IF" the CG owner allows them to.
With the tanking of the economy over the past couple of years I have in my travels seen the population of Permanent Sites grow exponentially in CG's that in the past had only 2 or 3.


The times have seriously changed.
Every CG I have pulled into late at night while traveling that had a disproportionate amount of permanent residents, I would come to find out if I stayed there more than one day that most where convicted felons! I talked with a few of them and seems the gov's/local churches new program is buying them used TT's and 'sticking' them in CG's, because of the difficulty they have finding housing. That one I did stay at in Florida because of business I had to do in that town.....PO's where pulling in every day going to all the permanent residents sites!:B

I now call ahead to a CG that I am planning on stopping and/or staying at and ask how many permanent residents they have. Anything over 5, I don't stay there.

The state of the economy is what has seriously changed the face of CG's.

I suppose I just don't understand why some people go to rv parks and campgrounds. I go to rest, visit the local area, and if possible , use the local amenities. I read all these threads, posts about kids, dogs, bathhouses, playgrounds, swimming pools, etc etc etc.

Why did you even get an rv? Do you really think that a rv park or campground was built just for you ? You complain about seasonal, long timers and we who enjoy that lifestyle realize that YOU are probably the reason we chose to stay in our rvs. Have you not discovered your neighborhoods?

colliehauler wrote:
That's the great thing about RV's, if you don't like where your at (move). Life is to short to be unhappy. I wonder how many people who are unhappy bring it on to themselves.

x1000 Then when they get into trouble, they look to blame someone else!

pitch wrote:
Worst experience I ever had was in Pa. about ten years ago. I do understand the trepidation that some seasonals had,but the reaction was way over the top.
We were a very large party,5 sites,5 trailers and a tent 2 boats and 8 vehicles. The harassment started while we were setting up. Golf cart pulls up and just sits down the road watching us, eventually the fat guy gets out and starts rehashing the camp rules, then goes on to inform us that we had to many vehicles on site.

Your post reminded me of several similar situations at different parks. And in different parts of the country. Complete with the guy sitting there watching us, constantly. And reminding us of the rules, and telling us we had too many vehicles on our site, and accusing us that a visitor had not registered (in fact she did). And they had shifts for the watch too. And were disappointed when we shut down at 11:00 on the dot. But continued to watch every night. This was a park we have stayed at a few times and really enjoyed it. But haven't been back since above has happened to us on two separate occasions.

Then some other parks where the seasonals and work campers were not too concerned about the upkeep around their trailers. Complete with washing machines hooked up to the faucet and draining into the sewer drain. And outside fridges on the decks. The one that comes to mind is a state park in Alabama. They allow people to stay as long as they want. No 15 day rule. But overall it is a great park. And the folks are generally really nice.

Have stayed at others where the seasonals have simply made the place too junky. Old worn out rigs, and very run down.

Then there is the one in Florida. Seasonals have over-run the park. The park does take a few transients. But only so they can maintain their campground status. Transients are not welcome there. And they are not afraid to tell you that. Stayed there once. You don't ever want to win a Bingo game there. If you do, make sure you turn back the money to them so they can add it to the next game. I didn't find that out until it was too late. Didn't know $90 was so important.

Have stayed at others were seasonals are very accommodating, and welcoming to transients. One that is most memorable in Texas. Where we were personally invited to a pot luck dinner. We declined, saying that we had nothing we could bring, since we just arrived and didn't have time to prepare any food. Their response was..."So what. We don't care. We always have too much food anyway. Come join us. It's always good to meet new people." What a great group. Whipped up a frozen crust, chocolate silk pie in about 20 minutes to take with us. It was gone by the time we left. And they gave us a doggie bag with the extra food they had. Yummm.

Where we snowbird, the C/G is getting older. A small park. With 50/50 seasonals and transients. The seasonal trailers, are getting long in the tooth. But generally clean. People from all walks of life. Mostly retired, tho' The people there are what makes us come back.

So there are all kinds. All over the country. And that's what makes it great. And we tend to go where we feel more welcomed.

That's the great thing about RV's, if you don't like where your at (move). Life is to short to be unhappy. I wonder how many people who are unhappy bring it on to themselves.

Once again I haven't read all the posts but I would like to make a few observations.

First is that we have only been in one campground in which the seasonals made me uncomfortable. It was a PPA in DeSmet, Nebraska. Some rigs had been there so long grass was growing through their patio mats. Dirty messy and as we drove in folks would open their doors and then close them as we passed.

Second, while we too prefer Parks, we overnight often enroute to wherever. I think there are seasonals in almost every campground we have been in. Someone mentioned snowbirds and we have seen the little groups that tend to form, most of those are centered around a topic. Some play cards, some sew, etc., most are friendly and I find the guys outside smoking (I don't but do talk to those who do) are really willing to talk to you and the DW and I like to talk to the ones who know.

Third, we just took a little road trip in the towed, I am recovering from cancer and wasn't sure if I could care for the rig and all that. We did, however, stop and look at some campgrounds for future use. In this particular area the state, county and city parks are almost always full, summer or winter, so we looked at private campgrounds and resorts. In all of them, $300 a month or $300 a week they all had seasonals. Some were to our liking and some weren't but the majority were really nice, neat, friendly places.

Like some have said, seasonals have the inside poop and know who, what, where, when and why. We even met a couple that were camp hosting in the Mammoth Lakes, CA area who wrote a book on the clothing optional hot springs within about a hundred miles. Boy was she friendly!

So to summerize, if I don't like a campground for any reason, I won't stay or I won't come back. Seasonals or not.

I can also see the campground owners side. The seasonals pay the bills, the transients give them spending money.

X2

I'll be brave enough to not be politically correct. There are seasonal CG's and then there are seasonal CG's!:B

Location and region of the CGdoes make a big difference what you will experience.

In my travels in the Midwest where you do NOT see snowbirds or full timers in the heat of summer the "seasonal' CG's are packed with party down 'local' seasonals and they pay the bills for the CG.

They do what they damn well please with a nod from the CG owners. It is giant clic of campers with totally disregard for rules. And it has been my experience that they seem to go out on a limb to be rude to RV's coming in for the night because it means taking up an open space that they routinely use.

That said I learned not to stay at those type of CG's when I returned North during the summer. Most know about how ChainOLakes parks roll!:W

In the South what I found is very nice seasonal CG's BUT more often than not, they park you in between the seasonals in spots to fill in where a seasonal has pulled out. THAT is the worse. THEY really hate to see a MH parked next to them where a seasonal RV should be. And you are dodging concrete garden pads and holes from decks removed. Heck one CG the deck was still in place!

When I hit the road fulltime I found that CG's that had a distant separate area for seasonals and one for RV'ing campers were the most pleasant ones to stay at (probably for both types of campers), AND I found the seasonals there to be very friendly and actually stopped to ask if you needed help or to invite you over.

So from what I have experienced it matters 'where' the CG is in reference to region, and location within the CG, and what the surrounding activities are. And the bottom line IS whether the CG owner chooses to enforce the CG rules.

That's my spin on it from 'my' experience, others may be different! :C

We have been to the best potlucks and BBQs with seasonals and long terms in many parks. Join in and have fun. I do not need to be segregated from anyone. We like people.

Pogoil.