Dumb Question about Tent Only sites
Ok - We are seriously thinking of buying an ATC Panther shell or a Four Wheel Hawk shell. With a pop-up cabover camper, can we use Tent-Only sites?
Forum Discussion
I stay at mostly NFS campgrounds. A truck with a camper shell is usually OK. The exception would be those campgrounds that have a parking lot with tent sites surrounding it. They don't want people camping in the lot itself.
Full size truck campers are a bit different. Depending on why they made that section or campsite tent only. Sometimes they make a site tent only because there is too much tree cover that would cause problems (and complaints) with RV campers. Sometimes it is the size of the pad - too short to allow a small trailer and tow vehicle. Sometimes it is the access road and tree growth, tight turns, etc. They just don't want people trying to take longer vehicles or trailers on that loop road.
Then there are some campgrounds that make a tent only loop because their campers have pushed for it. Those are unlikely to make exceptions.
As for tent campers moving into their vehicles on a given night or weekend due to temps, wind, rain, etc., that is completely different than camping in your truck camper.
You're most likely to get OK'd outside of peak season. Sites with individual parking pads in amongst standard (tent or RV) sites are your best bet - they are just usually set aside for tenters due to a separation of the pad and the picnic table and fire pit area. And since there are RVs camping around them, there is unlikely to be complaints.
As tent campers are just as likely to have generators, etc., these days, I have found that "noise" is usually not a concern for not allowing truck campers, etc.
Full size truck campers are a bit different. Depending on why they made that section or campsite tent only. Sometimes they make a site tent only because there is too much tree cover that would cause problems (and complaints) with RV campers. Sometimes it is the size of the pad - too short to allow a small trailer and tow vehicle. Sometimes it is the access road and tree growth, tight turns, etc. They just don't want people trying to take longer vehicles or trailers on that loop road.
Then there are some campgrounds that make a tent only loop because their campers have pushed for it. Those are unlikely to make exceptions.
As for tent campers moving into their vehicles on a given night or weekend due to temps, wind, rain, etc., that is completely different than camping in your truck camper.
You're most likely to get OK'd outside of peak season. Sites with individual parking pads in amongst standard (tent or RV) sites are your best bet - they are just usually set aside for tenters due to a separation of the pad and the picnic table and fire pit area. And since there are RVs camping around them, there is unlikely to be complaints.
As tent campers are just as likely to have generators, etc., these days, I have found that "noise" is usually not a concern for not allowing truck campers, etc.
