Getting sick of campgrounds

SprinklerMan wrote:
here on the east coast , they are selling campers like crazy . But they havent built a new campground in decades

Someone told us recently that they're now selling around 400,000 RVs a year. They all want to camp somewhere and are putting a huge strain on the available supply of CGs. It's only going to get worse and worse. Not many new CGs are being built and the ones that are often charge a premium in the high season. Many CGs we've been to are 40+ years old and often have low voltage, low water pressure, few sewer sites and/or very few 50 amp pedestals.

We never stay in a CG where kids and the "average Joe" can stay otherwise you'll get the party-ers, noise, open alcohol everywhere, off-leash dogs, etc. We used to have a membership in a CG network based in Wa. and they had a lot of rental cabins & tent sites and sold out because they never enforced their rules.

We bought a membership in a CG system that has CGs around the US. Better not say the name because it will only make it harder for us to get in... :) We can book 90 days out and can stay in their system and move from park to park. It can still be hard to get in on short notice tho. Because this org. has mostly RV-ers using it who generally respect each other, there is very little trouble or annoying things going on. We bought this premium membership pre-owned off CL for an amazingly low price compared to new. We were just in their CGs in Wa., Or., Ca. & Nv. and none of them were a problem.

Here in BC it is very difficult to book a site in our provincial CGs and if you don't have your phone on speed dial in March when the system starts taking reservations you are SOL. RV dealers & tour companies have been buying large block of reservations and reselling them. CBC story here. It's pretty bad. Haven't stayed in a provincial CG here since the 80s and even then it was bad at some of them. Young people have been partying and trashing some of our CGs like in this CBC story. In recent years years they cut way back on staffing and there's no longer free firewood, interpretive presentations or nature talks for kids.

Then there is the cost of some CGs and at $50-60 and up it can get pretty expensive. Some KOAs can be great and some are awful. Have been in a few state parks in Wa.& Or. and they are beautiful but hard to get into. Good Sam CGs we've been to have been good. It can really help to check reviews on rvparkreviews.com but even then some folks aren't happy with even great CGs and should go straight to a high-end "park". New campgrounds for RV-ers are needed but who is going to build them?

Choose wisely and it will all be good.