Campground tourists?

[GordonThree]

I'm enjoying a great weekend, the first for my area at a local state park, and I observed the curious habit of campground tourists.

First off, I admit I myself am a campground tourist from time to time, weather and location permitting, I'll drive through a campground to rubberneck and also wish I was camping.

I've observed three types of campground tourist.

#1: The NASCAR time trial driver. These folks drive the loops as if they were being timed on a qualifying circuit at a NASCAR event. My guess is the passenger wanted to see whats up in the campground, but the driver could care less, or is actually annoyed by the request, and tries to complete the loops as fast as possible, dodging pedestrians and bicyclists as if playing a video game.

#2: The line following robot driver. These folks drive at a reasonably safe speed, and appear to be following some sort of mental compulsion that instructs them to drive down every road in the campground, even those that dead end into a hike-in tent camping area, and another that dead ends into where the refuse collection bins are.

#3: The cursory rubberneck driver. These drivers stick to the outermost loop, driving very slowly and with lots of rubbernecking. I haven't observed too many this weekend, please forgive the brief description.

I myself tend to fall into the #3 description in a busy campground, and the #2 in a sparsely populated campground.

What say you?

[2gypsies1]

Many parks don't want non-campers driving through. It creates more traffic.

Check out the above link for Campground Views. It has been very helpful for us as we use public parks, mainly.

[Paul_Clancy]

We are campground tourists always looking for the perfect spot. I remember one state park in Washington trying to charge us to look. Left a bad taste. That one is off the list. We are not looking at all at people's rigs but only site views /flatness/ size /hookups (if there is an empty one)etc. ..generally we ask then walk the park.

[tsetsaf]

This is why I LOVE this site Campground Views Saves lots of gas 😉

[nevadanick]

Then there are the foreign tourists that take pictures of your rig. Mostly asian in Death Valley that have done it but just had pics taken by a guy that was in a rental mh after we pulled into a park for the night. I think the shear size is what intrigues them.

[Crowe]

A full campground is the best RV show you can go to, and it doesn't cost anything. I like to walk and look at other folks rigs, ask how they like a particular brand I might not be familiar with, or just be neighborly.

Best answer yet.

[Padlin]

We do the same as most and check out nearby CG's for future reference marking a park map as we go. At Alabama's Gulf State Park they charged $5, guess they figure folks are visiting as opposed to just driving through.

The worst was Gros Ventre SP in WY, actually had tour vans go through all morning and early evening looking for moose.

[rarintogo]

We are just finishing our 2 month hosting job at Fort Worden State Park in Washington, and we have seen them all. It is fun especially on weekends to just people watch. Many, many cars drive through. Fast, slow, loud - you name it.

[GordonThree]

2oldman wrote:
And who hasn't experienced the young crowd ambling by with the thump-thump bass coming from a quarter mile away?

Haha we could start a whole new thread ... the kids with the loud bass, the bikes (and cars, trucks) with 'performance' or 'i need attention' exhaust

but like I said, I didn't create the thread to be negative, I don't mind the tourists, I find it an interesting behavior.

I gave a wave or nod to everyone that made eye contact driving by, and would have chatted. only a few waved back, mostly just cold stares from behind rolled up windows.

[2oldman]

And who hasn't experienced the young crowd ambling by with the thump-thump bass coming from a quarter mile away?

[cmarkj]

4th category for us also....always looking for that perfect campsite.
We frequent a few COE CGs that are just outside of little towns. These little towns each have a few nice places to eat. The CGs are right on the Mississippi River and have great views and are very well kept up parks. Every evening, there is the obligatory Gawker parade. The elderly that always eat the early bird special then gawk, then the younger crowd and families that eat at a normal time, then gawk before heading home. I have to admit, as much as I hate to, that since one of these CGs is only 10 miles from home, we do, on occasion, become gawkers before stopping for ice cream.
But normally, we will tour a CG before camping there, looking for spots that we would like to get. To this point, we have only made reservations at one CG sight unseen. In the future though, I expect to do it more often as we will start going further from home on our trips. We will then have to rely on reviews and this forum.
Soooooooo, before you look down on the gawkers, remember, some of them are just looking for the perfect site.

[Jebster]

A full campground is the best RV show you can go to, and it doesn't cost anything. I like to walk and look at other folks rigs, ask how they like a particular brand I might not be familiar with, or just be neighborly.

[Tvov]

We (wife and I) don't often drive through campgrounds, but we definitely would be number 3... slow rubberneckers. I drive through campgrounds at idle speed because of kids, and since we are driving through the campground to check it out... we rubberneck! lol

While are are camping, we certainly go for at least one walk to check out the campground. And of course to hobnob with fellow campers, and we always see one or two setups that spark my interest - and campers are usually only too willing to talk about their rigs!

[ken56]

When we do this we always stop in the office and ask if we can take a look and we have never been denied a look. We drive a safe speed and always wave at folks we come across and have stopped and chatted with some people asking them what they think of the CG. There is nothing wrong with checking out future places to camp. Knowing the layout of the sites and if there is enough room to maneuver is good info to know. I have gone as far as to check out their shower houses too.

[bucky]

My DW and one of her friends always talk about having an "Open Trailer Night" so that they can see some of the models that interest them. Cracks me up, most of the city people on vacation in GCs around here won't even look at you, a conversation is out of the question.
Her DA step father drives about 5mph and stares so hard and so long some people have walked over thinking he knows them or something. MIL is mortified by all of this, it's funny. Makes me want to tint his windows for her sake.