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Interesting observation

trtog7
Explorer
Explorer
We travel south in the winter Do not feel we are true Snowbirds as we do not stay at one campground for very long
Have noticed that some campground/resorts we go to are very friendly and ask us to join their activities, others are very welcoming until they realize you are only there for a short period and then ignore you and then there are the resorts that ignore you altogether and do not even wave.
Human nature at its finest
29 REPLIES 29

Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Explorer II
We mostly favor state and national parks in Florida, so our stays are necessarily limited to 10-14 days at each park. At those parks that do have activities while we're there, we've never felt left out and have always found friendly folks to talk with. The fact that we're all on limited stays likely has a lot to do with it. The one private park where we do an extended month long stay is owned by the Escapees RV Club, and nearly everyone has always been quite welcoming there. Over the years, we have gotten to know some of the long termers there, as well as some of the others like us that return around the same time period each winter. It is nice to have a sort of a "coming home" feeling when we pull in each year...
Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F53 chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
Bigfoot Automatic Leveling System
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/Blue Ox baseplate

Almot
Explorer III
Explorer III
Dennis12 wrote:
You need to stop worrying about other people. The hell with them,

Ironically, this is also the point of view of (some) RV communities - ignore those transients, the hell with them. Not very accommodating, but there isn't much to do about it.

TomG2
Explorer
Explorer
The OP made an observation. Others have offered their "observations". What is wrong with that? I thought that was what the forums were about. If you think that I am "worrying" about such things, you are worrying about the wrong person. I started visiting parks where I am welcome a long time ago.

Dennis12
Explorer
Explorer
You need to stop worrying about other people. The hell with them, do your thing, have a good time. They probably don't know how to have a good time. They just want to show their stuff off. Moon them the next time
Dennis Hoppert

westernrvparkow
Explorer
Explorer
Different communities taking on different personalities is as old as history itself. No reason it shouldn't apply to RV communities as well.

TomG2
Explorer
Explorer
When people refer to some people as "Our renters" or make note of how many participate in park activities, (there were just as many non owners who took ribbons as there were owners". I think it proves my point how JAR's are "noticed". Not a bad thing, just the way things work. By the way, the JAR designation was not told to me by a renter. Maybe he did not mean it in a derogatory manner?

Almot
Explorer III
Explorer III
trtog7 wrote:

others are very welcoming until they realize you are only there for a short period

This is normal.
Try and imagine yourself in their position - when you are "living" there, you are a "resident", possibly with annual lease, while the rest are "tourists", they come and go.

NanciL
Explorer II
Explorer II
jplante4 wrote:
We did 6 months in the southeast over a winter moving from place to place. Most places with a seasonal population had activities and we were informed about them at checkin. I never felt like it was a closed club, especially when you're talking poker and you bring your change jar 🙂

The only observation about seasonals I have is they seem to own the laundry facilities. You'd better be there when the washer or dryer stops. Glad we have a Splendide on the bus. We only needed CG laundry for the quilt and couch cover.

I'm not sure what the draw is to spending an entire winter in a mobile home that doesn't go mobile.


Are you sure that it is the "seasonals" that own the laundry.
Where we are ninty percent of the seasonals have their own washers and dryers, and it is mostly the short term renters using the laundry.

Jack L
Jack & Nanci

pawatt
Explorer
Explorer
TomG2 wrote:
The real cliques are the parks where the residents own their own lots and the rest of us are JAR's (Just A Renter).


Not the case here at Green Gate Grove. I estimate half our renters become owners after a few years.
pawatt

John_Joey
Explorer
Explorer
I guess I never really noticed that, but then I always think I'm a good judge of character. I choose who I want to be kind and friendly too. If I sense they're a butt head, I just wave them off and move on. Life is just too short and there are just way too many nice places and people to waste my time and effort on butt heads.

You are right though, there are a few parks that are full of butt heads that are very clicky once you stay long enough to get into their "inner" circle (so as to hear them back stab others in the park.)

Honestly, I feel sorry for them. This is supposedly their golden years, and they're wasting them on things that we grew out of in High School.

As the younger kids say "haters, just want to hate." Just like water on a ducks back, let it roll off.
There’s no fool, like an old fool.

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
TomG2 wrote:
The real cliques are the parks where the residents own their own lots and the rest of us are JAR's (Just A Renter).


SO true....

We FTd for 7 yrs traveling weekly/bi-monthly never staying in one place TOO long. We hit the road to travel.

We had a 'membership' that allowed us to stay up to 14 days in various 'PRIVATE---Members Only' CGs for $10/15 night.

Many of these resorts we would get the cold shoulder from the 'elite' and we would just wave/laugh cause we didn't really care. We stayed there cause it was CHEAP and was a place to park rig while we explored the local area.
For $10/15 night we had FULL use of everything the 'elites' did......at a much lower cost Hahahaha
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31

NanciL
Explorer II
Explorer II
TomG2 wrote:
The real cliques are the parks where the residents own their own lots and the rest of us are JAR's (Just A Renter).


I completely disagree and wish you could visit our park (Key Largo Kampground) which is a condo park. It has privately owned lots, some of which are rented out, privately owned lots with permanent trailers on them, and rented out tent sites.

We rented a site here for a week many years ago, and liked it so much that four years ago bought a site and now snow bird here each winter
Everyone is welcomed to join in all of the activities, and from what I can see no one is ignored and new friends are constantly being made.
Several times a season, I have been asked by people who have never been here before if I know of any sites for sale.
Not only that, but new renters seem to come back year after year.

Last week we had kayak, canoe and paddleboard races, and there were just as many non owners who took ribbons as there were owners, and everyone hob nobbed with each other on the beach afterwards.
You can join shuffle board, bocci ball, bingo, ladies lunchens, crafts, pot luck meals or make friends at the pool.
You can stay by yourself if you want to, but I'll never forget how the time we rented at least seven or eight different times my wife was asked by different women to join in some of the activities.

Down the road from us there is a "Luxury Motor Home" resort and you can go there or come to our park and park beside some of the many Luxury Motor homes, fifth wheelers, travel trailers or tents.

The big problem here is we are just about booked solid all winter long

Jack L
Jack & Nanci

TomG2
Explorer
Explorer
The real cliques are the parks where the residents own their own lots and the rest of us are JAR's (Just A Renter).

jplante4
Explorer II
Explorer II
We did 6 months in the southeast over a winter moving from place to place. Most places with a seasonal population had activities and we were informed about them at checkin. I never felt like it was a closed club, especially when you're talking poker and you bring your change jar 🙂

The only observation about seasonals I have is they seem to own the laundry facilities. You'd better be there when the washer or dryer stops. Glad we have a Splendide on the bus. We only needed CG laundry for the quilt and couch cover.

I'm not sure what the draw is to spending an entire winter in a mobile home that doesn't go mobile.
Jerry & Jeanne
1996 Safari Sahara 3530 - 'White Tiger'
CAT 3126/Allison 6 speed/Magnum Chassis
2014 Equinox AWD / Blue Ox

Tripalot
Explorer
Explorer
You do not say where you snowbird. We have spent many winters in Texas and several in Florida. Texas is way more friendly than Florida. We always get the impression Florida just welcomes your money whereas Texas welcomes you.

In Texas RGV you are welcome to join activities at any of the RV parks .
Don't try that in Florida - you are apt to be charged with trespassing.
2014 Triple E Regency GT24MB (Murphy Bed) with all the good stuff
towing a 2016 Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk
Berkley, the amazing camping cat missed dearly (1996-2012)