Reserve America web site ?

[helperzack]

Is it just me? Or is the new Reserve America web site much more difficult to use?

[garmp]

I'm not happy with the "New and Improved" site at all. Of course the shut-down isn't helping either.

[Mich_F]

crcr wrote:
I have a question about booking Forest Service sites thru RA, specifically, Arizona Forest service sites. Does anyone know exactly how far in advance one is allowed to book these sites?

Thanks for any info!

It looks like at some parks there's a 6 month booking window.

http://www.reserveamerica.com/camping/Arizona_federal_parks_campgrounds/r/campgroundDirectoryList.do...

It looks like other parks have different windows, so I guess it varies by park.

[crcr]

I have a question about booking Forest Service sites thru RA, specifically, Arizona Forest service sites. Does anyone know exactly how far in advance one is allowed to book these sites?

Thanks for any info!

[Mich_F]

magnusfide wrote:
Yep Mich, you misread it. It was not directed at you, merely a statement of fact.

I'm sure all the yaysayers will continue to chime in just to argue. Suffice to say, there are more naysayers to RA. It's not about overthinking, misreading or otherwise not exercising care with the system. It's about bad service, inaccuracies, etc etc. Again, research the net for those disatisfied. There are quite a few of us.

Why on earth would I, or anyone for that matter, "research the net for those dissatisfied" with Reserve America, I really don't care ? I have given my experiences with RA as have others, on this thread.
In reviewing this thread, it looks to me like the yaysayers outnumber the naysayers by about 3 to 1.
You seem to be on some kind of mission to badmouth RA. Do you work for some competing reservation system ?
You're the one that that keeps coming back to argue. Most have just given their experiences, good or bad, and move on.
You just can't seem to accept that many, if not most,in this thread, haven't had any issues with RA.
You also don't seem to accept the fact that some of us don't have any other options than to use RA if we want to make reservations at certain places.

[wbwood]

magnusfide wrote:
Yep Mich, you misread it. It was not directed at you, merely a statement of fact.

I'm sure all the yaysayers will continue to chime in just to argue. Suffice to say, there are more naysayers to RA. It's not about overthinking, misreading or otherwise not exercising care with the system. It's about bad service, inaccuracies, etc etc. Again, research the net for those disatisfied. There are quite a few of us.

First of all it sounds like you are back yourself to argue with us "yaysayers". So there are more disatisfied with RA than those who have no issues with it, based on " bad service, inaccuracies, etc etc."?

[magnusfide]

Yep Mich, you misread it. It was not directed at you, merely a statement of fact.

I'm sure all the yaysayers will continue to chime in just to argue. Suffice to say, there are more naysayers to RA. It's not about overthinking, misreading or otherwise not exercising care with the system. It's about bad service, inaccuracies, etc etc. Again, research the net for those disatisfied. There are quite a few of us.

[dpkimmel2001]

I use the RA and .gov sites a few times each year. I've never had an issue with either. I've also called both organizations and have never had a problem. While it can certainly be tough to get a site at a popular location that is in no way the fault of either web site, it's simply demand. It amazes me at times how many people sit their like I do waiting for the reservation window to open. Most times I'm lucky enough to get my choice and sometimes I'm not. No big deal.

[Laman]

RA has worked perfectly for me at least 40 times in the last 2 years in three different states. I have friends that travel a great deal more than I do and never heard one complain about RA. Maybe were are not so "tech savvy" that we overthink a really simple system.

[rr2254545]

Mich F wrote:
I see a lot of interesting comments on here. At least one person has stopped using Reserve America, now that's interesting. If you want to camp in a state park in Florida ( I imagine it's the same other places) and actually get a reservation, the only way you are going to get one, is through Reserve America. Someone else complained about having to move their RV 3 or 4 times in a 2 week period. That's not hard to understand. There aren't any sites open for that 2 week stretch you want. Other people have reservations during that time frame. There was also a mention of reservation fees for each site? What's that all about? With Fl state parks at least there are no fees for making a reservation. Are there fees in other places?
I've used Reserve America since they took over the Florida state park reservation system. I didn't have a choice in the matter, but I've also never had a problem with their system. It's really much easier than having to contact the individual park to see when/if they have any open sites.
I camp mainly in Florida and more often than not at a state park in the Keys. It's very difficult to get a site there most of the year. It's been made more difficult because Reserve America has made it so much easier for someone from Michigan or from (fill in the blank) to make a reservation.
What really upsets me is being there on a weekend and according to Reserve America it's booked solid. Yet there's more often than not a good number of empty sites, which I assume is a result of people that have made reservations and haven't bothered to cancel denying someone else the opportunity to get a site.

Great answer - here here

[Luke_Porter]

I love RA. With three different accounts, two computers and friends on the phone with thier computers, I was able to pick off Bahia Honda waterfront sites like flies. I even got TWO waterfronts sites, next to each other once. I was there for weeks and weeks and weeks. LOL.

Anyone want my secrets?

[beachcomber_1]

I have never had a problem with RA, maybe I just read the instructions. Seriously, if you work with their system pay, attention to the details and follow the rules you should have no problems. Some parks are extremely busy during peak of season, not having available site is not the problem of RA.

[Mich_F]

magnusfide wrote:

Mich F wrote:

magnusfide wrote:
Interesting that most of the Reserve America supporters chime from Florida. You must have had a pretty bad reservation system before the switch. The rest of us don't share your perceptions of this inadequate service. In the rest of the nation, most of the reservations systems that were used before RA worked better than RA.

Some parks have chosen to severely limit the options RA provides. Those parks are having better luck with the system. They don't opt for some of the tag on fee system of RA and that cuts down on the problems significantly, especially when the RVer is due a refund.

I still don't see how those of us who haven't had a problem with RA are considered RA supporters, or as you called me in an earlier post, an RA promoter, as if I worked for them.

Mich, didn't call you a promoter. You misread that.

As far as the reservation system in Fl before RA is concerned, you had to call the individual park, to see what they had available for whatever days you wanted. There was no online access.

My point exactly: you don't prefer to call the park to check for rezs so RA "seems" to be a better option for you than your previous system. I found the phone call easy and convenient: the cg ranger would also provide me with insider info such as large groups coming in that may be noisy, levels of creeks or water condition, etc.

RA has continued to be problematic and frankly, their system is inferior to the systems that existed previously for the numerous reasons stated both here and in previous threads. In the rest of the nation, most of the reservations systems that were used before RA worked better than RA. As a retired engineer, I am more tech savvy than most. The RA system has major problems. Sit around the campfire with other tech savvies on your next camping trip and you'll hear the same. Do a search of the internet and you'll read more of the same.

Good luck with your camping. Don't know how much you do of it or how long but fair weather to you and yours. We've been on the road for nearly half a century. We've seen every kind of system out there. RA is substandard.

Mich, didn't call you a promoter. You misread that.

This is from an earlier post of yours where you commented on my not having had any problems with RA.

Every so often an RA promoter pops on the forum trying to push this system hoping to hook more parks into its expensive and inadequate service. Tiresome really but there it is

I misread that?
Whether I prefer to call the park or not, has nothing to do with the situation in Fl. state parks, since going through RA is the only way to get a reservation. You have chosen to not use Fl state parks and instead use private parks, fine. I prefer to use the state parks at a considerable savings, particularly when figuring in my discount for being so freaking old.
Your having these numerous problems and issues with RA doesn't change the fact that many of us haven't had any issues. 😉

[mleekamp]

I think the 1 positive is that you can use the BACK button now...vs before I would get "page not found". Something was fixed...but maybe some stuff became more complex...

[magnusfide]

Mich F wrote:

magnusfide wrote:
Interesting that most of the Reserve America supporters chime from Florida. You must have had a pretty bad reservation system before the switch. The rest of us don't share your perceptions of this inadequate service. In the rest of the nation, most of the reservations systems that were used before RA worked better than RA.

Some parks have chosen to severely limit the options RA provides. Those parks are having better luck with the system. They don't opt for some of the tag on fee system of RA and that cuts down on the problems significantly, especially when the RVer is due a refund.

I still don't see how those of us who haven't had a problem with RA are considered RA supporters, or as you called me in an earlier post, an RA promoter, as if I worked for them.

Mich, didn't call you a promoter. You misread that.

As far as the reservation system in Fl before RA is concerned, you had to call the individual park, to see what they had available for whatever days you wanted. There was no online access.

My point exactly: you don't prefer to call the park to check for rezs so RA "seems" to be a better option for you than your previous system. I found the phone call easy and convenient: the cg ranger would also provide me with insider info such as large groups coming in that may be noisy, levels of creeks or water condition, etc.

RA has continued to be problematic and frankly, their system is inferior to the systems that existed previously for the numerous reasons stated both here and in previous threads. In the rest of the nation, most of the reservations systems that were used before RA worked better than RA. As a retired engineer, I am more tech savvy than most. The RA system has major problems. Sit around the campfire with other tech savvies on your next camping trip and you'll hear the same. Do a search of the internet and you'll read more of the same.

Good luck with your camping. Don't know how much you do of it or how long but fair weather to you and yours. We've been on the road for nearly half a century. We've seen every kind of system out there. RA is substandard.