Anyone been turned away from campground for older rig?

[drsolo]

I am a snowbird working my way north from Orlando each day. I called Add-more Campground in Clarksville, IN to make sure they were open and had a spot for one night. She started asking me a lot of questions and when I told her my "B" was a 17' 1992 GMC conversion van she they dont allow anything older than year 2000. When I asked why that information wasnt on their website she said "Well we got a lot of rules and they arent all on the website."

Has anyone else run into this kind of discrimination? Does it matter if a travel trailer is vintage?

And one more question. Is there some sort of "black list" for campers that campgrounds refer too?

[icanon]

All I could afford wrote:
As a guy who owns and over 10 year old trailer which is in visually perfect condition, i'd like to offer the opinion that I wouldn't be offended if I Campground had a policy such as "all RVs and trailers must be in a reasonably presentable condition, to be determined by the management. But a blanket restriction based only on age seems silly and not in the spirit of camaraderie I come to expect when camping

That is a nice way of describing a policy! I like it.

[All_I_could_aff]

As a guy who owns and over 10 year old trailer which is in visually perfect condition, i'd like to offer the opinion that I wouldn't be offended if I Campground had a policy such as "all RVs and trailers must be in a reasonably presentable condition, to be determined by the management. But a blanket restriction based only on age seems silly and not in the spirit of camaraderie I come to expect when camping

[colliehauler]

Westernrvparkowner- I would be willing to bet that Jed's truck would be a draw in itself with all the people of my generation that grew up watching the Beverly Hillbillies. Give out some of granny's (Medicine) and you would have some happy campers.

[drsolo]

westernrvparkowner wrote:
I notice that you said the only parks you didn't stay at were parks with derelict rigs but were seedy in other ways. Since you didn't stay, what other ways were they seedy? And don't you think there is a correlation between derelict rigs and seedy parks? And what percentage of those derelict rigs were less than 10 years old? My guess, pretty close to zero. My parks are definitely not seedy, and they don't accept derelict rigs. I feel that those things are pretty much joined at the hip.

I have only found 2 so far but the main factor is do I feel safe. One was on the way down to Florida (an O/N) and it was right behind a Walmart. It looked more like a bad trailer park with a lot of junk around and in front of each rig and packed "sardine" style. There was literally trash, blowing papers. The second place was similar, except there were some rusting hulks of farm or ?? equipment and it didnt look like there were many people there. If the grounds look like hell with trash and uncut grass, I would leave, not even check the bathrooms.

OTOH, I have been in more "primitive" CG, one there was a lot of trash in the ditches of the long drive to this place. When I got there was a burnt out hulk for a big rig. But the owner/operators were VERY nice and there were other people there, the grounds otherwise was clean and kept up. A cute little "general" store with antique farm equipment. Clean bathrooms and IIRC, they were 4 individual little rooms with toilet, shower, etc.

At the RV/CG I selected for my permanent base in Florida as of last month, the Stage Stop Campground in Winter Garden, there is a mix of all ages of people, of permanent single and double trailers, some snowbirds like I am, many transient especially on the weekend. Also a mix of rigs from Bs, TT (I plan on putting one on my site for friends to come visit), big 40' 5th wheel, buses, motor homes. Mix of old and new rigs, altho I am no judge of age lets say oxidized and not. The grounds and bathrooms are kept clean. The vegetation is mowed. People were washing their rigs. My kind of place, few rules.

[Dog_Folks]

westernrvparkowner: Is your eye candy policy written or un written? 🙂

[drsolo]

I am sure somebody would be interested in campgrounds that turn away older rigs, maybe even vintage rigs (does the vintage people keep a list?) How about posting which RV park or campground threatens or turns them away?

I guess that is one more division within the RVing/camping peoples. My mother offered me her big motor home after my DH and I drove it on vacation with her to AZ. I told her to sell it, I would never again drive anything that big. I love driving my 1992 converted conversion van almost as much as driving my 1992 Miata. Maybe because we live in a big city we have more tolerance if not outright appreciation of diversity and individual differences. I am not nor have ever been an aficionado of HOA practices. None of our homes are cookie cutter, they are older from 1880's to 1950. I dont want to offend anyone, but when I enter these newly built condos or McMansions all shiny new I feel no warmth, no charm, no individuality, no history. The same is true of the new big rigs.

I have been to many RV parks/campgrounds. Some of them are obviously destinations for people from appreciate HOA and are loaded with "activities" and "facilities". I may want to O/N at one on my way to someplace else, but not stay. I have driven in and right out of numerous "sardine" parks where the big rigs are sandwiched together but only twice in and out of a RV/CG with derelict rigs, and those were seedy in other ways.

I expect that RV/CG people in general are pretty independent, diverse and different. They certainly have been unfailingly kind, helpful and friendly ... no matter what their rig looked like or how old it was.

[westernrvparkow]

BurbMan wrote:

the bear II wrote:
Usually the management will accept a few photos or video of your RV and of anyone who will be staying in your RV. They will make a decision to allow or not. We've had to send photos twice and were allowed to stay each time.

You're kidding right?

I have never been asked how old my rig is, only what kind and how long it is. I have never had anybody inspect my rig upon check in (well, maybe somebody has without me knowing it when I am in the office doing paperwork). Anybody who wants to know how old I am, how old my rig is, or asks for a picture of anything, can rent that site to someone else.

It may be within the CG owner's rights, but 1) that doesn't make it right, and 2) doesn't make it good business.

It's very dangerous, IMO, for ANY business to have "unposted" policies, because anybody knows that's just a smokescreen for discrimination. All it takes is one minority or disabled or veteran camper to be turned away by the CG owner claiming some unposted rule about the age of his rig, and a sharp attorney, and that camper will wind up owning that CG.

I don't believe a veteran camper, or even a veteran, is a protected class. And every business has "unposted" policies. Even if I don't post a dress code, I can surely turn away a nude customer, even if they are Black, Hispanic, Buddhist or whatever. RV rigs are surely not a protected class, I can turn away any that want, without any repercussions. As I said before, keeping a clean, neat attractive RV park is good business. If Jed and all his Kin were to arrive looking for a spot, I would send them down the road with his Million Dollars still firmly attached to his wallet. (Unless Ellie Mae (the 20 something version), promised to spend the entire stay at the Cement Pond, since that would more than balance out the truck)

[icanon]

daytona7 wrote:
There were a couple of RV parks here in the Lakeland, FL area that also had age limits on the RV's. One park even turned away a 15 year Prevost that looked better than a new one. Thank goodness that one is now closed and replaced by a shopping center and the other one now has new management. The real kicker is that both parks had a few Old (like 20+ years) Travel Trailers sitting on blocks further in the back that were occupied.

Don't if anybody heard of Ben Willmore a Photoshop guru is rebuilding his Coach and invested a lot and I mean a lot of money. I can't imagine how he would feel if he was turned away froma CG due to the age of his rig.

[Dog_Folks]

As my well maintained rig approaches ten years, if a campground asks for photos, I will ask for photos of their restrooms before cleaning, dump station after use, dog park area, camp site, and roadways.

I would so just of fun as I won't jump through hoops to spend MY money.

Too many other campgrounds that will welcome me and my money.

Their campground and their rules. I respect that. On the other side of the coin is: My camper and my money.

[Rollnhome]

Never been turned down but have left a couple because of the condition of the existing rigs.

[BurbMan]

the bear II wrote:
Usually the management will accept a few photos or video of your RV and of anyone who will be staying in your RV. They will make a decision to allow or not. We've had to send photos twice and were allowed to stay each time.

You're kidding right?

I have never been asked how old my rig is, only what kind and how long it is. I have never had anybody inspect my rig upon check in (well, maybe somebody has without me knowing it when I am in the office doing paperwork). Anybody who wants to know how old I am, how old my rig is, or asks for a picture of anything, can rent that site to someone else.

It may be within the CG owner's rights, but 1) that doesn't make it right, and 2) doesn't make it good business.

It's very dangerous, IMO, for ANY business to have "unposted" policies, because anybody knows that's just a smokescreen for discrimination. All it takes is one minority or disabled or veteran camper to be turned away by the CG owner claiming some unposted rule about the age of his rig, and a sharp attorney, and that camper will wind up owning that CG.

[westernrvparkow]

addisonl wrote:
I haven't been turned away yet but I almost wish I was so it would be fun to sometimes ask things back. Like how old are your hookups? How old are your shower heads? How old is that huge rut and bump and I have to drive over? How old is the stained coffee pot in your fancy lounge? 🙂

And now with the pricey Airstream vans and others or beautiful old mint/restored rigs, why would a business turn those away?

I kind of wish all the people in these posts that vaguely mention places that had the age rule would post the name of the place. I could make some notes in my notebook.

They turn them away because vintage, restored rigs are the exception to the rule. You can thank the internet. If a park gets bad marks on the review sites, it will suffer much more than the cost of turning away a "vintage" Airstream. Read the bad reviews. A top three reason is for bad reviews is "the park is full of junky rigs". Keeping a park looking good is imperative if you want good reviews. We don't have a problem with derelict rigs (most likely because our prices and the fact we do not allow long term stays weed them out to begin with), so we don't need that policy, but I can sure understand why other parks do.

[addisonl]

I haven't been turned away yet but I almost wish I was so it would be fun to sometimes ask things back. Like how old are your hookups? How old are your shower heads? How old is that huge rut and bump and I have to drive over? How old is the stained coffee pot in your fancy lounge? 🙂

And now with the pricey Airstream vans and others or beautiful old mint/restored rigs, why would a business turn those away?

I kind of wish all the people in these posts that vaguely mention places that had the age rule would post the name of the place. I could make some notes in my notebook.

[daytona7]

There were a couple of RV parks here in the Lakeland, FL area that also had age limits on the RV's. One park even turned away a 15 year Prevost that looked better than a new one. Thank goodness that one is now closed and replaced by a shopping center and the other one now has new management. The real kicker is that both parks had a few Old (like 20+ years) Travel Trailers sitting on blocks further in the back that were occupied.

[peaches_cream]

daytona7 wrote:
There were a couple of RV parks here in the Lakeland, FL area that also had age limits on the RV's. One park even turned away a 15 year Prevost that looked better than a new one. Thank goodness that one is now closed and replaced by a shopping center and the other one now has new management. The real kicker is that both parks had a few Old (like 20+ years) Travel Trailers sitting on blocks further in the back that were occupied.

Any chance of seeing the 15 yr.old Prevost that looks better than a New one. I'd love to see it. Of course, every vehicle I own liiks better than new to me. They are all "paid for".