Camping etiquette

[robrose1]

Due to family issues we have not been able to take a trip in our RV for 2 years. Finally able to get away we headed to our favorite spot, Flagstaff, AZ for 2 weeks. We have been RV'ing for many years and this year was our worst experience ever. First of all the KOA raised their prices significantly since our last stay. Second, camping etiquette was non existent. During our stay we had numerous people walking through our campsite heading to the showers. We would be sitting outside and they would just walk through without even an apology. I started to tell people to stop cutting through and they looked at me like I was a jerk. I told them they were agitating my dog. I believe most of these people were new to camping or renting those RV's.
Guy next door with 4 barking dogs was another issue. I may be getting old but courtesy for your neighbors seems to be at an all time low. Just venting.!!!

[JaxDad]

2oldman wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:
I havent found much to get worked up about.

But you are concerned about people getting worked up about people walking through their campsites. That's obvious.

I don’t find it obvious at all, in fact he seems quite the opposite.

He’s just telling folks to not sweat the little things in life. Seems like pretty sound advice to me.

[2oldman]

Bird Freak wrote:
I havent found much to get worked up about.

But you are concerned about people getting worked up about people walking through their campsites. That's obvious.

[Bird_Freak]

2oldman wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:
Yall need to find something important to get all worked up over. Some one walking in your site is not it.

You're probably right. Why don't you share what works you up and perhaps we'll all agree with you?

I havent found much to get worked up about. Got better things to do than worry about something I have no control over. Try it, you might live longer.:B

[2oldman]

Bird Freak wrote:
Yall need to find something important to get all worked up over. Some one walking in your site is not it.

You're probably right. Why don't you share what works you up and perhaps we'll all agree with you?

[Bird_Freak]

Yall need to find something important to get all worked up over. Some one walking in your site is not it.

[Grit_dog]

Hahaha, you can tell who the lazy campsite cutters are in this thread!

Get off my lawn!!!!

[Space_nerd]

Tvov wrote:

jplante4 wrote:

run100 wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
My tactic has always been, if the same people cut through several times, I eventually stop them, strike up a friendly conversation (and I mean friendly), but deliberately engage them long enough their passage through my campsite delays their intended plan, long enough they get agitated at me. I'm still friendly as a feather bed floating on calming lake, but they realize real fast, when they use my campsite as their passage way, they are going to get stopped and be forced into a conversation. It only takes about once and they somehow always avoid passing through our site from them on.

There are better and more creative ways of dealing with things than barricades, obnoxious dogs or road blocks that all say ... YOU ARE NOT WELCOME - GO AWAY!

This is an awesome tactic! I love it and will make use of it when the need arises!

I do the opposite. When I walk past a site with people outside, I start a conversation. If you talk long enough, they'll go inside the next tine they see you coming and you can go anywhere on their site that you care to 🙂

LOL! That's what I was thinking...

Really, though, politely talking with people is a good "tactic"!

Having a friendly conversation with other people is one of my favorite parts of camping. I enjoy finding out where people are from, where are they are going, where they have been and why are they making this trip. If you step into my campsite you should expect a conversation. I have met some of the most interesting people camping.

[westernrvparkow]

captnjack wrote:

mike-s wrote:

captnjack wrote:
Who told you that you are renting land? Who told you that you have rights?

The law. Here's an example, from California, refering to the payments as "rent." And here's one from Indiana, which says

"Campground" means an area or tract of land where campsites are leased or rented

...and Virginia...

"Campground" means any area, place, parcel, or tract of land,... for the accommodation of camping units for periods of overnight or longer, whether the use of the campsites and facilities is granted gratuitously, or by rental fee, lease,...

captnjack wrote:
I am going to go out on a limb here and say it is absolutely NOT like renting a house. It is not a rental agreement or a lease that is signed.

That limb just snapped. Now stop making stuff up.

Nothing you've posted indicates that you get full control of the site when you "rent" or "lease" it. Nothing indicates you have full rights of a landowner. I can rent a car. That doesn't mean I get to paint it or change out the rims.
I concede that some do rent for longer periods of time and the agreements could be different. This was not the case for the OP.

There are volumes of laws exactly defining the differences between being a landlord who rents property and an Innkeeper who provides lodging for guests. RV parks generally fall under Innkeeper laws. Only when there are site rentals that exceed a clearly defined length of time (generally 6 consecutive months, it varies by jurisdiction) do landlord/tenant laws apply. Speaking in generalities, an Innkeeper has much greater latitude in setting rules and guests have limited rights compared to landlords and tenants.

[Tvov]

jplante4 wrote:

run100 wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
My tactic has always been, if the same people cut through several times, I eventually stop them, strike up a friendly conversation (and I mean friendly), but deliberately engage them long enough their passage through my campsite delays their intended plan, long enough they get agitated at me. I'm still friendly as a feather bed floating on calming lake, but they realize real fast, when they use my campsite as their passage way, they are going to get stopped and be forced into a conversation. It only takes about once and they somehow always avoid passing through our site from them on.

There are better and more creative ways of dealing with things than barricades, obnoxious dogs or road blocks that all say ... YOU ARE NOT WELCOME - GO AWAY!

This is an awesome tactic! I love it and will make use of it when the need arises!

I do the opposite. When I walk past a site with people outside, I start a conversation. If you talk long enough, they'll go inside the next tine they see you coming and you can go anywhere on their site that you care to 🙂

LOL! That's what I was thinking...

Really, though, politely talking with people is a good "tactic"!

[jplante4]

run100 wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
My tactic has always been, if the same people cut through several times, I eventually stop them, strike up a friendly conversation (and I mean friendly), but deliberately engage them long enough their passage through my campsite delays their intended plan, long enough they get agitated at me. I'm still friendly as a feather bed floating on calming lake, but they realize real fast, when they use my campsite as their passage way, they are going to get stopped and be forced into a conversation. It only takes about once and they somehow always avoid passing through our site from them on.

There are better and more creative ways of dealing with things than barricades, obnoxious dogs or road blocks that all say ... YOU ARE NOT WELCOME - GO AWAY!

This is an awesome tactic! I love it and will make use of it when the need arises!

I do the opposite. When I walk past a site with people outside, I start a conversation. If you talk long enough, they'll go inside the next tine they see you coming and you can go anywhere on their site that you care to 🙂

[run100]

DutchmenSport wrote:
My tactic has always been, if the same people cut through several times, I eventually stop them, strike up a friendly conversation (and I mean friendly), but deliberately engage them long enough their passage through my campsite delays their intended plan, long enough they get agitated at me. I'm still friendly as a feather bed floating on calming lake, but they realize real fast, when they use my campsite as their passage way, they are going to get stopped and be forced into a conversation. It only takes about once and they somehow always avoid passing through our site from them on.

There are better and more creative ways of dealing with things than barricades, obnoxious dogs or road blocks that all say ... YOU ARE NOT WELCOME - GO AWAY!

This is an awesome tactic! I love it and will make use of it when the need arises!

[captnjack]

spoon059 wrote:

captnjack wrote:
I can rent a car. That doesn't mean I get to paint it or change out the rims.

Next time you rent a car, I'll just sit inside and clip my toenails... since you have ZERO claim to the property and believe that ANYONE can access it.

You make a good point. It supports my point that there are some rights I get and some I don't when I rent that car. And I believe there are some rights you get and some you don't when you "rent" a campsite from KOA for two weeks.

JaxDad posted the following earlier in this thread:

“I understand this is an application to rent an RV space and does not constitute a rental or lease agreement in whole or part.”

It is from a KOA campsite agreement.

I think it is pretty clear that our rights to the land under the camper are limited in nature.

I find it interesting that people complain about etiquette, which is defined as rules of conduct for polite society. And then their complaint proves they are not particularly polite themselves. Getting hung up on control of the property under their RV while staying in a commercial campground just seems to me to show a decided LACK of etiquette regardless of whether or not the legal technicalities are in their favor.

The antidotes we've seen suggested here have ranged from impolite to rude to disgusting to flat out criminal.

And they have the nerve to claim the high ground when it comes to etiquette?

[jdb7566]

Fulltimer50 wrote:
The "Them vs Us" idea is really interesting. "I have met the enemy and he is us" or something like that. 🙂 EVERYONE has a point of view. Have some consideration for the people trying to get to bath house (or where ever) Some park designs make it almost impossible to get there without going WAY around.
I always have to chuckle at those who feel the need to make a line all the way around their site as if to say "This is MINE". Its only camping. 🙂

I rented that site, therefore it is mine.

[rbonecrusher]

I don't get to worked up if a camper walks thru my site, I realize it isn't polite but it is a opportunity to say hi and maybe make a new friend. I don't get possessive of my campsite because I'm there for a short period of time. It bothers me worse if someone is extra loud after 10 p.m. I'm not going to let little things ruin my vacation, that time belongs to me, so expect a big hello as you walk thru, I realize you do not have camp manners.
Ray

[spoon059]

captnjack wrote:
I can rent a car. That doesn't mean I get to paint it or change out the rims.

Next time you rent a car, I'll just sit inside and clip my toenails... since you have ZERO claim to the property and believe that ANYONE can access it.