Camping etiquette

[leggy]

We stayed this weekend at Allentown KOA. This is not a bad little campground except for almost all of the sites face each other. I understand the logistical end of doing this since it does give a bigger space between them. However, there is no privacy.
Even worse if the people across from you decide to have at least 30 people come to dinner. They moved 2 tables from other sites. We had people try to sit at our fire, in our chairs, a kid try to play with our sons toys on our table and even some lady ask me why I was sitting at my table. Apparently, she thought I was her husband.
After complaining, the owner did talk to them and they said they would be done in a half hour. An hour or so later it was down to ten or so.
Truly losing common sense and basic camping etiquette. Done ranting.

[Campfire_Time]

Some of you folks are far too forgiving. Maybe you've never had the pleasure of camping in places that the management actually care about your experience. Maybe you've been going to places like this so long that you think this is normal. It's only happening at places that tolerate it. If you like that sort of thing more power to you. I don't really care. But disrespecting and insulting those that don't care for it is pretty low. It's certainly not evidence of any tolerance anyone is professing.

I grew up with camping etiquette that you respect your fellow campers, don't go on or cut through the campsites of others, if the noise can be heard at the next site it's too loud (usually only pertains to music). It's just respect and, here's that phrase again, common sense.

And it can still be a social activity without encroaching or disrespecting others. I see large groups all the time when we camp. Really large groups, 30-40 people gathering in one site. And they are always respectful to others. One of the CGs we go to won't tolerate it any other way.

[JimK-NY]

Acampingwewillgo wrote:
Maybe I'm showing my age but I seem to remember a time, many, many years ago that both camping and RV'ing was a social activity. ....

I have been camping since I was a kid and never considered it to be a social activity. I go out into nature to enjoy nature, the beauty, the solitude, the wildlife and more, but certainly not noisy neighbors.

[JimK-NY]

Crowe wrote:
can only wonder why anyone would stay at the Allentown KOA. Is this some sort of resort type camping? When I pass through the area, I stay for free at the Cabelas down the road in Hamburg.

Because some of us don't consider staying in a parking lot "camping". Some of us aren't cheap and want to keep campgrounds in business. And some of us consider the traveling days part of the trip and hope to use some of the facilities of the cg when we get there. I like to walk. Parking lots stink for walking. I personally don't understand the fascination with staying in rest stops, truck stops or parking lots, even if it saves a few bucks.

Because Cabelas is not only free, but uncrowded, quiet, convenient for shopping, several nearby stores and restaurants. If you like hiking, Cabalas is a great place to visit. They have a huge selection of hiking shoes and boots.

I am still puzzled about the Allentown KOA. It sounds crowded, noisy and someplace where I would not even want to spent the night while traveling to a better location.

[Acampingwewillg]

Maybe I'm showing my age but I seem to remember a time, many, many years ago that both camping and RV'ing was a social activity. Not so much anymore! Now if someone doesn't fit into "your" idea of "camping", their simply rude and unbearable people.

Someone had a gathering at their campsite, how is that any different than a Rally group gathering at one particular campsite. I'm sure these 30 some odd person's didn't all pitch tents and spend the night or did they?

Yes, I too like to have some room to move about my site BUT Privacy is not something I expect at a RV site/campground. Heck, look at the biggest so called Resorts...nothing more than parking lots where you can reach out and touch your neighbor.

[WVcampground]

What the OP experienced can to be expected at a KOA that is 15 miles from a metro area with a population of over 200,000+ (Allentown Bethlehem), 50 miles as the crow flies from Philadelphia, and less than 90 miles from New York City. Add to that one of the last weekends before they close for the season.

BTW, if the 30 people who came to dinner next door were not staying at the KOA and it was not a group function such as a Rally, the management probably had no issue accepting the fee charged for "visitors". That is typically $5-$7 each. When the OP complained all they most likely did was put on a Dog and Pony show. They probably knew exactly what was going on.

[Grit_dog]

More inane rvnet bitsching about nothing.....
If you want solitude, don't go to a KOA. Methinks oversensitive campers combined with not drinking enough!
Oooh, some kid tried to play with your kid's toys? The horror!! I mean did the kid steal them and try to sell them on the street corner or just wandered over for a bit? My remedy for this is if the munchkins are coming around, feed am a bunch of sugar and point them towards their parents with a Mountain Dew in one hand and a bag of skittles in the other! Best effect is to do this right as they're grilling dinner! LOL

Lady got lost and strolled over? Well you are basically in a public place. Idk, the last RV park we stayed at, our puppy played with the neighbor kids, we got to try some of their dinner, our kids helped them wakeboard cause we took them for a boat ride and they shared some of their beer!
And the Canadians camped across the way made fun of me for not getting a fire lit with the wet @ss campground firewood and once I broke out some Coleman fuel and got er lit, they poured me a whisky and we talked about hockey...

[RobWNY]

One way to solve that kind of problem is to bring a chair over and sit down right in the middle of their party. When they take issue with it, tell them they took over part of your site so you're doing the same LOL. Seriously though, if it's not prohibiting me from doing what I want to do, I have no problem with my "Neighbors" infringing on my site some. If it gets to be midnight and the alcohol is causing them to be loud, then I might have an issue but otherwise it's never been a problem for us. As I get older, I really don't want to become one of those "Get off my lawn" people. It's difficult sometimes but I try real hard to get along with everyone

[ppine]

Unbelievable.
Stunning even.
Who ever runs the campground should have stepped in for you.
I would never camp at a place like that in the first place, and probably neither should you.
I avoid rv parks except maybe once a week for chores.
I avoid public campgrounds in the summer for the most part because working people show up on Fri and Sat nights and drink and have parties to all hours.
Try some boondocking.

[smarty]

Hope the chirping birds didn't add to the chaos...

[westernrvparkow]

If all the sites are set up to face door to door it is time to find another park. That is just poor construction of a park. I wonder if it was actually built to be that way or if someone just decided to allow people to park any way they dang well please in each site and you just ended up with that situation because the people with the party decided parking in the site backwards would give them more room, the heck with everyone else.
If that was the case, it illustrates why we are very firm in how we allow people to park in sites. We get people from time to time who want to park in sites backward. They think it gets them a better view, or makes it easier to get into or out of, or allows them to share the yard with their traveling companions, or maybe they just are rebels and want to go against the grain. We always say "NO" for the very reason the OP endured. Even with people traveling together, we don't allow it because once you let one rig do something, other rigs are sure to follow.
As for numbers on the site, it is pretty easy have and enforce rules about occupancy per site, but impossible to have or enforce a rule about how many people can be on the site at one time since there are often multiple rigs traveling together and they are traveling that way exactly because they want to spend their campground time together. However, party with 30 people in a single RV site should have been moved to a more appropriate location than that single site and if such an area was not available the party should have been shut down by management as not being appropriate for the facilities.
The OP's issues are a result of either poor park design or poor park management, period.

[ford_truck_guy]

Well, we just finished our camping season with a 2 weekend stay at Spring Gulch Campground in New Holland, PA.

While it is not a KOA, it is basically the same. We had OUR group dinner( 15 ) over the fire Saturday night, as we always do. We all sit around the fire and 1 by 1 we turn in for the night, care full to respect quiet times.

While some may not like the closeness, we choose that campground, so we accept the accommodations.

Unless I am staying at a Destination Resort, i expect this type of camping..

The only time I had a problem with crowds at a site was when one ended in an all out brawl between the family members and drinks were flowing.. I give credit to the staff for handling that issue fast !

Unless I am staying at a Destination Resort, i expect this type of camping..

[BarabooBob]

I looked at the web site for Allentown KOA and it looks like almost every KOA. It is basically a parking lot with trees, a pool, laundry and store.
We just completed a month long trip through thee Rockies. Even the National Parks have sites pretty close together because they need to get as many people as possible in the campgrounds to try to meet demand. The only way to get a huge private site is to try true boondocking. We stayed at a National Grassland and were the only campers for 10 miles (we think.)

[JRscooby]

jplante4 wrote:
I pretty sure if you check the campground rules, you'll see that they have a limit on how many guests you can have on a sight. That number is usually around 6 people. Of course, that requires you to go to the office and lodge a complaint.

Most CG I go to limit people to 6 for the stay. But I have never seen a limit to the number of visitors as long as the leave by the start of quiet hours.

[Crowe]

can only wonder why anyone would stay at the Allentown KOA. Is this some sort of resort type camping? When I pass through the area, I stay for free at the Cabelas down the road in Hamburg.

Because some of us don't consider staying in a parking lot "camping". Some of us aren't cheap and want to keep campgrounds in business. And some of us consider the traveling days part of the trip and hope to use some of the facilities of the cg when we get there. I like to walk. Parking lots stink for walking. I personally don't understand the fascination with staying in rest stops, truck stops or parking lots, even if it saves a few bucks.

[midnightsadie]

when I camp I go some place where theres NO PEOPLE ,most camp grounds are like a coral .