Excess Genny use

[Chandalen]

This is probably a rant.. with a question... what would you do, and how would you take it if someone did it to you?

Background..
*Campers in a 30' pull behind moved in at the next pad. Its a state park with genny hours from 0900-1100 and 1700-2100.
*Their first night it seems they had no power at all as they were using flashlights inside the camper.
*I saw they had a single Group 27 on the front, that was disconnected (at the neg terminal).
*Next day they had their truck plugged into the trailer plug and the battery was connected. They ran the truck for about 3 hours.
*I talked to him briefly and he said the battery was not charging. I said well.. your battery is probably toast, and there is no way your truck is gonna charge it. 'But I have a 30 amp alternator.' Insert sigh and eye roll here.
*Well sure enough that night they were on flashlights again.
*Today... at 0800 guess what... a BRAND NEW GENERATOR fires up!!
*(0900-1100 are generator hours)
*I have seen it before, and I dont think its safe, but they had an 'igloo' type box over it to dampen the noise. Ok.. whatever. However.. about 3' from the exhaust is a 5 gallon red gas can.
*Now, its 11:50 and that genny is still running.
*My wife, who is way more 'in your face' than me.. asked him to turn it off and his answer was simply 'my battery isnt charged yet (laughing and walking away)
*She wants to go get Ranger Rick and have them tell him to cut it off, and I dont want to have to worry about my stuff getting screwed with when we are gone lol!

Ideas???

[willald]

LOL, it never fails. Right around big holiday weekends, we see several posts, threads like this, talking about inconsiderate things campers do. Like already said, this is because the holiday weekends are when there is are a lot more of the shall we say, less experienced, and less considerate people out camping.

This is one of the main reasons we avoid camping on holiday weekends like the plague, like others have said. Just is not worth it to us for the extra day you get, for all the other stuff you frequently have to deal with on those weekends.

Unfortunately, though, that isn't a very realistic option for many. For many folks, the holiday weekends is the only time they can get away to go camping.

As to what I'd do in that situation: Asking to move to another site is not a good idea, IMO. You risk going to a site thats even worse in other ways. That, and frequently on busy weekends like that, IF there are even any sites still left, you will not want them, haha.

I would have told the guy something like this: "Look, I know you have a power issue, but generator hours in the park are 8-11 (or whatever they are). I'm not going to say anything as I understand your predicament, but somebody else may complain or the ranger may notice, and I'd hate to see you get thrown out and your weekend get ruined. How about you go into town, get you a new battery, and I'll try to help you put it in and get your power situation straightened out?"

..If they refuse your help and continues to run the genny, THEN it may be time to go talk to the ranger.

This way, you don't come off as the bad guy, so hopefully you won't make any enemies regardless what happens.

[momentum_rv]

It boils down to common courtesy (not so common any more.) Follow the rules, be friendly, try not to bother the neighbors with your "City personality" and enjoy the quite out doors.

The CG management should be responsible for the enforcement of the rules but a friendly reminder to the offender will hopefully do the trick.

[Chandalen]

I think what irritated me really, was not the genny use per sae... they have hours for a reason. It was him placing the genny on (my) side of his camper because it was too loud for his wife.

He also didnt want to use mine (ours is a quiet running one).

His battery was toast and he was not quite understanding why it was not charging..

I ended up talking to him, and discovered that cover he was using was his propane tank camper cover.

We both ended up leaving on the same day and he said hes gonna buy a worthwhile battery.

Appairantly several other campers came and talked to him about it.

[Steve_B_]

I camped at Acadia NP last year in Blackwoods Campground, as I have many other years. There are no hookups, which usually keeps those need all of their home conveniences at bay. There was one camper last year though that started his generator exactly at 8:00 every morning and let it run all day. As I was some distance away it didn't bother me but it was annoying to have the woods filled with noise for the other neighbors, I'm sure. I did ask to move my site when a family of four moved in next door with toddlers that could not use a quiet voice to save themselves. Empty sites all over the place but they wound up next to me. I simply hooked up and moved on. It was my first fall trip, timed so that kids were back to school and I just wanted to have some peace and quiet. That was my problem, not theirs and with the trailer it was a quick fix. If you really need power everyday though, you shouldn't head to a park with no hookups and subject everyone else to your generator for hours on end.

[rk911]

Muddydogs wrote:
I don't understand why park campers complain about genny's and other noise? What do you expect when you leave the city your home is in for another city where your trailer is probably closer to your neighbors then at home, the trailer walls are thinner than your home walls and while camping most like to be outside. I don't like the noise so I avoid campgrounds, if I happen to find myself in a campground I know what to expect and deal. It amazes me that people spend up words of $30 a night to go camp next to strangers and deal with campground problems. Guess it keeps people out of the woods and away from my spots.

been to the woods and camped in some very pretty spots next to some pretty inconsiderate folks...just like in the parks and commercial campgrounds. we were out enjoying the fire one night when a group maybe 50-yds down the road decided to see how many glass bottles in a row they could break against a rock. another time the drinking got so bad and so loud that nearly all of the campground could hear it. dogs running loose, excessive drinking, the clods who chopped down a small tree and then dragged it bit by bit through a fire creating not much more than smoke, domestic arguments...just like in some commercial campgrounds. boobs are everywhere.

[bfast54]

I Feel for the Original Poster........

However.....having said that -------I am totally amazed ---absolutely amazing the number of people who leave their home (where things are the way they want it to be because it's their home)........ and go to a tent city I E.....campground ---and think things are going to be the way they are at home!!!!!!! I.E..... the way they want them------------ really...:h:h:S

[1L243]

Boondocking is great for one week had a group about a 1/4 mile from me running up the dirt road at 60mph, yelling, screaming shooting They left their site cluttered with trash and bear cans, was a lovely week, but heck it was free!...

[Muddydogs]

I don't understand why park campers complain about genny's and other noise? What do you expect when you leave the city your home is in for another city where your trailer is probably closer to your neighbors then at home, the trailer walls are thinner than your home walls and while camping most like to be outside. I don't like the noise so I avoid campgrounds, if I happen to find myself in a campground I know what to expect and deal. It amazes me that people spend up words of $30 a night to go camp next to strangers and deal with campground problems. Guess it keeps people out of the woods and away from my spots.

[1L243]

rk911 wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
I just go up to the office and simply ask to be moved to another site.

I do not go in there and complain about anything. If they ask why I want to move I calmly tell them and let THEM decide if they want to go out and handle the camper.

Has worked for me every time. No hassles and the office/mgr doesn't get all defensive like they usually will if you go in there and get up in their face about a problem with another camper. KISS theory at it's best.

I like that approach.

Campsites are like a "Box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get" You could move from frying pan and into the fire..

I don't think you should even talk to the offender just go to the Ranger and report it, let them handle it.

[rk911]

rockhillmanor wrote:
I just go up to the office and simply ask to be moved to another site.

I do not go in there and complain about anything. If they ask why I want to move I calmly tell them and let THEM decide if they want to go out and handle the camper.

Has worked for me every time. No hassles and the office/mgr doesn't get all defensive like they usually will if you go in there and get up in their face about a problem with another camper. KISS theory at it's best.

I like that approach.

[rockhillmanor]

I just go up to the office and simply ask to be moved to another site.

I do not go in there and complain about anything. If they ask why I want to move I calmly tell them and let THEM decide if they want to go out and handle the camper.

Has worked for me every time. No hassles and the office/mgr doesn't get all defensive like they usually will if you go in there and get up in their face about a problem with another camper. KISS theory at it's best.

[Mr_Beebo]

Not all of the holiday only campers are knotheads, but we do avoid those weekends due to the increase in the amateurs. I have noticed however, that it seems a lot of campers spend their entire weekends sorting out issues with their RVs that they could have solved with a little time spent at home or during the winter. Leaky water lines, electrical issues, awning won't retract, no key to the storage door, etc. It is as if they parked their camper in November, then doing little more than attaching a new license plate sticker, hook up to it with the truck in July and head down the road, expecting everything to be fine once they get to the campground.

[1L243]

Interesting generator hours I don't think I ever stayed at a park where they split it up like that. Mostly 8am to 8pm..

Some people just don't take personal responcibility for themselves..

We were at a park 3 sites down from a guy fired up his construction grade LOUD generator with aux fuel tank at 8am and leave in his truck till he returned at 5pm... Ranger said he could not do anything because they were not in violation of the generator rule (you would think you would have to be present when running your gen). This guy had several sites hopping mad. Thrid day is gen quite running never did get it started again..

For OP

1. I would have went to the Ranger when the guy refused to turn off the Gen.

2. Why should you move?

3. I would not provide him with a Gen

4. I would not provide him with power

5. We would not be singing kumbaya the campfire either with him either....

[OFDPOS]

Its my campsite , I paid the rent, I'll do whatever I want whenever I want . So what if that's part of your site , we're hanging our swim-trunks, underwear and socks out to dry !! ... I hate those type !!

A spoon full of sugar does more than help the medicine go down ;0 DOH Did I actually type that out loud 🙂 lol

[nineoaks2004]

It is not a good thing to put a box over a running generator, the extra heat can cause a fire. I would probably ask for another site and explain the reason to the staff. Some people do not think and do not care if they bother everyone else around them.
You have one more option and that is to leave.

We never go camping on holidays and we are not really enthused about camping on weekends either.