Reservation blues - UPDATED

[2oldman]

CA state parks recently opened back up, so I hightailed it back to one of my favorites. Every site in this park is reservable, including the no-hookup ones (grr), so I checked the reservation board daily until day of arrival. I really don't want to reserve ahead of time because I'm a long rig, and if there are campers across the street I can't back into a site.

I got all set up, paid cash for a couple nights (reservations must be 3 days out) then went online to reserve for another 12 days. Sure enough, someone had reserved my site, for ONE night. This is by no means a busy crowded park, there must be 40 other sites that are not reserved. Just my luck.

Now the rangers come around warning me that I may have to move if the person insists on taking my site for a night. My reply was that I will bargain with them and gladly reimburse them for their payment, and a bit more for their understanding. I can't imagine anyone being so unreasonable as to insist I move for one night. It's not like this park is full.. unreserved spaces are everywhere, including right around me. I think I did my due diligence and just had a spat of bad luck. Many times one-night reservations don't even show up.

I wish CA would consider that not every campsite has to be reservable. Leave some open for FCFS. At least that's how I would run it.

[way2roll]

If I were to summarize, you are upset because someone reserved your site when you chose not to? How is someone on line supposed to know not to book an open site because you are there and wanted to keep it? If you wanted to stay there why didn't you just book it yourself? Maybe I am missing something.

[SDcampowneroper]

Reserving specific sites in public or private camps is contentious. With our without fee to do so, the reservist has the right to demand the site they reserved. Sure you could buy them out, why did they reserve that site, why didnt OP reserve it for the whole 14 days to begin with?
Campsites are not like a hotel room, where they are all the same or next door, just as OP opined, it may not be so much that particular site as it is his backing skills. That issue is one that plagues every camp.
If leaving requires a wiggle, backing in can take more time, more wiggles. learn and get more proficient each time. The lawn chair and a beer crowd do not help, they discourage. Next time you see an inproficient driver, insted of derision, offer help. Rarely Very rarely, was my proficiency in helping to backing declined. Even then it was a 'I have to learn this ' attitude.
A common practice in private camps, that we detested and did not charge when we owned our camp is a Site Lock fee.
In looking back, how it affected our occupancy definitely added to our work load , loss of occupancy and profit margin. It is no different for public camps, If you want a specific site, bookit for all the potential dates pay for them. No camp , cruise ship, hotel, airline, of any lodging or transportation venue will or can refund your unused portion of your reservation. That space was reserved and held for you. Conversely, if you did not reserve the entire time, on that specific site it is open to others who may see the attributes , thats why they reserved it. as well.
We have favorites in many camps for the same reasons.

[jdc1]

LOL. The last time I went to Arizona, I moved my 5th wheel 3 times. There were no 3 consecutive day spaces. It was no big chore. I didn't really need hook-ups. Just pull in the slide and raise the landing gear and move.

[Mel_Stuplich]

We travel 4 to 10,000 miles throughout the south for 3-4 months each winter and have never had a problem finding a suitable vacant campsite without an advance reservation.

[2oldman]

Sandia Man wrote:
Another nice feature is that we can reserve same day of arrival, when we get to NM state park we drive around and choose a site we like,

That's nice. I live in NM and the parks were locked down all summer. Had to go to CO or UT to camp where there was plenty of Fcfs.

[Sandia_Man]

Love the FCFS feature at NM state parks, now if they would just allow overnight camping, alas our governor is not an RVer. We have to go to TX or AZ to enjoy state parks, which we have done over a dozen times since April 2020, hopefully end of this month they will reopen.

Having all sites reservation only allows for the trickery mentioned above, for those that have families and work fulltime FCFS gives them a chance to enjoy their RVs on any given weekend including major holidays, where an extra day off is the only way they have the time.

Another nice feature is that we can reserve same day of arrival, when we get to NM state park we drive around and choose a site we like, then use our smart phone and lock it in. Sure we use google to see RV sites beforehand, but being there in person lends the best view by far.

[2oldman]

MFL wrote:
2oldman...hope your stay works out for you! 🙂

Thanks. I'm just sitting here waiting for them. I give it 50/50 they won't even show up!!

[MFL]

I always liked seeing some FCFS sites at some of my favorite campgrounds. It didn't take long for people to find a work around the system, or worse yet, a city park operator, allowing huge discounts to first comers wanting to spend the entire Summer. So in this park, with 15 FCFS, they are filled till about Oct 1st.

I enjoy the SPs, but things have changed there over the years, as camping popularity increased. Many SPs in my area have sites reserved from Thursday through Sunday night. In many cases no one comes Thursday, but show up Friday after lunch, and not stay Sunday night, but leave early Sunday evening.

Likely won't get better anytime soon. Things change, over time, and not always for the best!

2oldman...hope your stay works out for you! 🙂

Jerry

[2oldman]

Guy Roan wrote:

We have lots of spots that we favor in various state parks and try to get them when we reservuy

For one night?

[Guy_Roan]

I agree with DrewE.
We have lots of spots that we favor in various state parks and try to get them when we reserve.

For what it is worth: Before we book a site we almost always check to see if there is any problem backing into it with some one in the site opposite us.
You can usually do this on Google earth, if the park can't tell you

Guy

[2oldman]

DrewE wrote:
What do you do if someone moves into the campsite across the way while you're camping--can you pull out with them there?

I don't think it's the least bit unreasonable for them to expect that they will get the specific site they reserved, even if there are plenty of other open sites).

Pulling out is easy.. one move. Backing in, not so much. It's not that tight, it's perhaps my mediocre backing skills. I hardly think I'd be asking someone to move a trailer out for me. A truck, sure, I've had people offer to do that quite frequently.

We'll see if they even show up, and if some extra cash helps solve this little problem. If this was a several day stay, I'd be moving no problem. But one night? I hope they get here soon so I can quit fretting about it.

[DrewE]

What do you do if someone moves into the campsite across the way while you're camping--can you pull out with them there? And, if so, how is it that you cannot back in with them there? (And, if not, isn't it slightly hypocritical to expect them to move temporarily so you can leave, but not expect that you need to move temporarily when someone who has a reservation for the site you're using shows up?)

I can, at least to some extent, understand the desire to have some first-come, first-serve, nonreservable sites. However, given that they've done away with them, it really seems that the best way to ensure you don't have to move in the middle of your stay is to make a reservation--especially as that's really the main purpose of having a reservation, guaranteeing you a (particular) site.

While there's no harm in asking the party who's reserved your site if they'd be willing to move, I don't think it's the least bit unreasonable for them to expect that they will get the specific site they reserved, even if there are plenty of other open sites. I know I sometimes have particular reasons for reserving a particular site (rather than just choosing one that fits more or less at random).