RV Manners Matter

[magnusfide]

Feel free to contribute to this thread on tips for manners while you're traveling.

New RVers and seasoned RVers are getting back out there to enjoy the camping life after a year of shut-downs and quarantine. Thought it was time to go over some basic courtesies we should remember while we're guests in places where other folks live. We've covered it before on this forum but this is a new year and a new normal.

Some of these have been mentioned repeatedly in the past by forum members. Just in case we're suffering from quarantine amnesia here are some tips for being a good guest in someone else's community of residence.

-Check your toad connections - nothing is more aggravating then having a rig with its toad pull over into your lane with no warning. Cardiac events are not fun. Turn signals need to work on your toad too.

Loud Campers
-Keep your music quiet or turned off in the campsites - most folks don't go camping for their ears to start bleeding. Not everyone likes your music.
-Remember that loud parties and laughter are irritating after 9 pm when people start going to bed.
-Remember that generators make noise too. Try to avoid running them at night when people want to sleep.

-When visiting towns don't park where you take up more than one parking spot with your rig. If your rig is longer than a car go park in a designated RV area or Walmart. Locals like to report RVs that take up two or more parking spots and you're likely to find a ticket on your windshield.

-Pull out those old words called "please" and "thank you" and use them often. Rude tourists and visitors are not appreciated by locals and they will be less likely to encourage RVers to visit their community. Don't be that guy or gal.

-Some places still require masks and have other restrictions. Locals don't want to hear about how you don't have to (whatever fill in the blank) where you live. They don't care. They're just trying to follow the rules in their community. Be nice and comply without complaining. If you can't then remember your RV has wheels and move on to a place that has rules you like.

Experienced RVers - Feel free to contribute more courtesy tips in this thread.

[Veebyes]

What is with those bright LED light strings on the front of trailers these days or the lights under RVs like they are on some sort of magic carpet? If you want to light up like Vegas, go to Vegas.

Some of us like to open the shades & windows at night & to enjoy the darkness & fresh air of a SP or CP.

Same with awing lights which are not tucked up behind the awning lighting up the CG for yards away.

[magnusfide]

mdcamping wrote:
RV Manners start by following the rules & policies posted to every campground/Rv park, maybe we all can work to set a better example. :C

Mike

Yes, they do start with following the rules posted. But not all common-sense manners are posted to the rules. In all the decades I've been RVing I've never seen it mentioned in the rules that you shouldn't pester people to trade camp-sites.

[mdcamping]

RV Manners start by following the rules & policies posted to every campground/Rv park, maybe we all can work to set a better example. :C

Mike

[Piddlers]

The two common things wee see/hear are:
Adults & children walking through campsites to get from point A to point B.
People "double" clicking their truck fobs to lock their trucks so everyone else has to listen to the horn honk.

[Cloud_Dancer]

I'm usually the one who suggests how everyone should act. It's not easy being humble.

[toedtoes]

magnusfide wrote:
Another one:
Don't ask other RVers to trade campsites with you. And especially do not ask them to move so your buddies can camp next to you. Remember, it takes a couple of hours to set up camp. Their vacation time is at a premium just like yours.

If you want to camp next to family or buddies, make sure you make site specific reservations to make that happen. Otherwise, leave the other campers alone. The other campers are trying to enjoy their time too.

Yes. And don't take someone else's reserved spot and then complain that it will be too much work for you to move when they show up.

[toedtoes]

schlep1967 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Schlep - the good thing is that they turned it down when you asked. To me, that is "polite enough" and I take no issue.

I have found that sometimes those twenty-something males end up being better camping neighbors than families or older folks. Often, they are profiled by the rangers as trouble, so they try hard not to upset other campers and get kicked out.

They were very polite about it. I realize sometimes others just do not think about their surroundings.

They did seem to be burning a good bit of "grass" over there so maybe they just didn't want a whole lot of attention paid to them. :R

I think sometimes, they just figure "do it and see if anyone complains". They expect to have to turn it down but hope they won't.

[cptqueeg]

Picked up the new TC and first night camped in Bighorn NF. Of course the nearby camper ran their loud generator all night after it ran all day......AC wasn't close to being necessary. Just at dark, 9:30 or so, the campground came alive w trucks and a SxS(same campers w genny) creeping around and idling for extended times till well after 11pm.

Are folks so fixated on motors that they just can't stand quiet, much less silence? Or is it more "look at me w my toys!"

[magnusfide]

Another one:
Don't ask other RVers to trade campsites with you. And especially do not ask them to move so your buddies can camp next to you. Remember, it takes a couple of hours to set up camp. Their vacation time is at a premium just like yours.

If you want to camp next to family or buddies, make sure you make site specific reservations to make that happen. Otherwise, leave the other campers alone. The other campers are trying to enjoy their time too.

[schlep1967]

toedtoes wrote:
Schlep - the good thing is that they turned it down when you asked. To me, that is "polite enough" and I take no issue.

I have found that sometimes those twenty-something males end up being better camping neighbors than families or older folks. Often, they are profiled by the rangers as trouble, so they try hard not to upset other campers and get kicked out.

They were very polite about it. I realize sometimes others just do not think about their surroundings.

They did seem to be burning a good bit of "grass" over there so maybe they just didn't want a whole lot of attention paid to them. :R

[JimK-NY]

I travel in an RV in order to get out into the National Parks and other scenic areas. I want peace and quiet when I return from a day of hiking or whatever. Instead I often find that many people seem to enjoy sitting in the campground, drinking beer, cooking and playing music. I do not travel to make friends, share some beers and I certainly don't want to listen to anyone's music or their dogs or kids.

I fall into the category of a grouchy old man. I try to avoid RV parks and established campgrounds.

[toedtoes]

Schlep - the good thing is that they turned it down when you asked. To me, that is "polite enough" and I take no issue.

I have found that sometimes those twenty-something males end up being better camping neighbors than families or older folks. Often, they are profiled by the rangers as trouble, so they try hard not to upset other campers and get kicked out.

[schlep1967]

Had to revive this one.
This past weekend sitting in my site at 9:15 PM and three golf carts decide to park on the road about 100 feet from my site and chat. No problem with that but the ungodly bright LED off road lights aiming into my site blinding me was a bit much after 5 minutes or so.
I was "that guy" and yelled "Either turn the lights off or move on" Lights stayed on for about 10 seconds until the neighboring camper yelled "Kill the lights" much louder than I did.
Next day.... Sitting in the chair by the fire reading a book and listening to quiet music coming from my camper speakers. All of a sudden loud music starts playing from across the small creek and 40 feet of woods. So loud I can not even hear the music coming out of the speakers I am sitting 10 feet from. I gave it a few minutes. Thinking maybe they just really liked the song that was on. Next song came on and volume didn't change. I walked over to a site where 3 twenty something year old males are sitting within 5 feet of the blue tooth speaker. As one saw me coming toward their site he lowered the music and I politely asked if they could turn it down. I explained that as soon as they turned it on I could no longer even hear my music. They said "Yes sir, no problem."

[RHasse]

I'm fairly news to this forum, but not so new to RVing, been at it since I was a teen traveling with my parents. And I know things have changed a lot since those old days, but my bit of unsolicited advise for being considerate to your neighbors is, turn off the generator. Seriously, if you're boondocking out by yourselves, than go ahead and let 'er rip. If you're in a campground with others, without full hookups, just plan to do without the modern conveniences that require AC power, use your batteries and propane and save your neighbors from having to listen to your generator.

Earlier this year we did an extended weekend out in the So Cal desert in a campground with no hookups, one clueless TT'er started up his generator Saturday evening and it ran for about 4 hours. When he finally shut it down the entire campground broke out in applause. Please be considerate, turn it off.