Swim suit driers are so inconsiderate?

[K3WE]

It seems a lot of parks we've stayed in have rules against having a laundry line.

Sure, I can imagine that someone, somewhere went way overboard, but for your average family in your average RV park with a pool, a little laundry line strung between the canopy bars would be perfect for wet towels and swimsuits when the kiddies return from swimming.

The last park I stayed at said "dry your stuff in the drier"... yuck, that sort of screams "nasty cash grab!"

Now, instead of all of the classic "right of the park to set rules versus the right of the camper to go elsewhere" comments, I really would like to hear how many of you have ever seen over-the-top abuse of laundry lines, or are somehow inconvenienced if a neighbor throws a towel and swim suit over a line to dry?

...and from our resident RV park manager???

I just can't imagine that gross abuse of laundry drying is a widespread problem to the enjoyment of fellow campers, or that rules could not be written to address an extreme situation while allowing one to hang a few towels out.

[winnietrey]

JJBIRISH wrote:
We all state our opinions and convictions, not everyone agrees…

He expresses his opinions from a different prospective than you or I… that’s hardly Pontification… that’s what you can expect in a public forum such as this…

There is not a reason or a requirement that his position (one that is often common and stated by many CG’s in their rules) has to be agreeable by other forum members…

I agree, most small business owners are not getting filthy rich.

Just becuase a person can fog a mirror, it does not mean you want them as a customer.

You try and set rules, keep your place up, make it clean and attractive. And give great service

You want customers who appreciate that type of enviroment, who are happy to pay a fair charge and will return to your business.

I would imagine in the rv park industry, clothes, not hanging every where, dogs not barking all the time, quite time enforced etc attracts the type of customer you want.

Otherwise you are competing for the low end of the market , your park goes to heck, and you are reading on this forum how horrible your place is.

And then you go broke.

[wannavolunteerF]

I stayed in a Fla state park earlier in the year, and they had 4x4 posts with eyes for clothes line. It came in handy after DS and I dumped canoe in fast running river..

next trip out was at a different state park and I was saddened to see nails and cords in the trees are rear of site. cord had been there some time as tree was growing into it.

[mowermech]

Dutch_12078 wrote:

Pangaea Ron wrote:
westernparkowner

Could you please provide of list of your RV Park or Parks so that we can have reasonable expectations of the behavior that you expect.

The forum's rules do not permit him to mention his own parks by name.

That is why I am VERY careful about which Montana RV parks I use.
I have two favorites in Great Falls, the KOA and the AFB Famcamp. I don't think he is associated with either of them.
There is one about 16 miles West of East Glacier that I go to for the Glacier Waterton Hamfest. I don't think he is associated with that one, either. But, since I only go there for the Hamfest, and I dry camp under the trees in the meadow, I really don't care.
There is one in Deer Lodge that we stay in perhaps once a year. It doesn't match in any way some of the descriptions he has posted, so no problems there, either.
Then there is the one near Kalispell, close to the Flathead River, that we occasionally use for a day or two. I don't think he manages that one, either. Since we rarely use it, again, it doesn't matter.
The rest of our camping is in State Parks or USDA/Forest Service campgrounds. No problems.

[twins89]

Wow, such a hotly debated subject. Personally, after 24 years of camping with little kids and now without, I have never liked the clotheslines strung anywhere. We have a small extending rack that hooks to the back of the rv ladder. Once dry, the items are off. When we had a popup or a TT with no ladder, we had a small wire type dryer rack that we stood behind the unit. I appreciate no lines strung but a suit or towel on an awning is okay. However, everything seems to be abused today; barking dogs, screaming kids, loud parties,so I completely understand the owners and their rules. Move on if you can't comply.

[sowego]

I don't think hanging laundry out is "hillbilly-like". What's up with that attitude in our modern USA?

I know campgrounds don't want the whole week's wash out all the time but a few items should be excused.

I and most folks around here hang out laundry in the summer to take advantage of our hot dry conditions. That is at home, not at an RV park. I don't hang out laundry at an RV park to try to behave...

Clothes lines are the new "green" thing even though it the practice goes back to the beginning of time. So, once the modern dryer was invented someone somewhere decided clothes lines were suddenly "socially unacceptable"? Indeed I've lived in yuppy suburbia where clothes lines are banned.

Personally...I see clothes hanging on a line and I think "home".

I disagree with park managers wanting campers to dry their suits and towels in the facilities driers unless they run them through a wash cycle first. I would not unload a washer of clean clothes into that same dryer! That is tacky and unhealthy for everyone. Park managers should indeed insist dirty clothes of any kind should not be put in a clean dryer.

Wet suits & towels from a pool, lake or the ocean should be washed in soap water then dried before being worn again for human health.

Yes it is a dilemma...have skin problems from dirty suits & towels, or wash them and figure out how to dry them...it ain't rock science!

[dennislanier]

I believe most of us would have no problem with a few swimsuits and towels hanging on the awning rails, etc. Unfortunately, like every other part of society, the "give them an inch and they'll take a mile" rule must prevail. I GUARANTEE you that if a park allows clotheslines for a few items, there are those who will hang their entire wardrobe out to dry. Also, if there is any "gray area" as far as rules go, the park manager would be constantly refereeing, interpreting and explaining rules and trying to placate those on both sides of the issue. It is much easier to just post the rules and enforce them and allow potential customers to decide BEFOREHAND whether they want to stay in that campground or not. It is too bad that campgrounds have to make up rules for every possible situation, but those who cannot/will not be considerate of others make it necessary, whether it is dirty laundry, alcohol, pets or whatever.

[dodge_guy]

I don`t string a laundry line between "trees". so I have no issues with campgrounds with that kind of rule. Now of course I don`t hang my underwear out to dry after a sweaty day, so no one complains!

[Tvov]

Every campground we've been to so far (at least, that I can remember) has stated in bold "NO clotheslines connected to trees". This includes especially State parks.

We usually use one of the folding drying racks that people earlier in this thread posted about. Easy to set up, compact, work great. We've never had anyone say anything about using that to dry clothes.

Most private campgrounds we've been to, the prohibition on hanging clothes to dry is usually lifted to certain extent on weekends -- mostly in order to allow people to easily dry swimsuits and towels, and also (from what I can tell) to avoid having the camp hosts become "clothing police" to the weekenders. This is a "within reason" unwritten rule.

Interestingly, at a State park that wife and I camped at recently have a pair of 4x4 posts about 8 feet high at each campsite for people to string clothes drying line between. Possibly relating to an earlier post, this campground really was mostly a tenting campground, so people didn't have campers to hang stuff in or on or around.

[wa8yxm]

The more restrictive CG I stay in the rule is no clothslines OFF the RV, So if you run it to a tree, it's prohibited.

but if you have the thing that goes on the back of the RV with two poles and lines between them, Or hangs on your roof ladder.. That's ON the RV, (not off it) and is allowed.

The rule specifically states CLOTHS LINE.. They invoked it (last year) to prohib it me from tossing my 100' long wire in the air.. This year, they have yet to notice the wire (I'm choosign the parkign spots)

[Dutch_12078]

JJBIRISH wrote:
We all state our opinions and convictions, not everyone agrees…

He expresses his opinions from a different prospective than you or I… that’s hardly Pontification… that’s what you can expect in a public forum such as this…

There is not a reason or a requirement that his position (one that is often common and stated by many CG’s in their rules) has to be agreeable by other forum members…

Exactly!

[scbwr]

2milesup wrote:
Camp at clothing optional CGs, you won't see any unsightly swimsuits drying anywhere. Problem solved...

😉

Creative problem solving!!! But, that could lead to a long debate as to what form of human bodies should be allowed to wonder around in a clothing optional CG....at my age, I might be considered more of a problem than a couple of swimsuits and towels on public display!!

[2milesup]

Camp at clothing optional CGs, you won't see any unsightly swimsuits drying anywhere. Problem solved...

😉

[gotsmart]

I've read park rules where it states that the awning cannot be used for hanging clothes to dry and that clothes drying outside is limited to drying racks set up behind the RV - free standing or one like these:

[paulsang]

What a good read!:B

[S_Sullivan]

1) My shower is not large enough to handle swimsuits and the large beach towels used when swimming. And have you ever had to deal with that very sour smell when suits and towels aren't allowed to air dry properly. THAT is a big eewwwwww!

2) Like someone else mentioned - I don't need the extra humidity in my 5ver when hanging wet swimsuits and towels around to dry.

3) "Hillbilly" - yes, that would be hanging "clothing" (i.e. underwear, shirts, jeans, etc. etc) out for the world to see.

4) If any RV park owner objects to swimsuits and towels DISCREETLY hung out to dry, then I agree - not sure I would be welcome in his park. (Granted, the suits and towels should be removed as soon as they are dry. Doesn't usually take long.)

I live in a subdivision with a VERY strict HOA. We have what is called "view fencing" - we are not allowed a clothes line - however, most of us will hang our towels & swim suits on a rack in the back yard (that is visible from the street behind us and the park area behind us). There has never been a complaint, because we do it DISCRETELY and remove them as soon as they are dry.

5) Swimsuits are usually made of fabric that is NOT to be put in a dryer.

IMHO .... To the man with the PUP - and those with tents - I feel for you, if you "camp" in some of these "exclusive" places. I think DH and I will be moving on down the road to another park if we run into some of these park owners. 🙂