Dumb Question about Tent Only sites

[maria_bettina]

Ok - We are seriously thinking of buying an ATC Panther shell or a Four Wheel Hawk shell. With a pop-up cabover camper, can we use Tent-Only sites?

[Eric_Lisa]

Grit dog wrote:
Cool. So the answer is yes or no or depends.

I think there is a difference between "tent-only" and "no hookups" campsites. While a "no hookup" works for a self-contained RV and has a tent pad, a "tent-only" probably means just that.

HTH,
-Eric

[GeoBoy]

Grit dog wrote:
Cool. So the answer is yes or no or depends.

That’s right.:B

[toedtoes]

Grit dog wrote:
Cool. So the answer is yes or no or depends.

Yep. That's basically it. Too many variables by region, type of campground, biases of camp hosts, and so on, to have a single answer.

Best thing is to ask politely and accept the answer politely at each campground. Don't take a no answer personally. And just enjoy your camping.

[time2roll]

Check with the person in charge. Expect to camp like those around you with probably no generator.

[Grit_dog]

Cool. So the answer is yes or no or depends.

[toedtoes]

towpro wrote:
look at the other side of the coin. If I am tent camping, I don't want to have to listen to the noise and light pollution caused by RV's

heater cycling all night
hot water heater running
water pump cycling on and off at night
TV's running
worse yet Generators running
lights turned on all night.

ON the other hand as an RV owner I avoid tent sites because they seem to have a higher rate of late night partying. I realize in some spots if the nation its inherently cooler (like out west during summer) but I have seen people with tents running generators so they can have AC in the tent.

I've seen and heard tenters using generators for all sorts of things - including lights (all night), AC or heaters, tv or stereos or projectors for movies, fridges, etc.

At the smaller campgrounds I visit (under 50 sites), tenters are mixed in with RVers with no problem. Usually a tent only site designation is made dependent upon tree growth over the sites and varies each year.

At larger campgrounds (over 100 sites), there are tent only loops that have the group parking pad and you walk a ways to each site.

At none of these campgrounds are there "RV only sites" - whether hookups or not.

[Dually]

towpro wrote:

ON the other hand as an RV owner I avoid tent sites because they seem to have a higher rate of late night partying. .

That has been my experience, BTW in FL state parks for the most part if you fit in the site it is ok to camp in it

[towpro]

look at the other side of the coin. If I am tent camping, I don't want to have to listen to the noise and light pollution caused by RV's

heater cycling all night
hot water heater running
water pump cycling on and off at night
TV's running
worse yet Generators running
lights turned on all night.

ON the other hand as an RV owner I avoid tent sites because they seem to have a higher rate of late night partying. I realize in some spots if the nation its inherently cooler (like out west during summer) but I have seen people with tents running generators so they can have AC in the tent.

[BradW]

We have stayed at many "tent only" site in our truck camper. Never had a problem if it fits in the parking spot.

[jimh406]

In WA, State Parks haven’t cared if I parked my Truck Camper or not in Tent areas. In those areas, tent just means no rv pad and no improvement for RVs. However, Yellowstone explicitly calls my rig an RV. That means no camping at Tent spots according to the guys on the reservations, and also means no driving on roads that don’t allow RVs if my Truck Camper is on.

BTW, I’ve been down a few of the roads in Yellowstone when I took off my Truck Camper. I can’t imagine a problem driving them with the Truck Camper. I think it’s just simpler to so no which I’m ok with.

Sure, it’s kind of arbitrary, but those are the rules as far as I can tell. There are also explicit hard side camper areas in Yellowstone if Fishing Bridge is open.

Once upon a time, I think the intent was to separate the quiet tent campers from the RVs, but as noted, that isn’t very real any more. There are just as many loud tent campers as loud RV campers.

[toedtoes]

I stay at mostly NFS campgrounds. A truck with a camper shell is usually OK. The exception would be those campgrounds that have a parking lot with tent sites surrounding it. They don't want people camping in the lot itself.

Full size truck campers are a bit different. Depending on why they made that section or campsite tent only. Sometimes they make a site tent only because there is too much tree cover that would cause problems (and complaints) with RV campers. Sometimes it is the size of the pad - too short to allow a small trailer and tow vehicle. Sometimes it is the access road and tree growth, tight turns, etc. They just don't want people trying to take longer vehicles or trailers on that loop road.

Then there are some campgrounds that make a tent only loop because their campers have pushed for it. Those are unlikely to make exceptions.

As for tent campers moving into their vehicles on a given night or weekend due to temps, wind, rain, etc., that is completely different than camping in your truck camper.

You're most likely to get OK'd outside of peak season. Sites with individual parking pads in amongst standard (tent or RV) sites are your best bet - they are just usually set aside for tenters due to a separation of the pad and the picnic table and fire pit area. And since there are RVs camping around them, there is unlikely to be complaints.

As tent campers are just as likely to have generators, etc., these days, I have found that "noise" is usually not a concern for not allowing truck campers, etc.

[GeoBoy]

Hi Maria, not sure what bed-size is on your Tundra. Assuming it’s the mid size, a Four Wheeler Hawk should fit. Being on the West coast, where their manufactured, I would look for a nice clean used unit.
In regards to your question, we were heading out to the West coast and it was time to call it a day. We were coming up on Cheyenne,WY, it was a busy weekend, we called the KOA and all they had was a tent site with water and 20 amp electric, our AF 990 on our 1 ton dually fit wit no problem. That is the beauty of a truck camper.

[maddog348]

Sorry to say my Hawk must go in an RV site. Tent only means TENT ONLY. And that was the 1st night out in the rain and it was not even complete then. Jim my hosts were not as genial as yours. Have fewer problems at the 'parks' than say 'KOA type' How ever 'walk in tent campsite means car parked somewhere else

JM2¢ ~~ YMMV ~~

[JimBollman]

Didn't see anything about National Parks in the original post so I'll jump in. I have camped many times on tent sites but mostly in private rv parks that were happy to have a no hook up small popup slide in truck camper parked in the low rent district instead of taking one of the premium spots.