When my husband and I were traveling in our RV we always stopped at a campground office to check in. If it was after hours we still stopped to see what their policy was. Did they want us to fill out something and drop cash in a drop box? Did they want us to call them for check in? Did they want us to park and pay before we left? No matter what, we always stopped to see. We manage a campground now and, at the office, is a stop sign. On the door of the office there is a sign that says everyone must stop and check in, no matter what time of day or night. I have had more and more people just go park, even in the middle of the day, and when questioned they tell me that every park has that policy. What do you folks find when you travel? Do you stop to check on the policy or do you park and then go find out what the policy is? I had a man tonight that said he figured we were closed and he didn't see anyone around. I was in the office and he ran the stop sign and never slowed down to see if I was inside.
Hi, If you wish them to stop then install one of those bars that are at rail way crossings. (Just make sure it is easily repaired!)
We always check in, in some way, and I woul suspect anyone who just drives into a park without stopping at the office first to be a potential freeloader. My proceedure is usuallY: A. Call ahead to check on site availability. If I'm arriving late, I let the staff know, and they usually leave an informational packet in a conspicuous place. B. When arriving, I always stop in at the office or check in kiosk to get info on sign in proceedures. I can't believe people would drive into a park, utilize the services, and not expect to pay, but I've heard of the same thing in other threads on this forum. These same losers are probably the ones who empty theiy holding tanks in wal mart parking lots, leave trash in fire pits, and let their kids and dogs run loose without a care for other people's comfort.
QUOTE(pianotuna @ May 16 2013, 09:13 PM) [snapback]33455[/snapback] Hi, If you wish them to stop then install one of those bars that are at rail way crossings. (Just make sure it is easily repaired!) We can't do that. If we did they would have to be installed at the hwy and that could be disastrous. Our campsites are set up in kind of a P shape and go all the way to the highway so it would be impractical to put up bars. It wouldn't be so bad but people do come in and spend a few hours and then leave. Since the office doesn't open until 10 AM most RV'ers don't want to sit and pay after I open. I don't understand why they can't stop at a stop sign and at least check to find out what to do. I have caught people leaving before. One woman told me she was headed to the office to pay but the office was 30 yards behind her and I happened to be at the end of the drive working.
10 AM is pretty late to have the office open. Might want to rethink that one. We call ahead to see if there is a site and to be sure it's big enough for all our stuff. Fortunately we have never had to come in late. Like to be parked by 5 PM at the latest. I really dislike it when an RVer comes in at 10 PM or later to park. Banging doors and yelling at one another as they get parked. If you are coming in that late find a Wal-Mart or truck stop and stay there for the night. We have done some workamping and in the winter I work in an office so am on call on evenings/nights that people come in after hours. However the winter job has a gate so they have to call unless they follow someone in. At summer campgrounds that we have worked at have heard stories from owners/managers of people coming in after hours and then trying to leave early in the morning to not pay. Have had several who got up early in the morning going around with a list to see who came in after dark wrote down license number just in case they tried to leave without paying.
QUOTE(Fitzjohnfan @ May 16 2013, 08:51 PM) [snapback]33456[/snapback] We always check in, in some way, and I woul suspect anyone who just drives into a park without stopping at the office first to be a potential freeloader. My proceedure is usuallY: A. Call ahead to check on site availability. If I'm arriving late, I let the staff know, and they usually leave an informational packet in a conspicuous place. B. When arriving, I always stop in at the office or check in kiosk to get info on sign in proceedures. I can't believe people would drive into a park, utilize the services, and not expect to pay, but I've heard of the same thing in other threads on this forum. These same losers are probably the ones who empty theiy holding tanks in wal mart parking lots, leave trash in fire pits, and let their kids and dogs run loose without a care for other people's comfort. I have to agree with Chris on all points well taken. If someone parks in a spot and you did not expect them or greet them, I would go out there and tell them to move to some other space just to make them move. IF a tow trailer, wait till they disconnect. Sooner rather than later they will gain respect and stop acting like they own the place. My dog does that. Take him around the park once and he thinks it's his territory. Thankfully I never seen anyone make a dump in a Walmart parking lot, then we don't use them to park our trailer in. I am surprised that Walmart doesn't have spaces for RVs with hookups and then charge for them. They seem to be quick to make money any other way. Ted formally from Conifer, Colorado and now in the Sunshine state.
I don't know that I've gone anywhere without reservations except one stop last year on the way back from Disney - pushed a few extra hours and stopped in NC, but we called ahead first. I've always stopped in at the office first, even with reservations, and even if it's a place I've been before and know exactly where my site is... it's really common sense/courtesy. I can't understand going in, setting up, and then sneaking out in the morning. These idiots give RVers a bad name!
We always stop and almost always call ahead. I suspect that some people come in late, set up, and leave early and skip the paying part. Being willing to sell your integrity for $25 is pretty bad.
Hi dalsgal, I'm sorry the gate idea won't work for you. How about coin operated power points? I know it would cost to put them in--but free loaders....well that's just ROTTEN. Almost no one who drives an RV can't afford the cost of a decent place to park for the night. I do love boondocking--but NOT at a campgrounds expense.
QUOTE(Nolan @ May 17 2013, 10:54 AM) [snapback]33469[/snapback] 10 AM is pretty late to have the office open. Might want to rethink that one. We call ahead to see if there is a site and to be sure it's big enough for all our stuff. Fortunately we have never had to come in late. Like to be parked by 5 PM at the latest. I really dislike it when an RVer comes in at 10 PM or later to park. Banging doors and yelling at one another as they get parked. If you are coming in that late find a Wal-Mart or truck stop and stay there for the night. We have done some workamping and in the winter I work in an office so am on call on evenings/nights that people come in after hours. However the winter job has a gate so they have to call unless they follow someone in. At summer campgrounds that we have worked at have heard stories from owners/managers of people coming in after hours and then trying to leave early in the morning to not pay. Have had several who got up early in the morning going around with a list to see who came in after dark wrote down license number just in case they tried to leave without paying. I work 9 hours a day as it is. If people had their way I would never leave the office. I am on call 24/365 and am always available for people to check in. I think that is sufficient for people wanting to camp here. This is a small CG and my husband and I are the only employees. The office is closed on Sundays except for people wanting to camp here and I can't leave the property without having calls forwarded to a cell phone. I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night to check someone in but I don't want to have to be out there at 6 or 7 AM so that someone can pay in the morning. I do have grass to cut, bathrooms to clean and other duties that I like to do before I open at 10 AM. In TX there is a law called theft of service. If you leave without paying you can be prosecuted. The bad part is the two times I have tried to do that for someone the Sheriff's department tells me it is a civil matter and they won't do anything about it. They don't want to bother with helping us. The DA agreed that we had a case this last time but the head Sheriff said our policy is not proper (the tenant signed and agreed to the policy) and he convince the DA to do nothing. I have spent hours already trying to get something done.
Ok, I have two small, relatively inexpensive possible solutions. 1) locks on the electrical hookups. You can unlock it when you guide a "paid" newcomer to their site. 2) a camera that could record freeloaders, possibly their license plate, and evidence of arriving and departing. Not sure how feasible they are for you, but????
We could do the locks but they could still hook up water and sewer and leave without paying or using electric. I don't see how recording license numbers would help since the Sheriff won't help and it would take many hours of my time going through the civil process. I love the suggestions you guys are tossing me. Part of the problem is that the owners want me to make sure people pay and follow the rules but can't afford upgrades and wouldn't spring for it since they see all this as my job. I'm not complaining because I love my job but I do get frustrated being responsible for getting payment without owner help with follow up.
This might be more work than you want, but it wouldn't be expensive. Since you said it's not feasible to put a gate to block traffic on your interior, why not fashion gates at each site secured with a "combination style" bicycle lock? The gates could be simple logs that you swing out of the way. The site gates would prevent someone from using a site without stopping at the office to get the lock combination. If they drive past the office they will have to come back. After hours they would stop at the office to call you for the combination after filling out their paperwork. This won't stop those who leave in the morning without paying, but I suspect that if they had to write down their names they would be somewhat more reluctant to skip out. They have no way of knowing that the Sheriff won't help to collect. Personally, I find this entire thread pathetic. The very idea that a significant percentage of people will "steal" from a business (and that's what taking a service without paying is) is IMHO a sad commentary on the state of our society.
It looks like the biggest problem is not just finding workable solutions, but finding workable solutions that will fit into the owner's apparent lack of support in solving the problem. That's a tough one...
I understand that the owners don't want to put much money into the property, but the best solution I can think of is a gate that opens automatically when you drive in but which requires a code when you leave. If people want to drive in without stopping they're going to have a rude awakening when they try to leave. After hours my solution would be to install a credit card reader like you find on gas pumps; after a customer has successfully processed his credit card the screen would give him the exit code for the gate. If you really want to crack down, have the exit codes be usable for maybe 3 exits per day. That way if someone wants to share the code with his friends who just drove in he may find himself locked in. Yes, all of this would cost money but it would be a one-time investment which would probably pay for itself. An alternative would be to find a source of "Denver Boots" and go around early in the morning and put them on vehicles that haven't checked in. Use the boots a few times and I bet word would get around that yours wasn't a CG to sneak into. :lol:
QUOTE(Lindsay Richards @ May 18 2013, 08:35 PM) [snapback]33492[/snapback] Just shoot a couple of drive offs and word will get around. Lindsay, you had my whole family laughing with that one!! Another suggestion from my XYL would be to put in those "sever tire damage will occur" spikes in the road, in your exit, and they can lowered with a button in the office.
Especially loved the "shoot em" suggestion. My bosses will not put any money into doing anything. I really like the owners but there are so many things I see that really should be done but they won't pay to fix. If I was to go around putting Denver Boot's on I might as well just stay up all night and then go knocking on doors. I have knocked on doors if I woke up during the night and saw an RV out there that I hadn't registered. Any gate we put up would also inhibit people from being able to even park in a few, rarely used, campsites. Because we are not a destination campground and located in a very small town, most of our people are permanent so these guys are in and out a lot going to work, school or just to shop so changing the codes would be a chore. I was chatting with one couple that came in for overnight and they asked if we had any permanent campers here. I told them yes and asked if they could tell which one. They couldn't and were surprised when I told them they were the only overnighters that evening. My husband and I work very hard to make this place look good and can't afford to pay for upgrades ourselves. We already have had to buy many of our own equipment for keeping up the yard. I thank all of you for your suggestions and your understanding. It is good to feel there are others that see "sneak in's" as someone trying to steal.
Unfortunately, the owner is correct in this situation. Any rock solid solution is going to cost many times more than what is actually lost when someone steals the services. The actual cost of service theft is the cost of the utilities they actually use. The best solution is agressive management of the park. A late night or early morning drive through with a note on the door that they need "forgot" to pay at the late check in box and that their license numbers have been recorded along with the amount they owe for one night will be sufficent to get most to pay. The other few are just chucked up to a loss, cost of doing business.
