Number Of Parks Given A "1" Review

As stated in other posts, RV Park reviews are very subjective. What is important to one person may not even register with another. But, a reasonable person can usually read through the reviews posted for a park and get a good idea of the quality of the RV park.

I have used RVParkReviews as a guide since we started traveling in our motorhome in 2007. So far, we have been fortunate and have only stayed at a couple of places that were below average.

I have found that friendly and helpful staff frequently make up for places that don't have a lot of amenities. Likewise, I have stayed at parks that have lots of nice stuff, but have a rude staff which diminishes the enjoyment of staying at that location. So, there is a lot of "give and take" when reviewing a particular park.

Bottom line is this is the best source I have found anywhere for finding good parks to stay in while traveling. Oh, and the new format is great.

 

It always makes me groan when a reviewer devalues a park based on things out of the parks' control - cell phone coverage for example. I also noticed that a reviewer devalued a park in Florida because the cable TV had too many Spanish channels! Not exactly something the park has any hand in!

 

It is all a matter of OPINION. While someone may downgrade a park for bathrooms I will not because I rarely used them.

 

I encountered a review of a CG in Grand Teton NP which was critical of the lack of wifi, the lack of OTA TV and the trees that blocked satellite reception. The fact that the CG was smack in the middle of some of the most beautiful scenery in the US was, apparently, not significant to the reviewer.

 

Everyone has their own system. I start with a 10 & deduct 1 per item that irks me. 1 point gone for poor value for money. The higher the rate, the more services I expect included. I don't expect a state park to provide WIFI but I don't expect a SP to charge as much as a commercial CG either. An unenthusiastic staff member won't cost a point. A rude one will. A pricey CG that nickel & dimes for WIFI, a fire ring, cable etc. extra is going to lose a point per item. Not having a table will cost a point anywhere. Not having a fire ring depends on the CG. One is not expected at a near intersection overnight style CG. One is at a destination type CG. I don't deduct for lousy weather or trees that might block a satellite signal. I don't deduct for any nuisance a neighbor might make of themselves. I don't deduct for uneven sites in SPs that were obviously around long before todays monster rigs.

For me a CG would have to be pretty bad to rate lower than say a 4. Can't recall ever getting down to a 1.

 

I have noticed that in the new format I don't see many 1's now. Until recently there were almost always at least 1 or 2 every time a new batch was reviewed. I am curious to see if they CG's are getting better or if people are just not giving low scores now.

 

We do still get 1's, but I've noticed that for whatever reason, both good and bad reviews seem to arrive in clusters. I don't know why it's like that, but maybe we're just on our good cluster cycle right now.

 

During the main RVB travel season (May-September) there are a LOT more families, vacationers, and newer RVers out there submitting a LOT more reviews than we see now that it is mostly full-timers and retired folks. These folks don't stay at 5-10 RV parks in the course of 2 or 3 weeks. It is a simple matter of volume.

 

You said it, Veebyes! What it comes down to for me, is "did I get what I paid for?" $20 a night....I can do without the amenities. $60 a night....I've paid for those amenities and I want 'em. I will mark down for not receiving them.

 

i've stayed somewhere i would give a 1 to.. it was for a park that was so horrid that we just left... we couldn't stay. the owner was the one who checked us in, and something about the way he talked and acted made it feel like he was a sleazy used car salesman trying to pull a fast one on us, and the office had NO groceries in the "store" and smelled like stale cigarettes and dog urine, the park was HORRIBLY mis-represented (beautiful pictures from years ago, park in a shambles when i was there, indoor pool advertised as a feature closed indefinitely due to a caved in roof, satellite bathhouse closed due to stolen copper plumbing, weight room and game room advertised as a feature were constantly closed to "keep the troublesome neighborhood kids" out of them, paddle boats advertised but pond choked with algae and closed indefinitely... there was more, a LOT more, but you get the idea). and even though we asked for, and were told, we would have a full hookup site on arrival, we were initially placed in a water/electric site because it was "all they had available" (the park was 99% empty at the time, and the few who were there looked like a squatters tent village draped with tarps and everything) and were later moved to a full hookup spot that was laid out so poorly i was diagonal in my site, with the front corner of my trailer inches from the road, my 10 foot sewer hose stretched as far as it would go in one direction, 25 foot water hose stretched as far as it would go in another direction, and my 25 foot electric cord stretched in yet another direction. advertised wifi was non-existant, and no cell service anywhere in the park.

the local scenery was gorgeous which was why we tried to stick it out, but it was just too bad.

 

I have learned so much from reading this. I think I have been underposting the things that are most necessary, leveling, trees, quiet, etc. I focus on the aesthetics and the drivers of RVs need more practical information. thanks for helping me focus...

 

I suggest your reviews should reflect your feelings about a park. Don't try to write reviews oriented towards what you think others will be interested in because everyone's interests are different. For example, trees can be both good and bad. They can be attractive and provide shade but they can also make maneuvering difficult for larger rigs and they often block satellite TV access. Leveling can be an issue for towables but is usually far less of a concern for a DP. We don't use RV park bathrooms or laundries and never comment on them. Let your reviews be your perspective on a park; they will be more sincere and accurate than those you write for others.