What Do People Expect In A Campground?

Oh really. I really did not even notice. thank you so much. And you can not know about traveling with your pets? Or maybe I should create a topic about it? We have Goldendoodles. This is a very kind and educated dog. We always monitor what he eats and how he feels, I think that there should be no problems with him.

 

You are most welcome. Most parks and campgrounds allow pets (dogs and cats) but some do have restrictions as to breed and size, etc. And some will no allow cats so my suggestion is to check with each park in advance to make sure as to what their policy is. We travel with a small Chihuahua but we've seen some RVers that travel with huge digs get turned away when checking in or asked to leave when it's found out they have them. And breeds such as Pit Bulls are not readily welcomed at many parks. I'm reasonably sure you won't have any problems at 98% of the parks you go to but again, be on the safe side and ask before making your reservation............

BankShot...............(aka Terry)

 

As said, most parks are leashed pet friendly, although some do have breed restrictions, often due to insurance requirements. The key is to do your homework ahead of time, checking the rules usually listed on each parks website. We traveled with our 65 lb dog for most of her life, and never had a problem finding parks where she was welcome.

 

Greetings Minin33. Welcome to the forum. I doubt you will get a reply from the original poster as, what BankShot pointed out, the quote is pretty old.

Having said that, we would like to add our two cents. We are now full time travelers and bring with us one very spoiled Miniature Poodle. We have only ever experienced one incedent regarding our dog.

We were staying at a park that did not have a designated “pet “ area. We were walking our dog on the roadway exiting the park when another park user came running out of his trailer screaming for us to get our filthy mutt out of his sight. This is one event over more than 40 years of camping. We have no idea what our fellow campers problem was as we ignored him and avoided nearing his site.

We can say that there are many irresponsible pet owners out there. We maintain that they are a minority though. We do make comment in out reviews as to the amount or lack of dog poo left around. We believe it is up to park management to police pet owners. Having said that, we never leave home without extra bags. We have been known to offer our spares to those who tend to look the other way while their dog does his business.

Our advice is to be responsible. Our dog may be very spoiled but she is also well trained, behaved and looked after.

Darrell & Jerry

 

Unfortunately, that's very common. Too many campers ignore far too many rules regarding their pets. "My dog has never needed a leash" as he runs through my campsite. "I always pick up after my dog" as I watch the owner walking his dog, watch him squat, and then simply move on. "My dog has never hurt anyone" as he runs into a neighbor child who's playing on my site and knocks him down.
We have had dogs (none right now) and they have camped with us. And we have always followed the rules. So I totally agree that without being responsible we can't reach comfort.

 

It's always hard to find true reviews though, some could give it a pretty bad rating because of their own personal taste, or an unsavory experience. Yes, it's always great to look for nice clean campground, showers, sewer, water, electricity, trails, good connection - though having all the basics isn't a reality most of the time.

 

So my question is this? What do people expect in these little side of the road type parks that noone probably stays in for more than 1 or 2 nights?[/QUOTE]

We are new to the RV world and I have noticed that a lot of people here in Oklahoma/Texas live in these RV parks. That being said, we have stayed in a couple that have a lot of rules and those, I don't mind that there are permanent residents, the sites are maintained and are a decent size, so you aren't on top of your neighbor. But we have been in a couple that literally look like junkyards, cars everywhere, junk everywhere. Those RV parks we will not return to, I want to sit outside and enjoy my campsite and hopefully have a view of something nice. Not always possible, but I would like to try.

 

I agree with most of your post, but I don't expect that I necessarily will find anything attractive about sitting outside my RV when I'm at a "one-night" park on my way to some other destination.

We view our MH as a "mobile hotel" that allows us to go places; we don't treat each stop as a "camping experience." Therefore, I don't expect all that much from parks that would fit into KOA's "Journey" category, those that are just stopovers. Sometimes we are pleasantly surprised, but all look for is a clean, easy-to-access site that is sized appropriately for our rig. For an overnight site we probably won't sit outside, anyway.

 

I judge a park based on how well they represent themselves. Do they offer what they claim to offer? Is what they offer good quality? For example, if they offer full hook-ups, I expect water, electric, and sewer, and I expect all three to be in good working order or quickly fixed (or for me to be moved to another site if there is a problem).
Another biggie--if they post rules, are they enforced? If they say that quiet hours start at 10pm, but no one is available (or if they refuse to) to address the partiers next door, then that's a problem.
Are the park and it's amenities sufficiently clean and in good repair?

Parks are very diverse, and we visit different parks for different reasons. The last park we visited was a state park. It had water, electric, and sewer. No wifi. No pool. No special activities. It did have nice large, well-kept sites and pristine restrooms.
Last summer, we visited a Jellystone park. It didn't have the large, pristine, level site that our state park had, but they had lots of entertainment for our family.

I do look at the ratings, but I read the reviews heavily. We are family people. With the exception of anniversary trips, we go to parks to spend time with our family. Sometimes, that's just us and our children, and sometimes my parents and/or close family friends will join us. We might have a glass of wine or a mixed drink, but we won't get drunk and loud. We play games with our children, and we keep it clean. We don't want to be around people that are loud and drunk. If a review says, "That jerk manager made us turn our music down, called the sheriff," etc. and "we were just having fun," then I'll take that to mean that the place is more family-oriented and good for us. If the reviewer notes that it's a great place to throw back some drinks with friends and "have a good time," and if the manager is "super cool and laid back," then I'll know we might want to skip that one.

Edit: I do like to know about road (or other) noise, even if it's something that is out of the park owner's control. Some reviewers comment on it and say, "there is road noise since it's close to the interstate" or "there is road noise, but I couldn't hear it while in my trailer," etc. This helps. My husband is not a sound sleeper, and if the road noise is too much he won't be able to safely drive the next day. If it's only moderate, we'll know it's a place that will work for us for overnight.