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Saturday, June 21, 2008

Sardine RV parks put the squeeze on your knees

I don’t know about your tastes, but as far as I’m concerned, I enjoy my space. In my mind there are few things worse than getting up in the morning to look out your window only to see your neighbor staring back six feet away. I avoid sardine RV parks like grandkids avoid vegetables. I have never seen RVs parked this close together even at the dealership. I’m not passing judgment on the folks who stay at these parks, just telling you how I fell about it. I prefer roomier parks with plenty of parking and green spaces. How do you feel about these shoe-horn parks? If you had a choice would you stay elsewhere? Let us know in the “comments” section below. When you’re parked this close you don’t dare put on extra pounds. Avoiding tight spaces - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

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posted by Jim Twamley at 6/21/2008 04:00:00 AM

46 Comments:

  • It is not where I would want to be.
    I like to have a better view, not another RV, or hear them flushing their toilet !! Happy Trails, Penny, TX

    By Blogger LakeConroePenny,TX, at June 21, 2008 8:19:00 AM PDT  

  • I'm with you! I like my space. We were staying in an RV park in Cody, Wyoming one summer and were so close to the RV next to us that we could not open our awning without hitting their RV! Much too close and very uncomfortable.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at June 21, 2008 9:03:00 AM PDT  

  • Oh I totally agree. And that's why we will never, ever dare go back to south Florida. The RV parks there are hell on earth, IMHO.

    By Blogger LiveWorkDream, at June 21, 2008 10:34:00 AM PDT  

  • Usually, I would agree. But, in QUEEN OF THE ROAD (yeah, I'm plugging my new book just out from Random House, about the year-long adventures full-timing in our RV), this is what I had to say about our Key West (actually nearby Stock Island) RV park stay:

    Parking in the campground itself was like being crammed into a sardine can with picnic tables, albeit a very laid-back, mellow, and happy one. (But just as oily – don’t these people know the dangers of tanning?) We’d never been in a park in which the amount of charm seemed inversely proportional to the amount of privacy. It would also be the most expensive place we had stayed in all year by far – a whopping seventy-five dollars per night. But since we were lucky to get any spot at all [it was Xmas] we just forked over our dough and got over it, mon.

    By Blogger Doreen Orion, at June 21, 2008 2:30:00 PM PDT  

  • I don't stay at places that park RVs that close. I'm self contained and would rather boondock in some big old lot in the back rather than be smooched in like that.

    In addition to being annoying, it's dangerous. I'm surprised the fire code lets them get away with that.

    I absolutely will not park that close to someone else. And I have, on occasion, moved when someone parked that close to me.

    By Blogger Brenda, at June 21, 2008 9:54:00 PM PDT  

  • I moved to Kissimmee,FL. from Milwaukee,WI. to get away from the cold WX. I find it refreshing to be in my own little home on wheels where my neighboor is not on the other side of the wall or 15 ft. away. My lot is 50ft by 180 ft and in the summer there are a handfull of people here at www.merryd.com but in the winter it fills up quickly. The people are nice but in the summer I'm glad that there are no snowbirds. There are still close by food stores and hardware stores and all the attractions of Orlando,Fl. just not so packed in, even in the winter. Redawg Rod

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at June 23, 2008 12:06:00 AM PDT  

  • Just pass up these sardine can lots and go to a rest area or truck stop or a walmart. If you run your generator these stops are not completely free but you are not insulted by paying $25 or more for nothing. Dave

    By Blogger David, at July 5, 2008 4:49:00 AM PDT  

  • I'm with you. I like to have room to extend my arms without touching the RV next door. It is also a safety issue when generators are in use. Travel safely.

    By Anonymous G B Strick, at July 5, 2008 6:22:00 AM PDT  

  • Last summer we stayed in a campground in Anchorage. We had a nice view of the woods out the back window of our 5th wheel - that's because the woods were ON the window as we had to back into them to get off the road. The RVs were all a few inches from each other when slides were out. To top that off, the park was within a few feet of the Alaska Railroad, which would "wake the dead" with its airhorn several times per day and night - and made the ground really shake. Did not like it at all. You would think with all that land ...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 7:10:00 AM PDT  

  • When I leave the center of my 100 acre spot on a mountain top, the last thing I want is a bunch of people crowding me. I make sure that when I pull in to a campsite that my RV can handle one more night at a Wal Mart if necessary.

    By Anonymous Vic, at July 5, 2008 7:20:00 AM PDT  

  • that is why I stay in State parks only now..........

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 7:46:00 AM PDT  

  • It's difficult for me to believe that it's even LEGAL to park as that Airstream and MH are in your pic! Seems to me there should be some building codes to enforce there!

    Personally, I'd rather be parked at the truck stop than where that Airstream is!

    Bob
    ixugkym

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 7:48:00 AM PDT  

  • I once stayed at a Park in Oceanside, California that had their own path to the beach, a 2 minute walk. But that place was a sardine can also & even winter prices were $35! I've never been back & I live in Arizona now & almost never travel to California any more.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 8:04:00 AM PDT  

  • Your pictures do not show a RV park, but rather, a RV parking lot. That is not what we bought our RV to do. The only way we'd stay at someplace like that is just as an overnight stay. Pull in late at night and leave early in the morning. But this looks like a dangerous situation to me. What if the rig next to you has a fire or something? Nope, I'd rather stay in a Walmart parking lot over one of these places.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 8:04:00 AM PDT  

  • I guess some poeple want it all. Have you considered that many smaller RV parks were built many years ago when slideouts were not around. Do you all expect RV park owners to rip out water, sewer electric and tv, just because you bought a much bigger rig!!!
    RV's used to be about 30 ft long. Now you all want pull throughs so you wont have to unhook your tow vehicle, or dont know how to back in to a space. Why should a small park owner take 2 spaces and make it into one, and loose income, and then have to listen to complaints on the price. You want twice as much space, then pay for 2 spaces and quit complaining or go to a large newer park that charges a whole lot more.

    By Blogger Diane, at July 5, 2008 8:06:00 AM PDT  

  • I disagree with Diane. This park is a hazard even for smaller RVs without slide-outs. I believe it is greed rather than practical planning that set the lay-out for this park. I would not stay there. It is not set up for anyone's comfort, just a "run them (RVers)through the chute" attitude.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 8:30:00 AM PDT  

  • I wonder if Queen of the Road and I were at the same Key West Park? It was called Jabour's where we stayed and I've heard it is no longer there - and I can see why. It was literally right at the promenade and dock area - we fell asleep at night to the lilting music of a steel drum band - lovely - even if we were shoe-horned into this tiny, friendly place. Do you remember the kids game where you tried to get the numbers in order by moving them around within a square? That was what this place was like - they literally had to often move one rig to get another into a space - fortunately for us, we were a small class B and they could squeeze us in for a mere $55 a night - a Key West bargain even in 2001. If not for a shoe horn, we wouldn't have gotten to enjoy being right at the wharf in walking distance to everything -- and oh, the steel drum music, mmmmm....

    Carol White
    www.roadtripdream.com

    By Blogger Carol White - The Road Trip Dreamer, at July 5, 2008 8:47:00 AM PDT  

  • I'd say it depends on whether it's just a stop-over-for-the-night park but you still want amenities or whether it's a destination park where you plan to spend time actually enjoying where you are. I'm the first one to fuss about a neighbor's noise, yet often once inside our RV it's our own little world so for a short period I can put up with closeness and shared hook-ups. The safety factor, though, is something that should be considered.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 9:13:00 AM PDT  

  • This is not a campground, it's a place where the owner just doesn't care about the customer, just the money! If campers started protesting this kind of treatment maybe the owners would get wise. We enjoy COE campgrounds and some state parks, NOTHING at all like these private parks that only care about the dollars per square foot of space they provide.

    By Anonymous Dan Lave, at July 5, 2008 9:39:00 AM PDT  

  • This is not the type of park I would want to stay at either! I can now see why people stay overnight at WalMart, looks like a very greedy park owner!

    By Blogger G William, at July 5, 2008 10:01:00 AM PDT  

  • We really do not enjoy being in those types of parks as you feel like you are intruding on others and them you, in the rig next to you. What really surprises me is that TL often rates some of those parks very high and when you have never been there, you often go by their recs and then when you get there, you are stuck. And they often are the higher priced parks also. Why are the ratings so high with some of these sardine parks? And how can you be sure before you get there what you are getting into?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 10:47:00 AM PDT  

  • With you on that Jim.
    Places like that are nothing more than a parking lot.
    I want space, trees, and green grass!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 11:39:00 AM PDT  

  • This is worse than parking at a fairgrounds for a rally. Like you, we avoid these sardine RV parks.

    By Blogger Vanessa Hart, at July 5, 2008 11:39:00 AM PDT  

  • Before my husband and I started RVing, back when we never thought we would do it, we used to pass RV parks like this one. We always said: "Wow, doesn't that look like FUN?" And we were being seriously sarcastic! No, that is not somewhere we want to be and will not be. By the way, re the post on Southern Florida -- we stayed this past winter in a state park there, at Estero, where there was lots of great vegetation between sites and one's neighbors were not wholly visible. It was great!

    By Anonymous Liz Carrico, at July 5, 2008 1:04:00 PM PDT  

  • We stayed in a campground like that near Santa Fe, NM. I'm so claustrophobic (sp?) and I couldn't open my blinds! Heck, all we saw out our windows was "white" from the 5th wheels next door!Thank goodness we were only there for a couple days and spent most of our time away from there with friends. We're with ya! Gotta have our space.

    Signed
    Starring at the desert in NM and lovin' it!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 2:50:00 PM PDT  

  • Even if they paid ME, I wouldn't stay in a park like that...Not only dangerous but why would anyone think that was 'camping'?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 3:19:00 PM PDT  

  • Hay, Jim I'm on your side, Maxwell is kinda like that, it's a overnighter. Myself, I'd stay at a truck stop, overnight, But, the Boss won't have any part of it. :-)

    By Blogger Paul, at July 5, 2008 3:31:00 PM PDT  

  • I must have stayed in the same park in Cody Wyo.--It was on the West side of town------Dianne has a point--If you want space BE WILLING TO PAY FOR IT---I stay in state, county, and city parks when possible and travel back roads....I live in Oregon and we have a lot of BLM and Forest Service Campgrounds....Love boondocking......

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 6:03:00 PM PDT  

  • I agree I live in Rhode Island and thats a small enough space for me so when I camp I want scenery of nature not neighbors.Mitch

    By OpenID gpsnick, at July 5, 2008 7:11:00 PM PDT  

  • This is a perfect example of an RV park owner whose main goal is to make a lot of money off of RV'er's. Pack as many in as you can. This type of greed as surfaced with the rising popularity of RV travel. I can only imagine the heartbreak of many new RV'er's who end up in places like this. These kind of park owners will certainly hurt the image of having a good time in an RV. The industry should take measures to penalize "tourist traps" like this that are not only fire hazards, but surely traffic hazards too with such little maneuvering room. For example, Good Sam should have a negative rating for "sardine-packed" accommodations.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 5, 2008 7:39:00 PM PDT  

  • No way would I like to stay there. I'd prefer not to hear my neighbor snore at night, I'd prefer not to share my neighbors cigarette smoke or for that matter, hear them light their lighters! I like privacy. This park would take out the element of comfort - it would be like talking to the kind of people that like to stand inside your comfort zone. No thanks! I don't like sardines....

    I'm with those that think places like this could be a potential safety hazard. What if your neighbors unit caught fire? Would this be like a bad hotel fire? Rv's going up on flames like a domino effect - yikes! Not a pleasant thought.

    TexCyn

    By Blogger TexCyn, at July 5, 2008 10:40:00 PM PDT  

  • What is the preferred space size? Are the state park sites larger than most privately owned parks? A few years ago we purchased a small park along the Salmon River in central Idaho, and its very common for us to space guests every other hookup just to give more room. Unfortunately, we just don't have enough guests to worry about having to space rigs side by side.

    It is true that small campground owners can't afford to remodel parks; there is 30' distance between hookups at our place. How does that rate in the comfort space quotient? Appreciate reading feedback about this.

    By Anonymous ABH, at July 6, 2008 9:58:00 AM PDT  

  • This looks bad!!! I can't imagine staying in a place like that. We're staying at Loop 289 RV Park in Lubbock, TX right now and the spaces are at least 20 feet apart, paved sights, green grass and level sites!!! Best park we've stayed at in a long time..and the prices are fantastic! Check it out if you're ever going through Lubbock.

    We're headed to Wyoming and I'm afraid we'll not find this kind of "comfort" there!

    Sandy
    Texas

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 6, 2008 1:16:00 PM PDT  

  • I like trees, shade and a mountain view and extra large lots. One of the finest is a new park in Custer SD called Custers Gulch RV park. Plan on staying awhile because you will love the area. Only twenty miles from Mt.Rushmore.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 6, 2008 5:06:00 PM PDT  

  • When I travelled in my motorhome, and I did not like the looks of a park, I did not stay. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO STAY THERE IF YOU DONT WANT TO. Go park in another place or a walmart.
    As for penalising RV parks who overcharge for very small places. Just dont stay there. IT IS YOUR CHOICE. QUIT COMPLAINING, and drive on.
    Have you thought of going to the internet and checking out web pages. Boy some of you need to grow up and start planning instead of complaining. Thank goodness there are still quite a few nice RV'ers left, who are all welcome to my park. Yes, I have large spaces, yes I take dogs. Some dogs are nicer than their owners.

    By Anonymous diane, at July 6, 2008 5:43:00 PM PDT  

  • These parks are exactly what makes us so happy that we bought a Thousand Trails resale on eBay. Not only that, but full timing we saved at least $14,000 the first year...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 6, 2008 6:19:00 PM PDT  

  • We stayed at a campground in Mexico that was so crowded they backed the 5th wheels into their spot with a fork lift. One morning I heard the neighbor lady chewing her cereal! No amount of nice warm weather or the ocean will entice me to ever go back there!

    By Blogger CJ, at July 6, 2008 8:05:00 PM PDT  

  • I find that if park has a dry camp area there is usually more space between rigs.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 6, 2008 8:35:00 PM PDT  

  • We stayed in a park in Ft. Lauderdale that was so tight the puppy from next door was able to go under the RV and chew all the wires. (Truthfully, we didn't actually stay in the RV. My husband realized, after driving hundreds of miles from Toronto, he doesn't like RVs. But that is a story for another post!)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 6, 2008 8:41:00 PM PDT  

  • I do not appreciate looking out my window and being able to know what my neighbor has for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 7, 2008 10:44:00 AM PDT  

  • I LOVE these parks that are close together. I'm the guy that keeps on dumping in my toilette and doesn't flush...but i keep the fan blowing(fantastic) ;)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 8, 2008 11:40:00 AM PDT  

  • Betcha a Shrimp dinner that park is on Mustang Island, a bit South of the ferry ? Takers ?

    By Blogger Ric, at July 9, 2008 8:24:00 PM PDT  

  • We'd rather be in the back of a Walmart than in that sardine can! We usually camp in the desert, so we end up with plenty of elbow room.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 11, 2008 12:33:00 PM PDT  

  • Well you'all, it seems like if everyone boycotted the sardine camps then they'd go out of buisness PRETTY DARNED QUICK...so some of you must love it...me I'd rather stay at home than be a fish in a can.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 17, 2008 1:07:00 PM PDT  

  • I would rather stay at home than camp back to back like that campground.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at July 17, 2008 6:42:00 PM PDT  

  • We are currently in an RV park thru the winter like you pictured but it is the only year round RV park here that we found. There was a possible other one but they wanted to charge us a base pets ok no extra charge but they wanted $100 extra PER CHILD! That would have put us at $800/mo. Think I will deal with the sardine park and pay less than $400 and still have what I need.

    By Blogger Renee, at September 12, 2008 10:07:00 AM PDT  

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