RVing Etiquette

[robmcqueen]

For me, personally, I can tolerate a reasonable amount. That said, stay off my site, don't talk to my kids unless we (their parents) make first contact. My biggest issue really is the lack of pet etiquette. It's not campground specific, but campgrounds amplify the issue. I don't care how wonderful your dog is. I don't care how your dog walks on water. I have my dogs on a leash because of the rules. My dogs don't walk on water. My dogs aren't wonderful, especially when strangers approach their kids.

This doesn't mean we aren't friendly or social, but there used to be an unspoken rule. Say hi from the road and wait for an invite. Don't cut through sites. The list goes on. I do feel this is lost, especially in an age where every campground is almost always at capacity.

What is wrong with someone saying hi to your kids if they are walking by.

[dryfly]

Times have changed. It's inappropriate to say hi to kids, but folks are peeved when you don't say hi to their dog.

[WhittleBurner]

Times have changed that is on thing for sure. For the most part we have found people to be friendly and keep clean sites. The only time we re in a private CG is for winter in FL (6 mos if not more) If we are road tripping we look for State and Federal campgrounds. As a whole I think you get a better class of people at the state and fed parks that actually enforce rules.

We have had our share of idiots camping around us, both in public and private CGs over the many years of camping we've done. More of the rude idiots seem to appear in private parks from our experience. We have had some winners next to and across from us here in FL over the time we've been here, a few were even evicted from the park !
Several years ago we were back in the woods at a rustic small CG and there was a group of kids likely out for their spring fling. They started blasting rap music
After a few mins (did I mention my dislike for rap) I grabbd a SRV cd out of the truck, walked up to the group with my cd and asked if they felt the need to blast music to play something I like handing my disc over. (no takers, go figure) They first were stunned I had the mindset to walk up to them but they got the message and turned it down the rest of the weekend.

Sometimes if you take time to talk to the newbies that are not following the CG etiquette and explain what it is all about they start to understand. In the end it's all about respecting those around you bboth camping and everyday life.

[rbgntx]

We have camp hosted an RV park in northeast Oregon the last four summers. We have had some issues with kids but, in general, when I speak to the parents they are cooperative. Personally I would rather have the kids out riding their bikes and and doing general kid stuff than having their faces stuck in a phone or laptop. Adults are more of an issue. The owner tagged one with a $300 fee for her dog's poop that she didn't feel the need to pickup. As somebody else mentioned, often times we don't hear about something until well after the fact. We're not on the clock 24 hours and don't see everything. I repeatedly tell people if it is a serious problem contact us on the radio when it happens or if need be contact the Sheriff's department. It is difficult to address some issues after the fact.

[Scott'n'Wendy]

What is wrong with someone saying hi to your kids if they are walking by.

Ya, what's wrong saying hi? Maybe I annoy a lot of RV'ers? I say 'hi' to all the people I see. Including kids.

[trailrydr]

I guess after living at a popular lake fulltime in MO, has made me less "crusty around the edges" about folks letting their hair down while vacationing. Also, been there done that barracks thing with a bunch of soldiers heck-bent on living for the moment. Was even harder when I pinned the stripes on and had to judge folks I once hung out with socially. But hey, leading by example has its privledges.

So now... staying at CGs with the DW and thinking for some reason that anything is gonna be different, well, that dog dont hunt.... Same things, different folks, different places.

If Im busy doing things and someone wants to start a "hello", I just go with it. Always felt if someone takes the time to reach out its well worth acknowledging them. No need IMO to be rude or ignore someone trying to be pleasant. Theres just too many of the unpleasant types out there already without growing the herd. IMO, if one wants to be without these encounters they should probably not camp in CGs.

Payit forward can go a looong ways.... even in the military.

[Scott'n'Wendy]

If Im busy doing things and someone wants to start a "hello", I just go with it.

That's cool. I try not to bother a dude when he is busy...he could be just poking around or........ near the end of his rope trying to fix a problem...

[ajg617]

Times have changed. It's inappropriate to say hi to kids, but folks are peeved when you don't say hi to their dog.

Believe it is worse in the northeast - just too many events that demand some extra caution. But some of that was ingrained as a scout leader decades back - never one on one with any of the scouts for any reason ever - two-deep leadership and we had to practice that in a major defense contractor as well during annual reviews of subordinates. Different times maybe but our children were never in a public place without a parent or trusted adult and that was three decades ago.

I will say we have spent most of our time in the middle and northern part of the country and it appears to be a bit more relaxed. We used to take an evening walk around the campgrounds. Pretty much nobody outside. The few that were, we said hi to and about half completely ignored us - most of the rest said hi and then went on with whatever they were doing. I can only remember 3 couples that engaged in conversation in over 40 campgrounds and that was usually due to a hat I was wearing or the arrival of the GD mobile tech - most folks were invisible. Some of that might be COVID isolation mentality. Different story at Harvest Hosts where HH arrivals tended to be a bit more social (beer and/or wine helps. I would engage if someone is passing by but most never even attempted to make eye contact. I will say that the only time I don't like to be interrupted is on arrival/set-up or departure/tear-down - too many items on my checklist that could easily be forgotten.

[trailrydr]

That's cool. I try not to bother a dude when he is busy...he could be just poking around or........ near the end of his rope trying to fix a problem...

Me too... dont bother folks setting up unless eye contact, and then its just a how ya doing and back to whatever. But, for me I dont mind, I always review the check list anyway.... cause it dont take an interuption for me to miss something! LOL!

We have a couple that we meet up with in Branson every year. Weve become good friends and a couple of times whether setting up, tearing down or doing some maint they might pop up and start a conversation. Sure, It may have slowed the process down a bit, but, we always manage through it, double check the list, and have made some darn good friends in the process over the years doing it. Wouldnt have done it any other way.... and still do it today.

IMO, you never know what future friends you might meet, or learn from a simple courteous conversation.

[Tony_in_AZ]

2 yrs ago , we had a class C behind us in a RV park. Middle aged couple with 2 dogs , about 30 pounds each. The couple thought nothing of walking thru other folks camp sites as short cuts. They let the dogs run looose usually. That only lasted 2 days as the camp ground management staff had a "rules chat" with them from complaints.

The female did not take the talk about the rules too well. She would announce loudly about putting the leash on the dogs and other comments about walking around HER site , not other peoples sites.

We thought her actions were funny. They left a few days later. I do not remember any RV camp ground that does not require dogs on a leash. That is usually a state law too. Texas used to treat cats the same as dogs.. On a leash or keep the cat in your yard