Camp ground peeve? - Page 2 - Montana Owners Club

Sunshine · 08-14-2005, 02:06 PM

We have been very lucky - so far most of our camping experiences have been good. We just returned from a 4800+ mile round trip to the Midwest and can only remember one thing to gripe about - stopped at a KOA outside Des Moines and the occupants of a trailer a little ways from us were playing rap music too loud. I pitied their immediate neighbors. Had one bad experience on another trip with a site that was too tight. It had been a trying day and we didn't stop until it was getting dark. I chose a campground in the TL directory that looked good, called for a space and they even waited for us to get there so they could guide us into the spot. This site was so tight we needed a shoehorn!! Barely enough room to put out the slides, and couldn't open the door all the way because the power pole on that side was too close.

adelmoll · 08-14-2005, 02:19 PM

It bothers me when people make a fire that is so huge it puts a danger to other sites or surroundings. We love to sit by the campfire but it's getting harder to find places that allow them because of a few that abuse them.

Helen

Bill Hill · 08-14-2005, 04:12 PM

Generally speaking, not obeying the rules. As I get older, the rules become more & more important. We travel in our trailer partly because Shari refuses to board our whippet, Danny. Like most owners, we think our dog is the best dog that ever lived, but are realistic enough to know that others may not think so. We love to be able to let him off-lead, but again, know that others may not care for it, and it can be dangerous for him or other dogs. One of the big reasons we chose a whippet was because they rarely bark and are usually quite content to be couch potatoes when not out for a walk with us. They are great travel companions, and you never, ever hear of a whippet biting or attacking anyone. People with dogs off leash always say "Oh, he's friendly, won't hurt anybody". Well I believe that of my dog, but he's still a dog, and you can never be quite sure what they will do. We ran into one "citizen" dry camping in the Bristlecone Pine area near Bishop, CA. We asked that he put his dog on leash when we came by with Danny (on leash). Got the usual thing about friendly, etc. I replied that I couldn't be sure how my dog would react when his dog got close. This idiot's answer was that his dog would certainly "take care" of mine. Makes me so mad I want to spit!! Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

Parrothead · 08-14-2005, 05:18 PM

Helen
I agree with you about the campfires. I forgot that one. We've been worried several times when in a CG that was tight to begin with and then a campfire way to big got started and then the owners proceeded to get drunk and noisy! Wow talk about inconsiderate campers.
Happy trails....................

richfaa · 08-15-2005, 02:02 AM

Educational thread and sort of explains why more and more campgrounds are not allowing fires or pets.We travel with a cock-a-too and for some reason campgrounds do not consider birds in the pet catagory..just dogs and cats. When asked if we have a pet we always say yes a bird and they always say ..oh that's alright..Don't understand that???Couple of years ago we were in southern Ohio, very dry year, no open fire alert in that area, No fire signs all over the campground, got a flier when you checked in that said..no fires..Folks next to us set up and proceeded to set a nice fire We told them fires were not allowed..the reply was..who are you the fire marshall..My reply was when you burn our camper down are you ready for the law suit. They went to the park manager and asked for another site because their neighbors us, were nasty.The park manager came down to question us, saw the fire, called the police and kicked them out of the park, said they would get a nice fine...There are some bad campers but on the whole campers are very nice folks.

drhowell · 08-15-2005, 02:06 AM

All to true Rich! Most camper I have run accross are nice considerate people but once in awhile you do get a jerk! I did like the part where the park manager actually followed through! Actually that is one of my peeves. Managers that don't enfore the rules, especially when brought to their attention.

Wordsmith · 08-15-2005, 02:25 AM

This is an excellent thread if for no other reason than to see that I am not alone in my "pet" peeves.

My overriding peeve, and has been since I was a kid camping with my parents, is people walking through my campsite. I pay for it and my outdoor supplies are there. Unless someone is there to see me, they have no business walking through it, and I am not referring only to children! So you see, Steve, it has nothing with being a curmudgeon!

Noise would have to be next, in any of its forms: adults, children, pets. Of course, the worst is the adults who think someone in the next site wants to hear their discussions or jokes. Just flat rude. Loud music has been less of a problem of late for us.

Of course, there are the people who treat the bath house like it is a pigsty. In fact some pigs might be cleaner.

As to pets, well, only the loud dogs bother me or those that lunge at us as we are walking. I have yet to find a cat that has caused a disruption. Truthfully, if one is not looking out of a RV window, I don't even realize they are there.

CountryGuy · 08-15-2005, 06:10 PM

Rude people in general.

People who think rules are for everyone else.

Loud music, if I can hear it 7 campsites away, can't you hear it in your own campsite??

Intruders in my space, I have boundry issues!

Pets not cleaned up after, pets NOT on a leash, pets (not tied up or contained) that chase me and my yorks around campgrounds and attack us.

Children (of all ages) that walk or ride their bikes in the middle of the street of the campground and refuse to move when we are driving. One story, true, driving thru campground, see a kid on a bike coming right at me in the middle of the street. I stop, ohhhh, 30 foot away from him. Complete stop! Kid keeps riding and would have run right into me, ohhh, he finally did see me about about 5 foot from my fender.

People who leave their trash, including the babies poo poo diapers, in the campfire pit. If I have to clean up after my dog, the least you could do is clean up after your human baby! Pick up your cig butts and candy wrappers too, please. Ohh, and those pumpkins were real cute at the Halloween campout, you sure were creative, but I did want to use that table the next week when I camped in the same site. YUCK, pumpkin guts can turn real nasty when not cleaned up!

In short, follow the rules and leave the campsite at least as clean as you found it, cleaner would be even better!

SAndreasen · 08-16-2005, 02:01 AM

Cutting through my campsite is one of my big peeves. My camp site is my home (for the time being). Respect it as such. You wouldn't just walk in some one else's house, Why just walk through someone else's campsite. l love pets. The only difference between our pets and our kids is sometines we can't (legally) claim our pets on our 1040s. Our pets should be fun to have around for everyone, So, pick up the doggie dung.

SAndreasen · 08-16-2005, 02:11 AM

I, also, agree that MOST campers are very friendly polite people but there are always a few who spoil it for the the rest of us. Even with our "pet peeves" just remember we are blessed by GOD almighty to able to experience the RV life and all that entails. ENJOY while you can!

toolmanroy · 08-16-2005, 04:53 AM

I do agree with being annoyed at those who cut through your site. Here in Oregon we enjoy the state parks, which have trails, but parents are not teaching their children to use them. If it is easier to cut through, why would you mind if it saves them a couple of feet?! We don't mind the noise of playing children as long as the parks enforce quiet time, and we have found the state parks to be really good about that. We are not fond of KOAs, as we have stayed in a few that had beautiful setting for tents and cabins but stuck the RVs in an open field with doors that touched when you opened them. I would really like a listing in the campground information about nearby noises, such as highways and trains, and also how wide the sites were, shade or not, etc.

Old GI · 08-16-2005, 05:56 AM

One of my pet peeves is getting to a campground and finding out that the slot you selected, reserved and paid for in advance has been given to someone else. Then the campground folks try to stuff you into the slot that the other person didn't like. I have an eight year old grandson and he has been trained not to cut through anyone else's site and to leave people alone, he is a very friendly little guy and loves to talk, on and on and on and on. Campers who lug their pets along are also nuisances, especially the little yappy ones who bark at you when you are sitting in front of your camper, in Kissimmee I had a guy pull his truck up behind my camper and wash it. So here is how I handle it, I take care of my site my kid and my dog, we keep our site neat and clean and quiet, we pick up after our dog immediately. Final gripe, the campground pictures that look so good until you get there and find out that the site in the picture is the only nice one. Ok sour grapes, I'm having a lousy day.

jrgwdenner · 08-16-2005, 06:29 AM

I have read a thread on another forum about this same subject and I have to admit that I was surprised at how territorial RVers are. I respect their feelings but it's seems to be so contradictory to want to stay in the great outdoors but not have anyone step on their site. Seems like some folks should just put up a fence. Especially in a natural setting like a state park, it is often safer and quicker to pass through the edge of someone's campsite, and as long as they don't harm my stuff, I won't let it bother me.

One of my pet peeves are cigarette butts that are just thrown around on the ground or in the grill. Those butts don't decompose so they're there forever. People who would never throw trash on the ground don't discard their cigarette butts properly.

We travel in a Montana so that our entire family can go with us, namely Glen, me, and Greta. It's our mobile doghouse. Greta is a well-behaved dog and we clean up after her and, most of all, we enjoy having her with us.

tweir · 08-16-2005, 08:30 AM

Like many others here, the thing that bothers us the most are folks who drink too much & get "potty-mouth"---reallllly loud "potty-mouth". Geeeeshhh...!

Dustytuu · 08-16-2005, 06:11 PM

I agree with Old GI. We have had our space given away, that we had reserved for 4 months! In fact we called them every month to check and they moved our reserved space 4 times before we got there. We go there every July 4th and will probably go someplace different next July 4th. We did end up with a shady space but it was tight and took us 15 minutes to get in it. We always pick up after our dogs and when I see someone not do this, I say something.

toolmanroy · 08-16-2005, 06:56 PM

I think you misunderstand, Judy. It is not that it is such a terrible thing to have someone come through your site, but it can be disturbing and it does show a general lack of respect for others. We are friendly and prefer the parks where families are camped and enjoying themselves, but something happened between my generation and this generation who thinks whatever they want to do is OK regardless of whether it bothers or disturbs someone else.

RADHAZJOE · 08-16-2005, 10:34 PM

campgrounds using deceptive adverts. They say they have water, sewer, 50 amps, but don't say not at the same sites.

Glenn and Lorraine · 08-17-2005, 01:19 AM

Another pet peeve is screaming, out of control kids.
Within an hour of arriving in our present campground we noticed we had a 4 or 5 year old girl staying with her grandparents in the rig directly behind ours. It wasn't hard to notice this little brat as she was screaming at the top of her lungs. Grandma tried her best to quiet the spoiled little brat but to no avail. Lorraine and I looked at each other and thought "here we go again". The childs screaming also bothered the manager, whose trailer was just next door, but before they could say a word Granny had loaded the brat in her car and left the campground. It was about an hour later we found she had taken the kid home to the parents and left her there. Not that's what I call neighborly.

wileecoyote985 · 08-17-2005, 04:09 AM

"I have read a thread on another forum about this same subject and I have to admit that I was surprised at how territorial RVers are. I respect their feelings but it's seems to be so contradictory to want to stay in the great outdoors but not have anyone step on their site. Seems like some folks should just put up a fence. Especially in a natural setting like a state park, it is often safer and quicker to pass through the edge of someone's campsite, and as long as they don't harm my stuff, I won't let it bother me."

Judy;

I don't think most here are talking about someone who skirts the edge of your campsite on the way to the beach or something. They're talking about those few "special" people who think nothing of wandering onto someone's site just like they own it. If they do it at my site, I either ask them to help pay the rent, or ask them what site they're in, so I can go spend some time there. It's funny but they never seem anxious to share THEIR site.

Another issue that no one has mentioned so far is; Campers who wait until way past check out time to vacate their site. For some reason this seemed to happen much more frequently this past winter at the park we stay at. Makes for some interesting discussion between the outgoing and incoming campers. LOL

Montana_2779 · 08-17-2005, 05:47 AM

Definitely on board with Glenn's screaming kid issue! I hang my head in shame: it seems to be my generation (30-somethings) that have lost all touch with any parenting skills (no, Cheryl and I don't have kids-- can't stand the noise). My generation seems to simply ignore childrens' noise in public the way they do at home. The concepts of "using an indoor voice" and "children should be seen and not heard" appear to have gone the way of the 8-track player. We have seen, time and time again, parents in this group turning their kids loose in RV parks like the parks were giant day cares (Parents oblivious to the blood-curdling screams from over-excited kids).

Oh how I wish I could go back to the days where the kids played quietly at the designated playground while the adults enjoyed a cocktail (not a 12-pack per person) and listened to Herb Alpert instead of the local rock station at full blast. (Yes, I like rock. It just seems more appropriate in my headphones!! I have some stuff that would curl your toes--- I just happen to realize that no one else wants to hear it!)

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