Camping Etiquette

[RobWNY]

Dear inconsiderate Campers, Please take note of this thread. If any of this sounds like you, please listen.

We just returned home after a long weekend camping trip at the Indian Creek RV Resort in Geneva On The Lake, Ohio. It's a very nice private campground with several full hookup, pull through sites. Mostly seasonal campers but there are many sites available for us weekend warriors. It's a pet friendly park and I would guess 75% of the weekend campers had dogs. All of them we encountered were very friendly and well behaved. Very little barking when they were outside and none of them were aggressive but there were some issues. Keep in mind that I like Dogs so this isn't a dog hating complaint, but please understand that I don't want to listen to your dogs bark for several hours because you decided to go out drinking and left your dog cooped up inside your camper. I also don't want to have to pick up your dog's business because in the morning, you let them out unleashed and they wandered off to our site to do that while I was sitting quietly enjoying a cup of coffee at my picnic table.

Another issue I want to address is when a campground's rules lists a quiet time of 11pm, that means 11pm. It doesn't mean that because you've been drinking since Noon, that those rules don't apply to you. Not everyone in the campground wants to hear you whoop it up because your favorite song started playing. I'm pretty sure everyone understands that it's a song you like because if it wasn't you wouldn't be playing it. Understand also that not everyone in the campground listens to the type of music you enjoy, at a decibel level that can be heard 10 miles away. Especially not at 2AM!

So please understand that I like to have fun as much as the next camper. I enjoy drinking beer, playing music, laughing, carrying on etc. But I do it within the rules of the campground I'm at and do my best not to impose my idea of fun on the campers next to and around me. I'm asking for a little consideration and to understand that when you paid money to spend a few nights at a campground, so did everyone else. You did not receive the right to do whatever you want because you've had a bad week at work or are under a lot of stress and you need to unwind. Be considerate of others. If that's not possible, please consider holding your party out in the woods where no one will care or be able to hear you rather than at a family friendly campground. Thank you.

[pismopete]

I have read all kinds of opinions on the five pages of this thread and I think the point the OP was trying to make is what happened to common sense and common courtesy? We all go camping to relax and have a good time, but your good time should not prevent me from my good time. Just simple common sense, unfortunately that seems to be a rare commodity these days with a lot of people. Ninety percent are usually the type of camper you want to be next to, but that small percentage of jerks can screw it up for everybody.

[4x4van]

westernrvparkowner wrote:
Often, it isn't as cut and dried as everyone thinks. First and foremost, quiet hours are not silent hours. Under some conditions, even low volume conversation can carry and be construed as "loud". We check out all complaints, but often there is really nothing amiss. Just a bunch of people sitting out enjoying the evening, not making excessive noise.
Also, there are times where when there a burst of activity that quickly dies. The most common is people returning to their rigs after some kind of closure, be it the local rodeo, the closing of the bars,or the breakup of a wedding reception etc. Again, there is really nothing we can do about these types of activities. We can't kick out a bunch of tipsy RV'ers and knowingly put impaired drivers on the roads. Our experience is 99.99% of these incidents are over within 10 to 15 minutes.
Sometimes the fact of the matter is when you get 100 different groups of people together you have to compromise and accept that everything isn't going to be exactly the way you want.
Oh FYI, we do respond actively and sometimes sternly to true violations of quiet hours and other disturbances. But not all sound after the onset of 11 PM is violation of said rule.

This is the most reasonable response to this thread so far. Amazing it took 3 pages to get here.

[westernrvparkow]

Often, it isn't as cut and dried as everyone thinks. First and foremost, quiet hours are not silent hours. Under some conditions, even low volume conversation can carry and be construed as "loud". We check out all complaints, but often there is really nothing amiss. Just a bunch of people sitting out enjoying the evening, not making excessive noise.
Also, there are times where when there a burst of activity that quickly dies. The most common is people returning to their rigs after some kind of closure, be it the local rodeo, the closing of the bars,or the breakup of a wedding reception etc. Again, there is really nothing we can do about these types of activities. We can't kick out a bunch of tipsy RV'ers and knowingly put impaired drivers on the roads. Our experience is 99.99% of these incidents are over within 10 to 15 minutes.
Sometimes the fact of the matter is when you get 100 different groups of people together you have to compromise and accept that everything isn't going to be exactly the way you want.
Oh FYI, we do respond actively and sometimes sternly to true violations of quiet hours and other disturbances. But not all sound after the onset of 11 PM is violation of said rule.

[DutchmenSport]

I'm still counting my blessings! Our camper is parked in our driveway and we sleep in it every night. Keep water in the tanks, electric plugged in, and dump my holding tanks about once a week. We live in the country. Yes, we have neighbors on the neighboring properties on both sides of us, but corn and bean fields on each end of us. We have our space. It's dark, no outside lights, the glow of city lights on the clouds in the sky on the horizons (some 10 to 20 miles away). Its quiet, its peaceful, and wonderful sleeping in the camper every night. We keep the screen door open so our cat can come and go at night. No need for a shut door at all, unless it rains. There is a train about 7 miles from us, and we can hear the rumbling on the tracks, I can count the stars at night. We have our own fire pit, lots of fire wood. It's wonderful!

Then we go to a campground on week-ends and wonder why we left our solitude!

[colliehauler]

I simply avoid going camping on a Holiday weekends.

[bikendan]

Because of these kind of behaviors, we stopped camping on weekends, holidays and summertime.

It greatly reduced us experiencing these kind of occurrences.
Now this only happens to us, on rare occasions.

Luckily we live where we can focus our camping during spring and fall.
Lots less knuckle heads during those times.

I feel for those whose camping is limited to just the summer months.

[JimK-NY]

I try to avoid any places with hook ups, where people go to party, and blast their music. It is rarely hard to identify such places and I leave without signing up.

Noisy dogs and kids are another issue. I try to tolerate both and the noise is mainly confined to daylight hours. I do have a serious peeve. I cannot stand unleased dogs that charge me. If they owners are around they almost always assure me that the dog is friendly in spite of the barking, snarling and threatening attitude. Later on if I take a walk in that area, I will likely have my hatchet with me. Then they somehow lose confidence in the behavior of their dog.

[dpgllg]

garyemunson wrote:
When that happens to me, I make it a point to recount my experience on all the campground review sites. I sure won't go to Indian Creek now.

Inform management WHEN IT IS HAPPENING. That means call or knock and let them know. No result from them then leave an honest review on the many campground review sites. I look at reviews and if a place has this type of review I'm probably going to spend my money elsewhere.

Dave

[FunnyCamper]

Fulltimer50 wrote:
If campers are being considerate of others there would be no/less problems of this nature. The same being true of posters in a forum.

and what planet do you live on that all humans are going to do just that in all aspects of our lives? Sure would be nice tho and a fancyful image. 🙂 🙂
A rule or policy would never have to be written ever in this world I think.

[Mr_Beebo]

A lot, not all, of the shirtless and barefoot, all day drinkers and partiers are what I might describe as "Binge campers". Many that I have know lived in the city, apartments, condos, suburban tract homes. Rules and laws and people living next to, above or below you that you will have to see every day. A previous poster asked "Is this how they act at home?" Many times no, because they seem to know better. But to them, campgrounds spell freedom; freedom to turn off and light up, so to speak.
I live in the country, so I use campgrounds more as a layover during travel or to meet with extended family. I have no "steam" to blow. I have no desire to drink all weekend or forget courtesy to my camping neighbors.
The campground hosts that care and know what to look for when the weekenders roll in can keep a lid of things.

[Fulltimer50]

If campers are being considerate of others there would be no/less problems of this nature. The same being true of posters in a forum.

[Terryallan]

RobWNY wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

Lantley wrote:

RobWNY wrote:

Lantley wrote:
I feel your pain. But your post needs to be directed at the CG management. If they are not enforcing their own rules, the place will turn into a free for all.
Sounds like enough campers are not complaining or your fellow campers like it that way.

I can't speak for any other campers but I did let management know so it was directed at them as well. I just thought posting it here might spark some offenders to be a little more considerate is all.

I get it. Unfortunately some do not think the rules apply to them.
However I still see this as more of a management issue than a campers issue. If management is not enforcing the rules,chaos will take place.
It's up to management to make the effort to keep the party under control and within the stated hours.
Dogs are a tougher issue but leash rules need to be enforced as well.
If ownership/management is allowing the campers to do as they please we all suffer.

When did you complain to management? Next day? Not me. I would have gotten the out of bed, just like their guests did me. and I would have done it until they came. And when the dogs barking in the camper started. Call RIGHT now. I have seen the Camp manager come and do what is necessary.

Complaints were made at the time things occurred. One to campground management and one directly to the dog owners about the pile left on my site. Had the dog been in distress the night before rather than just upset it was locked in a camper, I would have done something about that too. It was annoying but many people do that. I don't agree with it but if that's how they want to treat their pets, that's their business.

Disagree. It's my business if I can hear it barking at my site

[FunnyCamper]

rightlaneonly wrote:

FunnyCamper wrote:

RobWNY wrote:

FunnyCamper wrote:
Yea, feel better now?


Complain to management of cg on all that rant 🙂 Results come from management doing their job. People are people and gonna do whatever, not everyone was raised with the exact manners and thoughts as others, never will happen.


Then stop the rant because I am sure you are perfect in every way in this life and you never aggreviate others, never off that beaten path, ever 🙂 🙂 I mean come on.....
Better than thou and always will be! Always that way in these posts.

Touched a nerve I see. You must be one of them

Nope so tired of the whiners that won't let the correct authority handle the situation. Did OP even ask CG about any of it? Nope, just had to get it all off their chest, which I do get 🙂 but come on truly, who here is the perfect human in all situations in life, not one darn one of us 🙂 🙂
Ahh, the rant is to make one feel superior as usual!

Ahh, I detect a touch of superiority here, telling the OP and others the correct (your) way to handle things. Sometimes a rant is just that, a way to vent and get some sympathy from others who endure the same thing at camp grounds and yes, that sometimes is all it takes to make one "feel better." I've been in situations where complaining to the "management accomplished nothing more than enduring subtle and not so subtle harassment for my trouble. Coming on here with like minded (usually) campers helps me prepare for the next adventure with the obnoxious all about me crowd. And yes, now I feel better;)!

I said a rant was a rant and I undertstood and got that and the need for a rant at times, then I posted y thoughts on it as I see it 🙂

Is not going to the authority of the cg the correct first response vs. even 'going at' the inconsiderate campers on their own? That could be subject to debate definitely.....

[Lantley]

goducks10 wrote:
You'd enjoy this campground. Creekside Campground, Sisters Or.
Rules #1 and #2

1. Quiet, well behaved pets are welcome. Limit two pets per site. Pets must be on a leash at all
time and are only allowed to exercise in the pet run area and must be picked up after
immediately. Pets are not to be left unattended at any time. Excessive barking and aggressive
behavior well not be tolerated and you will be asked to leave the campground. Pets are not
allowed in the shower/restroom building with the exception of service animals. (Providing
emotional support or deterring crime are not considered qualifying tasks).
2. “Quiet Time” is between the hours of 10 PM – 7 AM. Loud noises (including loud voices),
running generators and bright or unnecessary exterior lighting is not permitted during this
time.

Those rules are fine. But if they are not enforced they are meaningless. The OP's CG had rules in place but no one bothered to enforce them.

[FunnyCamper]

RobWNY wrote:
Dear inconsiderate Campers, Please take note of this thread. If any of this sounds like you, please listen.

We just returned home after a long weekend camping trip at the Indian Creek RV Resort in Geneva On The Lake, Ohio. It's a very nice private campground with several full hookup, pull through sites. Mostly seasonal campers but there are many sites available for us weekend warriors. It's a pet friendly park and I would guess 75% of the weekend campers had dogs. All of them we encountered were very friendly and well behaved. Very little barking when they were outside and none of them were aggressive but there were some issues. Keep in mind that I like Dogs so this isn't a dog hating complaint, but please understand that I don't want to listen to your dogs bark for several hours because you decided to go out drinking and left your dog cooped up inside your camper. I also don't want to have to pick up your dog's business because in the morning, you let them out unleashed and they wandered off to our site to do that while I was sitting quietly enjoying a cup of coffee at my picnic table.

Another issue I want to address is when a campground's rules lists a quiet time of 11pm, that means 11pm. It doesn't mean that because you've been drinking since Noon, that those rules don't apply to you. Not everyone in the campground wants to hear you whoop it up because your favorite song started playing. I'm pretty sure everyone understands that it's a song you like because if it wasn't you wouldn't be playing it. Understand also that not everyone in the campground listens to the type of music you enjoy, at a decibel level that can be heard 10 miles away. Especially not at 2AM!

So please understand that I like to have fun as much as the next camper. I enjoy drinking beer, playing music, laughing, carrying on etc. But I do it within the rules of the campground I'm at and do my best not to impose my idea of fun on the campers next to and around me. I'm asking for a little consideration and to understand that when you paid money to spend a few nights at a campground, so did everyone else. You did not receive the right to do whatever you want because you've had a bad week at work or are under a lot of stress and you need to unwind. Be considerate of others. If that's not possible, please consider holding your party out in the woods where no one will care or be able to hear you rather than at a family friendly campground. Thank you.

AND WHERE in this original post did one statement be made that the CG was consulted and where is any outcome of those issues as stated by the CG?

this is nothing but a pet peeve post to give yourself the superior stance. Inconsiderate other people and again, who among us has never been that in our lives?