What are your biggest pet peeves at the campground?

[Rosy]

Which crappy one??? There is Lac des Arcs which is a FCFS but always windy and dusty or Three Sisters that is right at Deadman's Flat. Both need a lot of upgrades even to make the "Crappy List". We did Bow River (right out side of Canmore) and Three Sisters but helped out at Spray Lakes West too about 15 K down the Smith Dorian. Bow River was the problem child though.

There's one right in Canmore that we always say we're glad we're not staying in when we drive past. More like a trailer park.

 

[Underboss]

They also have quiet hours until 7 or 8 so it's not like I can be up at 5:30 tossing stuff into the truck.

Prep the night before. I like to leave relatively early, as I stated earlier, I prep the night before.
You have three kids to get organized, what do you do on a school day?
Or book an extra day at the campground so they do not lose the income.
I have literally arrived at 3 pm for a 12 pm check in and the previous rver was still there and taking their time loading.
Its a campsite not an apartment, how much needs to be left out and unprepped for travel at 7 pm the night before?

 

[Rosy]

Prep the night before. I like to leave relatively early, as I stated earlier, I prep the night before.
You have three kids to get organized, what do you do on a school day?
Or book an extra day at the campground so they do not lose the income.
I have literally arrived at 3 pm for a 12 pm check in and the previous rver was still there and taking their time loading.
Its a campsite not an apartment, how much needs to be left out and unprepped for travel at 7 pm the night before?

Why are you getting so bent out of shape about the fact that I'd rather checkout time be 11 am or noon instead of 9 or 10 am?

 

[Rollin Ollen]

There's one right in Canmore that we always say we're glad we're not staying in when we drive past. More like a trailer park.

That would be Wapiti. That is Canmore's Municipal Campground and that is worse than crappy. That is a more like a hole! Fifty feet from the Trans Canada and maybe a hundred feet from the railway. Both are very busy but what is worse is you get to smell the grease from Micky Dees next door. Power only, one water spigot and no sewer or dump station. Some of Bow River campground is right along the highway too, but at least the sites are decent. Power and water but again, no sewer.

 

[Rosy]

That would be Wapiti. That is Canmore's Municipal Campground and that is worse than crappy. That is a more like a hole! Fifty feet from the Trans Canada and maybe a hundred feet from the railway. Both are very busy but what is worse is you get to smell the grease from Micky Dees next door. Power only, one water spigot and no sewer or dump station. Some of Bow River campground is right along the highway too, but at least the sites are decent. Power and water but again, no sewer.

The Wapiti I know is in Jasper and it's quite nice, though mostly unserviced, if I recall correctly.

 

[Underboss]

Why are you getting so bent out of shape about the fact that I'd rather checkout time be 11 am or noon instead of 9 or 10 am?

Bent? I never said 9 am, I asked why not 10 or 11. My post is not going to change cg policies. Its just a thought after all this is about cg pet peeves. I only responded because you quoted my post and claimed you could not be ready by ten or eleven. All I said was being on time is all about preparation.

 

[NWIP]

Back to the question, I hate the lock fee money grab

 

[Rosy]

Back to the question, I hate the lock fee money grab

What's that?

 

[NWIP]

What's that?

Booking a specific site and then the campground asking for additional fee to secure that site

 

[Rosy]

Booking a specific site and then the campground asking for additional fee to secure that site

Sounds like a scam.

 

[Boat Bum]

I hated the lock fee as well until I heard some very convincing arguments for, I hate when it's abused. e.g. I booked a five day stay with FHU (50 amp) I picked a site close to the water but did not lock the site. The site I was given was not the same site b/c it was not the one I selected from the map, no where near the water. It also was only 30 amp and no sewage.

I complained that although I willing did not pay the lock fee your policy clearly states a like site to be substituted which mine clearly wasn't. They bold-faced lied and said they didn't move me from my original site booking, then offered me a complete money back return, which convinced me they knew what they were doing the whole time.

 

[Holdmybeer]

Sounds like a scam.

It's not a scam, it's just another ingenious perfectly legal creative strategy to make money for nothing. Someone asked "How we can we make more money without raising prices and not doing anything any differently than we ever have?" Someone raised their hand and said " what if we tell them for a fee we'll do nothing different than we did before, we could call it a lock fee?"

 

[Jim]

I find it weird that you have to be out of your campsite by a certain time (say 11) but you can't check in before, say, 2. At the campgrounds where they're strictest about that, it's not like they clean the sites in that time or anything like that.

I’ve been enjoying reading everyone’s campground peeves. Honestly, some of them are pretty understandable. As someone who owns an RV park, I also get to see the behind-the-scenes side of things, so I thought I’d share a little perspective that campers don’t always see. Not to argue with anyone, just offering the other side for anyone who might be curious why parks operate the way they do.

Take early check-ins and late check-outs for example. (For reference, our check-out is 11:00 and check-in is 1:00.)

Even if a site looks empty, there’s often maintenance, inspection, and traffic coordination happening behind the scenes. Watering grass and flowers, fixing small issues, checking electrical and resetting / replacing breakers, (those are big ones!) or dealing with something that broke on the previous stay. All of this has to be taken care of in the short window between check-out and check-in. Guests that leave late or arrive earl, add considerable stress to the process and the staff that is trying to make sure the site you arrive to is everything that you expect.

Guests see one empty site, but park staff may be managing multiple sites at once, trying to get everything ready during a very small turnaround window. (In our case, only 2-hours)

Traffic is also a factor. Big rigs leaving and arriving at the same time can block roads and create conflicts, so spacing departures and arrivals helps keep things moving safely.

None of that is very visible to guests, they just see an empty site, but the park manager is usually juggling quite a few moving pieces to get everyone settled in safely and on time.

 

[Rollin Ollen]

I hated the lock fee as well until I heard some very convincing arguments for, I hate when it's abused. e.g. I booked a five day stay with FHU (50 amp) I picked a site close to the water but did not lock the site. The site I was given was not the same site b/c it was not the one I selected from the map, no where near the water. It also was only 30 amp and no sewage.

I complained that although I willing did not pay the lock fee your policy clearly states a like site to be substituted which mine clearly wasn't. They bold-faced lied and said they didn't move me from my original site booking, then offered me a complete money back return, which convinced me they knew what they were doing the whole time.

As well as the locking fee gouge, I don't understand why I should have to pay for a reservation when I don't reserve. We have found that better than 90% of the parks we were booking at were no where near full. We quit booking. I just check on line to see if there are vacancies. If there is plenty of room showing, we just show up but some parks still charge the booking fee. When questioned......it's company policy! If that's the case then don't offer sites at $50.00 call it $60.00 'cause that's what you MUST pay.

 

[Webz]

My wife and I camp hosted twice when we had our RV.
Both times at the same place, Davis Mountain State Park in west Texas.
Had a burn ban in effect for over a year. Very dry. The park ranger informs campers when they check in and there were at least two large signs along the road to the campsites that there is a burn ban in effect.
I smelled smoke. Drove the utv around until I found the campfire. I politely informed the gentleman there was a burn ban. He said "I guess you want me to put it out." I said yes sir I do. He started kicking the burning logs, sending embers up and out. I said hold on, let's get some water and pour on it. I carried a 5 gallon bucket in the back of the utv. I filled it twice and put out the fire. Then the gentleman said, " I guess you expect me to put those nasty half burnt logs in my truck when Ieave." I said, "No sir. I'll clean the site when you leave." I know this is off topic but I guess my pet peeve is common sense is not that common, unfortunately.
BTW, Davis Mountain State Park is beautiful. I'll post the details about it elsewhere.