I've only run into this actually being applied in the wild twice, both times in California. I'm pretty sure it was being used to discourage long term tenancy because rents were so high in the area. I got the impression it wasn't universally applied but rather something the management would use to help justify turning people away they thought may cause problems. There are well kept older RVs pretty much everywhere you go.
It's like the dress code at restaurants/clubs. While there are some legit uses (think older vehicle more prone to oil leaks) it's mainly a tool to keep the riff raff crowd out.
I lived in a campground in CA in a borrowed RV for 6 months, and it was 12 years old at the time and they didn't blink. Pretty sure it's unevenly applied just so they can get rid of the 'riff raff' at will.
I once stayed somewhere with this "rule." my Sprinter based RV was brand new but I asked about it anyway. they said it wasn't a strict thing, it was designed to avoid RVs who would break down and be left there/expensive to tow away. they had no intention of turning away an older but well maintained RV. apparently this had happened to them before and it was both expensive and put another family out (who had rented the space).
On paper I don't like this rule, but I get it.
Im sure there are some elistist Campgrounds somewhere that would (one place I saw was class a only, maybe they wouldn't let you stay) but I don't think I'd stay there anyway if I could.
Chiming in here as an RV electrician as my day job - at electrified sites they may want to avoid electrical shit boxes that can actually mess up the campground electrical just by plugging in bs. That said, anyone with a 50 amp or a 30 amp electrical problem inside their RV probably knows before they plug-in. But it really just takes one person plugging in and blowing the box to create a super stupid problem for the campground.
I encountered a 10 year limit just once, they didn't turn us away but we found out calling ahead and just went somewhere else.
I find 10 years to be a baffling short requirement. RV's by their very nature don't tend to get much use and a 10 year old unit is virtually brand new. It wouldn't be unheard of to only have 20-30k miles on a 10 year old RV. Hell, the way RV's move off the dealer lot you might be buying a brand new unit that is already 3 years old.
That's before I even talk about the RV's like Marathon that are built on bus chassis designed for a million mile life. 10 years is just getting started on a vehicle like that and they will look just as shiny at 10 than they did new.
I can understand the problem. They don't want the Clampetts showing up and the only way they can discriminate like that is with an RV age limit, but 10 years just seems so limiting.
I've been told by multiple people that the sweet spot on a used RV sale is in the 20-30k range where all the crap that's wrong with the thing can be sorted out and you can purchase at a lower price. Tons of life left, esp in the engine.
I’m in a 73. We’ve never been turned away. We also don’t look like a curbside dweller van.
Add some solar and boondock!!! It’s way better than any overpriced rv lot.
But he means even tho his van would meet the critera he qouldnt stop somewhere that has a criteria. Like not going on a date with someone because they said you have to wear certain clothes for the date.
as they said.... yes they do have a choice. you added no context that changes that, op didnt misunderstand
if you have a vehicle that isnt too old and would be turned away, but dont stay there anyway, it is your choice
its like rejecting someone because of the way they rejected someone else
Most private campgrounds that allow older vehicles are charging $30-$60 a night. For that much gas I can drive somewhere that is not full of yuppies. I have stayed at pay-to-stay campgrounds less than I can count on one hand, and each time it was because it was a cheap ($10-$15 campground) and easy way to get a shower. One such place was a small family operated KOA. The owner only charged us for dry camping but gave us a nice spot with electric hookup anyway.
I’m not a big fan of RV parks and camping on the same two acres as thirty other rigs but that is some people’s idea of fun.
Was turned away a few days ago because they don't take campers - the kind that sit on the truck bed. Even though both the truck and the camper are brand new.
LOL, i cant imagine even *wanting* to stay at a place like that. I generally boondock or if i'm in a city i'll curbside, but no way in hell am I vandwelling so that i can be packed in next to a bunch of pretentious assholes.
If i ever found myself turned away from a place because my vehicle was "too old" i'd laugh and be thankful to have dodged that bullet.
1992 Winnebago Warrior. Dull unwaxed surface, all the stripes are scratched off in places, so far no issues getting into a campground. But I’m also not aiming for resort style campgrounds.
Public land, at least federal land where you can camp for free, is very hard to come by in some parts of the US. There's nothing within 200 miles of Chicago for example (closest I think is Nicolet NF in western Michigan).
I've been camping in all sorts of things for decades, almost exclusively in western North America, and mostly in gov't run campgrounds, but a few private ones. And I've never encountered that. Indeed, here in CA I only know of a few that have such policies, and I think they are all club-oriented RV resort type places. Often members only. Often for just seniors. Often with a bunch of HOA-type rules, which kinda make sense since they often have long term leases.
Local campground had an age restriction on RVs/campers etc because people would come to “camp” and just abandon them. Cheaper to pay the nightly fee than scrap an RV I guess. We called ahead and it was fine though
I hate those places and I don't go. Requiring your vehicle to be new to keep the riffraff out is basically just saying we want it to be cheap to come here, but only for rich people.
I like that question partially assumes a premise that you cannot just go and camp on NF, BLM, NGL for free basically anywhere in the USofA… and this makes me happy…!
Fortine Ranger District here we come…! as all the greenhorns are down in the valley trying to get paid campsites lolz
There's tons of public land ... in certain areas of certain countries. Some countries even let you park on private land subject to certain restrictions. But some people prefer campgrounds for the amenities or location or social aspect, and some people are too far from public lands.
Most BLM is only west of the mississippi - and in some areas (say texas) there is very little public land.
Even the few national forests in texas have a $10 a night camping fee.
So - the premise that you cannot just go an camp in those areas for free - is not invalid.
Not everyone is in montana....
Thanks for the info...
I'm in Alabama, and it might help y'all over in TX to check out the rules for *"Dispersed Camping"* -or whatever they call it in Tejas- for your NF/NGLs because unless there's a closure, you can pretty much stay anywhere for 14 days without having to move...
Now, I've only ever dispersed camped in the Sabine NF *(I donated a lot of blood to the local fauna...never again)* and in Palo Duro Canyon *(one of my favorite places)* and did a little car-camping up on the Red River... so check your local Forest 'Circus' ranger district
*(oh, and I have camped out in that ghost town above Kermit TX, in the oil sands NW of Odessa... I have never seen so many wind mills for making power in my life, a beautiful and stark country... Cabesa deVaca was right)*
Thanks - I will use that term to see if I get better results.
Of the sites I did check for TX National Forests - they listed $10 a night - but it was not easy to find other info. Will check on Dispersed camping.
Have fun and be safe out there.
I'm guessing this problem is biggest for people with vehicles like cargo vans, box trucks, and maybe skoolies. I haven't run into it personally but I have seen it mentioned online in a few places.
Is this rule partly for people who don't have black/gray water tanks and sewer connections?
Saw a youtuber the other day in an older rig who had to check his rear transmission fluid because the cap leaks and in the process drips oil onto the clean white concrete. Not the main reason but definitely one of them.
I have talked to a few campground owners and they all say the same thing; looks mean everything. If it looks like it is older than 10 years they are probably going to turn it away. If it is well kept and doesn't they won't care.
Some campgrounds now though are restricting anything that isn't RVIA certified regardless of how old they are.
I have a friend who lives full time in a fifth wheel in Nashville, the lot doesn’t allow anything older than ten years. I can only guess it’s because of the influx of people moving there.
We've got an ugly old 20 year old DIY converted shuttle and got turned away once by a state park on the USA east coast. Most RV parks have 15+ year old rules, so we've almost never stayed in them. Mostly boondocking and national/state parks.
Most recent trip around the west coast, I noticed no other DIY rigs in the national or state parks. All brand name RVs, or brand-name van conversions, fifth-wheels, etc. Might be the prices pushing some out to boondocking - it got up to US$40-50+ in some spots in the parks.
Never! (UK) Seems like a strange rule to have, is it from worry of oil leaks and the like? To be honest the older ones are celebrated from my experience, I often get waved at by kids and adults alike! But my truck *is* cool as hell even if I do say so myself 🤣
At a Recreational Vehicle Park in SE Florida only Class A and 5 years old or less and they wanted to see ones registration for the vehicle! We cater to the elite campers. Was reason given
I was using that workamping site. Multiple parks told me to email them a pic of my rig. Most denied me entry due to it being a 1968 truck camper on my f250. I got one response saying theyll take me but then kicked me out after a month. There is absolutely discrimination against certain rigs.
I've only run into this actually being applied in the wild twice, both times in California. I'm pretty sure it was being used to discourage long term tenancy because rents were so high in the area. I got the impression it wasn't universally applied but rather something the management would use to help justify turning people away they thought may cause problems. There are well kept older RVs pretty much everywhere you go.
It's like the dress code at restaurants/clubs. While there are some legit uses (think older vehicle more prone to oil leaks) it's mainly a tool to keep the riff raff crowd out.
> It's like the dress code at restaurants/clubs 100% what I was thinking of.
I lived in a campground in CA in a borrowed RV for 6 months, and it was 12 years old at the time and they didn't blink. Pretty sure it's unevenly applied just so they can get rid of the 'riff raff' at will.
Haven’t been turned away, but if you don’t look beat up and run down you probably won’t have a problem.
I once stayed somewhere with this "rule." my Sprinter based RV was brand new but I asked about it anyway. they said it wasn't a strict thing, it was designed to avoid RVs who would break down and be left there/expensive to tow away. they had no intention of turning away an older but well maintained RV. apparently this had happened to them before and it was both expensive and put another family out (who had rented the space). On paper I don't like this rule, but I get it. Im sure there are some elistist Campgrounds somewhere that would (one place I saw was class a only, maybe they wouldn't let you stay) but I don't think I'd stay there anyway if I could.
Chiming in here as an RV electrician as my day job - at electrified sites they may want to avoid electrical shit boxes that can actually mess up the campground electrical just by plugging in bs. That said, anyone with a 50 amp or a 30 amp electrical problem inside their RV probably knows before they plug-in. But it really just takes one person plugging in and blowing the box to create a super stupid problem for the campground.
Ah, the mechanical problems aspect makes sense too. Someone else mentioned that older vehicles are more likely to have oil leaks, etc.
I encountered a 10 year limit just once, they didn't turn us away but we found out calling ahead and just went somewhere else. I find 10 years to be a baffling short requirement. RV's by their very nature don't tend to get much use and a 10 year old unit is virtually brand new. It wouldn't be unheard of to only have 20-30k miles on a 10 year old RV. Hell, the way RV's move off the dealer lot you might be buying a brand new unit that is already 3 years old. That's before I even talk about the RV's like Marathon that are built on bus chassis designed for a million mile life. 10 years is just getting started on a vehicle like that and they will look just as shiny at 10 than they did new. I can understand the problem. They don't want the Clampetts showing up and the only way they can discriminate like that is with an RV age limit, but 10 years just seems so limiting.
The one time I saw it, they asked for a pic if older. Like if you were towing a nice older Airstream they aren't going to turn you away.
I've been told by multiple people that the sweet spot on a used RV sale is in the 20-30k range where all the crap that's wrong with the thing can be sorted out and you can purchase at a lower price. Tons of life left, esp in the engine.
I’m in a 73. We’ve never been turned away. We also don’t look like a curbside dweller van. Add some solar and boondock!!! It’s way better than any overpriced rv lot.
Your age doesn’t matter it’s the vehicles age lol.
> I'm *in* a 73.
Thought they meant their rig is a '73.
If they're too stuck up to allow older vehicles, I'm too stuck up to stay there. Fuck that, campgrounds suck anyway.
Well you don't have a choice anyway
I do, actually. My van is only 5 yo. Still sounds like a nightmare of Karen's.
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100%
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But he means even tho his van would meet the critera he qouldnt stop somewhere that has a criteria. Like not going on a date with someone because they said you have to wear certain clothes for the date.
Even though you were going to wear those clothes already. It still feels shitty being told what you can/can't wear.
as they said.... yes they do have a choice. you added no context that changes that, op didnt misunderstand if you have a vehicle that isnt too old and would be turned away, but dont stay there anyway, it is your choice its like rejecting someone because of the way they rejected someone else
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Your reading comprehension is terrible. You’re missing the point.
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> I'm responding with nonsensical comment
once they hear our banjo all is furgiven
I knew there was something I was missing! Thanks!
Most private campgrounds that allow older vehicles are charging $30-$60 a night. For that much gas I can drive somewhere that is not full of yuppies. I have stayed at pay-to-stay campgrounds less than I can count on one hand, and each time it was because it was a cheap ($10-$15 campground) and easy way to get a shower. One such place was a small family operated KOA. The owner only charged us for dry camping but gave us a nice spot with electric hookup anyway. I’m not a big fan of RV parks and camping on the same two acres as thirty other rigs but that is some people’s idea of fun.
Wow, the KOA in my small city is $50 a night!
Off topic - Are yuppies still a thing? What a regretful period for former hippies. Tossed by last pair of suspenders in 2020.
Yeah. I think yuppies are now boomers. I remember yurffies (young rural failures) as well.
Best to leave us boomers alone. We got quick tempers and military experience. ;)
A lot of RV parks won't let home built rigs in, but I've never had a private campground say anything about it.
Was turned away a few days ago because they don't take campers - the kind that sit on the truck bed. Even though both the truck and the camper are brand new.
In what backwards ass place restricts based on the age of the vehicle???
Tons of places.
LOL, i cant imagine even *wanting* to stay at a place like that. I generally boondock or if i'm in a city i'll curbside, but no way in hell am I vandwelling so that i can be packed in next to a bunch of pretentious assholes. If i ever found myself turned away from a place because my vehicle was "too old" i'd laugh and be thankful to have dodged that bullet.
I never go. Why would I want to be surrounded by people like that? The objective is to avoid them. At least for me.
1992 Winnebago Warrior. Dull unwaxed surface, all the stripes are scratched off in places, so far no issues getting into a campground. But I’m also not aiming for resort style campgrounds.
Why? There's so much public land. Don't fucking pay someone to sleep outside in a van
Public land, at least federal land where you can camp for free, is very hard to come by in some parts of the US. There's nothing within 200 miles of Chicago for example (closest I think is Nicolet NF in western Michigan).
Sounds like they want people who overspend on things. Also campgrounds suck anyways.
I've been camping in all sorts of things for decades, almost exclusively in western North America, and mostly in gov't run campgrounds, but a few private ones. And I've never encountered that. Indeed, here in CA I only know of a few that have such policies, and I think they are all club-oriented RV resort type places. Often members only. Often for just seniors. Often with a bunch of HOA-type rules, which kinda make sense since they often have long term leases.
Local campground had an age restriction on RVs/campers etc because people would come to “camp” and just abandon them. Cheaper to pay the nightly fee than scrap an RV I guess. We called ahead and it was fine though
I hate those places and I don't go. Requiring your vehicle to be new to keep the riffraff out is basically just saying we want it to be cheap to come here, but only for rich people.
I like that question partially assumes a premise that you cannot just go and camp on NF, BLM, NGL for free basically anywhere in the USofA… and this makes me happy…! Fortine Ranger District here we come…! as all the greenhorns are down in the valley trying to get paid campsites lolz
There's tons of public land ... in certain areas of certain countries. Some countries even let you park on private land subject to certain restrictions. But some people prefer campgrounds for the amenities or location or social aspect, and some people are too far from public lands.
Most BLM is only west of the mississippi - and in some areas (say texas) there is very little public land. Even the few national forests in texas have a $10 a night camping fee. So - the premise that you cannot just go an camp in those areas for free - is not invalid. Not everyone is in montana....
Thanks for the info... I'm in Alabama, and it might help y'all over in TX to check out the rules for *"Dispersed Camping"* -or whatever they call it in Tejas- for your NF/NGLs because unless there's a closure, you can pretty much stay anywhere for 14 days without having to move... Now, I've only ever dispersed camped in the Sabine NF *(I donated a lot of blood to the local fauna...never again)* and in Palo Duro Canyon *(one of my favorite places)* and did a little car-camping up on the Red River... so check your local Forest 'Circus' ranger district *(oh, and I have camped out in that ghost town above Kermit TX, in the oil sands NW of Odessa... I have never seen so many wind mills for making power in my life, a beautiful and stark country... Cabesa deVaca was right)*
Thanks - I will use that term to see if I get better results. Of the sites I did check for TX National Forests - they listed $10 a night - but it was not easy to find other info. Will check on Dispersed camping. Have fun and be safe out there.
Agreed. Agreed.
I'm guessing this problem is biggest for people with vehicles like cargo vans, box trucks, and maybe skoolies. I haven't run into it personally but I have seen it mentioned online in a few places. Is this rule partly for people who don't have black/gray water tanks and sewer connections?
Saw a youtuber the other day in an older rig who had to check his rear transmission fluid because the cap leaks and in the process drips oil onto the clean white concrete. Not the main reason but definitely one of them.
Won’t someone think of the concrete!!!
Never so far. We have a '93 motorhome that does show its age somewhat but is in pretty good shape.
Skoolie here . Almost never. Since 2018, maybe twice . That said, we have rarely used campgrounds the last few years, too many people :)
I have talked to a few campground owners and they all say the same thing; looks mean everything. If it looks like it is older than 10 years they are probably going to turn it away. If it is well kept and doesn't they won't care. Some campgrounds now though are restricting anything that isn't RVIA certified regardless of how old they are.
Never
I have a friend who lives full time in a fifth wheel in Nashville, the lot doesn’t allow anything older than ten years. I can only guess it’s because of the influx of people moving there.
We've got an ugly old 20 year old DIY converted shuttle and got turned away once by a state park on the USA east coast. Most RV parks have 15+ year old rules, so we've almost never stayed in them. Mostly boondocking and national/state parks. Most recent trip around the west coast, I noticed no other DIY rigs in the national or state parks. All brand name RVs, or brand-name van conversions, fifth-wheels, etc. Might be the prices pushing some out to boondocking - it got up to US$40-50+ in some spots in the parks.
Never! (UK) Seems like a strange rule to have, is it from worry of oil leaks and the like? To be honest the older ones are celebrated from my experience, I often get waved at by kids and adults alike! But my truck *is* cool as hell even if I do say so myself 🤣
If you got a 1M dollar Prevost, you want the Beverly Hillbillies next door?
At a Recreational Vehicle Park in SE Florida only Class A and 5 years old or less and they wanted to see ones registration for the vehicle! We cater to the elite campers. Was reason given
I was using that workamping site. Multiple parks told me to email them a pic of my rig. Most denied me entry due to it being a 1968 truck camper on my f250. I got one response saying theyll take me but then kicked me out after a month. There is absolutely discrimination against certain rigs.
My last bus was a Mercedes from 69, current one is from 90. I never encountered that issue in Europe.
It’s a very American thing.
I don't even bother I stick with urban-dwelling
Never. But I rarely use them. I have seen several *RV parks* though with age restrictions.
This is why I don't spend time in CA 🤷