Is your campground funding anti-RV laws?

[denverpilot]

Ran across this interesting little article this evening... commercial camping companies are the largest fiscal supporters of anti-overnight-parking RV laws.

Kinda doesn't come as a surprise that Good Sam and the National Assn. of RV Campgrounds, lead the way.

http://community.fmca.com/blog/592/entry-1521-finding-free-places-to-overnight-in-your-rv/

What do you think? Pretty hard to avoid Camping World (owners also own Good Sam, etc...) but do you like that your dollars spent there go toward funding municipal law changes that ban overnighting at the local WalMart?

[cjm]

Interesting to say the Camping World and Good Sam are pushing for it... Camping world allows Good Sam members to stay overnight on their lots. They also often have water available and free sani-dumps...

[jsmith948]

Not a surprise to me. Sort of like the local RV storage/mini storage companies joining forces to push for an ordinance to ban parking your RV on the street or in your driveway within the city limits. I guess they call that good business (read greed).

[JRTJH]

Many "member groups" such as Good Sam "suggest" that they "champion the cause" for members when in actual practice, they support the best interests of the organizations/businesses that fund them.

In the case of Camping World's "Good Sam Campgrounds", your GS membership is a "liability" to the campground, since a discount is given to members by affiliated campgrounds (lost profit) so we (read: RVing public)should appreciate their conveniences and we need to stay at their facilities to maximize their profit. Regulating overnight stays in public parking lots helps keep their campground full with travelers who don't use the facilities. This maximizes their profits as their facilities don't see the use and cost less to maintain. I've suggested to numerous campground owners that they should consider a "motel type section" where no facilities other than full hookups are available for people who pull in late in the evening and are gone shortly after a quick breakfast. No pool, no bathhouse, no mini-golf, no petting zoo, etc. Just the basic facilities for a reasonable charge. Few seem interested, most want to "draw campers" not "overnighters"..... So, regulating overnighting at WalMart benefits them and they push the organization to support their cause.

The campgrounds fund GS to a higher level than we do, so GS tends to support their cause. After all, CW/GS "gives us a magazine and a CW discount" (in addition to multiple "benefits" which cost extra)...

What more do we deserve ????

Corporate greed? probably more than most of us realize.

[allmi01]

John, you hit the nail squarely on the head. I also thought a section in a campground, especially when located near interstate or US highways, would greatly benefit from a transients section, especially when kept open longer than the normal May 1 to Oct 15 seasons common in the more northern areas.

I know for an overnight stay, I don;t need the frills. Just a place to park, power up for A/C or heat and I'm good to go.

I found a few places travelling across I-40 through OK where they had a 30 place campground next to a restaurant and charged 418 a night for full hook ups.

If I ever get the chance to take over or open a campground, I know that would be part of the plans.

Wal-Mart overnights always make me nervous. No security or controlled access.

Mike

[Bob Landry]

This has happened in Van Horn, Texas. Is is illegal to spend the night in your RV in a truck stop or roadside rest area and people have been ticketed. This was promoted by the local camp grounds and RV parks because they wanted to get the travelers who only wanted to stop and sleep for a couple of hours. Google Van Horn, Tx RV Ordnance and there is a lot of information about it. The general consensus among RVers is simply do not stop in Van Horn for fuel, food, potty break or otherwise. Not far past Van Horn is El Paso with truck stops with good food and a place to park for the night.

[airforceret]

Actually there are a number of these campgrounds around the country that offer the quick in/out overnight stay in areas of their campground; however, during the peak weekends you may find they are not available because of weekend campers filling them up. That's why I like to do my travels during the week and plan my weekend stays at one location.

They are out there, you just have to find them / know where they are at along the highways. Most are NOT advertised as such, probably so as not to deter weekend campers or to upset road travelers when they are not available.

As for Good Sam and Camping World, I'm a Life Member and have been for more than a decade. I've saved more than my share over the years and expect to save even more in the coming years. It's capitalism, not greed. And in some cases it's necessary, not greed.

If you have ever been to St Joe State Park in Missouri during the summer, you'll understand why local ordinance prohibits overnight stays anywhere but at the park. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to find a parking spot at Wal-Mart as it would be full of Toy Haulers and ATVs/Dirt Bikes every weekend.

[cabinfever]

Airforceret....Very well said, totally agree.

[Timon]

What I don't understand is making illegal to stop at "Rest Stops", that what they are for. Sure have a time limit and no pushing out slides except one to sleep but come on, knock off the crap!