It finally happened .....

[dutchmensport]

After a 6 week "trek", spending a week at a time, jumping from campground to campground, the last Friday and Saturday night, we had the campers from hell all around us. It wasn't just the folks behind us, they were a group. One down from them, 2 across the road, 2 more the opposite direction a couple sites farther. All them them seemed to converge at the campsite directly behind us, not paying any attention to the one car per campsite, no parking on grass, dogs on a leash, and quiet hours. Neon lights flashing like the Las Vegas strip, music blasting, and obnoxiously loud yelling and cackling laughter. I'm sure there was an amount of alcohol involved also, as I saw the empty boxes piled up in a heap the next morning.

Oh well, we've been on the road, almost constantly sicne January 1, returning home for a few hours jevery now and then and then hitting the pavement again.

We're home till after Labor Day week end, and then taking off again for another 6 week journey (hitting Wisconsin and Upper Michigan next).

Oh well, it had to happen eventually. I will say, last Monday night through Wednesday night was pure paradise. We were the ONLY one there. We could see 3 "loops" and all were completely vacant. Half moon the last few nights, no lights, and it's amazing what you can see without artificial light.

I am convinced that this new generation of younger camper folks truly do not understand any campground etiquette, (or common decency).

But ... up until this last week-end, we've had absolutely marvelous camping neighbors (all year).

So, I guess it finally had to happen ....

(FYI, we never complained to the state park management, and we never complained to any of them. We just kept our distance and tried to get by unnoticed. Which we did! These were the type of people, confrontation would would led to disaster. Sometime, you just have to burry your head in the sand, or move out!)

[notanlines]

Dutch, about the only action/reaction we come across is when that happens we normally go out for coffee about 6 in the morning. The Harley needs to warm up on those days for a couple minutes, just long enough to make sure their kids and pets have stirred.
But you are correct, confrontation generally only leads to louder music.

[Northofu1]

The Borla dual cat back sport exhaust is a tad milder but as effective. Have to make sure there is no condensate left in the exhaust system.

[JDDilly]

We had an issue like that about 28 years ago. We were camping with friends and both had a 2 year old and our friend was about 8 months pregnant and very emotional. We got the kids down about 8:00, we were in tents, and a large group of "kids" came in across from us; as they setup the drinking and music started. Finally about 1:00 in the morning I asked if they could hold it down a little so our kids could sleep. They said they would but it continued for a few more hours. Well the kids were up at 6, just like normal. The wives went to the Ranger station and told them what had happened, it helped our friend was crying! Three Rangers flowed them back and woke the group up and watched them pack and escorted them out of the park. We gave the Rangers coffee as they sat on the tailgates of their trucks telling them to hurry up and get out and never return!!

We had at least 5 other campers stop and thank us for doing this to make all of our time there better. Not sure I would do that now, things are a lot different in the country now then 28 years ago.

[flybouy]

When DW and I were newlywed I was waking at 4:30 am to go to work. Neighbor across the street worked second shift and had a teenage boy and girl, his wife was deceased so no adults around. Every night the house was party central until 12:45, about 10 min before his arrival. I attempted to address the issue with him and got the "not my kids" respose. I urged him to come home 15 min early and find out.

So it continued and I had enough. At 4:30 am I was pounding on his door until he answered it. When he asked what was going on I replied "I don’t sleep you don’t sleep", " I'll be your wake up call every morning until you stop your kids". That night he came home early and found the party in full swing.

At campgrounds it can have the same effect. Nothing like a 7 am "noisy morning" to drive home a point to someone with a hangover.

[Scttw]

I have never been afraid to ask younger folks to keep the noise/music down. If you are really courteous, and polite, and ask overwhelmingly nice, I've never had an issue. It's better to ask them then to go directly to the Po-po. Most campers will appreciate this.

[Ken / Claudia]

It's a difficult call on what to do. A drunk group can be a big problem. The least I would have done is let the park know before I left and ask for a refund. Hopefully they would kick them out, maybe band them in the future. Now of us know what the local police would have done or not done if you involved them.
This is what I once did. The call was about a large group at a rest stop that likely was local high school kids meeting after another party. That area had 3 large parking lots separated from each other and there were in the farthest away from the normal stop and go visitors and big rigs.
There could have been over 30 vehicles. I knew 4 cops were able to respond. So, instead of making any contact. I parked the police vehicle at the entrance and turned on the blue and red lights. Started sweeping the area with the spot light. It was like a movie scene people running in all directions to their cars and they all left in a big hurry. I felt confrontation in the unlit area with 1 to 5 cops was going to end badly for both sides. Yeah different than a campsite just saying we each need to weigh options about what can be done with a large crowd.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Scttw

I have never been afraid to ask younger folks to keep the noise/music down. If you are really courteous, and polite, and ask overwhelmingly nice, I've never had an issue. It's better to ask them then to go directly to the Po-po. Most campers will appreciate this.

I have done this as well but I think it's a matter of degrees. A little "load conversation" and laughter vs a large group of drunken "rowdies" playing window shaking music and shouting call for varied responses in my mind. YMMV

[Scttw]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I have done this as well but I think it's a matter of degrees. A little "load conversation" and laughter vs a large group of drunken "rowdies" playing window shaking music and shouting call for varied responses in my mind. YMMV

Yeah, very true .....

I'm just thinking back from my "Rowdy-days", and if someone asked me to keep it down I would immediately comply.

You are right, it really depends on the group.

Also, if you see them setting up when they come in, I'd go over and make friends with them when they are sober, better chance at them complying later.

[jasin1]

Back in the early 2000’s I was staying at KOA fiesta key in Florida keys …had a popup..on the weekends apparently all of Miami heads to fiesta key…they bring all of their pets and family members..( people across from us had a huge bird in a cage squawking all day outside)
So the weekenders show up and park in my camping space behind my popup. They set up 3 tents in the adjacent site ..partying all night and the one guy parked in my site had a keyless entry with beep every time he unlocked doors and did that all night it seemed..I told him it was my spot but they were non English speaking and he just shrugged it off.
I had two small kids
Next morning I contacted the office and they said they would check it out…I said be discreet if possible as we were staying the whole week

Guy shows up on a golf cart while my family and the problem campers were all outside…guy on golf cart yells up to me “are these people the problem?”

Problem family looks at me angrily…”yep” I said ..so much for discreet

He had them move their car and told them to keep it down…I was waiting for my tires to be slashed after that

[xrated]

I guess I've always been courteous, to the best of my ability....unless provoked sometimes. When I was a teenager, I had a motorcycle that had a really loud exhaust on it, if the engine RPMs were mid to high RPM range. When I came home late (anything after about 10PM) I would upshift to a higher gear and kind of lug the engine down so that the RPMs were a lot lower than they should have been. Then, when I got to within about half a block or so from home, I'd pop it down to neutral and actually shut off the engine and coast in the rest of the way to the house. None of the neighbors likely even knew that I had just come in.....it's just called being respectful.

[clockmanjim]

Originally Posted by Ken / Claudia

It's a difficult call on what to do. A drunk group can be a big problem. The least I would have done is let the park know before I left and ask for a refund. Hopefully they would kick them out, maybe band them in the future. Now of us know what the local police would have done or not done if you involved them.
This is what I once did. The call was about a large group at a rest stop that likely was local high school kids meeting after another party. That area had 3 large parking lots separated from each other and there were in the farthest away from the normal stop and go visitors and big rigs.
There could have been over 30 vehicles. I knew 4 cops were able to respond. So, instead of making any contact. I parked the police vehicle at the entrance and turned on the blue and red lights. Started sweeping the area with the spot light. It was like a movie scene people running in all directions to their cars and they all left in a big hurry. I felt confrontation in the unlit area with 1 to 5 cops was going to end badly for both sides. Yeah different than a campsite just saying we each need to weigh options about what can be done with a large crowd.

Thank you for your service!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[notanlines]

Jasin, "I told him it was my spot but they were non English speaking."Uh huh, you already know better than that.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Jasin, "I told him it was my spot but they were non English speaking."Uh huh, you already know better than that.

It really was a crazy scene …they had the three tents and a bunch of cars…that’s why one of them parked in my space….I don’t know what was going on in the tents but it sounded like a disco combined with a cattle auction …they may have dug out a basement club room for all I know….no offfense to my non English speaking friends

Also the first place I ever saw tents with a window AC laying on the ground sticking through a hole cut in the wall

[Ken / Claudia]

It was amazing how many non English speakers during my contact came to court with a court paid for English speaker and as the judge would explain things to the speaker to translate to the non English speaker. It takes so much time, the supposed non English speaker defendant would answer the judge and bypass the paid speaker. They always me laugh and as talking to co workers I learned it was a real common trick. Many hoped the court would not get them a speaker and continue their non English play to get the case reset or tossed.

[Dallasrules]

We had our first campers from he'll confrontation last Thursday night. My trailervhas been at this campground since June. We go down 3 to 4 nights a week. I have a German Shepherd service dog. He is 4 1/2 and he is incredible. He is with me almost 24 house a 7day. He is trained to hand, voice commands, and clicks. He works off lead on an electronic collar because I can't physically handle him on a leash. The last time we were at the trailer our current neighbors took offense to him being off lead even after it was explained he was a service dog. We didn't argue with them because we were going home and figured they would be gone when we came back. No such luck. Apparently they got together with some people a couple of trailers down on the other side. We got there about 10 at night and I took the dog out while my husband unloaded the car. He brought me his ball and wanted to play a little. I took his gear off and headed to a remote corner of the campground where I take him to unwind a bit. I threw the ball a couple of times in the road on the way there. When we got there, there was a deer and my dog chased it. I yelled at him STOP. OFF!. He froze where he was and came back to me. Some other people out walking we amazed that he was so responsive. I was walking back up to the trailer and these guys asked if he was my service dog. I put him down at my feet with a hand command and said yes. They started yelling at me and said he wasn't a service dog because they don't do things like that and his sister trained service dogs and he has to be on a leash. I just shrugged my shoulders and he said what does that mean? I said everyone has opinions. I got back to the trailer and they had already called security. Must have called as soon as we pulled in. We hadn't been there 10 minutes. I showed the guard his badge and gear and put him in a down at my feet where he stayed the entire time. He was talking to another guard on the phone, and they asked if he could be put on a leash and I said no. That's not what he is trained for. I demonstrated how he works for me on commands. They had told security he was running lose and was dangerous and they were scared of him. I told security that if they were scared the resort could offer to let them move. They didn't move so I guess they are not that scared. I am home now, but I really hope they are gone when we get back. I guess there are trouble makers everywhere.

Sorry this was so long of a rant

[jasin1]

The problem is that so many people have abused the service dog definition…. Im not saying you are doing that but I can see where someone would be skeptical….if it were me I’d go to the campground office whenever I checked in and show my papers regarding the dog.. people try to fly with emotional dogs ,pigs and chickens nowadays…https://www.funpawcare.com/2020/01/2...ice-dog-title/

[anthonbloom]

We decided to leave the 5th wheel home and tent on a beautiful lake with the mountains behind and eagles patrolling. Two tents, four adults, 4 kids including a 1 year old. Idyllic until this pickup with 2 adults and 2 teenagers goes around the point to camp. Loud music...pickup doors open and radio on blast....1 am my son asks them to let us sleep...2 am they are yelling and screaming and threatening to kill each other. Left that well alone.
The next morning one of the yellers comes into our camp shirtless, a big beer belly and a fresh beer in hand asking for a boost....battery flat from the blasting music. Told him what we thought if his behaviour and told him where he might be able to find a phone signal. We watched with some satisfaction as they walked the couple of miles and climbed up the distant hill where they could get a signal to call home for rescue. We enjoyed a peaceful day until they returned, packed up and got a boost from someone willing to inconvenience themselves for them.
Not our first such experience in 40 years of camping, but we have learned to suffer safely and get whatever petty revenge we can by disturbing them in the morning.

[jasin1]

I took my daughter and fiancé in my boat to a local island that has about 10 or so tent sites that can only be accessed by boat….I took them ashore in the dinghy and my wife and I anchored offshore and spent the night
Loud beer drinking crowd next to them kept them up until maybe midnight…around 2:30 if I remember correctly a boat shows up with drunken guys and gals returning from a waterfront bar and motors right up to shore shining lights on the campers and yelling. “ good luck sleeping f$&#ers!!

The only good part was it woke up the beer drinking crowd also…my daughter called me at 5 am to pick them up….some people just can’t let anyone have peace and quiet

[pdaniel]

We, I, feel your pain.
We are hosts in a popular national park we call “Disneyland North” due to the number of child adults that “camp” on long holiday weekends.
We hear about the noise and trash and the lack of respect of their neighbors and ethical camping.
Entitled buffoons for the most part.
They appear the day the wish to stay and get belligerent when they are informed the campground is 100% reservation required.
After dark campsites not occupied are considered “fair game” for poaching.
At times when there are numerous complaints we will call for park law enforcement to take care of the noise and trash problems. And at times the offenders are “encouraged” to depart the campground.

Since the emergence of the pandemic we have seen different types of campers-the new RV owners who have never camped who have a belief they can run generators all night to the youngsters who think the campground is part central.
Too many tents, cars and people. The rangers ask us if we have informed the offenders of the rules. Why we ask. They ignore and laugh at us.

We will possibly decline any invitations to return to this campground next year. We are tired and burned out after 5 seasons in the park.

We will be volunteering in another park, a park with some issues with campers, that is not an amusement park for the entitled tourons.