Make up the rules as you go?

Camping Couple · 08-25-2015, 08:23 PM

So here we are at a campground in South Dakota, (I won't mention the name until our trip is complete). We checked in on Saturday, Sunday morning I had set up a nice ENO hammock in back of our TT. Within an hour, the owner..I am assuming, barged into our site with a golf cart and said we "obviously" didn't read the rule book. He said hammocks are not allowed. The one "page" of rules we did get said "no clotheslines". The hammock I have has a flat 3" cotton suspension strap. Says right on the instructions it will not harm trees. He treated me like a little child but, seeing how the already have my money, I don't want to give a reason to evict us, I took down the hammock.

Tonight, after 2 days of being here, and our TIKI Torches set up since Sunday morning, I was approached by a woman who stated we could not use our TIKI Torches that we have been using since Sunday. Again, she barged into our site with a golf cart and rudely said while we were eating dinner "we have to put those out" they have to be inspected by the state. Now WTF? I bought these at Walmart!!

I will follow up on this thread when our trip is complete. I feel as if we are being singled out and they are trying to "push us" to leave or find a reason to evict us without a refund. We had planned this trip for over year and so far it seems we are walking on eggshells here. NO WHERE in their rules does it say no hammocks or TIKI Torches.

Murff · 08-25-2015, 08:33 PM

As you say, wait before bad mouthing the name of their park. When you leave, feel free to write reviews at RVParky.com, Good Sam, Yelp and Trip Advisor. I, for one, read these reviews.

If you want to feel real good, as you leave, tell the campground owners you inspect campgrounds all over the country and write reviews. Be sure to mention how "memorable" your stay has been and you can't wait to share it!

Sounds like a great place to avoid.

Murff

Leo801 · 08-25-2015, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murff

As you say, wait before bad mouthing the name of their park. When you leave, feel free to write reviews at RVParky.com, Good Sam, Yelp and Trip Advisor. I, for one, read these reviews.

If you want to feel real good, as you leave, tell the campground owners you inspect campgrounds all over the country and write reviews. Be sure to mention how "memorable" your stay has been and you can't wait to share it!

Sounds like a great place to avoid.

Murff

GREAT Idea.... I love the idea of telling them you write reviews for campgrounds, In fact, Say you "Write for several prominent camping publishings" because, after all, when you rate them in all the on line camping blogs and clubs you are doing just that so, you're not lying.

mothernaturesson · 08-26-2015, 09:20 AM

Wow, that's rude, I would also take photos of any other sites where their "rules" are being broken and throw that in when you leave.

Donedroolin · 08-26-2015, 07:29 PM

That is insane I bet there are some seasonals there with things up that shouldn't be. And for them to bother you about a hammock and some torches is just crazy. Ask how they keep bugs away . I love the review idea, I will have to borrow that one. Well good luck hope it works out. You gonna have five us the name so we can avoid it. Try to make the best of it.

silverark · 08-26-2015, 07:41 PM

Must be Custer Gulch

Donedroolin · 08-27-2015, 06:50 AM

I like rules at a campground to an extent. We are at a campground now in Ocean view NJ. They don't enforce any of there rules. I don't know what's worse. You have speeders and everything else. Making the best of it. And our premium site is just rock over sand with weeds everywhere. Oh well we know now not to come back

TWP723 · 08-27-2015, 07:39 AM

I have to say, some CG's I've been to can go a little overboard. We stayed at a CG that had a huge community firepit. We went with friends and had 11 sites. That Saturday night about 7:30, we all got together for a fire in the pit and some acoustic guitar playing. Not loud at all and far away from the other campers. We were having a great time laughing and the kids singing...just having fun. Just then, the CG "Mayor" comes flying into the pit site in his personal cart. About 21 years old and walks over raising his voice, telling us we need to go back to our sites and that we were being too loud. First of all, it's 7:30 on a Saturday night in the Summer and second of all..slow down! Kids screaming and laughing at the playground, people listening to music and cooking having fun playing horseshoes and WE'RE being too loud?

C'mon Maaaaaaaaaaaannnnn!!!

SBL9A · 08-27-2015, 07:52 AM

Custer's Gulch came to mind also.

DocBrown · 08-27-2015, 07:55 AM

What a shame. And yet people still camp there. Some folks actually like this kind of policing.

Many years ago my dad stayed at a CG a couple of times where the owners made you put your fire out at 10:00 PM, and knocked on your door at midnight if they saw you watching TV. Heaven forbid! Imagine what they'd do if you were outside talking that late!

Anyway, my go to is RV Park Reviews. Please share your experiences there. Might want to look online at the web sites cited and see what others have been saying about the place you are at.

I will say this, hammocks attached to trees is banned at many private RV parks. But the rules are usually very clear. This doesn't sound like they were clear.

Camping Couple · 08-29-2015, 06:54 PM

So far we have been "inspected " 3 times a day and we haven't broken any other rules since Tuesday. The owner and or staff drives by our sites really slow and stares. Quite uncomfortable as they make rules up and we don't know what is going to happen. Our neighbors next to us made reservations here back in February. They asked for a few specific sites and the owners wouldn't tell them what site they were getting. When they checked in the owners were rude and wouldn't tell them what site they would get unless they paid in full first.

Another thing here is we are not allowed to purchase firewood outside of the campground. Yet in back of our sites....in talking 20-30 feet, there are trees down and can be cut up and used for firewood. We are not allowed to move any of that firewood AT ALL. Doing so is grounds for removal from the campground.

This place is not full at all by any means. Yet the owners have told another family they need to move their trailer to another site so another trailer or MH can pull on there instead....not once, but twice. Now this family had 4 kids. They left today because they couldn't take it. What an inconvience.

As for my hammock, I went into the woods today off the campground property and took a peacful nap. I got around the hammock law here.

7 more days here on eggshells and I'll reveal the campground.

BigJohnD · 08-29-2015, 08:13 PM

I've had similar happen in New Orleans. All started cause I told the helper guy I'd be better off backing my own rig in without him being in the way flagging. I wasn't rude. It's their campground, but my rig. Started with my satellite dish wire being across the sidewalk. Rules said nothing on or protruding onto sidewalk. Ok, I was in the wrong. But, never mind all the other trucks with hitches stuck out in the side walk and others with water hoses and wires across it. Then it was one thing after another for our few days there. Either way, never again.

Sounds like a place I'd leave with my black tank open on the way out, or flatten the cart tires one night. I don't take kindly to pricks.

oobedoob · 08-29-2015, 08:57 PM

last day, I'd set up my hammock, cut down trees, and break every rule I could think of before leaving. And wave and yell "How you doin'?!" every time they drove by.

Jhowemca · 08-29-2015, 10:53 PM

Don't go there again.
Tell us what campground it was and we won't plan a trip there either.

Word of mouth is valuable in the Internet age... Some people (campground owners) don't get that yet. They will be run out of the business if they continue to ignore this fact.

We should start a thread about campgrounds that are unreasonable about the little things. And we can all avoid them.

Have fun camping at all costs.

**norty1** · 08-30-2015, 03:42 AM

Give us a state and I'll bet it will be id'd quickly!

Grumpy · 08-30-2015, 06:08 AM

Must be a South Dakota thing. We were at the Rapid City KOA this summer, a place I definitely don't recommend. Many of the sites were mud holes and any time people would ask for some gravel or to move the manager's comment was "Ill just check you out and you can go some place else". Really nice attitude when you have reservations for several days in one spot. Not only was her attitude totally obnoxious many people on staff were the same way. Worse KOA we have ever been to in the 38 years we've been camping.

bedrck46 · 08-30-2015, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norty1

Give us a state and I'll bet it will be id'd quickly!

In the OP's original post he states
"So here we are at a campground in South Dakota"

**norty1** · 08-30-2015, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bedrck46

In the OP's original post he states
"So here we are at a campground in South Dakota"

Thanks, that's definitely a clue!

NC Roamer · 08-30-2015, 08:05 AM

In the one year we've had the Greyhawk we've been on the road 52 nights. Only one was at a private campground so we have no experience with overly zealous owners/managers. While there were posted rules at the various state parks we've stayed, the rangers and camp hosts were not obsessing over minor transgressions. Must be a private park kind of thing.

Jhnbggs · 08-30-2015, 09:01 AM

Just a note we traveled a long distance to this very camp ground and have had not one but three water filters (Brand New) plug up in less than a week.

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