RV "parking lots".

[Baronent]

Hello all. We are about 2 months into our new trailer (1st trailer ever). Loving it obviously.

In 1.5 months, we have taken the trailer out about 6 times. One thing I am learning, is that I am not a big fan of the "parking lot" type places. Since we are new at this and do not feel "ready" to venture away from full hookups just yet, is it true that 95% of the places with hookups are like parking lots? We are in Nevada and I have found only one place (an hour away) that was incredible, and not at all like a parking lot. The others? Parking lots. Ugh.

My question is this. Is there a website that I have yet to find that only shows non "parking lot" type places? I have been on the Good Sam website and it takes forever to filter through RV "resorts" to see photos and such of each place. I have scoured the internet for places within 3 hours of us. I want to avoid parking lots, and it appears that is not an easy task.

Anyone have any experience getting away from the parking lots and having full hookups?

Thanks for your time.

[bansai]

Check out some of the State Parks in your area. Many of them in my state have full hook ups, some of them only provide power and water spigots, but all of them have dump stations. When you say 'parking lot' the first thing I think of are KOA campgrounds. I'm not into those either (but sometimes they are great depending on why you're staying at one) Really, the only difference is you have to use the dump station before you head home, no biggie.

[Hohenwald48]

Check out this site.

RV Park Reviews - Trusted Reviews of Campgrounds & RV Parks

Also, Google satellite view is something I like to use to find out about parks and even look at the street view approaches to the park.


Doesn't the whole state of Nevada resemble a parking lot?

[mike837go]

My advice: If you don't want to be wall-to-wall with other RV's, then you have to start on the Boondocking Learning Curve.


I have rented at an campground exactly once. Not pleasant at all.


If you have ever tent camped or been out with the Boy/Girl Scouts, you are already 2 steps on the path to operating your RV without any hookups.


It is not hard at all. Just takes a bit of extra planning, using your resources wisely and some extra work at the end.


I wish you Good Luck on finding spread out campgrounds. But I recommend a few weekends at Camp Driveway or Camp Backyard with the trailer unplugged and running just on the internal tanks & battery to get a feel for how little it takes.


Then you'll be able to find your own (well beaten or otherwise) path...

[RedHorse1]

Look into RV Park Reviews - Trusted Reviews of Campgrounds & RV Parks

It's my go-to reference for picking parks. Allstays app for smart phones is good for locating parks in an area, it also provides links to the above. Abt $10 IIRC.

[Baronent]

Thank's all. Good stuff.

[oldnnew]

Don't be afraid of leaving full hookups. It's not very hard to get used to. When we go to state parks with no hookups there is usually a water tap in the campground for filling your RV when you get there, we just fill up water at the tap in the campground and rely on the on board battery to power the water pump and lights and sometimes the radio in the coach. There is obviously no TV, microwave, etc., but I don't miss those. As far as waste, we never find ourselves max filling up either the black or grey tanks, and we just dump them at dump station in the campground before leaving. Go out and try the non-full hookup sites and enjoy!

[norty1]

Room is nice but harder and harder to find. Real Estate is so expensive and no one wants a rv park in their back yard so the costs dictate more spaces per given area. Also older parks were designed for small rigs without slides and now accommodate much larger rigs.

There are all kinds out there, you just have to look for what you want. Many people don't even appreciate what you are desiring.

Usually the less amenities, the more space you find between sites. Many state parks will have what you want then some would say that is to much.

[Bassdogs]

First drop the "resort" part of your search. State Parks, especially in the off seasons, and Federal properties [Nat' Forest and COE]. Pure boondocking may be too much for you this early, but primitive sites that provide vault toilets, water access, and very few other amenities give you a lot with larger spread out sites.

[bono]

I am new to RVing, but have a lot of experience with tent camping. We have been to four campgrounds - only the first one was with full hook ups, the rest were state parks, dry camping. I have a big battery, so in general energy is not an issue. In terms of the water consumption, we can survive easily 5-6 days on one fresh water tank (I think it is 42 gallons), we 2 small kids. It is just about being aware of the limitations you have.

Unfortunately, in California I need to reserve state park campgrounds 5-7 months ahead, when they open the reservation window.

[33 RLDS]

Most state parks in NY have some electric sites but very few have water and sewer on site. For summer camping that's the biggest resource I need, for the AC. When choosing a camper we had large water capacity on our list of must haves. With the cooler/cold weather hear now, we look forward to some boondocking !!

[dewey02]

I agree with the good advice that's been given so far.
You don't need full hookups.
Most state parks have some electrical sites. Very few have water hookups at each campsite but all seem to have water available (that's what your FW tank is for). Almost none have sewer hookups, but again most have a dump station (that's what your BW and GW tanks are for).

Most National Forest campgrounds have no hookups whatsoever, but most have water available somewhere in the campground and most campgrounds have a vault toilet (non-flush, outhouse type). We use the shower and the toilet in our trailer because that's why we bought it and our own facilities are always cleaner and more convenient than using the campgrounds.

[marbles]

The Kodachrome Basin State Park has openings now. The first weekend available is 10/28. They have full electrical and water hookups with a dump station on the way out.

We were there a couple of weeks ago. Half the sites were private. New looking campground. It is four hours from Vegas.

[bankr63]

IMO, the quickest way to leave the parking lots behind is to drop your need for sewer hookup. Think about the infrastructure that goes into it. Pressurized water and hydro are (relatively) easy to run over uneven terrain and longer distances - although this does add cost as pressure/power drops as distances increase. But sewage plumbing either has to involve negative slope, or multiple collection tanks and their servicing to be effective. Add to that the cost of the large pipes required, and the trenching required (the other two service can be run around trees) and you see why they keep the sites close together.


If you want to keep the stinky slinky hooked up full time, your sites are often close together. Once you agree to drive or tote to the dump station, the site distances can start to rise.

[wags999]

It all comes down to what your camping for. Many times we camp but are out exploring during daylight, then come back, have a fire and enjoy the evening. One thing I won't do without is a shower daily...I won't go into details, but I lived for 13 months in the mud (literally) and swore I would never go without a shower and ice again.....so hook ups for me are a requirement. I'm gone most of the day and sleeping most of the night so we really are "in" the campground 3 of 4 hours in the evening. I look for places we can have a fire. We have met some wonderful people over a fire.

I fully understand the enticement of boondocking it's just not something were interested in...that being said we have stayed in casino parking lots, sometimes with power sometimes without. If were going to do that I plan ahead and carry water for our showers etc. I can still make my ice ...

Assess what you are looking for in when RVing and go for it... its why they offer chocolate and vanilla ice cream, were all different with different likes and desires.

There are KOA's with very large sites ! We worked at Trinity Lake KOA, where some of the sites were 2,000 - 3,000 sq ft...it's an unusual campground

Good luck and happy camping...

[bansai]

Originally Posted by wags999

.swore I would never go without a shower and ice again so hook ups for me are a requirement

How are hookups required for either of those items, unless you are full timing, if you don't mind me asking.

[wags999]

Originally Posted by bansai

How are hookups required for either of those items, unless you are full timing, if you don't mind me asking.

Because we typically camp for a few weeks in a place. I'm not dragging a tote or hooking up every few days to fill up with water. At this point in my life, I enjoy the luxury of a nice shower.. I can only go about three days before my gray tank is full. I also enjoy meeting new people, which a fire allows me to do nightly.

Is it possible to boondock and still enjoy my "luxuries" maybe, but, as I said, I'm not hooking up, ,dragging totes hauling water in jugs etc....40 years ago perhaps...today...not a chance

I spent my time in the ""boonies" in my previous life lol

[bansai]

Originally Posted by wags999

Because we typically camp for a few weeks in a place. I'm not dragging a tote or hooking up every few days to fill up with water. At this point in my life, I enjoy the luxury of a nice shower.. I can only go about three days before my gray tank is full. I also enjoy meeting new people, which a fire allows me to do nightly.

Is it possible to boondock and still enjoy my "luxuries" maybe, but, as I said, I'm not hooking up, ,dragging totes hauling water in jugs etc....40 years ago perhaps...today...not a chance

I spent my time in the ""boonies" in my previous life lol

Cool, understood. I was thinking it was like that, but just confirming. My family upgraded from tent camping in really isolated locations (poop in the woods kind) to a popup, and now our Jayco which feels like a luxury hotel still to me. If I was staying put for more than 3 days or so, I can totally understand the justification. I'm a little odd though, even with the camper, I'm still known to 'pee in the woods' when the opportunity presents itself. Carry on

[Hohenwald48]

For some folks, the campground/park is the destination. For others it's just a place to park, sleep and shower. If you're in the 2nd category then the "parking lot" campground usually doesn't present a problem.

We spend about zero daylight hours in a campground so the layout is of no consequences to us. It's just a place to park and hookup.


Going camping from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon is a lot different from being on the road from May to November.

[chesterBurnet]

Very interesting post as I am very disappointed in most of the camp grounds I've seen. We live in Massachusetts and the state parks are nice. That being said, we prefer to have water and electric but can live without sewer if we have to. There are a few gems among the private camp grounds but they are hard to find. I want to be in a place that has some beautiful scenery, wooded, a little privacy and is not slobbed up by the seasonals. It seems that the majority of private parks are filled with seasonals and they mostly turn the places into a dump with stuff piled up, crappy decks, screen houses, astro turf, toys and garbage. Usually about 1/2 of the trailers have been left to rot or are abandoned or at very least the roofs are covered with 5 to 20 years of dirt and leaves. Usually there is an RV graveyard / junk pile somewhere in the park where they do finally put the dead and abandoned trailers. Hard and loud partyers are also a large part of the seasonal people.

Then as this original post starts out, there are the parking lot camp grounds. I agree, there's no appeal to these for us. Now the newest trend seems to be "resorts". Everyone wants to be a resort so they can nail you for $100 a night and more. They also want to nickel and dime you to death. In some it's like camping on a golf course or a cemetery without the grave stones, but even worse, others it's just a mediocre camp ground that charges way to much. Some have been bought by the resort companies and promise that soon they'll be spectacular but still are ratty and but with resort in the name, they feel they can now charge $100 a night. I'm not a back packer / tent camper (although I think that the tenters are way cool) but geez...sitting around an olympic swimming pool sipping pinacoladas and spending all of your time in your rolling luxury skyscraper? Why not just actually go to a real resort in the Bahamas or Acapulco.

I can't really find any websites or publications in which the reviews are even relevant to what we enjoy. The more resort-like the better the rating. Simple, pretty rustic natural sites with less amusements is the worst rating. Never a word about a place being 99% seasonal either or calling a dump a dump.

As I said, I'd be very interested in others opinions. I've stopped to look at probably 150 - 200 campgrounds in the northeast and I'd be hard pressed to name 10 that were just a nice place with full or partial hookup that I want to visit.

By the way, I've been called a curmudgeon