The busy camping season will soon be here! And the RV industry has seen a boom of new people looking for and buying an RV for sale in California to join the community. If you’re new to the RV family—congratulations and welcome! RVing travel is exciting and a way to make great memories with family and friends. However, there is a lot to learn when you’re new to RVing.
So, we want to help you out by sharing some of the common mistakes that new RVers make when staying in campgrounds. The following 7 things are things you definitely want to avoid during your campground stays:
1. Don’t walk through other sites
When you’re staying at a campground, you start to feel like you own your own little piece of real estate there. It’s where your family is “living”. It’s where your things are staying. And when you’re paying for it, you want it to be a space that is open to you but closed to others.
The campers around you feel the same way. That means, don’t cut through their lots. Even if you can simply walk along the very edge of it in order to shave off time and steps by not having to walk the long way. This is their piece of real estate for the time that they are there, so give them their space. Now, if they are friendly and invite you to cut through whenever you need to, then that’s a different story. But don’t do it without permission and it’s really best policy not to ask either. You don’t want to put people on the spot.
2. Don’t let your dog annoy others
RVing with your dog can be fun, and we know you love your fur baby, but not everyone feels the same way for many reasons. They may be afraid of dogs. Or, they may have their own dog at their campsite and don’t want to be bothered by your dog. If you’re going to bring a dog with you, make sure you follow the rules.
Keep the dog on its leash. It doesn’t need to roam freely around the campground and into the RV lots of others.
Pick up after your dog. The last thing people want on their campground lot or while walking around the campground is to step in dog poop. Make sure you are prepared in advance with the supplies you need to clean up after your pets.
Don’t let your dog bark nonstop. Yes, it’s a dog and they are going to bark occasionally. But think twice before bringing your dog along to a campground if it’s going to park nonstop at every little noise or person that walks by. This is an annoyance to the people that are around you. It’s also important to think about if your dog will bark if you leave them in the RV while you head out for an activity.
3. Don’t drive took fast
Campgrounds will usually have a posted speed limit, but even if they don’t, remember to drive S-L-O-W-L-Y.
As you drive through the campground, you never know if a child might run out across the road or if an RV will be pulling back and forth trying to get adjusted in their lot. As you drive through the campground, you should be moving at a snail’s pace.
4. Don’t invade your neighbor’s space
The RVing community is a fun group to be a part of. RVers tend to be friendly with one another and are happy to help each other out. But remember, just because most RVers are like that, it doesn’t mean that they all are.
You may love getting to connect with the people at your neighboring sites, but not everyone wants to connect. You can introduce yourself if you want, but make sure to pay attention to the social cues they are giving you. They may prefer time alone and not to interact with others while they are camping.
The same thing applies when you see other RVers trying to back into their lots. This can be a stressful moment for RVers that are inexperienced or even experienced RVers with a difficult lot. Don’t stare at them to see what happens. Give them their space and let them do their thing. If they’re struggling and you want to be neighborly, ask if they need a hand with judging the space, but if they decline, then politely drop it and move on.
5. Don’t ignore the rules of the campground
Not all RV parks central coast California or in other locations have the same rules. Make sure you understand the rules of the park that you’re staying in. Then, most importantly, follow those rules. Some of the common rules that you may find include:
- Speed limits
- Quiet times
- Site occupancy
- Not allowing children to be alone in the campground
- No bike riding after dark
- Fire restrictions
- Trash restrictions
- Pet restrictions
The rules are in place for a reason. The campground wants the stay to be enjoyable for everyone. It’s helpful to get familiar with the rules before arriving at the campground so if you have a problem with any of them, you can find another campground to stay at.
6. Don’t shine your headlights on everyone
If you’re arriving at the campground at night, make sure to turn your headlights off and use only the low lights. There are likely to be people sitting out at their sites or even in their RVs or tents, and you don’t want to blind them with your headlights.
If you know that you’ll be arriving in the dark, make sure you’re prepared with lanterns, headlights, or flashlights so you can see what you’re doing as you set up your site without making too much of a disturbance for those around you.
7. Don’t leave things behind
There is a common saying in nature that applies well to campgrounds too: “Leave it as you found it.” Or better yet, leave it better than you found it.
When your stay at the campground is over, make sure you clean up the site. Don’t leave trash (or dog poop). Take down a clothesline if you put one up. If you’re leaving any firewood (if you’re allowed to) make sure you stack it neatly out of the way for the next camper that’s going to arrive. If the site had a picnic table or other objects when you arrived, make sure to put it all back where it was if you moved it.
Do have fun!
While there are some rules to follow, there is a lot to enjoy about RVing and plenty of incredible campgrounds to stay at. There is no shortage of fun to be had once you buy a new or used RV for sale California.
