10 year old trailers banned

[wmtire]

I had read in another forum, where some people had encountered campgrounds that banned or limited the stay of travel trailers that were over 10 years old.

Has any of our members encountered this....and if so...where?

One of the posters seemed to infer that he had encountered several in Bill's stomping grounds of Arizona.

I did a quick search of some campgrounds in the Phoeniz area and did see the following posted on a site of one of the three I checked.

Important Policies -

RVs over 10 years old may stay no more than two weeks

Does anyone know if these kind of policies are made to discourage the possible riff-raff....or are there some kind of long-term renters laws that might affect a parks ability to evict?

Thoughts?

 

[rvcycleguy]

Wow, I'm shocked! Imagine the nerve of a private, for profit, RV park suggesting that the campers are in good condition, look presentable and are less than 10 years old?

I guess, I'll have to keep on going down the road with my 2002 TM. With that type attitude, I probably don't want to be neighbors longer than 2 weeks anyway.

Hope my neighborhood HOA does not hear about this being done...

 

[wmtire]

a private, for profit, RV park suggesting that the campers are in good condition, look presentable and are less than 10 years old?

A business can cater to whatever kind of customers they want. As long as they are profitable, I assume they know what's in their best interest. I just know I wouldn't last too long in my tire business if I used that same standard.

I'm really interested in "why" there is this 10 year rule, more than anything........and is it just at parks that allow long-term stays, as for snowbirds.

I copied the following from another RV site in Mesa, AZ.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
All RV's should be 10 years or newer.
Sites are designed for rigs up to 40 feet! Slide-outs - No Problem!

 

[CrazyCampers]

I recently found one resort campground that had the 10 year rule in addition to a 28' length rule. This was in Michigan.

Well! I never!

I had been having trouble finding campgrounds up here that were open past mid-October and this was one. Does anyone know of a good app or website that lets you filter by time of year open? I was using AllStays and had to just click on each campground on the map and visually look at the dates, if they were even listed. It was very laborious. I eventually found another campground but it was a chore to find.

 

[rvcycleguy]

A business can cater to whatever kind of customers they want. As long as they are profitable, I assume they know what's in their best interest. I just know I wouldn't last too long in my tire business if I used that same standard.

I'm really interested in "why" there is this 10 year rule, more than anything........and is it just at parks that allow long-term stays, as for snowbirds.

I copied the following from another RV site in Mesa, AZ.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
All RV's should be 10 years or newer.
Sites are designed for rigs up to 40 feet! Slide-outs - No Problem!

You probably realized I was being sarcastic. Sometimes, it does not come across in text...

I would not feel "welcome" at these kind of places anyway. I'm a vintage kind of guy. My truck is 9 years old and counting, my TM is 10 years old and counting, my wife is 50 years young and getting better all the time.

Hahahaha

 

[Bluegrass]

I've run across this several times. Other restrictions I've seen include "no pop ups" and some high end parks that only allow class A motor homes.

Keith

 

[Scott O]

There is a park in Kanab, UT that wouldn't let me overnight sleeping in the back of my truck. Elitist scum!

 

[Bill]

And of course there are campgrounds with Airstream-only rules, 55-and-older rules, no-dog rules, no-entry-after-9PM rules, and any number of other restrictive rules. One of the biggest RV resorts in Tucson, the Voyager RV Resort, has really deep (long) spaces, but they have a rule that says when you park your trailer or motor home, the front edge must be within 6 feet of the road. In other words, all lined up military style and looking "neat". Pic at http://voyagerrv.com/rv_spaces.html

Although I have not talked to anyone, I suppose that the purpose of any of these rules is to make the park appeal to a desired clientele, and to discourage those who do not fit the profile. And judging by the number of different rules, it is legal for them to do so, and does not constitute discrimination. Think of "shirt and shoes" rules in retail stores, designed to keep out the riff-raff.

The owners of these campgrounds may feel that an older rig looks "trashy". The term "gypsy camp" comes to my mind, since I was accused of making a campground look like one when I was much younger and had a very old upright trailer. We all know that an older rig isn't necessarily a trashy rig. But in the eyes of the campground owner, it is true more often than not, and I'm not sure that I disagree. I've stayed in some campgrounds that would turn your stomach.

Bottom line, I simply avoid these places.

Bill

 

[OneMoBear]

We were told that it started with the idea that 11+ year old rigs, with motors especially, are more likely to be abandoned if a major, again - say motor, problem comes up. Pandora's Box . . .

One of our neighbors just got a beautiful 1998 Dutchstar. I warned her about this and told her I couldn't tell her to lie but that is unlikely that whoever checks them in is going to know what year it is. As for me, I'd deduct 8 years from the current year and smile sweetly.

That's not true. We have backed away slowly from parks like this . . .

Malinda

 

[countrygirl32082]

I recently found one resort campground that had the 10 year rule in addition to a 28' length rule. This was in Michigan.

Well! I never!

I had been having trouble finding campgrounds up here that were open past mid-October and this was one. Does anyone know of a good app or website that lets you filter by time of year open? I was using AllStays and had to just click on each campground on the map and visually look at the dates, if they were even listed. It was very laborious. I eventually found another campground but it was a chore to find.

I sent you a couple pms about a year round campground in IL.

 

[T and C]

I recently stayed in an RV park in Flagstaff, AZ called Black Bart's. The place is pretty run down and the facilities are limited and in poor condition. The park has about 8 rows of spaces. In the last few rows there were many older travel trailers and motor homes that are obviously permanent homes. They had plywood cut to fit the open spaces underneath the coach all the way around for cold weather insulation. In addition there were wooden decks, large grills, bikes, jury rigged clotheslines and such.

This gives the park a run-down look. A business owner who wants to get a good rating from Trailer Life or Goodall's has to limit these sort of coaches to keep up the "tone" of the park. The Maple Leaf rv park near San Jose has long term residents but nothing is run down or junky looking.

Notice there is a two-week limit for the older coaches. That means anyone can overnight or spend vacation time there, but not set up for permanent residence.

I don't know that I would do it differently.

Tom

 

[ragmopp]

You know, unless they actually look at your registration, how are they going to tell if you have, say, a 1998 TM? It it is clean and neat, they all pretty much look the same...

 

[Beak12]

There is a campground in the City of San Diego that is on public land and is given over to a private company to run. They ask for the paper work onthe RV and then send someone out to inspect it. My problem with this is that it's City property and I think all the tax payers should be able to use it if they can pay the price.

PS: At least that is how it was about 5 years ago when I last camped there.

 

[Bluegrass]

You know, unless they actually look at your registration, how are they going to tell if you have, say, a 1998 TM? It it is clean and neat, they all pretty much look the same...

I've found that most of the parks with a 10 year rule have it to keep trashy looking trailers out, not as a hard and fast rule. One of our favorites has this rule. When you check in, they look out the window at your trailer and if it's clean looking, you never hear a word.

Keith

 

[scrubjaysnest-TMO]

That's why we never go to an RV park unless there is no other choice. They always seem to have silly rules and stack you like cord wood.

 

[rvcycleguy]

I've found that most of the parks with a 10 year rule have it to keep trashy looking trailers out, not as a hard and fast rule. One of our favorites has this rule. When you check in, they look out the window at your trailer and if it's clean looking, you never hear a word.

Keith

So, at check-in, if the RV was not to their liking, they would say no vacancy? Or refer to a 10 year old rule? Or sorry, no thanks? Go on down the road....

I guess I'm sympathetic to weary travelers who may not have done the research on the parks restrictions. Especially if the driver and passengers were not of the "profile" the park owner wanted to stay.

 

[Rio Dan]

...
I guess I'm sympathetic to weary travelers who may not have done the research on the parks restrictions. Especially if the driver and passengers were not of the "profile" the park owner wanted to stay.

It's perspective. Here on the Delta we have a lot of RV parks. I see a lot of run-down trashy RV's. I wouldn't let them park on the street in front of my home. I don't understand why these park owners let them on their property. I guess they are RV-slum lord equivalent.

I fully support private park owners who "toss out the trash".

A 10 year rule is just something so employees of the park have an objective threshold. Leaving subjective decisions to employees like "is it a good looking RV?" doesn't always yield the desired results.

 

[CeeWoo]

My 2002 TM looks pretty good for it's age, and the designs haven't changed much...I'll just tell em it's a 2006 or so

 

[HIKERZ]

this is a quote from the Bluewater Resort in the Florida Keys

"Minimum RV length is 24 feet (exterior traveling length). Please note that we do not accept tents, pop-up campers, RVs with soft-sided/canvas pop-outs, or truck campers. All units are subject to management approval".

Summer rates are $95-$120
We stay at Bahia Honda instead.

 

[Bluegrass]

Rio Dan's comment cause me to remember that this is also a common practice in many marinas who don't want run down boats in their marina. In fact, getting rid of an old boat can be so costly for the owner, that it was common practice to find a marina, rent a slip, then abandon the boat and quit paying the slip rent. The marina owner is then stuck with the junk boat and has to pay to dismantle and grind it up.


Dan - we had a boat at Willow Berm Marina for many years before moving to Utah. Nice place. No junk boats.

Keith