Camping Etiquette - The Do's and Don'ts of Camping

We love hearing the stories of our campers. We genuinely want to know where they're going and where they've been. When guests call us to make reservations, one thing we've heard lately is, "I'm not sure what information you need. We're new to this whole camping thing."

We understand. We were new to camping once, too.

Aside from some basics, like knowing the true length of your RV (the measurement from bumper to hitch, which isn't the number on the door) or the difference between the grey tank (holds sink and shower water) and the black tank (holds toilet water, not the perfume), guests often ask us about "the rules" of camping. 

Every campground is unique. Each one has different owners and amenities, which means some rules may change. KOA, for example, has certain standards that all franchisee campgrounds must meet, and each campground is evaluated every year. (Yep, all 525+!) It can be confusing to remember the rules from one campground to the next, but these rules aren't meant to "control" as much as they are to promote happy, peaceful, and memorable experiences for all guests. Luckily, there are some "universal guidelines" to follow, whether you're camping in a state park or at an RV Resort.

To that end, the good people at CampgroundViews.com created a nifty brochure. It highlights, quite simply, the basic rules to follow at any campground, whether you're a tenter with pets or an RVer with a toad (vehicle towed behind a motorhome). 

We have some tips to share, too.

• Know your camper. What’s the unit type (motorhome, fifth wheel, travel trailer/tag-along, etc.), amperage (50, 30), length (again, bumper to hitch), and number of slide-outs? Whether or not you’re towing additional vehicles is also really important to note.
• Read your confirmation emails. Double-check the reservation dates, check-in times, and the cancellation policy. This is the easiest way to prevent check-in headaches!
• When making a reservation, tell the campground staff if you have any special needs, like being close to the bathrooms. 
• Some campgrounds will allow you to reserve specific sites, but others don't. 
• Some campgrounds allow you to park on grassy areas, but others don’t.
• Some campgrounds only offer specific hours for check-ins, but others are open at any hour. (They will usually have a “Night Registration” or “Night Check-in” area, like we do!) 
• Once you check-in, if there is a problem, then alert the staff to it. (Owners and managers can’t fix an issue if they don’t know it exists.)

We do our best to accommodate EVERY guest that chooses to stay with us, so we hope you'll find this information to be helpful! Stayed tuned for more camping tips and information each month!

?Happy Trails & See you soon!

Linda, Gene, Stan, MEA, Steve & Becci

(The Owners of Newberry, SC KOA)