I don't understand??

[jby5010]

I'll admit I didn't expect this thread to take off like this. I'm still silently following along. Thanks again Everyone for explaining.

[powderskier]

Hi I also was astonished to be declined entrance. It was explained as no-one wants a ratty bus, mine is not, parked next to my 1/4 million dollar rv.
I built my own rv park so skoolies are allowed. If anyone is in Oaxaca Mexico come to Huatulco and visit Chuparosa Gardens RV Park. Chuparosagardensrvpark.com All are welcome.

[kcblkeeley]

I have never been turned down at a public park. I always have people wanting a tour of my skoolie. However, I do know people that have tried private RV parks and been turned away, they are told it is in order to keep riff-raft out. I purchased a lifetime senior pass and use parks mostly available through the recreation.gov website. The pass gives me 1/2 price camping with no per person or vehicle fees. I will die before I run out of different available parks to stay at!

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by kcblkeeley

I have never been turned down at a public park. I always have people wanting a tour of my skoolie. However, I do know people that have tried private RV parks and been turned away, they are told it is in order to keep riff-raft out. I purchased a lifetime senior pass and use parks mostly available through the recreation.gov website. The pass gives me 1/2 price camping with no per person or vehicle fees. I will die before I run out of different available parks to stay at!

I plan to take advantage of several public park passes. I'm a disable vet so I get free access into and discounted camping fees at national parks. Here in Oregon service connected disabled vets and active duty/reserve military get 10 days free camp site in any Oregon state park. And there are a couple of others out there.
On the other hand, we mostly use a couple of APPs on our phones to find free camping, free waste dumps, free potable water, etc. We rarely stay in camp grounds. A recent 30 day trip had us in camp grounds for a total of 5 days and that was only because we needed to drop our 5th wheel in order to visit relatives, the Dulles Air and Space annex, the French quarter, and to pick up and drop HER off at the Kansas city airport because she only had 14 days off. And for those who know how much federal land there is in the Western states vs teh east coast, this trip was Oregon to PA, down to GA, over to NewOrleans, up to KC MO, north to NE, then west back to Oregon. All but the south west really.
We were moving along with specific destinations so WalMart, rest areas (by the way Kansas has some nice rest areas with free camp sites all along the freeways). Montana has some beautiful and HUGE pullouts even on their two lane highways.

When we hit the road full time we'll be parking in one place long enough for the engine to cool off and we'll have to spend a bit more time researching our boondocking locations. That said, we still don't plan to spend much time in RV Park(ing lots), there are just too many free or less expensive options.

[cadillackid]

My kind of travel.. parking only long enough for the engine to cool down!

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

My kind of travel.. parking only long enough for the engine to cool down!

Oh I take my time when I can and enjoy the sights. The GF however has to work another 5 years so when she's in the rig her schedule determines a lot.

We have however made a 14 state, 14 day, 5,800 mile trip.....OR-ND-TX-WY-OR.....left out of the list the states "inline". I'm not sure the engine completely cooled on that trip.
The trip to PA, GA, LA, and back the engine cooled. Especially in WY on my way to KCMO to get her at the airport. They closed the freeway due to snow. I woke up the next morning with about 8" of snow on anything flat including my Harbor Freight 4k generator,..... which started on the first pull to power up my coffee maker.

[cadillackid]

I was dumb and bought an actual Honda Generator.. let a friend borrow it after id only used it once.. he went on a trip with it and needed to use it for much longer than originally planned.. offered me what I paid.. took the offer.. in the mean time id learned about HF generators.. got one of those. . best purchase ever..

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I was dumb and bought an actual Honda Generator.. let a friend borrow it after id only used it once.. he went on a trip with it and needed to use it for much longer than originally planned.. offered me what I paid.. took the offer.. in the mean time id learned about HF generators.. got one of those. . best purchase ever..

Yep. Just always run ethanol free fuel if it won't be running through tanks of it.....make sure it's pure ethanol free when you let it sit.

We replaced the 4k pull start with the 3500 electric or pull start inverter because the GF can't pull start (read won't) and she's up way earlier than I and makes the coffee..... and it's smaller overall.

[cadillackid]

I try and run ethanol free in all my small engines.. i also have sta-bil in that gas can (and equipment) all the time.. im not sure if that stuff is any good or not but engines seem to start whenever I need them. electric start would be nice in cold weather!

[Drew Bru]

Originally Posted by kcblkeeley

I have never been turned down at a public park. I always have people wanting a tour of my skoolie.

We've had the same experience, people always want to see our rig and we're usually happy to oblige. We boondock 90% of the time but when we stay in campgrounds they're always public state/national forest campgrounds and when you have the All Access or Senior pass the NF canpground price drops to half price. Staying in a campground next to rigs that cost as much as our house and a bar and giant tv our the outside has NO appeal to us.

[Booyah45828]

I think insurance is another issue. We all know insurance companies will skirt out from under their obligation to you at every possible chance. So I think rv park/campground insurance is the issue, as a skoolie wouldn't fall under being covered by RVIA and their certifications.

99% of the skoolies on here are built better then how a camper is, and wouldn't have any issues while on the grounds. But as an owner, would you risk the liability that you'd incur if there was an issue? I wouldn't, as skoolies would be likely be less then 1% of my clientele and not worth the risk.

That, and it takes one janky yellow pile of rust to give the whole skoolie community a bad name. I know quite a few people who, when the word skoolie is mentioned, immediately think of broke down bus parked by the river.

I know many members on here have ran into issues when calling a campground ahead of time. I also know members who then went to the same campground with their skoolie, and were allowed in because their skoolie didn't fit the stereotype most community member have of a skoolie.

I ran into this issue once with my bus. The owner was hesitant about it when we called, but was impressed when we showed up, and my bus is a pretty bare bones conversion. I don't usually recommend doing that and forcing their hand, but often times when skoolie is mentioned owners assume the worst.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Booyah45828

I think insurance is another issue. We all know insurance companies will skirt out from under their obligation to you at every possible chance. So I think rv park/campground insurance is the issue, as a skoolie wouldn't fall under being covered by RVIA and their certifications.

99% of the skoolies on here are built better then how a camper is, and wouldn't have any issues while on the grounds. But as an owner, would you risk the liability that you'd incur if there was an issue? I wouldn't, as skoolies would be likely be less then 1% of my clientele and not worth the risk.

That, and it takes one janky yellow pile of rust to give the whole skoolie community a bad name. I know quite a few people who, when the word skoolie is mentioned, immediately think of broke down bus parked by the river.

I know many members on here have ran into issues when calling a campground ahead of time. I also know members who then went to the same campground with their skoolie, and were allowed in because their skoolie didn't fit the stereotype most community member have of a skoolie.

I ran into this issue once with my bus. The owner was hesitant about it when we called, but was impressed when we showed up, and my bus is a pretty bare bones conversion. I don't usually recommend doing that and forcing their hand, but often times when skoolie is mentioned owners assume the worst.

could also be the difference too of showing up at 10 pm with cash in hand and they arent yet full.. do they turn away revenue or let you drive in and sleep... if you call ahead the ycan still "try for higher class"..



ive done it many a time with hotels .. "im a top tier rewards member and you wont lower the price for me at 11 pm? OK ill go stay next door at your competitor".. "ok sir here is a discount"...

[kazetsukai]

The cost of a new RV being what it is- its likely to attract a certain kind of person. They want turn-key everything- they don't want to build their own rigs, they just want to be able to park at some leisure destination and hook up- they are not interested in solving problems- they have a phone for that with someone they paid on the other end to fix things for them.


We live in a different universe than these NIMBYs, and the campgrounds cater by choosing their customer.

[Rwnielsen]

I personally don't have any interest in staying in a fancy campground, drunk adults, screaming kids, barking dogs, rules... I have all that where I'm living now. I'm looking forward to a little peace and quiet...solitude.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by Rwnielsen

I personally don't have any interest in staying in a fancy campground, drunk adults, screaming kids, barking dogs, rules... I have all that where I'm living now. I'm looking forward to a little peace and quiet...solitude.

Sounds like you mean "camp ground" in quotes because most are just parking lots these days.

[seuadr]

it didn't even occur to me that this could be a thing... I guess i'll have to make my shuttle sexah as hell.

of course, having a shuttle will make me look much more sophisticated than the common blue bird rabble, and, i'm confident that if i wear my top hot and monocle i'll not have any trouble with the door man.

[TheHubbardBus]

Originally Posted by seuadr

it didn't even occur to me that this could be a thing... I guess i'll have to make my shuttle sexah as hell.

of course, having a shuttle will make me look much more sophisticated than the common blue bird rabble, and, i'm confident that if i wear my top hot and monocle i'll not have any trouble with the door man.

You step out of a school bus with a top hat & monacle, you'll probably get labeled as some variation of steampunk. I'm not well versed in the standard RV park social hierarchy, but I'd bet that puts you even lower on the totem pole than you otherwise would have been

[seuadr]

Originally Posted by TheHubbardBus

You step out of a school bus with a top hat & monacle, you'll probably get labeled as some variation of steampunk. I'm not well versed in the standard RV park social hierarchy, but I'd bet that puts you even lower on the totem pole than you otherwise would have been

oh crap, you are right!

i meant khakis and a polo with a golf visor

[TheHubbardBus]

Originally Posted by seuadr

oh crap, you are right!

i meant khakis and a polo with a golf visor

Lol. Dunno about you, but the self-loathing would cause me actual physical pain.
And THAT is why we're building a boondocking rig!

[Veloc]

If you don't want to be turned away, here's your paint job.



Or just go all the way.



Getting turned away is a small part of why I plan on using a flat nose bus as opposed to a dognose. A properly painted flatnose can be mistaken for a regular RV, but a dognose is a school bus no matter what you do with it. I personally would rather have a dognose for ease of engine access, plus they look better. But, improving campground access odds along with the extra room is pushing me into a flatnose. If I did go with a dognose...