Doing the RV "Thing"

[Cudedog]

I am just starting out on my RV life. As most of you know, my "rig" is a converted GMC Savana Cargo Van. I am not self-contained, so I need to use the bathrooms and showers at the RV parks I stay at.

I have several trips under my belt now, and I must say that most (all, actually) of the places I have stayed at, the "facilities" leave much to be desired. Often the showers have a communal drain that doesn't drain (because it is clogged with hair), the paint is peeling off the walls, and the shower heads and faucets show signs of rust. The floors don't look like they have been swept or mopped in ages (they are dusty and/or muddy) and the toilets could do with a good scrubbing and a replacement of the toilet seat.

I admit that I have not stayed in the top-tier places (average price of my stay $28/night with electric hookup). I also admit that this is the off-season (do they clean these places at all in the off season?).

I am definitely not the best housekeeper in the world when I am at home, but these places leave me queasy. Next time I am at Walmart I am going to buy a pair of flip-flops. To shower in.

My questions is this: Is this normal for the lower-tier RV campgrounds? Is this normal for the off-season, they will be spiffy for in-season?

I have to admit that this lack of cleanliness & maintenance has me a bit queasy, and has me doing a bit of a re-think regarding my RV adventures.

Appreciate your input.

Anne

[dayspring39]

I do not believe that is normal Anne, I would write a letter of complaint to each place that is not up to par; but having flip flops is a good idea... and that is not cheap... I would say that is average pricing... I do not travel all over so maybe some others will chime in and give their opinion... I can have full hook ups and use my own bathroom... but have used showers on occasion...
Kathleen

[Cudedog]

Thanks for the tip.

I forgot to mention that (thus far) my travels have all been within California. Perhaps things are different elsewhere.

I hope so. . .

Anne

[judi]

I love state parks, but the bathrooms in some are sparkling clean and others are really disgusting. It may depend on who the camp hosts are. We should probably let the state park system of that state know if things are bad. I do have a tiny little bathroom with shower in my RT so I use that if the facilities are not clean or it's really cold outside. My little bathroom is one of those cuties where the shower is not separate, and you can barely turn around in the small space. But the water is hot and I find it very functional. It's a shame that some parks, private or not, are not kept to minimum standards of cleanliness.

[WickedLady]

That is what I have paid at state parks in OR (get a discount in WA) and have yet to find one that did not have clean facilities.
And yes, flip flops are the way to go in any of the showers.

[Cougarfan]

Hi Anne,
Here is my .02 for what its worth...

I have heard that California state parks are not the best but I've never stayed in one so can't confirm that. The state parks in Oregon are very nice. I've never gone into a bathroom or shower in one and found it dirty. Flip flops are a must in a public shower for me no matter how clean it appears. For $28/night (usuallly less) you can come to Oregon and check out our fabulous parks. You can also look at Passport America. They offer 1/2 price camping at many parks. Watch out for restrictions though; "one night only" or "not available May - September" etc

A few of us went camping last October in Silverton OR and I only paid $16/night with Passport America. They had full hookups so I just used the facilities in my trailer but I think others used the shower/bathroom there so maybe they can comment on the condition.

So, my thoughts are for you to check out parks using http://www.rvparkreviews.com to read about parks you're interested in visiting. Often times I can find a better park than I had planned to stay by reading the reviews or finding a better place not far from where I want to be. Half the fun for me is trying to decide where I want to go on a particular trip and then narrowing it down by the park I want to stay at.

Good luck and come on up to Oregon!

Laura

[VickieP]

I always wear shower shoes! I've found some places better than others, some are older, some just not maintained. I think that in the busy season, the bath houses are probably cleaned more often, but if you find one that is in need of attention you should bring it up to whoever is in charge.

[avalen]

when I had my van, (remodeled into a camper) I had a bathroom built in the back by the rear door. I had a port-a-poddy where the bottom
came off and I carried it like a suitcase into a restroom to dump it. Although my trips were not long enough to worry about a shower, quick
bird showers with a solar bag served my purpose with the rear doors open and a curtain hanging for privacy.

[Excel]

I travel (& live) in Northern CA & I have only been to two places where they were less than clean... However, I have my own shower & toilet so seldom use public rooms. There is a place in Bakersfield that I always stay when going south that has immaculate showers, etc., so sometimes use their facilities to have a little more room & wash my hair. There's one on hwy. 5 just before the Grapevine however that is horrible & will never stop there again. As a rule of thumb I cannot say CA has terrible parks whether private or state... don't know where you've been but am really surprised at your comments.... Guess the routes I travel are different than yours. I agree though that you should check out the website RV Park Reviews.... that might save you from further bad experiences...... Also, I notice no difference in Oregon parks compared to CA but have not traveled through that whole state.....

[Bethers]

One reason I have an rv is that I don't WANT to use shower facilities in cg's. I want my own bathroom, kitchen, etc - and want to be fully self-contained. That said, I've seen some very, very nice bathhouses - and others that are clean, but older buildings etc and you have to consider that - and others that I wouldn't set foot in. More often than not I don't check them out anymore. Have used a few while here in Baja just because I haven't always had access to sewer so didn't want to fill up my tanks.

I feel for you not being self-contained - as you will run into the not-so-good, the bad, the terrible - then also you'll find the better, the good and the excellent. I promise you will. And I often don't find that cost determines it. I've rarely found bad bath facilities (bad equaling not clean) in state parks, but remember, it might be clean at 10 am and several use it and not so good at noon. It only takes one person to make a mess. Many rv parks clean their bath houses once a day. Some check them again, others don't.

[JudyJB]

I have been staying in a few California state parks lately and have found that they are the most expensive in the country and the least well-kept. There are exceptions, of course. I seldom use the restrooms, but occasionally do poke my head in just to check them out. I have been told there have been a lot of cuts to maintenance of state parks and that this affects the older ones.

I agree that $28 is about average nation-wide for a state park with electric. I would certainly complain because you are not staying in super-cheapo parks and should get a clean bathroom.

I am in a new Nevada state park and just went for a walk and poked my head into the shower room. Very clean. Anyway, don't give up on your travels for a few bad experiences.

[Bethers]

You need to travel to NM - the best deal on state park camping. I think it's 18 for full hookups and 14 for water and electric. They are the best kept secret. And I've never been to one I haven't liked. Have not checked out their bath houses, however that I can remember.

[MelissaD]

When I ran long haul in my semi I had one of these RV portable toilets http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product. ... &gclsrc=ds
Sounds like what Ava had. It worked pretty well and saved me from some nasty public restrooms.

$28 is not a cheap night and I would expect a clean bathroom/shower. One of the reasons we a bought a 5th wheel was a bathroom large enough to be truly functional for us. I deplore cramped restrooms/showers. I also did not want to be in a position of having to use the site facilities. I like having my own bathroom/shower. Hate the 2 am or first of the morning dash.

[BarbaraRose]

Or God forbid, you get hit with a flu bug and need to be really close to the bathroom a lot!

[snowball]

It's too bad that you have had those experiences Anne hope you find better campgrounds. It seems like when I travel the shower becomes a storage area (lately my traveling has been from point a to point c with a stop over in ...I normally stop at private campgrounds simply because that is where I know they are...so usually have clean facilities. But if they weren't I wouldn't hesitate to let them know...unfortunately the managers often leave that up to others and perhaps don't realize that there are areas of concern...So let them know!!!
sheila