“Manners maketh man.” – Galahad/Harry, Kingsman: The Secret Service
If you’ve read any of our other blog posts, you know that we feel that the RV community is a great group. One of the things that make it so is that we all follow a certain set of rules, mostly unspoken, when we’re all together in an RV park. Just like a neighborhood, there a code that governs behavior. Some of these are in the written rules posted in all RV parks. Some are just implied and common sense for most people. Robert Frost wrote that good fences make good neighbors and we’ve found that is mostly true. Due to the absence of fences, here is a list of things to note when in a park so you’re not “that guy”.
Standard posted RV park rules:
Adhere to quiet hours. This one should go without saying. Quiet hours are usually 11-7ish. It’s common courtesy to keep it down when most RVers have migrated to their rigs for the night. If no one is out and about and lights are out after midnight, please postpone your intoxicated, a capella version of Don’t Stop Believing around your campfire. That’s only cool if everyone is still there and drinking. Keeping it quiet also includes those loud conversations you insist on having inside your rig. We can all hear you and I’m not sure you want all that business floating around the park the next day. Unfortunately, that happens…a lot. RV Parks can be notorious for the gossipy telephone game. Clean up your mess or better yet, don't make one. There’s nothing worse than living next to Oscar the Grouch in such tight quarters. Also, it’s not really safe to keep trash outside your rig. The wildlife will love you for it, but your neighbors will not. They also won’t appreciate all of your trail bikes, kayaks, shoes, wet towels, coolers, and vehicles drifting over into their space. None of us have enough of that as it is.
Be prepared before going to the dump station. Some parks have no sewer hookups at each site and everyone uses a communal dump station before leaving. The line for the station can be really long, especially on Sundays and Mondays when a lot of the weekend warriors head home. There is no better way to piss off those checking out than not being prepared to dump and run. Having to dig out all the extraneous stuff in your cargo or bumper area to get to your hoses and caps after you arrive at the station is not the way to make friends and influence people. Some of us are in a hurry to get on the road to beat traffic or get to our next destination before check-in cut off. Please have everything ready to go and don’t daudle. It’s a crappy job and we all hate it as it is.
Unspoken rules:
Don't cut through anyone else's lot. This is a rule that is never posted and rookies may not realize is a huge no-no. It’s common sense to me. No one wants strangers cutting through their backyard or wandering around on their property. It’s the same here. Please stay on the paths and roads and don’t cut through someone else’s site. It’s just rude and guaranteed to get you excluded from the pot luck. Make sure you leave enough room for your slideout. When parking your rig, make sure you leave plenty of space. We’re dealing with zero lot lines here and we are already close enough to each other. No one wants to look out the window and have your slide window inches from theirs. Again, common sense. If you end up too close, back up and try again. No one will care how many times you have to keep trying to get your rig centered correctly. While I’m on the parking rant, please do not walk up to my window and offer to park my rig if I have a few tries
under my belt. We RVers will ask for help if we need it. Don’t assume I’m in need of help until I tell you I am. Some of us may be novices at towing and parking, but we’re still a proud bunch.
Wait until your neighbors are fully set up before saying hello. After being on the road and just arriving to a new location, we’re in a hurry to get set up so we can relax. I’m happy to have a “where are you from, small world” conversation after we’re all set up and I’ve finished putting out the chairs. That’s always the last thing I do before I collapse into one with a cold drink. That’s the time to approach, but pay attention to social cues. If your neighbor isn’t making eye contact and turns their chairs the other way, they aren’t in the mood for conversation yet. They may never be, but read the room people.
Don't engage with pets without permission. Believe me, I know how tempting it is to talk to and pet all the dogs. ALL the dogs. Every one. It’s so hard for me to stop myself. I also know that our dog, Kharma, is scared of everyone and everything. I don’t want anyone to approach her without my permission. The worst she’ll do is just run away and bark at you from behind my legs. Some aren’t that way and bad things can happen if the dog you approach isn’t as friendly as it seems. I’m starting to sound like Thomas Paine with all the common sense comments. Sorry for the reference to those unfamiliar with it. Yet, common sense, people.
Don't put your grill on the picnic table. This one wasn’t as familiar to me although it hit the list of some of our friends. Your tabletop grill can leave burn marks on something that does not belong to you. The heat can also warp the wood. Best to break out that table in your cargo area and use that one. If something happens to it, no big deal. Leave no trace is still the rule, even with picnic tables.
Don't leave your bright a** LED lights on all night. Can I say common sense again? The new rigs have LED lights on their awnings that could light up a runway. I know because ours does. I don’t even want them on at night so I’m sure none of my neighbors do either. One of the reasons I love camping is that I can see the stars without any light. Please be considerate and turn those off during quiet hours too.
Keep track of your kids. This would have not even been an issue when I was growing up. We weren’t free range kids and never ran around like baby banshees hyped up on Mountain Dew. One park experience we had was when a group of hellions decided to play hide and scream around our camper after dark….for two hours. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids. I don’t, however, want to feel like I need to babysit yours while I’m camping. I’m all for kids being kids until they trip over my water hose, cry, and their parents want to blame me when they were inside their rig streaming The Bachelor and not paying any attention.
Don’t talk politics or religion. We’re very open-minded people and subscribe to the live and let live philosophy. There is a reason why you are taught not to mention these subjects in polite conversation. Everything is so politically charged nowadays that it’s a bad idea to bring any of it up. Just say no. If you want your politics extra large and rippling in the wind on your rig flagpole, more power to you. But please don’t come over, drink my beer, and start trying to convert me. I’m not here for that. I’m here for nature, inner peace, and cordial get togethers.
Speaking of flagpoles, here is something new to me. We don’t have a flagpole on our rig or one we take with us, but here is some info for those of you that do.
American flags. If you fly an American flag, you must follow federally mandated rules. I admit that I knew some of these and my veteran husband knew others, but we weren’t aware of a few. The US flag must fly above other flags on the pole. If you don’t take the flag down at sunset, it must be lit overnight. You are also not
allowed to fly any flag below the US one on the same pole if it is not a federally or state recognized one (POW/MIA for example). I’ve seen many Good Sam and pirate flags and they should have their own pole. Lastly, you are required to follow half-staff events. I’m aware of a few instances when the American flag is flown at half-mast, but I saw one this morning and had no idea that today was Peace Officers Memorial Day. If you’re as uninformed as I am, you can download a widget or receive email reminders from the Half-staff website. Good to know. Although this list seems overly long, it truly is just about paying attention and treating your neighbors as you would like them to treat you. That way we will all get along. You can’t pick your family and you definitely can’t pick your neighbors. As the Police famously sang, “…every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take…” we can see and hear you. No really, we can. We’re right here, neighbor.
For a laugh, check out these rules posted at an actual RV Park that shall remain nameless to protect their sense of humor. I love RV people!
Comentarios