Site-Lock Fees Are Making Campers Angry!
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
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Of all the fees campgrounds and RV resorts charge, there's one that has lots of folks really annoyed - the fee to guarantee a specific site number, better known as the site-lock fee.
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Running a campground, we have a reservation fee of $25 which either gets applied to the site charge or refunded to the customer once they arrived. This $25 fee allows you to select an available site, which is shown to you once you give us the days needed. This helps eliminates the RVers that like to reserve several different campgrounds and abandon reservations.
I’m surprised the $25 is enough to deter this. I feel like national and state parks near expensive metros have too many wealthy campers who would easily spend a few hundred dollars to choose at the last minute, and they won’t care one iota if half a dozen campsites go unused because of them. I know this would be bad for a private business, but for public campgrounds, I’d like to see a bigger stick used-like banning reservations from no-shows for two years. They can get first come first served sites if they wanna play that way and prevent enjoyment of a public asset.
Good video. I manage a campground with over 100 sites. Over the last two years, we tested out offering a site lock feature just to see how it went. In 2022 we charged $25 to lock the site and we were shocked at how many folks signed up for that. That season was very difficult for all the reasons Jason described and more because our campground grid was completely "locked up".
In 2023, we increased the site lock fee to $50, thinking that such a ridiculously high fee amount would significantly decrease the number of folks utilizing the feature. It did, but we were again shocked by the sheer number of folks locking their sites. It was approaching 50% of reservations. Good for revenue, but again, this made it difficult to run the campground. There are a lot of things that can happen in addition to what Jason described such as mechanical or medical issues preventing a guest from vacating a specific site.
This year - we got rid of the site lock fee altogether! Now when you select a site on our map, a pop-up appears alerting the user that we will attempt to place them in their preferred site on a "best-effort" basis and that your selected site "is not guaranteed". ~98% of our guests check-in to the site that they originally selected.
And this is why I would camp there!!! Nuf said!!!!
That's the thing though, so many RVers want that guarantee! They don't seem to understand that a great RV site is in high demand, by not just them. That's great that you have the ability to either charge a site fee or not, but these corporate campgrounds can't adjust their policies on the fly. I think saying "we'll do our best" works for campgrounds that are individually owned but these larger campgrounds have to have firm policies in place because they have a larger and often more demanding clientele.
So you stopped screwing your customers. Good. You never should have done it in the first place and eliminating the fee tells me you know it.
@@jordancook1668 That's the thing. Now that we aren't doing the site lock fee anymore - effectively it is the same as everyone selecting "No" to the site lock option in check-out.
We were NOT just pocketing the money from the site lock fee. If someone locked their site, we would move heaven and earth to get them that site. Here's a scenario:
It is shoulder season, May. We are at ~50% occupancy - lots of available sites. You are staying in spot 27 and on the last day of your reservation you stop by the front desk to inquire about staying an additional night. We say sorry your site is unavailable because the incoming guest locked their site. So now, your only option to stay is to pack up your entire setup just to move it 30 feet.
That type of scenario is why we eliminated the site lock feature.
I guess some people are offended that we would even offer the site lock feature as an option. While others are upset that we took it away and no longer have a way to guarantee sites. You can please some people, some of the time. We're just going to keep on running the campground as we feel best :)
I'm curious why you say it is harder to manage a campground when people choose their specific site. I've been a park ranger for government campgrounds and either they were first come first serve or they were reserve specific site. None of this reserve a site and it gets chosen on that day. The reserve a specific site was not difficult at all to manage, so I would like to know why you say that was "harder" when my experience was that it was actually pretty easy.
We recently got sucked into this site lock crap, we were going to a completely unknown "resort" so we paid the site lock fee of $25.00 several months in advance. When we got to the resort it was empty, we could have picked any site for the eight days and been fine. This is a hustle, I let the resort know we will never be back.
Watch the video again. Understand that the revenue generated from site lock fees pales in comparison to the extra revenue generated by the flexibility a campground has to switch you to a different site in order to boost their occupancy rate.
It is not as if anyone can see the future and know that weekend will be empty. You paid to lock in a specific site, so you didn't have to worry about if that site was going to be available when you got there.
Typical entitled attitude, and you didn't watch the video. You certainly didn't watch the campground maps during the months leading up to your trip or you would have known it was empty... by the same toke, you ran the risk of ONE other person wanting your site, and you wouldn't have had it without the lock. Sometimes it a roll of the dice, and rolling dice isn't free.
Bake in the fee up front in the basic site cost. Allow people to pick their site for no extra cost. Then give them a discount if they check the box "allow me to be moved to accommodate other reservations." Win-win.
I'm a boondocker, so have no dog in this fight.
What happens when you bake it in the cake and still don't get the site you wanted. Keeping it an option is best.
Wanted to suggest this. "Looking to save 10$? Allow us to pick an equal site for you and enjoy your reward" (or give them big bundle of firewood for equal price or something like 15$ of on site bonus like shower use\laundry\soda machine you name it. This way camp will keep profits and grow.
good idea but most search engines list prices and a $20/day plus $30 lock vs a $50 minus $30 "no preference " discount are same thing but lock fee listing shows up first page whil things costing 150% more are page 3 if lucky. (not to mention the multiple day stay is lopsided between lock fee on 3day vs 30 day
I don't think so. As Jason said, campgrounds would rather have the flexibility to move you so they can increase their occupancy rate. That flexibility will generate more revenue than the paltry site lock fees.
This is like the aggressive tip request before you get any services. I just stop spending any money at that place.
Yes, the mom & Pop are doing this. It was done to me last week. I didn’t do it, and they did move me to a different spot when I checked in. I did stay with them for 5 nights. The day I left I told them that that was wrong, the site I book was empty the hole time. I will put that in my review.
That sounds like dirty pool. Don’t pay the fee, don’t get the site whether anyone else needed it or not.
Yes they move you out of spite
I wonder what an attorney would think about that? hmmmmmmmmmmm
You should definitely link to your review
@@flaminraymin8nothing. It’s not illegal as long as you still get the TYPE of site you paid for. If you don’t pay the fee, you don’t get the guarantee. You can be moved for any reason, including spite. It’s not fair, but it IS legal.
Wow! Hearing about this kind of stuff makes me glad that we mostly boondock, and rarely use a campground or RV park
Boondocking is the best!
People who hog the reservation systems ruined it for everyone. Last time we went we got the last "available " site, only to find only 1/4 of the campsites actually being used! Nobody ever showed up for their reservations. Meanwhile we were stuck with a crappy site!
Yeah that system is messed up and needs to remedied. Holiday weekends should be non-refundable if not canceled 14 days in advance for a full refund, 7 days for 50%. That would help ALOT.
People can't be bothered to plan ahead. Maybe they will go camping this weekend. Maybe they got off work Friday and decide they don't want to go. If they did go and didn't have a reserved spot, they might not get one at all. People who can make a commitment should be inconvenienced so the indecisive can be catered to.😂😂😂
@@gus24seven why do you assume the OP was a ‘last minute’ camper? We have had several instances where we booked a state campsite months in advance and because my fingers weren’t quick enough when the system opened at 8:00 am, I got a less than ideal spot. And then we show up and see a bunch of empty sites. It’s infuriating. Barring some sort of emergency or illness, people shouldn’t be able to cancel last minute and leave an empty site open for a peak weekend to not be enjoyed by someone else. There should be a system in place that if they aren’t penalized with a fee, they should be able to transfer the site to someone else via a reservation marketplace if some sort.
@gus24seven FYI, we made a reservation weeks in advance and the place was already booked by no show campers.
@mamabar6811 Correct. Advance reservations won't save you from the no shows who already hogged the system.
I am at a campground right now in Colorado, where I booked 7 nights, and the website gave me an option to pay $3.00 per night to pick a particular site. I did that, and yesterday, I went to the office to extend our stay by 3 more days. The clerk said no problem, you can stay on your site, "and I'll just move a few things around." I'm sure that I paid the additional fee per night again, but I wanted our door side to face an open space and not another camper, so it was worth it to me.
I just don't pay it. What really irked me was beeing charged the "reservation fee" while I was standing in the office watching her check me in on a last minute stop.
For me, campground fees in certain parts of the country have taken their rates up so much, yet service has gone down. It’s not that I expect that much service, I actually prefer to be left alone when out camping. But I travel in a 21 foot class b. So many times I get booted from the site I chose and put into some obscure area where it is ultra unlevel because the site pad has broken up, may have a rotten falling apart picnic table , and the firepit full of trash. And the site ignored because it’s in a remote area of the rv resort. I have to back in at very odd angles. At one koa my sliding glass door was right up against some trees. I could barely fit to get out. So prices going up and up. But quality and services going down. And by the way, when this has happened to me, I have never been given a discounted rate for being put into the dump site because of my small easy to maneuver rig. I am charged the same just like the 14:27 original site I reserved, and meanwhile the other campers I came with were all in their campsites all near each other as we had originally reserved as a group. If I am paying same rate as the big style rigs, I should be given same quality of site.
I only camp in state campgrounds.
A long long time ago before the internet age of booking campgrounds, we would send our paper form in along with a list of our specific site choices. We would send a list of at least 20 site numbers. It was first processed first choice. You could not postmark before Jan 1st. We would wait a couple months to find out which sites we got.
Then when they switched to online and/or phone reservations it changed to 11 months in advance that you could reserve. The nice thing is we could then know which sites were available and immediately book that site.
No extra charge. I cannot fathom arriving at the campground to be told oh we moved you.... Uh what?
I have a notebook with every single site listed. I have over half if them rated for MY needs. I like privacy. I also need it big enough to fit my trailer and my sisters tent and screen tent.
Even when i camp alone with my dog, I want the site that I chose for whichever reason I chose.
Thankfully the state campground has never attempted to move people around unless a site was closed due to somethimg like a tree falling over.
This is one reason I have never camped in a private campground. And I never intend to either.
Those campgrounds are just not my style. I dont want to be able to reach out and touch my neigbors trailer.
I will also never camp at a "resort" give me nature and trees and peace and quiet, and a good lake to swim in.
You sound exactly like my husband and me. 😊
Same here. will not use a resort campground either. Having all those people around and packed in like sardines- might as well park at Walmart for free.
I’m with you…unfortunately a lot of places are getting abused with no-shows. People will book half a dozen campgrounds and then choose at the last minute. Then huge swaths of campsites sit empty in the hottest national and state parks because a few hundred bucks is just pocket change to these people. I’m fine with people having that kind of money, but I’m not fine with them taking much more than their fair share only to waste it so nobody else can enjoy it. That’s why in a lot of ways I’m glad that some parks like Yellowstone don’t book specific sites. If I can find 3 days of camping in the same site at the last minute, I’m super glad for that. I’ve had to cobble together 5 days at Yosemite and it’s a huge pain booking it and moving around. In places like that, I’m just happy not to have to wait in line or drive extra to get into the park, I don’t care as much about which site I get.
But I’m also not saying that I don’t like to pick my site. I definitely prefer to be able to do that. But in some places, I care way more about just getting in…I don’t care which site I get. Sometimes you don’t have the ability to book months in advance.
@LeeHawkinsPhoto I agree with the whole no show thing. I think if you don't show up after 24 hrs and don't cancel then they should open up that site AND keep all fees and a penalty.
I go to the same place all the time. I am there rain or shine. I have heard booking places like Yellowstone etc is a nightmare.
@@sssophiesmom I think Yellowstone is the easiest simply because Xanterra doesn’t let you choose your site. Yosemite Valley is the true nightmare…it’s really a pain to cobble together more than 1-2 nights unless you book the day the reservation window opens or you’re willing to change sites frequently.changing sites can be a massive pain. It’s SO much easier to deal with Yellowstone.
Ok, I understand the concept of these fees……let me tell you TWICE now we’ve paid the fee when gathering with family and they still moved us around. Last time we had one family member in a different part of the campground……time before ALL of us were moved. Both times they refused to refund the fee…. (At two different campgrounds) saying we still got a site with the requested hookups. This convinced me that this is nothing more than a money grab.
Wow! That is completely unethical unless the fine print gives them a right to move you to a comparable site category.
State campgrounds you pick your site and there’s no “site lock” fee. I’ve never been moved off the site I pick. I did run into a couple private campgrounds in Maine that had this option. I take into account slope and location of site. I don’t want to get flooded out while in my spot.
I can see 2 ways to improve that reservation experience. 1 says right up front what the cost is for the different sites and there is a distinction for specific site reservation. Another, which I like, is go through the process of choosing your site and then at the end offer a DISCOUNT to allow the campground to move you to a comparable site if it is needed. People like discounts! They don't like additional fees. So start off with the higher rate and offer that discount option.
This option upgrade was offered to me in NC. I told my wife this was like the Seinfeld episode of taking the reservation but not keeping it. Camp at the site and the campground was empty with the only have the owners trailers there. Their website was on a five plus year plan with their amenities which most of them weren't even constructed yet. Plus they had a "bad weather" upgrade for an additional fee. One and done and not going back to that location
Reminds me of these hotels that call them selves resorts. They will advertise the room rate at $69 per night, but in the fine print it indicates there is a mandatory valet parking fee of $15/day, a mandatory newspaper fee of $4/day, a mandatory resort services fee of $25/day, a mandatory cleaning fee of $17/day, etc. Shysters!
What a shoddy way to run a business.
Then they expect a tip.
Every casino in Las Vegas now does this. $45 resort fee is the starting at the cheap casinos and goes higher from there. The only free parking is in the off season and only if you are staying at that casino. So if you say that you will try to save a few bucks by eating at the buffets, well, you are out of luck because the buffets are mostly gone too. All you have are over priced restaurants.
@@johnlynch5221 LOL!
@@johnlynch5221 Problem is the hired help is not the cause, so if you do not tip them, you are hurting workers that have nothing to do with company's policies.
I knew
KOA haS this but wasn’t sure how exactly it worked so I went to their app and looked at the booking page. You book the site and pay the price listed on the page. If you want a specific site there is a spot to ‘Select my site’ which will give you a page that has a listing of the AVAILABLE sites of the type you are requesting. The charge is $25. If you want to select your site this seems to be a fair way to do it. Price to select is up front, not too onerous, not hidden and also not required.
On the flip side, there's a few state campsites right near us that we've been trying to stay at over a weekend all year, but, because you book a specific spot, we can't get in. Plenty of spots are available on Friday or Saturday or Sunday, but never the same site two nights in a row.
We don’t need the additional fees no matter what they call it. And if I have a smaller rv I shouldn’t be shunted to the smallest site that costs the same as the longer ones but is nowhere near the same quality as them. If either of these happen, I book elsewhere
Why should you hog a large site if a smaller site will fit your RV? You're costing the campground lost revenue from larger RVs.
@@ski3435 Paid the same fee the larger rv would have paid, so not causing lost revenue.
My thought is that if you paid for a site it should be locked in period. You should get what you paid for regardless of your vehicle's size. If I have a 20' and I pay for a 30' site it should be mine. The fees should be based on the size of the site. If I go in a restaurant as a couple and get sat at a 4 seat table they don't tell me to move when a party of 4 comes in.
But if the restaurant expects to be busy you can bet you'll be steered to a two top not a four top!
@@ski3435 Yes but they don't move you once you have been seated just like a they shouldn't make you move from one site to another just because someone else with a larger camper showed up. Especially of yo chose the site for a specific reason and prepaid for it.
@@arnoldpainal5885 If you are seated at a given table, or checked in for a given site, we all agree that you should almost never be required to move.
But in regard to reservations, an accurate analogy would be reserving in advance a (specific?) table for 4 when you actually only have a party of 2, and then expecting that you will be seated at that table when you arrive with your party of 2, not assigned a table at arrival.
There is a reason you reserve restaurants by the number in the party, not by the table size (nor specific table).
@@zephsmith3499 My wife and I always ask for the table of four seats in order to have enough room. One restaurant we go to a-regularly we reserve a specific table next to a fireplace that is a table for four. The restaurant knows we are requesting that table when we are only two people. If they aren't willing to comply with the request they shouldn't accept the reservation.
Camping sites are very similar in that many people reserve a site for specific aspects of the site such as on the lake, near to or far from the bathrooms, secluded, etc.. The reservation shouldn't be taken if they aren't complying with the request just like my wife and my table choice at that restaurant.
@@arnoldpainal5885 It's cool that you have the personal connection to a restaurant. I like that.
However, in my lifetime I've made reservations at more restaurants than I could possibly count, around the country, and I've *never* been offered the option to reserve a table size independent of the number of people, so I don't think your great connection to that particular restaurant is very representative of the experience of the vast majority. I was speaking of the latter.
If you have such a relationship to a particular campground, great! And if you choose not to patronize any campground which does not accommodate your preferences, that too is fully your choice. OK?
I'm not taking a position on reserving a given site, with or without lock in fees. I was commenting on the relevance of the restaurant analogy to the site rental question, however one comes down on that issue.
From a business stand point I can understand this, Campgrounds could also turn this around and offer a discount for the guest if they are flexible with what site you get. I discount always sounds better to the guest than an addition fee.
We camp host at an RV Park that is open for 4 months in the summer. Our park made less than $100 in lock fees last year. It is not a cash grab. Parks need the ability to move people around to maximize their spots, otherwise a lot of RVers are left out in the cold. For the few that have to have a specific spot, and don’t want to be part of a flexible system that benefits all RVers at some point, they have that ability to lock their spot.
Back in the day, wow! 10-20 yrs already, a group of us traveled to a common destination and preferred sites along side each other. Was hit & miss, and we didn't care as we could meet up at different sites. Being near a bath with noisy doors was terrible problem, slamming 24/7. Site size & cleanliness (overgrown TREES/SHRUBS!) were more important. We also avoided being near dumpsters. Especially when a truck empties it before dawn. Yup, we've become "those old people" enjoying peace & tranquility with our grandkids. 😊 And we educate them rv etiquette reminding them they, too, will someday be old fuddy-duddies!
reservations in general suck.... many rvers will reserve multiple spots at different places then only use 1.... if any fees.. reservations should have a non refundable fee at time of reservation that applies to spot... this would allow more of us to have better chance at getting a spot
Many people want a specific site in order to access things they need. But it always feels scammie to me.
Most people want a site that they've had before. It's supply and demand. If the site is great then you're not the only one who thinks it's great. An overcrowded planet means that you have to pay more for premium sites.
God bless America 🇺🇸 🎉
The theater seats analogy is a good one.
Hmmmm...I can always pick my site in my preferred state parks, no site lock fee required. Guess I'll stick with what works.
Yes but does your 40 foot RV diesel pusher fit in a state park spot and do you have to level it with a 1 foot high stack of boards (dangerous).
Glad that I am a nomad in a van with no debits. I only boondock, so I never need to deal with all this. Good luck with those fancy RV's and get ready to use your credit card more often.
Boondocking is the “ticket”. Unfortunately it isn’t as easy to do in certain places.
Thank you for the conversation, we need to push back where we can on junk fees.
I stayed at a campground near Bridgewater VA, at check in they told me to go pick a site and come back to pay when I was set up. That was nice, just drive around and pick a spot you want. I wish more campgrounds would do that. Only once did I pay a site lock fee and it wasn't needed as the campground wasn't half full!
I started seeing this and my goodness, $50 is SO much for something that was never a question before.
It's like the concert tickets from TicketMaster. So many fee's baked in it's ridiculous.
More and more fees are greedy money grabs just showing the state of humanity.
Wow, thank you from explaining this so well. I was pretty cranky when I first heard of this, but you presented both sides in such an articulate way.
Jason, another frustrating thing is people admitting that they overbook at a campground then cancel as needed. Example: A beach CG near us allows two week stays. People book 3 back to back stays using different family member names. They may either stay all 6 weeks or if they see the weather looking bad they'll cancel that stay last minute and still have 2 other chances.
This is why my "RV" is a sailboat. I always have a lake view, no close neighbors and can move whenever/wherever I wish. I have gotten some questions when I stop overnight when on the road. One campground manager didn't want to rent me a spot until I showed her I was self-contained like every other RV in the park.
I don’t get it. All the state parks I’ve been to operate solely on selecting a particular site, except for the few kept aside for “walk-ins”.
Because the government doesn’t have to worry about bringing in enough income from a campsite to stay afloat
Outdoor Adventures Michigan has implemented assigned sites vs first come first serve. With members able to book up to 3 week stays things get frustrating now. We get a lot of people that book weekends only and book up water front sites. Then there are a vast number of us that use our memberships to fullest and want to book our 3 week stays on the water but cannot do so. Water sites full Friday to Sunday and empty all week.
I can see both sides of the argument regarding site lock fees, and you presented it well and fairly. I have a 21' RV , 30 amp, with no toad and sometimes we end up getting screwed because we will fit "anywhere". We get assigned to the tiniest spot on the end of the row where people are turning right next to us in our lounge chairs. Or some afterthought spot in the plan that they squeezed in next to a building, shed, or playground. So sometimes I have to pay a site-lock fee to get what I want, and I do hate it. I have also noticed a lot of places that now say if you have a guest stop by the campground to visit you, they will charge $5 per person. Or a fee for pets. It's just nickel and diming customers to make more money.
Sun Outdoors wanted to charge me $35 to come in an hour early and the campground was wide open! The lady told me that no one was in the site! Total BS.
They've obviously studied the airlines, where you have to pay extra to book adjacent seats.
The price may or may not seem reasonable, but all the nickel and diming just makes everyone angrier. And an angry society is not a healthy thing.
Do remember to take the complimentary picnic table and fire ring when you leave😂.
What airline makes you do that? I've never seen that.
That might be why prices keep going up. Vandalism.
It isn't added to the price if you don't want it. It's an option not an added fee.
I have never had an airline charge me more to book adjacent seats.
@@Melody-pv4sg I have selected seats many times without having to pay extra. They do charge extra for "premium" seats (closer to the front, emergency exit seats with more legroom), but as long as you book early enough, you can simply select adjacent seats that don't have an upcharge. It seems like the situation you are describing is when just about everything is filled up and only upcharge middle seats are left?
Similar... every year for 4th of July my family goes to Redwood River Resort near Leggett California. Highly recommended btw. This is of course a very popular weekend. And many families have made this resort a 4th of July tradition. Instead of a fee, if you want the same site next year for the holiday, you have to book it when you check out and pay 1/2 of the fee up front. But this is only for that weekend, which would normally be booked as a block by any campers, not just the returning ones
We stay at SP's. If they start charging site fees, Ima gonna quit camping.
Many SP's have fees. Most common is for out of state visitors! Then a car fee, and/or second car. BTY, Florida doesn't! Was told by my state rep. it will hurt tourism. B.S. Users fees collected does not meet the SP budget. Us residents pay it! So when I travel to other states, we avoid Reserve.gov & any SP that "TAXES" us for not being a resident.
Havent experienced site lock fees, but the only part that made sense to me is moving your 20 ft camper to allow a longer rv to use your space. One of your best videos, always look forward to them!
Not sure how that makes any sense at all given that the guy in the 20 foot RV is paying the exact same price for the camping spot that he chose based on many variables important to him. Often the little guy gets moved to a dinky spot to accommodate the bigger RV. Ask me how I know…..
This is why I avoid private campgrounds
Yeap, us too. State parks, National Forest, National Park, etc. are our choices and the only places we have stayed the past several years. Of course some of those places are becoming privately run. If you can do it, boondocking is the best.
glorified parking lots, no idea why people pay such a premium for them
@@wheninrome42 Some of them definitely are for sure!
Modern society ; selfish , entitled campers and greedy campground operators make things bad for everyone . RV parks , RV idealogy , RV RUclips channels and on and on have all drastically shifted over the last few years , it's all about the money now . State and national camping and entrance fees have skyrocketed also . Nothing personal , but I am so sick of every somewhat popular RV RUclipsr telling me what a great deal I'm getting by buying a $2000.00 plus mattress . Not in my budget for sure . The idea of full time RV living somewhat frugally as I do seems to have gone by the wayside and us limited income SS retirees no longer matter in this "show me the money" society . I'm sure in this day and age I have offended somebody by voicing my opinion .
U r right!
(N i'm not from the entitled little offended princess era lol). 🍻
A good hearty recession may just straighten out all this nonsense!
We no longer camp anymore, but when we did it was easy to reserve a specific site without paying a fee. We just had to reserve the site the previous year for the date desired with a non-refundable deposit. We reserved a site that had a concrete pad which was awesome when staying at a campground on the beach due to the sand our daughters brought in daily. For eight years in a row we camped at Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, SC. and reserved our site for the next year when we were checking out each time but never had to pay a fee, just a deposit which was applied to our stay the following visit.
If you want to guarantee a sailing with B.C. Ferries it was $11 a couple of years ago. Not sure if it's gone up, but well worth the cost to make sure you'll be on a specific sailing and don't have to be there a couple of hours ahead of time to ensure you get on.
Worked in hotels for 20 years, we will guarantee a room type when using a credit card, but the actual room number is considered a request, not a guarantee.
IF a campground wants to charge a site lock fee, they should be up front about it. Nobody likes surprises, especially when it is costing them money. Or, a bunch of time picking a spot that they like/want only to find out at the end it costs them extra.
Totally agree. I have been down that road with picking a site and at the final purchase there was a built in-lock fee buried in there. Paid it... but thought really! And there was an entrance fee on top of that when I pulled up to the gate of Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. Privately owned park money grab, that should be a state park.
Site lock fees are a money grab. The convoluted justifications you presented are just that, convoluted. Booking at campgrounds that don't pack rates with crap fees makes good sense.
We always go camping with one or two other families so I only book at campgrounds that allow me to select specific sites to ensure we are all together. I wish there weren’t a fee to do so, but it is what it is. Same goes for cruise lines. I want to be able to select my specific stateroom. For those who don’t care, they get a discounted rate for an unassigned cabin. Maybe campgrounds could start doing buddy sites where you’re guaranteed to get two RV’s on one site or two sites side by side. I think there are quite a few families who camp together and want to be next to or directly across from their friends/family.
They could just make site choice tied to a certain number of nights. There have been plenty of sites I didn't want to be in and don't go back for fear of getting it again.
I don't have my RV yet, however, I liken this to when I pay $20 more to select my cabin on a cruise ship. I could allow them to select it for free not knowing where they will put me until I get on the ship. But I prefer to select my room so that I know I will be happy with it. The company doesn't know what I need or like, so I get to make the right choice for me. I will definitely use the site lock feature when I travel.
Well explained. I tend to agree with you the perception of tacking it on seems wrong. But rather at the beginning offering it as an added service you might wish to use is a better way to offer it. My wife and I don't like it at a campground in NY because it is mentioned at the end after you've chosen a site. We usually pay because we wish to be close to family that have a seasonal site there.
I only stay at state parks, always pick my site and don’t pay site lock…. But I hate paying extra for electric for my tiny camper , same fee at a 50 am McMansion
I’ve been irritated to not have the electricity work. Have been glad I had a power station. I will have to start arriving earlier to check things out.
People want extra convenience and guarantees, which takes personnel, but don't want to pay for it.
Most site-lock fees I’ve seen are at least $25, some are more and some charge the fee on a daily basis not just a one time fee. I won’t stay there if they have that fee.
The last two RV campgrounds we stayed in we paid the site lock fee to reserve a spot we choose on the park map. Big mistake because both of the sites sucked. Don't go by a map online as they really aren't to scale. Our site in Durango looked great on the map but the whole space where we would set up our chairs and table was severely sloped! Lesson learned.
I think you timelines are off on picking sites via webpage or calling the campground. Been able to do that for over a decade. We mostly RV along the west coast, maybe it varies by geo. Your point on defragging reservations is spot on.
We used to go to the same campground every year on the weekend of an event. What they do is the site cost varies depending on what's going on that week. The site we got was $ 95 a night with a minimum of 2 or sometimes 3 nights non-refundable. The public was allowed to come in and get a day pass to use their swimming facilities at the same time, so it was packed just like going to a state fair. No site lock fee needed. They just charged for everything else once you were there.
The way you explained it made it understandable why they would do the site-lock privilege. It is like Tetris in a way.
Thanks for explaining these fees to me. I have seen it recently, and I'm on the fence now about the fees. I like that I can just ignore the fee if I'm just stopping for an overnight, but I can see, in some cases, where it would be nice to know exactly where I will be staying for longer stays, or when I travel with friends and family.
Washington State Campgrounds have allowed you to do just that for years and years. Specifically pick your site number. No lock to guarantee is necessary! It's in the reservation system once you make the reservation, and get a confirmation. If the site is already reserved for one of the days you're requesting, the system will tell you, there's Partial Availability, the reason will be highlighted. Say you want Fri-Sat-Sun. It says partial. Fri is highlighted. Sat and Sun are not.
You aren't getting the site for Fri, because it's already reserved. You can't change it. You can't make the reservation for that day, Fri.
It's been this way for years and years. There's never been a fee to guarantee it. You have a reservation confirmation. Once it's confirmed, unless YOU cancel it, it's yours. Privately owned campgrounds can and should have a similar system.
This doesn't mean someone can't be in your site when you get there. There has been a spate of homeless overstaying reservations, or having none in the first place. Unfortunately, the state is required to use eviction proceeding to get them out of the site. It takes a while.
Why do we play kid gloves with people. What happened to dragging them out, kicking and screaming? Whatever your circumstances, it's not everyone else's fault. But you're making it everyone else's problem.
I have a disability also a pet and do not like to be crammed in between two RVs like sardines in a can. I like end sites near a dog part if they have it. I also am on a fixed income. As far as I’m concerned site lock fees are theft. And, if I can’t pick my site I don’t use the campground.
As a backpacker and tent camper this is so funny!
There is no legitimate reason why campgrounds “need” to charge a special Site Lock or Site Pick fee. Any campground that does this, is taking blatant advantage of their customers.
We especially dislike ANY fee to make reservations! Corporate America has added a new TAX on camping Americans requiring reservations (even day of in an EMPTY park!) just for the convenience of the internet. Some locations do not even have a phone or cell signal to access the company. I'm all for the government parks accepting CASH! Legal tender CASH for all debts.
The problem is the booking software company-the software company charges the campground a percentage of ALL fees collected, so maybe the campground operator doesn’t want to trick you into spending time picking a site and then switch you with a site lock fee, but the software company makes less money that way…so of course they don’t give the campground operator a choice.
It’s exactly the same reason EVERY restaurant begs you for a tip on EVERY transaction…it’s not the restaurant choosing this, it’s the company that sells their point of sale software, and it’s all because they take a cut on every transaction…so they have an incentive to push up the fees.
I started RVing in 2016, and have always been able to go to a website and select my site.
I either boondock or stay in state park campgrounds.
Nothing pisses me off more than taking the time to book an available site then going into checkout to see a site lock fee.
I camp at Forest Service sites. Just tent camping and I don’t think they charge a reservation fee. Sometimes I just go and take an open site that appeals to me.
I avoid the more commercial sites because I just like things less crowded and don’t want amenities besides a pit toilet, water, campfire structure and picnic tables.
I can haul in water if needs be.
We usually stay at the same few places and they know as soon as I call what site I'm looking for. This year the dates don't line up but I'm right next to the 3 I usually book. And they'll move us if the others become available. Called good business.
I have ALWAYS been able to pick the exact site I wanted, always.
They should make a visible note in there reservations that they may move your site. I made a reservation nearly a year ago for a specific site in Virginia but was moved upon arrival. It's annoying.
I agree with everyone’s comments on site lock. Will avoid as much as possible. I have mostly always picked my site. Never have a problem. Except yellowstone fishing bridge
Oh, i just treasure and always enjoy the wild wild west of public lands here in the west. No need for reservations. "Home is where we park it" whenever wherever 😅.
Site lock fees are the first sign you are dealing with a shady campground
Thanks for the video. I understand site lock fees. The main problem I have is it seems many people make multiple reservations and are willing to pay the fee. And then they cancel for whatever reason. This practice makes it very difficult for spontaneous camping. I’m not sure what the answer is. No reservations? Higher fees? No cancellation? I just know it’s a problem and it’s harder to camp now than ever.
We just got back from a trip. I was able to pick our sites and did not notice a site fee. When we checked in there was a $20 site lock fee on the bill. Now I now to look at the fine print. Luckily it was only for a night. I am not sure if they would have charged that for each additional night.
I no longer have an RV so I never had to deal with the site lock fee. However, this video showed a consideration I wouldn't have suspected in getting the site you want. We often had reasons for preferring one particular site, and usually the campground gave us that site. I suppose if we'd tried to reserve a site for 4th of July weekend we would have had more chance of getting moved around.
Good discussion. When I get the question I always decline but don’t give it much thought. I have a 28 ft travel trailer and have gotten some bad RV sites but if I had said I had a big 5th wheel I would have gotten a big nice site. We are both paying the same rate and it doesn’t seem fair.
It's the same thing as airline bookings. If you want to make sure you sit in a window seat aisle seat or a seat with more leg room you will have to pay extra $$$ for that.
I just want a quiet place to enjoy a little solitude and nature. I'll take a hard pass on greedy overcrowded, expensive campgrounds and rv parks.
RVing used to be a way of traveling fairly cheaply. I keep running the numbers and it’s just not panning out anymore. The cost of the RV itself was always a huge barrier, and the low mileage makes fuel stops absolutely eye-watering. But now the campgrounds seemed to have decided they can charge anything because it’s still less than a hotel. You add it all together though and you are probably spending a lot more than you would staying in a hotel.
The fee I refuse to pay for is a background check fee. If the park thinks that's necessary to do than bury it in the site rate. Any business can charge any fee they feel is necessary but I have the choice to spend my money elsewhere and I do.
What really annoys me, when there is a holiday weekend such as Easter, here in Australia they charge for the whole 4 days. If one can't stay the full holiday they pay up.
We have a lot of that in the states too - 3 day minimums for holiday weekends
In 2019, I had a RESERVED site at an RV resort in Illinois. When I arrived, I was informed I could only stay at this site for four days out of the 10 days I reserved. I was told the RV resort had to move me to another site with only 30 amp service due to overbooking. Not my problem. In 2022, I quit RV ing all together. Got sick and tired of all of this. No security, loud all-night parties, theft, and other crimes in RV Resorts.
Word is that January 1 2025 Thousand Trails is going to do away with First Come First Served (FCFS) reservations. Some of their parks have assigned sites, but for now it's FCFS. Supposedly we will have to choose a site on an interactive map and reserve it. We are not a fan of this idea, especially in the Pacific Northwest where the sites are unlevel, in the open sun or shaded and very limited FHU. available What if we want a certain site for 21 days at a certain timee but someone else is already in it for 7 of those days that we'll be there? The whole thing just doesn't make sense.
Camp sites in New Hampshire and Maine have always allowed people to pick your site from the sites available.
I have no issue with being able to select a specific site. I do agree with others that the best of both worlds would be to allow the people that want a specific site to pay a premium while allowing someone to pay less just for a specific class of site.
We usually travel several hours minimum before camping so the idea that we could get to our selected campground could be full isn't ideal. I use a hammock while my while my wife and kids use a tent, so getting a site that supports both is important. We don't have a camper so getting stuck in a pull-through with open space around us isn't ideal either.
Michigan state parks charge 30$ non-refundable reservation fee. Been doing it for years.
The state campgrounds have been doing this forever and not yet anyway, they don’t charge a fee. I know some people who have been going to the same campground for their entire lives from diapers up through retirement, and they always want the same site and they always want the same week of the yearstate sites in New York you’re only allowed to stay 14 days under one name. So they trade off within the family and there are people that stay from June through September every year for 60 or 70 years.
I think it’s good you can pick your own site but not for a fee. If they do charge then they should charge you for it but then should refund you when you’re done camping. Thank you Jason for this is a great topic to talk about. I hope I I’m right on all the above.
We stayed at a nice resort once that had a site lock fee. I think it was $10/night but it was free and automatic if you booked 7 or more nights. Original plan was to stay 6 nights but I did 7 instead because I like picking my site. In the end they got their extra money but I got something too, an extra night.
We mostly camp at state parks where you can pick your site, but there is a reservation fee.
The fees I hate are the ones for wanting to bring all your children with you. Private campgrounds already charge WAY more, then it's like oh that 60 bucks a night, that's for 2 people.... oh your a family, well it's an extra $10/night/kid. Most state parks include 2 adults and ALL their dependent children under 18.
I can promise if I go through all the effort of picking out a specific site and then am told at the last moment that I have to pay extra to have that site, I'll close the browser, cross that campground off my list FOREVER and go stay somewhere else. Sooner or later the camping boom is going to end and then campgrounds will come back with their hat in their hands begging for customers. We won't forget those that have been gouging us the last few years. I probably wouldn't mind so much if I saw some evidence of campgrounds using the profits from the all-time-high in demand we have to improve their facilities.
Our family RV's for weekends and vacations and I see the site lock fee as no different than Genie+ at Disney. I'm already paying a lot just to be there and don't want to risk having a bad time; we'll pay a little more to make sure we enjoy the limited amount of time we have. If you want to play, you're going to pay.
Maybe it would help if RV park owners, such as the one in Maine that you quoted, would post this EXACT information on their websites! Many times, people will go along with a policy without complaining -- if they know WHY the policy is in place. Thanks for the video.
I'm amazed the campgrounds even let people select a specific site, having worked in the hotel industry for many years, hotel rooms aren't allocated until the guests arrive, there are a myriad reasons why this done, and many of those reasons apply to campsites. I can't even imagine the hassle for campground managers, if I managed a campground, I wouldn't make it an option.
I don’t know exactly where it was at. But I know someone with a beautiful vintage airstream. It’s beautiful. They tried this resort. And they charge an extra 100 dollars on their bill for being in a vintage rig. They were actually at the campground with a vintage airstream camping club.
What?! 🤯 Make it make sense!