Telcobilly said:
Trying to find a place for my Tacoma with a fiberglass utility shell. I have called a few places (not resorts) and have been told no to truck campers. My time at the rental place is almost over and I'm trying to find a place to stay. So far, my search for a small travel trailer has resulted in overpriced old junk. Any ideas? I'm in Texas in the Conroe/Spring area. Thanks
Were you calling campgrounds affiliated with Thousand Trails by any chance? I was considering a membership in TT and was conducting a lot of research last year. I contacted an assload of CG's in the TT network, and was met with the SAME baloney you've been hearing.
They basically told me, we ONLY accept vehicles that were
born campers (conversions of ANY kind are not acceptable; trailers, shells, vans, schoolies, etc.). Further, all camper vehicles MUST have an RVIA sticker. If you don't have one, you're out of luck. Also, most places said they WILL check the RVIA sticker, and look it up in their database to ensure that it's legit.
My guess is, since you have a utility shell, they're using that against you since it doesn't fall under their "born camper" rule. Ie: Your shell wasn't made to sleep in, only house stuff.
A lot of CG's are adopting similar rules too, even those not affiliated with TT. And the amount of people getting into camping has EXPLODED in the past few years, so they can afford to be choosey.
The tent solution others have offered is your best bet. I know because I'm in the same boat as you. I'm beginning my journey as a car camper, and most CG's don't allow car camping. However, a few will make an exception and let you stay in the tent section, provided you set one up next to your vehicle. It's basically to cover their asses. But you should have no issues actually sleeping in your shell at night.