Communities to avoid

[WQTraveller]

I'm new to the site and have soaking up so much of what has been written. This topic is intriguing. As a tent trailer dragger, I have preferred to stay in campgrounds because of the soft-sides. I don't travel that frequently, so the expense is not a problem and I expect that to continue at least in the beginning while I travel with the van. Knowing where it's safe or friendly to pull off the road is good to know whether it's to deal with an emergency or if it's the way you live.

My tent trailer is antique and has tiny 4.8x8 wheels. Heading down to Virginia Beach, I had a blowout. No big deal, I had a spare. I should have repaired or replaced it because I had a blowout on my way home in Scranton. My campground reservation was near Binghamton. By the time, I got the trailer off I-81, unhooked, found a Walmart, got a wheel, got back to the camper changed the wheel, the camground was closed for the night. We ended up staying the night in my car at the Flying J in New Milford. It was dirty and noisy. I was still grteful to not have to drive tired.

If I knew that it was safe to pull off the road on some quiet street in a town up in northern PA, I'd have probably gotten a better sleep and been on my way sooner.

It's als good to know why one is welcome or unwelcome. Is it due to municipal bylaws or NIMBY locals? I know that locals as much as busineses can be behind bylaws, but I'm less bothered by businesses having problems with travellers. I'd rather get a knock on the door from a cop doing his or her job than a local who is taking my presence personally.

 

[ridgeway]

I have had the worst luck and vibes in very wealthy communities, seems they they do not like people not spending $$$$ a day around. Also suburbs seems like everywhere is a stucco strip mall or a subdivision with 20 house windows looking at you.

 

[JasonMcD]

I don’t know why I’m tempted to even talk but I have a big mouth. Stay away from the Outer Banks of the Carolinas very rich snobs even if you’re driving through it an older rig they look at you funny.

Through my own experiences there. I concur.

 

[WanderingRose]

Not to bash a specific area, generally, I have found the upper north east coast to be a bit less accepting and hospitable toward outsiders, but it’s really all about individuals, anywhere you may be.

I once booked 3 weeknights in an almost empty county park, to be told when I arrived that I could have no choice of sites, that they only had “a few set aside for transients”.

I was relegated to a small site backed up to another occupied site, which was littered with trash and food on the ground and in the fire pit, while most of the campground including sites overlooking the Hudson River remained empty throughout my stay.

Another time I arrived on Wednesday looking for a site thru the weekend at a first come, first served federal campground.  I was greeted at the entrance by the camp host, waving his arms and telling me they had no vacancies, to turn around and look for a spot in one of the other and less desirable campgrounds farther up the road.

When I asked did they not have even a tent site for my little ClassB, he said “well, we have 3, but we don’t usually give them out this early in the week.  It’s much easier for you to find something else now than the family with four kids who shows up here Friday at 9pm.”

When I politely reminded him that first come, first served was just that, he allowed me to drive thru and pick one of the empty sites.

I noticed a large site with a cone in the drive, no required evidence of occupancy and no tag on the stake, and asked about that one to be told it was “reserved”. 

I just took one of the vacant tent sites and let that go, but moments after arriving had a visit from the man’s wife to “collect” my self-registration fees, holding a full sheet of rules for me in bold print and telling me that if I wasn’t happy there I could leave.

Another time I called in advance about vacancies at a COE campground for several nights, to find a hand-lettered sign at the self check in that they accepted cash only and to see the camp host if needed.

I didn’t have the exact amount of cash, and this being a federal campground I knew that a check was acceptable, so left one with my registration.

Soon after settling in the camp host arrived waving my check at me, infuriated that I had not followed the rules, and directing me to an ATM by the office they’d had installed where I could get the exact cash needed.

I politely declined, knowing that my check was acceptable payment and that camp hosts in federal campgrounds cannot make their own rules.

Once at a large COE out west somewhere, I had called ahead to reserve a couple of nights while I waited for my replacement, compromised VISA card to arrive Priority Mail.

When I advised at check-in that I was expecting this, the camp host informed me that it was their policy that occupants cannot receive mail at their campground, the Priority Mail would be refused, I would have to go into town and rent a P.O. Box for a minimum of one month, where the card could be resent.

When I protested, he told me this was their policy and could not be changed.  When I asked was this written policy, he responded “I can write you one”.

Knowing that camp hosts cannot write policy for federal campgrounds, also believing that as a US citizen I am entitled to receive my mail, I spoke with his supervisor.

My Priority Mail envelope arrived the next day and was delivered by the mail lady in her little truck directly to my site.

Other than blanket no-parking rules, it really all just comes down to individuals, some of whom are nice people and some of whom get a bit full of themselves and want to make life difficult for others.

I generally go to a supervisor with an issue, rather than write a bad review, but am of the belief that while one should pick their battles one should also be appropriately assertive when one finds themselves being poked at with a sharp stick.

 

[vanbrat]

We called ahead to a campground to see if they had a spot left, about 30 mins ahead and was told "yes" they have spots. Since we had had a nasty person refuse us a spot in a private RV camp because we are a homemade van. We asked if that was a problem there. Again we were told not a problem. When we got there and found the spot we wanted some what away from the crowd. We immediately got a host in her little golf cart tell us we had to leave. NOW! We were not a 'real' RV. Not allowed! I have had a few places say that to us. All in Oregon. Since we had no desire to be around these snobs we left, but now that I look back I should have recalled the first lady and confirmed and told the host lady to shove it! The only place we heard that was in a few places in Or.

 

[user 423]

That's why I stick to NF and some state park campgrounds.

 

[wayne49]

"Soon after settling in the camp host arrived waving my check at me, infuriated that I had not followed the rules, and directing me to an ATM by the office they’d had installed where I could get the exact cash needed.

I politely declined, knowing that my check was acceptable payment and that camp hosts in federal campgrounds cannot make their own rules."

They are pocketing the cash.

 

[WanderingRose]

That is entirely possible, that they are under reporting filled sites and keeping the money.

My thought had been this ATM they wanted me to use charged a fee which went to them as the owners of the ATM.

 

[Katt]

Wouldn't surprise me if they were not only pocketing cash, but also skimmed the ATM. Definitely some hinkey stuff going on there.

 

[hocho]

I spent 2 months living in my van in San Francisco without issue. You have to find the right neighborhood. I was near the Whole Foods in Potrero Hill. Several other vehicle dwellers, and near a police station.

I would think San Francisco would be a good example of a city to stay out of, when the BIL was there it was costing $30 a day to take the ferry across the Bay, and then had to pay another Toll, then you have to pay for a secure parking garage. You can't park your car out on the street because it will get broken into. They tried using Public Translation, by that is even worse, not the mention all of the poop and needles laying on the sidewalk. He found a way to work from home and goes to California then he needs to.

 

[hocho]

I can understand that there are parts of Albuquerque, NM, that would make a person uneasy. Poverty, or grime, or whatnot.

With that said, I've done several days in ABQ stealth parking my Chevy Astro van. No real issues, as long as I follow Bob's stealth camping rules, including rolling in late and rolling out early and moving spaces.

Of course, it'll be different for everyone.

Driving through Albuquerque, NM, makes me uneasy. Some parts of town have a sinister atmosphere. Sorry if this offends folks in that town. I like the rest of NM, at least the areas I have visited.

 

[Cammalu]

I was driving thru Albuquerque with my mom several years ago and had to stop at a hospital because she was sick. Turned out to be pneumonia and she was in ICU for several days. I parked in the parking garage under a camera and within a couple hours the door was pried open and the thieves gained access to the trunk and took everything.

Took the radio out of the front also. They used checks my mom had at various places and took jewelry worth about $50,000. Totally sucked for us as we were in a hell of a predicament at the time.

 

[BelgianPup]

Albuquerque, NM and Stockton, CA are rated as the two most crime-ridden cities in the West.

 

[LERCA]

One thing you’ll notice about wealthy neighborhoods at least in Southern California is with the loss of the middle class as a buffer the crime rate has gone sky high. It’s pretty much a nightly event to break into cars or saw off a catalytic converter and violent crime is way up. This also causes paranoia among locals. So I don’t think you can pick a city with a certain reputation or statistics and avoid it for other places. Best to ask other nomads what they know.

 

[PECVD2]

Driving through Albuquerque, NM, makes me uneasy. Some parts of town have a sinister atmosphere. Sorry if this offends folks in that town. I like the rest of NM, at least the areas I have visited.

From someone who has lived in Albuquerque and now lives 20 minutes NW of ABQ I would have to agree completely.

If you have to overnight in or near ABQ, find a space as far off I25 and I40 (miles) as possible and never ever anywhere south of I40 or near the airport.

If Wally World is your game use the one of the two located in Rio Rancho.

i too am sorry if this offends anyone but it is the reality of ABQ.

 

[user 423]

^
Whenever I'm passing thru that area I stay at the WM in Edgewood.

I've always had a good experience.

 

[Zmann]

Hanford WA glow in the night neighbors home base 7-11's.

 

[user 423]

WA. Home to two sources of slow death for U.S.

Nuclear waste and mind-numbing WWW. Which will be first to finish us off?

 

[highdesertranger]

Dang Edgewood has a Walmart? Last time I was there, there was only one grocery store an Independent I believe. I just looked and the population has exploded almost 6 fold since 2000. I have a buddy who lives there. Highdesertranger

 

[user 423]

^
Yeah, I think I first stayed there in 2014 or so.

I used to live in SF and Espanola (ca. 1990) and same thing. Explosive population growth.