How Not to Be a Jerk at an RV Park

Yesterday I saw a woman and a man screaming at each other in the parking lot near the laundry room. I wasn't trying to listen, but when two people are yelling that loudly, it's hard not to. Apparently the woman had her laundry in every single one of the washing machines, and the man was writing down her license plate number, in order to report her to the office.

Okay, so, I realize that the following may make me seem a little priggish. I am a mom too; there are six of us and we make an OBSCENE amount of laundry, so I understand the temptation to get it all done at once. And I do, generally, try to work things out with neighbors by talking them out, rather than reporting to "the authorities."

But I am 100% Team Laundry Man here. Selfish Washer Lady, in this scenario and in my opinion, was completely wrong. There are basic rules of etiquette when you're RVing, and using up every washing machine is a big time no-no.

I am far from an expert, but here are a few other simple guidelines to help your neighbors not hate you.

1: Don't walk your dog through other people's campsites. If a campground allows pets, it will have areas in which to walk them. One place we stayed in Wisconsin was a concrete parking lot, and nothing more. There were still grassy spots for dogs to do their business. Cats answer to nobody; not man nor any other entity, so no one will be mad at you if your cat ends up in their campsite. They might shoo him away, though. Don't get offended. Some people don't like cats. Crazy people. But still.

2: It really should go without saying, but pick up your dog's poo. Most places have this posted as an official rule, but I am continually amazed at how many ignore it. Hate plastic bags? Me too! But you can get brown paper lunch sacks at the Dollar Tree. Or buy 500 of them at a time at Costco! Wrap your doggo's doo up in one of those, toss it in the trash can, and voila! The whole thing will compost in a few months, or even less if the weather is warm. Plus they're more durable for larger messes and don't feel as icky in your hand as plastic. Please. Pick up after your pupper.

3: Respect the elderly, and teach your children to do the same. There are a LOT of older folks at RV parks. It is changing slowly, but for a long time, RVing has been the exclusive domain of retired people. My grandparents did it, and had a whole crew of fellow snowbird/traveler friends that they would meet up with on the road. Most retirees love children and families, but some are unaccustomed to (and maybe a tad resentful of) children and young people doing what they worked hard for their entire lives to do.

The simple solution is to be friendly. Wave, say hello, keep an eye on your children, and don't get into a turf war with a snowbird. It's rude and you will lose. Besides, these guys are RVing wizards, and you would be stupid to overlook their expertise. One of the best tips we have ever gotten came from an old timer who saw Jesse working on our black tank. He told us that, right before we leave a campsite, we should dump a five pound bag of ice down the toilet. It sloshes around while you drive, loosening anything gross that happens to be stuck in the corners of the tank, and prevents the dreaded "Pyramide du Poo." Make friends with the snowbirds. They know everything.

4: Don't use all the washing machines. On one of our first RV trips (we were not full timers yet) three of us had a stomach bug. It was miserable and gross and there were only two washing machines in the laundry room. Using both would have made a long day of laundry MUCH shorter. But we didn't, because that would be boorish and uncivil. We were not the only family with laundry that day. Don't be selfish.

I reached out to two of my best friends, who are also full time RVers, to get their thoughts on this post. Shirley is a camp host, and her tip was excellent:

5: Don't leave your super bright outdoor light on all night. I hadn't thought of this, but I know I've done it, because I know I've woken up at midnight, nudged Jesse, and said,

"Will you go turn off the porch light?" We are lucky, because we don't have any neighbors on that side, so we didn't ruin anyone's sleep. But we certainly COULD have! Check your porch light before bed, especially if it's one of those really bright LEDs.

Jacque came up with this one:

6: Don't let your kids be loud, early or late. I don't know why this one didn't occur to me, but DUH! RV parks get quiet pretty early, unless it's a holiday, or a weekend in the summer. It might be the above mentioned retired folks, or it could just be that camping is tiring and people who do it a lot tend to go to bed early. So keep your kids quiet.

I also happen to know that at least once, Jacque has had to grab her firstborn (who rises with the dawn, awake and chipper as an early bird) by the scruff of the neck and yank him backward to prevent his going outside and flying his drone at 6AM. Be like Jacque. Your neighbors will thank you.

As I said, I am far from an expert, and I feel like after seven months, we are still noobs! But we do make an effort to be good guests and good stewards, wherever we end up. I'd love to hear your best RV etiquette tips, in the comments!