| Author | Message | ||
| dug Rating: N/A |
I stayed at Shady Acres RV Travel Park in Fort Myers this weekend. I was reading the park rules, and noticed this: Heaters: No electric space heaters, elecric water heaters or washer/dryers in RVs to be used. This is strictly enforced and monitored. My site had it's own meter. I would guess that's the only way to monitor it. Has anyone else seen this? Dug 75 MC8 Arcadia, FL | ||
| Dale L. Waller (Happycampersrus)
Rating: N/A |
What kinda daily price they got for a 50a service campsite??? Was yours a 30a or 50a ??? Dale | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
After running into ridiculous things like that at the commercial parks, we've learned to search for and go to, the state or county campgrounds instead. Nice scenery, clean facilities, plenty of room around the RV for privacy, and no nonsense. (and little $$) | ||
| Jon W. Rating: N/A |
So I suppose my four heat pumps would be OK, but my two 1500 W toe space heaters would not? My electric engine block heater is OK, but my hot water heater is not? I really hate cold showers, and the campers around me would likely not be pleased sniffing the exhaust from my Webasto so I could have hot water and heat. The rules such as those make no sense because in my coach all I have to do is leave the multitude of lights on and the current draw of the battery chargers will suck more juice than the little it takes to keep the hot water tank at temperature or take the chill off in the morning. I guess I am being a smart a$$ because if the site has a meter what is the big deal of charging for the site, plus 10 cents (or whatever) for each KWH? Sorry, its been a bad day because while servicing the coach today I found a broken hose clamp causing a previously unnoticed coolant leak and a nail sideways through the tag axle tire. | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
Well, in all fairness.... Most of the "fancy" commercial campgrounds offer electric for air conditioning, heating and other "heavy use", for extra money. They then post warnings, that you cannot use the "free" electric for "heavy duty" use, like that heater. Appliances like the microwave, etc, are used infrequently, but the air conditioning, heating, water heater, etc, run either continuously, or very frequently, running an electric bill up and chopping big holes in the CG owner's bottom line. I don't blame the #*^%s, I'm mad at them for demanding "no overnight" parking at Walmart, etc, in their quest to grab every camper that needs free sleep. | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
And then again: Shady Acres RV Park Rates | ||
| Ron Frazier (Ron_4104)
Rating: N/A |
Being a campground owner, I can tell you the electric bill can be very expensive, but I can"t imagine telling someone what appliances they can and cannot run. I can understand having a different rate for 50 amp than for 30 amp because you can only run so much on 30 amp at a time, but quite a bit more at a time on 30 amp. I have owned a campground for 18 yrs. and I have seen it all, people leave the campground for 8 to 10 hrs, to go to the flea market or whatever and leave the air etc. while they are gone. That is the extreme on one side. I have also stayed in campgrounds that charged a camp rate that I thought was a plenty only to find out you must put money in the shower, pay extra to dump etc. The extreme the other way. It really doesn"t take much effort to call or check the campground out before you get there, and find out what their rates include. I belong to 2 different campground associations in In. but I rarely go to their meetings because of the nonsense that cames from some of the owners. Thankly these owners are the minority in In. and not the majority. I refuse to talk with any of them when the Wal-Mart issue comes up. I have tried to get both associations to come up with a reasonable rate for the traveler that wants 30 amp service only for the nite. The one who just wants a safe place to sleep and is back on the road the next morning. I do agree with them on the guy that stops at Wal-Mart gets out the lawn chairs, puts out the awning, etc. Wal-Mart should be a place to sleep for the guy thats tired and needs to stop for a few hrs. Common sense would take care of both sides of the problem, If common sense were common. | ||
| Brent Coursey
Rating: N/A |
I'm also a Park owner and I agree with Ron's comments. The previous owner of our park, charged $2 extra if you are running heat or A/C...in South Carolina you are either running heat or A/C most days...we just built it into our rates. Most people are not going to use more than $2 of electricity a day unless your one of those high-end conversions that has all of the appliances and I hope his breakers flip before he melts down my electrical pod...If I could get the rates the Fort Meyers park is getting I would not be worrying about how much electricity they are using! And on the Wal-Mart issue, we have stayed there plenty of times when we are traveling late at night and only want to get some sleep and move on the next day. It's a little hard to keep the kids entertained in the Wal-Mart parking lot...I guess we could go inside. | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Rating: N/A |
I think I would pass on this park. That long list of rules reminds me too much of my military days. Upon retirement I want to get far away from that stuff. | ||
| Dale L. Waller (Happycampersrus)
Rating: N/A |
Those people won't get my money. We love the beach. That's not even on the beach according to the web site you have to go 12 miles. Too many campgrounds closer than that. When we go we usually stay near NAS Pensacola though. Got a buddy with the Blues. Like to watch them practice. Hate to have the space heater cops arrest me anyhow. So I am giving it 2 thumbs down or 2 fingers up depends on how you want view it. Dale | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
Rating: N/A |
when i went to see luke (us coach) i was driving a '56 scenicrusier that i had owned for less than a week, that i basically bought, loaded to the rafters with tourney gear, (missing all the seats on the top deck) and headed for jersey. it smoked a lot, and i had 5 people with me. i live outside of seattle, so this was going to be about 8,000 miles round trip. we did some sightseeing on the way, but mostly it was a shake-it-till-parts-fall-off run for my new toy. shifter was really stiff, steering is a bit sloppy, etc. i lost 35 lbs in the month or so on the road. anyway, we wall mart camped most of the trip there and back. we went to see devils tower in wyoming, and we were wanting showers... so we asked at the koa at the bottom of the mountain, and they said 75 bucks. dream on. i asked them about just showers, no hookups, we'd be there for about 2 hours. 60 bucks (10 bucks a head). yeah right. so i get to face a mutiny on the way out the door. donated 20 bucks to the donations only campground about a mile down the road instead. the next night we were in wall south dakota, spent the night in the wall drug parking lot, went to the slightly out of town campground the next day and paid 5 bucks a head for showers, and the guy let me tinker with my bus (needed to replace the alternator to battery connecting wire... ever try to crimp 0 gauge cable in a napa?) and then we all did the wall drug thing. oh, and he let me use their wireless access point to update some stuff online. (couple hours). yeah, i know where i'll be staying next time. one of the people with us told us he'd stayed at jellystone as a kid, and wanted to, while we were by rushmore. ... they wanted 85 bucks, not including showers, wouldn't let us take showers at any price, and didn't have a space for a 40 ft bus anyway. trust me when i say i've got no beef with wall mart. truthfully, a safe place to park, and showers, was all i was after, and i'd pay 5 bucks a night per person for it, but i'm not paying more except under duress, and that means i will not be back. i think a lot of it was how rude they were about it. -dd | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
Kev - The opening line with your bus, at a KOA.... "We're shooting on-sight; can't tell you anything about the movie, but we need a place to shower for tomorrow's shoot" And maybe toss in: "and Britney has got to do her hair"...... "is it OK if she goes naked outside" | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
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/me howls with laughter... if my bus was prettier, yeah. we actually did have a britney with us.. *snickers* -dd | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
The Cruiser's a beautiful specimen of the 50-60s, never knock it. I love looking at those rigs; It's just such a classic, beautiful design When you think of Greyhound, you picture that bus. http://www.sptc.spb.ru/gmc.htm Of interest: http://www.pacbus.org/ All great reading, if you love buses! | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
It was a scenicruiser that slid backwards on ice, while parked, locked, and unoccupied...while the driver sat with us playing cards at Hunter Mountain Ski slope....in the 60s... That slid backwards in the parking lot, over the embankment, with all but it's front section to be seen above the crest.... like the Titanic sticking out of the Ocean blue.... It took three wreckers to winch the bus up and out. It's funny now, but at the time........ it was even funnier. You woulda' had to been there! | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
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yeah, but mine's pretty rough. she'll be awesome eventually, with luck before diesel is $50 / gal.. nice to know the chassis can hande that kinda abuse though.  -dd | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
Anyone can own an MCI of any vintage, or a GM coach, of any vintage... Or a prevost, or a Van Hoowie... You sir, own a classic. Restore it and be proud of it! | ||
| kevin schooler (Sylverstone_pd4501864)
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yeah. this is the first bus i've ever owned, and the same one i rode on as a kid, so yeah, she's getting the treatment -dd | ||
| Ron R.
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Kevin....Your Bus I Too have sean Her went you came Home and unloaded gear(Edmonds) It is a Good Looking Bus...Keep up the Work and shy will last for Ever...I like State, and Fed. Park they are more friendly...KOA...only want most Bus in the off Season...Ron | ||
| FAST FRED Rating: N/A |
FP&L has raised the electric rates about 30% after Wilma. AT 20c a kw a coach can use a HUGE amount expensive power, so the campgrounds have rules. It will be far better in the future when the meters are all wired with remote readouts back to the office. ON check in the meter will be read , and at check out you will PAY for all the juice you used. Seems fair to me , as too many new RV's take the cheapout method of electric heating & cooking & hot water , expecting a tiny campground fee to give them a FREE RIDE on all expenses. Fed and other gov. camping spots pay no taxes , have no mortages, no property taxes ,and get rebuilt/upgraded for FREE so have much lower costs than the folks there in competition with. They also have no P&L to worry about. FAST FRED | ||
| dug Rating: N/A |
Dale, It was 30 Amp service. I also reserved using Passport America, so my rate was $20 per night. I never realized an electric water heater or space heater might not be allowed. Just trying to save somebody heartache down the road. Happy Trails! Dug 75 MC8 Arcadia, FL | ||
| JJ Rating: N/A |
Check with an attorney- I don't believe they can enforce such rules, as they contravene common law as to use of rental and it's curtilage. How 'bout an opinion Marc? ...JJ | ||
| Dennis Johnson Rating: N/A |
I checked the Passport America directory and there is no warning of this restriction. They invite "big rigs" which to me implies potentially high users of electicity. The listed charge is $17 per day plus $3 for electricity. Assuming that they did not warn you of the restriction when you made the reservation, I think that you are justified in using whatever electricity that you can get from your 30 amp. service. I doubt if you will use $3 a day worth from a 30 amp plug. But one other concern is that some of the older campgrounds have poor wiring and are subject to voltage drops. You might want to keep an eye on your volt meter if run appliances that are heavy users of electricity. |