RV Etiquette?

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rvriggs

Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Posts
24
Since I am new to the RV world... I was wondering if people could post simple etiquette rules here??

For example:

Do not pull into a RV Park after 9pm with the generator running.

Thanks
RVRiggs
 
Oh shoot, this is going to attract a raft of pet peeve lists.  That said here are mine:

1.  Do not run generators after 8pm or before 8am

2.  Don't idle diesels in the wee hours -- I don't care if you are breaking camp at 8.  Start your engine and leave immediately.

3.  Don't walk thru an occupied camp site unless you are on a first name basis with all concerned.

4.  Rig your sewer hose so that the connection is gas tight. 

5.  Don't watch TV outside the RV without using earphones -- nothing is so aggrevating as TV chatter and clatter.

6.  We know you have a dirt bike/dune buggy.  You don't have to drive it by 48 times to demonstrate that it is not street legal.

7.  Campfires are wonderful, but don't build it so that the smoke blows toward your neighbor and never extinguish it with water, wet charcoal stinks.

8.    Kids on dirt bikes or trikes do not belong in the same roads that heavy equipment is moving in.  Buses and trucks do not have good visiblilty on the sides and to their rear.  Teach your kids to never, ever walk behind a vehicle that is backing.  Don't do it yourself.

9.  Don't not leave dogs on leash outside your rig without a person outside to supervise things. 

10.  Don't park your toad or tow vehicle in the empty site next door.  That forces the person who rents that site to have to rattle your bars to be able to get into his site.  Murphy's law dictates that he will arrive when you are out on a long walk.
 
This could be an interesting topic and provide some food for a library file.
 
1.? Do not run generators after 8pm or before 8am

Great, I hate the 9 or 10 pm stop time which many do not follow anyway.  I know I do it because others are!  G

2.? Don't idle diesels in the wee hours -- I don't care if you are breaking camp at 8.? Start your engine and leave immediately.

This is going to be a problem as some of the new SMOG controlled diesels are low on power till the engine warms up to above 14o degrees.  also it does take time to pump up the air but still there is no excuse for more than about 5 to 10 minutes. I know this is too long but it is the nature of the beast.  We normally leave about 9:30 to 10 am.  VBG

3.? Don't walk thru an occupied camp site unless you are on a first name basis with all concerned.

4.? ?Rig your sewer hose so that the connection is gas tight.? ?

5.? ?Don't watch TV outside the RV without using earphones -- nothing is so aggrevating as TV chatter and clatter.

AMEN!!!!  Or radios!!!

6.? ?We know you have a dirt bike/dune buggy.? You don't have to drive it by 48 times to demonstrate that it is not street legal.

7.? ?Campfires are wonderful, but don't build it so that the smoke blows toward your neighbor and never extinguish it with water, wet charcoal stinks.

8.? ? Kids on dirt bikes or trikes do not belong in the same roads that heavy equipment is moving in.? Buses and trucks do not have good visiblilty on the sides and to their rear.? Teach your kids to never, ever walk behind a vehicle that is backing.? ?Don't do it yourself.

9.? ?Don't not leave dogs on leash outside your rig without a person outside to supervise things.?

Add "or in pens etc."

10.? Don't park your toad or tow vehicle in the empty site next door.? ?That forces the person who rents that site to have to rattle your bars to be able to get into his site.? ?Murphy's law dictates that he will arrive when you are out on a long walk.

All in all a pretty good set of recommendations.

 
I have a question. If I have my mother with me i have to run the generator until i get the shore power hooked up. She has a Oxygen machine so no generator no oxygen. So if i pull in and you hear my generator running until i get plugged in Sorry to put you out for 5 minutes It is the first thing i do when i pull in the site . Plug in and shut down the gen.
 
I've been dry camping with people who had to run their genrators to keep the refrigerators working :) Natural and machine noise doesn't bother us, but the loud TV and radio does...even those who think they can sing and play an instrument :( This will be an interesting thread for Freud ;D
 
JIGGS said:
I have a question. If I have my mother with me i have to run the generator until i get the shore power hooked up. She has a Oxygen machine so no generator no oxygen. So if i pull in and you hear my generator running until i get plugged in Sorry to put you out for 5 minutes It is the first thing i do when i pull in the site . Plug in and shut down the gen.

So you do what you must do.  The comment was not directed to the few that have needs like yours.  For everyone like yourself, there are scores of just plain thoughtless types that run generators because they do not care who they disturb.
 
woodartist said:
I've been dry camping with people who had to run their genrators to keep the refrigerators working ....

That is odd.  I have a small TT with two batteries and no generator.  I manage to run a Dometic fridge thru the night on batteries.  An RV fridge runs on propane when off shore power.  Its drain on batteries comes most from the control board, not a big item in the 12VDC budget.
 
JIGGS said:
no generator no oxygen.

I you're that dependent on 110VAC power, I would have an alternative source.  Have you considered an inverter to power the oxygen machine while on battery power, and use the generator as a backup?  An inverter would be much more reliable than the generator and you wouldn't have to worry about the neighbors when you pull in.
 
Understood Carl, but there are people who put in/use refrigerators that are 120 Volt only. The first time we ran across this, I couldn't figure out why someone would run the generator 24/7. Later I found out why. Needless to say there were complaints but none directed at him. BTW, he didn't have a quiet Honda, but 3600 (3500?) watt Chinese noise maker :)
 
Interesting subject, and I, being a newby, am very interested. I?m a little puzzled, and have a question or two.

First, my question. I have mulled it over, and have had  no complaints, so far. We make it with just about every situation, except bugs, flies, and particularly mosquitoes. We don?t make it, very well with mosquitoes! We start our trips very early and arrive very early, as compared to others.

If there are bugs, I, carefully about wind, fog the grass outside our entry door. (If there is wind, I don?t do it. No point to it.) Then, right after hooking up, put up an ultraviolet bug zapper. It makes crackling noises, as it fries mosquitoes and flies. I have watched others, to see if there is a negative reaction. None, so far.

My system is very effective for making our campsite comfortable, bug wise.  In case there are others, for some distance, they lose their bugs as well. I understand that bugs will come quite a ways to visit our ultraviolet light.

My question: So, how do you feel about bug killen campers, nearby?

Not sure where the generator complaints are coming from. Just haven?t run into it, so far. In a commercial campground with hookups, I haven?t come across anyone running a generator. ??

Have a few dry-camping nights, but no one nearby enough to bother me.

Haven?t done a Walmart, yet.  Don?t know if a generator is offensive there, but suspect it might be. Is this the source of the complaints?

Made a couple of long runs, covering distance as expeditiously as we could, without ruining the trip. (Like K.C. Kan to Boise in 72 hours.) Stayed at Flying J, road side rest stops, and similar. Lots of generators running. In fact, that was the dominate sound. Found it reassuring - safety wise. Slept like a baby, between two long-haul rigs, their generators and ours purring in unison. Anyone ever try Flying J, or a four hour nap at a rest stop?

Not making an argument, here. Just wondering where the generator problem comes from. How big a problem is it?

Ray D.
 
Well, generators make noise and the larger the generator, the more noise ( in general ) and some people object to the noise. Not to mention the fumes if you are near-by. There are some rather quiet generators but there are some really noisy ones. Seems like the size of the generator is proportional to the amount of use :) I wouldn't run a generator in a Wal Mart lot, but a lot of motorhomes do......
 
If you have electrical needs for 110 power they can be satisfied a number of ways.  A typical refer could be run on an inverter with battery supply over night with most RV battery banks, 4 T105s in series/parallel as possibly could the oxygen generator.  These are not heavy use appliances like heaters, ovens, stove tops and microwave/convection ovens. 

Once you retire for the night the refer will run infrequently as will a freezer.  I'm not sure about the O2 generator though so extra power may be needed there.

Look at the power draw for a period of time, not the draw while actually running.  You would need a watthour meter for this but I believe the above is doable.  I recall running a CPAP machine on my inverter all night on 1 12volt battery with no problem.  The battery was not new either.  BG

Approach the subject as though you were going to build a house and run it off grid with solar or wind to generate the power and batteries to provide the constant reservoir.  There are some good solar manuals that are available free to aid in this planning.  You don't have to use solar but they will help you make sure you have the power you need.

However you do it, have a great time RVing.  BG
 
woodartist said:
Understood Carl, but there are people who put in/use refrigerators that are 120 Volt only. The first time we ran across this, I couldn't figure out why someone would run the generator 24/7. Later I found out why. Needless to say there were complaints but none directed at him. BTW, he didn't have a quiet Honda, but 3600 (3500?) watt Chinese noise maker :)

Interesting.  One is left wondering how in the hell they keep things cold on the road, especially in hot weather.
 
Well, I guess the refrigerator will keep things cool for several hours in the winter  unplugged (the one I am referring to was near Laughlin...actually the AVI). He had a nice travel trailer and a newer SUV. Heck maybe he was running a meth lab...who knows ::)
 
<<Not sure where the generator complaints are coming from. Just haven?t run into it, so far. In a commercial campground with hookups, I haven?t come across anyone running a generator. ??>>

You probably won't run into generator-noise problems very often at commercial campgrounds.  However, many state and national parks don't have electrical hookups.  A few years ago, we were at Cedar Breaks National Monument when someone came back to their campsite around 10:00 pm and started their generator.  After 30 minutes or so I went over and asked them to turn it off.  I think they were still on Arizona time because they tried to tell me "quiet hours" hadn't started yet.

Jeannine
 
OK, I guess I have to put my two cents worth in:

When you're boondocking, check with neighbors if you have concerns about noise or smells.  You'll find out quickly if your needs are compatible.  If they aren't, try to reach an accomodation or move; they were there first.  It doesn't do any good to argue about it.

When I'm trying to cover distance, we get up and leave around sunrise and pull in before dinner.  Our RV requires that you start your engine, unlevel, shut off the engine, pull in the slides, then start up and leave.  All in all, it takes quite a while and is noisy.  If we're in the site for one night, I ask the park to try to give me a space away from anyone I might wake up, but mostly they don't care.

Occasionally, on those nights when we turn in at 9 or so, the next RV in the park is having a party until Midnight or later.  I just groan and pull the pillow over my head.  If I get worked up about it, I'll get even less sleep!

The bottom line is that the key to reduced stress is to try tok eep others in mind and not do anything UNNECESSARY that might bug them.  Conversely, if something bugs you, try to live with it, if possible, or at least nicely discuss it with the other person, don't assume that you have any more rights than they do.

If you tried to take everyone's wishes into account, RVs would be parked a mile apart!

Al
 

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