Kirk
Well-known member
Nothing is "perfectly safe" if you are a bit paranoid. 
RV park requirements
- Thread starter S.G.
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
DonTom
Well-known member
Nothing is perfectly safe, but some things are safer than others. Such as CCs being safer than DCs.
-Don- (my last night in St. Cloud, FL)
DutchmenSport
Well-known member
S.G.
Just an observation. You will find it very difficult to simply drive up to a campground and expect to pay cash and get a spot. Why? Because you'll find out all the spots are already taken.
Unfortunately, this is a horrible dog-eat-dog environment we live in right now. People are making campground reservations months, sometimes years in advance to get in where they want. So, when the drive-up camper pass by, there are absolutely no spots available.
Each campground runs by it's own rules. If you plan on staying at State, County, for Federal parks and campgrounds, you just have to make a reservation in advance, and sometimes FAR in advance.
It just something you need to be keenly aware of before hitting the wild blue yonder to never return! Because, if you don't plan your campsites long ahead of time, the wild blue yonder will be torrential rain on your parade.
Just an observation. You will find it very difficult to simply drive up to a campground and expect to pay cash and get a spot. Why? Because you'll find out all the spots are already taken.
Unfortunately, this is a horrible dog-eat-dog environment we live in right now. People are making campground reservations months, sometimes years in advance to get in where they want. So, when the drive-up camper pass by, there are absolutely no spots available.
Each campground runs by it's own rules. If you plan on staying at State, County, for Federal parks and campgrounds, you just have to make a reservation in advance, and sometimes FAR in advance.
It just something you need to be keenly aware of before hitting the wild blue yonder to never return! Because, if you don't plan your campsites long ahead of time, the wild blue yonder will be torrential rain on your parade.
DonTom
Well-known member
Or sometimes they only have a spot for a small RV. One will have better luck with a smaller RV.
-Don- St. Cloud, FL
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
It's not uncommon when we make reservations seconds after state and national park reservation windows open that the remaining available sites are taken within a few minutes at the more popular parks. We always have alternate lesser known parks in mind in case we get skunked on our preferred parks. We reserved our first state park site for 2 weeks in January 2023 last month...
John From Detroit
Well-known member
My daughter, right now, is getting calls from a company trying to collect for a payment for something she never ordered. they are calling at like 3am (Illegal in most states) and trying to charge her credit card (Which was cancelled and a new card issued weeks ago).
I monitor all 3 of my money cards for illegal activity. both the credit and one debit card have been re-issued due to fraud and the charge reversed/not approved.
I monitor all 3 of my money cards for illegal activity. both the credit and one debit card have been re-issued due to fraud and the charge reversed/not approved.
SeilerBird
Well-known member
That article starts off with a totally BS statement:
My debit and credit cards offer the same protection. Your money is not stolen. It comes back. And my banking has been perfectly safe for me and that is all I care about.
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
I use debit cards exclusively. The fraud protections are the same but if you do get hacked, they do take your real money and you have to wait to get it back.
I keep only working funds in my debit card accounts and tie no overdraft protections to them. I keep the majority of my money in a separate non-linked account at the same bank. I can transfer money onto the working accounts in seconds using online banking.
The only time it is a PITA is when I reach a daily withdrawal limit at the ATM but having 3 debit cards gives me enough accounts to get the cash I need.
DonTom
Well-known member
They also have a purchase limit, but it is higher than the cash limit. If you need big money, you will not be able to use a debit card. Say for a major RV repair for more than 5K$, even though you have more that 100K$ in the linked checking account.
I have been rejected for a repair bill when I tried to use a debit card for an RV repair of more than 5K$. And this was right after the bank told me the limit was the same as in the linked account. But try to tell them that when it gets rejected for being over the daily limit for a purchase. The problem is more than just with cash.
I then used a credit card with no issue.
But this was many years ago, in case things have changed since then. I now normally do not use debit cards except where they are only accepted, such as in the Arco gas stations in CA and NV.
I have found nothing but disadvantages of using debit cards in place of credit cards.
-Don- Ladson, SC
campkitty
Well-known member
Us too! We're leaving from Cali this weekend for Texas where our Forest River Wildwood awaits. Are there any tips you can share? We will be RVing to FL and possibly Montreal Canada in the fall. Disney world is on our bucket list but I noticed Camp Wilderness is ridiculously booked out. What insurance did you end up getting?
campkitty
Well-known member
Good and bad news on Arco. They accept credit cards now...price seems higher. Not sure if that's related or not to the seemingly higher prices.
crawford 111
Well-known member
if you have car insurance then you are covered.... welcome to forum.
DonTom
Well-known member
I probably was just at one near A****er, CA where I did my last fill up. I still used a debit card and was charged the 35 cents. But it said "press enter" and there was no enter anywhere that I could find. Buttons with weird symbols and I had no idea which was "enter". I think it was the circle symbol that finally worked as an enter. I have never seen a circle symbol used as a enter key before.
-Don- New Castle, CA
Oldgator73
Well-known member
I pretty much exclusively use a CC. My wife and I were on a cruise and she noticed her wallet with her cards was missing. We went to the front desk on the ship and they called USAA for us. USAA shut off her cards but mine was still active. We don’t have to contact the bank if traveling across the US but if we are leaving the country we do.
A couple weeks ago my wife made an online purchase from a company I’ve never hears of. I looked them up and found it was a fraudulent company. Went online with USAA and let them know. A few days later the charge was removed. About the only thing I use a debit card for is to get cash from an ATM. USAA only has a handful of ATM’s across the country. Members are reimbursed for fees incurred.
A couple weeks ago my wife made an online purchase from a company I’ve never hears of. I looked them up and found it was a fraudulent company. Went online with USAA and let them know. A few days later the charge was removed. About the only thing I use a debit card for is to get cash from an ATM. USAA only has a handful of ATM’s across the country. Members are reimbursed for fees incurred.
Steve Dunn
New member
You don't need trailer insurance to stay at a campground however if something happens while towing it and your camper gets wrecked it won't be covered depending on what kind of car insurance you have. Or if a tree falls on it or a number of things that can happen. You usually need a debit card or credit card to make a reservation at a campground.The campgrounds are not responsible for any damage or damages that may occur during your stay. Hope you have fun with your new camper!
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campkitty
Well-known member
I got spaces last minute in Texas at Dana Peak and Stillhouse. If anyone's passing through this way.
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rbrdriver
Well-known member
I use a debit card which usually works just as good as a credit card..........
Bent Valve
Well-known member
If a debit card has branding such as Visa or MC it is afforded the same protections as a credit card. That is a requirement to display those.
I don't have or want debt. I use a debit card everywhere. We do have 2 different accounts as backup though. Our main account and an extra that I dump a little in each week.
I flew into San Francisco to drive my son's car back to Missouri when he was moving. I purchased the first tank of gas just fine, then my card stopped working. They were suspecting gas station fraud. Lots of gas theft going on in CA...
I had cash in my pocket, just in case...
The bank didn't know I was traveling. Fortunately I was able to stop at my bank, in person, and get it straightened out. There was one in the next city. Then I finished the trip.
I don't have or want debt. I use a debit card everywhere. We do have 2 different accounts as backup though. Our main account and an extra that I dump a little in each week.
I flew into San Francisco to drive my son's car back to Missouri when he was moving. I purchased the first tank of gas just fine, then my card stopped working. They were suspecting gas station fraud. Lots of gas theft going on in CA...
I had cash in my pocket, just in case...
The bank didn't know I was traveling. Fortunately I was able to stop at my bank, in person, and get it straightened out. There was one in the next city. Then I finished the trip.
Mark_K5LXP
Well-known member
It's funny how different financial institutions have different fraud prevention methods. I have one card that I've used internationally without any kind of advance notice, and another like Bent Valve where I try to buy gas twice in one day and it's locked. One of them was a gas card. Hello - what else do you think I would use it for? I don't consider a CC that I pay off every month as debt and anymore with the "cash back" feature it's money in my pocket to use the thing. I get that they own a piece of my soul in exchange but it's hard to walk away from hundreds of dollars a year to do the same commerce I would do anyway with cash or check.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Lou Schneider
Site Team
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2005
- Posts
- 13,300
I agree with Mark - a credit card that you pay off every month costs you nothing (interest doesn't accure if if you pay in full every month) and with cash back can actually make money. And it gives you a cushion in that you have an instant, pre-approved loan up to the credit card limit for unexpected expenses. A big plus when you're away from home or fulltiming in a vehicle where a breakdown can cost thousands of dollars to get you back on the road. It's just a matter of having the self control to use it appropriately.
