# Outback In Popup Land



## jbmanno (Mar 30, 2007)

We braved the weather and traffic and drove to Moraine State Park (Western PA) to Bear Run Campground. I had called and reserved my site in April and told them how big my unit was, but they ended up putting me at a small site anyway. (I had to park my truck beside my camper because there wasn't any room in front of it...which meant we had to use the neighbors picnic table, fire ring, etc.)









When I pulled in, there was a guy that was having problems unhitching his 5th wheel and the campground didn't want me to wait for him because I was blocking the road. Well, the roads weren't big enough to swing my rig in with all the vehicles parked how they were, so I dropped in the middle of the road and the campground put it in with a tractor. The neighbors in Pop Up Land ended up being very friendly







and the stay was very nice after all. The campground is probably pretty decent on regular weekends, but they need to make the sites bigger for todays larger TT.

To give you an idea of how small the sites are, the people in the pop ups were complaining that they didn't have enough room! I have pictures, but for the life of me cannot figure out how to post them on this site!









Joe.


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

Its all about the $$$$$$$$$$. I understand how business works but to remove a few sites and avoid the sardine affect makes happy campers who will probally return. For some its all about how many we can get in to make more money.


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## Mgonzo2u (Aug 3, 2004)

Sorry to be like this but larger isn't always better.

The 21RS is tailor made to fit most campgrounds, thus the popularity of this model.


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

Mgonzo2u said:


> Sorry to be like this but larger isn't always better.
> 
> The 21RS is tailor made to fit most campgrounds, thus the popularity of this model.


I have the 30' 5er with a tip out, so I have problems finding spots to fit. there are issues with the placements of trees where the tip out is or the door or the opening is too narrow to get the camper swung into. At our favorite campground there are only 3 or 4 spots that I would even try to get into. At another we have stayed at before there is only 2 spots unless we want to get into the cheap seats w/o electricity.

I have come to appreciate the state websites that not only gives you the size of the sites, but pictures and indications of if there are clearance problems. Well worth the $5 to reserve a site. Too bad that Illinois don't have this.

I do agree that the few private campgrounds that I have stayed at have not been the best set ups I have ever seen, small lots, close together, bad lot setups, etc. I would be willing to pay more for a nice site with nice setups. But, a well ran campground would be able to put a large camper in a large spot and a small one in a small one. It may not sound fair to the smaller camper, but If I have to take up my spot and 1/2 of the next guy, how fair is that to him?


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

I have come to appreciate the state websites that not only gives you the size of the sites, but pictures and indications of if there are clearance problems. Well worth the $5 to reserve a site. Too bad that Illinois don't have this.

[/quote]

From our experiences at Illinois State Parks, they don't need to tell you how large the sites are. Although we have not camped at every state park here, of the 8-9 parks that we have camped in, the sites are about 100' on center, and plenty deep. On our last visit to Jubilee State Park, we set up our 29BHS (30' - 8" length) and parked the Crew Cab (4-door) pickup in front of the trailer. We had 5-6 feet between the trailer/truck and 5-6 feet of room left in front of the truck.

If you've camped in a cramped state park in Illinois, please let me know where, so I don't suffer the same fate. (I have heard that Weldon Springs, which is an older park, is kinda cramped, but we've not been there yet.)

Come on over to Jubilee some time (20 miles west of Peoria, just off I-74) and we can have a "mini rally."

The one complaint I DO have about IL SPs, though, is that the only way to make a reservation is by written (mailed) request or in person. They do not make reservations over the phone. That stinks! There are plenty of State Parks that we would like to camp in but because of the distances we must travel on a Friday night, I don't want to get there, only to find out that "there's no room at the inn."

Mike


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## bradnbecca (Feb 12, 2007)

Mgonzo2u said:


> Sorry to be like this but larger isn't always better.
> 
> The 21RS is tailor made to fit most campgrounds, thus the popularity of this model.


hmmmmm . . . . . .
















After having two smaller TT's, I think that we will keep our fiver, thanks.









We try to ask a lot of questions about the parks we plan to stay in before we go, so we usually avoid problems like this one.

I like to check out rvparkreviews.com because if you read all of the reviews on a particular park, you can get a pretty good feel for the real scoop. We also try to be pretty religious about posting our honest impressions of the parks where we stay on that site. I have found that for the most part, between that site and sites like this one, you can get a pretty good feel for how things really are at a park.

It really sux, though, when you plan ahead and make an early reservation like you did, only to have them try to shoehorn you into a baby spot . . . . .

BTW- come on down here to Texas, and you will be able to fit into just about any of our state parks. We have yet to encounter one where we couldn't get in and open the slide without any trouble at all (and we have been to a BUNCH of them!)


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