The Unbelievable Rule That's Destroying The RV Community

All right, so you guys, I have encountered this again. And can I just say how fed up that we are getting with some RV campgrounds literally destroying the sense of community and RV adventure that this life is supposed to be all about? I mean, seriously, some of these campgrounds are turning what's supposed to be a vibrant and inclusive experience into an exclusive, segregated environment that is just undermining the freedom and spontaneity that we in the RV community have come to know and love. So just how and what's happening? Well, let me just start off by sharing a little story that helps explain what we're starting to see happen more and more often. So a few months ago, we encountered a bizarre situation where we were denied reservations due to the age of our RV. Now, this was the first time we were ever flat out denied a reservation due to RV age. And in years past, when campgrounds had some sort of 10 or 15 year rule, we were always able to bypass this rule by sending in a current photo of our RV, but not in the case with the campground that first invited and then uninvited us once that they found out what the age of our RV was. Now, in the video we made, we didn't mention the name of the campground because our intention in making that video was not to bash anyone or any business, but rather just share the story of the invitation that was rescinded. And after sharing about our experience in that video, right up here, someone on Instagram reached out and asked if I would mind sharing the name of the campground that refused us those reservations because they wanted to run a little experiment. You see, this person has a very nice Prevo bus that, albeit older, it's very nice. And I mean, this is one of those models that's well over a million dollars brand new. So he was curious if this campground would refuse them as well, having a very high end Prevo, but one that's older than 15 years. So my curiosity was also piqued. So I gave him this campground's information and just asked him to let me know what they said, which I'll share a little later in this video, the results of said experiment. But before I go there, I wanted to talk about five ways that RV age restricted campgrounds are literally destroying the sense of community and adventure that this lifestyle is supposed to be all about. So the first way these restrictions are destroying the RV community by excluding well-maintained RVs. Now, think about it. I'm betting you that we all probably have a very similar experience with what we saw growing up with our grandparents or maybe great grandparents or maybe a great uncle or something like that that owned something that was older. But you probably watched them take care of that thing like nobody else does today. And you'll have to drop a comment below and maybe share a little bit of your experience. But I know I remember my grandparents that had a car that's literally the same age that I am, and they covered those seats with plastic. They washed any speck of dust or dirt that would land on it, change the oil regularly, shine the tires. I mean, that thing was so impeccable. You could literally eat off of the hood. And many RV owners who own an older RV actually take way better care of that thing because they want it to last. And most of you out there who are not spring chickens understand the value of taking care of what you have versus having to replace that thing. So many RV owners like us take immense pride in maintaining their vehicles, often keeping them in pristine condition well beyond that 10 year, 15 year mark. And when we purchased this RV, it was 13 years old and in impeccable condition. Now, these RVs can be just as luxurious and functional as newer models thanks to upgrades and meticulous care. And by setting an age limit for RVs, well, RV resorts and campgrounds are overlooking the quality and the upkeep of these vehicles, judging them solely by their manufacture date. Now, the second reason is these RV age restrictions are flat out economic discrimination. That's right. Now, think about it. The 10 year rule or the 15 year rule inherently discriminates against those who cannot afford a newer model. Or let's not even talk about affordability, OK? Let's just talk about some people that want to be wise and just not take the hit in depreciation of a brand new or new-ish RV. RVing has traditionally been an accessible way to travel and vacation for families of various economic backgrounds. I mean, this rule alienates a significant portion of the RV community, turning RV resorts into enclaves for the wealthiest owners. I mean, Ben and I still consider ourselves young-ish. I'm 30. Well, in November, I'll be 30. And we're still working on building long term wealth for our family. But the whole point of this lifestyle is it can be available to all. Whether you have just a small car with a pop-up camper or a big rig, it doesn't and it shouldn't matter. What type of RV that you own or what you have or what you can afford or can't afford. The mutual love of adventure and prioritizing experiences over things is where we can find that common ground. And it doesn't have to be about what someone's net worth is. And that just shouldn't be a factor. Now, before I share the third way, these restrictions are ruining the fun and we get to the results of our little Instagram experiment. This is probably one of my biggest gripes, by the way. I do want to take a quick minute to share about one thing that we pretty much all agree on as RV owners. And that is whether you just bought your RV or your RV is used. That mattress that came from the RV manufacturers, pretty much the worst for sleeping. So when we remodeled this RV several years ago, we opted for the Aurora Lux Hybrid Mattress from our friends over at RVMattress.com, which is also the sponsor of this video. This upgrade has dramatically improved our rest and sleep quality. Additionally, we chose the Dream Foam Essential Mattresses from the same company for our kids' beds, which they are absolutely loving. Now, RVMattress.com offers a broad variety of mattress sizes and dimensions to accommodate pretty much any RV bedding requirement. And their mattresses are conveniently packaged in compact rolled boxes, making installation in an RV a breeze, especially fitting through those narrow RV doors or hallways. Now, all their mattresses are shipped quickly and free from their Arizona factory. And another benefit of choosing RVMattress.com is its affiliation with Brooklyn Bedding, which provides an extensive range of bedding options for home, as well as RV use. They offer a very generous 10 year warranty on their mattresses and 120 night sleep trial to ensure customer satisfaction. Don't forget the 35% discount, by the way, by using the link in this video description. Now, this is just for May only. So visit RVMattress.com forward slash grateful for more details. And a huge thanks to RV Mattress for sponsoring this video and supporting our channel. So now the third way RV campground age restrictions, or should I really say RV age discrimination, is negatively affecting the RV community and RV owners, is that it reduces the resale value of older RVs. Now, think about this. Knowing that older models are banned from certain RV resorts can diminish the resale value. Potential buyers might be deterred knowing that their travel options could be limited and thereby impacting the broader market of RV sales and exchanges opting for something newer, even though trust us on this one. They don't make them like they used to. Now, before I share about the next two reasons, these restrictions are just flat out bad for RVers. And seriously, when I started researching number five, totally took me by surprise. Let's talk about our friend on Instagram who tried to make a reservation for his very nice Prevo at the campground that refused us reservations. So here's the deal. Just take a look at how beautiful this 2002 Lady Liberty Classic Prevo bus is. Now, knew this coach would have been in the one point five million dollar range. So what do you think? Do you think they let in our fellow RV traveler? Now, before I tell you yes or no, seriously, look at this RV. There is no way this RV does not belong in a nice RV resort. Well, they told him no to. How about no? No RVs over 15 years old. So if you have a new travel trailer, fifth wheel, whatever, that's been slapped together with chipboard and heck, a new RV that could even have a cracked frame with all the issues that have been going on, you are welcome at these age restricted campgrounds. But Poland with an older RV that's worth more than most people's houses built to last and sorry, Charlie, your RV just isn't good enough. Now, the number four reason this is ruining the fun is that campgrounds that limit to RV age restrictions are limiting travel options for us RV travelers. Now, the majority of us that live this lifestyle in some capacity or another are doing so because we want the ability to roam freely and explore a variety of places. However, with more RV resorts adopting age restrictions, those of us that own older RVs find our choices are increasingly restricted. This limitation not only affects travel plans, but also impacts the overall experience and enjoyment of RV travel is campground options are becoming fewer and further between. Now, this is the one that really gets me frustrated, because why many blame our viewers for not being environmentally responsible about this? Number five is the negative environmental impact. Yes, you heard that correctly, because think about this. Encouraging the purchase of new RVs by enforcing RV age restrictions goes against the environmentally sustainable practice of using vehicles for their full functional lifespan. Now, I don't know about you, but we drive our vehicles pretty much until the wheels fall off. And unlike cars, which are mass produced and use robotics and streamline assembly processes, the production of new RVs has a significant environmental footprint. It's more eco-friendly to maintain and use older, well-functioning vehicles than to replace them prematurely, just because some RV park decided your RV is just one year too old for their liking. So what are your thoughts? You're going to have to let us know in the comment below. I know it's kind of controversial, but I do want to mention one more caveat. Yes, there probably are things in play where maybe campground owners might have to make decisions based on insurance requirements. And if you're a campground owner watching this video, maybe you can share your experience that insurance is more cost effective with RV age restrictions in place. I don't know. However, it's been very few campgrounds that we've encountered that do have some sort of age restrictions. So for the best of my knowledge, I don't think insurance should factor in. Let us know if you're a campground owner. Lastly, I'm going to leave a link in the description for my article about liability concerns for campground owners, which maybe could play a part in some of these RV age restriction decisions. If you want to hear more about the situation on the campground that invited us and then uninvited us to RV age, that'll be right up here.