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Remember the last time you were scrolling through Campendium or RV Life Campgrounds, hunting for the perfect spot to park your rig?
You were ready to book a campsite at what seemed like a gorgeous RV park, when suddenly (BAM!) a one-star review stops you cold.
“WORST CAMPGROUND EVER! Staff was rude, Wi-Fi didn’t work, and sites were too close together!”
Your finger hovers over the back button. But should you really trust that disgruntled reviewer?
As someone who’s been living the full-time RV life for seven years, I’ve learned that bad reviews often tell more about the reviewer than the actual campground.
RV park reviews can make or break your trip. But some of those angry one-stars? Total nonsense. I’ve learned to spot the warning signs (and I’m here to show you how to read between the lines.)
Meet the Culprits Behind Those One-Star Reviews
Living full-time in an RV park has given me front-row seats to a fascinating psychological phenomenon: the birth of an entitled one-star review.
Here’s how they’re often made:
- A guest breaks rules
- A staff member enforces those rules
- The guest doesn’t like being told no
- Said guest becomes a keyboard warrior
I’ve watched as my neighbors violated every rule in the book, then transformed into expert Yelpers the moment someone called them on it.
These folks share one defining characteristic: a spectacular inability to see themselves as the problem.
They break rules, create conflicts, ignore common courtesy, and then morph into victims when called out.
And their entitlement becomes immortalized in reviews that can damage a business’s reputation for years.
How to Decode a Bad Campground Review
I’ve found that checking reviews can provide honest evaluations from fellow campers that are typically reliable.
However, you need to read between the lines.
What I find most fascinating about these negative reviews is what one might call “the hero complex.”
No matter how egregious their behavior, the reviewer always, and I mean ALWAYS, positions themselves as the innocent hero of their story.
They’re never the problem. They never contributed to the situation. They’re just a poor, mistreated customer who suffered terrible injustice at the hands of unreasonable staff or unfair policies.
It’s like watching someone rewrite reality in real time, except the alternate universe they’ve created exists only in their one-star review.
Here’s my field guide to spotting suspect reviews.
Red Flag #1: “The Staff Was Rude!”
Translation: “I broke multiple rules and someone had the audacity to ask me to stop.”
What likely happened: The reviewer parked their semi-truck-sized rig in a spot meant for a pop-up camper, blocked three other sites, ran their generator at 2 AM, and got upset when management suggested this might not be appropriate behavior.
And somehow in this story, they’re the victim! Notice how there’s never any acknowledgment like “Well, I did park my rig so it was blocking the road a little…” or “I might have been running my generator past quiet hours…”
Nope. Zero accountability. In their review narrative, they’re just an innocent RVer being persecuted by power-tripping staff.
Red Flag #2: “Sites Are Too Close Together!”
Translation: “I couldn’t deploy my outdoor entertainment system complete with 75-inch TV, full bar, and dance floor.”
What likely happened: The reviewer booked a standard site at a family campground instead of a luxury resort and was shocked (SHOCKED!) to discover their 45-foot fifth wheel with four slides doesn’t automatically come with an acre of private land.
Red Flag #3: “Unfriendly Residents!”
Translation: “Someone who lives here year-round wouldn’t let me break the rules.”
What likely happened: A reviewer for my park once complained that a full-time resident was “not the nicest” because they had “tied a ladder to a tree to prevent parking.”
Translation: the reviewer wanted to park where they weren’t supposed to, probably blocking someone’s access to their storage or utilities, and got upset when a resident took steps to protect their tiny slice of sanity.
What these reviewers never mention is their role in creating the conflict.
Did they pull in at midnight with lights blazing? Did they let their dog use the neighbor’s site as a toilet? Did they blast country music at 7 AM while the night-shift worker next door was trying to sleep?
The mysterious tied ladder didn’t appear out of nowhere. It was almost certainly the result of repeated issues with entitled visitors who thought the rules didn’t apply to them.
Using string lights and plant pots to discourage parking too close in a friendly way
How to Read RV Park Reviews Like a Pro
After years of full-timing and reading hundreds of reviews across Campendium, Good Sam, and KOA sites, here’s my strategy for filtering the noise:
- Look for patterns, not one-offs. One complaint? Maybe. A dozen? Pay attention.
- Check recent reviews first. Things change. Ownership, staff, cleanliness.
- Scan positive reviews. What annoyed one person might be what you love.
- Consider the source. Some folks expect too much. Others roll with it.
- Use RV-focused review sites. Campendium and RV LIFE have better filters and user context.
When Bad Reviews Are Actually Helpful
Sometimes that one-star rating contains legit warnings:
- Legitimate safety concerns
- Consistent reports of cleanliness issues
- Multiple mentions of reservation problems
- Repeated billing discrepancies
These problems tend to be mentioned matter-of-factly, not in all caps with seventeen exclamation points.
How to Leave a Helpful RV Park Review
Had a bad stay? Totally fair.
But your review should:
- Stick to the facts
- Mention what actually happened
- Avoid personal attacks
- Include the date of your stay
- Note if staff tried to resolve the issue
That helps other RVers and gives parks a chance to do better.
Your Review Has Power (Use It Kindly)
As RVers, we’re part of a community.
Those reviews you post might determine whether a family-owned campground thrives or closes.
They might steer fellow RVers toward or away from what could be their perfect camping spot.
And remember, some of us live in these parks full-time. When you’re just passing through and leave a scorched-earth review because the Wi-Fi couldn’t handle your Zoom call, you might be hurting the livelihood of the owners and staff who make a permanent home possible for folks like me.
The Truth Bomb Everyone Needs to Hear
I try to be a considerate neighbor, though I’m sure my remote-controlled fart machine, smart-ass doormats, and cheeky garden flags have caused a few eye-rolls.
But there’s a vast difference between harmless quirks and being the nightmare neighbor who makes everyone miserable.
Next time you’re tempted to leave that one-star review because the park staff asked you to pick up after your dog or simmer down after quiet hours, take a deep breath and ask yourself:
“What was my role in the situation?”
Because sometimes, what stinks worse than the campground dumpster in July isn’t the facilities.
It’s the entitled reviewer who can’t smell their own BS.
Still Here? You Must Be the Human Equivalent of Well-Seasoned Cast Iron Pan.
Most people tap out early like tourists who underestimate Arizona heat. But not you. You’re built different. So why not pull up a camping chair with us on Substack?
