By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers
I’ve been confused for years by the terminology on two park reservations sites: Recreation.gov and ReserveAmerica.com. When asking what type of site I’m looking for, among the choices are “RV” and “Trailer.” We have a trailer, but it’s also an RV; so, which one is the correct selection. After mentioning this to a friend earlier this week, I decided to get the definitive answer on behalf of all owners of RVs of the various classes. Here’s what I was told by Vicki, customer service representative for Recreation.gov, ReserveAmerica.com, and ActiveNetwork.com:
Dear Mr. Zander,Thank you for using Recreation.gov for your camping needs. It is my pleasure to assist you today.
A “standard site” will accommodate 1 RV/trailer/wheeled camping unit with 1 tent, or if there is not an RV/trailer/wheeled camping unit on the site, it will accommodate up to 2 tents. An “RV only” site will only accommodate 1 RV/wheeled camping unit (no tents allowed) and “Tent only” will usually accommodate up to 2 tents unless specified otherwise. I hope this information will assist your further.
We appreciate your business and I hope you enjoy the beautiful camping season.
That does answer my original question. Thank you. But my next question is, “What is a ‘trailer,’ as differentiated in the list of types of sites from an ‘RV’?” Vicki replied:
An RV is one large motor vehicle for camping with facilities for sleeping and eating, whereas a trailer is a vehicle that is towed by another vehicle.
And here is where she explains the difference between a “trailer” and a “travel trailer.” She states,
“Trailers can also be used to carry other equipment such as boats or off road vehicles, etc. The difference in sites when searching will mainly be the size of the site based on the type of equipment you are camping with and if more space is needed for more then one vehicle. If your camping unit (regardless of RV/Trailer/pop-up etc.) is a “wheeled” camping unit, meaning it is on wheels, you may reserve a Standard site, or a trailer site. Most of the Standard Sites will allow up to two other vehicles on the site, aside of your camping unit. RV-only site is considered one unit and no tents are allowed on these sites. I apologize for any confusion and hope this will assist you further.
Thanks, Vicki. I’m happy to pass along the information that all units that have sleeping and eating facilities qualify as RVs at the three sites she represents. So if you have a pop-up, a fifth wheel, a travel trailer or other camping rig in which you can sleep and eat, you’re an RVer.
From the “Never-Bored RVers,” We’ll see you on down the road.
© All photos by Barry Zander. All rights reserved
COMMENTS FROM READERS
FROM GARY CASE — You know, whether I need the info you pass along [or not], I never get tired of learning new stuff. Thanks and keep on doing. It feels good!!
Because of the numerous Spam comments on this site, the comments section has been deactivated. Please email us atneverboredrvers@gmail.com and I will pass along your comments. Learn about Alaska and the Atlantic Provinces of Canada and see travel photos atontopoftheworld.bz (and much more to come when time allows).