Is This My Bad?

Had a weekend booked at a California state beach in my Hawk Side Dinette, thinking all was good. Show up and get turned away because I don’t have a sewer connection. However, I do have a portable toilet that flushes and has a holding tank. I was told it was my fault I should have checked the disclaimer. I should have busted out my phone but at that point I was kind of pissed thinking it was my mistake I should have read more carefully. They let me stay there before but thought maybe someone should have stopped me and time to pay the piper.

Went home and double checked…. Note special remarks. Did I mess up or did I just get a nice screw job? I get it if they require sewer connections, but nowhere do I see that and they explicitly allow portable toilets with a holding tank…. Am I just not hip to the lingo here?

What state park was this? I'd like to avoid it.

But "portable toilet with holding tank" would cover lots of small Thetford cassette toilets. It says zero about a sewer connection, and in fact "portable" to me means "capable of being used outside the vehicle" ie not built in.

So yeah, I would complain and if need be let us know so WE can complain too.

Was it some camp host that barred you? or a state employee? and what contractor manages the park, if any?

Bolsa Chica State Beach, it was a State Employee not the camp host. I’m sure the camp host would have known what they were looking at. The girl at the kiosk stopped me first because she asked me, “that thing is fully contained? Does it have a flushable toilet?” She at least got her supervisor to come down as I explained I have a portable toilet that flushes with a cassette but they were adamant that they needed a sewer connection. Would rather have my weekend instead of a full refund.

Not sure who manages the lot though, I only know it as a state beach rv lot. I sent them a somewhat snarky email and waiting to hear what they say.

Built in sink with an enclosed drain would eliminate most of us. Odd set of rules.

craig333 said:

Built in sink with an enclosed drain would eliminate most of us. Odd set of rules.

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It could be reserve California that messed up, but they kind of threw it in my face that I should have read the disclaimer, so be aware folks I don’t think they’ve read their own disclaimer.

Here's the state park regulation vs the Reserve California one: https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/642/files/Camping Regulations Flyer (Updated 2022)_v1.pdf

It says "Self-contained (running water and flushable toilets) RVs/Trailers only." If you care to share the email the rest of us should be able to complain as well, and send them perhaps a video of something flushing in a portable toilet for their edification.

CreekRob said:

Here's the state park regulation vs the Reserve California one: https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/642/files/Camping Regulations Flyer (Updated 2022)_v1.pdf

It says "Self-contained (running water and flushable toilets) RVs/Trailers only." If you care to share the email the rest of us should be able to complain as well, and send them perhaps a video of something flushing in a portable toilet for their edification.

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Unreal man, I may have to stop over there today to give them a little **** for this. At least I know you’re seeing the same thing I am. Will let you all know what I find out, doubt they’ll reply to my email.

craig333 said:

Built in sink with an enclosed drain would eliminate most of us. Odd set of rules.

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That is true. I do have the built in toilet with a holding tank. I do use a plastic hospital bucket in the sink that all water goes in. I carry it to the restroom washing station and dump it or I can dump it in the toilet holding tank. So I'm self contained as no water would be dumped on the ground. That is what they are going for.

Would a drain bag on the ground with hose on the sink work? They would say no as it could leak or bust and allow water on the ground.

But to explain this to a person at the facility would most likely get me nowhere.

So went and spoke to the camp host. He basically said whatever the front says goes and he won’t go against them. I get it, you like your camp host position and don’t want to go against company orders.

I’ll take a stab at talking to the office about it, but I know I’m going to be talking to a door knob.

I guess Bolsa Chica SB thinks all us FWC folk sh*t and pee everywhere so don’t book anything here.

CreekRob said:

Here's the state park regulation vs the Reserve California one: https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/642/files/Camping Regulations Flyer (Updated 2022)_v1.pdf

It says "Self-contained (running water and flushable toilets) RVs/Trailers only." If you care to share the email the rest of us should be able to complain as well, and send them perhaps a video of something flushing in a portable toilet for their edification.

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Sorry forgot to give you their address. info@parks.ca.gov

And yeah, if you’re reading that email correctly you know exactly where our complaints will go. If I get a better contact I’ll post it but please feel free to contact them.

it really is a shame because if they knew us they'd know we are the kind of people who they want in the campground. We pick up our trash, don't make noise etc.

Yep, you Are right about that Craig! No one ever asked me about my toilet set up before-maybe all the tools and things hanging off my rig, and "I'm a Army vet" stickers and my worldly demeaner and smiling border collie scares them or something . And gee, I've been so proud of myself all of these years for just having a portable toilet in my FWC. I guess I had better stick to the Great Basin!

Smoke

I don't think I've ever seen a publicly-funded campground that only allows "full-blown" RVs and has no tent sites. I can't even imagine what the spirit of the rule is.

Kind of reminds me of a funny encounter once at an ID state park, I was dumping gray water bucket in the clearly marked gray water drain across from the CG host. As I'm pouring it, the old codger host yells at me that I can't dump black water there. I told him it was gray water. He glared at me and went back inside without saying anything. He absolutely thought I was lying. This was clearly a CG host couple that had experience, judging on how their site was set up. But somehow, a completely normal and frequent (based on the condition of the gray drain) occurrence to him appeared like some maniac dumping a bucket of sewage in front of everyone.

Andy Douglass said:

I don't think I've ever seen a publicly-funded campground that only allows "full-blown" RVs and has no tent sites. I can't even imagine what the spirit of the rule is.

Kind of reminds me of a funny encounter once at an ID state park, I was dumping gray water bucket in the clearly marked gray water drain across from the CG host. As I'm pouring it, the old codger host yells at me that I can't dump black water there. I told him it was gray water. He glared at me and went back inside without saying anything. He absolutely thought I was lying. This was clearly a CG host couple that had experience, judging on how their site was set up. But somehow, a completely normal and frequent (based on the condition of the gray drain) occurrence to him appeared like some maniac dumping a bucket of sewage in front of everyone.

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Yellowstone has a CG for RVs only.
I always think why can't you use a "tent only" site that has a parking pad.If the tent camper can park their vehicle and set up on the tent site you should be allowed to use that site to park your rig. Just some rambling thoughts .
Some states allow use of tent only for other users.
Frank

IMHO but the only reason I can see for RV only is if its a bear issue.

Casa Escarlata Robles Too said:

Yellowstone has a CG for RVs only.
I always think why can't you use a "tent only" site that has a parking pad.If the tent camper can park their vehicle and set up on the tent site you should be allowed to use that site to park your rig. Just some rambling thoughts .
Some states allow use of tent only for other users.
Frank

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Yeah, a lot of places have RV-only CGs, but they always seem to have options elsewhere for tents/cars, but in this case it looks like the entire park is only open to self-contained RVs, which effectively gates out people who can't afford expensive rigs. If that is the case, it gets pretty dicey when you are taking public funds to create/maintain a park, but limiting its use to those who have an RV.

I think the reason is that an RV needs a bit more space as the parking lot for cars for tent-camping. The cars are about 5 - 6 meter, but an RV is at least 7 meter or more.
And even the mentioned Yellowstone Nationalpark has places for tent camping.

Andy Douglass said:

I don't think I've ever seen a publicly-funded campground that only allows "full-blown" RVs and has no tent sites. I can't even imagine what the spirit of the rule is.

Kind of reminds me of a funny encounter once at an ID state park, I was dumping gray water bucket in the clearly marked gray water drain across from the CG host. As I'm pouring it, the old codger host yells at me that I can't dump black water there. I told him it was gray water. He glared at me and went back inside without saying anything. He absolutely thought I was lying. This was clearly a CG host couple that had experience, judging on how their site was set up. But somehow, a completely normal and frequent (based on the condition of the gray drain) occurrence to him appeared like some maniac dumping a bucket of sewage in front of everyone.

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It is a small RV site with 0 tent sites. I do love it down there and they’ve let me stay there before so maybe I got bad luck that weekend. They responded to me asking for some rig info. Will let y’all know what they ultimately say.

And I can relate to your story, nothing like walking through a campground with what appears to be a huge bag of urine, except it’s just silty dishwater lol.

Andy Douglass wrote:
""in this case it looks like the entire park is only open to self-contained RVs, which effectively gates out people who can't afford expensive rigs. ""

Not all RV's are expensive and belong to rich people. There are lots and lots of rental RV's also. And for tourists it is often cheaper renting an RV as going by car and staying in Hotels. Therefore, people who want to safe some money will go to such RV-campgrounds, not one the rich people.

Casa Escarlata Robles Too said:

Yellowstone has a CG for RVs only.
I always think why can't you use a "tent only" site that has a parking pad.If the tent camper can park their vehicle and set up on the tent site you should be allowed to use that site to park your rig. Just some rambling thoughts .
Some states allow use of tent only for other users.
Frank

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There is a state campground on the Washington coast that has RVs on one side of the road and tent sites with a parking spot for each tent site. We, in our Hallmark pop up, stayed at the tent site. It was on the water side of the campground for easier access to ocean. We don’t like to stay at RV parks, only last choice if dispersed or public campgrounds aren’t available. An employee stopped by in the morning to tell us it was for tent campers only and if his boss knew we spent the night…. Grayland, I think was the state park.