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Car Camping in RV sites?

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I've posted this question to an RV forum but figured I'd ask y'all as well.

I will be retiring next year (April 2023) and I don't have a house due to the insane prices they currently are. I had an opportunity to buy a house in 2015 but I didn't want to buy in North Carolina because I hate that place, so I rented and that decision turned out to be a poor choice. There was a lot of overthinking and stupidity that went into me not buying and it is very much one of those hindsight is 20/20 things, but I digress.

I'll be starting college the spring semester of 2024 and I was thinking I'll take a year to travel around the country and just kinda hang out and enjoy the retired life. Also to add some more info I'm single with no kids and 1 beagle, and I'll be collecting a pension so I don't plan on getting a job.

I love camping and have done plenty of car camping already I figured **** it I'll just do that. Do people get pissed or annoyed at me taking up an RV site to camp with the Tesla and pitch a tent, or sleep in the car? I've heard most campground owners don't care since I'd be paying for an full RV site it's just another client to them. Since most campgrounds the tent sites don't have any power hookups I'd need to use a RV spot to use the 30A or 50A plug, (to which I've made proper adapters to charge from).

Now yes I could use superchargers (it is free after all) which I do a lot of already, I travel a lot and they are super awesome. But if I'm camping for a few days at a given area it's just a lot more convenient to having the car fully charged to 90% and ready to roll when I wake up in the morning. Instead of driving to the nearest charger and waiting 30 min to get enough juice to go to my hiking or fishing location for the day. Also during the summer its nicer to put the inflatable mattress in the car and turn the AC on all night while I sleep instead of sweating all night in a tent. But if I don't have a power hookup then that becomes a matter of how much juice the car has and how far the nearest supercharger is to determine if I can do that. And that's not something I really want to deal with.

And yeah I have a propane camp stove and a ice chest and I can make some damn good chow and I'm not concerned about food or cooking.
 
It's been awhile since I've been in a campground, but no one that I went with (friends, church groups, etc) ever cared about anyone taking up an RV spot with anything else. When we went, there were lots of van campers and some of them would use a 30 amp spot because they wanted the electric for other things than plugging in their van. No one cared.

My parents were "affluent street people" for 15 years after they retired and I never heard them say anything about it when we would visit them at various campgrounds.
 
It's been awhile since I've been in a campground, but no one that I went with (friends, church groups, etc) ever cared about anyone taking up an RV spot with anything else. When we went, there were lots of van campers and some of them would use a 30 amp spot because they wanted the electric for other things than plugging in their van. No one cared.

My parents were "affluent street people" for 15 years after they retired and I never heard them say anything about it when we would visit them at various campgrounds.
I don’t believe any national parks have restriction on RV sites are for RVs only. I think as long as people can secure a spot either first come first serve or thru reservation, I don’t think it matters on if they use the hookup for cooking or really plug into the RV.
I might be wrong but I would like to be able to charge the tesla while camping :).
 
Suggest calling beforehand and make a reservation, if possible, to make sure a "50 amp" spot is available. Many also allow reservations via their web site. One place I called didn't allow "tent camping" - which apparently they consider the same as car camping. Excuse they gave was that their restrooms were closed for renovation.

You'll want mobile connector adapters for 14-50 and TT-30.
 
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Suggest calling beforehand and make a reservation, if possible, to make sure a "50 amp" spot is available. Many also allow reservations via their web site. One place I called didn't allow "tent camping" - which apparently they consider the same as car camping. Excuse they gave was that their restrooms were closed for renovation.

You'll want mobile connector adapters for 14-50 and TT-30.
Yeah I've made adapters for 14-50, tt30, 6-30, 6-50 and a few others as well. I'll never have an issue plugging in, just gotta have pretty much any outlet and I'm good.
 
Do people get pissed or annoyed at me taking up an RV site to camp with the Tesla and pitch a tent, or sleep in the car? I've heard most campground owners don't care since I'd be paying for an full RV site it's just another client to them.
It can range all the way across that spectrum from one end to the other. I would say it seems like most places are in the "don't care" arena, but there are some that will not have it.
One place I called didn't allow "tent camping" - which apparently they consider the same as car camping.
Yep, I have been rejected when calling a couple of places with that reason.
 
It can range all the way across that spectrum from one end to the other. I would say it seems like most places are in the "don't care" arena, but there are some that will not have it.

Yep, I have been rejected when calling a couple of places with that reason.

I've only car camped in my Tesla a few times, but with that one exception, they've all been very helpful. One park owner was actually very enthusiastic about supporting more EV customers! We added him to plugshare. I hope he has picked up some EV business since then.

In that one case where I was turned down, I ended up at a RV park just a couple miles away that turned out very well. That was in 2019. Today there is a recently installed Supercharger site along the route I was taking. (And additional CCS/CHAdeMO options for those with the appropriate adapters.) So if I were to do the trip now, I'd just stay in real lodging.
 
I've posted this question to an RV forum but figured I'd ask y'all as well.

I will be retiring next year (April 2023) and I don't have a house due to the insane prices they currently are. I had an opportunity to buy a house in 2015 but I didn't want to buy in North Carolina because I hate that place, so I rented and that decision turned out to be a poor choice. There was a lot of overthinking and stupidity that went into me not buying and it is very much one of those hindsight is 20/20 things, but I digress.

I'll be starting college the spring semester of 2024 and I was thinking I'll take a year to travel around the country and just kinda hang out and enjoy the retired life. Also to add some more info I'm single with no kids and 1 beagle, and I'll be collecting a pension so I don't plan on getting a job.

I love camping and have done plenty of car camping already I figured **** it I'll just do that. Do people get pissed or annoyed at me taking up an RV site to camp with the Tesla and pitch a tent, or sleep in the car? I've heard most campground owners don't care since I'd be paying for an full RV site it's just another client to them. Since most campgrounds the tent sites don't have any power hookups I'd need to use a RV spot to use the 30A or 50A plug, (to which I've made proper adapters to charge from).

Now yes I could use superchargers (it is free after all) which I do a lot of already, I travel a lot and they are super awesome. But if I'm camping for a few days at a given area it's just a lot more convenient to having the car fully charged to 90% and ready to roll when I wake up in the morning. Instead of driving to the nearest charger and waiting 30 min to get enough juice to go to my hiking or fishing location for the day. Also during the summer its nicer to put the inflatable mattress in the car and turn the AC on all night while I sleep instead of sweating all night in a tent. But if I don't have a power hookup then that becomes a matter of how much juice the car has and how far the nearest supercharger is to determine if I can do that. And that's not something I really want to deal with.

And yeah I have a propane camp stove and a ice chest and I can make some damn good chow and I'm not concerned about food or cooking.
There are places that really defined what qualifies as an “RV” and they might decide to impose that definition. Afterall, they might not want to upset their serious RV-er clients. Personally, I argued my TMY is my RV but haven’t really insisted on it.

I also found campgrounds that are not strict or no longer differentiating an RV from a car or truck. I called to confirm that i can camp using an EV before reserving. I suggest calling the campground where you want to camp out just to make sure.

Here’s a classic RV definition from one campground:
“A recreational vehicle is any vehicle, driven or towed, equipped with permanently installed sleeping, cooking and/or water storage facilities (RVs, trailers, camper vans, pop-ups, pickup campers, etc).”
 
I've never rented an RV spot for either an RV or a Tesla, so good to hear most places allow a car to be considered an RV.

But a few years ago when booking RV places in or near a national park for an actual RV (trip was cancelled due to COVID lockdowns), it seemed many did not allow you to pitch a tent in an RV spot, with or without an RV. So to re-ask a different part of the OP's question, if you park your EV in a RV spot, do you have to sleep in the car, or are usually allowed to pitch a tent? Or can you pitch a tent in some common area away from the RV spot?
 
I am not saying “most” RV campgrounds are allowing cars. What i saw in the few campgrounds i have been near me and the ones where I stayed have a mix of RVs, cars, trucks, trailers, and even 1 motorcycle with a solo tent. Good idea to call first.

I always pitch a tent - for my things and other camping supplies/gears. I don’t sleep in it. Too comfy in the car 😊.
 
I've never been to a campground where they cared if you car camped in an RV spot, but I have seen a few that have restrictions on tents in RV spots. I've seen restrictions where you are only allowed one tent per RV spot, sometimes no tents allowed, but I think it's more a space restriction, as many RV resort type places have limited green-space. Tho I did stay at one, where a guy parked his Vette on the side and pitched a large 10-person tent on the pavement.

I haven't personally seen a campground or RV resort charge extra for plugging in an EV, but I've seen a few that charge for their L2 chargers they have in the check in area, but that's about it. I havent' stayed in any campgrounds east of Wyoming tho....
 
Just got back from a long trip and car camping.


Big things that I learned, is that
1) you have to make sure the RV site accepts car camping. Most did, but a few did not.
2) Once you have confirmed #1, then you should make sure they give you a site with 20A (120V, household outlets) and 30A or 50A, depending on your need. Most sites are not electrically inclined, so asking for 240V circuits will usually not work. 20A, 30A and 50A appear to be what they understand.
However, with 30A, the types of plug may be different. I heard there are 2 common types. Tesla sells both the TT-30 and the NEMA 14-30 plugs for the mobile adapter. From my limited experience, usually the people at the site will not know what they require. Get 1 of each should make you safe.
3) Try to locate a site map and see if they can put you in the site you want. Depending on capacity, moving after you get there is problematic.
4) Figure out how to put up privacy screens to mainly keep the security flood lights out. The cheap solution is dark towels hang inside and outside your windows (not ideal if it is raining) and a windshield sun shade. However the back window is tough. I have an aluminet shade cover for when out in the sun during the day. Works well at night also.
5) You will want some kind of air mattress for comfort.
6) Don't over pack. If you can fit everything in the frunk, that will likely be ideal.

Get the National Park pass so you can visit any that you happen to go by. Most also have camp sites!
 
The problem originates with people being averse to homeless folks (which you sort of are, but not in the same way) staying in RV parks. Which means sleeping in their cars. So some of the RV park chains will forbid that, and because it's a chain rule, they will not be flexible. Most RV parks are privately owned, and will decide a Tesla driver is not a homeless person sleeping in their car, and be OK with it.

Now, over time they will see that an EV driver probably wants 50kwh of electricity. That's a fair bit more than the typical RV guest takes and so they may start taking a different view of us and charging more, due to that. We don't use the water or sewer, though. 50kwh may only cost $5 in the night, so it's still good profit, and they may decide you taking $5 when the RV uses only $2 it's not a big deal. On the other hand, a multi-day RV guest running two ACs on a hot day will easily use a lot more than the car uses in the night if they have ToU electricity.
 
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Just got back from a long trip and car camping...

2) Once you have confirmed #1, then you should make sure they give you a site with 20A (120V, household outlets) and 30A or 50A, depending on your need. Most sites are not electrically inclined, so asking for 240V circuits will usually not work. 20A, 30A and 50A appear to be what they understand.
However, with 30A, the types of plug may be different. I heard there are 2 common types. Tesla sells both the TT-30 and the NEMA 14-30 plugs for the mobile adapter. From my limited experience, usually the people at the site will not know what they require. Get 1 of each should make you safe.

Unfortunately Tesla does not sell a TT-30 adapter for the UMC. At the 30 amp level, they only sell 10-30 and 14-30. You can not insert a 10-30 plug into a TT-30 receptacle. Best way to get a TT-30 UMC adapter is to buy one from evseadapters.

The 10-30 and 14-30 are 120/240V receptacles. That is, they provide both voltages for appliances that need them. For example, an electric clothes dryer may need 120V for the timer and lights, and 240V for the heating element. TT-30 is for smaller travel trailers that only need 120V service. (Why the RV community didn't use NEMA 5-30 is a mystery to me...)
 
Unfortunately Tesla does not sell a TT-30 adapter for the UMC. At the 30 amp level, they only sell 10-30 and 14-30. You can not insert a 10-30 plug into a TT-30 receptacle. Best way to get a TT-30 UMC adapter is to buy one from evseadapters.

The 10-30 and 14-30 are 120/240V receptacles. That is, they provide both voltages for appliances that need them. For example, an electric clothes dryer may need 120V for the timer and lights, and 240V for the heating element. TT-30 is for smaller travel trailers that only need 120V service. (Why the RV community didn't use NEMA 5-30 is a mystery to me...)
Just because they don't sell it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I made a TT30 TO 14-50 adapter and when I plug in I just adjust the amps down to 23A.
You can make an adapter for anything it's not rocket surgery, home Depot sells all the stuff necessary. I never bought any Tesla adapters because they are always out of stock and too expensive. But I have like 4 random adapters in my car for when I take trips to unknown and obscure areas.
 
Just because they don't sell it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I made a TT30 TO 14-50 adapter and when I plug in I just adjust the amps down to 23A.
You can make an adapter for anything it's not rocket surgery, home Depot sells all the stuff necessary. I never bought any Tesla adapters because they are always out of stock and too expensive. But I have like 4 random adapters in my car for when I take trips to unknown and obscure areas.

I've made a few of my own for various reasons. But in general, I like to use the off-the-shelf UMC adapters when possible. Besides several of the Tesla manufactured adapters, I also have the TT-30 and L14-30 UMC adapters from evseadapters.

I don't think the $35/$45 that Tesla asks for their adapters is unreasonable. Evseadapters asks more for theirs though.
 
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20A, 30A and 50A appear to be what they understand.
However, with 30A, the types of plug may be different. I heard there are 2 common types. Tesla sells both the TT-30 and the NEMA 14-30 plugs for the mobile adapter.
I have never seen a 14-30 at an RV camp site, and I traveled across the US and Canada with our RV. I follow a bunch of RV channels... A 30A outlet at a campground, is always a TT-30, and a 50A outlet at a campground is always a 14-50.. Most all the pedestals I've seen will at least have a NEMA 5-15, sometimes a NEMA 5-20, in addition to a TT-30... The ones that have 50A service, will also have a NEMA 14-50 on the pedestal. Sometimes the TT-30 is wired off one of the legs of the 14-50, so from what I've seen you typically can't use the 14-50 and the TT-30 at the same time