Thousand Trails prohibited my entry and worse

[The Champion Challenger]

Hello Everyone!

I'm new to this forum, but I've been happily living in my bus conversion since 2015. I'm a Thousand Trails (TT) member in good standing (Platinum/Elite status), and I have resided in a TT Resort since October 2016. Until now.

In early December I travelled from my regular TT resort to a new one, where the manager not only refused me entry (after asking a series of questions she'd never ask of an RV owner), stating that I didn't have an "RVIA" sticker on bus, I found out later (when a kind TT ranger called me on the "down low") that she reported me as a "violation" to headquarters, prohibiting me from entering ANY TT Resort.

Apparently the Mean Manager thought my solar panel was a fire hazard (she said I had "live wires outside my bus???!!), and my electrical system - based on a 10 gauge extension cord, the standard for 30 amp hook-ups wasn't up to code. Yet both the solar system and my extension cords were installed by certified electricians!

All of the TT rangers who are familiar with me and my bus were shocked and willing to sneak me in, but that's not how I roll. I understand the need for safety (my bus has two fire extinguishers, a smoke/CO detector, and I don't carry propane), but there are plenty of bus conversions allowed into my former TT location without this hassle. Headquarters didn't even bother to call or email me (the logical thing to do for mobile members), instead sending a certified letter that I just picked up.

I'm in the process of figuring out my next steps, and wondering where I can go to obtain the type of certification that TT wants. Or raise hell at how I was treated.

Any ideas?

[oltrunt]

Best answer.  Find an rv junk yard, strip the RIVA sticker off a junker and plaster it on your unit.  Much as folks would like to brow beat you into believing RIVA has any clout--they don't.  Make Them prove they are right and when they can't threaten them any way you see fit and demand to stay at least over night etc, etc, etc.  Jack

[Dave5Cs]

We stayed at a few TT on our trip across the country last few months and never had a problem other than the one in Saulsberry Tennessee. That place was awful. Not a single level spot, power was all 30 AMPs but they told us and marked the 50Amp spot on map. We went to them and they were also 30 Amps. Then had to use a Mutimeter to find one with full power. There was ones that only showed 30 on a 120 and down as low as 21 on a 120 volt. There were weeds dead in every spot and a lake with algae covering. We went to sleep early and got out of there at 4AM. Terrible place.  They never asked us anything except were we members and we said no. So she tells us we had to pay an extra 4.00 for not being.

[chessie4905]

As I have no idea of you or your coach's appearance, it makes it difficult to make an accurate opinion.  Campground owners of some years in business usually go by gut first impressions which are based with the many vehicle/ owner visitors. Could be the location gets a few , let's say Zephod types, to cause them to be very conservative in their approval of their clients. Maybe you rubbed the person the wrong way, who knows.... You don't have any political or enviornmental stickers or signs on your vehicle do you or rig is badly needing a paint job? Probably the best thing to do is place them on your avoid list. Others on here over the years have had somewhat similiar  issue/s at one place or another. Unfortunately, there are campground owners out there that are buttheads.

[The Champion Challenger]

As I have no idea of you or your coach's appearance, it makes it difficult to make an accurate opinion.  Campground owners of some years in business usually go by gut first impressions which are based with the many vehicle/ owner visitors. Could be the location gets a few , let's say Zephod types, to cause them to be very conservative in their approval of their clients. Maybe you rubbed the person the wrong way, who knows.... You don't have any political or enviornmental stickers or signs on your vehicle do you or rig is badly needing a paint job? Probably the best thing to do is place them on your avoid list. Others on here over the years have had somewhat similiar  issue/s at one place or another. Unfortunately, there are campground owners out there that are buttheads.

My bus is beautiful. A YouTube video about me and my bus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UyFxBvsREw) has been viewed over 308,000 times, and I will be featured in an upcoming tiny home living festival. The Mean Manager (Thousand Trails Morgan Hill) is notorious for turning away people on flimsy excuses. I want to get the word out, so that other lovely bus conversions don't have to deal with her vitriol.

[The Champion Challenger]

Best answer.  Find an rv junk yard, strip the RIVA sticker off a junker and plaster it on your unit.  Much as folks would like to brow beat you into believing RIVA has any clout--they don't.  Make Them prove they are right and when they can't threaten them any way you see fit and demand to stay at least over night etc, etc, etc.  Jack

Jack - the rebel in me likes your thinking (and yes, I will research your idea), but I would prefer not to involve the sheriff in my overnight accommodations. Because that is what these managers will do - if you raise any fuss whatsoever, they will call the sheriff and evict you from the premises, in a heartbeat.

[windtrader]

Welcome to BCM Dr P. Your video is really cool. It is a "skoolie", a term for school type buses. Many commercial RV parks do turn away school buses and even factory RV of an older vintage. In fact, I'm surprised you've only an encountered an issue now and not earlier.

There is nothing you can do to your bus to make it more acceptable; it is what is, no matter how practical and environmentally conscious it is. It is clear you are not homeless or a vagabond, so stealth camping is not your solution. The positive is your bus is small so you have a lot more possibilities where to park it. Most of us here are 35'-45' and much harder to tuck in here or there.

With lots of tech work in SV, I get the difficulty you face. As you are very well connected to the community, there's good chance you can find a residential side yard to tuck into. Yes, not legal but you clearly lead a low profile lifestyle, some simple cloaking devices and maneuvers can keep you out of trouble.

I may be starting a new contract in the south bay so I may PM about more about what you discover.

Good luck
Don

[Geoff]

I wouldn't say it's a schoolie, it is a shuttle bus conversion of sorts.  If the CA DMV will register it as a "housecar" then you can argue with TT that it IS an RV.

P.S.  If it is registered right now as a commercial vehicle over 10,000 lbs. you are required to follow DOT regulations and stop at the scales.

[Jon]

My Prevost doesn't have an RVIA sticker.

[bobofthenorth]

We had a 1000 Trails membership for several years.  There's a wide variety of personalities end up being hired as their managers.  You certainly don't go to 1000 Trails parks for consistency.  This is probably not winnable at the specific park but it is also not likely to be relevant at the next park.  I'd move on.

[Fred Mc]

And speaking of TT, a friend of mine has a membership and was bragging about how he could go to any park and get in. I, on the other hand have always gravitated to provincial/state parks. So he invited me to come out to the TT  near Vancouver for the evening. MY GOD. New York city has less crowding and vehicle parking that this place had. I guess its privately owned and tries to get as many RV's in as possible but its not for me.

[bigred]

My Prevost doesn't have an RVIA sticker.

Look down low on the PS side of the vehicle .Mine is right in front of the front wheel.That is where it is on my CC .I really can't see Liberty building a conversion with out one.

[Oonrahnjay]

Hello Everyone!   ...    I'm a Thousand Trails (TT) member in good standing ... 

       Thank you for this information.  "TT" is a group of RV parks that I'll avoid in the future.   

[Scott & Heather]

I would love to hear both sides of this interaction. We only know one side of the story....and my gut tells me there's another side. Let me be completely frank...we all think our buses are beautiful...but the next guy might not agree. Beauty is relative. Your shuttle bus looks too little like an RV and too much like a shuttle bus. Many of us on here have private coaches which are seen in a widely different light at campgrounds than skoolies or shuttle buses or van dweller conversions and in some cases rightly so as we've experienced first hand recently with a skoolie dweller who recently posted a lot of objectionable concepts before being banned from the forum. I don't know you personally but I do know several people who have made it their life calling to save the planet and go carbon neutral...and that's an applaudable goal, but a few of my earth friendly friends are vitriolic themselves at times and in the name of protest, animal rights, and earth day, they can be downright nasty to people they don't agree with. I'm sincerely hoping you are the sweetest most gentle and peaceful individual as your YouTube video suggests, but that also might be naive of me. In any case, sorry to hear about the way you were treated. We've had our share of discrimination because we live in a coach, so it's nothing new to me...and I personally do think our bus is beautiful:


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[Jon]

     Look down low on the PS side of the vehicle .Mine is right in front of the front wheel.That is where it is on my CC .I really can't see Liberty building a conversion with out one.

You will have to trust me. I have had three Liberty coaches over 27 years and none had the sticker. CC built conventional motor homes so they likely had all their products built to that standard. Liberty only does conversions and likely is unaffected by the lack of a sticker.