If you’ve been living RV Life for any length of time, you might have come across what is known as “the 10-year rule.” This a rule some used by RV Campgrounds to keep older RV’s out of their parks.
If you do not know what this rule is or how to get this rule, this COULD mean getting turned away when you arrive! So, let’s break down this rule (and how to get around it)!
This rule is more common in states like Arizona and Florida where many RVers head to spend the winter. You might also find this rule more so at “higher” end RV Resorts in these areas.
Can you stay at RV Campgrounds with an older RV?
Let’s face it RV’s are expensive! And If you’ve watched our YouTube channel for any length of time, you know we are NOT advocates of buying a brand-new RV. This is due to depreciation rates, etc.
Unless you are at a place in life where the cost of a brand new RV doesn’t exceed more than 50% of your annual income – we do not feel that buying new is a wise financial choice. This means we bought used and we personally recommend buying used as well.
Why the 10-Year Rule At Some RV Campgrounds?
Why this silly rule about RV age? The goal for most campground or RV park owners is to keep away RVs that are NOT well maintained.
If you are a campground owner, the last thing you want is a motorized RV leaking all over your campground or a black tank that is leaking sewage (gross)! As a result, some campground owners will implement this rule about RV age (Not more than 10 years old) to help protect their property from damage as well as protect others from safety hazards.
Most of the time this rule is posted on the website for the RV Park or RV Campground. You can always ask when calling to make a reservation as well if the park has this rule. When calling or browsing the web to make those campground reservations, be sure to visit the “rules” page to see if the campground has rules about RV age. Side note: if you want a great way to plan those RV trips, download our FREE RV Trip Planning Template here!
Are there ways around this rule? – YES – so keep reading!
FIRST – guess how old our RV is? I’ll let you know that when we tell people the year and age of our RV they are always surprised.
Our RV is a 2004 Fleetwood Discovery – that means it’s 17 years old!
We try to keep our RV washed & waxed to help the exterior stay in great condition. We also maintain all of the systems inside (and recently did an interior renovation too!)
RV Campgrounds Don’t Want A Rolling Wreck
So, have we EVER been turned away because of the age of our RV? Not as of yet. (And both the RVs we’ve owned over the past 4 years have been 17+ years old.
So how do we get around the 10-year rule? (And how can you get around this rule too?)
First of all, remember that the majority of RV parks or RV campgrounds do NOT have this rule. And because of this, we’ve only ever run into this rule 1 time in the 4 years that we’ve been on the road. (Since it’s not super common).
How to get around this rule:
- Call the campground and explain that your RV is XX number of years old but that it’s in excellent shape.
- Ask if you can email or text a current photo of your RV.
- Explain that you maintain it properly and regularly.
Another thing to note: some models haven’t changed their exterior designs in more than a decade (think about it a 15-year-old airstream exterior looks the same as a new airstream exterior if it’s been taken care of).
So what do you think of the 10-year rule? Have you ever run into a problem staying at a campground with a rig that is older than 10 years? Let us know in the comments here or on Youtube.
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