This article is about the RV 10 year rule that many RV parks have for older RVs. And what it means for RV camping going forward.
Now I’m asked about this an awful lot these days. And there’s a lot of discussion about it on the internet.
Table of Contents
- What Is The RV 10 Year Rule Anyway?
- Why Would A Campground Have A Rule Like That?
- What About Older RVs That Have Been Well Cared For?
- How Many Campgrounds Have The RV 10 Year Rule?
- Do RV Parks That Have The Rule Always Enforce It?
- Why Do Some Higher End RV Parks Enforce The RV 10 Year Rule?
- What If you Are Asked The Age Of Your Older RV?
- How To Keep Your RV Looking Good No Matter Its Age
- The Most Important Thing To Do To Prepare For The Rule
- Conclusion
What Is The RV 10 Year Rule Anyway?
So what is the RV 10 year rule anyway? Well, basically it says that an RV park has the right to refuse you entry to their campground if your RV is 10 years old or older.
So suppose that the year is now 2025. Then the 10 year rule means that any RV that’s 2015 or older would just be turned away.
Why Would A Campground Have A Rule Like That?
So why would an RV park make a rule like that? Well, the main reason for the rule is most often to be able to allow the RV park to keep out older and poorly maintained RVs.
Ones that are ugly, junky and trashy. Or ones that have been maintained so poorly that it’s clear that they could break down right in the park.
In which case they could even be abandoned there in the RV park altogether.
Also what happens if you get enough of these trashy type of RVs in a park?
Then before you know it, the RV park has a reputation for being a low quality park.
And that’s just the opposite of what RV park owners really want. Instead, they want good things being said about their park
They don’t want a reputation for having a whole collection of low quality RVs.
So 10 years is used as a number where they feel that these kind of problems can start to happen. Or start to show up.
In other words, for the first 10 years of an RV’s life it’s generally felt that they’re going to have a decent appearance.
But getting beyond that age things can start to get dicey. Now admittedly, that’s not a perfect rule.
What About Older RVs That Have Been Well Cared For?
And we all know that there are some older rigs that look fantastic. In fact there are many 30 – 40 year old RVs that are in great shape.
And that’s because their owners have cared for them very well. They look after them and they’re always maintaining them.
But on the other hand, I have also seen just the opposite too. In fact, I have seen five year old RVs that have been essentially trashed.
They look just awful and are in poor shape. Because the owners just didn’t care about them at all and haven’t done anything to care for them.
So clearly, the rule is not perfect. But it is generally sort of understandable and reasonable from the RV park owner’s point of view.
How Many Campgrounds Have The RV 10 Year Rule?
So how many parks have this rule? The truth is that it’s not all RV parks. But it is a significant number, and it is growing at this point.
But that’s not the real question. The real question we want to answer is, how strictly is that rule being enforced by the parks that have it?
In other words, if your RV is 10 years old or older, how hard is it going to be for you to find camping accommodations in the future?
Well here’s the answer to that. Most RV parks only use it in very extreme cases.
Do RV Parks That Have The Rule Always Enforce It?
Yes, they have the rule. It’s on their books and so on. But they rarely actually pull it out and use it.
Also it seems like it’s most often actually enforced in areas like Arizona and Florida in the winter time.
Because these are high traffic areas for RVers. Places where they’ve got a whole lot of people with RVs anyway.
So RV park owners can be a little bit more picky about things. And park appearance is very critical in these areas too.
Because if somebody doesn’t like staying in one RV park, that’s no problem.
They can usually just go down the road and find another RV park and stay there instead.
A park where there aren’t any junky RVs all around them. And so that is where you see this kind of rule often in force.
Why Do Some Higher End RV Parks Enforce The RV 10 Year Rule?
However there are some high-end RV parks that strictly enforce this rule pretty much all the time now.
And why is that? Mainly because they cater to a higher end crowd. They want RVers that are ready to spend a lot of money.
And they usually have a lot of amenities for them to enjoy. So they want people who spend money to stay there.
And as a result, they want to keep out any RVs that could offend that higher end crowd.
So what should you do if you find a situation where you are asked about your RV’s age. Especially you have an RV that’s older than 10 years?
What If you Are Asked The Age Of Your Older RV?
Well, to handle this situation properly, you need to have been doing something long before you’re asked about it.
And what you should have been doing is to make sure that you keep your RV looking good. You know, maintain your RV well.
And especially the outside appearance. Make sure that it looks good to folks that are going to be viewing it.
How To Keep Your RV Looking Good No Matter Its Age
Now I’ve made some videos on how to do that. And it’s not difficult at all to keep your RV looking great for its entire life.
Of course, a lot of people think that it’s too much work they will have to do.
Or that they’re going to have to pay a lot of money to have detailers constantly keeping it up for them.
But no. It’s actually very simple and inexpensive to maintain the exterior of an RV yourself.
In fact, there’s a system I use that’s easy, quick and very effective. And it’s worked for us through all of our years of full-time travels.
In fact, I’ve made a video that explains how that can be done. And you can watch that video by clicking on this link.
I invite you to check that RV wash and wax system out right away. It’s very inexpensive and it only takes me about an hour to do.
The Most Important Thing To Do To Prepare For The Rule
So now, suppose you get your RV in good condition and it’s really looking good.
Then now is the time take a good digital photo of that RV. And keep it on hand.
Have it ready so that you can send it to any RV park that requests a photo to be able to see what your RV looks like.
In fact, here is a photo of our rig. And this is what we like to send to RV parks who ask us about it.
Now if you’re an RV park owner, would you have any objection to that RV being in your park? I know that I wouldn’t!
So it’s important to have the photo ready. Have it on hand so that you can send it whenever it’s needed.
Now the reality is this. We have been all over this country for five years now.
And we’ve only been asked for a photo twice in all of that time. And that includes all of our travels across the U.S.
In fact, it also includes Arizona and Florida as well. And both times when we sent them the photo they said “that’s just fine, no problem. We approve your reservation”.
Conclusion
So I can say this with confidence. If you don’t stay at exclusively high-end campgrounds all the time, it’s really not going to be much of a problem.
It’s unlikely that you’re going to have any problems with the RV 10 year rule.
Of course, is the RV 10 year rule something you need to be aware of?
Oh yes, it certainly is. There’s no doubt about that. But it’s not something that you need to be overly worried and concerned about.
Not as long as you maintain your RV and you keep it looking good. Which is really what you should be doing anyway.
Well that’s it for now. Have safe and happy RV travels, no matter how old your RV is.