Customer Reviews

Trailer Life RV Parks, Campgrounds and Services Directory 2010 (Trailer Life Directory: RV Parks & Campgrounds)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have used this book for a number of years and it is very helpful. For those of us who do not plan extended stops, or travel around, it is nice to know where to find campgrounds and what is available. Of a particular help is one that took me a while to realize and that is the amount of available rv's sites compared to the amount of open sites. Many times rv's don't seem to be all that welcome in places thar are mostly permanent residents. So as you look at the campground information and it says, for example, 250 sites--50 available, it will be full or permanent residents. Don't get me wrong, that is fine if it is what you prefer. I, however, prefer to stay with rv's who are doing similar to what I am. I have found them to be much friendlier and helpful. This is no big revelation to many but it has been my observation over the past 10 years.

We buy this directory every year since we travel quite a bit. My wife (the navigator) prefers this directory over the Woodall's (both are produced by the same parent company) mostly because of the better layout. The stick-on state index tabs are tedious to put on but are helpful in quickly finding the state you are looking for. I wish the state locator maps were printed at the beginning of the state listings but all the maps are located toward the front of the book. I can understand why: they are in color and on a better grade paper. Just a little inconvenient to flip back and forth. Campground data provided is nearly always accurate. The Woodall's book has led us to a couple of dumpy campgrounds that weren't even listed in the Trailer Life directory. Seems like the TL Directory may have better reviewers.

Title should be changed to "RV Parks & Services" as this book is heavily slanted towards RV long term parks and NOT campgrounds. So, if you are a short term "camper", with or without an RV, you will spend a lot of time sifting through information that has absolutely little, if any, interest to you. As far as usefulness to long term RV "parkers" the internet, in my opinion, holds a much more useful and searchable database.

Have used this directory for more years than I can remember. The user must take the CG rating with a grain of salt. When staying at a CG found in the directory, I have always wondered how the rating was arrived at, as there seems to be no connection between reality and the rating. Sometimes I think the rating is based on how much advertising the particular CG does with TL Enterprises. We spent the winter at a CG with a very good rating, however, the voltage was so low, we were unable to use our appliances. Also, the fact that there was a skeet shooting range 100yds from our site didn't seem to have entered into the rating. We thought we were in a combat zone until 10PM nights. The directory is great for locating the CG's, but don't put a lot of weight on the rating. Users of the directory should be able to submit rating cards for CG's they have visited.

I bought it so I could have an easier way of looking for campground around the area where I'd like to stay. I'd expect this catalog to have map of each state with location marked for each of the campground so I could just look at the map and know exactly what to look for. However, this is not the case. If you are looking at the state with tons of campgrounds(FL is one example), it will take a while to figure out which one is in the area that you care about.

It's better than nothing... This book is NOT a quick reference guide. It takes a lot of time to pour over the material. There's a lot of flipping back and forth over the material. Better use of tables, etc would be better.

This directory really came in handy on a recent vacation. Lots of useful information to help us decide on campgrounds and includes USFS, state park, private and public campgrounds with overall accurate ratings and lists of amenities. Since we go basic, it saved us money and the hassle of "overpriced" campgrounds with all the bells and whistles.

The additonal information on historical sites and attractions along the way was a bonus. The one downside was the overall size and excess weight of the directory, especially when that's a concern for many travelers. While you may gain arm strength lifting it up and down, after awhile it gets cumbersome. That said, you wouldn't want the type any smaller since it would be too hard for many to read in the vehicle or rv. Maybe a downloadable version in the future would be a solution.

Love this book. Very helpful for planning trips and finding campgrounds that have the services we prefer (like showers). Also tells what to expect for price, amenities, location, etc. We always carry it in the motorcycle when we travel with our pop-up.

We have used a lot of diffrent books on the road ,this is the best one
yet .

This resource is kept right under our front seat and helps us know what's coming down the road, at least to plan options A, B, or C when internet service is not available.