KOA 10 Year Rule: KOA RV Age Limit Restrictions
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You will find this statement true when it comes to RVs. You may like the look of your RV or trailer but others may see them as a blight on the landscape. You should keep your RV, etc., looking good when it gets older. Or you may not be able to enter a campground.
This famous campground company has set an age limit on who can use their parks. Not for humans but for RVs & trailers. Your RV, etc., need to be 10 years old or younger and you need to submit a photo before you are allowed to camp on their property.
To learn more about the KOA 10-year rule, just continue to read our article. It gives you the straight information so you can decide if you want to use their facilities or not. Not everyone likes this policy but it is a campground standard in the industry.
KOA RV Age Restrictions
We checked the KOA website and in the rules article, they do not mention this restriction. However, since many of the KOA campgrounds are owned by franchisees, each campground may have its own additional rules.
Some will not allow an 11+-year-old RV or trailer on their camping sites. Others will and you can be certain that when you are booking your campsite, you will be asked for a photo.
The different managers will have their own standards and they are often negotiable on this rule. Some owners have reported being able to stay in these campgrounds because their 15-year-old RV looks great.
If you take care of your RV or trailer, chances are you won’t have to worry about this rule. Most campgrounds want to make money and they won’t make any if they keep turning older RVs away.
The thing to do is to make sure you do the proper upkeep on your RV or trailer, especially the windows and exterior walls. Keep those decals looking fresh and new so you do not have a bad looking RV, etc.
A little maintenance will over the years will be your ticket to staying at some of the best RV parks and campgrounds in the nation.
KOA 10-Year Rule
This is something that has been advertised by word of mouth for the most part. We have checked their main website and have found nothing that limits the age of the RV or trailer that can stay on their campgrounds.
But that doesn’t mean there is not an unwritten rule stopping 11+-year-old RVs from staying on their property. We have researched this 10-year rule and it is possible that individual campground managers make this rule themselves and it is not a company policy.
If the KOA you stay has this rule, it is not so much that they are keeping older RVs, etc., away. Instead, the managers are trying to protect themselves from those few bad apples that pay for a few days, then never leave. It is very difficult to evict RV owners once they stop paying their fees.
It is also expensive to haul away abandoned RVs or trailers when owners leave and never come back. Or the campground is trying to attract the elite crowd who have lots of money to spend.
The reasons vary but as far as we can tell, KOA itself does not have this rule. It will be negotiable when you talk to the campground manager.
KOA Park Rules
The KOA company’s rules are very simple and easy to understand. They do not seem to have many rules but there are some you should be aware of. Before we list those rules, here is the most important bit of information you need to know about. It comes from their FAQ section:
“If within one hour after check-in at any KOA campground you're not completely satisfied with the services or facilities, your registration fees will be refunded.”
The following link will take you to some of the rules they directly talk about. Just click here to read those rules. What is not mentioned in those rules but is mentioned in the FAQs is their cancellation policy and it reads:
“KOA requires a credit card deposit equal to the first night's rental charge to guarantee a reservation. All cancellations made within the designated deadlines per type of unit rental cost a $10 cancellation fee.
RV and tent campers must notify the campground before 4 p.m. two days prior to arrival. Cabin cancellations must be made one week prior to arrival. Monthly RV reservation cancellations require a 30-day cancellation notice.
Cancellations between eight and 30 days prior to arrival forfeit half the deposit, while those made within a week of arrival will forfeit the deposit.”
We suggest you use the link to the FAQ section and read the section on National KOA policies and guidelines. It covers a lot of difficult issues that have arisen over the years.
Especially when the national office will not refund your money when the campground won’t. In the confederate flag question in that section you will find the following words:
“Kampgrounds of America, Inc. is dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all of its guests, franchisees, and employees. “
This may be where they justify their 10-year rule. We doubt that the company will be obvious about this restriction.
Some Final Words
This is a rule you have to get used to. KOA is not the only campground or RV park that has it. While the majority of campgrounds do not have this rule, there are enough to create a myriad of threads on different RV discussion forums.
The good news is that many of those parks that have this rule often wave it if you are nice and your RV looks okay. Just don’t be a deadbeat and cause the managers any trouble. You may ruin it for others.
