We've stayed at dozens of campgrounds and RV parks across the country — Thousand Trails resorts, state parks, private campgrounds, boondocking spots. After a while, we realized we needed a consistent way to evaluate each one. Not just "it was nice" but a real framework we could use to compare parks honestly and help other full-time RV families make better decisions.
So we built two systems that work together:
The Rating System
7 categories. 100 points. One honest score for every campground we stay at.
We SCOUTED this park — and here's how we CAMPED.
The Seven Categories
Site & Setup
Level pad, hookups, ground quality, privacy & shade. This is your home — it has to work.
×4 Weight · 20 ptsConnectivity
Cell signal, carrier coverage, park WiFi, Starlink-friendly sky. No internet = no income.
×4 Weight · 20 ptsOffspring & Family
Playground, pool, kid safety, homeschool spaces, activities. Happy kids = happy parents.
×3 Weight · 15 ptsUnity & Community
Friendliness, noise levels, full-timer friendly, staff quality. Good neighbors make a good stay.
×2 Weight · 10 ptsTerritory & Location
Groceries, nearby attractions, scenery, neighborhood safety. What's around matters.
×3 Weight · 15 ptsEssentials & Facilities
Bathhouse, laundry, dump station, general maintenance. The basics have to be covered.
×2 Weight · 10 ptsDollars & Value
Cost vs. quality, booking ease, check-in experience, what's included. Every dollar counts on the FIRE path.
×2 Weight · 10 ptsHow the Scoring Works
Each category has 3-5 specific criteria rated on a 1-5 scale. But not all categories are equal — we weight them based on what actually matters most when you're living full-time in a travel trailer with two young kids.
| Category | Weight | Max Points | Why This Weight? |
|---|---|---|---|
| S — Site & Setup | ×4 | 20 | This is your home. A bad site ruins everything. |
| C — Connectivity | ×4 | 20 | We work remotely and homeschool. No internet = no income. |
| O — Offspring & Family | ×3 | 15 | Happy kids = happy parents. Activities and safety matter. |
| T — Territory & Location | ×3 | 15 | Nearby stores, things to do, and scenery are a big plus. |
| U — Unity & Community | ×2 | 10 | Good neighbors and enforced quiet hours set the tone. |
| E — Essentials & Facilities | ×2 | 10 | Clean bathrooms and working laundry are baseline. |
| D — Dollars & Value | ×2 | 10 | On the FIRE path, every dollar counts. |
| TOTAL | 100 |
The CAMPED Rating
Once we add up all the weighted SCOUTED scores, every park gets a CAMPED rating — six levels that tell you exactly how we felt about the stay.
The Verdict
How did we CAMP here?
What We Look For
S Site & Setup
Is the pad level? Can we fit our rig with slides out? Are the hookups working — and are they 50-amp or are we limping on 20? Is the ground solid or are we sinking into mud? Do we have shade and breathing room from the neighbors, or are we parked elbow to elbow?
C Connectivity
This is a dealbreaker for us. Elvio works remotely and we homeschool the kids, so we need reliable internet every single day. We test cell signal on T-Mobile and AT&T, check park WiFi (usually terrible, but occasionally a surprise), and evaluate how Starlink-friendly the sky view is from our site.
O Offspring & Family
Lily and Rose need to play, learn, and be safe. We look at playgrounds (are they modern or a tetanus risk?), pools and splash pads, whether the park has low traffic and good visibility for kids on bikes, quiet spaces for schoolwork, and organized activities that give the kids something to look forward to.
U Unity & Community
Some parks feel like a neighborhood. Others feel like a parking lot full of strangers. We rate how friendly people are, whether quiet hours are enforced, if the park welcomes full-timers (not just tolerates them), and whether the staff actually cares. The best parks are the ones where we make friends.
T Territory & Location
How far is the grocery store? Are there parks, museums, beaches, or trails nearby? Is the scenery worth pulling out the drone? And does the surrounding area feel safe — would we let the kids ride bikes around after dinner without worrying?
E Essentials & Facilities
The basics: are the bathrooms clean? Does the laundry work without eating your quarters? Is the dump station accessible without a 30-minute wait? And is the park generally well-maintained, or does it feel like the owners checked out five years ago?
D Dollars & Value
As a FIRE family, we're always weighing cost versus value. A $60/night park can be a great deal if it includes 50-amp, cable, WiFi, pool, and activities. A $20/night park can be a ripoff if nothing works. We also rate how easy it is to book (looking at you, Thousand Trails reservation system) and whether check-in is smooth or a headache.
How We Use This
Every campground review we publish uses the SCOUTED + CAMPED system. You'll see the SCOUTED breakdown and CAMPED rating at the top of each review so you can compare parks at a glance.
We include detailed notes, best site numbers, sites to avoid, and drone footage when we have it. We're not weekend warriors — we live in our RV full-time. We know which sites flood and which ones get the best sunset.
Check out our Top 10 Thousand Trails Parks to see the system in action.
