‘Here’s What I Thought I Was Booking:’ Woman Books Trip at RV Park. Then They Arrive

'I mean it looked like that….. Once.'

Photo by: @tacticaltrekkers/TikTok

By: Stacy Fernandez

Jun 22, 2025 at 5:00pm ET

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This family was in for a surprise when they arrived at their resting spot for the night—and it’s not the kind of surprise you want, to say the least.

When people stay in an RV—whether they’re living there permanently or for a short stint at a time—finding a place to park overnight isn’t as easy as just picking a quiet street or a mall parking lot.

For one, the RV needs to hook up to essentials like water, electricity, and a sewer system. These are amenities that you’re certainly not getting curbside.

On top of that, many cities have cracked down on overnight RV parking, citing safety, zoning laws, and neighborhood complaints.

That’s where RV parks come in.

You can pay for a night, or for a weekly or monthly rate to secure your spot. And themed RV parks have started to take off, offering visitors not just a place to stay but an entire curated experience.

From retro tailor parks to tiki bars, these parks become part of the adventure. But not every adventure goes (or looks) as expected.

RV Park Gone Wrong

In a viral video with more than 1.5 million views, content creator and author of the book Confessions of an Unhappy Housewife: How I Changed My Bullsh*t Stories to Create a Life I Love, Kirstin Smith (@tacticaltrekkers) shared how she and her family were swindled into staying at a subpar RV park.

Smith lives in an RV full-time while homeschooling her four kids. Including herself and her partner, that’s a family of six living the RV life.

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In a recent video, she revealed that she and her family were “catfished” by the RV park they paid for.

In the video, Smith shows the park they thought they were going to. It appears to have some kind of beaver theme going on and a beautiful pool to enjoy.

But when they arrived, the place looked abandoned.

There was no water in the pool, and it instead looked like it was possibly in the midst of being repaired.

“Not every park meets expectations,” Smith pointed out.

“Luckily, I read the 2 [star] reviews before we arrived so I knew to set the bar lowwwwww. But sometimes you just have to laugh when you end up with the wish.com / Temu version of the park that’s advertised!”