RV parks in Florida

[flyingjack]

Live in Colo and for past 3+ yrs since retired we've been touring NW states late spring/early summer and loving it. Winter of 2022/2023, we're planning 2-4 months tour of the SE; AR down to LA, then on to GA & FL for a couple of months. Returning via Carolinas, TN, KY then slow pace to CO.

Wife flies our small plane and I drive- 5th wheel. We get to see everything from ground and air. We meet at smaller towns with smaller airports and fly out of there for few days or weeks. No schedule-loving retirement.

That being said, I assume the warmer SE states get a huge rush of snowbirds in the winter; therefore, should we reserve RV slots way in advance. The NW in spring/summer is busy but we could usually find short term slots without reservations. Don't know what Covid has done to reservations.

Thanks for any and all opinions/suggestions.

Jack.

[RickV]

Originally Posted by flyingjack

Live in Colo and for past 3+ yrs since retired we've been touring NW states late spring/early summer and loving it. Winter of 2022/2023, we're planning 2-4 months tour of the SE; AR down to LA, then on to GA & FL for a couple of months. Returning via Carolinas, TN, KY then slow pace to CO.

Wife flies our small plane and I drive- 5th wheel. We get to see everything from ground and air. We meet at smaller towns with smaller airports and fly out of there for few days or weeks. No schedule-loving retirement.

That being said, I assume the warmer SE states get a huge rush of snowbirds in the winter; therefore, should we reserve RV slots way in advance. The NW in spring/summer is busy but we could usually find short term slots without reservations. Don't know what Covid has done to reservations.

Thanks for any and all opinions/suggestions.

Jack.

Yes "Definitely"you'll need to make reservations. We don't head out on local trips much when we are home at this time of the year some of it is because it is hard to get a spot because of all the "Damn Yankees" coming down here . If you stay away from south and central Florida you will find it more sites available.

[sourdough]

Since Covid I think all of FL is pretty much spoken for during the winter by mid year at least. We stay in the panhandle and reserve a year out. I'm sure there may be some slots in some places but those are probably going to be less desirable or very pricey. Length of stay and month will determine your luck if this coming winter is anything like the last 2 (we've already spoken for our space).

[notanlines]

Come on down to Florida. Weather's great (usually) and rates are just a you can imagine. This from one of the nicer RV parks in southern Florida. And yes, this is nightly, not weekly or monthly.

2021/22 WINTER RATES 10/01/21 – 4/30/22
*PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE FLORIDA TAX*

*7-night minimum stay for advance reservations

Site Type Silver Gold Platinum

Tropical $160 $184 $204

Canal $171 $196 $216

Bay Front $187 $215 $237

Prices monthly in Okeechobee range from $400 per month to $1900 per month. You get what you pay for.

We towed our RV to Key West area for a number of years, but when the rates over Christmas/New Years reached $130 per night we just stopped and rented a house on Big Pine Key instead.

[JRTJH]

If you are retired military, there are some fantastic camping opportunities at military fam/camp facilities. Key West Naval Station is the "most southern fam/camp" and with reservations, is an excellent choice for those who are eligible.

If you're not retired military, expect to pay 4, 5 or even more times that rate per night. As Jim said. it's not unusual to see $200 a night camping rates in "upscale resorts located in popular areas.

His range of monthly rates, $400-1900+" and the comment "you get what you pay for" is also "right on point".... For $400/month, expect an old mobile home spot in a run down trailer park with an overgrown camellia bush growing through the chipped out crack in the concrete walkway. For $1900/month, you might get a "poolside spot where there's not enough room to open the awning"...

Then there's the "exclusivity clauses" at some parks. Some restrict spaces to trailers newer than 5 model years, some only allow class A motorhomes, some have other "rules to maintain only the nicest guest trailers/coaches"... Make sure your rig "qualifies" before you give them a credit card number....

So, shop wisely !!!!!

[travelin texans]

If you plan to go next winter you better start searching & reserve a site yesterday.
We stayed a couple winters in Dade City/Zephyrhills areas about an hour north of Tampa, prices were fairly reasonable monthly for Florida & if I recall there were a couple small airfields in the area.

[j.w.]

If you're okay with not going "so far South", then check out Port St. Joe FL. It's on the Gulf side just East of Panama City. Rates are "reasonable" and the park is nice. And no, we are not affiliated with the parks there. We are from Tn. There is also a park at Indian Pass.

https://presnells.com/sites-rates/rv-sites-pricing/

[roadglide]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

If you plan to go next winter you better start searching & reserve a site yesterday.
We stayed a couple winters in Dade City/Zephyrhills areas about an hour north of Tampa, prices were fairly reasonable monthly for Florida & if I recall there were a couple small airfields in the area.

I’m in Zephyrhills now for the for the winter living in housing project hills a gated compound. There are 17,000 residents. Its open with folks all over the world , everything a body needs is here along with hundreds of thousands of people. The weather is Cool but my water bottle hasn’t froze yet and seeing the updates for weather it’s not going to freeze.

[notanlines]

John, "For $400/month, expect an old mobile home spot in a run down trailer park with an overgrown camellia bush growing through the chipped out crack in the concrete walkway. "
We can tell you've been in the area! By the way, you omitted the "close to the fish cleaning house."

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by notanlines

John, "For $400/month, expect an old mobile home spot in a run down trailer park with an overgrown camellia bush growing through the chipped out crack in the concrete walkway. "
We can tell you've been in the area! By the way, you omitted the "close to the fish cleaning house."

Yep, grew up in Green Cove Springs at the end of Cove Street, went to Paul E Dunbar Jr High and NEVER did get used to the sulphur (rotten egg) smell in the water. But sure did like bass fishing along the St John's River. There was a "trailer park with camellia bushes" behind our house and we used to walk through it to go to the playground at the elementary school (hoodlums that we were at 13 years old)

[hankpage]

Originally Posted by roadglide

I’m in Zephyrhills now for the for the winter living in housing project hills a gated compound. There are 17,000 residents. Its open with folks all over the world , everything a body needs is here along with hundreds of thousands of people. The weather is Cool but my water bottle hasn’t froze yet and seeing the updates for weather it’s not going to freeze.

That's what I said but the DW doesn't believe me. The yard looks like it is decorated for Halloween. She has all the tropical plants covered with sheets, looks kind of spooky.

_____________________________
Seven or eight years ago the going monthly rate for a decent site in the Sarasota/Venice area was $900 + elec. Most of them have enough amenities that you never have to leave the campground. One even had a restaurant, bar and pizza delivery by golf cart to your site. I would hate to see what they charge now. We got to love the area so we packed up and moved here. Looking at the news with 18 to 20 inches of that white stuff today, no regrets.

[RickV]

Originally Posted by hankpage

That's what I said but the DW doesn't believe me. The yard looks like it is decorated for Halloween. She has all the tropical plants covered with sheets, looks kind of spooky.

_____________________________
Seven or eight years ago the going monthly rate for a decent site in the Sarasota/Venice area was $900 + elec. Most of them have enough amenities that you never have to leave the campground. One even had a restaurant, bar and pizza delivery by golf cart to your site. I would hate to see what they charge now. We got to love the area so we packed up and moved here. Looking at the news with 18 to 20 inches of that white stuff today, no regrets.

It did get as cold as they forecasted here: 21 degress right now from my Weather Station. Last night before going to bed I went out and cracked open all the outdoor faucets, when I got up I went out and turned em all on for about 30 seconds or so then back to trickling. Got the Woodstove cranking.

[JRTJH]

When I was a kid, my dad was in the navy. We spent much of my childhood/early teen years being shuffled between Key West and Green Cove Springs. 2 years in each and rotate. I remember base housing in Key West having jalousie windows that never sealed, but opened fully for maximum ventilation. We didn't have central heat, in fact I don't remember any heat other than getting dressed while huddled around the open oven door every morning while getting ready for school.

In GCS, we got frost a couple times every year, and we did have gas heaters in every large room in the house, so we were comfortable, even when it was cold outside.

I think I can say, based on building 2 houses in Louisiana and a couple up here, that the 2x4 walls on our Louisiana brick houses and aluminum frame double pane windows couldn't come close to providing the comfort of the 2x6 and 2x8 walls, vinyl insulated windows, fiberglass doors and R-60 ceiling insulation.

In other words, the "cold felt in Florida and south Louisiana is "BRRRRR" compared to the "cold up here"... We had two 60KBTU furnaces in Louisiana and the house always had cold ceramic floors. Here, one 60KBTU furnace, the temperature hasn't been above 20F for almost a month and the house is warm and comfortable.

When there's no place to get warm and stay warm, 21F can be miserable... Right now, I'd suspect north Florida is MISERABLE .....

[CWtheMan]

The KOA CG at Starke, FL provides snowbird/residential RV parking year-round. It's not exceptionally expensive and there are mostly large grassy FHU sites.

https://koa.com/campgrounds/starke/


Linda and I stayed there for a few months one year. We ran from a wintering site at St. Petersburg because of a hurricane.

The closest private airfield is not far away at Keystone Heights, FL. My grandson lives there, mainly to avoid the hustle and bussel of the roads and freeways in and near to Jacksonville.

I found a link for the airport.

https://keystoneairport.com/runway-information/

This is a picture of our parking site at KOA Starke.

[flyingjack]

Great info, sounds like we won't RV any further south than Ft. Myers because we can fly to the Keys and surrounding area for day trips. Hoping our new (shorter & lighter) HC 295 RL treats us as good as our 2013 Mountaineer did- not many issues in 8 yrs. We'll start on some reservations right away.
Thanks again
Jack

[Dave Gamble]

What kind of airplane do you have?

[flyingjack]

We have a Husky and a new to us 1956 182 that is heavily modded for backcountry.

[Dave Gamble]

Originally Posted by flyingjack

We have a Husky and a new to us 1956 182 that is heavily modded for backcountry.

We have a Vans RV-12 that was built from a kit. I would like to be able to do a fly/drive thing too, but DW doesn't like driving the truck and likes it even less with the trailer attached. I can't blame her for that - I don't really like towing either, especially if flying is an option. The RV-12 isn't really suitable for long trips either - it's a small two-seater with very little baggage capacity.

I'm in the Civil Air Patrol and got a few hours in their 182 until I decided that I was not going to be able to fly both the 12 and the 182 - they're very different in many ways and I have been spoiled by 450 hours of super easy flying in my little crate. That, and I'm getting to an age where I simply don't have the ability to learn new tricks. The 182 is a great travel plane, though.

[flyingjack]

On our 2022/2023 winter tour through SE US, flying our small plane is really going to add options. We can be way less picky where we RV. Very lucky DW/I both fly and drive.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
Jack