Changes Coming for RV Parks??

[JRTJH]

When we first started RVing, it was to avoid the "high prices at Motel 6"... We bought a VW campmobile and stayed at rest areas or a "camper park" for $5, rather than pay the $15 at Motel 6.

Through the 70's and 80's and into the 90's that remained somewhat true. Then, as campgrounds began to "commercialize" and prices started going up, the "better campgrounds" cost as much as Motel 6, but they were still a bargain compared to the Holiday Inn/Hampton prices, so we kept RVing...

Then, sometime around 2000 or so, the "JellyStone Jungle" type of RV park began to appear. Extremely nice landscaping, concrete pads with concrete fire rings, speed bumps, two pools (one for kids one for adults and kids) and signs everywhere warning people to clean up after their dogs, not to walk on the grass, no glass bottles, no alcohol in public, and a long list of other "don'ts"... Along with those amenities came "double pricing" and reservations. That has escalated to where, in some areas, government camping in "rustic locations" is following the "make reservations and pay extra"... Far more commercialization than in the past, both in private parks and in government owned property.

What used to be "solitude, easy to find and quiet" is now crowded and hard to find and the same environment as many "city neighborhoods"... Seems to me with the 3 TV's, 2 kitchens, full hookups, internet and a "boatload of electric toy vehicles, bikes and trikes, many "current RV'ers are just relocating their house to the campground for the weekend...

I too wonder how long people will continue to do this when the price of the RV doubles, price for gas doubles and cost to rent a campsite costs as much a a night at the Hampton or the Holiday Inn express (and mom still has to do the dishes in the RV)...

[travelin texans]

We bought a modular home in a 55+ Rv Resort so we get all the amenities, activities & social interaction of rving & don't have to tow anything.
We full-timed for just over 10 years & apparently got out at the right time. Was able to sell the 5er, traded off the dually for something much less thirsty & still travel with the ability to get a room just about anywhere without a reservation. We found traveling this way is probably a bit cheaper than towing the rv & a lot less work which was getting more difficult for both of us.

[Weldon]

Originally Posted by flybouy

just did this as our daughjter is selling her house (where we did store it) and the sites for storage are few and far between. Luckily we found a very isolates place not far awqy for $85 a month. Yes, that is a bargin around here as we were quoted an average of $120 - $140 IF they have a space become available. Indoor storage? Are you ready for this? Over $500, no electric.

I thought mine was bad. Outside, but covered with blacktop ground for $140 p month. Gated storage w 24 hr access. No water, but we have electric. Maybe my deal is better than I thought.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Weldon

I thought mine was bad. Outside, but covered with blacktop ground for $140 p month. Gated storage w 24 hr access. No water, but we have electric. Maybe my deal is better than I thought.

It's all about property values, taxes, etc. Around here owning a piece of property doesn't mean it can't be taken away (condemned and seized) or rezoned and restricted. I've seen instances where property was rezoned and the owners forced to remove a mobile home or RV that was their residence. Sometimes it's "grandfathered" but not always.

I recall when I was young how the state decided they wanted to make a park out of some shoreline (Gunpowder Falls State Park Hammerman Area) and they bought up the properties and those that didn't sell out were given the "assessed tax value", the house condemned and the residents forcibly removed. If you don't have the money to build a house then it can be difficult financially to hire a law firm to fight it. With the "eminent domain" that most governing bodies have it can be very difficult to fight it.

[B-O-B'03]

Originally Posted by flybouy

... If you want sticker shock go looking for a storage lot. We just did this as our daughjter is selling her house (where we did store it) and the sites for storage are few and far between. Luckily we found a very isolates place not far awqy for $85 a month. Yes, that is a bargin around here as we were quoted an average of $120 - $140 IF they have a space become available. Indoor storage? Are you ready for this? Over $500, no electric...

I am lucky enough to be able to store ours at home, covered with water and 30 amp service.



It gets used as an extra bedroom, regularly and I have a macerator pump for emptying the holding tanks.

-Brian

[Weldon]

Originally Posted by flybouy

It's all about property values, taxes, etc. Around here owning a piece of property doesn't mean it can't be taken away (condemned and seized) or rezoned and restricted. I've seen instances where property was rezoned and the owners forced to remove a mobile home or RV that was their residence. Sometimes it's "grandfathered" but not always.

I recall when I was young how the state decided they wanted to make a park out of some shoreline (Gunpowder Falls State Park Hammerman Area) and they bought up the properties and those that didn't sell out were given the "assessed tax value", the house condemned and the residents forcibly removed. If you don't have the money to build a house then it can be difficult financially to hire a law firm to fight it. With the "eminent domain" that most governing bodies have it can be very difficult to fight it.

Our house is in a cul de sac. Our driveway is steep; very steep. My truck almost scrapes when I pull in or back out of it, so zero chance of the TT even considering it. There is a huge scrape where an Amazon driver tried it and then got stuck and took out a concrete divit when he could finally back out.

We are looking for a new house, and one of the must haves is a big carport or space to build something like B-O-B'03 has for his TT. When we had a 14' carport, we didn't have a TT (just a PUP). Once we moved, we bought a TT. As my wife points out, I can be bass ackwards sometimes.

[jfk69]

We utilize state parks as much as possible, which helps. In Michigan, we have a ton of state parks with campgrounds, but it has gotten to the point at the more popular parks that you better be ready on the keyboard at 8 am 6 months in advance to get it booked. I don’t mind, it’s a game to me. As far as private parks, only one or two times per year, though I expect that to increase some as we start traveling cross country more. It’s still, currently, cheaper than a good hotel and eating all your meals out. As far as fuel costs, meh. Airline prices are even crazier so it’s just a different expense. In the end, we enjoy it and will adapt and continue camping. I’m currently working on the DW to put a nice solar system on the rig so we can cut campground costs to zero and boondock a little more, but she’s not there. Yet.

[jasin1]

I saw that Idaho doubled the fee for out of state campers at the popular campgrounds..I think they were tired of out of state people booking up all the spaces.

[rlh1957]

And ya’ll thought the nightmare was only at the big box dealer. Nope, as Lemonis, Good Sam’s and all other big wheeler shell corporations vie for a piece of that money it will only get worse.
They’ll then be pre-selling camping packages that lock you under worse than overpriced extended warranties.
Prices and so called camp amenities will swell to make Disney and Camp Wilderness seem like a good deal with names like Resorts, campsite ownership (think timeshare)
When it’s over all that will be left are conglomerate dealers who don’t care if you walk, because they own and control anywhere you’d go. They all control the parks where you’ll pay a premium to stay & extra to guarantee reservation snd spot.
Even Wall Street is Deep into the RV and camping market!

[Stevensmith2859]

Fortunately in the area where I live, there is NO shortage of parks within a 2-3 hour drive. While the more corporate ones are a bit pricey per night, in my opinion, its still better than a middle of the road hotel for a few nights. With the exception of two brands...... I hate the Thousand Trails brand because you cannot book a specific site, you have to drive around until you find one, which is just DUMB, and two the owners of the Jellystone brand are insane! $600 bucks for 3 nights, I think not. I'm only 39 but grew up camping and yes the campgrounds now are MUCH nicer than what we had as kids, but look at trailer technology too. Back in the day, if you had a 35 ft 5er with a dinette slide, you were the bees knees, now, if you DON'T have at least two slides, its like do you even camp bro?

[dutchmensport]

Originally Posted by notanlines

... A very nice young lady told us a lot in their park, full hookups, is $1575 plus electric averaging $75-$100 per month. ......

Wow, that's higher than the mortgage, insurance, internet service, trash pick up and electric bill combined on my 2800 square foot house with a 4 car de-tached garage and a 1 car attached garage, all on 1 level, with an acre of land in the country surrounded by corn and bean fields. Wow!

[CedarCreekWoody]

I think that article is accurate and gives a good picture of what to expect. It is certainly a trend whether we like it or not.

[InkedMarie]

I live in New Hampshire. We’re seasonal so we don’t need to worry about where to travel to, which is fine for us. I’ve read about quite a few campgrounds here who have almost doubled their nightly prices, have instituted five night minimums (hard when you work) not to mention tossing seasonals out, after they paid deposits, because they built cabins.

Crappy way to do business. I know, it’s business but many people who have been camping at some of those places since they were kids can’t afford it now. I can’t imagine $775 for a five night stay.

[skmct]

Originally Posted by Weldon

I thought mine was bad. Outside, but covered with blacktop ground for $140 p month. Gated storage w 24 hr access. No water, but we have electric. Maybe my deal is better than I thought.

$140 A MONTH with electric. GOD. THATS A BARGAIN. Here in naples fl I was paying $274.00 a month for a 40ft x 10ft strip of asphalt in a gated lot. When I asked to hook up to power to keep my batteries charged they wanted another $125 a month. I was paying over $6000 a year to store my fifth wheel and an antique car .So we sold the house near the beach and bought a house on 2 1/2 acres 20 miles inland with room to store everything at home . If you want to live in paradise bring a boat full of money.

[Life-in-Him]

We're well into our second year on the hoof so to speak.

Spent 41 years owning & Managing resort property surrounded by over a million acres of usfs, blm, nps, aka federal land. The 360 acres of town couldn't ever grow. Population of 82-85 people.

Christmas night day a guy said I want to buy your business.

I said put it on psper!

Last day of January the check was in the bank.

After 61 years of 1,2,3,or occasionally 4 week "vacation" traveling back to the "home place" we hit the were full message all over colorado & CA.

But there are still places w/vacant sites when we drive in & ask.

Those 41 years showed us one major thing (now peeking around the corner) folks buy a "vacation entity" (cabin, TT, RV) & soon give up its newness, or have to go back to work to pay for it.

IMHO there will be a huge need for storage lots & empty sites will grow till CG's unfortunately start going down.

In the mean time the reserve america pawns will takeover govt res systems like here in CO & chaos will rule the headlines.

Completion will return.

[Mr Mojo]

I've stayed at Walnut Hills before and I'll be there in about a month. I didn't realize they changed hands. I did notice the price increase though.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by skmct

$140 A MONTH with electric. GOD. THATS A BARGAIN. Here in naples fl I was paying $274.00 a month for a 40ft x 10ft strip of asphalt in a gated lot. When I asked to hook up to power to keep my batteries charged they wanted another $125 a month. I was paying over $6000 a year to store my fifth wheel and an antique car .So we sold the house near the beach and bought a house on 2 1/2 acres 20 miles inland with room to store everything at home . If you want to live in paradise bring a boat full of money.

We just returned from a 4 week trip through the south central US with a quick diversion to southern Mississippi. The first night back, with the fifth wheel parked next to the garage, DW and I were sitting on the back deck, relaxing, watching the waves on the lake, the ducks at the bird feeder and the deer down by the lake... DW turned to me and said, "We live in a campground with full hookups, a 2500 sqft house with all the conveniences, a 3 car garage, two pole barns, two fire pits and 5 or 6 picnic tables in various places. There's no reservations needed and we don't have to "move on in a week. Why do we have the trailer?".....

You know, I just couldn't find anything to answer her, other than, "so we can escape paradise to sweat in a box with inadequate air conditioning where it seems we always have to set up in the rain and break camp when it's so hot even the truck is a "joy to be in"....

[sourdough]

^^^^^For us (me) the issue becomes the "sameness"; same deck, same view, same ducks/geese etc. We had the main house and mountain house but after a short while the "sameness" got old; bought a lake house...same thing. It's nice in one way to have a guaranteed, familiar place but not so much when there is so much to see and do elsewhere; I mean there's only so many ways you can stain a deck.

That combined with my new found desire to stay away from rental hotels, condos etc. and the trailer becomes even more appealing. Just left for 4 days to stay in a hotel while we had no power in our community. Things have changed; they don't want to clean your rooms (and not sure I would be comfortable if they did), the "hot" breakfasts that used to be pretty decent are now limited- barely warm, what tasted like leftovers. The staff is reduced etc. etc. Used to enjoy going out to eat but it's a hodge podge now with reduced wait staff and every excuse in the world (covid) on why food is not up to par, slow etc. Nah, I'm sticking with the trailer until things get back to normal at least.....if they ever let it.

[notanlines]

John, " Why do we have the trailer?....." Maybe your days of seeing new places and meeting new people might be coming to a close?
Just tell her "I have a friend in Tennessee who knows a guy who is looking to sell his Cherokee Six Pack at a good price."
She'll frown at you and then say "When are we packing for New Hampshire?"

[Badbart56]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Right along the same line, DW and I stopped at Silver Palms in Okeechobee (another Sunland RV owned park) just last Thursday. A very nice young lady told us a lot in their park, full hookups, is $1575 plus electric averaging $75-$100 per month. Any takers? We're paying 1/3 of that at the other end of town (the medical district more or less) but we have no pool or gates. Hmmmm

My 6 bedroom 7 bath mansion in Georgia doesn't cost that much! As a matter of fact, we could stay in a different bedroom each night of the week and pretend we were staying at a hotel! Not sure when we'll use the RV again!