So California Prices

[Rancher Will]

I have a comment and question that may have no real answer.

Over about 5 decades my wife and I have regularly traveled in our RVs over most of the Western Half of the United States. We have never traveled in our RV East of Indiana so I cannot speak to prices in the East.

We have been lifetime members of Good Sam, KOA, and Passport American for many years. So we usually  stay at parks with a discount.

Even with our club discounts we have noticed in Southern California, especially around San Diego and Los Angeles, camping over night rates are usually almost double what we pay in camp parks in other states. Is there a reason based on California costs to camp park owners, or some othe reason?

 

[Rene T]

Greed????? ;D

 

[TonyDtorch]

it provides a nice place for high end players to stay, without having to park next to the rif-raf.

and when you think about it's a lot more profitable rent out 2 spaces for a $1000.00 a month....... than 20 spaces for $100.00 a month.

 

[rebelsun]

Greed????? ;D

That and higher taxes, and an overall higher cost of living.

 

[garyb1st]

California real estate prices are among the highest in the nation.  Land is probably the largest component of a RV parks development cost.  Everything else being equal, the owners development costs are greater than comparable parks in less expensive areas.  Greed could be a factor, but competition will temper that somewhat.  We stayed in San Diego last September for about 2 weeks.  Found a passport park that was OK and a lot less than some of the surrounding parks.   

 

[Sloop]

SoCal prices are higher because SoCal has nicer weather year round than anywhere else in the United States which, in turn, attracts more people than anywhere else.  This drives up property values which is reflected in the price of everything else.  If  you want to build an RV park anywhere in SoCal, that anyone would want to visit, plan on spending in excess of $100,000 an acre for undeveloped property.  It all is reflected in the charge per day. 

 

[Kevin Means]

We live just outside of San Diego in the foothills. I was watching a news story on TV last week and they were reporting than San Diego had just become the most expensive place in the country to buy a median price home. We've had the highest electrical rates in the country for years, 95% of our fresh water is imported (so you can imagine our water rates) and our fuel prices at the pump are always the highest in the nation.

We sat outside at my daughter's favorite restaurant tonight, celebrating her birthday and it was 72 degrees - at 7:00 PM - not a cloud in the sky. Yeah, folks love the weather here - and they're willing to pay dearly for it.

 

[robertusa123]

Simple. Its the same  reason your  gas cost so much..... Taxes and cost of liveing.    I'm in central va.  Land taxes are cheep.  So I don't haft to charge as much to just cover basic operational cost......  California theirs a fee for everything..  So you got to charge more to cover operations cost. 

 

[robertusa123]

Can't resiest.    This will make anyone from the north east and west coat sick.    2.6 acres 1,200sf 2 bath home.... Good school.  Low crime area.  7 miles from city center.  Anual property tax. 639 a year.    Was paying 12,000 when I lived in nj........   

 

[TonyDtorch]

I just saw the national weather forecast........I'll bet right about now you can rent a RV space on the east coast for a lot less than here in California.

 

[Stephen S.]

I just saw the national weather forecast........I'll be right about now you can rent a RV space on the east coast for a lot less than here in California.

You might even get a "you shovel it, you can park on it" deal from a couple of campgrounds.  ;D

 

[robertusa123]

9 in 10 park north or the Carolinas are closes tial April

 

[8Muddypaws]

Simple economics.  People are willing to pay those rates.  AND make reservations 6 months in advance for the privilege.

I looked at a house in Bullhead City AZ and it was a palace!  For about the same price we paid for our house in Silicon Valley 24 years ago.  Then I reminded myself that cooling it in the summer would cost more than the mortgage.

Location, location, and location.