What are the most desirable features of an RV Park? -- sort of an ad hoc survey

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seanmc2

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Jan 17, 2013
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I'm working on a Master's in Business and a relatively new RVr... so given the combination, I have an idea for a paper (who knows, it might turn into something real someday!!)....

The premise for the paper is this:  I want to build an RV park that is 80% aimed at long-term tenants and 20% aimed at over-nighters or 2-3 day stays.  What do you think would be the most desirable features?  How wide should the long-term spaces be?  Amenities? Services? --- What are your ideas?  Good experiences with parks? Bad experiences with parks?  What and why?

Thanks,

Sean
 
LOTS of grass.  Large spaces, views are my top three.
 
You say 80% at long term, by this do you mean seasonal permanent sites or campers staying the summer/winter as the case may be. My really only BAD experience was at a campground that was 80% seasonal campers, it had turned into over the years just one big drunk tank. We stayed there years before and it was nice and quiet, but over the years we noticed this trend to party all the time. They felt that because they were pemanent seasonal campers there they were exempt from any an all rules.
 
Can't Wait,

yeah, that sounds like a bad scenario.. but I would attribute that to bad management.  So, I should add Good Management to my list.

-- Sean
 
The number one feature for us in an RV Park is easy access.  Sites should NOT be  at 90 degrees to road, but rather angles for  easy back in.  Lots of space between rigs is nice. Does not have to be grass but  nice landscape is a bonus.
Good solid power is  requirement. 

A few thoughts.

 
... angles for  easy back in

Since we tow a car behind the coach and prefer not to unhook on brief stays, we prefer pull-through sites to back-ins.
 
Roomy sites are high on our list - don't like to be crowded by the neighbors. Reliable power is another.

The needs for long term are probably different than transients. For example, long term customers are less concerned about access cause they don't move much, but may care more about parking for their car(s).

You are going to find that different folks have much different priorities. Families need kid amenities, singles and most couples do not.  Tourists may demand a pool, but those who live for extended periods in their RVs typically do not. Some folks need a clean and inexpensive laundry in the park, while others have their own washer/dryer in the rig. Etc, etc, etc.
 
Good ideas above. Strong service oriented management is a top priority. Give everyone the idea that you appreciate them and are there to help, but rules will be enforced. Good access and roomy sites are another good item. If there is an RV size limit, state it clearly so folks don't show up and can't fit in. No overhanging tree limbs or building roofs.

A good-sized, fenced dog park is a big plus for us, with a 35-lb. poodle.

Everyone has their own personal preferences -- I can't handle campfire smoke (or tobacco smoke) at all, so we don't stay in parks that allow fires.

We don't use pools, playgrounds, etc., so would rather not pay for them.

We prefer 55-plus parks. When we're traveling, we, too, look for pull-throughs so we don't have to unhook for an overnight stay.

Proximity to Walmart.

Nearby walking trails are great.
 
I can add one thing that I didn't like.  Nice Good Sam GC in NC.  CG had all the amenities (Play grounds, swimming pool, recreation building, nice staff), but the MH were parked with the doors facing each other and the spaces were so small that you actually stepped out of your door into the space of the other camper. I felt so cramped that I could hardly wait to get out of there the next morning. I won't be back to that CG.
 
Having true handicap amenities are very important to us, especially accessible bathroom with at least 1 roll in shower stall, picnic tables on site that can be moved around, or a the least are not permanently set up right outside RV door making it difficult for someone in a wheelchair to get around the site. Do not place fire pits at the back of the site, especially for diesel rigs that back in, for 2 reasons: a) the back end of our unit is where all the flammable stuff is, and b) if its at the front of the site you get to meet and greet your neighbors as they go by...otherwise it sorta feels like you are 'hiding' back there and not friendly.  Clean cg, friendly staff, and ADA compliant are all important to us.

Linda
 
Sean, as you have already seen, no one thing is best for everyone but that's a good thing - your park could include different sections with different amenities to cater to different people - 1 section with grassy sites near the pool for vacationers, another section of wooded sites and yet another section with 100' pull-thrus for those huge 5th wheels and class A's pulling their toads.

We are vacationers and stay anywhere from 2 to 10 nights when we travel. Although I do like the ease of a pull-thru, one of our favorite campgrounds has two rows of back-in sites that are back-to-back but slightly staggered allowing us to camp with another family or two and easily walk back & forth between the sites. The sites are removed enough, however, where you do not feel cramped if you don't know your neighbors.

And I do echo the "lots of space" sentiment - too many parks squeeze in too many sites to make that extra buck.
 
no bugs (at least mosquitoes); no mud; low noise; after that, basics... power, water, sewer, pull thrus, parking, dog park, Pool?, clean showers/restrooms, web based reservations, propane for sale, picnic table, grass, fairly level, WIFI, cable, cell phone service available, landscaping, ... might wanna go visit a few RV parks and interview the folks that are staying there.  There is a website, rvparkreviews.com IIRC.
 
Gary,

Parking for cars!!  Didn't think of that first off... absolute necessity for long-termers.  Thanks.

Pierat,
Lots to think about here.. thanks.

Frank,
How wide do you think a space should be?  Given the maximum legal width of a MH is 8'6" plus about 4" for slide outs.... do you think 16" is enough?  Maybe wider?

Steve & Linda,
Handicap accommodations!!!  You betcha... great suggestion.  No fire pits at the back... safety first!

Lots of great comments from all you guys!!  This is great material and a good education about RVing and RV Parks.  Keep it coming... I love it and this is great stuff.
 
My Intruder measures 13' wide when set up not counting the awning, I'd want at least 20feet between sites,  30 would be nicer (I have been in a park where when both I and my next site neighbor had our slides out you had to zig-zag between us because,  Well, both of our slides extended into the next site)  LONG enough too, sixty feet, even the back in sites (Room to park a car in front)  Pull through for the transients is nice.

Wide "roads" so you do not have to jink and job back and forth getting into a basck in site or worry about scraping a post or tree on a pull through,  I've taken out a couple of site marker posts.

Good solid 50 amps. Too many parks there are too many sites on each chain (A chain is where you have a power distribution/meter box-----site----site---site---site 

Many parks the cables are too small and the chains too long so by the time you get to the end the voltage is too low.  Was talking to the electrician where I'm parked,

Now I belong to a pair of membership parks,  This has nothing to do with what you are talking about but one of them, Great management, all the parks I have visited in that system had great managers  INCLUDING the one where we zig-zaged between rigs (yes that was one of them)  The other one  Well the park I stay at in that system the most is just way too big, the result is the manager is run ragged and even with a large staff to assist they have very confusing policies and other issues and let's just say a few staffers are great,, The rest... Not so much.  Other parks in that system are smaller, but still suffer from manager attitude issues.

Swimming pools, Tennis courts, Basketball courts, Put-Put golf (or real golf) and other thigns like that.. Nice but not necessary in my opinion.

A small but reasonable camp store.. Necessary items include sewer hoses, fresh water hoses, and the like,  Soap (Laundry and dish) a few shancks (optional) and I'd like to see a SMALL inverntory of groceries  (IE one gallon of milk, 2 loaves of bread) or else a "Shopping service" where one of the staffers can hit a local supermarket on the way into work tomorrow.. The supermarket would be responsible for putting up a web page where the customer can order,  pay the staffer who then picks up the order and delivers the box the next morning.
 
Good access, large sites, good power, pull thru sites when needed, good handicap sites (DW is handicapped), fair price, and shade is a plus.
 
Don't forget the weather.  75F during the day, 65F at night, humidity between 40 and 60%, no rain, just sunny skies, no light pollution so we can see the stars, colorful sunsets, etc.  And have all this every day of the year.  Call it Camelot.

You'll never be able to build a park that will meet everyone's desires, and still be able to make any money.
 
Separate area for adults and families with kids.  Some of us value peace and quiet above all.  Difficult when you have someone's rug rats running through your campsite all day. 

BTW...the 80% full timers would scare me off immediately.
 

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