RV Park thoughts, suggestions & ideas.

[EddieWalker]

As some of you know I'm working on my land with the goal of one day turning it into an RV Park. I've spent years researching this, a few more years finding the right land in a very good location and for the last few years, I've been fine tuning my ideas. I have a layout, a business plan and a ton of ideas. I've been to hundreds of RV Parks, talked to the owners or managers along with joining the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO).

The land has access to city sewage, I have a 6 inch water main and my entrance is on a State Highway that's half a mile off Interstate 20. There is a great offramp and a gas station right there with diesel that sells most anything you could need.

Pull through sites, cabins, pool and store with resturant are the basics. Bathrooms, laundromat, public dump station, RV coin operated wash and storage units will also be included. My monthly sites will be seperated from my overnight sights with an 8 acre high fence wildlife preserve.

Roads will be paved and pads will be gravel at first with concrete down the road. The roads will have gradual turns with open drainage and plenty of lighting.

Each site will have two sewer dumps, water, 30/50 amp service, cable TV and high speed internet. They will also have a six foot picnic table and a fire ring.

What I'm hoping for is suggestions on things you've seen that you liked and even more important, things that you hated or thought were stupid. Every business does something wrong, usually several things that you have to go back and redo. If I can avoid just one of those mistakes, I'd be very happy!!!

It's rainy and muddy outside, so I'm doing lots of research. Nothing is in stone, so please feel free to offer anything that you might think is helfpul.

Thank you,
Eddie

PS Thanks Rox.

 

[Bird]

I think covered sites are gaining in popularity. I know the I-35 RV Park in Elm Mott keeps all those sites rented, and of course charges more for them than the open sites. You mentioned cable TV and Internet service. Are the sites also going to be wired for telephone service?

 

[TCBoomer]

Long term, secure storage for when the RV folks don't need their rolling cabins.

Paddle boats for the lake...btw Nice job on what you've done there!

Not sure if this fits into your long term plan, or if the local zoning would allow it, but maybe a service/repair operation. I've seen and repaired many brokedown RV rigs when I worked at a dealer just off the interstate.

 

[Bird]

maybe a service/repair operation

I guess I should have thought of that, since that's what my brother does. One of my brothers works just from his pickup, and has signs on the doors, "On Site RV Repair" and his phone number, and lives in the RV park. Of course he does a lot of business there in the park where he lives, but also answers calls in a wide area around there. I also know of another RV park, where the park manager's husband is in the RV repair business, and works out of a step van. He, too, answers calls to places other than their park.

 

[DUMBDOG]

How much per night and when are you taking reservations?

 

[CurlyDave]

Eddie:

Internet can be wireless, which I think would be a lot less costly to install, you just have to be sure to have coverage at all the sites.

Good cell phone coverage is nice, but you might not be able to do anything aobut that.

When we are RVing, something less frequent now that we have bought property, we always liked paved sites much better, and pull-thru sites were great. The closer to level the better, for all of us without automatic levelers. I always thought asphalt was just as good as concrete, although in the Texas summer that might not be true.

You could probably charge extra for paved sites.

A lot of people have satellite TV and some have satellite internet. This is not compatible with large trees and shade. Others like the shade trees, so some of both kinds of sites would be good.

One of the features we saw at a few parks was a place to wash RVs. They get dirty and most places won't let you wash them at your site. A special area for this, even if you charge for it, would be great.

Information about activities and points of interest in your area would be good.

An off-leash pet walking area, even if it is nothing more than a fenced area with gravel, would keep us coming back. Decide ahead of time if you will allow dogs to swim in your lake. DW and I used to camp frequently at a place along the Rogue River in Oregon, just because the dogs could swim in the river. We must have spent a month there while we were looking for property, making offers and such.

Well over half of all the RV people we met had pets of some sort or another, you have to decide ahead of time on the rules here. We always chose places where our dogs were welcome, but there were parks that didn't allow them, which we avoided.

Another interesting thing, which I saw at a few campgrounds was a clubhouse or lounge, with room to sit in the evening and a TV. I would personally avoid serving alcohol, but you could sell snacks and such, even from vending machines. Who knows, alcohol might be a great big profit center, worth the problems it can cause, but you have to decide and get the proper permits.

 

[hitekcountry]

Easy access to propane is a plus, either a supplier nearby or you sell it there at the park.

Car rental—have some sort of an arrangement with a local car rental co where they will deliver and pickup rental cars at the park.

 

[HGM]

You've already gotten a couple of my recomendations, but I do have a concern to mention... You said there would be plenty of light, concrete, open skies were suggested for satelite service.... Personally, that aint camping.... I'd like to be able to sit in the dark near a campfire, able to see stars in the sky(not street lights).. I also like trees(better than TV, I can get that at home).. Anyhow, my point is(and you may already be planing this) I would recomend sectioning off different areas for the condo's on wheels, tents, and everyone in between.. I have to admit, we stayed at a KOA last year and my son brought his laptop to watch DVD's on, he turned it on and had wireless connection.. .. It was actually pretty cool, but thats not why we were there... Too much lighting would be my first complaint about a campground..

 

[BB_TX]

Some ideas from a camp ground we go in Colorado. An amusement center for the kids and kids at heart. A small building with coin operated pool tables, video games, air hockey, etc. to draw in families and generate additional cash flow. Outside, horseshoe pits, ladder golf, rental bikes, small miniature golf course , etc to generate more cash. A small pond heavily stocked for fishing for a fee. Adults love these and don't seem to mind spending the extra money since it gives the kids something to do while the adults rest and relax.
Firewood for sale for evening campfires.
Maybe contract a local stable for horse back rides.

 

[LarryRB]

Some friends of ours bought an old abandonned camp ground. Cleared the area of roads and camp sites first. Then,,, I came in and put 6,000 ft of underground schedule 40 piping,. Each site now has 100 amp service, a phone line, and cable line.. Of course there is an upcharge to the site for the extra's. The point being, camp grounds around here are old, very, very old. There is no properties available to expand or make any kind of decent changes.. This is New England, where the pilgrims landed, so open property of any kind is mega expensive. If one finds open property, then it is years of fighting, meetings, lawyers, and more meetings with various government officials just to open a new campground. That is, if you have a continuous cash flow and can afford to play these games,... When these people went with 100 amp service to each site, phone and cable.., it was the best move ever. Most all surrounding camp grounds, (probably 300 of them in a 100 mile radius including several states) offer 30 and some 60 amp service. A few have phone services, and they were the first with cable,, It is the cable,, (tv and internet) that was the big draw...