RV Park thoughts, suggestions & ideas.

[EddieWalker]

Tally,

Thank you for your help. You've helped change my mind on my design and what I was expecting. The link to the Ozark City Slickers has a picture of a barn that I think will be much better.

I'm thinking 12x12 stalls with 3/4 inch plywood walls that are 8 feet tall.

What type of floor is best? Will concrete work, or is that too hard?

How much room do horses need to go under an eve or header?

Is there a good website that explains what to do when building horse stalls or how to design them?

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[Kendall69]

Here are some links to some high end RV sites:
Newport Dunes RV Resort Main Page

During busy times they get up around $150.00/night, yes I said PER NIGHT.

Anyway look at the ideas they have, it seems more and more people are going for the RV RESORT style. Not that you should turn your whole park into a RV Resort, but who knows maybe a section for some of those 500k buses. Your goal is to get loyal customers to stay long and return often and these are the people that do that, plus they pay a premium for the space.

Here are SOM more in the La Area
Camping & RVing - Around Orange County California

Shadow Hills RV Resort


Guest Services

Barbecues: Natural gas barbecues available upon request. Barbecues may be reserved at the office.

Big Screen TV: Located in the Clubhouse

Book Exchange: For your enjoyment, we have a variety of books located in the Business Center at the main clubhouse. Donations of books are always welcomed.

Business Center: The Business Center is open from 9am to 5pm. You may use the Shadow Hills computer as well as bring your own laptop.

Card Room: Card tables are available in the Santa Rosa Room. Games and puzzles are available in the cabinet area.

Clubhouse Rental: Available for groups, parties, weddings or family reunions. For available dates and pricing, check with office.

Copy and Fax Service: Available at the office.

Game Room: Behind the main clubhouse is our indoor Game Room which includes Pool Tables and Shuffleboards courts. The facility is open from 8 am to 10 pm. After play, please brush down the pool table and rack the balls. PLEASE no food or beverage near or on billiard tables and the shuffleboard courts. Shuffleboard rules are available at the office.

Fitness Center: Fitness Center is open from 8 am to 10 pm. Guest may access the fitness center by contacting the office for the lock combination. All equipment is used at the risk of the individual. Equipment must be used safely and with concern for the safety of others. Please consult a physician prior to use of this equipment. Do not use the equipment if you have a known heart problem or if you are experiencing any pain.

Golf Lessons: Available upon request, check with office for cost and availability.

Horseshoe Pits: There are horseshoe pits available for your recreational enjoyment. The Pits are located behind the Game Room. Pits and horseshoes can be reserved at the Office.

Ice: Ice is available at the office.

Internet Access: Hi speed wireless internet is available throughout the park.Relax from your RV or sit by the pool, either way, you¹re connected for FREE if you have a wireless LAN card! There are hookups in the Business Center at the main clubhouse for our guests. If you don¹t have your own laptop, we have internet access though one of our computers.

Laundry: The resort has two full service coin operated laundry facilities and are located next to the restroom areas on Camino Del Sol and Camino de Amigos. Clotheslines and outdoor drying of laundry is strictly prohibited. During the off-season, the Camino de Amigos facility is closed. Laundry supplies and change are available at the office. The cost is $1.25 to Wash and $1.00 Dry.

Newspaper: The Desert Sun, the local newspaper is available at the Clubhouse during the winter season. Delivery to your site can be arranged by contacting The Desert Sun at 800-834-6052.

Mail: Guests may drop off mail at the office. If you would like mail to be delivered to you during your stay, mailboxes are available at the office.

Movie Rentals: We have DVDs and VHS Videos available for our guests. You may check out up to 3 movies at a time. Each month we update our selection with the latest releases. You can watch them on the big screen TV in the Clubhouse or take them to your RV.

Office: Our office personnel will be happy to make future reservations, tee times, answer questions, help with emergencies, provide tourist information or direct you to outside services.

Public Pay Phone: Pay telephone is available at the clubhouse just outside the fitness center.

Propane Services: Metered propane filling for motor homes is available. Inquire at the Office for costs and availability of adaptors and additional supplies.

Pool: Pool hours are 8 am to 10 pm.

Restrooms/showers: We have 3 areas throughout the resort with 14 showers for our guests.

Satellite T.V.: Satellite TV is available.

Sports Equipment: Horseshoes, ping pong paddles, croquet, badminton, volleyball, and basketball are available for your enjoyment and can be reserved at the Office.

 

[tallyho8]

Tally, Thank you for your help. You've helped change my mind on my design and what I was expecting. The link to the Ozark City Slickers has a picture of a barn that I think will be much better.

I'm thinking 12x12 stalls with 3/4 inch plywood walls that are 8 feet tall.

What type of floor is best? Will concrete work, or is that too hard?

How much room do horses need to go under an eve or header?
Thanks,
Eddie

Eddie
12X12 stalls are perfect. The ones in that photo have rough cut oak wood which is harder for horses to eat. I would discourage you from using pine plywood because this is a dessert for many horses. 8 foot solid walls would provide no ventilation for the horses and horses can take the cold better than heat. If it is too cold for their horses, their owners will put on their blankets. For rentals I would reccomend pipe or wood frame covered with the 2x4 horse panels in the other link.

No concrete floors. I don't know what kind of soil you have but red clay floor is good and a couple inches of sand on top is better. People can add their own shavings for bedding if desired. This is just a temporary shelter for these horses. A good overhang on the roof to keep out rain and sun is necessary.

8' is the minumum for a header.

There are some photos of my barn in the Projects thread that could give you some ideas.http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/94508-monitor-barn-product-2.html#post1073344 This is not exactly what I reccomend to you because I know my horses habits and do not let strange horses with bad habits in my barn as you surely will. You will notice that I have rough cut oak boards on the front and sides of my stalls and I have treated 3/4" plywood on the inside of the outer walls but all my wood 8' up is treated with "anti-cribbing coating" to keep horses from chewing on it. This must be repainted on every year or two if a horse chews.

 

[EddieWalker]

Kendall,

Thanks for the links. Those are some amazing RV Parks!!!!

It's fun to see what others have done and to what extreme they've been able to take it. I also enjoyed reading how they run thier park. It's all part of learning as much as I can before I make too many mistakes. hahaha

Tally,

Thanks for the advice on the horses. I'm suprised that a dirt floor is preferable to concrete. Is it the hardness, or is it a traction issue? My thought was that concrete would be easier to clean and keep sanitary. Different horses urinateing in a small area all the time just seems like something I wouldn't want my horse standing in. How do you clean urine in a clay bottom stall?

Would cinderblocks make a good wall for the stalls? I can make an opening in the back to let air through fairly large and cover it in barss like an old time jail cell. hahahaha Seriously, that's kind of what I'm pictureing in my mind. A front wall of bars to keep the horse in the stall. A swing out door on hinges. No slides. And the back window with bars on it.

I read that ten foot is the ideal height for the headers, so that's easy enough to do.

My current plan is to make the stalls 12x12 with a roof that has 2 foot eves. Then the soffets will be open to allow even more air to circulate up and around the ceiling. I'm trying to get maximum air flow in a building that I can clean quickly that will be sanitary for new animals on a regular basis.

This has the potential to be a nice little draw for those traveling with horses. If I do it well, it will be a huge asset.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Here's a good discussion on what people look for and like in an RV Park.

RV.Net Open Roads Forum: I need your opinions: How you choose a campground?

It really looks like WiFi is the most important thing people are looking for!!

Eddie

 

[tallyho8]

Tally, Thanks for the advice on the horses. I'm suprised that a dirt floor is preferable to concrete. Is it the hardness, or is it a traction issue? My thought was that concrete would be easier to clean and keep sanitary. Different horses urinateing in a small area all the time just seems like something I wouldn't want my horse standing in. How do you clean urine in a clay bottom stall? Would cinderblocks make a good wall for the stalls? Eddie

Concrete is too hard for horses to stand on for any period of time. A hard clay floor with a very slight angle and gravity works to remover the urine. Many people use shavings in their stalls also. My stall floors are 6" of sand over dirt with a couple inches of shavings on top. They drain well. There are many high tech flooring options also. It just depends on if you want to make a Motel 6 or a Hilton. Cinderblocks make good walls. Many of the more expensive barns in our area use them or concrete blocks which a horse can not kick through.

 

[EddieWalker]

Tally,

Thanks, the cinder block walls really apeal to me. I can lay block straight and true, it just takes a very long time. I'll have to work on some designs that will work best for the horse owners, but allow me to maintain it with minimal effort and expense.

I looked up some of the rubber flooring blocks available and was shocked at the price. No way to break even with a floor that costs thousands of dollars compared to free clay.

Thank you for your advice and sharing your knowledge with me. Before I build anything, I'll post my pans and look for feedback. Then I'll fine tune, or change them based on what I'm told and go from there. For now, I'm just going to keep clearing the land and moving dirt.

Eddie

 

[rox]

Eddie,

Wonderful topic so many suggestions. For the Horsey Hotel, since tallyho8 mentioned the heat, how about a ceiling fan or two, would the horses like that? Maybe it is a poor idea, it jsut came of the top of my head.

 

[tallyho8]

Eddie,

Wonderful topic so many suggestions. For the Horsey Hotel, since tallyho8 mentioned the heat, how about a ceiling fan or two, would the horses like that? Maybe it is a poor idea, it jsut came of the top of my head.

Actually, ceiling fans just blow the hot air from the ceiling down onto the horses. If fans have to be used, ceiling vent fans are better, because they draw the cooler outside air in the windows to the horses.

We know by experience. We used to have a couple ceiling fans. We heard a noise like a card hitting spokes in a bicycle wheel. Looked around and a buddys horse was standing on his hind legs with the fan rubbing on his ear scratching it. He had been treating the bare spot on his ear for weeks with a fungus remedy after he was told the hair was missing due to fungus. Turned fan off and the spot went away quickly.

 

[rickster]

All those wild hogs running around! Not a problem have a pig roast
every Saturday night!!