Newmar Owner's Camp Site Exchange Idea

[Chickadee]

G'morning Newmar Folks:

Been toying with an idea and thought I'd run it by you guys for improvement/criticism/expansion etc.

Do you guys think there is ANY merit to developing a Camp Site Exchange (or some such name) whereby individual RV'rs might purchase an RV lot (most likely in their favorite location) and, after improving said lot with full hook-ups, inform a group of participating Exchange Members about that lot, such that other participants traveling through might park on and use that lot when ever the owner is gone? Perhaps for FREE!!

Here's my thinking. I believe that many of us (particularly full timers) keep thinking of the time ahead when we'll need to hang up the keys. I think there are quite a few in this group who are searching for, or have already pretty much determined WHERE that final parking place will be, and, have toyed with the idea of buying into some kind of property at that "favorite" locale. So....if we spent the bucks now to acquire a nice lot in that selected area, AND...spent the bucks to install water, elec., and sewer, not only to be used now while we're still traveling, but also to be used when and if we end up settling on that lot, wouldn't permitting others, in a "participating exchange group," to use such a hook up improved site when the owner is absent be a great system??

So, if I had such a lot, say in the Black Hills of Dakota, and we were gone to Canada, or Alaska, or the Oregon coast and one of the Exchange Group members called us to see if our site was available for use, I'd tell em go ahead....or, I'd perhaps have to tell em to call which ever Group member might currently be using our site to find out if it's open for their use. Something like that......

O.K.,.....give it a little thought...before chewing me up, but WHAT DO YA THINK???? Steve & Lynette

[MT flyfisher]

I owned an Airstream travel trailer before buying our Newmar Kountry Aire.
Airstream owners have something called Courtesy Parking, which is a bit like what you may have in mind, although with Airstream owners it is often just a space on the owner's home property, which may or may not be developed to accommodate RV's.

When you become a member of the Airsteam owners internet forum (airforums.com), courtesy parking is a section that can be completed along with the rest of the member's profile, including a detailed description of the location, hookups provided, and any other relevant information about it that you want to include. Many Airsteamers have somethng offered.

Although I never used this myself, I know that there are many Airsteam owners who do use this as they travel the countryside, and many owners who offer this camping/overnight site as a social networking way of simply meeting new people having similar interests.

It would be relative easy I'd think to incorporate the availability of these campground sites into the member profiles on this, or another, internet site.

Let me know if and when you have something available in the Black Hills -- we have yet to find a really nice place to spend a night or two when we travel through there in May and again in October each year going to and from out home in PA and MT.

John

[Hitchhiker]

I think it's a great idea, if I were able to get the use of a site in Florida during the winter months I'd be delighted to build an RV site here on my 37 acres in the mountains of Western NC to reciprocate for summer use. I could easily grade out a flat spot, install 50 amp electric, water, provide satellite TV, WiFi, and firewood. Sewer might be a challenge as a septic sytem would be required and might be cost prohibitive. But I could probably work out something.

Another consideration would be the summer use of a rustic vacation rental house that I own in exchange for the use of a Florida RV site in the winter.

Your idea is a good one but I see the snag as being the matching up of the available sites to the interested users who have a desired exchange. The guy who has what I want may not be interested in what I have to swap.

[rjf7g]

It's an interesting idea.

[RV Wizard]

How would you offset the cost of the electricity one might use in comparison as to what you use?

[Chickadee]

Hitchhiker:

(Re:.."matching up of available sites"..)
Well, I hadn't thought about using such sites as extended stay spots, rather, short (overnight or 2-3 day) stops for those participants in the exchange system.

RV Wizard:

(Re: ...electrical use differences..)
Well,....each participant uses what they need. No hassles. It'll even out. If I'm on your site and it's a hot, steamy evening, I'll use the A/C. If you're on my site and it's a cold damp kind of day, you'll use your furnace and/or perhaps floor heat, or heat pumps. Steve & Lynette

[Chickadee]

So, anybody else have any thoughts re: a Camp Site Exchange system??? Steve

[aubie]

The courtesy parking idea may work. Electical cost might be a problem. In the RGV we avg $8.00 a day at .15 per kh. In central Ala we have one 30 amp fhu and as much dry camping room as needed. Aubie

[Chickadee]

No one else interested...eh? Steve

[Hitchhiker]

Quote:

No one else interested...eh?

Steve,

Are you only interested in the comments and/or interest from other Newmar Owners... thus the moving of the thread back to this forum?

In my opinion, such a program might have merit but it'd require a very broad base of RVrs to make it work.

[Chickadee]

Hitchhiker:

Yeah....I guess you're right. I first thought I'd run it by the Newmar group only, since I was thinking that setting up such a "site exchange" system and opening it up to everyone on the road might destroy participant sites made available to system participants.

Ofcourse, THIS is one of the problems to be overcome with such an exchange system. How do you assure that every participant will use, and care for your site as well as they'd care for their own site. I'd sure hate to return to my site after it's been used by others for a season only to find trash everywhere, broken water standpipes, busted sewer connections, stripped and/or chopped own trees, etc. etc.

One thing I'll say....which is probably unfair, and this will likely END this discussion....is that there are both, good responsible folks who would excercise meticulous, RESPONSIBLE stewardship of the sites they would stay at, AND.....there are folks who wouldn't give a damn, would beat such a site to death, breaking or destroying things without any thought of repair or stewardship and they'd move on, leaving a mess!!!

Now, here's the "unfair" part..... After years of observation while staying in RV campgrounds (we are real fulltimers), I have witnessed varying consistency and a variable degree of responsibleness in caring for their rented sites among different kinds of campground users.

I guess the question is....how do you assure RESPONSIBLENESS in the folks using your site?? If I cracked your sewer connection or broke your water bib, I'd fix it before departing. I wouldn't leave a bunch of half melted beer cans in your fire pit and surely wouldn't strip the bark and/or branches off your trees for our campfires. So....is there any way to reasonably assure the responsible use of our exchange sites by other participants?? I don't know. Steve & Lynette

[MT flyfisher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chickadee Hitchhiker: One thing I'll say....which is probably unfair, and this will likely END this discussion....is that there are both, good responsible folks who would excercise meticulous, RESPONSIBLE stewardship of the sites they would stay at, AND.....there are folks who wouldn't give a damn, would beat such a site to death, breaking or destroying things without any thought of repair or stewardship and they'd move on, leaving a mess!!! I guess the question is....how do you assure RESPONSIBLENESS in the folks using your site?? Steve & Lynette

I think there's also a pretty large 3rd group of RVers - those that are generally responsible folks, but perhaps due to their age, or the fact that they own a large RV that exceeds their ability to drive/park it properly, or whatever -damage will inevitably be caused to an RV site by this group of people and they'll often never know it.

The RV park where we stay in MT has underground water sprinklers that are constantly being driven over by people, when they are parking their rigs upon entering the park, or when leaving. I see it every day. Even when a park employee is directing them into their site, they still cut corners too sharply and run over sprinklers, or (less frequently) they back over, onto or through the utility connections on their site.

I don't know how you avoid this type of damage being caused to your RV site, and maybe in the end that would preclude a lot of people from participating in the site exchange you've envisioned.

John

[Chickadee]

John:
Yup...your right about that "3rd group of RV'rs" too. However, I'm still intrigued with the idea of a group of 15, 30, or perhaps 50 RV'rs searching out, then each buying particularly beautiful and unique sites all over the country and participating in a reciprocal site exchange with other participant members. Hmmmmm. Steve & Lynette

[Dav5942]

We own a sight in Hog Valley, Florida that would be available most any time. It is oriented to Fishing, Boating(access hundreds of miles of waterway), Hunting, Motorcycle riding, bicycling, hiking, ATVing(direct access to the Ocala Forest ATV trails). No golf courses, no restuarants within 20 miles, great local grocery store and hardware stores.
http://lakeoklawaharvpark.com