Community Forums

road glide · 08-14-2014, 08:16 PM

After several years as a KOA member and VKR holder....we let our membership expire last fall. Too pricey now in most of California and frankly some of the KOA's are not any better than regular resorts.
I can understand the kid and grandkid atmosphere. 15 years ago we stayed with our daughter-in-law and all 4 grandkids at the KOA near Santa Cruz, CA. Everyone had a blast rented bicycles, firepit, play grounds, lotsa of other kids to play with. Last year before our KOA expired we stayed at the Moss Landing KOA. Great hosts, but we were moved 3 times, very low water pressure. One group of RV's insisted on all being together even though we had already been there before them and then hogged the picnic -BBQ area for two days. At that point it no longer became fun anymore.

aauummm · 08-14-2014, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GunnyClark

Saddle Mountain is a nice park - little shade but it is the desert and the people there are great - pot luck dinners, on Saturdays they have a little flea market with local artists and jewelers - there is a hot springs about 1/2 mile from the park (private but not expensive)

a excellent road is the back country byway which is about 20 mins away and easy to get to (our mine is off that so we travel it alot) I was born and raised in So Cal and spent my summers in sw Ariz - as a teen I would ride my 71 Honda SL350 to Wittman AZ where my mom lived, stop to say hi and rest then hit the desert trails

That very trail in your picture I had placemarked in Google Earth last fall when planning our trip to Saddle Mountain RV Park! I've even got old buildings and ruins along the trail placemarked.

Sounds like you're an expert on the area with all of that experience in the desert. We did Borrego Springs, CA one winter and we had a great time in the desert there.

The RV park sounds great so maybe we can make it out there one of these winters.

aauummm · 08-14-2014, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sledwest

We avoid koa, pizza hut, Best Western, Starbucks ect. Try to spend our money with the little guy and not big America ! Lets hear it for the independent business owners !

Each KOA is locally owned, operated and managed by "little guys" who are independent business (franchise) owners. I have met lots of KOA franchise owners and they are great people who are living their dream of owning a RV park.

Kampgrounds of America - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have no connection to KOA and we stay at a variety places from WalMart to boondocking to tailgating to luxury RV Resorts to State, local and Federal campgrounds, etc.

TMan59 · 08-14-2014, 09:25 PM

We have stayed at some koa's that we liked, and some we didn't.
Kind of like a bunch of other places we have stayed at.

whem2fish · 08-15-2014, 02:05 AM

johnboy this is the one i full timed at

ChallengerRN · 08-15-2014, 04:09 AM

Bottom line is that we travel down the road in what my friend call our "Mobile Mansion" and maybe can afford $70 per night. But if we usually pay $35 per night or can catch a Walmart occasionally. Why will we stop at a "KOA" and pay an extra $ 25 or $30 for those letters. When we look up parks on our phone or drive by we no longer consider "KOA" parks.

Over the years the ones we stayed at have the same 3 things we need. Water-sewer-electric?? Generally that's all I need from a RV park. If I'm going to stay more than a night it's most likely a state park.

Russell

aauummm · 08-15-2014, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMan59

We have stayed at some koa's that we liked, and some we didn't.
Kind of like a bunch of other places we have stayed at.

Yep, I agree. Here's one I liked:

TarpinHill Jct · 08-17-2014, 04:49 PM

Every year Julie has to go to the Covered Bridge Festival in Indiana and we stay in the KOA on the east side of Terre Haute. Nice sites, clean and easy in & out. Management is nice and most of the help is also.

ChallengerRN · 08-17-2014, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarpinHill Jct

Every year Julie has to go to the Covered Bridge Festival in Indiana and we stay in the KOA on the east side of Terre Haute. Nice sites, clean and easy in & out. Management is nice and most of the help is also.

You should stay in the RV park in town Bridgeton. For the Bridge Festival. We stay there for 14 days all during the festival. If your interested in a phone # PM me. 4 mile west of Mansfield

Russell

JMacy · 08-17-2014, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarpinHill Jct

Every year Julie has to go to the Covered Bridge Festival in Indiana and we stay in the KOA on the east side of Terre Haute. Nice sites, clean and easy in & out. Management is nice and most of the help is also.

Congratulations it sounds like you got a good KOA
I'm pretty sure that KOA is very from good to bad to worse just like every other campground you have to pick 'em and choose 'em

Textronics · 08-17-2014, 09:52 PM

We stayed at two very peaceful, beautiful KOAs in Missouri -- outside St. Louis & outside Springfield. Prices were competitive to other CGs in the area.

StevieG · 08-18-2014, 08:50 AM

When I originally posted this thread some months ago, it was because of the fees I was being charged to reserve specific sites and the "unethical" (IMO) practices my local KOA uses to bump their revenues. Please see the original post if interested. I wanted to see if others had the same experiences in making their reservations at other KOAs around the country or if it is a "somewhat" sole practice at the Newburgh, NY KOA. Please don't tell us in this thread which KOAs you like or dislike or why... why you don't stay at KOAs... or about your experiences while there. Please let me know if you have encountered this type of price bumping elsewhere. As I said in a recent post in this thread, I was charged a $5 resort fee, which basically cancelled my 10 % discount for being a VKR member.

ChallengerRN · 08-18-2014, 09:00 AM

Stevie.

Guess I was one that you consider to be off topic. Quite sorry. I'm not sure how or why the KOA price is so high?? Could be the fee you refer to. Just know that they are to high is what I was saying. My fault I should of gone back to post one!!

Russell

mel s · 08-18-2014, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevieG

When I originally posted this thread some months ago, it was because of the fees I was being charged to reserve specific sites and the "unethical" (IMO) practices my local KOA uses to bump their revenues. Please see the original post if interested. I wanted to see if others had the same experiences in making their reservations at other KOAs around the country or if it is a "somewhat" sole practice at the Newburgh, NY KOA. Please don't tell us in this thread which KOAs you like or dislike or why... why you don't stay at KOAs... or about your experiences while there. Please let me know if you have encountered this type of price bumping elsewhere. As I said in a recent post in this thread, I was charged a $5 resort fee, which basically cancelled my 10 % discount for being a VKR member.

StevieG
Unfortunately "price bumping", (aka: added fees), at KOAs is common, (making what appears to be a "bargain" an expensive proposition).
That is the reason we no longer consider any KOA campground.
Mel
'96 Safari, 133k miles