Community Forums

redhooker · 08-20-2018, 05:49 PM

We love parks with “back to back” sites especially if a little shrub buffers between the fronts. No screening required on the back sides, and seems cost efficient in build out as you need half the hookup locations.

We enjoy not sitting next to the neighbors stinky slinky and clutter of wires and hoses. Also if the sites have a view, (back up to a lake or similar), motor homes can pull in and TTs and 5ers can back in.

hohenwald48 · 08-20-2018, 06:00 PM

You really need to be more specific about what kind of park you're talking about. State parks fill up fast at $35/night. They have kids all over and campfires going in 75 different sites. I'm currently sitting in a $100/night park full of high end coaches, no kids and no fire rings, minimal baths and laundry because everyone has their own. You need to determine who your customer is before you start trying to decide on amenities. What attracts some folks will cause others to move on down the road.

dc8cappie · 08-22-2018, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fbohn1

Hello all,

I am new to the forum and looking to get some help from the RV community regarding recommendations for a New RV Park - as in amenities & features you would love to see/dislike at current parts. (admins, if this post is on the wrong forum, please move as necessary)

I have been researching the internet for favorite & unfavorite features of the RV community- which is how I discovered this forum. I would love to get your feedback on amenities you love/hate at parks, and things that you think would do well at new parks. Perhaps, there is a similar recent post/thread that you would prefer to point me to?

I look forward to hearing to hearing from you and I am appreciative of any and all help! Thanks!

I would suggest you get in contact with Chuck of RVtravel.com. Chuck has the ear of thousands of RVers and will give the good and bad of RV parks and a good idea of what RVers like and don’t like in parks.

Best in your future adventure.

Ray,IN · 08-22-2018, 10:27 PM

OH, and do all that for $30/night; you'll be bankrupt before the paint is dry. At today's land values near attractions, well I don't need to expand. We have a few RV Park owners here, hopefully they have responded. (I didn't read all replies)

RV Vagabond · 08-22-2018, 11:42 PM

What I would like is a park that has electric hookups only, and charge by the hour. If you can arrange for credit card terminals at each post, then you would not need anyone to constantly oversee the park, just come by once a day to make sure everything is working right.
www.shorepowerconnect.com/PurchaseService does it for $1 an hour. So I could buy 10 hours for $10, which you might want to have as a minimum, or $24 for 24 hours or $168 for a week.

You could have a single dump station and water fill station only, or not at all - there are plenty other places to get dumps and fills. Getting an electric hookup without paying for other services I don't need is what is hard to find.

Timon · 08-23-2018, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhooker

We love parks with “back to back” sites especially if a little shrub buffers between the fronts. No screening required on the back sides, and seems cost efficient in build out as you need half the hookup locations.

We enjoy not sitting next to the neighbors stinky slinky and clutter of wires and hoses. Also if the sites have a view, (back up to a lake or similar), motor homes can pull in and TTs and 5ers can back in.

Great idea and easy to do with pull though sites.

If building a new park then wired ethernet at every pedestal is a smart move. You can still have WiFi but wired is so much better and easier to secure. Also have connections for both Dish and Direct antennas. This way owners don't have to deploy their dishes or worry about trees.

Build out in sections, .i.e, cells, and keep amenities local to each one. Each section can have a laundry, some individual restrooms with showers and the WiFi for that section. These don't have to be large if done right, maybe 5' x 8' each so a 16' x 40' building can hole 12 rooms and 4 to 6 stacked washer/dryers with room to fold. All of this would occupy one RV size spot. Have the breakers for each RV spot located in this building so it's easy to maintain. This also makes it easy to meter each location from central points if you need to.

Reserve some sections for people with dogs or any other loud pet. Cats are usually not an issue. They will generally not complain about each other and those with no pets are happy. Each of these sections should have a fenced area so people can allow their dogs to run a bit. If you really want to go top notch for dog owners fence in each section with pet safe fencing.

CCRyder 505 · 08-23-2018, 10:28 AM

Be mindful of where you put the sewer dump stubs. We have stayed at many parks over the years where the dump stubs are at the very end of the space. This is a problem for newer coaches that have their sewer hose connection just a bit past the center of the coach to the rear. Having to carry 3 sewer hoses is not fun, but just in case we don't have a reasonable distance from the dump stub.

I would suggest 2 stubs per site. That can't increase installation costs that much.

If I were doing it I would put one stub at the center of the site and the other at the back of the site.

Sometimes you have to wonder if there is any considerable conversation with the contractor and park owner on dump stub location other than.......we need a sewer dump stub on each site.

Phil
N7PHL

RickNC · 08-23-2018, 11:14 AM

If I were building a park I would incorporate the features of two of my favorite parks. Mama Gerties near Asheville NC has a great layout and segregates many of the 30 amp sites from the large 50 amp sites which allows those of us with smaller rigs to get a little more space and quiet.
Wild Duck near Portland Maine is all adult, I like children but only if cooked right.

RKins · 08-23-2018, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 505 KittyKat

Be mindful of where you put the sewer dump stubs. We have stayed at many parks over the years where the dump stubs are at the very end of the space. This is a problem for newer coaches that have their sewer hose connection just a bit past the center of the coach to the rear. Having to carry 3 sewer hoses is not fun, but just in case we don't have a reasonable distance from the dump stub.

I would suggest 2 stubs per site. That can't increase installation costs that much.

If I were doing it I would put one stub at the center of the site and the other at the back of the site.

Sometimes you have to wonder if there is any considerable conversation with the contractor and park owner on dump stub location other than.......we need a sewer dump stub on each site.

Phil
N7PHL

What I've experienced is that some of the dump stubs are too high. Most of us have those collapsible cradles for our slinkys that slowly let the hose descend toward the stub. I was at a state park recently where everyone was complaining that the stubs were too high. My coach is pretty low when I put down my jacks and I have a dump extension that comes through the bottom of the wet bay and out the side (permanently). So my slinky starts out low already. So my request is to keep them at ground level.

Isaac-1 · 08-23-2018, 03:30 PM

On site layout, I agree about the dump connections, put them in the right place, and 2 per side 15 apart is great to accommodate a variety of RV's can can't cost more than another $100 or so, assuming $80 of labor and $20 of PVC.

Also try to not make it look like a parking lot with row after row of parking spaces, flowing curve designs are much more attractive than rectangular grids, even a little bit helps a lot here.

In general give some thought to use, we all have our little pet peeves that annoy us at campgrounds, such as in addition to high dump connections ( I have seen some that are over a foot above ground level), I also don't like power posts with swing down doors covering the outlets / breakers, as too often I have found wasp nests in them when I open them to plug in.

Vectraguy · 08-24-2018, 01:16 PM

It's really hard to find a campsite near a strip club these days...

Seriously, if you focus group this you will end up with gold plated toilets and fee's so high everyone will still moan about it, then you will go broke.

First, establish the difference between an RV park and a camp ground.

I have never used a bath house, that's why I have a 35' long motorhome with a shower I can fit in. A shower house is worthless for me or the wife, no way would we use one. However if you cater to pop-up campers and ultra light trailers or tents, then you need a bath house. At least near those areas... Yes, I would separate the types. I know it's politically incorrect to say out loud, but I don't want to be parked near a tent.

If you have a pool area then having a shower in (or outside) the clubhouse would be all one needs to rinse off after a swim. Many ladies like to pre-wet their hair to prevent chlorine from turning it green. (That's a thing)

But, since you mentioned the area and it sounds like it may be near water... All I "want" is a ramp/ launch within walking distance to hand launch my small boat or kayak in the salt (Or brackish) and traditional RV connections. Maybe a fish cleaning station if you are near the water...but if there is one at the water then skip it.

I am fine with gravel, 30 amp, a basic picnic table, no fire pit (where it's warm) & no internet and no pool. I don't want to find a shattered windshield in my toad from a tree branch again, so deal with the trees! But, $45-$60 a night for a walk to the gulf...yeah, sign me up!

In my opinion, you are getting way to much feedback from those that are not on an adventure, but are looking for a place to live for a while. I mean, streaming media capable internet? Really?

I would pay extra for a no kids area!

Isaac-1 · 08-25-2018, 12:52 AM

Vectraguy, I will agree with part of what you said, though when it comes to showers and restrooms, while personally I am like you and never use them, they are often the first thing that gets mentioned on most rv park reviews, so if you want a good rating you need them and need them to be clean and modern looking.

On the green hair thing, it is not chlorine it is the cheap copper based algaecides that many pool operators use that turns the hair green.

As to the internet, it is needed more and more all the time, that is why I bring my own using a cell provider mifi device.

medinabob · 08-26-2018, 03:09 PM

There are several things to keep in mind building a new RV Park. The most important things to me are: Is the RV site level both lengthwise and sideways. The second thing to me is not put trees blocking a southern view to Satiellite TV operations. Have good electrical power and water pressure. As stated before, have sewer connections that reach the various types of RVs of today.

This is what I consider to be my most concerns in entering RV parks.

Trtomraub · 08-26-2018, 03:14 PM

We are older with a class a. We use campground as a base to explore area from. Amenities like pool, playgrounds are of no interest. One of our favorite campgrounds is an adult only in Maine. Very quiet.
A pet peeve is campsites that slope down to the rear causing your wheels to be raised to level RV. Most class a have emergency brake on rear wheels or drivetrain. I want those wheels solid on the ground. Incidentally,I always check wheel regardless.