I'm about to acquire a rather large piece of property in a part of the Atlantic Provinces (Canada) that, while beautiful, offers little or no facilities for RV users. I'm considering developing the land as an RV park and would very much like to draw on the expertise of you RVers (and other campers) for advice as to what -- in your opinion -- makes for the "perfect" park. Break it down (if you want) into the 3 "best" and the 3 "worst" things about the parks you've travelled to. And as I hope to attract other campers as well, this invitation is open to you guys with camper trailers and tents. I'm starting with a clean slate here so any information or advice you can offer would be most appreciated. Many thanks!!! FRED
Hi, Here are my thoughts. The Good: widely spaced sites with concrete pads and grass with lots of trees and asphalt roadways a nice firepit/cooking grill with a picnic table free wifi and free cable tv The bad: dirty washrooms/showers/laundry facilities coin operated showers--it burns me that I paid a fee--and have to add to the fee--better to have a slightly higher fee to start with. ill mannered staff.
Here are some threads on this subject: https://www.campgroundreviews.com/invboard/inde...pic=152&hl= https://www.campgroundreviews.com/invboard/inde...pic=822&hl= https://www.campgroundreviews.com/invboard/inde...pic=621&hl= https://www.campgroundreviews.com/invboard/inde...pic=635&hl= https://www.campgroundreviews.com/invboard/inde...pic=989&hl=
This thread has been posted a couple of times in the past. You might want to look through those threads at some time also. Good 1. Wide roads for easy manuering of large rv's. 2. Level concrete pads for the rv with a medium to large area for picnic table and fire pit or grill. 3. seperate area at front of park for those spending one night that don't need a large site and wil not use amenities. 4. Kid and pet friendly areas such as pet runs and playgrounds. Bad 1. Trees or limbs in the wrong places for large rv's. 2. Dirty or small bathrooms and laundry areas 3. Staff that is inconsiderate or rude that attempt to enforce too many rules. Hope this helps you. Keep us updated with the progress of your park.
Thanks Cheryl for finding the threads. I did not know how to post them. I wonder if we will hear from him again.
Good: Separate tenting area that is heavily forested and provides lots of shade. Entire campground far enough away from main road to eliminate traffic noise. Place pool, store and activities area in center of campground so it is easy to get to from anywhere in the park. Bad: Separate changing and showering areas. Have a shower area where the changing area is as private as the showering area and where you don't have to worry about your clothes and shoes getting "sprayed" from the shower...i.e., a heavy shower curtain or shower door and recessed floor into the shower so as to keep water coming into the changing area. Extremely overpriced items at your store (if you're going to have one). Unkept grounds and restrooms.
One thing not mentioned yet is the radius of the curves. My wife and I stayed at a small park in TN where the roads and curves were designed to accommodate the largest trailers. There were no tire marks on the grass and it was simple to back in and park. At the time we had a 30ft 5th Wheel. I to hate rude service people. My wife calls me a curmudgeon as I have no problem bring their rudeness to their attention.
Fred, I agree with the other posts. You also need to travel down to Kerrville, TX and look at "Buckhorn Lake Resort". This place got it all right on the first pass. No tent sites but you could add a place for them. The large wide roads, wide turns, wide & long pads with patio's are great. Lots of space from site to site. All hookup's are in correct place. We see sewer out near street, water in mid point, power 30 feet in rear of site all the time. Each time we see this lay out we know that people have never been in RV life. Also sites that have hookup's on left side so class A units can pull in to face a river or water is nice to have. A good WiFi system to cover the park and free is better, add it into the rates. On site phone service and cable TV are nice to have items. Did we talk about maid service?
Fred> First and foremost is accessibility. I won't stay in a CG where tree limbs scrape the rig either on the way in or out. If it happens on the way in, I leave. If on the way out, I complain to the staff. I also want roads that accomandate the largest of rigs. 1- Full hook ups with clean water and excellent, stable 30/50A voltage. 2- Covered picnic tables. Clean bath houses. 3- I much prefer my satellite capability, but for those who don’t have that, cable is a must. 4- Ample parking space for the tow vehicle. 5- Wi-Fi preferable, but if not, enough convenient dial-up connections where waiting to use one is kept to a minimum. 6- LEVEL, I say again, LEVEL pads. 7- Concrete pads are nice, but if that amenity were at the expense of trees, I’d prefer a grass or gravel site. Rving is enjoyed more when we are a part of nature. Otherwise, I’d just rent a condo. 8- Pull thru sites. Everyone wants their own 10 acre site, but in a commercial park, you can’t make money doing that. A compromise is to have PTs that are semi-circular in shape and arranged in a concentric circle. In this manner, all rigs are nose to tail providing the most privacy and space for awnings, chairs, etc. I live on acreage. When I decided to built several pads for RV friends who visit, I took much of my own advise. Everyone can enjoy their stay with privacy. They, however, don't get me to pay for cable. Rick
rick, looks like you have it figured out. if you open a park i'll come visit. you about covered everything. how bout free fire wood? :blink: i like the part about saving some of the landscape.
After returning from a three month trip last August I posted (on another site) what I wanted in a park. I really got called on the carpet for some of my comments. Guess I just didn't word it right but everyone above has the same idea. Buckhorn Lake north of Kerrville, TX (which is about 150 miles from us) is just about our favorite (except for one up in Washington state). They have it right. Something that I don't recall mentioned earlier is plan the sites on an angle. When we are planning a trip the first thing that turns me off is side by side hookups. Another is not having WiFi, or at least offering it. WiFi is here to stay. Really what we all want is dollar for dollar parks. If I pay $20 I don't expect alot, but if it is $35 and up we expect more.
After the park is built and up and running, please include in your operation, escort the guest to his/her campsite. Like someone has already said, customer service is very important. There is no room for discourteous, unfriendly, and or non-accommodating staff and or owners. One other amenity that is used by some campgrounds, is the daily newspaper delivered to your site. This customer service is a point that will impress your guest, and they will become repeat customers. Just a few ideas to consider.
I don't see any sign of Fred so maybe we are talking amongst ourselves Willow Tree Resort in Longs SC just outside of Myrtle Beach is being cited by many as their idea of a model park. Kate
What about a great place to take your pets. I'll bet most everyone travels with their 4 legged children. Take a look at www.stocktondeltakoa.com. This is what I would look for in an RV park and they don't even charge a fee for your animals but provide a great place for them. We never travel anywhere without our 2 labs. Of course all the stuff mentioned in the other post's for the human's is good too. Just my opinion,
We camp in a 28" travel trailer and most of the time we use our own facilities inside our camper but when we had our pop-up camper it was veray important for the bathrooms to be great. We came across a GREAT one at Camping on the Gulf in Destin, FL. The facilities were great for someone with children. You go into 1 room, has a door that locks, has toilet and large standup shower in each room. Like I said for people with children, I would think this is a plus to be able to get the kids cleaned up and not have to worry about them running everywhere. We also like a some space between sites. We do take into consideration that this is a campground and they are making a living out of having the most sites for the space. And a space for a tow or pull vehicle along with your camper is a must. Our camper can run on 30amp but we prefer 50amp and we will normally pay a few dollars extra to get that extra power. We do not have satelite so we do prefer places that offer cable. I realize we are camping but if you were on vacation at a hotel, you would expect cable. Lots of shade is nice too. Don't cut down all the trees, just make sure that people can let out heir awnings and the slide outs. Firerings are also great. One of the great things about camping, is sitting around the fire and toasting marshmellows, hot dogs and enjoying family time.
Kate I was thinking the same thing, Fred-where are you??? Maybe he is over-whelmed. Kate your guess is as good as anyones', but I don't think you are alone.
QUOTE(FRED STAPLEY @ Apr 7 2007, 07:14 AM) [snapback]6728[/snapback] I'm about to acquire a rather large piece of property in a part of the Atlantic Provinces (Canada) that, while beautiful, offers little or no facilities for RV users. I'm considering developing the land as an RV park and would very much like to draw on the expertise of you RVers (and other campers) for advice as to what -- in your opinion -- makes for the "perfect" park. Break it down (if you want) into the 3 "best" and the 3 "worst" things about the parks you've travelled to. And as I hope to attract other campers as well, this invitation is open to you guys with camper trailers and tents. I'm starting with a clean slate here so any information or advice you can offer would be most appreciated. Many thanks!!! FRED
I am new here and have enjoyed reading many of the park reviews and decided to post. My thoughts on what would make a good park/ campground 1. Large level spacious sites that offer some type of privacy between sites, with utilities that are user friendly and located by easy access. 2. Clean well maintained facilities such as restrooms, showers, laundry, pool 3. Free showers 4. Well stocked store 5. Good friendly customer service from the beginning to the end 6. Kid friendly with activities 7. little amminities such as free coffee in the am or breakfast at a modest charge 8. Dog friendly!! It would be great if there was a staffed kennel area that dogs could be left and cared for at a slight fee while owners go out and site see
