I quit going to KOAs because if you have to cancel they will happily take you down payment and even if they rent the space you won't get your money back. It happened to me twice, one we broke down and I gave them 2 days notice, and once a full month and and they said I never called them, even when I gave them the name of the person I'd spoken to. "Oh she doesn't work here any more so your screwed. If a KOA was the last place with a space, I will park elsewhere.
On the whole, I don't care for KOA's. Some KOA's we've stayed at have figured out how to do it right and I have enjoyed those places. Some of them don't have any business using the name. KOA's are often overpriced for what you get. If you're looking for peace and quiet, then KOA isn't usually the place for you. I'm a mom and a grandma several times over and I love well-behaved kids, but sometimes things just get out of control at a family-oriented park. The last KOA I was in, I went to the swimming pool once and after a solid half hour of "MARCO....POLO....MARCO....POLO...." being shrieked at the top of the kids' lungs and constant cannonballs into the pool, I concluded that I wouldn't be swimming this time around. Also, I don't like pools that allow babies in swim diapers (I don't care WHAT they call those things, but they are essentially just diapers and stuff leaks out that I don't want to swim in). There's a good reason why most hotels and cruise ships don't allow babies in swim diapers into the pools.... e coli contamination.
I debated to add my thoughts on this one, but decided if the posting has been here for 7 years and still getting action, I might as well chime in. We travel with our Airstream TT a lot, both for business & pleasure, often combined. On the whole, we have been very pleased with the KOAs we have visited. Most memorable are Bismark ND - where the owner cooks up fabulous BBQ on weekends. Even the townspeople come to eat there. Sites are separated by lilac bushes; they were in full bloom in June. Gorgeous. Buena Vista Colorado - with the 14000+ foot Collegiate Range as a backdrop and the most moving 4th of July tribute I have ever witnessed. Las Vegas was another good one, for its facilities & proximity to all the action, even if it was basically a parking lot. It worked for what we wanted it to do. Usually we just do KOAs for an overnight; 2 max. If we have been on the road and looking for a "working" campground (where we can clean house, do laundry, etc) we go to a KOA. But we know there are usually lots of kids, and they are usually close to interstates (the campground, not the kids So if we want a quiet, relaxing stay - we will usually go elsewhere. But when we need a quick stop to stay for a night or two, KOA is well worth it for us.
When we began camping KOA was our first choice because of the bathrooms and hot shower. We used a teardrop and tent and these items were important. We now use a motor home and have found that most KOA's are over priced and have that many private campgrounds or Walmart's..offer the same features.
QUOTE(bjazz66 @ Oct 24 2011, 08:44 AM) [snapback]27997[/snapback] When we began camping KOA was our first choice because of the bathrooms and hot shower. We used a teardrop and tent and these items were important. We now use a motor home and have found that most KOA's are over priced and have that many private campgrounds or Walmart's..offer the same features. We know KOA's with >$ 100 sites, what is ridiculous. The KOA Las Vegas is a parking lot with FHU for $ 90! For 1/4 of this cost you can "park" one's MH on Main Street Station. KOA West Yellowstone offers luxury but the pool (covered) is crowded with screaming kids! What is "free", is the stunning mountain view. Another example: the easy to approach KOA Barstow. Very expensive, but there is simply no alternative. Most KOA's are best for families with teenagers or smaller childern, not for eldery MH travelers, who only look for a spacy quiet site and a place to relax and don't need the showers.
After reading the comments about KOA's I think many RVers have very high standards. Before our 5th wheel my wife and I did a lot of motorcycle camping traveling the country. Our first choice would be a state park but usually stayed in a campground along the route. KOA is on average better than a lot of private places we have stayed at. I realize there are many private cgs that are fantastic but the quality runs the whole spectrum. At least with KOA you have some sort of standard. My peeve about KOA is it is usually right next to a major highway and when you sleep in a tent, it is noisy.
QUOTE(browne07 @ Nov 14 2011, 12:26 PM) [snapback]28174[/snapback] My peeve about KOA is it is usually right next to a major highway and when you sleep in a tent, it is noisy. This is true; however, the other side of that is because KOA's are usually along major highways it is easy to get off and back on the road quickly for just an an overnight stay.
I have been RVing for ten years with over 50k on the road. We started out at KOA's because we got a discount card, but after traveling for awhile we discovered that they are older, more expensive, and not as nice as the independent campgrounds that are newer, and cheaper. The best bet is to get a Passport America subscription and use that. You will have access to some 1600 campgrounds around the US (and growing) that offer a discount for various lengths of stay and time of year. Sometimes if you call them up and ask, they will honor the 50% off rate even if it is out of season. These days they don't want revenue to "drive on by!" Hope that helps!
Having been full timers now for almost 7 months, I have seen the differences in the KOA's - although I will admit we haven't stayed at one in years. We still drive through from time to time to see "what we're missing" and sometimes, we're not the ones missing anything. I truly wish more people would use (actually post their own reviews) on the RVParkReview.com website...I go there EVERY TIME I look at a campground. 90% of the time, using the "average" reviews is so very helpful. BUT, I think too, that reviews are based on personal preference. We're pretty simple people so some of the extras are not nearly as important as a quiet, safe location. Still, totally run down places with wild dogs and owners who don't care certainly are rated as such and we've crossed out places we thought we were going to stay at and ended up not because of the reviews of great people - LIKE YOU! OK, that's all from me. For now. From Tyler, TX (for a couple days), Corinne Logan
We've stayed at a few KOAs some are better than others, like anything else. I guess personal preference has a little to do with it as well. They are independently owned so they can hike up prices to unreasonable costs on a whim. I recently experienced it at a KOA in TX, they charged :$15.00 per child over age of 3. Lot's of them have been around for a while and what you see on their website is not exactly what you get when you arrive. Play it safe do you investigations first. This is just about the best site I've found for somewhat honest reviews.
We just finished a trip where the last leg went through Utah and Colorado and we stayed in KOA's twice in a row. Both times they charged $4.00/child. I know I should have done my homework before planning on staying there, so I don't blame the park completely, but I still felt "burned" a bit because I selected these parks partly on price. One time, the advertized price was $35.00 to stay there, but with the fees for our two kids and additional fee for pull through site (they didn't have any back-in sites) the price came to $51.00, the next time, same thing, price advertized was $32.00, but after additional fees, it came to $47.00. I know it's been discussed before, but I really wish they wouldn't charge for additional people unless the count goes over 4 (assuming two adults and two kids). The KOA parks themselves were very clean, well organized and the staff was friendly, so no other complaints.
For us KOA is usually good for an overnight or two but that's about it. We have stayed at a few we wish we hadn't and a few we were glad we did. Basically, prices are a bit higher than other close by parksand the amenities are not much different. We stayed at the East Glacier/St. Mary KOA a few years back and the location was great, the park was just a jumping off point for viditing Glacier NP. We will use a KOA if we have to but prefer not to simply because the norm for a KOA is to pack as many sites into the available area as possible and then charge as much as they can for it.
For my family, we have stayed at several KOAs. They are definetly priced higher than other non-chain campgrounds for the same amenities. The difference in KOAs can be staggering with some being run-down and some being worth the price paid. I do not like how they charge for kids over 3. What I do like about the KOAs I have stayed at is that the seasonals were all pushed to a corner of the campground and sites nearest the activites were for the transient campers. Overall, I will stay at a KOA if is convenient for my travel plans and the reviews on this website are decent.
I have stayed in only 3 KOA's. We prefer national forest or certain state parks. That said, we stayed in: 1) Artesia, New Mexico. It was very well kept, they were very friendly, the bathrooms were super clean. The only issue I had was not their fault, it was that there was methane gas from drilling in the area, that made me nauseous. 2) Lake Park, GA. They are really nice, too. It is in pretty decent shape. There is a big recreation area to sit in if you wish, and a restaurant and pool hall/bar. People are nice. The owners are very accomodating. 3) We visited but were rebuffed and extremely badly treated at the Cartersville KOA in Cartersville, GA north of Atlanta. We couldn't stay. The owner has bad reviews all over the web anyway, including two from perfectly reasonable sounding people who were escorted out by police the owner called (one for apparently letting his dog off the leash the day before?). The owner is indeed terrifying rude and angry, and probably has a personality disorder of some kind. If you make a wrong turn in your car, he will chase you down and yell at you. The park isn't too popular, probably because he's so difficult and rigid.
We usually don't stay at KOA's for the main reason expressed: Price. We have also found the great variations in the parks. However, this past spring we found a great KOA: San Diego CA. It actually is in Chula Vista, south of downtown San Diego, but the park is great. A piece of the country in the middle of the city. We stayed there for six weeks, and enjoyed every one of them. The cost came to $31/night, based on the monthly rate. We drove by the one between Williams AZ and the Grand Canyon and decided that is not where we wanted to stay. So it varies. Check out this website for reviews, and talk with other RVers. I have found that doing some research will help you find the right place to stay, KOA or not.
Traveling through Idaho for the first time in my Motorhome I needed to find an RV dump, propane, water and garbage facility. I had recently become a member of KOA a couple weeks earlier in Wendover NV. I took advantage of my new membership and now being part of the KOA family stopped by the POCATELLO KOA to take care of some needed business with the facilities. Went into office and walked up to counter. People were in the back and one (a male) came out to great me. I explained I needed to use the facilities (as mentioned above). He said I could but not the water. "Not the water?" I asked. "your not staying here are you?" was his question. "No, just passing through" I replied. "Water is not available". I told him I was a member of KOA and he said and I quote "I DON'T CARE". I said "You don't care?" No was his reply. I said "Okay, have a nice day" and I left. I went up the highway on I-15N to the Snake River RV Park and they took care of all my needs and charged $6.00 for the dump and free water. I never mentioned to them what just happened at KOA. I wound up spending $66.00 at the Snake River RV Park. I have been Rving for 17 years and never was turned down for any service from anywhere. I guess there is a first time for everything. If you are passing through and need a full service dump facility I would pass up POCATELLO KOA.
Jeff, I have a question or two. First, does the KOA membership allow you to use the facilities at any KOA free of charge even if you are not staying there? Would you have been able to use the KOA facilities and water if you had paid a fee there like you did at Snake River? There have been a few times when we have gone to an RV park and asked if we could use their facilities to dump our tanks. In every case we were charged a fee to do so.
Jeff - This was your first post. I have not stayed at the KOA you talked about but in my humble opinion you are being too hard on them. Did they have a local water shortage. Was the person you talked to supposed to tell you what he did and he did not make the rules? I also belong to the KOA club. I would not presume that I had the right to stop by and use the facilities at a KOA without staying there.
QUOTE(Texasrvers @ Aug 9 2012, 08:55 PM) [snapback]30466[/snapback] Jeff, I have a question or two. First, does the KOA membership allow you to use the facilities at any KOA free of charge even if you are not staying there? Would you have been able to use the KOA facilities and water if you had paid a fee there like you did at Snake River? There have been a few times when we have gone to an RV park and asked if we could use their facilities to dump our tanks. In every case we were charged a fee to do so. I guess I should have been more clear in my post. Price was never discussed. It was implied that I would pay for it since I have never gotten or expected to get free service anywhere except a rest stop. I'm 100% certain he understood I was to pay for services since I was buying propane as well. My notifying I had a memebership came up at dead last when he made it clear I was not to get water. I just can't imagine him thinking I was asking for free service. I walked in and said hello I'm going to need a RV Dump,, propane, I 've got some garbage to throw out and water to fill. I have asked for these services like this for 17 years and they always simply pointed out where and how much. Never has anyone thought I was asking for free services. Again the membership conversation came at the end when he made it clear I was not getting water "unless" I was staying there. I thought by mentioning the membership he might realize I'm part of the KOA family and not be so strict about not getting water. My honest impression was he did not want to accomodate someone passing through and wanted me to stay there to use the facilities. I saw it no other way. Jeff J.
