QUOTE(Jurhee @ Jul 2 2008, 06:52 AM) [snapback]12145[/snapback] Of course, it makes "cents" and dollars, too. You can expect to pay $1.50 to $2.50 per foot (length of rig). I expect in some cases that park gets a cut of that. Many of the services do a poor job--in fact, sometimes it seems that the more they charge, the worse they do--partly because they are not doing it frequently so don't have the proper equipment and people do do it right. A lot of times you will get a better wash at a truck wash. You better believe they get a cut! I once stayed at a park outside Atlanta that made buying propane such trouble (if you had a motorhome). The park cut a deal with the gas company-"you don't bring your truck in here to service rvs, and we'll rent a huge tank from you, and sell the gas ourselves to rvers, adding our own tidy surcharge, of course". Except for paying higher rates, at least trailer owners could take their tanks to the office for a fill. If you had a mh, you disconnected everything, pulled up your jacks, battened everything down, then drove the rv to the fill tank, and waited for the help to show up and fill your tank. What I did, was let them pay for my electricity and used electric heaters! The management was okay with that too!! Amazing!
catman...I have never seen a propane company that would service a motorhome, unless you rented a bigger tank (125 gallons or more) from them and had it set up at your site. An RV park that dispenses propane has to have a mark up from the price they pay for the propane, or why should they do it?
I hope I'm understanding this discussion correctly. Catman is saying that propane trucks would come to the RV park to service RV's --that is fill their propane tanks at their individual site. (Then he goes on to explain how the park made a deal to get a cut.) Next Dancyn said he/she had never seen this type of service. If we are in fact talking about trucks coming to your RV site to fill your propane tank, I just wanted to say that we see this all the time. Some places have even given us the truck schedule when we checked in. Other times we have asked at the office if there is a service available. Many times there has been. The truck would pull up at your site and use a long hose to reach your tank. Granted we do have a class A with a larger tank, but it was still on board, not out back on the ground. I don't know if they will come to your site to fill small removable tanks, but I don't see why not. It just may cost more than it's worth.
Wow. I've been told that Propane trucks are "too powerful" to service the small tanks in an RV, and they can only do large (80 gallons and over) tanks. JJ
QUOTE(Texasrvers @ Jul 24 2008, 04:52 PM) [snapback]12422[/snapback] I hope I'm understanding this discussion correctly. Catman is saying that propane trucks would come to the RV park to service RV's --that is fill their propane tanks at their individual site. (Then he goes on to explain how the park made a deal to get a cut.) Next Dancyn said he/she had never seen this type of service. If we are in fact talking about trucks coming to your RV site to fill your propane tank, I just wanted to say that we see this all the time. Some places have even given us the truck schedule when we checked in. Other times we have asked at the office if there is a service available. Many times there has been. The truck would pull up at your site and use a long hose to reach your tank. Granted we do have a class A with a larger tank, but it was still on board, not out back on the ground. I don't know if they will come to your site to fill small removable tanks, but I don't see why not. It just may cost more than it's worth. There are many places where the truck will come service a motor home with a permanent (non-removable) tank at the site. On trailers and 5ers the tanks must be removed. I don't know if a truck will service them or if they have to be taken to the propane dealer. Some may fill them on site after the customer removes them. That may vary with the dealer.
QUOTE(Jurhee @ Jul 24 2008, 03:39 PM) [snapback]12428[/snapback] There are many places where the truck will come service a motor home with a permanent (non-removable) tank at the site. On trailers and 5ers the tanks must be removed. I don't know if a truck will service them or if they have to be taken to the propane dealer. Some may fill them on site after the customer removes them. That may vary with the dealer. That's what I thought. You can only get "Serviced" if you have a tank extender installed and you have a large tank. Those propane trucks, to my knowledge, cannot service small tanks in a motorhome. I fulltimed for about 8 months, and this went through the winter, and in the winter, every three days I had to unhook and go buy propane. That's the sucky part. JJ
QUOTE(DXSMac @ Jul 24 2008, 07:10 PM) [snapback]12432[/snapback] That's what I thought. You can only get "Serviced" if you have a tank extender installed and you have a large tank. Those propane trucks, to my knowledge, cannot service small tanks in a motorhome. I fulltimed for about 8 months, and this went through the winter, and in the winter, every three days I had to unhook and go buy propane. That's the sucky part. JJ That was your experience dsxmac- here in Carrabelle Florida, (as Jones RV park USED to do in North Atlanta) the propane truck delivers to motorhomes with fixed tanks. Trailers have to have their tanks removed from the trailer. Whatever, the whole point I was trying to make (and not hijack the thread)was that rv parks DO often get in bed with vendors in order to get a cut of the action-as in other folks with rv washing businesses. Geez, so many people want to correct me - "I've never seen it so it can't be true" Sheesh..
Sheesh, Catman, I didn't say it wasn't true. I said I had never seen a propane company that would do that. But I haven't been to Florida, either. dsxmac did have that experience.....at my resort. To have propane delivered to an individual site, the propane company will set a tank for the RV to be hooked to. They will not fill a motorhome onboard tank. If the guest chooses not to have a tank set, then they must bring the motorhome to our dispensing tank. That doesn't mean I cut a deal with the propane company. Sometimes my price is equal to or less than what the propane company charges the guests, depending on the "program" they sign up for with the gas company. We do pick up bottles from travel trailers and 5th wheels from the site and return them filled at no additional cost to the guest. We do this for the convenience of both of us. And to keep this on subject, we have a wash/wax service on site that gives no kick back to the resort at all. It's their little business, and it's good for my business.
QUOTE(dancyn @ Jul 27 2008, 02:13 AM) [snapback]12479[/snapback] Sheesh, Catman, I didn't say it wasn't true. I said I had never seen a propane company that would do that. But I haven't been to Florida, either. dsxmac did have that experience.....at my resort. To have propane delivered to an individual site, the propane company will set a tank for the RV to be hooked to. They will not fill a motorhome onboard tank. If the guest chooses not to have a tank set, then they must bring the motorhome to our dispensing tank. That doesn't mean I cut a deal with the propane company. Sometimes my price is equal to or less than what the propane company charges the guests, depending on the "program" they sign up for with the gas company. We do pick up bottles from travel trailers and 5th wheels from the site and return them filled at no additional cost to the guest. We do this for the convenience of both of us. And to keep this on subject, we have a wash/wax service on site that gives no kick back to the resort at all. It's their little business, and it's good for my business. Dancyn, I don't know where you are, but I would think that different states probably have different laws. In Texas and California, Propane trucks can come into an RV park and fill the motorhome tanks. In Texas, if the tank is removable, like in a trailer or 5er, it has to be removed from the rig. It depends on the service whether or not they will fill those on site. I know that some will. I don't know about the removable tanks in CA because we stay in Outdoor Resorts that only allows class A rigs. I have not payed attention in other places. Of course, the Resorts/parks that allow the trucks don't have the on-site tank such as you have. How about telling us where your park is located so we can come see you if we are in your area??
QUOTE(Jurhee @ Jul 27 2008, 01:23 AM) [snapback]12480[/snapback] I don't know about the removable tanks in CA because we stay in Outdoor Resorts that only allows class A rigs. I've heard of some parks having silly rules that your rig can't be more than X years old, but parks have rules that ONLY Class A's can come? What is up with that? JJ
There sure seems to be a lot of hostility towards RV park owners in these threads. Of course they are looking for opportunities to make additional income. Washing a rig does cost the park money and as someone pointed out creates a potential problem with mud and runoff with the neighbors. Also, some washing detergents can kill grass and landscaping. Allowing outside vendors to provide on site propane and other services adds another potential layer of liability to the campground. I frequently stay at a park that recently stopped selling propane due to the fact that the insurance costs were greater than the propane profits. This owner of this park told me that he would need to carry a propane gas rider on his policy if he allowed the local propane company to fill RVs on site. While it may be inconvenient to have to move the RV to fill the Propane tank or wash the rig, it would be more inconvenient to not have an RV park available due to the fact the owner couldn't make a profit. I also don't want the extra costs of a service or convenience I may or may not use hidden in the fees I pay for a site rental.
Yes, JJ, there are places that allow only Class A RVs. Outdoor Resorts is one of them. (Although the Outdoor Resort in Arkansas had 5ers. They still did not allow pop-ups, tents, etc., or even screen rooms. I'm not sure about travel trailers. I don't remember seeing one.) And many times the Class A must also be at least a certain length and not older than X years--usually 10. I guess they want to maintain a certain "look." We have a Class A, but we rarely stay at Class A only places. We usually find them to be too expensive. (However, we have really liked the 2 Outdoor Resorts we've stayed at. They were really beautiful and had first class facilities.) Back to the propane issue: Jurhee mentioned that there may be different rules for different states. That may be true, I do not know, but Nevada is another state that will allow trucks to fill tanks at the individual sites. Remember I am talking about a Class A. We have never owned anything else, and I wasn't aware that tanks had to be removed on other types of RVs to be filled. I assumed large 5th wheels and TT carried the same type of propane tanks as Class A's. Guess I learned something from all this. But I do know we have had our tank filled many times right at our site (mostly in Texas). I'm sure there are regulations that govern this, but not being in the propane business I only know about our own RV. But now, Dancyn, I'm curious about something you said. You said, "To have propane delivered to an individual site, the propane company will set a tank for the RV to be hooked to." You must mean this is done only for long term residents. Surely a propane company would not set a tank for a short term stay, like an overnight or even a week. Maybe this is a common practice in some parts of the country, but I don't recall seeing this type of set up here in Texas EXCEPT for very long term/permanent residents. Please explain how this works where you are. I want to expand my RV knowledge base.
TexasRVers, that makes sense. At the park where I once full-timed, the long term residents had an external tank, one of those huge 80 gallon ones, set along side their RV, and they had an "extender" installed. It kind of "split" the hose between the on board propane tank and the external. The trucks would deliver to THOSE sites. I asked about having a truck fill my small tank, and I was told that the truck delivery was "too powerful" for my small 10 gallon tank. However, the park I stayed at did have their own on site propane service, I just had to unhook and go get it. Also, this same park would deliver tanks to travel trailers if you set your empty one out.... JJ
Texasrvers.....yes, that refers to extended stay sites. We have 2 propane companies in the area that will set a tank at an extended stay site and then service it on a keep-filled basis. Motorhomes on an extended stay that choose not to have the tanks set, as dxsmac was, must bring the motorhome to the large resale tank by the office. A real pita for them.
QUOTE(DXSMac @ Apr 27 2008, 04:49 PM) [snapback]11365[/snapback] I'm glad SOMEONE asked that question, I haven't figured out the driver for that! However, I have sanitized my fresh water tank in parks that said "no washing" and nobody said boo..... This involved a lot of driving around the park to slosh the tank, then a lot of dumping and refilling and dumping....... Let's see.... we can split hairs with..... "I'm not washing, I'm rubbing spots off....." JJ I work camped for awhile in VA and was told that the "no washing" rule was a health code issue. Something about standing water and water run off. Im not certian if the owner was just pulling my leg or what. At that particular park they had a well...no city water out in the woods...and I think that was a big part of it also. Some folks will just let a running water hose pour gallons and gallons on to the ground as they wash. The owners are usually a lot more understanding if you are using a bucket instead of just wasting water.
QUOTE(hypogi @ Aug 2 2008, 07:23 PM) [snapback]12573[/snapback] I work camped for awhile in VA and was told that the "no washing" rule was a health code issue. Something about standing water and water run off. Im not certian if the owner was just pulling my leg or what. At that particular park they had a well...no city water out in the woods...and I think that was a big part of it also. Some folks will just let a running water hose pour gallons and gallons on to the ground as they wash. The owners are usually a lot more understanding if you are using a bucket instead of just wasting water. I agree---A lot of people will just waste the water and make a mess because it does not cost them anything and they don't have to clean up the mess. If we are in a park and allowed to wash the rig, DH wets a section, uses a bucket and brush, then rinses that area and goes to the next. Really does not use that much water, and does not make a mess.
QUOTE(DXSMac @ Jul 27 2008, 04:27 PM) [snapback]12489[/snapback] TexasRVers, that makes sense. At the park where I once full-timed, the long term residents had an external tank, one of those huge 80 gallon ones, set along side their RV, and they had an "extender" installed. It kind of "split" the hose between the on board propane tank and the external. The trucks would deliver to THOSE sites. I asked about having a truck fill my small tank, and I was told that the truck delivery was "too powerful" for my small 10 gallon tank. However, the park I stayed at did have their own on site propane service, I just had to unhook and go get it. Also, this same park would deliver tanks to travel trailers if you set your empty one out.... JJ At one of the parks we stay at in Zephyrhills FL, you can have a gas co. come fill you RV tank, or you can take you removable tank to a spot by the gate and have the RV park personnel fill them there. Your choice. They also let you wash your coach. When I'm at parks that don't let you wash, I use that blue stuff from CW that you add a capfull/gal of (I use distilled water from WM) water, and then wipe of the coach w/ a big cotton bath towel. Robbie
QUOTE(Jurhee @ Aug 2 2008, 10:07 PM) [snapback]12578[/snapback] I agree---A lot of people will just waste the water and make a mess because it does not cost them anything and they don't have to clean up the mess. If we are in a park and allowed to wash the rig, DH wets a section, uses a bucket and brush, then rinses that area and goes to the next. Really does not use that much water, and does not make a mess. Its really unfortunate how some people will ruin it for the rest of us. The real problem I think most people have is that they arent able to see things from the park owners eyes. It may not bother you to leave the water running but if you had to listen to the next guy complain about how soggy his site is or have to pay the monthly water bill then it becomes a different story
