This has been a most interesting topic and, obviously, there are many, many different opinions and thoughts on wi-fi. But, in my simple mind, it basically boils down to this: 1. Any park can have good, strong wi-fi throughout the park with the proper investment, equipment, and technology. 2. While I am sorry for some of the "mom and pop" campgrounds that can't seem to be able to afford good wi-fi, I must say: If you can't provide what your campers need, even if you have to raise your rates, then you need to get out of the business. 3. I have talked to campground owners who bemoan the fact that they can't afford "first class" wi-fi but, yet, just down the street from them is a good, clean motel, offering free wi-fi in all rooms, and advertising room rates only $10 to $15. per night more than I am paying to park on a concrete slab. What's wrong with this picture? 4. Wi-fi is becoming indispensable to many folks. Can you imagine a campground owner saying "I'm sorry we don't have showers" or "I'm sorry we don't have power hookups" or "Im sorry we don't have a bathroom" or on and on and on. The bottom line is this: If you expect to be in the RV Park or Campground Business in the coming years, you had better make the investment to offer the services that most people want. How many lost customers does it take to pay for a wi-fi unit? I don't know, but simple math tells me that if you have only 100 people not fill your $40 spaces during a one year period because you don't have good wi-fi, that's $4,000 you've lost. If the number is 200, you've lost $8,000. And for those campground and RV Park owners who think they'll contract with a private provider and charge an exorbitant fee to their customers, then you are in for a rude awakening when you look at your bottom line on an annualized basis. I sincerely believe people hate wi-fi ripoffs more than they hate no wi-fi at all. Just my opinion, of course.
I agree. We are going to go 2 steps further and begin offering "Free" health care and "Free" veterinary care for all of our visitors along with "Free" Wifi. If a politician can convince anyone that they can provide "Free" health care for everyone, then I can surely provide "Free" Wifi. I will be working on providing "Free" campsites as soon as I can figure out how to work in all of our existing discount programs. Gosh! You just gotta love it! What a country!
Hi Parkview, Where I live I pay nothing for my medical care. Prescription costs for those on the "approved" list are $15.00 maximum cost--and the pharmacist will provide a 4 month supply. Pet care is expensive though! And most of our campgrounds don't have discount programs. QUOTE(Parkview @ Oct 19 2007, 05:56 PM) [snapback]8742[/snapback] I agree. We are going to go 2 steps further and begin offering "Free" health care and "Free" veterinary care for all of our visitors along with "Free" Wifi. If a politician can convince anyone that they can provide "Free" health care for everyone, then I can surely provide "Free" Wifi. I will be working on providing "Free" campsites as soon as I can figure out how to work in all of our existing discount programs. Gosh! You just gotta love it! What a country!
QUOTE Where I live I pay nothing for my medical care. Prescription costs for those on the "approved" list are $15.00 maximum cost--and the pharmacist will provide a 4 month supply. Do the Doctors, nurses, lab tecs, administrators, janitors, orderlys, ETC all work for nothing? Probably not I would suspect. The "Free" healthcare usually means somebody else is paying and that somebody else is usually the taxpayers which would be me and you.
Hi Lindsay, Of course I pay tax--but I get the same service from health care as a millionaire does. The point I was trying to make is that wifi, in my opinion, should be "free" as in "covered by the site rental", just as electrical service is. Parkland doesn't agree. That's fine, and fortunately he can run his park "his way" (And it looks like an excellent place to stay btw) But his reply bothered me a bit. Universal Medicare can and does work, and not just in Canada. I do apologize for possibly upsetting anyone here--but I hope you understand why. I sincerely hope I never need health care and I'll extend that wish to everyone on this forum. Best wishes, Pianotuna QUOTE(Lindsay Richards @ Oct 20 2007, 08:03 AM) [snapback]8746[/snapback] QUOTE Where I live I pay nothing for my medical care. Prescription costs for those on the "approved" list are $15.00 maximum cost--and the pharmacist will provide a 4 month supply. Do the Doctors, nurses, lab tecs, administrators, janitors, orderlys, ETC all work for nothing? Probably not I would suspect. The "Free" healthcare usually means somebody else is paying and that somebody else is usually the taxpayers which would be me and you.
PianoTuna: I understood your point quite clearly, and I agree with you. I don't use the pool at an RV park, but yet I have to pay for it in my site fee; I don't use the restrooms at an RV park but yet I have to pay for these in the site fee; and I don't use the fire ring at an RV park, but I also have to pay for this as part of my site fee. I do frequently use the wi-fi and I am not happy with having to pay for things I don't use; while having to pay extra for things I do use (such as wi-fi), or having to settle for a second rate wi-fi system. We meet more and more people on the road who simply will not stay at a park that doesn't have good, dependable, free wi-fi.
This year we have traveled some 9000 miles. Our travels took us from Florida along the Texas Gulf coast, up through Vegas, And up to Utah where we spent 4 months in several different locations. On the way back to Florida we visited Pikes Peak , Chicago, Kentucky Lake and several points in Florida. We had very good free WiFi in most of the places we stopped and some were the best we have ever used. Park operators are getting the message. We always make it a point to complement them on the service. As full timers we consider WiFi , if not a necessity, a big convenience.
1. What are the top problems you experience with wireless internet systems in RV resorts (i.e. low signal, poor support, too expensive, etc.). 2. Is WiFi a deciding factor when choosing to stay at a park? The biggest problem that I see is lack of knowledge on the part of the park personnel. They ain't got a clue. No training. The information that is provided to the customer is nothing. you have no idea what to expect when you log in. What the screen will look like or what you need to do to get logged on. I was staying in a KOA in Tennessee. The main reason that I stopped there was because of the wifi. After I checked in, I wanted to buy some wifi time only to be told that their wifi was down and that they couldn't get the provider to come out to fix it. The almost could not tell me where the equipment was. I told them if they would allow me that I could probably fix it. Took me about 45 minutes to reboot the modem, the server and the other stuff that they had there. I got a signal and it was very weak. THEN I found out that they had a repeater in the center of the park. We went down to look at it and found out it was unplugged. No power. Plugged it in went back to my trailer and shazam WIFI. What I don't understand is how someone is supposed to provide a pay service to their customers where they are so inept that they can't find out the plug has been pulled. Oh, and on check out the next morning, I got a free cup of coffee and a freezer burned biscuit and sausage.
QUOTE What I don't understand is how someone is supposed to provide a pay service to their customers where they are so inept that they can't find out the plug has been pulled They must have thought it was wireless too.
QUOTE ... a few questions for you... 1. What are the top problems you experience with wireless internet systems in RV resorts (i.e. low signal, poor support, too expensive, etc.). 2. Is WiFi a deciding factor when choosing to stay at a park? 3. Would roaming agreements with truckstops be helpful? We have only been doing RV resorts for about a year but we have had good luck so far and would like to know how to make the service better. The problems run the gammit of what you suggest. Poor signal strength is sometimes a problem (especially where 'free' and 'paid' services compete at the same location.... hmmmm?). Poor support is evident in the sense that the campground theoretically has WIFI (or some sort of Internet access) but no one who works there has any idea how to access it. And finally, yes, the per day cost of paid services is usually too much to rationalize for the momentary access that I usually need. Aside from that, it is hard for me to resist a campground with _free_ WIFI (KOA has figured this out to some extent). I'm not really sure what you mean by "roaming agreements with truckstops". It seems to me that they usually feature nationally syndicated WIFI providers -- that is, a pain, I mean, _paying_ proposition. The best way to make it better is to make access cheaper (...or free) to the campground user. It only takes some imagination to make this happen. I _have_ used memberships for short periods of time but that tended to tie me into one campground chain so I didn't really like the way that was working out. There are providers that allow one month memberships that are really cheap but, for campers, you need access regardless of who the provider is (and thus, where you are camping). I assume that if one provider could make it economically painless for the campground user, then all providers would feel the need to follow suit. I realize it won't really be _free_ (nothing is) but what I'm talking about is coming up with schemes convincing somebody _else_ that it is in their best interest to do the 'heavy lifting'.
I do not disagree with any of you that wifi should be provided and included in the camping rate. I will do so as sonn as it is possible for me to do so. I expect to have DSL service provided to the park from the phone CO-OP sometime in the next year or so (at least that is what they tell me), and when that happens we will include wifi as an included amenity. Until then, we are stuck with a satellite based provider that charges users based on their usage agreement, daily, 3-day, weekly, monthly, or 6-month. I use them because they provide installation, maintenance, tech support, and a 24 hour toll free help line for customers. My only point in this forum is that it is not always possible to provide it "Free" in some rural areas of the country. Believe me, if it is good for business, I will do it it as soon as I can. We want your business. Duh! Doug
Parkview, This posting will surely start some hate and discontent. We personally do not need wifi and some other amenities that are bundled into the daily site fee. Namely a playground, kids activities, a pool, and feel that we should not have to pay for someone elses fun. Overnight traveling guest do not need anything more than electric, water and sewer. They are in & out-gone. What did people do before cell phones and wifi ???
Hi Butch, Thank you in advance for taking some of the heat off of me. I repeat; there is no such thing as "Free" wifi. The only question is "Who is going to pay for it?" There are only 3 options: (1) The park will pay for it; (2) The users will pay for it; or (3) Everyone will pay for it, including those who don't use it. The concensus at least on this website seems to be let everyone pay for it whether they use it or not. I only want to provide what customers want. As I stated on another topic on this site, different people have different expectations. Now, do you want my bullet proof vest. Just kidding folks - Doug PS Everyone: When I performed a spell check prior to posting this comment, the suggested spelling for Wifi came back Wife. I think the same 3 options would still apply.
Ok, I'll jump in again. Butch, I agree with you somewhat. I think the trend is for parks to offer more rather than less amenities because that is what most RVers want. We personally do not need most of the amenities you mentioned either. We, too, pay for a lot of fun that we don't use. So I think there is a need for bare bones parks for overnight stays or longer. I would like to see more of them. However, here is where I think we disagree. If a park does offer numerous amenities I think they should be built in to one set price and not be a pick and choose menu. The price of these parks will probably be (and should be) higher because they have these amenities. If someone doesn't want to pay that price because they will not be using all the amenities, then that is their choice. They can search out one of the no frills parks and probably pay less. There is nothing wrong with that. Furthermore, if customers can pay for some amenities and not others, how will CG owners ever keep track of who has paid for what. And inevitably some people would not pay (the pool for example) and then sneak in. What a nightmare! So for now I still choose to stay at parks with amenities so that I can get the few that I do want without a lot of hassle.
Hi Butch, Well is there even a need for water/sewer? For that matter if one is only overnighting do you need electric unless it is *super* hot, or *super* cold? No hate or discontent from me! I often boondock, but I look for wifi "in the wild" when I do. Before cell phones I used a pay phone. It was not terribly convenient especially during poor weather conditions. Now they are hard to find. QUOTE(Butch @ Oct 28 2007, 03:48 PM) [snapback]8891[/snapback] Parkview, This posting will surely start some hate and discontent. We personally do not need wifi and some other amenities that are bundled into the daily site fee. Namely a playground, kids activities, a pool, and feel that we should not have to pay for someone elses fun. Overnight traveling guest do not need anything more than electric, water and sewer. They are in & out-gone. What did people do before cell phones and wifi ???
Parkview, Is that a good vest?? I knew when I posted my remarks that it would bring some opinions pro & con. After all this is "America" and we do have that right to voice our opinions. Being in the Campground/Park/resort business today has to be like walking a tight rope trying to please everyone as there are all kinds of wants and needs. This last summer, we stayed at a Cg in Maine that was under fairly new ownership, and during the course of conversation, the fact was related to us that when they had purchased this run down, dated establishment, they had spent over $60,000. to bring it up to standards. That figure does not reflect an all inclusive list of amenities either. Also this is not a large Cg, 60+ sites. Good luck Doug. pianotuna, No, I could get along without full hookup of water/electric/sewer. We are outfitted to be self contained, but the neighbors, if any, may not like the generator running. But we would not need any campground/park at this point. I think this is called "WalMart" overnight parking. Just a note that we have three local WalMarts and the local governments have banned all overnight Rv parking at each store. All are within a few miles of I-87 in the Clifton Park, Saratoga Springs area, and without any close by campground/park/resort in the area.
Hi Butch, I thought the big coaches all had batteries and usually inverters too! So why would the generator have to run? Is the lighting not 12 volt as well? *foncused look*. Getting back to topic, I suspect the campgrounds will follow what the hotels have done--almost all of them have either high speed hard wired, or wifi which is included in the price of the room. Wifi is just a lot cheaper to install hardware wise than running cables. QUOTE(Butch @ Oct 29 2007, 07:15 AM) [snapback]8904[/snapback] pianotuna, No, I could get along without full hookup of water/electric/sewer. We are outfitted to be self contained, but the neighbors, if any, may not like the generator running. But we would not need any campground/park at this point. I think this is called "WalMart" overnight parking. Just a note that we have three local WalMarts and the local governments have banned all overnight Rv parking at each store. All are within a few miles of I-87 in the Clifton Park, Saratoga Springs area, and without any close by campground/park/resort in the area.
This summer I worked in a campground that offered Wi-fi at only $1 a night. The campground had 75 sites and the main receiver was on the office and there were 5 repeaters in the park. Excellent Wi-fi. You know what? People still complained that it was too expensive! Every dollar paid to use the system went into a fund that was used for any future Wi-fi needs. I wish I could count the times I have paid $5 or more and got poor to no reception. As to the 24/7 suggestion, come on- would you like to be hauled out of bed at 2AM to fix a Wi-fi situation? And believe me, that WOULD happen. Even owners and office workers need a good nights sleep. We tend to pick campgrounds these days because they offer Wi-fi. and prefer to stay in the rig to use it. Sharpgenie
Having stayed in at least 50 parks that had WiFi, I can safely say that most of them did not have an adequate instruction sheet handout at check in. This could solve many problems. Several times, campground hosts didn’t even know the proper password. At least 4 or 5 times when I mentioned WiFi, they immediately reassigned our site so we could get reception. For some of us. WiFi is very important and I am under the impression that some campground owners don’t realize this. Having said this I can only believe that good WiFi reception is going to be a great amenity that will bring in additional business which is good for everybody and good for RV’ing in general. I have seen a big increase in WiFi in the last several years.
