OPINION
Private campground owners from around the country have descended on Orlando, Florida, for a fortnight of the year’s biggest annual conventions, hosted by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) last week and Kampgrounds of America (KOA) this week. But while the subject most prominently on ARVC’s agenda was electric vehicles (EVs) and how they “are poised to be a major factor in the future of outdoor hospitality,” the elephant outside the room was resolutely ignored—even as it quite literally hammered on the door to be recognized.
Going into its meeting, ARVC had just been provided by Hurricane Ian with an object lesson on how a rapidly changing climate is upending the industry’s traditional business practices. Several dozen Florida campgrounds had been shut down by Ian’s rampage, some permanently. Surely even as hidebound an organization as ARVC would take notice of a growing existential threat to its members, not just in Florida but throughout a country battered by extreme drought, flooding and wildfires? How to deal with the soaring cost and unavailability of property insurance, best practices in fire- or flood-prone areas, how to determine when it no longer makes sense to rebuild—all these and a host of other pressing topics could and should have made it into ARVC’s program.
But no. They did not. Instead, as Tropical Storm (and briefly Hurricane) Nicole battered the Atlantic coastline, canceled all flights out of Orlando, cut power to hundreds of thousands and killed at least two people, ARVC convention-goers were treated to the usual smorgasbord of amenity-promoting and revenue-enhancing topics: best practices to generate incremental revenue, the importance of ADA-compliant websites, “Scooters and Bicycles and Golf Carts—Oh My!” Trade association agendas, after all, are driven by vested interests that have something to sell.
EV charging a hot topic at RV convention
Indeed, the big topic of the day was the oncoming wave of electric vehicles—ironically, a wave propelled by climate change—as convention-goers were urged to start installing EV charging stations, even if only incrementally. Although evidence of market demand is still slim, ARVC made the most of what it had, asserting that 57% of respondents to a survey it conducted this past summer said that availability of an EV charging station would be important for them in picking a campground.
Well, sort of. The survey received limited attention on the convention floor, perhaps because out of 32,271 potential respondents, only 581 chose to reply—and only 457 were chosen for most data points. Moreover, the 57% response about the importance of EV charging stations came from 18 campers who already own an EV and 28 more who said they plan to buy one in the next year. That’s a slim reed on which to float expectations, plucked from a larger raft of questionable usefulness. As acknowledged by the polling firm itself, “It is unknown how those who responded to the survey may be different from those who did not respond.”
For campground owners trying to get ahead of the curve, however, the cautionary note is not necessarily one of capital costs. Level 2 charging stations, which can recharge an EV overnight, are relatively inexpensive: figure $500 for the equipment and possibly a like amount for installation. (Level 3 “fast” chargers, on the other hand, are commercial grade and therefore in an entirely different price category, starting at a minimum of $20,000 per charger. That didn’t deter some convention speakers from pushing them anyway.) Assuming, therefore, that a campground wanted to ease into the EV world with half-a-dozen Level 2 chargers, it could do so for $6,000 or so, which won’t break anyone’s bank.
The bigger and largely unaddressed problem, however, was how campgrounds will be able to recoup their “fuel” costs. Because the amount of EV traffic into RV parks is still nominal, most campgrounds that allow EV charging, whether through an RV pedestal or via a dedicated charger, currently absorb the cost as a goodwill loss-leader. Once that nominal expense becomes a growing hit against the bottom line, however, the inevitable question will become one of how RV parks will be able to start charging for the energy they’d been giving away.
The answer, alas, is “it depends.”
Electricity sales, unlike gasoline, are monopolized by electric utilities operating under rules that vary from state to state, with billing practices that vary from one utility to another. Most states, for example, don’t allow resellers of electricity to make a profit in doing so—all they can do is pass along their costs. A work-around offered by one convention panelist, that campgrounds charge for the kilowatts consumed at the utility rate but then tack on a “convenience fee” for allowing EVs to plug in, seems like a lawsuit magnet for any utility jealously defending its turf. Meanwhile, seven states still regulate EV charging as the exclusive domain of electric companies, as described in a recent Politico article.
A second variable is what’s known as a “demand charge,” which many homeowners don’t encounter but some business owners, including those who own campgrounds, know all too well. Demand charges are meant to compensate utilities for providing enough delivery infrastructure to meet spikes in demand caused by businesses with a lot of highly variable consumption—such as campgrounds. The demand charge is a base fee that is multiplied by the kilowatts consumed at peak demand each month, and is in addition to the per kilowatt cost of the electricity itself.
The problem for campground owners is that there is no one standard demand charge across the country: Such charges vary wildly from one utility to another. A relatively modest demand charge in one service area may be prohibitively steep in an adjoining one. And while Level 2 charging stations are not consumption black holes like Level 3 stations, they nevertheless can add a notable boost to peak demand that will have a disproportionate effect on the final bill.
Campground owners, for these and other reasons, should completely abandon any idea of installing Level 3 charging stations. As Politico reports, “Electrify America, a leading charging provider, says that demand charges are up to 80 percent of the cost” of operating Level 3 charging stations. And those stations, remember, costs tens of thousands of dollars just for the hardware.
Sorting out such cost complexities requires a lot of study and possibly the advice of a consultant—all but assuring that EVs will remain a convention staple for some time to come, since there’s money to be made from selling things. Too bad that’s not as readily true for the business of confronting elephants, no matter how much destruction they wreak. That takes true leadership, a rare commodity.
PREVIOUSLY FROM ANDY…
Andy Zipser is the author of Renting Dirt, the story of his family’s experiences owning and operating a Virginia RV park, and of Turning Dirt, a step-by-step guide for finding, buying and operating an RV park and campground. Both books are available through bookstores or at Amazon.com.
##RVT1078b
Great article. We’re snowbirds in a family owned campground north of Orlando and were in the path of Nicole. The park spent three weeks before Ian trimming huge Live Oaks. So two hurricanes in a very short period. Not mentioned was sea level rise and numerous RV parks right at or near sea level combined with increased frequency and intensity leading to higher storm surge along the coast plus increased flooding as experienced by Ian. When will this convergence of rising ocean, storms, floods, winds, and storm surge start closing coastal campgrounds?
Tom, ask Obama how this convergence of rising ocean, storms, floods, winds, and storm surge is effecting his newly purchased multi million dollar mansions (at sea level and on the coasts) in Hawaii and Marthas Vinyard….
In my area of the world when we get days of rain just like we got from hurricane Nicole the flooding is mostly due to all of the new houses built with expansive roof lines, more asphalt driveways and also the infrastructure that comes along with population growth. My area never flooded due to it being mostly farm land and woods. Now we have several new housing communities within a mile and even though they have retention ponds the streams are overflowing. Now we have a local asphalt driveway and roof tax for what they say is for water control. I see more new housing than we have at home every time we visit Florida, I can’t help to think that they are experiencing the same effects that I am seeing.
I’m so tired of hearing about the EV’s the government is pushing on us.
This is all a big farce,we have seasons,not change,it’s been this way since day one of the earth.
Wake up America
I 100% agree that EV use is being force fed to us – it’s a ridiculously expensive and ultimately wasteful venture that won’t sustain. However, the climate is more than just seasonal – but it does ebb and flow and some years (and seasons) have more extreme weather events.
The sky isn’t falling – developers are pushing into territories that used to be wild land. Overbuilding and overdevelopment – particularly in places that floods, fires, etc. are part of the natural cycle – is a big part of the problem.
Money and greed are worse culprits to this. Building massive, full-amenity resorts – for example, on a sandbar in Florida – is asking for a catastrophe.
Agreed! Wake Up Americans!
EVs are the most amazing vehicles to date. Not only are they better for environment but they are better to drive. Also enables all countries to become more energy independent since the energy can come from anything…not a single source. Wake up with a new taste for life. Um…this isn’t seasons. Change requires some pain but most of the pain is just words people are saying. We need to invest now to make EVs viable for everyone. Because they are too expensive and still in their infancy with battery life. In five years I can’t wait to own one that is reasonably priced and goes 500 miles.
News flash, the power they consume has to come from somewhere, either lots more coal plants, gas-fired plants, nuclear, or maybe hydro, if our reservoirs don’t all dry up first, or maybe we can cover every inch of the country with solar panels and wind farms. You drive a vehicle that generates no fumes; because the people on the po’ side of town get to inhale the fumes from the power plant on your behalf. And add in the cost of the new charging stations; how many million will be needed?
The array of heavy and exotic metals they consume in their manufacture is not an environmental freebie, either.
Yes, we need some new answers, and I think hybrid cars make a real contribution. EVs are shiny new baubles that seem to have no downside, but they do.
Some people never look at the truth of the matter.
#noevforme
Well you go buy one now then ,if you feel the environment is in so much trouble, why wait ?
Well said, Rosalie! The Masses are being Indoctrinated by the NWO/WEF… The Elitists will eventually Fail however it will be a Painfull path (especially for Americans) back to Reality and Sanity!
I hope America can survive the future.
I agree. Wake up people.
Seems to me there was a Jack Ass in the propaganda room and not a Elephant. And that was, and is, the greatest “Existential Threat”.
EV’s as a possible toad. However the weight of the massive battery pack makes it a questionable effort. Plus, the practice of a regenerative braking system would have to be considered in the disconnect system.
Flat bed, anyone?
EV’s as an RV. Industry is not there yet.
Space, the final frontier … oops mixed metaphor. Adding a level 2 charging system to site pedestals probably isn’t the best idea. They would only serve Class A (maybe Class B) RVs – and likely take far more than overnight to recharge a big beast. For towed RVs the power train isn’t near the pedestal. So that means either installing another pedestal on the site, or like many charging locations, setting up a group of them. Dedicating the large space needed for a group of charging stations just off a RV park’s road system would often mean reducing the number of revenue generating parking sites.
Aside from the article and the rest of the comments so far, space is in my opinion the biggest reason you won’t see charging sites inside RV parks anytime soon.
Andy’s piece was, admittedly, an opinion.
So I will simply offer mine.
Andy your piece was nothing more than a (not so veiled) rant about climate change focused on guilt & fear. If you want to complain about what was wrong with the conference you should clearly state what they should have done instead.
You then go on to criticize them for discussing EV charging? What?
They shouldn’t discuss issues that affect their members and customers? Again, how should they have done that different? You summarize the issues with EV charging like that was not the purpose of the meeting. Perhaps you could make that part of the report more positive by lauding the associations efforts an simply report on the challenges they are working to solve
To another commenter: Battery EV’s are currently NOT any solution at all! They are absolutely not good in any environmental or financial manner. Plenty of documented research on web about this.
Short answer is currently hybrid EV’s are the only answer!
Exactly. Its almost too bad that the current lithium based EV batteries have a 10 year lifespan. Assuming this is correct, it will take ten years for many to discover their old worn out batteries are difficult at best to recycle and result in quite a bit of long term hazardous waste. Add to this the damage done to Earth and humans in the mining process and the additional emissions of fossil fuel power plants that will have to create and disperse the energy to recharge them. The future question will become: Did these lithium-based EVs actually do anything positive for the environment?
Hopefully this rush that will result in a mountain of old lithium-based batteries will be shortened, when a battery technology, that is easily recyclable and not dependent on rare earth minerals, is developed. It is that battery and when the source of energy becomes renewable that we will make environmental headway.
Tim,
In response to your first point, perhaps you missed this sentence:
“How to deal with the soaring cost and unavailability of property insurance, best practices in fire- or flood-prone areas, how to determine when it no longer makes sense to rebuild—all these and a host of other pressing topics could and should have made it into ARVC’s program.”
In response to the second, I’ll observe that I didn’t criticize the conference for discussing EV charging. I simply pointed out that it largely ignored one of the biggest hurdles confronting anyone who wants to install such chargers, which is that utilities have monopoly control over electricity sales–unlike gasoline, which anyone can sell at whatever price the market will bear. Until that issue is addressed, most campground owners will be better off not being rushed into jumping on the bandwagon.
I will stick to my diesel engine rather than a coal powered one. EVs are interesting but they, and the infrastructure they will need, are no where close to being ready for primetime.
I haven’t bought into the EV craze yet, due the lack of infrastructure and electric power companies not jumping on the bandwagon to spend millions of $$ on upgrading the infrastructure. When they start the upgrade then I’ll consider EV’s to be a viable option, until then these are rich kid toys, and people who have to buy the first of everything as soon as it comes out. They are impractical for any place outside of a major metropolitan area, they are totally useless for towing RV’s, until the battery technology gets to where an EV can go the distance of ICE vehicles without recharging and recharging only takes 5 minutes campgrounds will be wasting money preparing for them. 20 years from now it will be a different situation, today it’s a bad dream.
I would highly suggest you go checkout a Tesla or the new F150 Lightning. They’re real cars that go just as far as their counterparts. Also, you charge at home, what’s not to love about waking up to a full tank every morning. There’s plenty of infrastructure out there and even more is coming. Obviously they’re not towing 5th wheels but c’mon, we didn’t go from a horse to a F350 overnight either
Not everyone has that kind of money to throw away on a car and money or not,I’d never buy one.. partially because it’s being forced on us and other reason they are not going to be a way of the long traveler..
At this point in time the ONLY electric vehicle option that makes any “Cent’s” to me is a HYBRID powered vehicle. A combination of electric power and that oh so evil fossil fuel called GASOLINE!
The Hybrid vehicle requires No remote recharging, No distance limitation, Proven Reliability over the last 20 years add to that the FACT that gasoline will be available for decades into the future make the Hybrid powered vehicle a No Brainer if you desire to take a drive on the “Green Side”!
My prediction for the future of EV’s is bleak at least in the next 10 or so years. As other commenters have noted, the lack of infrastructure to support massive use of EV’s, and their high cost, notwithstanding government subsidies for their purchase, tells me there will be a point when sales will flatten if not start to decline. Most EV’s come with an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty, and EV batteries lose approximately 10% of their charge every year, which means in 8 years, when the warranty runs out, the owner will have an 8 year old EV, with 8 year old technology, 8 years of wear and tear on the paint, interior surface, and 8 years of rust and other body issues, and hardly any driving range left. That EV is going to need a new battery which will cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 plus labor costs to replace, and there may possibly be a battery recycling charge as well. In other words, it will be what I refer to as a very expensive boat anchor.
That is completely untrue… EV’s wouldn’t be selling this fast if they lost 10% of their capacity every year, smh. Over the LIFETIME of the vehicle you can expect to have 10% battery degradation aka lose and that’s industry norm because of physics.
Sales are through the roof and show no sign of slowing, every car mfg out there is trying to make EV’s as fast as possible. I drive 60mi round trip daily and it costs me $35 a MONTH to charge my car.
Yes, EV currently work well for short range commuting. This is what the posters are trying to say. They are not to the point of being viable for much else.
Short commutes? You can travel over 400miles in some of these vehicles. The whole “it’s not enough range” argument is over, been over actually. Soccer moms are driving EV’s it’s a done deal. Obviously no one is saying that an EV is towing a 5th wheel across country in 5 days but all these weekend warriors posting couldn’t do that either
Maybe some passenger cars can travel farther but if you drive one, you know things drain the battery, demand for energy reduces the life of the charge – added passengers and cargo load, driving into wind, up mountain passes, pulling any load…
And assuming there are fast charging stations along the route, then you might get a decent long road trip…but how does my 5th wheel get to camp? Nothing out there can tow like our 1 ton diesel.
Considering electricity and power stations are run on coal plants, and – oh yes, what materials are used to make many vehicle parts?
Vinyl, plastic, rubber…byproducts of oil and gas production. Which there is plenty of except for the purposeful limitations set by current administration.
The push for EV is killing the US and world economy. But enjoy your EV, by all means. Just don’t force the rest of us.
It’s not about climate change, it’s about money and control. One of the biggest freedoms we as Americans enjoy is driving as long and far as we please , freedom of the road.
Some of the best boondocking spots are many miles from electricity of any kind, and will never have electricity. Kiss those spots goodbye, kiss your freedom goodbye.
I guess the people have no say in this nonsense, a agenda being forced upon us .
Nothing is preventing the author from hosting his own conference in which he could select the discussion topics. The people organizing an event may choose to discuss or not discuss anything they like. If you don’t like it organize your own.
Give me a break!. Show me scientific evidence where the last hundred years hurricanes long term averages are any more frequent or destructive than the last few thousand years. If you put more people and infrastructure in storm-likely areas, you will get more damage to same.
What happened to all the hype about hydrogen-powered vehicles, I thought that was the magic bullet. I think that would be a more sustainable technology. Full disclosure, I have a Rav4 Hybrid, Chevy Duramax, and a 55 Olds.
They don’t (and probably won’t anytime soon) make an electric truck that I can use to pull our RV any more than about 50 miles. So it’ll be quite a while before I worry about any charger.
One elephant in the room should be the intent of the the current US and world governments, to stop use of fossil fuels, which will certainly stop us from having all this fun camping and kill the RV industry. EV RV’s are not yet available or practical that we can all just trade up to an EV RV next time. In 2008, Freightliner built a hybrid class A chassis, the “Eco-FRED,” and announced they were “ready for production.” What happened to that? Tesla has teasingly promised a long-haul EV tractor since 2017 and delayed production repeatedly. ”One estimate for the battery weight, at 26,000 lb (11,800 kg), was estimated to account for one third of the payload, and would increase the capital cost of the truck to about double that of an equivalent diesel.” With those stats, I don’t think a class A EV RV would have any range or payload without some further breakthrough in energy storage, and would put many buyers out of cost range.
Another elephant: Right now, NO EV’s on the market are flat-towable. Im not messing with a trailer or dolly. Why worry about charging stations in campgrounds?
It’s not “climate change” that’s propelling the use of EVs, it’s politics, politics, and more politics.
Climate change has been happening to this planet since its creation. The difference is we now have many many media outlets carrying the baggage for the political left to strike fear in our pocketbooks.
If campgrounds feel the future is in EV charging stations then they should do like any other commercial (i.e. make money) outlet and provide separate charging stations at a number of campsites that would need a credit card to operate. They would also need a plainly written and boldly stated policy that if EVs were found to be plugged into the power pedestal trying to bypass the pay-to-use charger they would either be removed from the CG with no refund, or pay some kind of ridiculous penalty applied to their credit card say $500 of something.
What I don’t want to see, nor would I support is CGs raise all of their nightly rates to accommodate but a few EV campers.
I would think the charge stations would not turn on until a credit/debit card activates the electricity.
He’s talking about poaching the electric from the the shore power at the camp site.
I agree.
I’m afraid this newsletter is going off the rails with this type of lecturing. I saw that this is the lead article. Perhaps some deep thought about your audience and whether this is better left as a filler article. It’s your newsletter, do as you please.
EV’s and hybrids cannot compete with mostly fully developed internal combustion engine (technology) at this point. These batteries when they age out will cost so much to replace most of these vehicles (including hybrids, they have batteries too) will end up being scrapped. Take that into consideration on a cost vs value calculation.
Power generation from sources other than nuclear have emissions. Our grid is aged and decrepit. I think many people pushing this technology are just underestimating the problems with this.
These pickups such as the Ford lightning, which is being way over hyped with admittedly excellent advertising, can tow 90-100 miles before requiring nearly complete recharging.
Not going to work, sorry
Yep I agree and I don’t need to hear about the “rapidly changing climate ” from this publication.
Deep in the land of denial. These discussions should be right where they are – in your lap. If you tool around in a gas guzzler are the rest of us plebs just supposed to ignore your squandering of a limited resource?
It’s too bad that so many believe what they are told without knowing actual facts.
Not only is there a huge amount of oil and gas reserves for over 100 years in the US alone (only limited by our government to access) but there is 1,000 years or more of coal.
Did you know (I can guess you didn’t) that coal can be turned into gasoline or diesel fuel – not cheaply and currently not used in the US but it’s very plausible. Actually better than current fuel because it’s cleaner and we already have the widespread means to distribute the same as current oil and gas.
Saying EV is not using our resources is truly ignoring the facts. Politicians only care about themselves, power and money. Learn the truth by doing your own research.
The reason RV Travel reports on electric vehicles is because it appears to being the future of transportation. YES we may not like it, they are trying to make you think about the future.
My question has been what is the cost going to be to travel per mile compared to fossil fuel? What will be the time be to travel from start to end of a trip?
Right now it costs half as much.
One thing I would like to say to you Don is that some of us actually have worked in power train engineering for a lifetime. So, yes we have thought of the future. My associates and I have given a very reasoned thought to this. I’m not going to mention the large company I worked for. EV’s are not anywhere near fully developed like internal combustion engines are. EV’s are currently for affluent customers or ones with very limited transportation needs. These vehicles are in their infancy. They do not need to be forced on people with social engineering. They are insufficient and will continue to be insufficient for most customers.
Yes, the government has a huge undesired role in promoting these vehicles thru tax incentives. Not a good way to determine product design. Sorry
I love they are trying to educate. Time will shift to EV as they continue improving. Sorry
One thing I would like to say to you Dave ( as I mentioned to Don) is that some of us actually have worked in power train engineering for a lifetime. So, yes we have thought of the future. My associates and I have given a very reasoned thought to this. I’m not going to mention the large company I worked for. EV’s are not anywhere near fully developed like internal combustion engines are. EV’s are currently for affluent customers or ones with very limited transportation needs. These vehicles are in their infancy. They do not need to be forced on people with social engineering. They are insufficient and will continue to be insufficient for most customers.
Yes, the government has a huge undesired role in promoting these vehicles thru tax incentives. Not a good way to determine product design. Sorry
PS: hybrids and EV’s are using batteries with a finite life. A very finite life under high stress conditions that many customers will experience. These batteries currently and in the foreseeable future will make the vehicles using them obsolete when battery or controller failures occur. The vehicles will be scrapped. That is another calculation that the fair minded person would research.
Spot on.
Click bait
Not to mention the mining of natural resources which will tear up the planet with the amount you need per battery. Let’s have some common sense transition so gas and heating oil stop going thru the roof. Not producing our own and making our enemies richer just weakens us.
My son has a company that services, rehabs existing, and also builds new gas stations in what is considered a solid blue progressive area and state. For the past several years he has been making the suggestion to install level 3 charging stations however he stopped due to the lack of interest. He then tried to get them to at least identify an area for future charging stations and install the conduits and such however he has stopped suggesting this also to the lack of interest.
Winnebago unveiled their e-RV class B motorhome (concept) this year. In a real world test, Car and Driver stated they stopped every 70 to 90 miles to charge. Other sources said it took an average of 1 hour per charge (at fast chargers only). No, I’m not downsizing to class B. No, I’m old, but not going to be limited to 90 miles per stop and charge. (I target 200miles max and stop for the day to enjoy some area or attraction). What if I’m traveling in the hot, humid south??? NOPE. And I occasionally go into the boonies. Ain’t no charging stations there.
Winnebago’s Nick Davis was one of the speakers at the ARVC convention, and according to him, their trip last summer was in a first-generation EV RV that had a range of approximately 125 miles–a range, he pointed out, that with today’s newer battery technology in the same configuration would probably clock in at 170. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that KOA’s 2022 annual camping report found that 56% of campers in 2021 traveled less than 100 miles for their camping trips–in fact, one-third stayed within 50 miles of home.
Excellent data
There needs to be a thumbs up button where we can agree with a comment without having to write something saying we agree.
I concur sir.
Tim, that’s an easy fix 👍👍👍👍
I love these EV articles for the drama. Let’s all just get horses again? People hate change even if it benefits all later
Starting to become a weekly occurrence on here, reading all the EV bashing comments from those who hate change, and how it’s some sinister plot to control people.
Here’s a idea for you. You pull your camper with one and let’s see how far you make it.
Nobody is asking you to do that. Only that change is here and improving. EV isn’t ready to pull your camper yet. Read other articles this newsletter produces…from the Electric Expert, Sokol. We’re still 5-10 years away from the true capability…but it keeps getting better. Things can’t change instantly.
There have been huge hurricanes FAR longer than there have RV parks. And just as large and frequently. The only “problem” is that- today- there are FAR FAR FAR more people and structures crowded into the path of these hurricanes than there were in decades past. So, when one strikes, the destruction is ALWAYS far greater. Hence, the exaggeration of the situation.
Same with forest fires, droughts, floods…you name it. Its only a “disaster” because hoards of people now live where they once did not. Nature is just doing her normal thing- but now we’re in the way. Not to mention, the breathless 24×7 “reporting” the internet now drowns us all with in its battle for “clicks”.
Read please
Exactly, And everyone Should have to attach a real name so the world can know who the true dopes are that we’re dealing with.
Thanks captain. I don’t see how anyone can argue with this. In just the past 53 years that I have been in Florida most of the public, wild, nice vacant, naked beaches are gone and filled with hotels and condos. Storms of the past may have removed some of the beach, but now they take buildings with them. Governments have looked for increased tax bases rather that saving their own nature.
Yes!
Very important facts. More RV Parks, more villages than 30 years ago means more parks and villages will be hit by hurricanes. This also equates to more prominent media reporting on impacts.
So maybe the Sky isn’t really falling?
Andy, good article. Good to see how one of the RV industry organizations are thinking. It appears to me that some that are arguing against your article are in essence agreeing with it. ????
Is this article seriously about climate change? LMAO
Judging by the responses, I’d say this article is actually a Rorschach test for RVtravel readers who are revealing quite a bit more about themselves than about the question at hand.
As the person who created this “test,” however, I’d like to point out that my article was about a convention of RV park owners. It addressed what was not on the agenda–an increasingly hostile climate that threatens the industry–not because I think the convention could “fix the climate,” but because I believe campground owners have to start thinking about coping strategies, which they can’t do if they don’t acknowledge the problem.
In addition, the article reported on what was on the agenda, front and center, in a plenary session of all convention goers and by a subsequent luncheon panel. As such, I didn’t take a position on behalf of or against EVs, but did point out a significant problem campground owners face when urged to install charging stations, i.e. utility monopoly power.
Ink blots, anyone?
Love this response! I try to remind myself often that denial is the first stage in the grief process.
Off grid electrical systems would be a way to get around utility company regulations. Not sure if it’s viable.
I don’t see climate change as a top or even top 10 issues facing campground owners. As American entrepreneurs, they will adapt slowly as the climate changes. No hurry.
See elsewhere my comments on EVs
Author, Email me if you would like another viewpoint from a campground user of over 30 yrs.
I’m thinking the question of how important climate change may be depends on where your campground is located. The folks who owned Peace River Campground in Arcadia, Florida—among others—undoubtedly have a different take on the question, and a different sense of urgency.
Trust me, the owners of The Peace River Campground are NOT blaming the flooding on Climate Change!! Just ask me how I know…
You did not even get to first base… climate change is a constant, always has been, always will be. Hurricanes and severe weather are nothing new and even necessary for the health of our world. It creates a balance that supports life. The RV industry must continue to recognize and prioritize the CURRENT needs and trends of those they serve, not join those who banter back and forth about various theories around saving the earth. And RV Park owners will certainly jump on the band wagon if and when there is truly a profitable demand for EV support in their Parks.
Do you think climate science is so ignorant they need to be reminded that the climate changes over thousands of years?
You want an RV convention to try to, what, fix the climate? This is just getting ridiculous. Not only is an RV convention the wrong place because they can’t do anything about it, but probably most of their clients aren’t too into it. They were talking about EV, isn’t that the only answer y’all have for this issue?
But most campers I tslk to aren’t very liberal and this is definitely an ideological issue.
EV charge stations at campgrounds would be as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Sure there might be a few who use an EV towed behind their DIESEL pusher. The author sounds as if this is the first time a hurricane has hit Florida. I am pretty sure Florida rv park operators are aware of hurricanes.
It will be great for me that wants an EV to tow. Helps offset some cost and how I’m hurting the planet with the diesel. See younger demo article
“and how I’m hurting the planet with the diesel”
I’m not trying to be a total smart aleck, but I’d say that you’re being extremely hypocritical just like all the other big wig elitists who tell the rest of us to stop using fossil fuels while they continue to fly around the planet in their private jets. I think you should stop using your diesel powered RV and live the lifestyle that you’re preaching because you think we’re killing mother earth with fossil fuels.
Your article somewhat answered the question of cost recovery / reselling energy. I’ve gotta believe that a pay-per-kilowatt charging station, slide your credit card and pay away, ought to be entering into someone’s discussion. Whether it’s the energy company or the RV park, just like fueling up your RV at the pumps, those that choose to use EV’s as they’re pull-behind, should bear their own costs. Until someone comes up with a better plan.
There is no scientific evidence that hurricanes are more violent or prevalent than in previous years. The increased damage that people always point to is a result of more things to tear up in more expensive things not the velocity of the hurricane itself. Climate change hysteria is going to wreck everything much more than a hurricane.
Climate change hysteria will wreck everything as we know it today.
Rational discussion is not hysteria.
The “rational discussion” has long since moved on to ignorant freaked-out privileged 1st-world kids vandalizing artwork. We’re now into abject mental illness.
Yes it will, and our RV lifestyles that require the use of fossil fuels will be one of the many parts of our lives that will go away or be changed for the worst if this radical push toward renewable energy continues. I cannot believe the number of voters that do not understand this fact and they voted for more of the same a couple of weeks ago.
I’m just going to buy horses to pull my RV.
I would like to purchase a new RV but there is no way with these radical energy policies that are unnecessarily being pushed on America by this administration.
Political bashing is BORING! Hope you don’t buy an rv, you would probably be a “pita” as a neighbor
Bashing is totally acceptable/necessassary in this case. GW/CC is not happening and this push toward green energy is totally unnecessary and it is going to fail.
BTW, I already own a motorhome and have really enjoyed the lifestyle. These green new deal policies are going to ruin lifestyles and hopefully the republicans in the house will slow this ridiculousness down.
Repeating things doesn’t make them true. Just more annoying. And the people who repeat them more irrelevant.
Agreed.
Agreed as well..
I only have one question, that NO “green new deal socialist” will honestly answer. Why are all electric vehicle batteries produced outside the United States? I don’t mean assembled, I mean made from the raw materials.
Why would anyone want to answer a ” right-wing Fascist” question?
You two are the problem w today…no respect.
well the commenter started with “socialist”. How is it socialist to want to improve society with something that will keep society alive for longer?
If you are serious about energy consumption, tent camp and drive an ev. Just don’t preach to most of us who own and operate rvs most of which are energy hogs. I personally own 5 vehicles none of which get great mileage. And at my age I won’t be around when the final energy crunch hits. Meanwhile I will happily oink as I cruise around the country in my Class A or my Class B. My next door neighbor has a brand new top of the line Tesla. HE also has a brand new sleek black Corvette that wakes up the whole neighborhood when he cranks it up.If he would also buy a class A rv he would be my ultimate role model!!! Do I worry about future generations? Hell no. Technology will either solve the energy crisis or we go back to a low tech world. Change is the only constant.
final energy crunch
Seriously, we have enough oil for well over 100 years under our feet in America. This push toward renewables is totally unnecessary at this time. Yes, at some point when renewables are actually ready to take over, fossil fuels will be phased out, but we’re nowhere near that point now. We need to allow the markets and technology to determine when that point arrives versus having an administration force it down our throats, which is exactly what’s happening right now.
The “final energy crunch” is already happening in Europe, which is already several years ahead of us going down the “green new deal” rabbit hole. I fear it may be happening here sooner than you think.
Activist author, with , in my opinion, no background on RVers. Even though he has written books about it.
1) as far as I know, there are no towable, 4 wheels down, to go behind a motorhome.
2) you could place them on a trailer, but will the campground have room, to park all these trailers, or sites long enough to stay connected.
3) The cost are way off for each class of power connections. $100k per stall for cl 3, when you 6 minimum.
4)The overall power supply will need to be upgraded for the entire campground. 100 site, bring in power for 100 charging station if that’s where we are going.
5) These EVs are heavy. Rivian R1T is 7,200 lbs empty. Look up what that trailer would cost you.
6) Don’t get me started on towing a trailer with a EV. Unless it’s a small, lightweight, day tripper and you stay close to home.
The biggest “elephant not in the room” for me is the local restrictions on building new RB parks.
2nd, as one of the most frequent complaints on this and other RV blogs is about the dismal state of the electrical service in all too many RV parks, it’s obvious that most if not all would have to be totally re-wired from the pedestals to the power supplier to accommodate any significant amount of Level 2 charging, much less Level 3. That could easily be a half-million to million or more for even a nominally sized park. Of course, that cost would have to be passed on to campers. Get used to $200-a-night plus rates for your better parks that will eventually only be catering to the half-million dollar rigs to make the economics work. The only upside is that those EV rigs won’t be boondocking where the rest of us will be forced to be as there’s absolutely no way to cover a 40-foot Class-A with enough solar panels to charge such a large vehicle to any meaningful degree in less than a week.
1st, if you honestly believe that post-19th-century industrial activity is responsible for a climate crisis, I don’t see how the ownership and use of anything as remotely frivolous as a “recreational vehicle” is morally indefensible, even if it is run on electricity. (more than likely produced from an infrastructure built by and still largely powered by fossil fuels)