Reader Scott left this comment on a recent Crowded Campgrounds post, and we know you can help him out with his new RV park. Scott says:
“I have been reading the comments on RV parks. My wife and I just purchased a 52-spot RV park. We are updating all the hookups and remodeling parking spots. I am RVIA and RVDA certified with many years in the repair field. My question is, what is the best way to get campers and make people want to come back? Hoping for words of wisdom. Thank you for your time.”
So, tell Scott. What would make you want to visit and then go back to his new park? What things (amenities, features, etc.) should he and his wife consider to make it more appealing to you? Now is the time—help Scott build the perfect RV park!
Please leave your ideas and advice in the comments below. Thank you!
##RVT1153
Don’t pack us in like sardines.
Make it affordable. So many parks are crazy expensive, especially in peak season. Keep a balance of quality and profit and resist getting greedy from charging exorbitant rates. Even though there’s space for 52 spots, don’t pack everyone. Maybe more space between rigs = less spots. Food for thought 🙂🙏
Where is it? That’s first suggestion. I’ve worked campgrounds and am a tent camper right now. Here’s some thoughts:
Try to give even the feeling of space for visitors.
Separate rv from tents but allow small rv in tent area.
Provide bathroom facilities for everyone.
Good site drainage everywhere.
No water hookups in winter (no one understands that water freezes).
Keep it clean
Enforce noise levels
Provide security
A restaurant is nice
Stuff for kids? Let them use local park playground.
Wifi?personally I just use data
Good luck
More space and/or trees between sites. Skip extensive add-ons like large, extensive play areas for kids. Make sure electrical hook-ups are strictly according to code(s). As another suggestion, you might look at various state campgrounds and emulate those. Avoid (or limit) full-season/”permanent” rentals, if possible.
Thanks for asking campers’ opinions!
Non public parks we like are ones where everything is in good working order, neat and clean. If you are aiming to give people a resort experience then maybe don’t jam people up. But I don’t expect a lot of space unless I’m in a state, national, COE, BLM or other public space. I tend to need a place to set up the rig but then I go outside the campground for activities. I appreciate it when the camp hosts have information on what’s nearby but even then I tend to research all that myself. Good luck!
Basic spacious sites with clean and reliable hookups. A basic campground with reasonable and predicable prices. A spot where folks can camp for a weekend or week with or without families to just enjoy the outdoors and away from their daily grind. No need for WiFi as most folks have cell phones anyway. Maybe a swimming pool but no hot tubs or spas and a basic playground with no extensive and expensive equipment. Most folks are just looking for quiet stays without having to pay for “resorts” and amenities they don’t want. One more thing, no seasonals or fulltime permanents. Nothing makes a CG more undesirable then snobby seasonals with their golf carts or filled with derelicts trailers.
Seasonals and permanents probably can’t be avoided. However, the campgrounds should have a dedicated area for them.
As far as amenities, things like pool use, hot tubs, exercise rooms, etc. should be a separate fee, added on to the initial charge. That way you don’t pay for things you are not going to use. A wristband or key card would give you access.
I agree with Bill. No seasonal or fulltime permanents. Don’t let it happen, it becomes a slum. 2 week limit and move on.
There needs to be an Exception to how long an RVer can stay.
Examples I have run into over the years.
Traveling nurses Military personnel – I feel really Safe around them !but like many say – put them in one area, but NOT the Best sites and the end where We like to stay Then you have the Northern’s who go to the South for 3 or 4 months…..we’re going to go to the Dakotas for 3-4 months – you travel that far, make it worth your time to Enjoy and Explore the new area, we have a lot of AMAZING sites to see in this GREAT Country we live in! Let’s NOT cut my time short, Please !
All RV sites MUST have FULL hook ups! Plus put the drain pipe ONLY 1″ or 2 ” above the ground!!! Not 8 or 10 inches like some …….so you don’t have to “snake” the last bit out, which takes two persons. A BIG hasle plus some spillage can happen!
Separate water and sewer hookups several feet. Some places have the sewer hookup so close to water there is no telling what splashes on the hose bib. Great idea to ask for advice from campers. God speed in your endeavor!
I agree with many of the comments others have made except for the seasonal ones. We are full-time and usually stay a month at a park in the winter. In the summer our longest stop is 2 weeks. We don’t often use the pool, if there is one. We like wider spaces and I like a row of small shrubs so I don’t have to look at my neighbors hookups when I sit outside, if the spaces are arranged side by side.
I am not seasonal or full time. But I have never had a problem with those who are. Some camps have them kind of separate and I always take a stroll through to see the set up. A big smile and compliments go a long way to making friends and learning about the area. I’ve learned so much about what work people are doing that takes them away from home for long periods.
Make it your goal to be mentioned in RV Travel’s “Outstanding but affordable RV parks,” whatever it takes 😉
I’m a simple person. Just have the services in the middle so they can be reached by any RV and have the sewer connection slightly above ground level. I think my biggest pet peeve is when the connection is too high and you have to milk the stinky slinky.
Electricity and a place to wash our dishes so I can maximize my tank life. Sleeping beat Dunes Platte River Campground had a sink in the bathrooms specifically for campers to use for cleaning their dishes. ADA accessibility is also a plus. Don’t let those sites go until at least 16:00 with the campers being told that if a disabled camper comes in they will have to vacate with a full refund. I don’t know how many times we ask for an ADA site and are told it is reserved and then set and see the people in the site are not disabled They just like the flat hard surface near the bathrooms.
I agree with the dish washing station. It’s a godsend on a long trip where I can soak the dishes/pans and be sure they are clean.
Laundry facility, heated/air conditioned, clean restrooms w showers, well designed dump station, enforce quiet hours. Thanks for asking!
First, let us know where this RV park is located. Secondly, try not to get caught up in a reservation system, and don’t call it a RESORT!
Can you actually cater to everyone, NO! You can take comments and suggestions but bottom line, what would you expect as an RV’er to want to come back. Unless you have excess disposable income, you’re not going to be able to afford or built to everyone’s satisfaction. You’ll have to charge a premium price which will break a lot RV’ers. From the comments sent prior to mine, I wish you the best and good luck!
Don’t put the utilities, especially sewer dump, next to the neighboring picnic table.
Good WiFi, ample space between sites.
Wider/Longer concrete pads. Do not cramp campsite together, nobody wants to reach out and touch the neighbors. Keep roadway and camp site trees trimmed to at least 25 feet high. No sharp corners. Pull thru sites are the best. Keep up on maintenance of electric, water, sewer and grounds.
Camp at several different campgrounds yourself before starting
It depends on your location. Campgrounds that are near natural attractions don’t have to be anything fancy (spacious sites, elec, showers), since most of the campers staying with you will use the campground as a base, while taking advantage of those natural attractions outside the campground. If you are, mostly, going to be a stopover location, then the campers needs will be different: dump station, water fill, showers, laundry to accomodate a night or two “on the way”. Then there’s the ‘destination’ resort-type campground with all the bells and whistles (pools, game room, etc), that people use as their vacation spot. You won’t satisfy everyone with one campground. Decide which will you be?
space for each site; enforce dog leash requirements; quiet time at night; lower amenities (no pool) to keep price lower; great condition hookups; flat site; friendly staff
More space between campers. No one wants to feel like you’re hosting an unintended orgy when you’re getting busy with your partner. Make level spaces of well packed gravel or concrete. Have nice clean showers and restrooms for people who prefer that option.
The first thing for me that eliminates a campground from my list is the Sardine effect. Give us some space! A concrete pad, or at least, well-packed gravel. A clean shower and laundry facility. Fair rates.
First, you need to decide who you would like as your customers. YOU CAN’T APPEAL TO EVERYONE! Set out to provide a facility that is clean, comfortable, has bathrooms/showers for campers and enforces the limited rules. Campers who must bring all their toys with them should be avoided. Golf Carts should be a NO NO! Campers who don’t attend to their dogs should also be discouraged. Kids, should have a spot away from the campers to play, run, etc as to not bother others. Everyone deserves to experience what camping should be like. Lastly, level sites with FHU’s. Hooks ups should be placed so as not to be in the neighbors site. Sewer should be hidden from view of others.
Good source of electricity and working properly. Litter and poop picked up. On site trash pickup. Assistance in backing up if needed. Allows pets in pens outside the rigs. Dust control. Varmint control. Landscaped when possible. Adequate drainage to the storm drains. Updated showers and toilet facilities annually. Monitor traffic in and out. Information about local attractions.
Litter/poop pick up. Are we talking about when others don’t pick up after themselves or picking up that mess around you’re sure that one’s animals left. If it’s the latter then no. They should pick up and carry off their own pet’s mess to where it needs to go. Sounds like a request of someone that thinks they’re entitled .
After reading a few other comments, I disagree on the point of not allowing seasonal campers.
I am a full-timer, and also a disabled Vietnam Vet with severe PTSD. I will often spend 3-6 months at the same campground, if it’s a place that I like. I do this because it helps me feel secure and comfortable. The emphasis should be placed on camper space appearance.. making sure that certain aesthetics are maintained by all visitors.
I’d put the limit at 1-2 months at the discretion of the owner. And you can’t just leave and come back in a couple of days and do it again.
Use work kampers who are friendly and knowlegeable. Have someone escort all RVs to their site and explain the hookups. Offer to help guide someone into their back in site. Have the front desk personnel offer suggestions for attractions and local shopping. A friendly front desk person “sets the stage” for a visit in their attitude when they answer the phone and do check in.
Pick up the garbage daily once at check out time and again before dark to keep animals out of it.
Good Luck in your new endeavor.
For us, keep regular hours and be there to greet your customers. And, if you have a laundry try to keep it open. We’ve stayed in places and never saw a soul. Just locked doors at the office and laundry. Other places have greeted us like they were glad to see us and offered help if we needed it. We are more likely to return to the second one but not so much the first one.
Please allow the RV owner to wash their RV for a fee. Nothing worse than arriving from travel with a filthy RV and not be able to clean it up some. This could be done at a special location or at their pad site. I would also recommend advertising repair services, beneficial to you and your guests.Thanks
Affordable. Forget the bells & whistles. Just the basics. $30 or so, and I’ll be back.
This is the only response I agree with! If a private RV park is price-competitive with local public campgrounds, I will consider staying in it. But not if it is twice the price. My favorite campgrounds anywhere–private or public–are those operated by the Army Corps of Engineers!
Those Army Corps of Engineer parks are nice, Unfortunately there are very,very, few in the west.
Depending on your location, foremost is to determine the type and purpose of the park. Secondly, value. Feel free to contact me https://www.facebook.com/ckfaconsultants/
While out looking at campgrounds this winter, we came across a Campground that charged $50.00 per dog for DNA testing. When someone didn’t pickup after their dog they would pick it up and send it out for testing. When they got the results back, the owner of that dog got to pay for testing and a $150.00 fine. Great idea.
Even responsible dog owners are going to look to stay at another dog-friendly campground rather than pay a $50 testing fee.
We travel with our dogs and we pick up after them. I would not pay 50.00 for a DNA test for my dog I would go to a different park. But it is annoying when bad owners don’t pick up after them.
While it irritates me when someone doesn’t pick up poo, I don’t think $50 is necessary for a short 1-3 night stay. And I have been at campgrounds where a dog from the surrounding neighbors visits and leaves bombs around.
A simpler method would to just be honest and say no dogs allowed.
Hi, Scott. Congratulations on your new venture. As full time RVers, we look for laundry and wifi services. Mail forwarding/package acceptance is necessary for us. When we had a dog, the dog park was appreciated. And of course, full hookups with 30/50 amp service. Don’t decorate your park with big rocks and trees which make maneuvering into campsites daunting. Pull through sites are nice but not essential. And a nice big welcoming smile starts the stay off beautifully. Good luck in your new endeavor.
Pull through sites are extremely helpful for some travelers. A campground should have some if it’s at all possible, and reserve some for through-travelers who find it difficult to spend the end of the day backing in and unhitching. If it’s not possible, then ‘driver-side’ back-ins are a godsend to solos and will also prevent backups on the access road when people are pulling in for the night.
Decide who is your customer, then work on their needs/wants. Destination (amenities for longer stay) vs travelers (easy in/out, laundry, cheaper).
Regardless of site spacing, provide simple low fence or shrubs to shield utilities from adjacent site’s patio area.
Keep sites as level as possible. Diesel pushers struggle with a front downhill slope, making the door high and steps too short.
Don’t make the entrance/exit or interior roads an obstacle course. Low rocks and post may look good, but drivers can lose sight of them and damage rigs or the objects.
I would like to see a campground that has a strict “no-show” and “no refund” cancellation policy. If people who make reservations and don’t show are allowed to keep a spot open, then we all suffer…nothing more irritating than showing you are full online, when there are empty spots that can be filled!!
I had an occasion where I got sick the day before I was supposed to leave for a campground. I called the campground, explained I was sick and asked them to keep my site available, for which I was paying. I was able to arrive at the campground on the second day. If I’m paying for a site then whether I show up or not, that site is mine. I agree on no-show then no-refund if the site has been fully paid for.
Lots of shade and wind protection. Would also love strong free internet connections.
Best of luck
I like to be appreciated as a customer. Too many campground personnel have an attitude like they are doing the customer a favor. Also, strict policies on golf carts and alcoholic beverages. Campgrounds should be family friendly and safe. Please have the spot clean and raked before customers arrive. That goes for long term spots as well. Thank you-
Yes! Sometimes you feel like they just have contempt for you. Not only in clerks with no training in hospitality. Also in the ways the park itself treats you. Such as:
No pathway to cut to the facilities, you’re expected to hike around a long loop if on the wrong side of the park, as if you’re a car.
Locking restrooms and laundries in early evening, opening pools after 10 a.m.; we literally can’t check in til 4p and must leave at 11a, so we’re only getting access to facilities for a couple of hours, or, in reality, just can’t use them.
Showers with no (or 1) hooks or benches, no soap dish or place to put washcloth or shampoo (except on a filthy floor).
Fur baby list #1). Have dog walks for all dog sizes: small dog walk, medium dog walk, small-medium dog walk, large dog walk, medium-large dog walk, very large dog walk, huge dog walk, overweight dog walk and 4 different lengths for each;100 yards to 27 miles. Play pens, 10 sizes. Must have fresh water stations every 52 feet, cleaned hourly. Fur baby swimming pools, dogs only, nothing else. Dog megaphone stations where a dog can come up and bark into a megaphone and be at least 4 times louder. Six humans monitoring/sniffing for dog poop, if the poop gets more than 5 fly’s on it, (too long) the resort fines itself and punishes the poop-picker-uppers. No rules on barking/leashes/biting!!
Okay, I was going to hit the dislike button, but it’s funny so I won’t. All dog people feel pretty much the same, but it’s not feasible.
Ya, install all that and charge $150 a night because there’ll be many sites taken away to install all those dog walks!
I take my 96lb Lab with me. I expect that I will walk him to pee/poop in appropriate areas of the campground, where I pick up his poop. A large dog run is nice but if the campground is nice and reasonably priced I’ll stay there.
Sorry, no dog run for 96lb dog, very large run ends at 95 and huge run starts at 100, he will have to lose weight. Wait, is he over weight for his size, might can fit him in the overweight run. There will be a digital scale, for a fee!
🤣🤣 I love your sense of humor, David.👍🤣 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
🤣 You sure you didn’t miss something, David?😅 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Looks like some didn’t get your humor.
I agree with many of the other’s suggestions. Keep it simple and thus affordable. Focus on no stress road grades and angled site navigation free from obstacles such as trees, limbs, shrubs, boulders and narrow sites. Save trees, shrubs, boulders for the common areas. Install proper and reliable FHU connections, comfortable spacing between sites, level sites (concrete or well-packed gravel), clean restroom/shower and laundry facility. Signage for dog poop protocols and easy access for trash receptacles. Since you are RVIA and RVDA certified, then be sure to communicate that if you want to offer such paid services. A clear and simple website with rates, pictures and info.
For us we look for a park that has a good dog park and paw pens at our site so we can keep our fur babies safe and outside with us. They can go potty in the mornings and we can keep them away from the other dogs in the park, also we like campground that has food, pizza or a little dinner. Of course a good playground for kids. Walking trails are good too.
Level RV parking for all sites!
The biggest desire in my book is to please provide space between the sites. I always look at campgrounds on Google maps and if the spaces are tight, I don’t even consider them. Make sure the sites are level. There’s nothing worse than spending half an hour trying to level the rig. If you have rules, enforce them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been given a list of rules that I have to agree to and when I get to the campground none of them are being enforced and the place is less than desirable. What’s the point of having rules? Have a real live person on site to at least 5:00PM in case there are any problems. Good luck with your new venture!
Agree on enforcing rules. A friend who booked 3 months at a campground was forced to contend with adult, very noisy neighbors, even after 10PM. Because the campground host/owner didn’t ask the noisy neighbors to leave, my friend left. The campground lost 3 months of guaranteed income.
There is no silver bullet to encourage repeat business from guests other than good service at a good price with clean, level and spaced sites.
Every pet owner attracted by a highly rated dog park review is offset by folks who don’t want to camp at what could double as a dog kennel.
For every 5 star review that says a place is great for kids, there’s campers who prefer the less chaotic adults only atmosphere.
For those that want to spread out for long term residency, there’s those that will avoid your living in your trailer park.
Amenities often means more cost and more things for people to destroy and/or complain about. Be mindful of what you add….
This is the exact question I wanted to ask fellow RVers.
Last year, I came this close to purchasing an RV park, but I could not raise the $2.2 million before someone else purchased it.
Enough boo hoo me-
May I suggest you have a “campground” and NOT a resort? When I attended the Tampa show, there were one or two campgrounds with booths; all the rest (about 40++) were “resorts.”
Have a trailer-moving dolly or a golf cart with a trailer hitch available, as well as a site to store the trailers.
Offer plenty of pull-through sites.
Depending on the size of your facility, offer an area for first aid, and if you have a small store, stock several sizes of innertubes for bikes.
Food trucks
clean power, good tasting water, clean sewer hook up’s. Friendly and helpful staff. Nice dog run, if possible. best wishes, keep us updated as we are always looking for a new place to go.
Totally agree.
We solved the “good tasting water” issue by hauling our own 4 gallon jugs of purified water from Sam’s Club. I also got a small pump that fits on the top of the jug that can be recharged. We store it in the cargo area when we travel and move it onto a fold up stool inside when we are parked.
#1 Privacy barriers between the sites
#2 An “adult” section and a “family” section. No one wants to listen to your whining screaming kids.
Good answer.
I agree with Ron, mostly. The expense of privacy barriers between sites might be cost prohibitive. Make the sites a little wider for privacy. Kebler Corner RV Park in Somerset, CO is combining their skinny sites into 1.5 wider sites. Mountain Valley RV Resort in Heber City, UT has the adult and family sections, with a privacy wall between each. They also have a pool in each section. I stopped camping there (which used to be my favorite RV park) because their prices skyrocketed. I don’t need a pool, billiards room, common kitchen, bath house, etc. My bath house is in my RV.
I would like a concrete pad and it be big enough for a picnic table (made of concrete).
I don’t want to listen to your barking dog that you left tied up outside either.
More space between sites, clean modern restrooms, a large community kitchen and dining area like they have at every RV park in New Zealand !
My biggest pet peeve is obnoxious neighbors. We have stopped RVing from April thru August. We now only RV during September and October. Park owners not controlling the park after 10p.m. is the reason that we have stopped. I should not have to open the window next to my bed an tell the people next to me to be quiet. I should not have teens running between the RVs until 4 a.m.. So controlling the noise after 10:00 or 11:00 at night would get me to return.
In our 16 years of camping Patti I have never experienced what you posted. You may be the exception, but IMHO certainly not the rule.
Even in Zion. It ruined our 2 nights in Zion.
Lonewolf: As an older camper, I pretty much agree with your previous post of wants. In regards to Patti’s post, been there….done that. I no longer camp where kids are allowed. Screaming, shrieking & running through my campsite (which upsets my dog & causes him to be disciplined for barking) is not my idea of a pleasant camping trip. I’ve been camping for 40+ years, now I mostly boondock as I can’t stand the crowding, no shade, rude & loud neighbors.
You were a kid one time yourself!!!!
Water, electric and sewer all on the drivers side. Good level spots. Picnic tables on each site. Clean heated and air condition bath houses. Showers that have at least one grab handle. Have a soap dish in showers. Towel hooks out side of shower. Shaded sites. Entertainment, bingo, card playing, children’s play area. Basketball playing area. Pool table. Swimming pool. Chairs by office. A small restaurant would be nice. Pizza, subs, etc.
I know this is a lot, could be done in stages. Please get back with me if need be. I don’t see where you are located.
Steve Brown 321-243-1853
Please NO buddy-sites. Wide enough sites to avoid your neighbor. Good Wifi. Sewer drains that aren’t recessed in the ground where it makes it impossible to attach your sewer hose. Give guests the opportunity to book sites online. On your website tell us how far you are to the nearest fuel station, Walmart, grocery stores, and vets. Since many campers use their own satellites, trim large trees to enhance satellite reception. Large dog areas with some sort of shade for dog owners. Multiple trash bins throughout the park. Clean bathrooms. Guests will pay more if they get more.
Any prospective new campground owner must determine what type of camping crowd he will market to. One is the family campground where younger campers with kids, probably smaller campers with a good mix of tent campers. This group will look for recreational activities like game rooms, pools, maybe two, mini golf, etc. These folks tend to hang out at the campground during their stay. Then you have the older campers, some Dinks, some retired, but mostly no kids. This group mostly isn’t interested in campground activities. Many use the CG as a base for day trips exploring the region, towns, and villages. The older campers want clean restrooms, larger even sites, and good utilities.
Some good suggestions. Some Over the Top. & some are all about “Me” .
Got to be some “Give & Take” here. It is about being RVing/Camping away from Home!!
Learn to Laff; Smile; Sport’s Fans!!
Space, space, space…. I cannot say that enough!!!
I’ll second that. Space space space.
I WILL 3RD THAT… The more space the better in-between sites. TREES 🌳 🌲 🌴
I would focus on the things that nearly everyone needs: laundry facility, level sites with privacy, landscaping (can be simple), Wifi if 5G lacks in your area, and possibly an RV wash station if you want to become fancy.
Have simple, basic rules and enforce them.
But, no extras. As much as I’d love a pool, the existence of one usually means divebombing teenagers and screaming kids. I don’t want to pay extra for that! Similar with having dog kennels.
I agree with most of the comments but would like to add No campfires! Use of tobacco only inside your RV.
What is camping without a campfire
For some of us that are sensitive to smoke it would be so much more pleasant to not have smoke filling every inch of our camper. They could have designated fire pits away from the campers.
We choose a park near the destination, or pre-planned stop on the way. We rarely set a park as our destination, but we have done when the park was wonderful. Wonderful includes, but is not limited to, beautiful surroundings, quiet neighbors, amazing gift shop with a good selection of local gifts and general store necessities. Knowledgeable employees with shareable local lore are sometimes the highlight of the trip! We are as likely to stop at a camp with no hook ups as a full hook up spot, but cannot stay without a level area, with back up or pull through access, space to open an awning, and at least some afternoon shade. I am thinking your place will be wonderful because you are thinking of your guests wants.
Appears many are wanting “Taj Mahal” amenities at “Fluffy’s Motel” prices…Sheesh….
Exactly! I don’t need all that craziness to go camping. Insurances for that stuff is high which in turn gets put into the lot rent. Campgrounds are a business and a lot of work. They are there to make money which I may add is mostly seasonal. During the winter months most have very little income. If it’s clean, spaces are decent size, good water,sewer, 50. OR 100 amp service and a friendly atmosphere I’m good to go. It’s not an amusement park it’s an RV park for relaxation.
Depending on the size of the park, a fenced dog run/area, poo bag dispensers in strategic locations. Privacy between sites-hedges, trees for shade etc.
Picnic tables that are sturdy but not so heavy they can’t be moved. We don’t use them but fire rings
I love level sites, and long enough so even though my trailer is 25 ft I love it when I can leave my truck parked in a position so if I choose to hook up the night before leaving I do not block anyone. I look for hiking my first go to. Local things Google misses are a treat too! Sometimes I just need a overnight and here I again love a level site that I can just pull truck and trailer in just hook water/electric and sewer if available without unhooking the truck. In and out made easy. I’m simple! Full HU, pull through level sites and I am happy! Trash pickup is nice too!
Sometimes, the RV park is a place to sleep along the journey, not the destination. As more and more “Overnight Parking” options are shut down in key areas, I’d love to see RV parks have a simple “overflow” area for those who are self-sufficient, i.e., don’t need a water hookup and sewer hookup–and maybe even don’t need a power hookup.
We have traveled the 49 US states and 7 Canadian Provinces. A park that I found to be organized and managed very well is:
Double J Campground
9683 Palm Rd, Chatham, IL 62629
https://doublejcampground.com/
+12174839998
You could obtain a lot of insight as to how a campground should look and operate from a visit to Double J Campground.
Gary R
So much advice! My one input is whatever you do or don’t have, do or don’t offer, do or don’t permit, make it clear in your website or other advertising. You are much more likely to keep customers happy and coming back if they know what to expect. Good photos, including various seasons.
Privacy. Nothing worse than seeing RV sites stacked cheek-to-jowl with nary a bush between them. OK, bad neighbors is worse and good neighbors can mitigate lack of privacy, but privacy is #1 for me.
I agree with some others on the need for some privacy. I know it is not possible for total privacy, but shrub and other plantings can give you some areas that feel less exposed. Jamming sites so close together makes it feel like you are in an apartment with thin walls. Often peace and quiet is just not obtainable.
If you don’t offer full hookups at each site, please have a dump station on site. Thanks!
For my wife and I I have to say not a long list, Restrooms with shower that are clean, lots of trees, spots easy to get into. A nice walking area to enjoy, management that knows how to enforce the rules that need enforcement and others that just need a talking to to keep RV’s up to snuff on the rules and not a list of crazy rules. A pool and Jacuzzi are nice but not needed and a place that is over all quiet, but not muffling the kids before 10 PM. Full hooks ups are a must.
Depends? If you want to compete with KOA, make sure you are near an airport, a busy train crossing or a stock yard.
Clean laundry rooms and facilities are a huge plus. Solid infrastructure (power service) real big.
The customer is not always right. Sometimes they are right, sometimes wrong. Trying to make everyone happy means no one is going to be happy. The demo that reads this publication is different than the one taking selfies all day, walking into fountains backwards. We are the ones that have the bucks and also the time to spend a day, a week or a month.
Good luck. Keep us all posted.
If the photo is of your park, it looks beautiful! But you forgot to tell us the name and location. Our requirements are flat and FHU. No longer swimming’ but a hot tub for our aching arthritic joints is always a huge plus. And yes to being able to enforce the important rules. Wishing you all the best.
Thank you, RV Travel and Scott! 🙂 All we want is a relatively level (front to back and side to side) site, utilities (water and electric with a dump station is enough), some space between and within sites (enough to extend our slides), and a relatively well-maintained road between the campground and nearest highway. Being within 2 or 3 miles of an interstate exit is a bonus. Thanks for asking, good luck with all, hope you don’t regret the venture, and safe travels! 🙂
I have always dispersed camped all of my life. However, my husband has become a bilateral below the knee amputee. He gets around good now. Drives, snowmobiles, gardens etc. we are unable to do dispersed camping for any length of time. My husband has a hard time showering in the tiny shower stall, so we have been experiencing camping in campgrounds. If we go camping for any length of time he has to have a handicap shower. the KOA have some really nice handicap showers. He also has a hard time getting around from point A to point B. Some campgrounds allow side-by-side’s to get around. We tend to gravitate towards those.
Regarding new parks: hard-surface roads & sites are a plus, staggered sites so that you have more privacy, wide spots as many have slides now, having rules and making all abide by them and good access roads. Nice landscaping is a plus. Thanks for asking!
I would say be careful, or maybe strict, about seasonal site maintenance rules. Nobody wants to look at untended flower gardens, three generations of grills and fallen down plastic fences. I hate to sound like an HOA advocate, but the messes around some of those sites really rubs my fur in the wrong direction!
Make sure the water spigots are high enough off the ground that a dog isn’t going to lift a leg on it. I’ve seen some with the neighbors dog tied up within reach, GROSS!
Be sure the water and electrical panel are seperated.
Pads should be level. I was just in a brand new park in Austin, TX, with new concrete pads that were 3-4″ off side to side,Why?
Enough space between sites, and if there are bushes, keep them trimmed so slides don’t hit them.
we have a KOA that we visit every year. i re reserve as soon as we can and i dont even care about the cost. it has a pool, playground, activities for the kids, small hiking areas and a great fully stocked store. and its close to other attractions. oh, and full hook ups. if i had one thing for him to make sure he does….it would be think about keeping the kids busy!
Thanks for asking! Great signage to the park; wide and clear area for rigs to park for check in; good level wide roads and 45 degree back ins, many pull thrus (no 90 degree back ins); the sewer connection – threaded and low to the ground so gravity helps even the lowest rig connections; water faucet not too near the sewer (yuk); 30A and 50A electrical (and you might consider electric car charging for a nominal fee); a concrete pad and paved roads are a plus, but not needed. Make sure the sites are level – gravel is ok, grass is not. No posts or landscaping rocks at the front of the site making it hard to back in. Some shade trees, but no worries about branches hurting roofs. Passport America
We don’t care about amenities. We just like paved interior roads, a little grass and trees. Sometimes we will play pickleball but mainly we ride bikes and go on walks. Nice of you, Scott, to ask.
People want cheap rates but forget all those amenities cost money. When I go camping I never use the pool. if I need recreation I go for a drive or take walks. My favorite amenities is a nice fire pit on my lot. That’s camping to me.
Well marked rv sites, so the people like my fresh new neighbors don’t park inside my space.
I tend to return to parks that have good wifi and are easy to park in. I appreciate a good walking path around the grounds. Extra bonus is a hot tub and live music on a weekend night or a social event to get to know the neighbors..
My husband and I look for smaller places to avoid crowded parks. Spacious sites get us to return along with a fenced area for our dog to be off leash
Really you expect a campground to put up little fencing areas for rvers dogs. Get real go to a pet store or chewy and buy a fold up pen
I think they were talking about a fenced in dog park. I have been to many campgrounds with them and they are great. They have water, and doggy bags to cleanup the poop. I am being real !! Thanks
Some even have agility courses for dogs that like that.
Best advice: have the sites staggered so each rv isn’t lined up next to the adjoining one. Separate sections for family and groups away from a quiet camping area for others. A small store with ice, snacks, etc., including shower and laundry facilities. Cater to folks who want to relax without having to have a resort experience. Post and enforce camp rules to insure a peaceful, pleasant atmosphere!
1.Having 2 small dogs we travel frequently but find we don’t ever go back to parks with a lot of stickers/thorns/cockleburs in the grass areas. Some parks are really bad and you can’t go barefoot. We will never go back! We literally spent more time picking off stickers off the dogs than time spent on a walk. No fun! Definitely a deal breaker.
2. Good Wi-Fi is an added plus for us.
3. Shade. Esp if it’s hot out
4. Cement pads not gravel sites. Not a deal breaker but way better. Roomy site
5. Sewer. And nice laundry facilities.
6. Nice picnic table/firepit.
7. No low branches that may damage RV.
8. Lil store added plus.
9. Bonus stars is hot tubs
Wifi. Clean bathrooms. Pool and kiddie park would be nice. Most important space. We don’t like going to campgrounds where you can barely put your canopy out. Your sitting outside on top of neighbors sewer line. So space is very important
Trees florida is very hot in summer. Hope this helps. Good luck with your new endeavor.
Sitting in a campground where every site is pulled into (many just a c of the road). No problems backing in and tons of privacy as we face the woods. Quiet time and lights out on your site when going in so the park is dark and the stars are bright. Best amenity is adult only pool area / hot tub, beverages allowed
Cedar fencing between sites
No neighbors sewer hookups visible.
We love a great amount of green belt.
Fire pit at each site
Keep your place as a campground for those traveling or visiting to see the sights/family/friends. We are tired of being mixed in with “full time residents” that feel they don’t have to follow the stated rules we have to follow.
Have a ring down system to alert customers of things as important as power outages.
Actually ENFORCE your stated rules. Don’t turn a blind eye to those making others miserable.
Cement pads and spacious spots. Those are the two items that we look for to keep going back to an RV park.
Hello Scott!
Congratulations on your new adventure. You are getting all kinds of suggestions here from Kiddie Pools to dog parks to good WiFi!
From the sound of things, you purchased an existing park so I’m guessing the layout is already pretty much set. I love a paved, level spot with plenty of room but as you know, older campgrounds just weren’t designed for multiple slides on both sides of rigs. So, if there is a way to make your sites more spacious, many folks would appreciate the room.
I’m also a sucker for nice landscaping, a nice patio-side area with a table, BBQ and fire-pit area. I also realize these things are not cheap…
Best of luck and keep us all posted!
Sorry wrong space
You definitely have a lot of comments to go thru. People have different opinions on what camping is in the 1st place. My family has camped for years. I grew up as a Girl Scout camping in canvas tents with no floor. We raised our 3 children camping in a 3 room metal pole tent, then down graded to a smaller, 1 room pop up type tent until older age and mobility issues made us consider a travel trailer which at one time we would see in camp grounds, shake our heads and declare that’s not camping! ( With our apologies..) Our camper is just the basics.. no TV, a bed off the ground and our own toilet. We NEVER go expecting to have amenities of home. We want to be out in the woods enjoying nature.
That being said, sorry was too lengthy for all I planned to say… We like clean showers and flush toilets, wooded lots not too close to each other. No seasonal or year round “residents”. No planned group activities, no swimming pools or extras to jack up prices. We like simple, private camping. Electric and water/sewage is very nice, but not a necessity. Where we like to go for our nearby, weekend has no hook ups just a clean shower n restrooms…. There’s water and a dump station at the gate.. that’s all we need. We like to CAMP
Depends on what you are wanting to do.
If you want a camp ground, keep it basic and private. Plant life between the sites. Keep night lighting dim and low, rather then using lights on power polls use lights that shine dimly on the ground that are 2-3 feet off the ground. This gives enough light for safely navigating, but does not disturb the nights darkness.
If you want an RV park/resort, you will need the amenities to make it worth it. That would likely be a pool, and other activities.
My last comment, keep long term tenants to an absolute minimum. Nothing kills the camp ground vibe like someone’s RV setup like a mobile home with a porch and all their junk around the site.
Level parking pads.
Big congrats, Scott! I love that you’re thinking about reaching out on public forums for advice. High five for that! With your RV tech skills, you have a built-in opportunity to leverage your expertise offering on-site technical support or workshops! But before delving too far into the sea of public opinion, I encourage you to step back and ask: Who do you want to attract? Is it outdoor enthusiasts, families, or maybe digital nomads? Tailor your park’s features to their needs—think scenic views, pet-friendly amenities, unique local partnerships and/or communal offerings. Create experiences that make your park not just a place to stay, but a community to remember. Cheers to your success!