RV owners in the U.S who are in search of a little more luxury and TLC may soon have more options.
Camp Collective is a new concept in camping systems that was announced in early May. The new company is led by Quentin Incao, a self-described “hospitality guru” who currently operates a firm called Q Hospitality Management in Missoula, Montana. Q Hospitality has decades of experience in the boutique hotel sector.
What is Camp Collective?
The Camp Collective RV park concept is a bit different. Incao said the brand will be known for its extremely high levels of hospitality and services available to RVers. The quality of the high-end services will be strictly controlled because Incao and his group will own or operate every location. There won’t be any franchised parks. He said all of the Camp Collective parks with be either owned outright by his company; be leased from an owner by Camp Collective; or be directly operated by Camp Collective through a management contract.
Incao said that level of total control is needed in order to deliver the high level of services he envisions. Yet while he plans to provide many extras that may be new to most RVers, he doesn’t plan to price Camp Collective parks beyond the reach of the typical RV owners.
“We just weren’t finding anything in the current RV park and glamping market that was a true system of locations offering a high-end, elevated brand experience for RVers and glampers. There are several beautiful one-off locations, but a system of destinations just isn’t there.”
While Camp Collective would welcome all RVers with open arms, Incao isn’t shy about saying he’s taking aim at the next generation of RV travelers. “Our guests would be those looking for well-curated locations that are more detail-oriented than they may have experienced elsewhere. Camp Collective locations will be into the details of online connectivity, landscaping, and food service, to name a few. We’ll create destinations where you are free to choose whether you want to be connected or unplugged. If you need something delivered to your site, we’ll make it happen. We will be like Ace Hotels meets WeWork.”
When is it coming?
Incao and his group plan to open their first two locations by the end of 2021, and then add from 3-5 more parks in popular locations each year. Right now, Incao is focused on generating the funding he’ll need to purchase and lease the parks, and also make the necessary improvements to bring amenities up to his high brand standards. He isn’t ready to announce just where the first parks will be located.
A visit to the company’s website shows a site intentionally lacking guest marketing materials. It’s instead targeted toward potential investors. Incao is looking to purchase, lease or contract for parks with at least 70 RV sites that also have the potential to add a few glamping options. He said it’s important to quickly establish Camp Collective as a legitimate brand in order to capture and maintain market share in the rapidly expanding camping market.
“This will be an elevated outdoor experience with an approachable price point. We’ll always be predominately RV destination parks, with just a kiss of glamping,” he said.
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To each their own. Having come up the ranks of backpacking then tent camping to pop-up then trailer then class C, I have seen first hand how the definition of “camping” is different for everyone, and even different for a given individual at different points in life. I can’t tell you how many campground reviews I’ve read that mention the ability or inability for satellite TV reception…and this has been or many years, so I’m pretty sure there are a lot of boomers and gen-X “campers” out there that consider satellite TV as part of their camping experience, so I have to ask where that line is that gets crossed from camping to glamping? Like I said, I really believe that line is different for everyone and there is room out there for all of us.
Another thought I had on this is varying needs and desires for different trips. In the hotel/motel realm there are times that people just need something like a Motel 6 for the night and times they want something like a Ritz-Carlton and times they want something in between like a Courtyard. Offerings at varying levels for folks who travel via RV make sense to me, and I might try one of these fancy places for something special like an anniversary…but I might stay overnight in a Walmart parking lot on the way!
Thank you Kasey for taking the time to read Mike’s article about Camp Collective, we think your insight is spot on and appreciate your “big picture view” when it comes to what we are offering. While we are closer to a “Marriott” than the Motel 6 or Four Seasons (in your example), we realize that our services and amenities are not what everyone is searching for, and that’s ok.
We look forward to seeing you as a guest once we open.
I don’t understand why people here are getting all worked up about this type of “camping”. No one is forcing you to go there. The other camping sites will still be around and you can still do your type style of camping. If someone wants to camp differently than you do, it’s their business and their right, just as those who want to camp minimally have a right to do. I think this is a great idea because it will keep those type of campers away from the more minimalistic sites which I like better.
Thank you, Michael, we think your comments are spot on and while everyone is welcome to their opinion, you are correct, there will always be many, many other options out there, depending on what you are looking for, Camp Collective will just be one of them.
Thank you for taking the time to read the article and to comment, have a wonderful summer full of great travel.
Now the breed of people that have SUV’s that NEVER see dirt, will have a place to go glamping. The future of camping excluding insects and animals without ear tags. We are doomed as a species.
I’m getting more and more discussed with Camping, which I’ve been doing for 40 years now. The idea behind camping was to disconnect from society, regenerate and reconnect with nature’s and not feeling like being in a hotel. It’s bad enough that everybody thinks they have to go camping, like it’s the newest fad, but they also want to redefine what camping is really all about. It’s sad that some people can only see the $$$$ regardless of what it does to the industry and the true meaning of camping. It’s bad enough we have all these corporations taking over the manufacturing industry of the RV’s, just look at those horror stories to see where this glamming concept is going. If you want all the frills and catering then go to a hotel or better yet, go on a cruise! As RV’ers we need to stand up and fight for what we want and not what some company wants to convince us we need. Camping was a way to spend family quality time to reconnect and bond together, not be entertained. We’re losing..
Well said Candy.
I agree. I feel it is just another way to up the price on campgrounds. Plus all the newbies are trashing so many free camping areas, I can’t even imagine leaving a piece of paper behind much less trash scattered everywhere. Prayers for all of the older campers!😊
Thank you Candy for taking the time to read Mike’s article about Camp Collective, we thank you for your feedback and respect your opinion. While we are not offering “catering”, we are offering a service level that is desired by many RV travelers. We realize that our services and amenities are not what everyone is searching for, and that’s ok, there are so many other destination parks to choose from.
Have a wonderful summer and safe travels.
I envision an Amusement park atmosphere with Lots of stuff for kiddies & grown up kiddies to occupy their time in a parking lot style setup with ‘ manicured’ patches of lawn & lots of Get Togethers complete with Caterers!! Oh & Top Security Measures 24/7…
How about just Adding Basic Services like hookups to the National Park campgrounds in their Beautiful Settings??
Thank you Momads2 for taking the time to read Mike’s article about Camp Collective and for your comments, we appreciate it.
No “amusement atmosphere or parking lot style parks” for us, just great destinations with space between RVs for you to relax or work remotely, whatever you decide to do.
We hope you have a great summer full of exciting adventures and destinations.
After reading the article I checked out the website. I’d love to hear the pitch to a local planning commission or city/county council. The aim seems to be to separate Gen Z campers from their money more efficiently. It appears to be a lofty goal to provide all the services they seem to promise on their web page. Maybe, if they succeed, they will siphon off the demographic they want at some of the most popular tourist areas. That will be great for those of us who don’t want/need a bunch of services. Might even free up some sites at older campgrounds in out of the way areas.
Hello, MrDisaster,
Thank you for taking the time to read Mike’s article and for your comments.
We realize that our services and amenities are not what everyone is searching for, and that’s ok, there are so many parks to choose from these days, depending on the service level and amenities you are looking for.
Safe travels this summer, wherever it takes you.
If they could only make it look like the RV Park in the movie “The Long, Long Trailer”.
Wow. “Corporate speak”in the finest. Sounds like some off of a companies website or mission statement or corporate portfolio. These sound great for the up and coming brand new. Until…… the novelty wears off in a few years (5-10). Generations X, Y and Z won’t be able to keep their attention any longer than that. Corporate will bleed to death on the inside and another corporation will take on the debt in a buyout, level it and “re-gen” the property into another purpose.
Good bye mom and pop campgrounds. These hedge fund hipsters will offer you a pretty penny $$$. Take it, I say.
Thank you Ken for your feedback on the article, no “corporate-speak” here, just a small hospitality company trying to create an elevated destination within the RV park space for those seeking those kinds of amenities and services, whether Gen-Z or Boomer, we welcome all.
There comes a point where you have to admit you do not wish to actually camp. If you can afford that level of “luxury” why not leave the campsites to folks who actually enjoy nature and go haul your big screen & washer/dryer to a permanent trailer park?
Pick your poison…$59 a night for lousy WiFi, substandard electrical, outdated cable TV hookups. Sites that aren’t level and a mix of old RVs in long term rental sites. I’d gladly spend more for a quality stay that will make the business case for the owner to stay clean, modern and a remarkable stay.
When I’m “just passing thru” I’ll do Boondockers Welcome, Harvest Hosts, or someday maybe a 10 Buck Chuck’s with minimal pay as you go services. There’s plenty of room for improvement and something for everyone in the hosting space.
It’s time for the mediocre RV parks to step up or cash out and let someone else give it a shot.
Thank you Bill for those spot-on comments, we appreciate your insight and perspective when it comes to what we are offering. Offering that consistent experience at a clean park with current amenities and strong WIFI is what we’re about, unfortunately as you mentioned there are many RV parks that could use some of this kind of “love”. We realize that our services and amenities are not what everyone is searching for, and that’s ok.
We look forward to seeing you as a guest once we open, have a great summer.
What has happened to the KISS factor,(keep it simple stupid). I don’t want delivery service when camping. I don’t need rose bushes all around my site. A little space,a fire ring, good neighbors, and a few shade trees. I’m looking to get away from city life and the working rat race. And if you make these amenities cost $150.00 a night, you won’t see me there. Harvest Hosts here we come.
I don’t think they want you there, or any of us “older” RV’ers. It stated in the writeup: ” they are catering to the ‘next’ generation of travelers.” Oh well…they won’t be seeing me either.
Amen to that high end camping means high end prices i go camping to enjoy the wilderness the rivers and nature not park on a concrete slab and be catered to at 150 a night. Sounds ridiculous to me. Won’t see me there either.
Sounds like another “Sun Resorts” concept where they go in, purchase or lease existing parks, then jack the prices into the stratosphere. You notice the guy isn’t using his own money.
Sounds a lot like the original plan of KOA. A standardized campground chain and we all know the path down the dump station they took.