When you pull into your campground, what do you expect to find? If you’ve done research ahead of time, you already know if you’ll have full hookups, laundry, shower facilities, and perhaps a campground store. What if you could advise the campground owners about some extra little niceties? What “extras” would you suggest?
I’ve been following a few RV threads over the past couple of weeks that address this topic: How can a campground go above and beyond without breaking the bank or having to charge you (the RVer) a lot more in fees? Here are some suggestions from fellow RVers:
Parking assistance
Many campgrounds were built years ago and are best suited for smaller RVs. Folks with larger rigs appreciate it when the campground manager leads them to their site and helps them get situated.
Daily trash pickup
Several campers say they appreciate that campground personnel come by each day to collect RVers’ trash. All you have to do is place your securely tied trash bag(s) at your site marker by a designated time, and camp personnel will come by and take care of it for you.
Food truck
Yes, some camps have a local food truck come around one or two days each week. RVers love a night off from cooking and they don’t even need to leave the park! Food trucks like the idea, too, because they do a booming business with a somewhat “captive” audience.
On-site mobile repair service
Yes, really! I’ve never seen this, but evidently, some RV parks offer mobile repair to folks who camp in their campground. I’d be happy just to have the camp manager offer recommendations of nearby, honest, skilled service people who can work on my rig.
Campground RV washing area
All that would be needed is a hose, water spigot, and good drainage. The camp store could sell cleaning supplies and folks could wash their own rigs.
Walking trails
While higher-end campgrounds offer paved trails throughout their property, budget-minded campers suggested that with an extra bit of grass mowing, others could also offer this amenity.
Secure pet enclosures
More and more campers travel with pets. Having a fenced area where Fido can run off-leash for a while is a nice perk. (Yes, fencing would be an initial expense but pet owners would really appreciate it!)
Separate parking lot for additional vehicles
While most campgrounds allow each camper one vehicle per site, it would be a nice amenity to have a separate parking lot where friends and/or visitors can park. This would not need to be a paved area.
Firewood for sale
It’s not a good idea to transport firewood from home to the campground. But it would be nice to at least have wood available if you choose to have a campfire.
Pet sitting perk
This would free up pet owners to take longer sightseeing trips around the area. Or go to a movie in a nearby town. The campground could charge a fee, and I’ll bet many pet owners would love this service.
Cinnamon buns and margaritas!
Okay, now you’re talking! One gal reported that the owner of the small campground where she recently stayed brought out fresh cinnamon buns each morning for campers. (Did I mention at no charge? The wife just loves to bake!) Another RVer was blown away because the campground manager drove around the campground every afternoon and offered a free margarita to campers who wanted to celebrate Happy Hour! (She couldn’t remember the name or location of the campground but if you know it, please tell us!)
Well, what do you think about these extra “perks”? Can you think of additional amenities that campground owners could provide with little to no cost? Share your ideas!
Related:
Top 10 campground pet peeves of RVtravel.com readers
##RVT1025
I agree with parking assistance. The park where we currently stay is not marked very well so sites are hard to locate. Many rigs are not parked correctly sometimes taking up more than one site. The park personnel don’t assist with parking! I also like a dog area where they can run off the leash. We don’t have that either. I think its time to move on….
I love it when campgrounds offer delivery of wood and ice to your site.it is easier than carrying it back!
All of these things would be nice but there goes the price upward again. We want a nice well planned campground with the water, sewer and good 50 amp power. Prices are rising and more luxury things are not necessary for most of us. also, please don’t tell me how to park my motorhome, I know how by myself!
A list of locally owned businesses. Wherever we go we like to support the local community (other than the campground). I wish that all campgrounds had a readily available list of local businesses.
I really vote for the pet sitter idea (if one has a vote that is). For us we can not conceive leaving our boxer alone locked up inside the motorhome for very long. That is not fair to the dog or the neighbors that have to listen to her voice her dislike of abandonment. We go to one park every year that has the service offered from a long term resident in the park.
As for ideas that would go the extra mile the park could offer a list of available services at checkin. Who and how to contact services such as pet sitters, vehicle wash services (or places to do it) meal delivery services above and beyond pizza delivery (the food truck is a great idea) or simply a list of recommended close by dining services, repair services or laundromats (if they don’t have one on site). These lists could come from staff or prior customers, printed on a handout or even posted on a board. Local business is what many visitors are interested in. We can get the national chain stuff anywhere as we travel.
Hair cuts! Hard to find and would be great in the campground or at least close by services that do a good job….. Wife’s add on comment.
Micheal, my wife worked as a hairstylist for 30 years. Often when getting ready for a camping outing we don’t find time for her to cut my hair so she’ll bring her bag of supplies and cut my hair at the campground. It is amazing how many people will walk by or stop and ask, mostly in jest, if they’re next. I told my wife if she posted a sign at the campsites “Hair cuts men $10 women $15” she would make enough to cover the cost of our trip in a day. She’s not interested.
Yeah….and I’d really like to have someone drop in to do a pedicure also!
We love staying at a park with walking trails.
I second the site delivery of firewood and ice. Also, we really enjoy live entertainment around a campfire.
I love when there are walking trails. Also appreciate parking assistance for back in sites. We recently upsized from a 19 foot TT to a 32 foot fifth, and there has been a learning curve!!!
We mostly travel to see the sites around us, not to spend lots of time in the RV, the park itself, or in activities at the park. We find prices are considerably higher when these amenities are available, so we rarely stay in these type of parks. The first thing we do after parking, is to take a tour of the town, and check out things to see and do in the area. However, we do enjoy visiting with other campers and walking in the RV parks we stay in. Our main goal of RV travel is to see the USA.
Reliable WiFi. I have been to one RV Park that had just that. Was great. We had no phone service so it was good WiFi worked so we could use our phones. The service even allowed everyone to Stream.
When everyone streams I can’t even check my e-mail. There’s hardly a service out there that will support all the campers streaming stuff at the same time. People need to remember the golden rule.
Last night I got a scorched plug because yet another power pedestal was neglected and had spiders living in it and weaving webs on it. Last week a dirt dauber wasp had gotten in one, there I was with a brand new surge protector, dealing with this crud, too late to request a different site.
I don’t need bells and whistles, and I don’t want the price jumping $5 a year to pay for them. I need clean power that someone wipes off and inspects once a year, a water tap I don’t have to crawl on the ground to use, a picnic table free of bird doo, and a clean shower with a bench to put my things on and 3 hooks. Is it so hard to provide these basics?
I’d be willing to bet you have a 30a rig.- If so, consider getting a 50 to 30a dog bone when there’s 50a service available.
I do, and I did use it. That plug was also covered with spiderwebs. So far so good but purely by luck. Are we all supposed to carry around compressors to blow out pedestals rather than expect a slight bit of maintenance?
Mike Sokol recommends Deoxit D-5. I’ve been using it for a couple of years and it works great- you don’t need a compressor. The situation is that these plugs and breakers have been used and abused so often they don’t work too well anymore.
Where is the trail in the photo that you started out your enjoyable list?? Thanx – 🙂
I understand why hotels have check-in and check-out times. It’s because they clean the rooms. RV campgrounds mostly have the same thing, except very, very few actually examine the equipment, pick up any trash, maybe clean the picnic table. If they aren’t going to do those things, we could do away with checkin/checkout times. If not, examine the site, clean it up and do any repairs. At least pick one.
As a workcamper, one of the main reasons those things don’t get done is the 80% of campers who insist on checking in early!! Folks are pushing both ends and it leaves no time for site prep. If you leave at the 1 minute before the 2:00 checkout time, and the next guy has been sitting there since noon waiting to roll into the site, guess what? You don’t get the services that are supposed to happen between check-in and checkout.
Without check-in/-out times, that site prep would be almost impossible.
I agree with “Wanderer”, A basic RV park & campground where everything works and everything is clean. Rules that folks live by or leave. Prices based on the size and weight of the rig.
Yes to on-site mobile RV repair, RV washing area and walking trails. The other stuff has little to no appeal to us; although I can see they might appeal to others. As far as firewood is concerned, we would rather (wood) campfires be banned altogether. They are simply not healthful nor good for the environment. No need to trash me on this; I already know that at least half of you out there believe they are an important element to camping. Maybe it’s time to consider a portable propane fire pit?
The campground we winter in had been a KoA that defaulted and is now operated by the City.
Trouble is none of them are campers so when we make simple suggestions like put a list up of open sites for late arrivals they look at it as extra work.
The town offers little but they won’t open the camp store because it would compete with the $ Store 🙁
There is a guy coming thru selling corn out of his pickup and we’ve told him he should carry firewood too
Give me the basics however a list of stores and services in the local area would be helpful. Also allow on site RV repairs, just in case the slides, awning or leveling jacks decide to not work.
Thinking about putting up a sign in front of camper offering pet sitting services ie checking on the pet and walks every few hours for a nominal fee.
would be a great idea – just make sure you get your own liability insurance just like a home visiting pet sitter to protect your assets in case of an accident
Just the basics please, no frills. Do only a few things but do them well.
Amen, Irv! The more baloney they add, the price simply goes up whether you use it or not. Too many CGs can’t keep things working day to day. Just use the KISS theory.
I agree!
Amen. Or perhaps a cafeteria-style pricing plan. Pay for what you need…not for what you get but don’t need.
I agree. Why should we have to pay for what we do not need or use?
My suggestion is a small space(eg cabinet) for give a book, take a book. In addition, a swing under a tree where you could sit and read. The park where we are staying is working on that project now.
I’m in for cinnamon buns & margaritas!
I’ll say that I’d sure like that garbage pickup and food truck service(s).
Yeah, I’ve been in those campgrounds with ‘pickup service’. No thanks, don’t like walking around a campground strewn with garbage bags.
I’ve thought for some time that campgrounds with sites that aren’t level should have leveling blocks there for your use. After all, they know it’s not level and can do the math to know what’s needed to make a rig level. I carry a good supply of levelers but it would sure be easier if the right selection to level a rig was in each un-level site.
Just camped at a fish camp – on Saturdays they had a free fish fry lunch for everyone while the mullet man taught people how to catch mullet on a cane pole from the bank (with things they conveniently sold inside the camp store – and I did catch my first 3 ever so no complaint)
What I loved about camping as a kid way back when was the recreation hall at most campgrounds – us kids always got to meet others our age to hang out with while parents got a bit of peace & quiet for the price of a few quarters for the pinball or pool tables for us. Rarely see anything like that anymore fitting with society now letting kids meet on electronics instead of in person….
I’ve been to campgrounds with a food truck which is nice. But other than that no thanks. Level sites should be expected. We just like parks where all the hookups work, otherwise we don’t usually hang out at the rv park. I
especially do not like to be told someone will help me park, my wife and I have our system down pat.
Directions to the nearest supermarket would be a nice addition to the site map handed out when you check in. It should also list the park’s PSI (water pressure) and a general indication on effective cellular availability, especially Verizon’s service since it is by far the most popular. All of this info could be easily added to the park’s website.
We are “younger” retirees who spend about 4 winter months either south or west escaping NoPA winters and usually spend about a month at a time in one place as we search for that location where we will eventually spend our entire winters. My husband is an author who works on the road and our preferred evening viewing entertainment is streaming services. Having the ability to get dedicated, secure internet off the cable hook up for an additional fee per month would be wonderful. So far we’ve only found one park in FL that offered that option (and for only an additional $20.) They supplied the modem/router and hooked it up for you.
Propane service would be great as well. When available it’s often in an area that big rigs have difficulty accessing. Either a longer fill hose that can get to the opposite of the rig or bi-directional access is needed. We lucked into one campground outside of Philadelphia that actually had mobile propane service that filled your tank on your site.
All these extras are nice but tend to drive up the costs of staying there. If your going to drive up the costs I personally would prefer to pay more for more SPACE between campsites.
while traveling I really love it when meals are available, especially after a long travel day. The first time I found this as I checked in at a park in Idaho Falls. It was HOT, the day had been long, coming from Oregon. As I checked in they asked if we wanted a meal b rought right to our RV. Oh yes! A delicious dinner arrived about 40 minutes later. Next was in Willcox< AZ. The KOA there has breakfasts and dinners that can come direct to your RV. We got a pizza in Salina, KS at the KOA as well. While we can and do make delicious meals on the road, some days it is just plain nice to eat someone else’s cooking!
We typically do not look for a lot of amenities. Just like to have a nice safe place to park while we explore the area that we are at. My wife does like a swimming pool during hot weather but the biggest plus that I would like to see is an area to wash your RVs. It can be extremely difficult locating a car wash with large enough bays and sometimes they can get quite expensive. Always appreciate the campgrounds that do allow you to wash on site for a nominal fee.
I think camp grounds should be “camp” grounds— lots of amenities are not needed for people wanting simple outings in nature. Save all the extras for the rv parks and resorts. Both types of facilities are in demand, just not necessarily by the same groups of people. We prefer a place where we can park in a natural setting and perhaps watch some local wildlife rather than the tv next door. A 30amp hookup, a potable water source, a dump station and maybe a clean bath house and we feel like we have found heaven.
I think it would be awesome for onsite pet service. Especially when you’re not real close to things to do. If you want to spend the day at the beach and dogs arent allowed, it would be great! Charges would only be incurred if you choose it. Along those lines, allowing having a pet fence area at your camp for when you’re outside. Your dog doesnt want to be on a leash ALL the time! Our dog is a country dog who always ran free and never knew what a leash was until he was about 6 years old. He won’t even go anywhere when we’re out there, but he has to have a leash.