Not many people would disagree that the United States is in an inflationary period. Prices are on the rise from the grocery store to the fuel pump and to campgrounds across the country. Are costs really rising or has “greedflation” taken over RV campgrounds?
No lack of customers
If you’ve experienced difficulties in making RV campsite reservations lately, you already know that campgrounds have no lack of customers. Since the COVID pandemic, hordes of folks have purchased RVs and are hitting the highways in record-breaking numbers. High demand drives higher prices.
In some areas of the country, the lack of affordable housing has also provided campgrounds and RV parks with an abundance of customers. Folks who cannot afford housing anywhere else see campgrounds as a viable option. Most RVs come with a price tag that costs less than purchasing a stix-n-brix home. People on limited income are taking advantage of this housing option.
Why more fees?
Besides the reality of supply and demand, I asked one campground owner, “Why are prices rising so fast in RV parks?”
Worker wages. He told me that, in his case, workers are demanding higher wages. “My wife and I aren’t getting any younger. We need outside help to keep everything going in the park. If we find and train a good, dependable worker, we have to pay them higher wages so that they won’t go looking for work someplace else.”
Other owners of small, privately owned campgrounds noted that prices for food, goods and services, fuel, and more, are hitting their private budgets just like everyone else. To make their own ends meet, they will charge more for stays in their campgrounds.
No end to fees
It may seem as if some RV park owners know no limits when it comes to inventing extra fees. Is this “greedflation” or simple economics? Here are a few of the extra campground charges I’ve seen recently:
- Reservation fees. Some campgrounds charge a fee for making a reservation, no matter how you reserve a space.
- Utility fees. Do not assume that your overnight charge includes basic amenities. Campgrounds may charge extra for utilities like electricity, water, and sewer hookups.
- Cancellation fee. Yes, some campgrounds get to your wallet both coming and going! Unless your plans are set in stone, check directly with the campground to get clarification on their cancellation fees. No one wants to pay for the night(s) they were unable to use due to weather conditions, vehicle breakdowns, illness, etc.
- Extra vehicle fees. Extra charges are sometimes imposed for any additional vehicles beyond the RV itself. Tow vehicles, motorcycles, or cars may be allowed only if you pay this extra fee.
- Extra person fees. Some campgrounds may charge extra fees for additional people beyond a certain number, such as guests or children. (I know it sounds bad, but park owners say they use the fee to help pay for liability insurance.)
- Pet fees. If you choose to bring your dog, cat, bird, ferret, or “other,” you may face an extra charge—even if you insist that your pet will remain inside your RV at all times. Campgrounds vary in how they assess this fee: Some parks will charge per pet, while others impose fees based on the length of your stay. Note: Paying the “pet fee” does not mean that the campground will pick up your pet’s poo. That’s still a job you must do yourself!
- Resort fees. It used to be that only high-end, resort-style campgrounds charged a resort fee. Not so anymore! Today, campgrounds that feature swimming pools, hot tubs, and recreational activities (e.g., sports courts, dog parks, fishing pond) may charge an additional fee for campers who want access to those amenities. (Related: RV parks changing their names to “RV resorts” so they can charge more, but no “resort” amenities to be found)
- Late check-in fees. If you arrive late or pull into the campground after-hours, you may see a late-check-in fee on your final bill.
- Special dates. If you reserve a campsite for a holiday weekend, don’t be surprised to see that the nightly rate is significantly higher than for other non-holiday weekends. Again, supply and demand push this extra fee.
- Resort tax. This fee is often added for RV park amenities like laundry rooms, Wi-Fi, gym equipment, and more. (It’s important to remember that some states require RV parks to charge this fee. It may be called a transient occupancy fee, hotel tax, or tourism tax.)
Check for yourself
To avoid any unwanted surprises, it’s important that you check each campground’s policies and fees before making a reservation. Ask questions and then ask follow-up questions to make sure you know exactly what your final stay will cost.
Have you ever been surprised by an additional campground fee? Tell us about it in the comments below, please.
##RVT1105
Also we are seeing “site lock in fee.” Required to guarantee you get the site you reserved, otherwise the campground might move you to another comparable site.
I just recently paid for a site lock in fee in SD. I was fine with it. We are seasonal campers, and we budget for the increases that are most likely inevitable as inflation increases. I don’t blame rv parks for added fees, as I much prefer staying somewhere that is well maintained for a little more money than somewhere for less money, and gamble that you get what you pay for.
Yeah Dave I think this is an unfair fee. You book a particular site likely away from the main road, playground or whatever it is you desire in a spot only upon booking checkout to be hit with a fee to “lock in” your spot. Excuse me didn’t I just do that when I picked my spot? Kinda like the airlines charging a fee to pick your actual seat. These RV parks and or “resorts” should either allow you to choose a spot from what’s available when you book or first come first serve upon arrival. Personally I think recreation.gov gets it right with allowing you to choose your spot from what’s available? I also like their low cancelation fee of $8 up until I think 48 hours before? The sites are very reasonable especially with a lifetime seniors pass which gives you 50% off !!! We travel a fair amount stay in private, county, state and federal campgrounds. Haven’t boondock much although there’s plenty available here out West. We just booked a site by Yosemite this early fall and (rarely) ponied up the extra $15 to lock in our site. I would only pay this extra fee if it was a destination stop rather than a stopover. Personally after RV’ing 10,000 miles a year (part time) for the last few years we have no problem getting sites even last minute and the average price a night tends to be around $50-$60. Still cheap enough. Fuel cost$ though, Ouch !!!
As a campground owner, we have not implemented any of the above fees to our campers. Have our prices went up…….yes, but our expenses have went up. Wages, fuel, cost to replace equipment or buy new equipment, chemicals to treat ponds, utilities, even chlorine went from $50 to $200 for 50 lbs. Greedflation…….not with us but we do want to operate in the black.
I’ve had campgrounds add an inflated per pet fee with no notice. Some also have added an extra person fee for any child over three years old. Their excuses are ridiculous.
How about the “guarantee your site fee”. Have seen it as high as $50. Outrageous.
That’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back! If you reserved a specific site, paid in full for it, why in the heck would it be given to someone else? Didn’t they also reserve and pay for their site? Why have a site available, just have a reserve system and allow RV’ers to select available site upon arrival, thus eliminating this “fee”! Yes, Outrageous!
We just encountered this fee while making our summer plans. It’s completely absurd!
I paid a 100.00 guarantee fee for this August.
Recreation.gov and ReserveAmerica.com want $8 or $10 to reserve and the same to cancel. That much to cancel seems like a bit much, plus not getting the first day cost back in some cases. I stay out of private campgrounds and resorts.
False. recreation.gov does NOT have a reservation fee. I use it many times a year and there has never been a reservation fee. Don’t like a cancellation fee? Plan better.
Everything I’ve noticed from this website basically points to one thing, they want Campground rates to stay exactly the way they were when they started camping in 1992, they want to pay for nothing extra and want everything perfect still. Ugh, does anyone own a business who writes for this website??? Niche hobbies that are attractive and fun start to attract other people and therefore the industry grows and demand for quality and services and amenities increase, which also increases costs that are always going to be passed down the consumer. Sorry America your demand for low skill minimum wage type jobs to be doubled in price over the last 15 years have also uncreated this ridiculous wage hike which is also passed down to the consumer. That’s how business works. Operational costs are way more than it was 30 years ago, and therefore your RV site rental costs are increased. All this nickel and dime stuff above are one-offs and antidotal examples. Yiu get what you PAY for.
When the prices are rivaling air bnb and hotels, RV parks are getting into problem zones with customers.
It isn’t just about the 1990s, but even just the last 3-4 years. I paid 62 bucks a night last year at a KOA in N/E Indiana. This year they wanted $110.00 for the same site. I went elsewhere and paid less than last year.
Michigan State parks has an interesting cancellation policy. I’ve yet to figure out the math but goes by when booked & for how long & when cancellation was made. Booked 3 days, 6 months prior & cancelled 2-1/2 weeks before . We got 1/3 of our money back. Plus paid $36 for a pass that was never used.
Most of the “Greed Inflation” campgrounds I have run into the past few years are corporate campgrounds. Wall St. woke up and decided there was big money to be made in RV Parks and they have gobbled up hundreds of them across the nation. KOA has also got in on the gold rush by throwing down a few pavers and calling sites Premium sites for an extra hundred a night.
We own a rv spot in Port Aransas and rent it out when we are not there. The park does charge a resort fee to the renter but in this case the fee goes to the owner to help cover the cost of the renters use of our electricity.
From giant greedy companies like Sun Outdoors and others gobbling up family run RV parks to KOA & Jellystone raising rates left and right, they’re driving RVing into the price stratosphere. Before much longer, road tripping with motels will be more cost effective, even before you figure in fuel and maintenance costs.
For people like you and I that understood that RVing was a luxury for all these years, the interloper that is today’s camping demographic will fade (I hope). IMO a soft familiar pillow, my own coffee cup and coffee maker, a channel changer that’s familiar and cozy fire in the evening is luxury. The glampers of today will will fade in time as they realize camping/rving is no longer the more affordable option. The maintenance of an RV for many in this neweest generation will overwhelm them and they will return to the room service model of vacation. Unless you can unplug it and plug it back in to fix it, it will just be too much for them to process. They can’t drive a stick shift, how are they going to diagnose a blown fuse or a stinky tank. YouTube will only get them so far, at some point they will have to figure out the difference between a wrench and a prybar.
No, thankfully my husband has all of that covered. Then again, we’ve been RV camping for ten years so not exactly new.
It is not just campgrounds. IT IS EVERYTHING! Greed is the new god.
Exactly, The word inflation is an automatic chance to go up on everything. Not even close to just campgrounds.
All this “Greed” will pass in time as today’s customers will move on to the next Big Thing and those providers of today’s products and services will also change there business plan to meet the new business reality or see their business’s DIE.
Nothing new here.
Capitalism at it’s FINEST!!!
I travel for work, so my RV is not just another toy or hobby like it is for so many others. While I prefer to boondock, part of my income is from tax-free stipends that require me to be “doubling” my living expenses, so I have to pay some sort of fee PLUS keep a regular mortgage or rent at home. So obviously, I want to minimize my costs so that I can keep as much of the stipends as possible!
What I can’t understand (beyond greed) is why campground owners feel they have to charge such high costs to park and use my own equipment on their property? I’m not staying at glamorous, beach-side resorts that offer every amenity known to mankind. I get that large rigs can run up a big electric bill in the heat of the summer with dual or triple AC units going, but I’m seeing high rates at basic campgrounds that don’t even offer FHUs at individual sites. Would love to see more BLM-type campgrounds with family-friendly rates that allow in excess of a 14-day limit.
These are the same companies which received the largest tax giveaway ever in 2016. Not working out very good.
Why would the camping industry be immune to greed? Every industry has replaced the concept of earning an honorable living with make as much money as possible, even if you don’t need it. Unfortunately, the MBA schools do not teach what a fair return on investment means but rather that you must maximize your returns. In fact they teach their disciples that not maximizing your returns is a sin and a crime against your investors. Just look at your phone or cable bill if you want to see how ridiculous the concept of monetization has become.
Okay so we are small business owners. We will charge only what we “need.” Then when no one else does the same — what we need must increase to keep up with what we have to pay.
That being said, most private campgrounds suck. State parks are better but the are also adding reservation fees — and that’s annoying bc I reserve online — which takes them zero effort and costs zero dollars.
Many, if not most, of the state parks are using a reservation system that is not their own. They have to pay a fee to the owners of those systems. Reservation systems are not designed, built, and maintained by the reservation fairy. The tradeoff is that the parks don’t have to set up their own systems and pay staff to maintain them.
No free lunch, no zero effort, no zero cost.
Maybe the business model is wrong, but it seems to me they may need more to operate but want the base price to still show up as best or competitive. So they create sub categories – sometimes so they only affect the user of said item, sometimes to disguise a general price increase. Similar to food items in slightly smaller sizes but the same price.
The take away for me is – I think RV folks at least do not like surprises… So maybe make sure to be more upfront about the possible new charges if you are going to structure this way.
I think the term “greed” is overused.
Definitely, it is a misnomer for what is actually happening. Some of these owners are trying to keep up with the expectations of the new style of RVer…glampers. Most are trying to keep ahead of increases in utilities, taxes and other expenses.
It all comes down to what type of campground you favor, resorts with all kinds of amenities, Jellystones that have tons of activities to keep the kids busy, national chains like KOAs, Sun, Encore, and where are you traveling.
I know a lot of Gail’s articles are more West Coast-based but I have not seen many of the “fees” she has listed in the article. Doing a little research prior to longer trips where advance bookings may be necessary lets the “educated consumer” make choices avoiding the high price hidden fee type campgrounds. When on the road and on the fly looking for a place to stop for a night or a few nights all you need to do is ask what is my “total price per night” period.
Greed is a tricky word and so is the word fair. Fair for who? The park owner trying to make payroll or the camper looking for a bargain?
I have always felt that a fair price is whatever the market will pay. If your park is vacant at 100/night but full at 80/night then you have your fair pricing answer. Price yourself out of the market and go out of business.
We are living in a time where business owners fear the market forces. Interest rates at 30 year highs, national c.c. debt up by 25% over the last 2 years. Operating capital is difficult for small business owners to access, Banks going out of business, US dollar becoming obsolete internationally. War in Europe and threats of war in Asia are frequent. Add in some demonization for being a capitalist and cries of “pay your fair share” and fees go up. Camping is not immune from market forces. It is in fact an indicator of the greater market.
Another common charge is reserved spot guarantee. If you book a specific spot because of location next to amenities (e.g., lake frontage, river frontage, park features, away from roads, etc) you can receive a charge to lock in that specific location. If you don’t, when you check in you may find you have been moved to a different spot
The cost of everything for everyone has gone up, traveling or not. Costs must be cut, or income increased. Park providers are in the same situation as all of us. Adding fees may be the way to go rather than raising the price. Does no one remember the 1970s gas shortages and price increases? When that hit, tradesmen coming to your home would add a “transportation fee” to the bottom of your itemized bill to cover the fuel costs. Once things settled down again that fee was dropped. They did not have to change their pricing and bookkeeping methods. When things again normalize you will probably see some of the campground fees being dropped in order to keep in the competition. Staying alive can be a challenge, but is not necessarily greed. Gas stations, and others, may raise their prices in advance some times in anticipation of costs going up in order to have enough cash to pay for the upcoming up-priced delivery. And, greed can be on both sides – Seller and Buyer.
City and County parks are upping the ante too, but Michigan and Minnesota are the worst after California for raising prices for State Parks. There is coming a day when government mandates for electric vehicles, will reduce the demand of campers and RV’ers, we just have to wait and see.
Remember, “greed is good!”
Martin Sheen- Wall Street.
More like Michael Douglas. Wall Street!
I think all RVers should have a new rule. *Always* compare Air BnB and hotels to RV parks. We’ve had a lot of luck finding nice affordable air bnbs where we could easily park our RV.
As an RV Park “Mom and Pop” owner, I can tell you that most RVers have no idea what it takes to provide the array of services in demand. In the past two days alone, my husband and I worked 40 hours and did not get breakfast until 5pm on one of those days. We are grateful for many wonderful RVers who appreciate what we do. But sadly, serving the public has become more and more troublesome, which is why you will see less and less of small parks like ours, and more and more corporations taking our place at greater cost to RVers. I wish it wasn’t the case, but honestly, the human race is it’s own worst enemy.
No more truthful words have been written.
Outstanding Post, Sonya!
Wish more people would listen to you! Who sang that song…”paved paradise, put up a parking lot”
Plan and camp accordingly and you will find that there are more than enough places to camp that are more than reasonable, yea, even a bargain. How do I know? I live full time in my rig.
Jeffery, I agree totally. The majority who complain are camping in destination locations which are busy (I.e. Disney, Washington, Yellowstone). We work and camp in a resort in Phoenix but enroute we find the CG’s are many, easy to find and reasonable, plus most are never full.
Hey! I have an idea! If you don’t like the prices of camping, buy a campground and operate it at what you think are fair prices. Undercut your competitors. That’s how capitalism works.
I was charged a $5.00 dump fee over and above the normal daily rate at a K.O.A.
Haven’t stayed at a K.O.A. since, and will never stay at one again,
Heard that KOA means “Keep On Adding”. Also KOA means Kiss Our A$$” if you don’t like our rates.
I think it’s less of a greed problem and more of an entitlement problem. Campground spaces are limited in many areas, and the US and world population are growing. Yet, myself and many other people feel entitled to use campgrounds to travel months per year or full time taking opportunities from people who travel a few weeks at most. I don’t feel like I should “get to” complain because prices on everything we have done from groceries, to gas, to museums to zoos and increased. One RV park told us they had to raise fees because so many full time RV’s were attempting to book their sites for the full peak tourist season for discounted rates that at one point they had 60% of reservations held by people who were there two or more months. They started limiting the amount of long term reservations because it wasn’t fair to casual tourists that full time travelers swoop in and take the reservations they need. There were not a ton of RV parks near that national park.
How about the “lock” fee?! Hubby & I were surprised last year when we got to the campground & the site we had paid for in full & 2 months prior, had been changed to another. We didn’t pay the lock fee upon reservation ($25). Campground moved us to what they said was a comparable site. This gives the campground the ability to have wiggle room for reservations & site sizes (what I’m assuming, not what they told me).). If we’d wanted THAT site, we would’ve chosen that one. Their explanation was that if we were booking a hotel room, we wouldn’t be promised a particular room. Excuse me, but when did camping compare to hotel rooms? I understand the need for rules & some fees, but this is ridiculous.
You recently had a post about a park charging a $20 per pet fee per day (I believe that was the rate). If you charge me that you are picking up after them since you aren’t walking my dog or giving me anything else for that money.
If a park is going to have these extra fees they need to spelled out in bold print when you are booking your site and on all of their sites and listings. People need to start highlighting these in the reviews they post to inform/warn others.
Maybe it’s the irresponsible attitudes like yours that cause the increase in the first place. Somebody has to pick up your dog’s poop. If you don’t, they have to hire someone who will. You are clearly not a part of the solution.
Yes, they are giving you something. They are trying to keep you and other irresponsible pet owners as well as non-pet campers from having to step in s—.
Not true. A company bought out a lot of KOA and other campgrounds up and down the East coast Our local KOA now rents a fire ring /picnic table tent space $82. per night. With no improvements or changes in staff
Last year same spot $26 Also bought Frontier Town OC Whaley OC. Camping site at Chincoteague. State camping is still 10. to 20 dollars per day. I will also camp in PA they haven’t sold out yet
I think I know what BIG company you are talking about. It is nothing but a large company that also owns luxury resorts. We stayed at one in Cape May, NJ. It was full of privately owned park model type units. Those areas were beautiful, but the short stay sites were terrible. Muddy, dead trees and overgrown grass. Not to mention the condition of the bath houses.
I stayed in an rv resort last year. It was $500 per month plus electric. It is now $650 per month plus electric. Nothing is any different. In fact maintenance is worse. There are no amenities other than laundry. 2$ to wash, 2$ to dry. Tiny pet lawn on steep slope. In Oregon btw.
You say nothing is different, but do you know that’s really the case? As has been mentioned above, what has happened to workers’ salaries? Has the campground been hit with any tax increases because of reassessment of their property? Have there been increases in the cost of their liability or property insurance? State Farm has just quit writing homeowners’ insurance in California because of loss ratios, so what do you suppose this might be doing to insurance costs up and down the west coast?
While it’s hard to justify some increases, the idea that nothing has changed might not be true for the campground owner. This article’s use of the word “greed-flation” just fans the flames of an “us vs. them” mentality.
We booked online at a Michigan State Park, 2 nights beginning May 2. On arrival we saw a sign indicating we needed to purchase a State Recreation Pass in addition to our overnight fee. Driving an A Class, towing a car was considered 2 vehicles so the cost of the pass for 2 nights was $44. An annual pass for the 2 vehicles would have been $47. We were not aware we needed this pass and shocked that the motorhome was also considered a vehicle because it has an engine. Additionally, there was no discount on the overnight fees to take into consideration that no running water was available yet and the dump station was locked. The park has opened that week and it was still too cold.
That’s pretty standard for state parks. I would expect to stay at one without needing a sticker/pass.
Absolutely
Last winter we stayed a month at a place in Winterhaven, CA.
I expected to put a $100. deposit for Electric. When we checked out we were charged for Electric, (ok) then at least 3 other fees related to Electric Which is not told to you Nor was it in their 7 pgs of rules.
My $100 was shot real quick.
If u are worried about the rising campground prices and Resort prices going up year after year then join a coast to coast membership pay for your membership one time park for free with full amenities for the rest of your life it’s the only way to go and the best thing for the camper who doesn’t want to have to worry about all the add-ons and rising fees every year they go out and camp Plus availability is almost never a problem join a coast to coast affiliated Resort one time and be able to camp at all the resorts across the United States for free for the rest of your life it’s the only way todo an RV lifestyle because it’s next to nothing if you travel 20 days a year if you travel more than that it’s a no-brainer and there is no way you would ever lose because what it does is opens up the possibilities to places you never thought reachable before because once you pay the membership u never have to worry about what’s going to cost to stay somewhere just the cost of getting there
Only negative I can see at 6am is, what if the company fails (bankruptcy)? I assume you’re talking more that $1,000.
I have started seeing an extra fee to reserve a specific site. Otherwise, they can put you anywhere.😠
Those “Lock-In Site” fees are ridiculous!
YEP….KOA is the worst. Lock in fees started at $25 and now is up to $40. Monthly rates at Galveston Island KOA Holiday have now risen to $755 plus electricity. This is up from $700 last year!
NO OUTSIDE GRILLS are provided anymore. The excuse is that the old ones rusted out. YES BUT how many camprgounds have you been to that dont have an outside grill on the site? AND be careful not to drag the sand spurs into your RV!
YEP this campground is going downhill….except for the rates!
I own my own property in forest county wisconsin. I am an avid rv enthusiast so imagine my surprise when forest county just put an ordinance in place that requires me to purchase a rv permit, to park an rv on my property for 500.00 per year, 250.00 If I take the memorial day labor day option. This is in addition to a sanitary permit that is also required. Another 150.00. If you have no installer holding tank, you have to purchase your own above ground holding tank at a cost of about 1000.00 including shipping. Then you have to secure a contract with a pump out service to pump out your holding tank. This by the way is on my own property which I already pay property taxes on. Must not be enough revenue so go screw the campers…
Bob,
Laws, and ordinances must be enforced equitably. This ordinance would have to apply to ALL residents of your county that own an RV. If not, you have grounds for a law suit, or a strong defense should you be prosecuted for failure to apply for the permits. I would recommend you request a copy of the ordinance, and have it reviewed by an attorney.
Also; maintaining current license, registration, and insurance on your RV maybe a legal loophole, to skirt the permit requirements. If all else fails, raise a “stink” in the court of public opinion, with a Letter to Editor of your local papers, and vote those responsible out of office.
Good Luck.
Thank you, Gail! No, never have seen an unexpected fee on the bill. Have been surprised at check-in by one or two, but never later in the process.
Private campgrounds are private businesses. They have the rite to set their rates and fees as they see fit, and to cater to their customer base. The campground owner must know who their customers and competition are, and set their prices accordingly. Location, and amenities also play a big part in determining competitive rates.
As an OLD Boy Scout, and rural homeowner, my idea of camping isn’t a high density campground, with a waterpark, mini golf, etc… So I don’t go to them. If that’s your
thing; Great! but expect to pay the price. I personally prefer wild camping
(boondocking), or no-frills public campgrounds (city, county, state, national).
Yes; their rates are increasing too, but that’s life.
The majority of us on this site are senior, long time campers, who because we remember the $10 a night rate good o’l days, are more sensitive to current rates, and fees. For the new comers, the current rates will be their benchmark.
Get off the beaten path, and find your people.
The whole economy is based on GreedFlation
Thats why I don’t ever stay in RV parks and only boondock. Their rates are ridiculous and often the same as hotels
Some Florida sites have resort fee, state sales tax, county sales tax, city sales tax and county hotel tax!
Sounds like Michigan state parks. Their fees exceed the basic campsite charge. @@
I’m at a loss on this problem of paying a fair price for a camp spot. Please explain we pay anywhere between 100&150 thousand for a 5th wheel and a Class A can be well over 200 thousand. And you complain about an RV park charging say 100 per night. With full hook ups. As an example look at the increase in our insurance over the last few years on RV’s. Now you think that’s bad. Imagine what the RV parks increase has been. So let’s kick back enjoy the outdoors do a little boondocking, state and city camping,big and little campgrounds and enjoy more complain less!