Please tell me if I'm nuts, but I live in Southside Virginia on the north carolina border. Have had a couple RVers with small 20 foot travel trailers and a Dodge Prospector extended van looking for a place to live. Found two campgrounds towards Charlottesville and Richmond that offered monthly rates. One was $825 for the spot with water and electric, no sewer...the other was $900 sewer hookup not mentioned. Now is this crazy or what. Several years ago friends camped for about $450 so have prices really doubled? The campgrounds I looked at posted DAILY prices averaging $45 or more...per day. So I opened up a nice spot on my property for a woman with a 20 foot trailer, gave 1/2 my garage for her gear and preps, water and electric...for $250 a month. And my house is less than 2 miles from the 50,000 acre tournament fishing John Kerr Reservoir. A state park just outside town and 5 other beautiful Army Corps of Engineers waterfront parks close-by. If my camper moves on I'm thinking of charging $300...is that too much? Everything just super expensive now, all my costs starting with taxes going up up up. What are you guys running in to monthly rental cost wise???
Campground prices
- Thread starter Mike Reno
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mpruet
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I did a quick search near my home base and found monthly rates $400 through $850.
BelgianPup
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Here in Western WA (Centralia area), around $800 for a tight spot in a park.
Why charge so little when others are charging so much?
If local ordinances allow someone to live in an RV on your property, that's great. Keep in mind that its your door an ordnance officer will be knocking on, not theirs. Many don't have medical insurance, make sure you have insurance coverage should they get hurt on your property. Hopefully at some point in time, they'll leave and not take root.
If local ordinances allow someone to live in an RV on your property, that's great. Keep in mind that its your door an ordnance officer will be knocking on, not theirs. Many don't have medical insurance, make sure you have insurance coverage should they get hurt on your property. Hopefully at some point in time, they'll leave and not take root.
Pretty much what you are running into. Which is why so many of us live out west and spend most of our time boondocking.
As for your renter - good for you for offering something affordable for someone who needs a spot. For your sake, I hope you are not running afoul of local land use laws.
Tony's Dream
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As long as the sites are less than a hotel, I'm ok with paying for the amenaties.
Yeah, your charging to little. But you also are not doing it for the money I suspect.
If you are, make sure your claiming your “income”, keeping receipts for related expenses and up to par with local officials. One reason for RV parks charging what they do is they are zoned for it and taxed for what they have. They likely have a big insurance bill and they hope to make a buck by the end of the day. But wow, 8- 900 bucks a month. That’s crazy! I know in Arizona I’ve seen where lots are set up for like a park model and and RV. The owner will typically live in the park model and rent out the RV spot.
If you start adding renters is where I would see you having trouble...
If you are, make sure your claiming your “income”, keeping receipts for related expenses and up to par with local officials. One reason for RV parks charging what they do is they are zoned for it and taxed for what they have. They likely have a big insurance bill and they hope to make a buck by the end of the day. But wow, 8- 900 bucks a month. That’s crazy! I know in Arizona I’ve seen where lots are set up for like a park model and and RV. The owner will typically live in the park model and rent out the RV spot.
If you start adding renters is where I would see you having trouble...
White Turtle
White Turtle
Having spent the last 3 months on the road I can say that the least expensive parks with the most services seem to be any park that starts with the word national. National park, national seashore, national river, national forest.Free entry and half off campsites with the senior pass.Of course you have to move every two weeks but electric, flush toilets, and hot showers are a plus..Paying $12.50 to $20 a night.
user 16179
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The ones with only trash cans and vault toilets are often less than five bucks with the pass. People don't realize how cheap they are so they are almost empty most of the time. When I'm looking on an app for a site in popular areas I exclude the free spots. Then I drive towards the campground. If I find a free spot, I save five bucks. If I don't find a disbursed site I just go to the campground.
White Turtle
White Turtle
That's true as well and when I do go on the interstate highways I can usually find nice rest stops along the way to spend the night.
Calaverasgrande
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Its pretty wild the difference in price between private campgrounds and state or national park campgrounds.
I find most state and national parks are $20-30. In some areas you might find even lower.
Compared to private parks which are often $50-60 and pack as many sites into their acreage as possible. Then add a few more.
The private ones will try and value add by having an onsite store and a really decrepit miniature golf course or something.
The state and national campgrounds will have much more distance. Actual trees and undergrowth between you and the next site.
I especially like Army Corp of Engineers campgrounds. They often have decently heated bathrooms and showers, comprehensive hookups, with a few sites even offering septic hookups.
Most USACE campgrounds I've stayed at even have coin laundry. There was one in SC that had free laundry.
The downside is that USACE land is often popular with hunters so you have to wear orange if you go hiking.
And in most that I have visited there is extensive logging going on. Which really ruins the vibe when you are out hiking or birding.
I find most state and national parks are $20-30. In some areas you might find even lower.
Compared to private parks which are often $50-60 and pack as many sites into their acreage as possible. Then add a few more.
The private ones will try and value add by having an onsite store and a really decrepit miniature golf course or something.
The state and national campgrounds will have much more distance. Actual trees and undergrowth between you and the next site.
I especially like Army Corp of Engineers campgrounds. They often have decently heated bathrooms and showers, comprehensive hookups, with a few sites even offering septic hookups.
Most USACE campgrounds I've stayed at even have coin laundry. There was one in SC that had free laundry.
The downside is that USACE land is often popular with hunters so you have to wear orange if you go hiking.
And in most that I have visited there is extensive logging going on. Which really ruins the vibe when you are out hiking or birding.
White Turtle
White Turtle
Yes many forests do allow hunting in season, which still leaves the rest of the year pretty quiet. I also stayed at a designated horse camp that was real nice even though I have no horse!
rruff
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Last month I stayed at a private campground in NM. First time I've stayed at a campground in over 30 years I think. $10/night.... with hot spring pools (why I stayed there), and right on a river. No room for RVs.
White Turtle
White Turtle
That sounds like a good deal,I love hotsprings!
CoyoteG
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I’m from NM, which one was that?
rruff
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But this will involve gasoline consumption: in CA, if you have a disability pass from the state (requires your doctor to sign a State form, not dependent on SSA approval) then campsites are 1/2 off (ranging $12-25 when half off). Many CA county campgrounds just require the handicap placard. If your doctor writes a letter OR you have SSA/SDI documents, you also qualify for AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL pass which gives you half off at all federal campgrounds of any kind as long as not operated totally by a private concessionaire. So, a $14 USFS campsite becomes $7. Day entry, with passes, is always free. In the So Cal Mojave and western Death Valley are tons of BML lands and very near hotsprings in Tecopah near Shoshone. In fact the Tecopah hot springs campground is very affordable, some even work to pay for their space, but you cannot really live there May-Sept. Army Corp. of Engineer campsites are $20 and if you have a pass, they are $10 and they are nicely manicured and managed with free showers. Someone posted about the Klamath forest (CA) RV parks as cheap, and they are, but they are very filled up right now. Some of those have work situations too. HWY 299 to the coast has many cheap USFS campsites and in Lewiston, CA/Trinity area there are many affordable RV parks and I know being in one place is becoming a necessity because of gas. Sorry, I cannot inform about east coast, but this might help others. I wish I could find a caravan in summer in Cali.
Calaverasgrande
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Thats an uncommonly good deal!
Most of the campgrounds I've seen on the east coast and in the south are catering to 5th wheels and RVs. With a small number of truck or van campers.
The private campgrounds, especially in the south, seem to be a cousin of the trailer park. They charge high daily rates because they don't want a lot of turnover. They specialize in weekly and monthly long term residents.
GoingMobile
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I think I may have stayed there a few nights ago. Found it quite by accident and had a wonderful stay. Run by a couple, the husband told me about the fluorine in the water making his bones strong.
