How to Start an RV Park with Pictures

Table Of Content

• How to Start an RV Storage Lot
• What We Learned When Researching Building an RV Park
• Why your manufactured home community must prioritize renewable energy
• Exit Strategy Planning
• Specializing in new development, redevelopment and RV park and campground expansions
• Key Elements to Include in your Business Plan
• Factors to Consider During the Design and Layout Process

We have experience in recruitment, management and training to ensure you have a solid team to work with at the park. Running a park isn’t easy, but we can help you work smarter instead of harder by streamlining processes and improving areas of service and operations. Conducted by a team of experienced and successful park owners, we will visit your park and take a deep dive into your park’s operations, uncovering areas of improvement and opportunity. Perhaps, one of the best ways to utilize the greenery (large trees, in particular) in the RV park is to turn them into multi-purpose fixtures. For instance, you may rent out hammocks to hang on the branches to serve as temporary beds.

How to Start an RV Storage Lot

In the Three Ponies project, the RV park is integrated within a larger world-class resort plan. One of the key factors in this design was capacity as the park itself is a high travel destination. We were involved early on, helping with site selection and feasibility right to the final design.

What We Learned When Researching Building an RV Park

So while there’s definitely potential for significant ROI in the RV park business, you should also take into account that securing funds for your RV park’s initial investments can be challenging. Establishing a new RV park also involves costs in digital advertising, website setup, and possibly even traditional advertising methods. In particular, and as the online forefront of your business, your website is crucial to building an RV park’s credibility.

Why your manufactured home community must prioritize renewable energy

City of Lewiston Announces Plans for 187 Acre Community Park with Numerous New Recreational Amenities - Big Country News

City of Lewiston Announces Plans for 187 Acre Community Park with Numerous New Recreational Amenities.

Posted: Tue, 12 Apr 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

First and foremost, purchasing an existing and operating RV park will certainly be less hassle. You won’t have to find planners and contractors or juggle the hundreds of different people and projects to get the park ready for visitors. When you first start considering opening your own RV park, you might focus on well-known camping destinations like Yellowstone or Glacier National Parks. While these are great examples of the business, it’s important not to look beyond your hometown as well. Many people are traveling full-time and have already seen the big sights and now want to avoid the crowds.

Exit Strategy Planning

After the property has been constructed, operating costs are limited to upkeep and maintenance. Of course, there will be payroll for employees and utility costs to pay, along with everyday business expenses like taxes and marketing. Purchasing an existing campground is a more attractive option for many startups. The ROI (return on investment) for a well-run RV park can be between 10 and 20 percent, making it one of the best in the entire tourism sector. In addition, purchasing a running park means bypassing tricky permitting and zoning procedures and settling right into an operating business that’s already creating revenue.

Activities, Experiences and Marketing

First, are you planning to purchase an existing park and take over, or do you want to build it from scratch? Building an RV park can take years of planning as you find the land and dive into permitting and construction. The second factor that affects the cost to build an RV park is the location. How much land costs in the area may be the single greatest factor that affects your business.

Specializing in new development, redevelopment and RV park and campground expansions

One-way roads work very well in parks and help to increase pedestrian safety. Two-way roads can be used but extreme care must be utilized to avoid turning conflicts for parks. This provides RVs the maneuvering area needed to back into a park while still offering safe pedestrian access through the park. A turn lane or lanes may be required depending on the size of the park, the speed of the main road, the roadway gradient, number of lanes, peak hour traffic counts, and site distances.

5 Best Fifth-Wheel RV Campers (2024 Guide) - Jalopnik

5 Best Fifth-Wheel RV Campers (2024 Guide).

Posted: Mon, 20 Mar 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Key Elements to Include in your Business Plan

A well-designed website can be the difference between full occupancy and vacant lots. One of the key elements of a stand-out RV park website is a user-friendly design that prioritizes mobile optimization. Your site should load quickly, have clear CTAs, and have a simplified navigation structure. It should also showcase your unique features using high-quality images and virtual tours. From purchasing land to developing the necessary infrastructure and amenities, building an RV park is a multi-faceted process with various cost components. A successful RV park typically offers a mix of quality amenities, a clean and safe environment, convenient location, affordable rates, and excellent customer service.

Starting from scratch is going to incur plenty of those high-price tickets, too. But depending on the cost of the land, it can work out to much less because of inflated price tags we’ve seen on campgrounds. So, it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer, but it does give me a baseline to figure out how much acreage I might want for my campground. Some also arrange deals with RV dealers to give discounts to purchasers, so that RV buyers get a coupon when they get their vehicle and start planning their future motorized vacations. You may also want to build office space, storage areas for equipment and other facilities for your workers.

Our focus throughout was combining the need for over 1000 accommodations while still providing a variety of amenities options. The goal here was to create a world-class RV park that suited the atmosphere of the Three Ponies theme park. Understanding the target demographic and approaching the design to attract those RV owners really makes this design stand out. Engaging professionals early on will ensure you are getting the most out of your site by laying out plans that not only maximize the quantity of sites but also the quality.

Still, a few of the main features that will help transform your RV park for good. From there, we research all aspects of the site, providing the client with an in-depth site analysis. It will also tell you whether the project will provide a feasible return on investment. Another option is the circular or radial design, which organizes RV sites in a circular or semi-circular layout. This design maximizes the utilization of space and offers a unique atmosphere for the RV park.

For shorter trips, you may only need a small amount of storage space for your clothing, food, and camping gear. In this case, a basic teardrop trailer with a small kitchenette and a few storage compartments may suffice. When choosing the size of your trailer, be sure to consider the towing capacity of your vehicle, as larger trailers will require a more powerful vehicle for safe towing.

But with so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect one for you. The first campground rating evaluates completeness and quality of facilities. In this category we rate interior roads, sites, registration area, hookups, recreation, swimming, security, laundry, store and building maintenance. When designing your interior layout, don’t forget about lighting and ventilation.