Am I too picky about cg's?

If park owners listened to these forums (and I usually don't), you would find even more run down parks than you do now. The biggest gripe most people have is price. For some reason people think an RV site is overpriced at $25.00. Well you can't upgrade a park on $25.00. Too many park owners get scared into thinking all their business will go away if they charge the prices needed to upgrade and keep a nice park. Does anyone have an idea of how much it costs to do a good renovation? Two years ago I did a complete redo of a bathhouse. $125,000 later, I have the best facility there is, period. But that $125,000 I spend earns me not one penny more in revenue unless I raise prices.
Wifi, another item that 99.9% of the people do not appreciate. Last night I had 147 connections to the wifi network at 9PM. When have you walked into a McDonalds and seen 147 people on their network? I have to cover 9 acres. How many 9 acre Starbucks are there? I would love to have larger sites, but in prime RV real estate country an acre of land can cost over $200,000. How can that cost be covered if I put 4 sites per acre? Answer: only at about $200.00 a night. Put 12 or 14 sites on an acre, then you start looking at a more manageable nightly fee.
Now there is absolutely no excuse for filth. That is fully in the control of management. But I seldom have stayed at parks that were truly filthy. Then again, I don't go seeking the lowest price. Before I got into the business a very successful park owner told me the last thing you wanted to be was the bottom priced park, because that will draw the bottom feeding customer. Maybe your solution to always finding bad parks is to set your sites on the mid-priced parks, they might use some of that extra money for upkeep and improvements.

Stclairm wrote:
I rate cg's based on physical condition, amenities and if they actually have them, site size and condition, and bathhouses. It seems quite a few are in a bad need of renovation and don't follow through with what they say they have. There are always excuses for wifi not reaching past their office. After going to a few really nice ones, most of the rest just don't cut it. I guess once you experience a great standard, you judge the others accordingly. I just stayed at an old KOA in Boone and wasn't impressed with the facilities, the site was truly tiny, and the wifi didn't work at all. My site was more suited for a 15ft TT, not my 28ft and truck. I raised the right side tires as high as possible and deflated my left side tires to 10psi and still wasn't close to level. Gravel interior roads makes for an absolute muddy mess when it rains and so it did all weekend. Same is true for Zooland in Asheboro NC. I guess you get what you pay for at $26 a night at one and $35 at the other. I'm guessing due to the economy, a lot of owners just do what they have to to get by. The crazy thing is I haven't been to one that wasn't at least 80% full my last 3 outings.
The cg's that have set the bar for me are: Fancy Gap VA KOA, Daddy Joe's at Tabor City NC, Myrtle Beach Travel Park, Holiday Travel Park Emerald Isle NC (also the most expensive by a lot!), and Mama Gerties in Swannanoa NC.

You need to try Raccoone Holler. Large level sites, on the BRP. But I can't say about Wifi. WE leave our computer at home. When I camp. I don't want that kind of stress.

Also Orchard Lake had large level sites. And Honey Bear in Boone, and Flintlock in Boone. Also try Toe River, and Campfire Lodging.

Mountain CGs are not like flatland CGs. They are of course built on the side of the mountain, and therefor not flat. But most level off the site it self.
IF you really want a level site. Go to Julian Price, or Linville Falls on the parkway. Great CGS, and level. But there are no hookups, and no showers
BTW. The Travel Park is a sandy muddy mess in the rain as well. But it's level, and has great bath houses.

We don't stay in private (commercial) campgrounds for the very reason that we think it is a rip off. I would rather stay in Federal, state, and city campgrounds even if they don't have full facilities. In the case of commercial campgrounds I have found that you rarely get what you pay for.

wasn't impressed with the facilities, the site was truly tiny, and the wifi didn't work at all.

If these two things are what bothers you most about staying at a CG......you are in for a rude awakening.:B

First of all 'the wifi', I just do not understand all the hub bub regarding> "the CG I stay at better have good wifi or else".

Well here's a flash, none of them do. For god's sake pull out the wallet and pay for mobile broadband, tethering or whatever it takes if you need internet access while RV'ing, instead of complaining about CG weak Wifi.

CG's are not McDonalds or Starbucks and they are 'never' going to buy the equipment to broadcast wifi like they do. The day they do buy that equipment to provide outstanding wifi to campers is the day you can make bet your CG fees will go up to $50.00 a night! :B

CG sites are small. Nature of the beast, they put in as many sites as they can to be profitable. Some might have a foot more than others but 5 years on the road full time now and I'm here to tell you 'get over it' they are ALL alike within your price range you stated.

No wifi, weak wifi and small sites.......it's what you pay for at a CG!

If possible, before we book an extended stay at a campground, we do a drive through first. We've found several that got great reviews but during our drive through, we determined they just weren't our style. Going to check out three in the hill country of Texas this fall when we are down there.

If I can't do a drive through first, I'll check on line photos and google earth before booking. If the place doesn't have at least gravel pads for my trailer, I won't stay there.

When I'm just staying overnight, if the sites are reasonably level and it has good electricity, I'm not too picky. If the bathhouses are dirty, I'll use my trailer.

We don't have so much of that out in the West.

Your description is exactly why we don't sign up for more than one night until we get there and see in person what they say is true or not. Campground reviews help a lot but nothing is better than your own eyes, and your nose if next to city sewer plant in Lewiston ID or your ears on a busy rail line on Columbia river or throat if the farmers are burning their fields, I think the hole state was burning the way the smoke was. Getting harder and harder just to sleep under a tree anymore.

Good description of the current state of camping in America.....I LOVE IT.