If you know anyone with land, tell them to build an Rv Park

Have you done a study or read a study that supports your investment advice? Saddlebag Lake Resort has been for sale for a while at $339,000 with no takers. That’s one example. Like running a motel or hotel. Long hours, lots of issues.

What you describe is becoming more common, but I wouldn't count on seeing any increase in the number of RV parks in the near future, or for quite some time. If even available, land prices in most sectors of the country reflect the current robust economy. High prices will not interest anyone in building, or even expanding an existing RV park right now.
At the same time, more and more people are hitting the road. The 'full time' demographic is exploding. The most likely short term scenario will be that many RV owners will become disillusioned with the lack of camping space and the increasing need to make reservations months in advance. Not everyone wants to boondock, or spend every night at Walmart. That constant hassle will prompt many to sell their RV. I predict a plethora of seldom used RVs of every type to hit the market "for sale" in the next few years.

Come to Florida!

Golf property profits are taking a dive so they are converting them to RV parks.

One golf course owner is taking his 19 and 8 hole golf course and converting the 19 hole acreage into a 300 RV site CG.

Florida has no problem approving permits for RV parks! :C

Here's your barriers to entry if you own the land.

1. Permitting, plan on 2 years and $50,000 for engineering reports and environmental impact studies.
2. Construction will take a year and cost +/- $15,000 per site (roads, pads, utilities and landscaping).
3. Add another $100,000 plus for office, restroom and common facilities such as laundry basic and recreation like a goofy golf course and playground. (no pool, that would add $75,000)
4. After those three years, it will take at least 3 more years to build business. Your new business will have no web presence, no repeat business, no reviews, it will not be in any of the guidebooks and won't be shown on any GPS.
5. Unless you heard voices from above like Kevin Costner, you won't know for sure that "if you build it, they will come"

So you will be spending, rather than collecting for six years. Better have a long investment horizon and a whole lot of confidence you are doing the right thing. Building a new park can be profitable, but it can also be a money pit with no way out.

You need more than land to build a quality RV park. With sites costing upwards of $50,000 each to develop the sites and supporting infrastructure, and a pretty long term ROI, they're not usually an attractive investment from a purely business standpoint in today's economy.

If anything, Wp's numbers and times are on the low side. As the owner/developer/operator of a CG, it was a "instance success" after 10 years...did not have to keep putting money into it. Fortunately back then I could use the tax right offs and now 20+ years later the income.

westernrvparkowner wrote:
Here's your barriers to entry if you own the land.

You take all the fun out of losing money. :B

My Dad wanted to build one, and if that happened thats where I would be. The HUGE sticky point was the county wanted a sewage treatment plant. Very expensive. Funny a typical setup is 4 rvs on a single septic system which would equal 4 bedrooms but they wouldnt accept that... Shame would be a fun business..

Someone needs to do that for JTNP. No water in the park at all. No hook ups anywhere. All campsites full during the seasons. If I still worked I'd seriously consider doing it. Permits might be the problem, that I don't know.

Expyinflight wrote:
. I predict a plethora of seldom used RVs of every type to hit the market "for sale" in the next few years.

Yep. Baby boomers have retired, too late imho, now plunging themselves into a hobby that's a lot more work than they expect.