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

RoyBell wrote:

2oldman wrote:

RoyBell wrote:
Online presence is huge nowadays. Sooooo many CGs are stuck in the 80 with zero web presence. Most of them you can't even book online yet!

My favorite is having a contact form on the site that they never respond to.

That is so annoying.

Here is what happens in my house.

1) We decide we can go camping xx weekend.
2) We talk about where we want to go.
3) We sit down after dinner and research CGs in the area. IE: 9pm.
4) Call the CGs, of course office is closed that late.
5) We realize we need to call in the AM.
6) We are both at work and forget all about it
7) We get home and yell at each other for not calling the CG
8) Repeat for 2 weeks.
9) I finally remember to call around and everything is booked except for that rinky dink CG.
10) Wife gets pissed because it's not where she wanted to stay.

2oldman wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:
..having an automated system turn away customers I could potentially serve doesn't help me achieve that goal.

What does a fully automated system cost?

westernrvparkowner wrote:
..having an automated system turn away customers I could potentially serve doesn't help me achieve that goal.

down home wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

down home wrote:
It depends on the area of the Country as to how receptive or prohibitive in building an RV park.
In Tn, in a rural county near a popular stream, starting twenty years ago, a Fellow who worked for TVA had his own dozer and few pieces of equipment from his farm.
He built to pads at a time himself.
The ultimate design included planning the electrical grid with is a big expense.
He did the work himself and had it reviewed.
The septic system, if a pumped system is easier to get approved but takes a lot of effort to keep it pumped and costs.
He laid out his own septic drain field which was about twice the size of the park. The tanks were near the pads under concrete with access sealed access covers.
Many Rural Folks build their own homes and septic, everything so it is not like hitting a wall of doom and gloom doing such projects.

I didn't pull out slide rule and so forth with that bit.
Around here commercial is around 11 cents killowatt or was.
Septic system doesn't usually need hauling anything off.
Our system at last home was well built and never needed any service in 37 years.
Water, in the country usually means wells . On this property I can go down just a few feet for flowing water, anywhere, good water, filtered through sinks and limestone of the hills and mountains.
Oh I can run the numbers for you but it would take a week or so to gather the info on the location, the ground, the utilities available taxes, not that I'm going to.
And as far as payroll two thousand a month each is good.
A well laid out and built 50 sites would only require one zero turn and two push mowers and several other pieces of equipment.
Garbage collection would b a commercial firm with two dumpsters, I suppose.I don't have an idea on their cost.
Of course if you or family worked the store with one hired relief, it was assumed. Four Full Time Employees should do it.
You're in Washington I think. I have a SIL from there and know somewhat of the huge cost up there or anywhere in the Northwest.
The septic line depends on the location and soil or rock.
most ground in this part of the country perks like a sponge, but the mtns and hills are limestone.

You state four full time employees, yet only budget $2000 a month. That would average out paying those employees $2.89 per hour. That isn't going to get you very good help (or a pass from minimum wage laws). Even at minimum wage, with employer taxes, required unemployment insurance and required workman's comp insurance it costs the employer over $10.00 an hour to have an employee. And if you are using relatives and family members are they really OK with working without pay?
I stand corrected on septic systems and water systems. I wasn't aware I was responding to someone who was up to date on current codes. I guess Tennessee is either more progressive or regressive (depending upon your view) compared to the rest of the nation in that they allow their public water supplies to be free of regular testing and they don't have any regulations regarding how you dispose of septic waste. Simple general knowledge that Tennessee water filters thru limestone and the ground soaks up water like a sponge apparently fulfills all of Tennessee's Department of Environmental and Conservation (that's the actual regulatory agency, I looked it up) requirements. I guess Tennessee must have no budgetary concerns because even with that common knowledge they have entire departments within that agency dedicated to Water Quality and Waste Disposal. Seems like they could save a lot of money eliminating those departments and their employees since those issues are apparently of no concern.

westernrvparkowner wrote:

down home wrote:
It depends on the area of the Country as to how receptive or prohibitive in building an RV park.
In Tn, in a rural county near a popular stream, starting twenty years ago, a Fellow who worked for TVA had his own dozer and few pieces of equipment from his farm.
He built to pads at a time himself.
The ultimate design included planning the electrical grid with is a big expense.
He did the work himself and had it reviewed.
The septic system, if a pumped system is easier to get approved but takes a lot of effort to keep it pumped and costs.
He laid out his own septic drain field which was about twice the size of the park. The tanks were near the pads under concrete with access sealed access covers.
Many Rural Folks build their own homes and septic, everything so it is not like hitting a wall of doom and gloom doing such projects.

I didn't pull out slide rule and so forth with that bit.
Around here commercial is around 11 cents killowatt or was.
Septic system doesn't usually need hauling anything off.
Our system at last home was well built and never needed any service in 37 years.
Water, in the country usually means wells . On this property I can go down just a few feet for flowing water, anywhere, good water, filtered through sinks and limestone of the hills and mountains.
Oh I can run the numbers for you but it would take a week or so to gather the info on the location, the ground, the utilities available taxes, not that I'm going to.
And as far as payroll two thousand a month each is good.
A well laid out and built 50 sites would only require one zero turn and two push mowers and several other pieces of equipment.
Garbage collection would b a commercial firm with two dumpsters, I suppose.I don't have an idea on their cost.
Of course if you or family worked the store with one hired relief, it was assumed. Four Full Time Employees should do it.
You're in Washington I think. I have a SIL from there and know somewhat of the huge cost up there or anywhere in the Northwest.
The septic line depends on the location and soil or rock.
most ground in this part of the country perks like a sponge, but the mtns and hills are limestone.
The "store" can cost however elaborate you want it. Add fifty thousand for assembled rustic style 25x40 bldg insulated on pad and heat and air and septic line. Coolers and supplies rental agreement with vendors butt I would buy.
This is all an exercise in is it feasable not brass tacks to costs etc. It assumes who ever built it would do a large part of off the construction.
And it was all from recollection of what a Client did.

2oldman wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:
Fact is there are just too many variables to turn over many RV park's reservations to an automated system.

The state of WA has a totally automated booking system that's worked just fine for me and apparently others. I don't know what goes on behind the scenes on the phone, but they haven't shut it down yet.