Campground Amenities vs lower prices

[magnusfide]

Spin off from price thread.

Which do you prefer?

Lower cg rates with just basic FHU and clean bath houses?

Or are you willing to pay higher rates for amenities (and the accompanying insurance) for items such as pools, bounce pillows, playgrounds, etc?

[travelnutz]

westernrvparkowner,

You are so right in most of your post but why charge the RV'er for your added amenities when there's no chance they would ever want, use, or need them? I'm glad your parks are doing well but that's not the norm for most. No way will we or perhaps the majority of RV'ers subsidize the cost of an RV park having unwanted amenities as you can clearly see by reading this thread alone and for us being in our 51st year of RV'ing now. It's merely an income and cost shifting scheme (income re-disposition) and the smart RV'ers see right thru that and so many potential high profit RV guests/owners will stay far away from these backdoor tatics.

This results in big lost annual income fees to the RV park by discouraging those who cost the CG the least to have them stay at the RV CG/park. Less amenity expense by not building/having, lower insurance premiums, less vandalism, roudiness, and irritating noise to others in the CG, far less maintenance required and far less repairs, along with less man power to police etc the facility.

As you already know, I'm very well informed as we have (not personally) 6 nice quite large and very prifitable RV Parks/CG's owned by our family and this is discussed so often. Also spent 9 years on the board of directors of a very large (over 1,000 sites) 2 unit RV park/resort and am very aware of where the costs are to operate a good CG/resort. Amenities are and can be very expensive to have and operate and the most costly annually is having a decent sized real pool that's heated with all it's associated expenses. Each CG/Resort unit had a large indoor pool and a clean sand bottom lake and beach for outdoor summer use too. $$$$$$

Most RV'ers chose a CG or Park based on location, cost, cleanliness, safety of area, surrounding venues outside the CG itself. Several other factors have influences also for the average RV'er. Notice how few high daily rate RV parks/ fancy CG's loaded to the hilt with amenities there are out in nowhere boonyville land with nothing to attract the average RV'er and/or so little for them to do or see? Golly, I wonder why??? About all many of these type CG's get is in- large city livers with several kids that are willing to pay high prices so their kids can have a virtual playland and be babysat while the parents are doing their own thing. So obvious in many of these type places and RV'ers are finally getting wise as the daily rates escalted over the last few years.

[John___Angela]

It depends. Are we there for awhile. Hookups are nice. Cable not needed as I have an antenna. WIFI not needed as I have a cell phone with data.

If overnighting or only there for a few days, no hookup needed assuming its under 90 degrees or so. Drive through a must for overnights. Hard to find all that though. Thats why we tend to stay in Casinos, Box stores or Travel centres when dead heading. Pure convenience. No hassles.

[winnietrey]

westernrvparkowner wrote:
While it might be nice to dream that there will someday be parks EXACTLY like you want, it is unrealistic. Each and every amenity a park has is there to attract a few more customers. True, not everyone needs cable TV, Wifi, Sewer connections at the site, a laundry facility, campground restrooms, electricity, playground, pool etc. But there are 256 different combinations of just those 8 amenities.
Adding amenities has a minimal impact on actual costs when spread over the life span of that amenity. Same with insurance, operating costs (with the exception of a pool) and the like. Amenities are most closely related to advertising, it is what is needed to get rigs into the site. Prices of RV sites, like almost all things, are directly related to supply and demand. If you can increase the demand by adding a mini golf course, you can increase price, not just on those who want mini golf, but across the board as long as you gain more people by having mini golf than you lose by increasing the price.
The park's I have were run down, had few amenities and low prices. I renovate them, increase the amenities and raise rates. I lose a lot of customers that chose the parks because the price was low, but gain many more who want what I offer. The margins go up and I make more money, which is the goal of owning a park.

With all respect to others, if you have ever owned a business, you know exactly what old western is doing and why he is doing it. If you have not you have a bit of a learning curve.

He like any business, is in business for one reason and one reason only, to make money.

He knows the surest way to go broke, and have a heart attack is to try and offer his service cheap, and cater to people how are only interested in price. Any business is just that, a business not a charity

Cheap people are by far the most difficult to deal with, and the only people they know are other cheap people.

As a small business, you compete on service, not price.

He does not want me as a customer, for instance. As I place no value on pools, wifi, playgrounds etc. I am a state park guy. And as a result, place no value, on what he has to offer, and am unwilling to pay for them.

He wants those people who value the services he offers, and will return year after year and spend money.

That is his target group, that is how he stays in business. And I say good for him. He has found his nitch

[westernrvparkow]

While it might be nice to dream that there will someday be parks EXACTLY like you want, it is unrealistic. Each and every amenity a park has is there to attract a few more customers. True, not everyone needs cable TV, Wifi, Sewer connections at the site, a laundry facility, campground restrooms, electricity, playground, pool etc. But there are 256 different combinations of just those 8 amenities.
Adding amenities has a minimal impact on actual costs when spread over the life span of that amenity. Same with insurance, operating costs (with the exception of a pool) and the like. Amenities are most closely related to advertising, it is what is needed to get rigs into the site. Prices of RV sites, like almost all things, are directly related to supply and demand. If you can increase the demand by adding a mini golf course, you can increase price, not just on those who want mini golf, but across the board as long as you gain more people by having mini golf than you lose by increasing the price.
The park's I have were run down, had few amenities and low prices. I renovate them, increase the amenities and raise rates. I lose a lot of customers that chose the parks because the price was low, but gain many more who want what I offer. The margins go up and I make more money, which is the goal of owning a park.

[RayUSMC]

We have our own hotspot that uses cellular. Works great everywhere. Campground wi-fis are TARFU. Charging higher prices for a sub-standard amenity is bad business.

Clean heads, because some of us have Class Bs.
FHUs for faster bug-outs.
Lower rates.

[travelnutz]

WIFI is no problem as there are many ways to have your own right from several or your own cellphone provider. No need to use a CG WIFI as most really suck and are only marginally secure or unsecure at all. Had ours for over 6 years now and it's 4G and very fast and very secure. Most US areas are now 4G. We originally had our plan with Alltel and when Alltel was bought by Verizon several years ago, Verizon just continued or Jet Pack MIFI plan just like it was and it's still the same in force plan today. Cheap per year for having it when WE want it and where WE want it! Also works at home or anywhere when there's a power failure and all things normally used are dead but your laptop/battery and your Jet Pack MIFI doesn't care as it still works just fine and your life goes on as normal.

Suspend service free anytime for up to 3 consecutive months at a time if not going to use it and the cost is a $5/mo service fee. Auto re-inacts after 3 months or call anytime when you want it active again 24/7 or suspended again. Free call to Verizon on your cell etc anytime and they simply re-start your service within one minute max.

A little credit card sized wireless modem within 35 feet of the puter provides the totally secure wireless connection to as many as 10 laptops or tablets etc at the same time with our Verizon Jet Pack MIFI. Has it's own individual password that must be used to be connected. The little modem runs on it's own power approx 8 hours on it's internal rechargeable battery or just plug it into your laptop USB port or a 110 AC outlet and it's back to full charge in about an hour. Works great even with only 1 bar of signal strength. My wife has her laptop and I take mine too and both are on a lot. $50/mo for 5 gigs or $80/mo for 10 gigs.

You can also get live TV programs on your puter with the MIFI if you want. Some people can't seem to live without a TV on, however, the same news etc is free right on your laptop screen from dozens+ of sites. You can video chat etc but downloading big movie theater movies uses too much of your band width allowance to be practical.

We both use our laptops for hours each day and have never yet exceeded our 5 gig/mo plan. If we did it would only cost us $10 for each additional gig over the 5 in our plan.

No way will we pay a dime to a CG for additional cost trumped up CG site rate for their usually very poor marginally secure or public unsecure WIFI.

[brooksidebob]

I tend to lean towards an affordable rate versus the amenities. I can remember the days when you could get a full hookup for $10 or $12 a night. Sadly, those days are long gone. Even if things do not work out perfectly I feel as if I can handle a few days without wifi or cable.

[RayUSMC]

Lower prices every time. COE and state parks are great. I refuse to pay more than $40 and at that price they'd better have a 12 yr old Scotch in the camp store.

KilroyGuy wrote:
The problem is that many of the lower cost CGs are poorly maintained and rules are not enforced. I don't need the amenities either, but I sure need a clean, secure place to park.

This generalization is inaccurate. We stay at quite a few campgrounds that are clean, secure, and $22/night. Check the COE and state parks.

[mdcamping]

As of now... Both!

If it fits the needs for both me and DW or fits the needs for the whole family.

Mike

[Dutch_12078]

Executive wrote:

KOA took it a step farther. High prices and charge extra for any extra add on...pool $1/day spa $1/day, wifi $3/day etc.etc...Dennis

Which KOA's have that kind of price structure? Of all the KOA's we've stayed in, we've never paid anything beyond the quoted base rate for the site class except taxes, with no other add-ons available. I likely wouldn't care about optional charges for the items you've listed though, since we wouldn't need to use them.

[bikendan]

lower rates! don't really care for fluffy amenities.

[Executive45]

I want a resort atmosphere with passport america prices...:W

We don't mind paying for what we get. We've found a reasonably priced campground will also have decent amenities...large LEVEL spaces trump most amenities anyway..we don't use the restrooms/showers at any campground.

KOA took it a step farther. High prices and charge extra for any extra add on...pool $1/day spa $1/day, wifi $3/day etc.etc...Dennis

[Jim_Shoe]

For me, first is FHU pull thru sites with cable. I need the electric for medical equipment. Water, dump and cable are for my convenience. When I'm at a destination where I intend to spend some time, I also want to be within 10 miles of what I came to see.

[KilroyGuy]

The problem is that many of the lower cost CGs are poorly maintained and rules are not enforced. I don't need the amenities either, but I sure need a clean, secure place to park.

[Dog_Folks]

downtheroad wrote:
My bounce house days are behind me.
Give me a clean, spacious site. If I want Disney Land, I'll go to Disney Land.

X2 Couldn't say it better.