a plea for more cool weather sites for migratory travelers

[JimJohnson]

We live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula - beautiful place to be between June through October, but unless you are a winter enthusiast (or deer hunter), not the nicest RV destination between November and early May.

We have essentially permanent reservations at a Texas Hill Country RV park during those less than ideal times. The problem is GETTING to our destination in the fall and the return in the spring.

Semi-annually it is a battle to find campgrounds from roughly northern Kansas northward. We are migrating, need one-night stays, and apparently so are a lot of other RV owners. The winter migration season runs from late October through the end of year holidays (many retired RVers want to do Christmas with family before leaving).

I get it, campgrounds want to turn off the water before freeze conditions happen, and leave it off until assured freeze conditions are over. But is it necessary to fully close the entire park? Many times my most crucial need is a parking spot for the night with electric power. That last part eliminates Walmarts, casinos, etc. for overnight parking.

To northern tier private campground owners- if you live at or near your campground, I know you won't fill your campground in the migratory seasons, but could you consider a modification to your policies and website announcing limited sites and amenities. It will add a bit more revenue for little more expense. We migratory season RVers tend to be experienced and reasonable travelers.

[valhalla360]

JimJohnson wrote:

shelbyfv wrote:
Maybe check this out for an overnight with electric. Loves RV Stop

Good to know. Won't do me much good (open map, find that peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula that juts out into Lake Superior. Then draw a straight line down to Kansas City. That would be my first/last day's drive to use a Love's. And honestly, there isn't much in-between. I know of one place in NE Iowa (still a long haul) that officially closes, but the manager (and only the manager) will authorize an overnight stop during the unofficial season.

More places in the north tier like the linked Love's would work nicely.

Sure but they are traveling over a wide period of time and over a wide variety of routes. Then figure most snowbirders are doing 400-500miles per day simply trying to get south, they may pass 30-50 parks that are within 5 miles of the freeway each day...A park actually capturing enough each day to justify operating costs is tough.

[folivier]

Some of these may have electricity available:
https://daysenddirectory.com
Harvest Host
Boondockers Welcome
City/County parks
COE parks

[JimJohnson]

IB853347201 wrote:
Many KOA's open all year once you get south to I80. Not sure what the issue is?

Agreed. The number of year-round opportunities start to expand greatly once you get as far south as I-80. Ask somebody in NW Ontario how many hours they would be driving south before they get to I-80.

I know we cross I-80 on our route to Texas after nearly 11 hours on the road from our home in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

[JimJohnson]

Lots of good discussion here.
I do want to steer this thread back to a couple key points if I may.

We are talking about overnight stops at places with electricity in the northern tier, during the two migratory seasons. Which to my observation, the move south ends by the beginning of January. And the move north starts around late March. (snow happens in our home town as early as Halloween, but gets falling in earnest by New Year, and 20 to near 30 feet by April is not unheard of; temps in the northern plains can drop to -40F (or C). Nobody with brains tries to go south by that point)

I am not knocking the following, but they belong in a different thread: We are (or at least I am) not talking about setting up camp in winter conditions. We want to get past the cold part of the country as quickly as possible. Daylight hours are really short, especially for the south migration. We just want to be off the road (with AC power and without a generator rumbling near our bed) when it is dark. Solar power doesn't get you much under those conditions; your tow vehicle-motorhome will be charging the house batteries as you drive pretty much all the daylight hours.

There ARE campgrounds that are open - usually with limitations - during the migratory season. Just not enough of them.

Thank you afidel for mentioning Wisconsin's Black River State Forest. There are 3 campgrounds, two of which are strictly for primitive camping. Castle Mound is touted as 'modern', but the only at-site hookup is electric (and I strongly suspect 15A), and even there, only at half the sites. It is still a long first day haul to get there from home and a bit off our usual route, but I've kept it on the back burner as a possible stop ... unfortunately there isn't much information about the campground conditions in early winter. Castle Mound has only so-so accessibility reviews from RV owners for the summer, and no indication as to how many of the sites with electric are available in the winter. Still, it is worth a phone call.

[IB853347201]

Many KOA's open all year once you get south to I80. Not sure what the issue is?

[PButler96]

Gdetrailer wrote:

JimJohnson wrote:

What you say makes a lot of sense - if most of the campground's sites remain open. What I have found (but due to demand you have to book many months in advance) are campgrounds that fully close most of the sites. The remaining sites are generally close to the office and very likely only provide electric. Staffing is generally the owner(s) and MAYBE one person for part-time phone coverage. Minimal plowing, minimal maintenance - they would keep the office accessible regardless if open or closed. Showers as well as other park amenities are closed. You might be able to get water jugs filled from inside the office.

As I said, the few campgrounds that offer this do a brisk business with their limited sites. I wish more campgrounds offered this service.

I don't believe very many campgrounds will find it economically viable to keep a couple or handful of sites near the office open yr round. If it was, they WOULD already be doing that everywhere..

I see your from Texas, up here in PA, pretty much all campgrounds close, even ones that are setup with permanent lot leases. It is not unusual to have a winter storm sock roads in with a lot of drifting snow along with ice..

I live on a pretty busy rural road and there have been a lot of times over the years I called off from work when I woke up to 6" of fresh snow on a bed of 1/4" thick ice that happened overnight and no sign of a plow and salt truck for hrs.. Heck vehicles often get stuck on the hill below my home every winter..

If you think a campground can "operate" and still turn a profit on one or two "overnighters" in the middle of winter, I would suggest perhaps you may have a good business plan to start your own chain of "overnight" campgrounds across the US and have a go at it. Find a few small gas stations and pitch your idea and give it a spin, charge $10 for one night and split it with the station..

But for larger campgrounds doing this, I suspect if they really thought they could turn a profit they would have been doing it for yrs. Your plea won't even be considered.

Some of the PA state parks, east of the mountains, have a loop open all winter. Most in the mountains, west side of state, or north close 3rd Sunday in October with a few open through mid December for deer season. Quite a few OH state parks stay open but without water available after mid November. It's not state wide policy, left up-to local managers, so you have to look at the specific parks web page for dates.

[shelbyfv]

steveh27 wrote:

shelbyfv wrote:
Maybe check this out for an overnight with electric. Loves RV Stop

$45/night

But $150 or so for your average Hampton Inn. Plus you know who's been on your sheets and toilet.;)

[magicbus]

Thanks for the info on Loves. Good to know.

We have the same problem our first two nights heading south. Our heat is a Truma Combo and we prefer to use it in electric-only because our propane tank is on the small size and the temps are generally in the low 20’s when we leave. We seem to find more KOA’s open in the winter.

Dave

[steveh27]

shelbyfv wrote:
Maybe check this out for an overnight with electric. Loves RV Stop

$45/night

[Gdetrailer]

JimJohnson wrote:

What you say makes a lot of sense - if most of the campground's sites remain open. What I have found (but due to demand you have to book many months in advance) are campgrounds that fully close most of the sites. The remaining sites are generally close to the office and very likely only provide electric. Staffing is generally the owner(s) and MAYBE one person for part-time phone coverage. Minimal plowing, minimal maintenance - they would keep the office accessible regardless if open or closed. Showers as well as other park amenities are closed. You might be able to get water jugs filled from inside the office.

As I said, the few campgrounds that offer this do a brisk business with their limited sites. I wish more campgrounds offered this service.

I don't believe very many campgrounds will find it economically viable to keep a couple or handful of sites near the office open yr round. If it was, they WOULD already be doing that everywhere..

I see your from Texas, up here in PA, pretty much all campgrounds close, even ones that are setup with permanent lot leases. It is not unusual to have a winter storm sock roads in with a lot of drifting snow along with ice..

I live on a pretty busy rural road and there have been a lot of times over the years I called off from work when I woke up to 6" of fresh snow on a bed of 1/4" thick ice that happened overnight and no sign of a plow and salt truck for hrs.. Heck vehicles often get stuck on the hill below my home every winter..

If you think a campground can "operate" and still turn a profit on one or two "overnighters" in the middle of winter, I would suggest perhaps you may have a good business plan to start your own chain of "overnight" campgrounds across the US and have a go at it. Find a few small gas stations and pitch your idea and give it a spin, charge $10 for one night and split it with the station..

But for larger campgrounds doing this, I suspect if they really thought they could turn a profit they would have been doing it for yrs. Your plea won't even be considered.

[afidel]

Btw if that's too far, Black River State Forest in Wisconsin is open year round. There are many options.

[afidel]

Try state and local parks, generally you won't have water north of the Mason-Dixon but you can get electric. The Iowa state parks become first come first served after 10/31 and water won't generally be available, but you can get electric. Clear Lake State Park would appear to be on your way as an example.

[Old_Days]

I have a 18rbs trailer and have 370 watts of solar and could very easy put 130 watts more on the roof so it can be done. We camp in the rocky mountains in the winter and solar works great.

[JimJohnson]

valhalla360 wrote:
Honestly, you best bet is to have the RV prepared for the conditions and get south fairly quickly if you are going to delay the departure late into the fall/winter.

No argument. I wish we could leave in October. However we have family obligations that prevent that. And just within our winter RV park we have a number of friends who can't leave their northern homes earlier and have similar complaints about that long gap to get below the early freeze zone. North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Saskatchewan and Ontario. That is one small RV Park in rural Texas. I cannot imagine our group is unique.

[JimJohnson]

shelbyfv wrote:
Maybe check this out for an overnight with electric. Loves RV Stop

Good to know. Won't do me much good (open map, find that peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula that juts out into Lake Superior. Then draw a straight line down to Kansas City. That would be my first/last day's drive to use a Love's. And honestly, there isn't much in-between. I know of one place in NE Iowa (still a long haul) that officially closes, but the manager (and only the manager) will authorize an overnight stop during the unofficial season.

More places in the north tier like the linked Love's would work nicely.