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CAMPGROUND GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
RV Life: A LOT to Learn
Recently a scandal broke when RV lot “owners” in a commercial campground were left holding the bag when the campground was sold. They thought they had paid the original owner for lifetime rights to their campsites. They were wrong. The new owner of the land did not honor that deal.
As real estate becomes more valuable, you’ll see sticker shock everywhere. A Florida developer is advertising modular homes (not mobiles homes, RV’s or park models) for sale on leased land. Apartment houses are going condo. Nightly, weekly and seasonal rents are soaring for everything from storage units and garages to lakefront campsites.
Eviction notices are coming as a shock. Squatters are moving in. "No Vacancy" and "Campground Full" signs bloom everywhere. Reservations are hard to get.
If high campground rates are getting you down and you’re thinking of investing in RV real estate, how can you make a wise buy in today’s crazy economy?
When you own your own RV lot you come and go as you please. No reservations, no time limits. Owning an RV lot can be a safe harbor or an albatross, so let’s sort it out. This isn’t about campground memberships or time shares. We are talking a deeded purchase of your own patch of ground.
At its simplest the tract might be country acreage where you can install septic, electric and water. Then you can come “home” and plug in as you please (zoning permitting.) Raw land is likely to grow in value and meanwhile you are free to sell the property, or continue to use it as an RV lot, or build something else there.
If luxury is your aim you can easily spend $100,000 or more for a small slab in a five-start RV resort with swimming pools, tennis and golf. Monthly maintenance fees are additional (and are going up.) If the RV is your full-time home, you might even invest in lots in two camping resorts noth and south, and move with the seasons. Another choice is to buy an RV lot at today’s prices as a future RV retirement spot but lease it out until you’re ready to use it.
What do zoning laws, HOA and other rules say about additional structures or facilities on your lot?
Today’s real estate market is a casino. There’s always risk but also the possibility to profit. As the old saying goes, “They can print more money but they can’t print more land.” In many popular vacation areas, RV lots are sold out and there’s a waiting list. Worse still, some campgrounds campers and the valuable land is used for high-rise condos.
Why buy a deeded RV lot in a campground? (1) Financing is probably available. (2) As a member of the owners’ association you’ll have a vote about costs and management. (3) Unless special circumstances arise, the property can’t be sold out from under you. (4) If management has a rental program for your site when you’re out roving, the lot earns money for you.
Before signing, have a real estate attorney look over the contract in case there are hidden snares. Know exactly what is in deed convenants, ongoing costs, assessment fees, park rules. Know how rules will affect you now and in the future when, say, you want to install a more permanent structure on the site or whether you must get a new RV after so-many years. Look at the land use plans presently in place to see what might be in store for property adjoining yours.
Your own due diligence should also include topo maps (does the land flood?). Cost of clearing? Is the plot will be accessible? In all seasons? What about access for your oversize RV?
An RV lot purchase can take many forms. Just as in other real estate deals, you’ll see condo lots, co-op parks, long-term leases, rent or lease with option to buy, owner financing, perhaps even short sales and other exotic wrinkles. Know before you buy.
Janet Groene’s Survival Food Handbook is written
for campers and sailors who have limited storage space, yet may face a
sudden emergency such as a mechanical breakdown or evacuation. It's a
guide to buying, stowing and preparing supermarket staples for
boondocking and unexpected glitches. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe
CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
We troll local real estate news for early clues to where new campsites can be found. Those listed here are for you to investigate and evaluate. The new may be premature or incomplete.
* Celebrating a name change with a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 24 will be the former Camp Tamarack RV Park in Grand Prairie, Alberta. Now a KOA Journey, the campground has easy set up services including good lighting after dark, an upgraded playground, Kamp K9,, horseshoe pits and basketball courts. Nearby are dunes for ATV riders.
* The National Park Service announces the reopening of Havasupai Gardens Campground and the Bright Angel and Tonto Trails in Grand Canyon NP on April 15. Closed since late 2023, the areas have new rest houses, water services and many other improvements. More improvements continue and w ill open as they are completed. The water filling stations at Mile-and-a-Half and Three-Mile Resthouses are projected to be available by mid-May. Check the NP websites for news of ongoing openings that will continue through 2025.
*Just around the corner from the Music City RV Show at the Wilson County Fair Grounds in Lebanon, Tennessee , the city of Nashville spreads all of its tourist attractions. Dates are June 4-7. You’ll see seas of 2025 RV’s in all sizes and layouts including the latest in luxury diesel pushers.
* Calaveras County, California is about to have another of its famous frog jumping contests. The historic event that has grown from a mere contest to a busy weekend of wine, camping, historic sites and outdoor fun. Dates for the Jumping Frog Jubilee are May 16-19. RV camping is s at the Angels Camp RV Resort, (209) 736-0404. It’s south of downtown Angels Camp with its boutiques, restaurants, museums, zip lines and more. The RV resort's amenities include a seasonal pool, fire pits, dog park, playground, sand volleyball, horseshoes, kitchen pavilion, meeting room, laundry, propane, dump station, and WiFi..
* In Strawn, Texas, halfway between Abilene and Fort Worth, the new Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is taking shape in phases. An opening date hasn’t yet been announced. Centerpiece of the park will be 90-acre Tucker Lake. Features of the 4,800 acre park will include more than 12 miles of bike trails (to grow later to 20 miles), spacious campsites, a dock, playground and equestrian campsites. RV sites will have water and electric but full hookups will be provided for camp hosts. A dump station will also be provided.
* Save the dates August 29-September 2 be in Mount Pleasant, Iowa for the Midwest Old Threshers Festival. Reserve your RV site early in the 72-acre campground with electric, dump stations and four restrooms/shower houses. The campground store has groceries and ice; a shuttle runs to the main festival area. Bring the kids to see old steam engines, antique cars and tractors, bygone engines and live horses. See live performers and plenty of old-time music. Learn to square dance. See the parade, cheer at the Horse Pull and feast at food vendors. Go to OldThreshers.org/ Get multi-day earlybird tickets online at a discount.
* Progress is being made in Port Richey, Florida towards a new campground to be built on 16 heavily wooded acres. The land has a natural spring and will be developed with 120 RV sites with an “old Florida” look. Stay tuned.
* Faithful regulars at Barnacles Resort & Campground in Aitkin, Minnesota will find a new restaurant there late this month. Now known as the Mudflats Bar & Grill, the restaurant under new owners is a centerpiece of the 97-site campground. All sites have full hookups and about half are lakefront.
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