RV Park Sold. Now What? + New Good/Bad News

 
Copyright Janet Groene 2026. To ask about rights to reprint this content email janetgroene@yahoo.com 

Your RV Park 

Has a New Owner

NOW WHAT?

RV and campground real estate is changing hands at a hot rate. This may mean that your favorite mom-and-pop campground will become a corporate look-alike or, worse still, a high-rise condo.  

Is an ownership change good news or bad news for you? It depends on many things starting with something as simple as the selling price, which will determine the new taxable value of the property.  Taxes are, of course, passed on to consumers. 

    Also, rental rates at most campgrounds and RV resorts are now subject to hotel taxes, which are as high as 15.5% in Los Angeles and 17% in Houston. This is in addition to sales tax.

Here are some changes that may occur:

* RATES will probably rise or change under the owners, perhaps in subtle ways that aren’t apparent at first.  Will you pay a surcharge for pets, “resort fees” or pay extra for more than two or four people per campsite?  Are rewards programs now free? Available? Subject to expiration? 

* LOCAL MANAGEMENT may not mean local control over rules and rates. When rates and rules are determined by corporate headquarters miles away, local managers may have no say on features or rates that apply to all campgrounds under that flag. 

* COST CUTTING measures are happening everywhere. The swimming pool, fitness center and other amenities may be now be open to day guests, resulting in crowding and your loss of privacy.  The new laundry machines and the arcade take dollars, not quarters. Hot showers are now coin-op.  Fees creep in. Features that were once included in rates, such as Wi-Fi, .water, dump fees and electric may now be metered . Pigtails and adapters are no longer available free on loan. 

* REWARDS POINTS. If you accumulated rewards or points under the former owners, will they be honored?

* TENANT RIGHTS. You may get an eviction notice. Many new owners are  developers who plan to  do away with the campground, clear the land and build housing. RV dwellers who considered the park their home are being evicted. Too, you may no longer qualify to live here because your rig is too old. Are long-term rates available?  

* RESERVATIONS The new owners may use a different booking service.  Gone are the days when you picked up the phone, called your old friend at the front desk in Green Acres and reserved Site A12 for two weeks next July. You may now be required to reserve online with a credit card .and pay a non-refundable fee.   Some parks have gone cashless; some take cash only. Some parks open the reservations window six months ahead; some a year ahead. Some take same-day reservations. Some are reservations only. Others reserve some spots for first-come travelers.  

* SECURITY.  Some parks now require a background check with your reservation especially for RV-ers who seek long term or  seasonal reservations. Does the park have on-site security? Is is 24/7?  If there is trouble, who responds? Is the area covered by city, county, state or national law enforcement?  What is the neighborhood like?

* AUTOMATION. The new, non-attended RV parks are a huge plus, especially for RV travelers who simply want safe parking and hookups for tonight. You reserve online and get a security code that activates the gate, hookups, shower house and laundry. If something doesn’t work, is there a panic number you can call 24/7?  

Bottom Line: Never forget that an RV is a vehicle, not a homestead. It’s  only as safe and comfortable as the place where it’s legally parked.  Stay aware, nimble and mobile. 

While many books are  written about full-timing (and you should read them all) ours covers the entire lifestyle change, warts and all. It begins with making the decision in the first place, and ends with easing out when and if that time comes. 

 Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition by Janet Groene & Gordon Groene is a total guide to the full-time life on wheels. Should you sell the house or rent it out? Downsize possessions or put them in storage? Too young to retire? See our chapter on ways to make a living anywhere. Kids on board? We cover home schooling and also an exit strategy if and when the time comes to settle down. Order at any book store or let Amazon gift wrap and ship it for you.  https://amzn.to/29XFEkq 

 

        CAMPGROUNDS GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

This late-breaking news is from local sources and may be incomplete or premature for trip planning.  It's presented here for you to follow up as the story develops and get a head start on reservations.  Is there news here from your state or province?

NEW AND FUTURE CAMPGROUNDS & RV PARKS

Although it isn’t mentioned yet on the website, a 100-site RV park with full hook-ups is in future plans at the Haven of the Wild zoo in Chittenango, New York. The attraction offers drive-through and overnight accommodations. You'll see lions, tigers, giraffes, camels and dozens more exotic animals in the park. Safari type luxury tents are set to open in late April. The website doesn’t indicate a start date for the RV park but it will probably open next year. (315) 897-2970

CAMPGROUND CHANGES, NEW OWNERS, UPGRADES

In Rio, Wisconsin,  Silver Springs Campsites is now part of the Starlight Campgrounds group. The campground has 298 sites now, with room to add more.  The camp has a swimming pool, planned activities for all ages and a camp store, Go to SilverSpringsCamp.com, 

Cadiz RV Park, Cadiz, Kentucky,  is now one step closer to expanding thanks to an OK from the local planning commission. Some 15 to 20 acres will be added to the park. Stay tuned. 

Thanks to a f $2 million grant,  the county-owner  River Delta Marina & Campground in Creola, Alabama will be getting a clean-up of old vessels, an upgraded boardwalk and a facelift for the campground. A timeline for the project has not been announced. The facility has a laundry, playground, boat launch, seasonal swimming pool nd bathhouse. The park is on the  Bartram Canoe Trail. See mobilecountyal.gov/parks/mobile-river-delta-and-campground

SCUTTLEBUTT

Although it’s being challenged by local residents the 619-acre Thermal Ranch project appears to be going ahead in the Coachella Valley, California. The $1 billion+  plan is for a luxury equestrian enter, 110 estate homes, 191 condos, housing for workers and an RV park. To be added later are a hotel, resort condos,, retail stores and an entertainment center. 

Surf’s up! Planned for the future near Yakima, Washington is Barreled, an 80-acre surf park for all skill levels. It will also have a campground, surf shop, surf school, food court,  bar and restaurant.  Watch this developing story at SyrfBarreled.com/

The 11-acre site of the former Carolina Beach Family Campground, in New Hanover County, North Carolina is for sale. The site is pre-approved for 113 RV sites. A nearby RV campground 69 RV sites. Both campgrounds have easy access to the Atlantic and the Cape Fear River. Check it out as the sale develops. 

Meanwhile in Porters Neck, North Carolina the Big Apple RV Resort is proposed for a 27-acre plot behind the Lowe’s Home Improvement store. Stay tuned. 

CAMPGROUND CLOSURES

Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic State Park in Tennessee will close its Gee Creek Campground and boat ramp next fall. It will reopen in spring, 2028. The campground will remain primitive, however,  with no facilities for RV's.  Exact dates for closing and reopening are not yet available.  (888) 867-2757.

EVENTS

Grandpa's Cough Medicine

Tickets to the concert and and  reservations for campsites and cabins are now available for the Suwannee Spring Reunion. It’s scheduled for March 19-22 at the   Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park & Campground in Live Oak, Florida.  Come for one day or the whole schedule of  arts, family fun, workshops, pickin’ parties, bluegrass, newgrass, folk and blues under ancient oaks hung with Spanish moss. Performers in this year’s lineup include Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Habanero Honeys, Jerry Douglas and the Jim Lauderdale Band. 

    

Celebrating centuries of American arts and culture, the Ballyhoo Festival will be held March 7-8 in Gulf State Park, Alabama. 

 Enjoy Lake Shelby, fine arts from pottery to prints, a fiddle and banjo contest, children’s arts and performance arts including dances by the Poach Band of Creek Indians. The park has 500 campsites and 11 bathhouses. Reserve at alapak.com/

 

Tico Time Bluegrass Festival (May 15-17, 2026): Held at Tico Time River Resort, Aztec, New Mexico. ), featuring bluegrass music and camping with full hookups. The resort offers swimming, planned activities, ziplining, river tubing and a 60-foot tower challenge. See TicoTimeResort.com/

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