It’s RV Show Season!

RV Shows are a great place to begin your search for local reputable RV dealers.  RV Shows in this area are scheduled for January & February when dealerships are slow. 

RV Shows provide you the opportunity to see newest models and talk to dealerships that you may not have heard of, and reduce your expenses and time by not having to drive to different dealerships.  As a customer you can see and compare prices, brands, layouts, and more with one stop shopping.  However, there is always a huge range of quality & prices.  So when comparing units, make sure you’re comparing the prices of like models of differing brands.  One RV may look like another one, but you need to compare the options, construction, equipment, and features they both have to offer. See who offers the best deal but remember if the dealer isn’t reputable or isn’t equipped to work on the RV, or is located too far away to conveniently return the RV for service, your purchase may not turn out to be the best deal.  Don’t be afraid to talk with other RVers at the show. Many of these people have years of RV experience and knowledge of different products and dealerships.  Most will be honest and tell you when and where they’ve gotten the best deals & service.        

Buying an RV from a local reputable dealer insures you the best possible service, convenience, and shortest distance to travel for maintenance, repairs, & warranty work. 

It is always a good idea to visit the dealership’s physical location before you buy, check out their service department, service hours, etc.  In addition, many RV dealers offer show discounts and sometimes manufacturer rebates are available.  So not only do you save money with the one stop shopping, but there are huge savings in the purchase prices!

Show specials also sometimes include discounts or coupons from campgrounds.  So, your new RV sometimes comes with savings to use it, too!

For more information about local RV Dealers who have partnered with campgrounds in Western PA who offer $500.00 in free Camping and a chance to win another $500 of free camping with the purchase of a new RV in a Very Special Camper (VSC) Contest, visit our website at:  http://www.meadvillekoa.com/Discounts.html

RV shows aren’t just for RV dealers to showcase new and used RVs.  RV shows offer a wealth of information on the whole RVing industry.  Most campgrounds & RV resorts are slow or closed for the winter.  RV shows allow campgrounds to showcase new activities, special events, new amenities & extended stay (aka seasonal camping) availability to potential campers.  Make sure you stop by their booths and find new places to explore and exciting things to do with your family this summer!   

You can also find information for aftermarket RV products, RV accessories, RVing insurance, Camping or RVing Clubs, Discount Clubs, pick up brochures, camping directories for your state and more! 

Even if you don’t intend to by an RV, you can learn about cabin camping!  Many people think of camping as ‘roughing it” with a tent, the ground, the rain, and a less than pleasurable “vacation”.  This is no longer the case.  For the price of a motel room, most campgrounds are now supplying cabins.  Prices vary by campground and the amenities offered.  Camping cabins are generally the least expensive.  They are generally one room with beds and a table.  Cottage Cabins may offer kitchenettes, or a few more amenities, and camping lodges are deluxe facilities with full kitchens and bathrooms.  So, there is no need to own an RV!  You can enjoy the luxury of RVing with a camping vacation in a cabin and not miss any of the campground recreation programs and planned activities! 

Why not pack up the family for a fun winter-day activity and attend one of the local RV shows in your area.  Invite a friend to come along, and enjoy a day of looking forward to a summer camping season filled with friends & fun at these RV Shows: 

Ohio RV Super Show, January 9-13, at the I-X Center, Cleveland, OH.  Show Hours: Wed. – Fri. 1 pm to 10 pm, Sat. 10 am to 10 pm, and Sunday 10 am to 6 pm.  Ticket Pricing: Admission is $12.50/person.  Children 12 & under are free, and you can get a 2-Day pass for $20.00.  Discount coupons for admission are available on their website at:  http://www.ohiorvshow.com/!

Pittsburgh RV Show January 12 - 20  At David Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA!  Show Hours: Saturdays: 10 am - 9 pm, Sundays: 10 am - 5 pm, Monday through Friday: 5 pm - 9 pm.  Ticket Pricing: $10.00 for Adults, $9.00 Senior (55+), $5.00 Children 6-16,  One dollar off Discount Coupons are available online at http://www.pittrvshow.com/pages/home.php!  For More Information Call (724) 446-1046. 

Erie RV Show Feb 7-10 At the Bayfront Convention Center, Erie, PA!  Show Hours: Thursday 2 pm to 8 pm, Friday Noon to 8 pm, Saturday 10 am to 7pm, and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm.  General Admission: Adults $5.00, Children 10 & Under Free, and FREE PARKING!  More info online at: http://www.sportandtravelexpo.com/rv/homepage.aspx

We invite you to attend any and all of these RV Shows!  Stop by the Meadville KOA Campground booth and tell us hello, and that you received your invitation from my blog!  We hope to see you there!    

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA Campground.  Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251.  Kampgrounds of America, is now the world’s largest system of open-to-the-public family campgrounds.

Happy Holidays!

It is again the time of year, when all of us look forward to celebrating the reason for the season, and special time set aside for family and close friends.

 

As we celebrate this Holiday Season, we want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank each and every one of our camping customers for camping with us in 2012, and we look forward to seeing you again in the new year!  

 

We appreciate all of our wonderful camping families, and from our family to yours, we wish you a Very Happy Holidays!

 

Sincerely,

 

Tim & Robyn Chilson, Owners 

Breaking News - Awards & Honors!

We attended KOA’s 50^th Anniversary Convention in Orlando Florida in November.  Not only did we get to attend the 50^th Anniversary Convention of the world’s leading camping franchise (and one of the top 10 franchises in the world!), and the largest camping trade show that we’ve ever attended, and the KOA Care Camps Auction that raised over $376,000 to help support camps for children with cancer, but we were honored to be presented the 2013 KOA President’s Quality Award.  It was a thrilling convention that we will not soon forget!

The 2013 KOA President’s Award is an award that is based on us receiving high marks from KOA Quality Inspectors along with receiving high marks and ratings from you, our camping customers for our facilities cleanliness, fun family activities, and of course, of for our customer service in 2012. 

We thank all of you for making this award possible.  We received over 200 survey responses from you rating us in the company of some of the very best campgrounds in the country!  We truly couldn’t achieve this award without you!  Our Trailer Life rating (9/9*/9) places us well within the top 5% of campgrounds in the country.  Our KOA President’s Award places us above that!    

First and foremost, we love our camping families.  We’re very blessed to have so many wonderful families who camp with us year after year.  Many of our campers have been camping with us for over 13 years!  It doesn’t seem possible that it’s been that long, but we just celebrated our 13^th year of ownership.  We have so enjoyed watching your children grow up (hard to believe some are now in college!), and our good fortune to share many, many, summer camping adventures with your families!  We sincerely thank you.  Serving you is truly, our pleasure!

We just returned from the Pennsylvania Campground Owners Convention (PCOA), where we received awards for the best brochure in PA and the best promotional piece in PA for 2012!  The coolest part about winning these awards is because we owe these awards to you, our customers too! 

Our brochure for 2012 was a result of photos that were selected as winners in our 2011 Facebook Photo Contest!  We want you to know that we appreciate you participating in our Facebook Contests, and those photos of yours were winners not only for you, but for us as well!  Thank you again for submitting your photos and participating and sharing your photos of your children having fun!

We also owe our printer, Rick Morgan of Print King (http://www.printking.net/) from Cranberry, PA a huge thank you for the great and absolutely beautiful job he did on our brochure!  The photos were sharp, the print easy to read, and the color’s attracted the eye (as per the contest judges comments)!  If you want a quality printer for brochures to advertise your business, we highly recommend Rick and his team at Print King!  They do a great quality product at a good price!  We love Print King, and think you will too! 

And if that isn’t enough, our best promotional piece was our email blasts program that we email out to campers each month to advertise our upcoming events and activities, campsite and cabin availability, specials and discounts, and much more!  And, it’s you, our customers, who also make this program a success!  If you didn’t call to book that reservation, interact with that link, or disengaged with that program (removed yourself from the distributions list), it would be a miserable failure.  So we thank you for camping with us, and participating in our special weekends, promotions, and discount offers!  We thank you!

Each award we received this fall, involved you, our customers.  Some might say, “Isn’t that ironic?”  To us it makes perfect sense because without you, our camping customers, we don’t exist at all.  So to us, it’s only fitting that because of you, we’re a top rated campground that has won quality awards based on your customer feedback, your photos submitted for our camping contests, and email promotions that you receive and engage with to receive special offers, discounts, and more!  That makes perfect sense to us, because we truly have some of the best camping families who camp with us!  We have great campers who in many cases aren’t just camping customers, they are friends too!  Thank you for being great customers, the people that you are, great friends, and for making our campground the great and fun place to camp that it is!  We get lots of great comments on how nice and friendly our campers are, and we of course again owe that thanks to you!

And, we’re proud and honored to also announce that Tim Chilson was honored at the PCOA Convention for completing two consecutive terms (4 years) of service on the PCOA Board of Directors as Regional Director for Northwest PA, a 15 County Region.  Tim’s service as Regional Director has ended, but he was asked to fill a vacancy left by a resignation of another officer, and so Tim has accepted the position of PCOA Regional Vice President for all of Western PA (Regions 1 & 2).  We continue to serve not only our customers but our industry as well, as we continue to strive to make camping experiences better across PA.      

As our service to you, our state association, and our industry continues, we want to thank you, our camping customers again for providing us the opportunity to serve such a great industry, with so many great camping families as our customer base!  We’re so honored and fortunate to be able to do this.  And it’s all because of you, our great customers! 

We thank you, as always, for camping with us and your great feedback, and we look forward to seeing you again this summer at Meadville KOA!

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA Campground in Meadville, PA.  Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at www.MeadvilleKOA.com

Have you Thought About Seasonal Camping?

As autumn gives way to winter, most campers’ thoughts turn to the chore of winterizing their RV’s to place them in storage for the long, cold non-camping season ahead.  Instead, turn your thoughts to next summer, and begin planning your family’s vacation and recreation time!  Here are some reasons why seasonal camping may make good sense for your family and some tips on how to shop for and compare seasonal camping sites!

There is convenience!  Camping is a lot of fun for the whole family, but let’s face it, there’s work involved too.  You have to pack, hook-up, tow, unhook, set up camp, tear down camp, hook-up, tow, unhook, and unpack.  Seasonal camper campers don’t have to do all that.   You get to spend a lot more time camping and enjoying your family and a whole lot less time working! 

Save money!  Recent studies have documented that camping is the least expensive way to vacation with your family.  Take that thinking one step further and you will see why seasonal camping is the least expensive way to vacation with your family all summer long!  A seasonal campsite costs less then one week long vacation at a resort.  So why not enjoy your RV every weekend, all summer long, for less than the price of one vacation?  Now that’s being a thrifty shopper!

Shorter Commute!  Towing creates wear and tear on your RV, your tow vehicle, and on you, the driver!  There are also fuel and maintenance costs associated with weekend travel.  So unless your family is determined to try a new place each weekend, why not camp at your favorite campground for the whole summer?  The money you save in wear and tear, and by not towing will more than offset your extra expenditures on gas to get you back and forth each weekend! 

The Price is right!  When you compare unlimited camping rates to overnight camping, the discount you get by being a seasonal camper is huge!  Most campgrounds provide similar services and activities, but ask about extras!  Some campgrounds provide all inclusive seasonal rates and some do not.  Make sure you know exactly what your expenses will be before you sign that Seasonal Camping Agreement!   When you do the math, you’ll find that the price is right!    

Think Location, Location, Location, versus price.  The more centrally located a campground is to a large metropolitan area, the more likely their rates will be higher.  A little longer commute may provide you even bigger savings in a lower seasonal camping rates! 

What park type fits your family’s needs?  That means that if you’re looking for a family campground, make sure the place you’re becoming a seasonal isn’t a party haven!  Can you count on them to provide fun, family oriented activities for the entire family?  Are there fun things to do that will keep the kids or grandkids busy and having fun?  Does your prospective campground provide them at no additional cost or are there extra fees?  Again, make sure you know those details.

Right now is the perfect time to select a site!  Most campgrounds have a few openings for next season in the fall, so it’s the perfect time to shop for a campsite!  Many have winter payment plans, and some may even include onsite winter storage!  If you normally pay for a storage facility, that’ll save you even more money!   

Save more by getting an early bird discount!  You can save even more money by  paying for your campsite early.  Many campgrounds provide discounts or rebates for those who their campsite off in full early!  Again, ask those questions, because the money you save can be big! 

Meet new people!  Seasonal campers are like a small community.  They become friends, hang out, play cards or yard games, have group campfires, their children become friends, and much more!  Many volunteer to help with activities and events and bring lots of fun to their camping environment in a family-friendly way!  What a great way to meet new people and make new friends!    

Make the right choice!  The closer you camp to where you live the better it is!  That is how you’ll get the most use out of your RV!  But remember, the experience isn’t just something, it’s everything!  It’s much better to drive a little further for that higher rating, those award-winning activities, or those special friends you love to camp with!  Don’t sacrifice quality for closer. 

Seasonal camping maximizes your summer vacation time and use of your RV while minimizing your expenses!  It can provide your family a summer full of fun, family oriented camping experiences for about the same price as one vacation!  Make sure you take a little time to consider that idea, and how it can help your family get the biggest bang for your buck next summer!  Then, we hope you’ll start looking at local campgrounds and thinking about becoming a seasonal camper!  It’s not too late to move onto a site this fall!  Campground owners are looking forward to talking with you and showing you all the fun events and activities we’re already planning for next summer!  If you're thinking about seasonal camping in NWPA area, we hope you'll come give Meadville KOA a good look! 

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA Campground in Meadville, PA.  Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251.

Come Enjoy Halloween In September!

At Meadville KOA, we do Halloween in September.  Generally, the weather is little better than in October, and we’re not competing with other campgrounds who do their Halloween Events on or near Halloween. 

Halloween is a big deal.  Kids love trick or treating, parents love the creativity, and it’s just good, family fun!  If you’re looking for some family fun this fall, then come to Meadville KOA!  We have some great Halloween (and other autumn) event weekends in store for your family!  But you better reserve now, because the weekends are upon us!   

This Weekend, Sept. 22, we have Haunted Campsites & Pumpkinfest Weekend! – This is a great weekend for tweens & teens!  We’ll have free crafts with the younger kids, and free pumpkin carving for teens, and then enjoy free pumpkin treats like pumpkin cake and ice cream!  Turn your campsite into a Haunted Campsite!  Big prizes (Free Camping) for 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd Scariest with Best Pumpkin Theme!  Tweens & Teens, join us on our pumpkin scavenger hunt!  Find a magic pumpkin and bring it to the store before you leave for your prize!  (* 2 night min. at holiday rate.  Leave your RV for free if you’re coming back next weekend!)        

Next weekend, September 29 is Our Halloween Weekend!  We have costume contest (prizes for all ages), trick or treating, apple cider, donuts, after dark glowing wagon ride, and a Sunday morning free all you can eat pancake breakfast with the purchase of your campsite (for 2 adults and 2 children)! We have a campsite decorating contest!  Prizes for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Day & Night time!  Breakfast is just $3.00/person for visitor’s & extra camper’s!  (* 2 night min. at holiday rate.  Leave your RV for free if you’re coming back next weekend!)        

October 6 is our Our Applefest Weekend!  (Save $5.00 per night this weekend!  Discount Code CD)  Or, Bring a friend who never camped at Meadville KOA before and you each get a night free, when you each buy one! Ask for Discount Code C1! Come join us and enjoy the flavors of the season!  We’ll have free crafts for kids, an apple dessert dish to pass social, and an afternoon wagon ride to enjoy the foliage!  This is Franklin Applefest(tm) Weekend!  (+ Leave your RV for free if you’re coming back next weekend!) 

October 13 is our Customer Appreciation Weekend!  (Save $10.00 per night on your campsite if you camped with us earlier this summer!  Discount Code CA)  Or, Bring a friend who never camped at Meadville KOA before and you each get a night free, when you each buy one!  Ask for Discount Code C1.  Adults & Children play Farkle (a dice game!)  Winners go home with a pocket Farkle game as the prize!  Then, we’re having a free pizza party after the Tournament!  The Fall Saegertown Steam and Gas Engine Show is this weekend!  (+ Leave your RV for free if you’re coming back next weekend! 

October 20 is our Special Discount Weekend!  (Save $10.00 per night on your camp-site!)  Or, Bring a friend who never camped at Meadville KOA  before and you each get a night free, when you buy one!  Ask for discount code C1!  This is our last camping weekend for this season!  Please note that all amenities may not be functional this weekend!

If you don’t own an RV, don’t panic!  We have a camping cabin, kitchenette cottage cabin, and deluxe lake-front lodges to rent so your family doesn’t have to miss any of the fun!  And all of our autumn campsites and cabins (unless otherwise noted) are at our lower autumn rates!  Come enjoy some autumn camping with your family!            

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson Own and Operate Meadville KOA Campground. You can contact her at 814-789-3251.

Autumn Camping is Awesome Camping!

As summer comes to an end, the autumn season begins, and that means it’s time to go autumn camping! Why not enjoy the fall foliage, fun fall festivals, and more! Here are few examples of awesome autumn camping adventures that await you!














Attend Fall Festivals! There are Autumn Leaf Festivals, Applefests, Pumkin Fests, and more! So if you haven’t been camping and attended one of these great local autumn events, the only question remaining is, why not? The festivals are fun, and it lengthens your camping season!

The Price is Right! Off season camping generally means off season (lower) rates! You save money when you camp in the off season! And because demand for those sites are lower, the campgrounds are less busy (except for special event weekends), which means you get a quiet, more relaxing, camping atmosphere!

The Weather Is Good! Ahhh, the cool evenings make a campfire all that more enjoyable. Enjoy a cup of spiced apple cider, s’mores, and a camper pie by the campfire on a cool autumn evening. There’s nothing like it! And is it just me, or does everything taste better over that autumn campfire?

Attend Special Event Weekends! Many private campgrounds provide special event weekends during the autumn months to draw in more campers and RVers! Why not take the kids to a Halloween Weekend filled with trick or treat, costume and campsite decorating contests complete with a Sunday breakfast? Or, attend a Pumpkin Fest Weekend with roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin carving and other pumpkin themed activities? Or to an Applefest! There's so much to do and see!

The Fall Foliage Peak Is In Early October! The fall foliage is usually at its peak the first and second weeks in October. Why not choose a campground that is centrally located to the area where you’d like to foliage sight-see, and do some foliage gazing in the area around your base camp! Don’t forget your camera!

Autumn Star Gazing Is Awesome! If you’re a star gazer, you already know that late summer and early fall give rise to some awesome planetary and star gazing opportunities. If you aren’t a star gazer, now is as good of time to start as any! So look up and learn! And don’t forget that star gazing at a campout equals a trip to the local planetarium! So the kids can learn about the stars right there at your campsite at no extra charge!

There are lots of fun special event weekends, fall festivals, football games, stars, and fall foliage to see! All of these great camping & RVing adventures await you! Go camping or RVing and explore the world around you!

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson Own and Operate Meadville KOA Campground. You can contact her at 814-789-3251.

Camper Courtesy – What’s it all about?

Camping is a great way to meet new families!  Whether you camp in a deluxe lodge, a camping cabin, tent, pop up, or RV there are is no better way to get your family outside and enjoying quality time together in the great out of doors!  No doubt about it, campers all look forward to being outdoors and going biking, hiking, fishing, and more!  But, we also need to know how to do it in a way that doesn’t offend or intrude on our camping neighbors experience as well!     

Problems arise between campers when someone invades, interrupts, or disrespects the other camper’s space.  Below, we’ve created a list of items that are just good courtesy to your camping neighbors.  If you practice these rules, you’ll be a good camping neighbor!  And hopefully, your neighbors will practice them too.   

Quiet Hours:  Most campgrounds have posted quiet hours.  Respect those, and you and your neighbor will get along fine.  People with very young children, appreciate that their children aren’t awakened by the campers next door.  The same is true of older campers, who may go to bed earlier.  Making excessive noise should be avoided at all times, not just during quiet hours.  No one wants to listen to parents screaming at their children, domestic disputes, or loud music blasting at any hour of the day or night.  What’s the measure for too loud?  If it can be heard on the next campsite, it is too loud.  

• Pet Rules: Nothing is more irritating then a camper who locks their pet in an RV, leaves for the day, and the neighbors can’t sit out at their campfire because they dog is barking non-stop for hours on end.  It’s not fair to your pet, the camping neighbors, nor the campground owners.  The other problem is retractable leashes and pet owners allowing their pets to do their business in other people’s campsites.  Walk your pet in the pet walk area, clean up after it, keep it leashed, and keep it quiet.  Pets are without question, the #1 area of complaints that campground owners get.
• Trespassing: It sounds silly, but your neighbor’s campsite is your neighbor’s campsite.  Please don’t park your third vehicle on it, assuming they don’t care.  Don’t allow your children to cut through their campsite on the way the to or from the shower house or playground.  Not only is it rude, it’s also dangerous.  There could be a fire ring (or other obstacle) to trip over, a dog lead you don’t see, or a pet that will be startled and bite you.  That is the way that most dog bites happen in parks.  And if the camper were being a courteous camper, they wouldn’t have gotten bitten.
• Follow The Rules: You would be astonished at how many people pay no attention to the campground rules.  Most campgrounds have rules, for the protection of their campers.  Make sure you get a copy and read the rules at each campground you go to.  They may differ slightly from campground to campground, but most are pretty standard.  They are there to ensure safety, security, and courtesy for you and others.
• Check-in/Check-out times:  Be punctual.  If you are checking out, and check-out time is 2:00, please be sure that you are departed at or before 2:00.  The next camper may be sitting in the parking lot ready to come onto that site.  Your late departure becomes an inconvenience to the next person.  We’re confident you wouldn’t want the camper before you, to make you wait for the campsite you reserved.  Be courteous, and don’t do it to the next camper.  Pay it forward.
• Leave the site like you found it.  There is nothing worse, then pulling onto a campsite with the garbage still sitting on it or worse yet scattered around the campsite.  Make sure you take your refuse to the dumpster.  Don’t burn plastics!  Don’t place non-burnables in the fire ring, and leave the campsite as nice, or nicer than it was when you found it.  Not only will the campground owner appreciate it, but the next camper will too.    
• If you have an issue, report it!  Whether you have an issue with a camping neighbor, the wi-fi isn’t working, the bath room needs attention, or there is an electrical problem, report it.  If you report it, it provides the business owner a chance to fix this issue and make your camping experience better.  

Following these simple rules, may seem almost a no brainer.  But these are the top complaints we get as campground owners, about other campers.  So, if you’re camping, and you follow these rules of courtesy, hopefully your camping neighbors will too.  When that happens, everyone has a better camping experience. 

We wish you safe and happy kamping where ever your travels take you! 

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA Campground in Meadville, PA.  Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at www.MeadvilleKOA.com

Meadville KOA Campground Wins The Meadville Tribune Reader’s Choice Award!



Meadville KOA Campground was awarded the 2012 Reader’s Choice Award from the Meadville Tribune again, for the 4^th consecutive year! 

According to owner Tim Chilson, “It’s an honor to be awarded The Meadville Tribune Reader’s Choice Award again in 2012!  We thank all of our friends, neighbors, and camping families who nominated and voted for us this year and previous years!”  Meadville KOA Campground has been awarded the best campground in the Readers Choice Awards previously in 2006, and 2008 through this year.

According to Chilson, the campground is rated in the top 2% of campgrounds nationally. 

“We have a page on our website http://www.meadvilleKOA.com/Awards.html that lists and explains the awards we’ve received.  Each one is special to us, and to be nominated and to win the Readers Choice Awards again in 2012 is another wonderful honor for us and our staff.  Our entire staff works incredibly hard to provide a clean, safe, and fun campground for all of our camping customers!”

Meadville KOA Campground won the KOA President’s Award for 2011, its first year as part of the Kampgrounds of America (KOA) organization.  Meadville KOA was also one of only 44 campgrounds nationally to win the Guest Reviews “A Rated” Award.  Both of those awards are presented to campgrounds who receive top ratings from their camping customers directly.  Those awards place the 34 year old Western PA Campground in the top 2% of campgrounds nationally. 

Chilson added, “Meadville KOA Campground has been an award winning campground for the 13 years we’ve owned it.  These latest awards are a confirmation from our camping customers that we are providing the very finest in clean and safe facilities, fun activities and events, and of course service to our customers.”

Meadville KOA Campground hosts 163 campsites for everything from tents with no hookups to big rigs with full hookups, 4 camping cabins which include lake-front deluxe lodges, a kitchenette cottage, and a camping cabin.  Their facilities and recreation includes free Wi-Fi at the campsites, seven fishing ponds for catch and release fishing (no license required), a swimming pool, a creek for wading, a hiking trail, volleyball, basketball, soccer & ball field, horseshoe pits, themed weekend events with planned activities, hay wagon rides, game room, paddle boats ($), pedal karts ($) mini golf ($), and jumping pillow ($), and much more!

By Robyn Chilson
CPO Tim & Robyn Chilson, own and operate Meadville KOA Campground.  Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251.

Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend Up Nearly 10% from 2011

BILLINGS, MT (May 14, 2012) - Kampgrounds of America's popular Come Kamp &Care With Us Weekend May 11-12 hosted nearly 10 percent more campers this year than in 2011.

"A combination of great weather, stabilizing fuel prices and fun event planning by our campground owners really brought out the campers," said Mike Gast, Vice President of Communications for Kampgrounds of America Inc. "Of course, it's the official kickoff to KOA's 50th birthday, so that didn't hurt, either."

Participating KOAs throughout North America logged nearly 42,000 camper nights between last Wednesday and Sunday, a double-digit increase from Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend 2011.

Nearly 400 of the 480 KOA campgrounds in North America participated in the 9th annual event, where campers received a free night of camping last Saturday if they stayed as paying guests on Friday.

According to Tim Chilson, Owner of Meadville KOA, “We raised $120 thanks to the generosity of our campers last weekend, but we’ll continue to raise funds all summer long.”  Meadville KOA Campground hosted a coloring contest, where the entrance fee went to the Care Camps, “robbed the kiddie train” (exchanged coins the children had for candy), and held BINGO games and 50/50 drawings where the proceeds went to care camps as well.  “We’ll have the collection jar out all summer,” Chilson said, “And we’ll continue to run 50/50 raffles all summer to benefit Care Camps.  It’s a great way to send children with cancer to camp and allow them to enjoy the healing nature of camping.  It’s a great cause and a great way to give back to our local communities.”

The annual event also serves as the largest single fundraiser for KOA Care Camps for children with cancer, the official charity of KOA and the KOA Owner's Association. KOA Care Camps is a network of 44 specialized summer camps that provide a free summer camp experience for children with cancer and their siblings.

Donations are still being counted from this year's fundraising efforts, but last year, KOA campers helped raise more than $500,000 to benefit the charity.

"Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend isn't just the official start of the summer camping season," said Gast, "It's also a pretty good indicator of how things might look for the rest of the summer."

Advanced reservations for the summer months at KOA are running ahead of last year. The increase in KOA's inventory of Deluxe Cabins, which feature full bathrooms and kitchens, is also fueling increased camping by bringing in new campers who value the comforts Deluxe Cabins offer.

"The public's desire to reconnect to the outdoors is certainly increasing," Gast said. "Camping is the perfect, affordable answer."

Protect Your Family & Pets from Ticks!

Spring and summer are great times to go camping!  No doubt about it, we all look forward to being outdoors and going camping, hiking, fishing, and more!  But, we also need to know how to protect or families and pets from ticks whether it’s at a campground, a local park, or our own backyards.  

The month of May is traditionally Lyme Disease Awareness and Prevention Month, however, there have already been reports by experts in Pennsylvania on GoErie.com that our tick season is off to an early start from our unusually mild winter.  The early start of tick season also appears to be true for other states as well.  Tick season has been reported in multiple places in the Eastern US to be somewhere between 4-6 weeks ahead of normal and at much heavier amounts than normal.  Unfortunately, none of those places hold monopoly on ticks, so whenever or wherever you’re outdoors you’re exposure is increased.  So we thought it might be a good idea to explain how they get on you, and what you can do to prevent it! 

Ticks don’t fly or jump.  They climb up and hang onto low-hanging vegetation and when we walk by or ride a bicycle by they stick out their hook-like claws and latch on and then they climb up on us.  So the best way to avoid tick bites, of course, would be to stay in areas where the vegetation is open or maintained below ankle height.

It’s a good idea, where possible to stay on walking trails that are mowed and if you're out hiking avoid vegetation brushing against your legs. That's not always possible, so experts recommend that people, if possible, wear long-legged pants, wear socks, and tuck your pant legs in your socks to prevent the ticks from getting on your legs.  It’s also a good idea to treat your socks and pants legs up to the knee if you're wearing long pants with products that contain DEET or Permethrin, which are probably the two best tick repellents.  And when you’re applying repellents, target your feet, legs, waistline, but always follow the directions for the repellent very carefully, especially when applying repellents to children.  It is not suggested that repellants be applied directly to the skin.  Remember, that anything applied to your skin is absorbed into your body.  So it’s a good idea to minimize that exposure to your kin.

Along with showering and a change of clothing after coming inside, experts encourage us to perform routine checks for ticks on ourselves and other family members including pets. If a tick is spotted, they recommend a person remove the tick from their skin as soon as possible with tweezers.  (There are websites that show you how (like at: http://www.lyme.org/removal.html.)

But preventing ticks from getting on our family is only a portion of the story.  We also need to apply preventative measures on our pets to curb ticks from being tracked indoors.  Most experts recommend that you contact your vet. They make several different types of medicines for flea/tick preventative treatments like Frontline.  It is placed on the nap of the neck and the body takes it in and it starts getting rid of things. And there are dips that may be used, but they can affect animals in different ways.  The decision of what to use is based on the pet’s age.  So, the best idea is to consult your vet and ask them to review the options with you, and make a recommendation to you based on your pet and circumstances.

Ticks can cause tick paralysis. If your pet is covered in ticks, they could contract tick paralysis, which as the name suggests causes severe paralysis, and can be fatal if left untreated.  We surely don’t want our pets to suffer that fate.

Referred to as "little vampires," because they require a continual intake of blood to survive and reproduce, experts urge the public to take precaution because tick-borne illnesses can have severe, if not deadly, affects if gone unnoticed.  If the tick is infected with Lyme Disease, and the pet brings it in the house and drops the tick off, the tick can then bite and infect your family members with Lyme Disease. 

According to the PA Department of Health, we can also use landscaping techniques to create a tick-safe zone around homes, parks, and recreational areas. The ticks that transmit LD thrive in humid wooded areas, and quickly die in sunny dry areas. Here are some simple landscaping techniques they recommend to help reduce tick populations.

(1) Remove leaf litter and clear tall grasses and brush around homes and edges of lawns.

(2) Place wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to restrict tick migration to recreational areas.
(3) Mow the lawn and clear brush and leaf litter frequently.
(4) Keep the ground under bird feeders clean.
(5) Stack wood neatly and in dry areas.
(6) Keep playground equipment, decks and patios away from yard edges and trees.
(7) Ticks that transmit LD can be found on deer, therefore:
(a) Do not feed deer on your property.
(b) Construct physical barriers to discourage deer from entering your yard.
(c) Check with garden centers, nurseries, or local extension agents to learn about deer-resistant plants.
(8) Bait boxes that treat wild rodents with acaracide (insecticide that kills ticks) are available for home use. Properly used, these boxes have been shown to reduce ticks around homes by more than 50%. The treatment is similar to control fleas and ticks on pets.

And, while current stats show that the Western PA new cases are on average lower than the eastern and central part of the state, we need to be diligent to keep it that way by protecting our family and pets by following these simple practices!   

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA Campground in Meadville, PA.  Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at www.MeadvilleKOA.com

What about Seasonal Camping makes it so special and affordable?

As spring arrives, you and your family are either dying to get out camping for the first time this season or for the first time in your new RV!  As your thoughts begin to turn to summer and camping, why not consider a camping vacation all summer long instead of just a few times this summer?  Here are some tips on why seasonal camping at Meadville KOA Campground makes sense for your family!

There is convenience!  Camping is a lot of fun for the whole family, but let’s face, there’s work involved too.  You have to pack, hook-up, tow, unhook, set up camp, tear down camp, hook-up, tow, unhook, and unpack.  Seasonal campers don’t have to do all that.   You get to spend a lot more time camping and enjoying your free time you’re your family and a whole lot less time working! 

Save money!  Several studies have documented that camping is the least expensive way to vacation with your family.  Take that thinking one step further and you will see why seasonal camping is the least expensive way to vacation with your family all summer long!  A seasonal campsite costs less then one week long vacation at a resort.  So why not enjoy your RV every weekend, all summer long, for less than the price of one vacation?  Now that’s being a thrifty shopper!  And if you have a week or two of vacation, you can spend that at the campground too!  It’s a great savings! 

Shorter Commute!  Towing creates wear and tear on your RV, your tow vehicle, and on you, the driver!  There are also fuel and maintenance costs associated with weekend travel.  So unless your family is determined to try a new place each weekend, why not camp at Meadville KOA Campground for the whole summer?  The money you save in wear and tear, and by not towing will more than offset your extra expenditures on gas to get you back and forth each weekend!  And we do the mowing, so you have more time to relax and enjoy your family! 

The Price is right!  When you compare unlimited camping rates to overnight camping, the discount you get by being a seasonal camper is huge!  Most campgrounds provide similar services and activities, but ask about extras!  Some campgrounds provide all inclusive seasonal rates and some do not.  Make sure you know exactly what your expenses will be before you sign that Seasonal Camping Agreement!   When you do the math, you’ll find that the price is right at Meadville KOA Campground!    

Think Location, Location, Location.  Choose a campground within a couple of hours of where you live.  Your more like to get more the most use of your RV, and it’ll cost you less time and gas to get there.  That said, a little longer commute may provide you even bigger savings in a lower seasonal camping rates!  Come ask about our Seasonal Campsites and see what we can provide your family!          

What park type fits your family’s needs?  That means that if you’re looking for a family campground, make sure the place you’re becoming a seasonal isn’t a party haven!  Can you count on them to provide fun, family oriented activities for the entire family?  Are there fun things to do that will keep the kids or grandkids busy and having fun?  Does your prospective campground provide them at no additional cost or are there extra fees?  Again, make sure you know those details.  When you do, we think Meadville KOA will provide you the family amenities you want, at a price you can afford!

Meet new people!  Seasonal campers are like a small community.  They become friends, hang out, play cards or yard games, have group campfires, their children become friends, and much more!  Many volunteer to help with activities and events and bring lots of fun to their camping environment in a family-friendly way!  What a great way to meet new people and make new friends!  We have a lot of great families who camp with us at Meadville KOA!    

Make the right choice!  The closer you camp to where you live the better it is!  That is how you’ll get the most use out of your RV!  But remember, the experience isn’t just something, it’s everything!  It’s much better to drive a little further for that higher rating or those award-winning activities!  Don’t sacrifice quality for closer.  This is just another reason why you have the opportunity to camp at one of the nationtion's 44 top rated campggrounds right here in Northwestern PA at the Meadville KOA!   

Seasonal camping maximizes your summer vacation time and use of your RV while minimizing your expenses!  It can provide your family a summer full of fun, family oriented camping experiences for about the same price as one vacation!  Make sure you take a little time to consider this idea, and how it can help your family get the biggest bang for your buck this summer!  Then, we hope you’ll start by looking right here at Meadville KOA Campground!  Tim and I are looking forward to talking with you and showing you all the fun events and activities we’ve already planned for this summer! 

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA Campground in Meadville, PA.  Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at www.MeadvilleKOA.com

RV DEALERS & CAMPGROUND OWNERS PRESENT $500 OF FREE CAMPING TO CONTEST WINNER!

(Shown in photo above from front left is B&R staff Kathi Wahl and Sam Edwards and owner Bob Wolf II, kneeling are happy winners John & LuAnn Vantine of Butler, and from right to left are campground owners Denny & Kathy Quigley of Yogi Bear at Kozy Rest Kampground in Harrisville, Tim Chilson of Meadville KOA (Formally Brookdale Campground), Rick & Deb Yeager from Rose Point Park in New Castle, Ed Tanski of Buttercup Woodlands Campground in Renfrew, and Chuck Rupp of Nautical Mile Campground and Marina.)

Butler, PA: The $500.00 winner of the 2011 Very Special Camper Contest drawing was John & LuAnn Vantine of Butler, PA!  John and his wife, Luann were presented $500.00 in free camping gift certificates on Thursday at B& R RV in Butler! 

This year’s winner, LuAnn Vantine said, “This is amazing!  We’ve never won anything before!  Why wouldn’t everyone buy an RV from these dealers?  They should.  We camped all summer at half price because we bought a new RV from B&R because of the VSC program coupon!  We’re just thrilled that we won another $500.00 of camping for this next year!  In addition, B&R presented us with another $100.00 gift certificate.  This is just unbelievable and wonderful!” 

Campgrounds and RV dealers from Western PA partnered together to provide potential new RV owners over $500.00 of free camping when they bought a new RV from one of the 7 participating dealers in 2011!   

The participating Western PA RV dealers for 2011: Hufnagel & Majors in Harmony, Fame RV Center in Saegertown, Clem’s Trailer Sales in Ellwood City, Starr’s Trailer Sales Brockway, Boyer RV Center in Erie, Brooks Camper Sales Connellsville, B & R Campers Sales in Butler.

The participating Western PA campgrounds were Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest Kampground Harrisville, Kalyumet Camping & Cabins in Cook Forest, Rose Point Park Cabins & Camping in New Castle, Meadville KOA at Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, Vacationland Campground in Sandy Lake, Farma Family Campground in Greenville, Shenango Valley RV Park in Transfer, Pineview Campground in Linesville, Nautical Mile Campground & Marina in Templeton, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Mill Run, Buttercup Woodlands Campground in Renfrew, Campers Paradise Campground in Sigel, Sparrow Pond Family Campground in Waterford, Bear Run Campground in Portersville, Peaceful Valley Campground in                       West Sunbury, River’s Edge Camping & Cabins in Connellsville, Harts Content Campground in Beaver Falls, Harecreek Campground in Corry, and Friendship Village Campground in Bedford.

The program, according to the program organizer Denny Quigley of Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest Kampground, is continuing for its fourth consecutive year in 2012.  Quigley stated, “We’ve added even more campgrounds to the offer!  If you are planning to purchase an RV in 2012, you can get more information from any of the participating dealers who will be proudly displaying the VSC Contest Flyer for 2012, or any of the PCOA participating campgrounds from Regions 1 and 2 which can be found at www.PACamping.com.” 

In 2012, each purchase of a new RV from one of the participating RV dealers entitles the new RV owner to one free night of camping for their family of four, from all of the 23 participating Western Pennsylvania Campgrounds and RV Parks.  That’s an over $600 value in free camping being offered! 

In addition, any camper who stays at 8 or more of the 23 participating Campgrounds and RV parks and submits their entry, will be entered in a drawing to receive an additional $500.00 in Pennsylvania Campground Owner’s Association (PCOA) Gift Certificates, which can be used at any www.PACamping.com campground across the state! 

Next year’s winner’s photo could be your family if you buy an RV in 2012 from one of the participating dealers listed above, camp at least 8 of the 23 participating campgrounds, and then submit your completed entry form for the drawing!  It could be your family that wins another $500 in free camping for 2013! 

By Robyn Chilson

Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA.  Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at www.MeadvilleKOA.com. 

RV Shows & RV Dealers Report Continued Growth for Third Year!

In a September 2009, Marketplace radio show transcribed in The Daily RV Industry article, "Experts Look to RVing as Economic Indicator”, Mac Bryan, Vice President of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association stated, “When you look at traditional leading economic indicators such as housing starts, money supply, that’s about where you find the recreation vehicle sales begin to turn. And that’s both going into and out of recession.”   

RV Shows have posted record attendance increases over the last three years.  Could this be an indication that the economy has turned the corner and improvement in on the horizon?

According to the Ohio RV Super Show Terry Messersmith, the January show attendance in 2011 was up over 32% from 2010!  2012 was up another 6% again from 2011!  Making 2012 the third year in a row that the show has posted increases in attendance.    

The Original Pittsburgh RV Show posted record attendance numbers it’s opening weekend of the RV Show according to promoter Rob Young.  “The Pittsburgh RV Show set opening weekend attendance records!”  Rob stated, “We had over a 36% increase in attendance over last year’s opening weekend, which also makes it a record-setting first weekend's attendance!  Overall, the RV Show attendance was the best in years!”  

According to the owner of Anderson’s Brochure Distributions Joe Tice, “Reported attendance is up again and sales of RV's seem to be brisk, according to dealers. The camping public still seems to be concerned about gas prices - the enthusiasm is still there, but the ability/desire to travel longer distances is tempered by the price of gas. We are getting more questions about Seasonal Campsite prices this year.  Distribution is again very strong and all shows have been excellent in regard to distribution.  New to the schedule was Toronto and Atlanta - and both were fantastic. We did Atlanta for free because it was new (to Anderson's) and somewhat experimental - the result was attendance at roughly 17,000 and distribution above expectations.  Another new show for Anderson's is Boston and I received a text this morning that said the line to enter the show is stretching around the block with an estimate of 30,000 expected in 4 days.  In my opinion, the light at the end of the recession tunnel can be seen, which bodes well for the campground community.”

According to Tom Shearer of Erie Promotions reported that like the other reports, the Erie RV Show at the Bayfront convention Center posted an increase in attendance in 2011 as well.  2012 was even with 2011, despite a snow storm that crippled travel with multiple accidents that closed I79 North and other highways on Saturday.  Shearer said, “We believe that this show continues to grow because the setting is perfect for families.  Parking is free, and the low entrance fee makes it affordable for people to attend and bring their children with them.” 

Randy Giancola of Clem’s RV & Trailer Sales in Ellwood City, RV reported in 2010 that his sales had increased 45% from 2009.  In 2011 Giancola reported another increase of 30% from 2010.  2012 sales were up 20% too or more! 

We also asked Dick Bidwell of Fame RV Sales in Saegertown, PA if they had any similar experiences.  Bidwell reported, “Our demographics in the last couple of years shows an increase of younger families purchasing RVs.  It appears to be a growing trend.  People are buying smaller, lighter weight RVs that affordable to buy and tow.” 

Both Bidwell and Gianola reported that they were seeing good results from the free camping offer that resulted from the Western PCOA Campgrounds partnering with RV Dealerships to provide new RV buyers up to $800.00 value of free camping when they purchase a new RV from one of the participating dealerships in 2012!  Bidwell went on to add that when they review the details of the free camping offer to the buyers, that they are thrilled with the added benefit of the program. 

According to Dennis Quigley, Owner of Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest Kampground and VSC Contest Organizer, “The program has worked very well at both promoting sales at the participating dealerships and at bringing campers to the participating campgrounds!  It’s a great way for us to introduce our parks to new RV buyers or to thank our existing campers for their continued patronage of our campgrounds!”  (Details of the free camping giveaway offer can be found at: http://www.meadvillekoa.com/Discounts.html).

When asked about why the attendance at RV Shows and sales of RV’s appearing to be up over the last couple of years, Tim Chilson, PCOA Region 1 Director and Owner of Meadville KOA stated, “People are getting the message that family camping experiences are both fun and affordable.  Camping provides a fun family experience that families don’t get with their hectic work, school, and sports schedules.  Chilson went on to add, “Families are increasingly trying cabin camping.  As the number of people camping in cabins increases, they quickly realize how much fun and how affordable camping is, and that it doesn’t require “roughing it”.  Many campgrounds are now offering full service cabins which provide luxury vacations at family affordable prices!  Cabins sell people on owning an RV of their own.”

Whatever the reason may be, RV sales were up in 2010, 2011, and it appears that they are  even better in 2012!  That continues to be a good sign for the economy, RV dealers, Campgrounds, and the families we serve.          

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA.  Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at www.MeadvilleKOA.com.