There is more to comparing Seasonal Camping at campgrounds
than just rates. To decide where you
want to camp Seasonally, you’ll want to compare the type of campground,
location, camping rates, ratings, things to do in the surrounding area, events,
activities, and amenities the campground provides, and more. We’ll look at each of these items individually,
highlight the differences, and look at why they’re important to consider when
choosing the right campground for your family.
What is Seasonal Camping? Just about any RV can be used for seasonal camping. RVs are any recreational vehicle used for camping recreation. They can be a park model, motorhome, 5th wheel, travel trailer, camper van, truck camper, or ear drop, or tent trailer (popup).Seasonal camping is best described as
parking your RV at one campground for the entire summer (or year), versus
traveling. Why would people want to do
that? Travelling, while fun, is a lot of work.
You have to pack the RV, tow it to the campground, unhook and set up,
camp, tear down, hook up, tow it home, and then unpack it.
Parking your RV for the summer provides you almost a vacation
home-like get away! You set it up in a
park, and then go to camp when your schedules permit. It saves a lot of time, work, and wear and tear
on you the camper, and on your tow vehicle.
You can also drive a more economical fuel vehicle back and forth to
camp, thus saving money on fuel. And of
course, Seasonal Campers pay a flat fee for the whole summer. They get a greatly discounted rate over the
weekend rate. In other words, it allows
you to maximize the use of your RV, while minimizing your work load and costs. Basically, it provides you the equivalent of a
summer get-away or vacation home.
Campgrounds differ
greatly in the kinds of campers they serve.
Campgrounds can be primarily travel parks where travelers stop in, stay
a day or two, and then continue their travels towards their destination. They are usually located near a major highway
(or intersecting highways). There are
also tourism/recreation destination parks that cater to people in the area for
another reason, usually for a large amusement park, or a high tourism or
recreation area (near a beach, lake, state or national park, etc.). Then there are destination campgrounds, where
people camp to attend the events, activities, and utilize the amenities that
are specific to that particular campground.
Because campgrounds serve different types of campers, as you
might expect, they also vary in what they have to offer in the areas of
facilities, activities, events, and amenities.
Some are family campgrounds, some cater more to partying, and some are
adult only (retirement age) parks. These
are not hard and fast rules, either, of course.
Our KOA is primarily a destination family campground, but we
receive travelers too, and we have lots of couples without children who camp
with us. At KOA, they are branded as
Holiday Parks.
Many times, our campers attend local fairs, concerts,
amusement parks, and more. So while a
campground may consider themselves primarily in one of these categories, they
certainly can fall into all of these categories.
Seasonal Camping
Programs Vary. Some campgrounds sell
the site, and campers become part owners in the park and then they pay a
maintenance fee (much like a HOV fee), for their seasonal services. There are good points and bad points to
owning a campsite. Many times, it is
very involved, and when you are ready to leave, you then have to sell your lot
and RV which can take a lot of time. Often
they are run by an owners association, which may or may not have people on the
board who know anything about running a camping facility. By the time you purchase, pay for insurances
and yearly fees, you could have camped seasonally for many years without all
the additional liability, costs, and other issues. And, of course, you can stop seasonal camping
with the freedom to leave at the drop of a hat.
Location, Location,
Location! When choosing a campground
for Seasonal Camping, you want one with a close enough commute that you can
maximize the use of your RV, but minimize your travel and time commitment. That said, it is well worth your money and
time to travel a little further to get you to that higher rated campground,
that serves your camping needs better than to camp at a not as nice park. Some parks have very small sites, and campers
are too close to have a relaxing stay without feeling intruded upon. Some don’t provide utilities and conveniences
you’d want – like TV or Wi-Fi. Some have
activities for children and adults, and some do not. So while location and close is important,
meeting all your camping needs is the primary requirement!
Are There Additional Charges
for Facilities, Amenities, Activities, and Events? Many campgrounds offer children’s crafts,
events, activities, or rental amenities.
These items often have additional costs associated with them. So the campground that charges less per
season for the campsite, may sound like a better deal than a campground
charging more for the campsite, until you look at all of the ancillary charges. Some campgrounds charge for 2 adults and
extra for each child, some (like us) it’s a family of 4, some limit your
camping to just weekends, and some (like us) have unlimited camping. Some charge extra fees for activities, Wi-Fi,
Cable TV, or onsite winter storage, and some (like us) include everything in
the seasonal campsite. In fact, we even mow
your campsite for our Seasonal Campers at no additional fee. To the best of our knowledge, we’re the only
campground in Western PA who provides that premium service without a premium
price tag. You have to ask a lot of
questions when pricing Seasonal Campsites, and not just how much the site is.
Questions You May Want
To Ask: How many people are included
in the seasonal camping fee? How much is it to add additional people? What are the charges for those? What are their visitor’s fees? Do they offer 50 amp electrical service? Are their sites spacious? What recreation do they offer? Is there a charge for the recreation? What activities do they offer? IS there are charge for those? What rental amenities do they have to keep
the kids busy? Is there a charge for
those? Do they offer Wi-Fi? Is there a fee for it? Do they offer cable TV? Is there a fee for it? Do they offer meals? What do they cost? Do they allow golf carts? What are the rules? When is quiet hours? Are they enforced? Do they offer onsite winter storage? What’s the charge for that? How does their payment plan work? Do they charge interest? So make sure you add all of those individual
charges that aren’t included, to look at them versus a campground where they
are included, to see which one is really the most affordable. You need to know the real bottom line total before
signing on the dotted line!
Check campground
ratings before you become a Seasonal Camper.
If they aren’t rated well by their overnight guests and campground
directories, chances are, you aren’t going to have the family experience you
seek. Make sure that the place you
choose to spend your summer serves their campers well. When you look at campground ratings, you’ll
know where you’ll want to be, and where you won’t want to be. Just don’t underestimate their
importance!
Try camping at the
campground of your choice before becoming a seasonal camper. Camping at the facility, walking the
grounds, and meeting the other seasonal campers will tell you the most about
the facility. Are the other campers friendly?
Is the campground neat and well maintained? Are the other seasonal camper’s campsites clean
and well maintained? Are quiet hour
policies really enforced? Are people
drinking and driving golf carts all over?
You may not think about some of the things you’ll learn both about the
campground, and the campground owners.
As you can see, there are probably more variables involved
than you originally thought. Choosing
the right campground to camp for the season is important. Don’t short change your seasonal camping
experience by picking a campground without fully investigating what it has to
offer and what it’s really going to cost you to camp there. The old saying of “the devil is in the details,”
says it all. So make sure you ask the
right questions and know exactly what your camping will really cost you, before
you sign a seasonal camping agreement!
As always, we hope that you come see us at Meadville KOA
Campground and allow us to show you what we can provide your family!
By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn
Chilson, CPO own and operate Meadville KOA Campground in Meadville, PA. Robyn
can be reached at 814-789-3251.
