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06-08-2016, 11:16 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Quakertown, PA
Posts: 55
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KOA?
So, what's the general opinion on KOA campgrounds? They have a nice web site, but I know that can be deceiving.
Joe
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06-08-2016, 11:21 AM
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#2
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Citrus County, Fl.
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Hernando, Fl
Posts: 2,368
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Anywhere from great to crappy. But, most all of them will guide you into a spot. Read the reviews for each campground before deciding.
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2016 Forester 3011DS
2017 Toyota Corolla SE toad
PREVIOUS: 2015 Flagstaff 832IKBS
99 Terry 31G
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06-08-2016, 11:27 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,452
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Just like anything elsa. There are really nice KOA's and some that are just average. They do have to maintain a certain standard, but some are much nicer than others.
We have stayed at quite a few. Some, like Gettysburg KOA, are outstanding. 5 stars everyday. Fancy Gap, Va KOA, another 5 star.
Va Beach KOA, not so great. Harpers Ferry KOA in West Va, not so great. Have stayed at both, won't go back unless no other is available.
Every state/region will be different, and alot depends on the owners and how they take care of their campground, and how they and their employees take care of their guests.
Check out the RV Park Reviews web site. Great info and help when looking for a campground in just about any area in the Good Ole USA.
Grumpy
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Steve & Cheryl + Zoey, and Ziggy, our furry kids.
2012 Forrest River Lexington 283ts
Toad, 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
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06-08-2016, 11:28 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 981
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Just remember that they're all independently owned and operated. No more friendly or clean than the next campground. Honestly, my opinion is that it's just a networking gimmick... Paying the fee gets campgrounds access to the club members.
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2015 Coachmen Apex 288BHS
2014 Toyota Tundra CrewMax 5.7L
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06-08-2016, 11:30 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Between Pickles Gap and Toad Suck, AR
Posts: 6,070
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Tight sites, expensive. I use 'em solely for overnighting while on way to actual camp sites.
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"Next to prayer, fishing is the most personal relationship of man" Herbert Hoover
"American by Birth, Southern by the Grace of God"Lewis Grizzard
FROG AR-0019-242
2016 GMC Denali 3500Dually--2017 CC 36CKTS
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06-08-2016, 11:39 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Waterloo Region
Posts: 729
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Echoing several of the sentiments expressed above, there is a wide variability to what you can get. I've been in very nice KOA's with nicely landscaped sites and loads of amenities (and these ones tend to be overrun with kids) and I've also been in one's I'd never willingly go back to (barren, uneven sites, 100yds from the interstate). The latter I only used because they were at the right location on a multi-day trip to someplace better. Considering the latter, I wonder what the minimum standard is... no garbage actively blowing around and a low murder rate?
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2015 Rockwood Signature UltraLite 8282WS Platinum, GY Marathon LRD, TST 507RV TPMS
2005 GMC 2500HD CCSB D/A, Curt E16, Prodigy P2, Garmin RV760LMT w/BC-20 b/u cam
Self restraint is for the young. I'm old and want it NOW!
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06-08-2016, 11:43 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 626
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We stay at KOA's most of the time, though some have bigger sites then others. Between the KOA's we've stayed compared to the other CG's we stayed at, I'd rather stay at a KOA. But every CG has it's pros and cons just like everything else and it really comes down to what you like.
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2013 Prime Time Tracer 3200BHT
2016 Chevy 3500 CC, DRW (aka: bigbootyjudy)
Ribs in the smoker and Whiskey in hand
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06-08-2016, 11:56 AM
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#8
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happy camper
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Georgia
Posts: 20
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As a general rule, we try to avoid them. Pro's: the bathrooms are usually sparkly clean. Con's: sites too close together; no ambiance or beauty (compared to a COE or state park campground); too expensive for what you get. We only stay in a KOA when it's our only option for a quick overnight stop while transiting through.
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06-08-2016, 11:58 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 432
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We use KOAs most of the time when available/convenient, and plan travel around KOA availability. Kind of like McDonalds; there is a reasonable expectation the campground will be decent. They are independently owned, but do report up to and are reviewed by the corporate overlord. We've found them to be so-so to excellent. I cannot recall staying at a bad one. (there have been a couple non-KOAs that we decided to move on rather than stay. maybe we just haven't hit the bad ones.). Even with the discount card they are not the cheapest, the one in Great Falls last year was $108! I think we paid half that the year before but last year we had a reservation. Maybe that jacked the price.
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2023 Coachman Apex UL 243FKS, 2016 F150
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06-08-2016, 12:00 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Maryland
Posts: 912
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We try to camp every other weekend, and then take a long, 10 days or so, trip every summer. On our weekend stays, there are 2 KOA's that are in the area of about 90 mins, and a few more if we expand to about 2.5 hours. All of those ones we find to be very nice. So we decided to get a membership as we frequent them the most often. And we enjoyed a stay a few weeks back that was only $10 per night as KOA members. I don't know the details, my wife usually handles that.
So if there are KOAs that you like that are conveniently located to you, being a member might work for you. If there aren't any close, or the ones that are close are lousy, then it wouldn't be worth it for you. No one size fit for every situation. So far we have been pleased with the KOAs we have been to.
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2023 GMC Sierra 3500 Denali
2020 Cherokee Arctic Wolf 287BH
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06-08-2016, 12:17 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: SW Michigan
Posts: 230
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We generally like a more rustic feel, but when we made our cross country trip this spring we used a lot of KOA's as well. We wanted laundry facilities and knew what we were getting for the most part. Propane is a plus as well (but you'll pay more). The phone app and website were also easy to use.
Like other have said, read reviews and make a decision but for the most part they are very enjoyable.
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2016 Forest River Sunseeker 3100SS
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06-08-2016, 12:25 PM
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#12
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,775
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Quote:
Originally Posted by joehbus
So, what's the general opinion on KOA campgrounds? They have a nice web site, but I know that can be deceiving.
Joe
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Would NEVER stay at one.
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Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
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06-08-2016, 12:41 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 36
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For CAMPING I prefer provincial parks for the privacy, nicer sites and scenery, but for TRAVELLING I (and certainly the kids) prefer the KOAs.
They are always clean, usually have a good pool and playground and there are enough of them that you can plan a trip around them using their website (it is very good) and make the value kard worthwhile.
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06-08-2016, 12:54 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,397
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Yep, they're all over the place in price, site size, condition, etc.
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--2016 Montana 3711FL, 40'
--2014 Wildcat 327CK, 38' SOLD
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06-08-2016, 01:05 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 643
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As others have said there is a fair amount of variability from great to wouldn't stay there again. I've found most reviews on sites other than the KOA one to be fairly accurate. The KOA reviews I'm never quite sure of and have found some campgrounds don't use the KOA site for reviews.
We don't use KOA's for camping. For that we usually go to government parks where we can hike and do other outdoorsy things. We use KOA's as we would a hotel when traveling. It is a place to eat breakfast and sleep while the rest of our time is spent seeing the areas various attractions or restaurants/brew pubs/concerts.
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06-08-2016, 08:17 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,219
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Every campground is different and that goes for every KOA as well. We have stayed at about 175 campgrounds with about 75 of those being KOA's and there are maybe 5 I wouldn't return to. We have another 15 scheduled this summer/fall in CA, OR and WA. Plus another 15 other campgrounds. We only stay in full hookup campgrounds and almost always have a pull thru site and KOA usually fits that requirement. All 30 of our summer/fall reservations are FHU pull thrus.
2010 F250 5.4L 3.73
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equal-i-zer 4pt 12K
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2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
2010 F250 4X4 5.4L 3.73 LS
EQUALIZER E4 1200/12000
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06-09-2016, 12:08 PM
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#17
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I Break Everything
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Lampasas, TX
Posts: 514
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KOA = The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, but all yellow.
Do your research. Sites, amenities, etc. vary. For the most part they all have a rule set that is the same, weather they are accurate to that park is sometimes questionable.
Our kids are in college at the University of Texas at San Antonio. There's a KOA in San Antonio, I cringe every time I think we may have to stay there. The online reservations mean almost nothing. Yes they will have your name and a site for you, but it will not match the description you picked online. Sites are short and tight, wifi varies around the park.
Just about every time we pick a KOA I pick the largest site I can. San Antonio has constantly let me down. When you confront them about it, be prepared for unprofessional behavior. So just best to avoid that one.
Overall, with investigation you get what reviews say.
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06-09-2016, 08:09 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 197
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On our way from Yellowstone to the west coast last year we stayed at several KOA and as others have said the quality varied from really good to never again. One that we stopped at because it was the only campground between where we were and where we wanted to go, it was listed as a new member of the KOA network and had high praise/reviews. Turned out it would be the highest priced site of the whole trip and turned out to be the worst. It so bad that I called KOA the nest morning to complained and asked if anyone even bothered to inspect these campgrounds or did they just collect a fee. It was a long discussion that I am sure did not change a thing but I sure felt better afterward.
Just a few of the things about the place, a site a few rows over had a big limb fall out of the tree on to their truck damaged the right front fender and hood. The buildings (bath and laundry) were literally rotting down and absolutely no lights, a muggers paradise. Would have felt safer in a dark alley in the slums. In fact I spent most of the night making sure everything we came in with was there in the morning.
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John & Mary Jo
Enjoying the adventure
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06-09-2016, 08:23 PM
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#19
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Left Coast
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: vancouver,washington
Posts: 15,649
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Koa in Branson, Missouri is nice...large sites, grass, asphalt parking, fairly level.....2nd trip here..
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06-09-2016, 09:39 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 567
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Overpriced IMHO.
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