site shopping

greggcowan · 07-13-2019, 06:58 AM

Making the trip later today to take a look at a possible perminant site along the Allegheny river here in PA. We are first time perminant campers, is there anything outside of the obvious we should be asking or looking at today? Anything we may not be thinking of would be greatly appreciated

**Flybob** · 07-13-2019, 07:16 AM

May be obvious, but ask and visually check for the high water mark for the last 5-10 Yrs.

greggcowan · 07-13-2019, 07:19 AM

good stuff! Definitely on the check list... Thank you

kenandterry · 07-13-2019, 07:22 AM

I’m only offering suggestions of when we’re parked for a couple of weeks at a time.....we’re not the seasonal type.

Consider whether you want the sun on your awning side in the morning, or afternoon and evening. This will be important if you sit outside to shade yourself on a hot day.
Some people want/need their fridge on the shaded side to work better....once again, sun is hotter in the afternoon.
If you park on the outside of a curve, you’ll get headlights pointed at your unit as people drive at night......can be annoying.
Check if there’s park lighting nearby.....it could illuminate your rig and be annoying when trying to sleep.

nomad297 · 07-13-2019, 07:55 AM

When we were looking around, one of the things I checked on each site was to make sure there was a hole in the tree canopy for me to get a clear shot at all three of the DirecTv satellites, with an appropriate location on the site to place my SlimLine dish on a tripod. I also had to take into consideration how long I thought that hole would stay clear.

I also checked the quality of the campground’s internet signal at each site — it can vary widely, even if you are only moving from one site to another next to it — and how good of a cell phone signal I got using Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Things like these can matter if you plan on staying there for a while.

I needed to make sure there was a good spot on the site to set up my smoker, grills and other cooking apparatus, preferably under a cover.

I checked the integrity of the power pedestal and plugged my EMS into each one in case I needed to let management know it needed to be fixed and that they would fix it before I commit to that site.

I also checked water pressure — the higher, the better for me.

You really need to think about everything you might want to do over the years if you are planning on staying that long. You want to minimize possible inconveniences.

Bruce

greggcowan · 07-13-2019, 08:09 AM

this is all great stuff, some of which I didn't consider! thank you all for your input. Love the member resources here! I will for sure be posting more after we go look today. Hope you all have a great weekend

Greg in michigan · 07-13-2019, 08:23 AM

Get to know your future neighbors.......first

Greg in Michigan
2019 rockwood 2606ws
2018 Nissan titan xd Cummins turbo diesel

greggcowan · 07-13-2019, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg in michigan

Get to know your future neighbors.......first

Greg in Michigan
2019 rockwood 2606ws
2018 Nissan titan xd Cummins turbo diesel

like lot's of things in life.... That is a crap shoot Greg! Lol. Hoping there are some people out and about we can chat with and get a feel for. This place has 70 sites and all but 5 are perminent. I'm guessing it's pretty community based with the current patrons.

**Iwritecode** · 07-15-2019, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flybob

May be obvious, but ask and visually check for the high water mark for the last 5-10 Yrs.

X2.

The last 2 CGs we were seasonals at were on a river that overran it's banks quite often.

If you are going to be seasonal I'd check on the rules about decks and sheds. Some places have restrictions on the sizes of decks and the size and/or material the shed is made out of.

Both are really nice things to have and some of the biggest advantages of being a seasonal site.

nomad297 · 07-15-2019, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

If you are going to be seasonal I'd check on the rules.

This is a good idea, but more importantly, you might want to take a look around and see how well management enforces those rules.

Bruce

greggcowan · 07-15-2019, 06:50 PM

well, checked out the campground and we've decided to pass and keep looking. Very disappointing, the campground is very nice and the available sites were big and shaded. The problem is the rediculous entrance to the grounds. To say it's a dirt road is being generous. It's about a mile down the side of a mountain with 90 degree switchbacks and a heavy tree line very close to the road on both sides. I almost had to put the truck in fwd coming up out. I have no idea how the campers already there got theirs in. Obviously it's doable.... They are there. But I'm not looking for an adventure.

greggcowan · 07-21-2019, 06:01 AM

Went to visit our second potential perminent site yesterday... This is the one! Everything we are looking for. Huge pond onsite for kyaking, in ground pool and just across the street from one of the bigger lakes in PA. It's just a 40 minute drive from home. The owners are just great! This place is also open year round, 2 big gorgeous bath houses that they leave open all winter so we could take some off-season getaways. Now just the long wait with fingers crossed til Mid October to see if an opening comes up. They told us the waiting list is very short and likely that one will be available.

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