Buying/building an rv park.

[CHICKDOE]

I’ve read all the posts. There are a lot of good suggestions.

I’d suggest that you attend a camp ground owners convention. Just to get an idea of all the facets involved.

I doubt that that actual cost of the land is a high impact item. Developing it will be far more expensive.

You mention that there are very lax building codes. I wouldn’t bet on that. You mention having water frontage. That introduces a whole new slew of rules / regulations.

I’d be concerned about just how much you can do personally. Somebody has to be the boss taking in the big picture. This can’t be done when you’re out on a backhoe digging trenches.

do you want to develop a park with minimal facilities and mediocre infrastructure or do you want to develop a high end resort destination?

I can’t believe for a second that any bank would commit to a project like this at this point. Ask them what they would require to actually find. At a minimum they would want to see costs, business plan, and an appraisal of what the project would be worth at completion.

Now there is always room for a person with a great idea to succeed and be rewarded. I hope you fall in this category!

[Twilightzone]

I'm requesting, as the thread op that comments questioning my honesty about my financing cease. In fact, I don't see why it matters to any of you how banking in the country works. I haven't asked anyone for anything besides opinions and conversation. I will not reply to any posts that say things like " I don't believe xxx".

[Iwritecode]

Thie may be further down the line but I would also suggest hitting up a couple of camping shows and grabbing a bunch of brochures from other CGs to see what they do/don't do and what they offer.

What activities would you offer on weekends if any? Live music? Golf carts allowed? Playgrounds for kids? Kid related activities?

Our CG has bingo every weekend and it seems to do well.

[Twilightzone]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

Thie may be further down the line but I would also suggest hitting up a couple of camping shows and grabbing a bunch of brochures from other CGs to see what they do/don't do and what they offer.

What activities would you offer on weekends if any? Live music? Golf. carts allowed? Playgrounds for kids?

Our CG has bingo every weekend and it seems to do well.

Thanks. Those are things I hadn't considered. I've never stayed anywhere that had organized activities. Interesting idea.

[FrankG]

Please take time to view the attached video;

https://youtu.be/upvNzQLQBmc

This is the latest in High Speed Internet for RV Parks

Oak Alley RV Resort is a new 570 Spot RV Resort in Webster Florida, You may want to view some of there other Video's to see what it takes to put together a 5 star resort.

[Twilightzone]

Originally Posted by FrankG

Please take time to view the attached video;

https://youtu.be/upvNzQLQBmc

This is the latest in High Speed Internet for RV Parks

Oak Alley RV Resort is a new 570 Spot RV Resort in Webster Florida, You may want to view some of there other Video's to see what it takes to put together a 5 star resort.

Thanks. I'll watch the vid when our internet clears up a bit. With the location, I doubt I could ever pay for a "5 star" resort without Disney building next door. Honestly, this will probably be the kind of park most of you would happily drive right by. At least for the first few years. But that doesn't mean that there's not money to be made. The cg at the largest local lake isn't full hookups, no sewage. And it stays full to bursting all summer long.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by Twilightzone

Not sure how that quote became such a mess. Although I am on at&t cellular internet. And they've been monkeying with the towers around here lately.

The problem is this ==> you are quoting other members and deleting the end of quotation marker. It is a [ symbol followed by /QUOTE followed by a ] symbol. When you delete this HTML string, you mess up quotations. I’ve fixed 2.

[Twilightzone]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

The problem is this ==> you are quoting other members and deleting the end of quotation marker. It is a [ symbol followed by /QUOTE followed by a ] symbol. When you delete this HTML string, you mess up quotations. I’ve fixed 2.

Sir, I'm not deleting anything. I am having terrible internet connection problems. Perhaps the message isn't loading fully before I start typing? I'm sorry if it's causing you problems.

[FrankG]

Originally Posted by Twilightzone

Thanks. I'll watch the vid when our internet clears up a bit. With the location, I doubt I could ever pay for a "5 star" resort without Disney building next door. Honestly, this will probably be the kind of park most of you would happily drive right by. At least for the first few years. But that doesn't mean that there's not money to be made. The cg at the largest local lake isn't full hookups, no sewage. And it stays full to bursting all summer long.

All of the infrastructure is provided by the provider. It is put in with a 5 or 6 yr contract.

Florida is a different venue, Disney can actually hurt you. That park sets out in the middle of noware. In It's first year it will be 70%+ occupied November through April with revenues approaching 2.5M. It will be filled with Snowbirds

[Twilightzone]

Our only internet access is through an at&t Mobely. And with them switching to 5g, our service has been a mess.

[Twilightzone]

Originally Posted by FrankG

All of the infrastructure is provided by the provider. It is put in with a 5 or 6 yr contract.

Florida is a different venue, Disney can actually hurt you. That park sets out in the middle of noware. In It's first year it will be 70%+ occupied November through April with revenues approaching 2.5M. It will be filled with Snowbirds

Wow, I can't wait to see it. I have no knowledge of Disney, it just seemed like a good way to say that I need more to draw a large crowd.

[Twilightzone]

Originally Posted by FrankG

All of the infrastructure is provided by the provider. It is put in with a 5 or 6 yr contract.

Florida is a different venue, Disney can actually hurt you. That park sets out in the middle of noware. In It's first year it will be 70%+ occupied November through April with revenues approaching 2.5M. It will be filled with Snowbirds

I got the video to play. That's very interesting. I'll have to to check, but I don't think there's gigabit fiber anywhere nearby.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Now if you have never read my "Mondays at the tire store" thread I have on these forums. . you need to ask yourself "are you a people person?". Be honest with yourself and do some self reflection.

What is your tolerance level for dealing with Karens/Kens(who always want to speak to the manager/owner), drunks, beligerants, rude, mentally unstable, as well as people who don't follow rules. If you are an owner of a business, you are the crisis manager. You have to know or be able to handle such...and deal with people.

Originally Posted by Twilightzone

I have to deal with customer relations every day, and I'm admittedly pretty poor at it. I have a fairly serious demeanor, that makes people think I'm unfriendly.

Originally Posted by Twilightzone

Samuel L Jackson: "Say business plan one more time..."

Seriously. Enough.

Originally Posted by Twilightzone

I'm requesting, as the thread op that comments questioning my honesty about my financing cease. In fact, I don't see why it matters to any of you how banking in the country works. I haven't asked anyone for anything besides opinions and conversation. I will not reply to any posts that say things like " I don't believe xxx".

I asked you early on to do some self reflection on if you are a people person, which is going to be required for this endeavor to be successful. You acknowledged such with your own concerns. You may not realize it but your last two responses I have quoted above are actually showing your hand in this. Putting a question like this out where there are nearly 150,000 members and different ideas, but then trying to limit the ideas or topics is a "tell" of your personality. It appears you are getting upset at just words on a screen, so ask yourself how upset you are going to get at people in person. I don't feel good about this as I read your responses and frustrations.



The one I quoted from you in red, isn't even you asking, it's a demand. And even if that's not how you meant it, that's how it came off.



No need to respond to this. It's meant for you to ponder only about your people skill set.

[Twilightzone]

Originally Posted by wmtire

I asked you early on to do some self reflection on if you are a people person, which is going to be required for this endeavor to be successful. You acknowledged such with your own concerns. You may not realize it but your last two responses I have quoted above are actually showing your hand in this. Putting a question like this out where there are nearly 150,000 members and different ideas, but then trying to limit the ideas or topics is a "tell" of your personality. It appears you are getting upset at just words on a screen, so ask yourself how upset you are going to get at people in person. I don't feel good about this as I read your responses and frustrations.



The one I quoted from you in red, isn't even you asking, it's a demand. And even if that's not how you meant it, that's how it came off.



No need to respond to this. It's meant for you to ponder only about your people skill set.

I wrote this as a pm, but perhaps it's better out in the open.

I belong to many other internet forums. And in all but the most chaotic it's customary for the op to be able to ask that a thread follow the subject of his original intention. I've seen moderation enforce it. I think somewhat playfully asking for people to stop asking for a business plan is not out of line. I explained why I don't believe that I need a business plan at this particular moment. But will make one when the time is right. To continue asking is silly.
This thread has not gone at all along the path I intended, no matter how I tried to steer it. That's frustrating. And people alluding, however gently that I may be lieing about banking approval is more than just frustrating.
Perhaps it's different elsewhere, but people here don't take kindly at all to such a suggestion. Especially from someone with nothing at stake, In a "friendly" conversation.
Perhaps I don't have the right attitude, idk. But I believe that wanting to try is a step in the right direction. Not to mention, I don't really plan to be "the" public face of the organization. I've always been better in background roles, and have accepted that limitation.
I believe that alot of the responses are from people that are coming from a much different place geographically, and financially. This will likely never be a "resort", nor do I intend it to be.
The "sporting event" people are used to parking in a field with no power, water, or sewer. Packed in like sardines. The people who flock to the local lakes fight over sites with only water and power. No wifi, no pool. Packed in like sardines.
If I give them a pretty place to park, with better or similar conditions...

Idk, different worlds..

[wmtire]

See red below

Originally Posted by Twilightzone

This thread has not gone at all along the path I intended, no matter how I tried to steer it. That's frustrating. And people alluding, however gently that I may be lieing about banking approval is more than just frustrating.

Welcome to self employment and dealing with people. Things will not always go as planned or expected. Frustration will be a daily thing. You have to deal with it. You will get called worse things than a liar. It seems you take constructive criticism as nothing but criticism.

Perhaps it's different elsewhere, but people here don't take kindly at all to such a suggestion. Especially from someone with nothing at stake, In a "friendly" conversation.

See above, and realize this is you too.

Perhaps I don't have the right attitude, idk. But I believe that wanting to try is a step in the right direction. Not to mention, I don't really plan to be "the" public face of the organization. I've always been better in background roles, and have accepted that limitation.

When you ask for suggestions, then that will include all of them, rather you agree or not. Welcome to dealing with the public.

I believe that alot of the responses are from people that are coming from a much different place geographically, and financially. This will likely never be a "resort", nor do I intend it to be.

See above about dealing with the public

The "sporting event" people are used to parking in a field with no power, water, or sewer. Packed in like sardines. The people who flock to the local lakes fight over sites with only water and power. No wifi, no pool. Packed in like sardines.
If I give them a pretty place to park, with better or similar conditions...

Idk, different worlds..

The idk is key here. You can't know what you don't know.

It's probably time for you step back from this thread and now start doing the actual legwork and number crunching.

[Twilightzone]

Originally Posted by wmtire

See red below



It's probably time for you step back from this thread and now start doing the actual legwork and number crunching.

I'm waiting on info from other people. There are no numbers to crunch. I'm sorry I bothered all of you just looking for discussion in the mean time.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Originally Posted by Twilightzone

I'm waiting on info from other people. There are no numbers to crunch. I'm sorry I bothered all of you just looking for discussion in the mean time.

You asked for ideas and opinions and people have generously responded. You should graciously accept them all and then sift through them to pick out the ones you want. Telling them to not offer opinions you don't like doesn't play well.

I wish you well with your project.

[nomad297]

There are many current and previous business owners who participate in this forum. Not only do many of us know a lot about RVs, RVers and RV parks, we know a lot about running a business. We know why our businesses succeeded or failed and we know all of the complexities involved with being an employer. There are also many very intelligent and business savvy people here — people who know economics and people who consult businesses. This forum is loaded with the type of people you should listen to. But using any internet forum as a source for this type of advice isn’t going to work. You need your own team of carefully-selected consultants, attorneys and accountants

Dealing with employees and the frustrations and expenses involved with that is hard enough, but dealing with the public/customers is so much harder. To run a successful small business where you have employees and customers to deal with requires great patience and a lot of experience. Of course you won’t have this experience for quite some time after starting a business completely new to you, but you won’t have much time to spare in acquiring it for this type of business. You are probably going to need experienced help at first, at least.

While you are here, on this forum asking for ideas and advice, you should take note of everything/anything anybody has to offer you. I haven’t read one post where anybody is trying to shoot you or your idea down. Use everything you read here — good and bad — along with all of your own ideas as a starting point for what you will present to your personal team of consultants.

Take some business courses at a local community college while you’re working on this. Do everything you can to prepare yourself for a completely new way of living. Do everything you can to ensure success.

Bruce

[Rover Podder]

Originally Posted by Twilightzone

Opinions? Let me have it.

Here goes.

You've said repeatedly that you don't feel that you need a "business plan" at this point. However, you definitely need a plan at this point as to how you are going to develop and run the facility.

It's clear that customer service is not your forte, so definitely plan to hire someone to handle that for you so that all your customers and potential customer are not turned off before you even get started. Return customers will likely be essential for the success of a facility like this.

Do some market research in your area and with your potential customer base (the "sporting event folks") to see what kind of amenities they want when going to a campground/RV park.

• Full hookups vs. water and electric with a dump station
• Meeting space on site for group activities/rallies
• Hot showers
• Laundry facility
• Playground
• Pool, etc.
• How close do they want the spaces to be to each other? Do they value privacy and screening between the spaces? Or are they okay with them being packed close together?
• Do they prefer pull-through sites? Or are they okay with mostly back-in sites?
• Do they want a paved surface or is gravel or dirt/grass okay?
• Are fire pits/rings desired?
• Shade vs. full sun
• 50 amp vs 30 amp
• WiFi
• Cable TV hookup
• Camp store
• Bait/tackle shop for the fishing pond
• Firewood for sale on site
• Planned activities for adults
• Planned activities for kids

Market research will also help you determine how many campsites you need to build to make the facility successful. Is 100 enough? 500? Can you manage/maintain a facility of the size you need to build?

Also, you mention that the sports event venue will fill the campground/RV park on "most weekends' but what about during the week? Will weekend be enough to pay your costs? What about off-season (or at least during the shoulder seasons)? Will there be customers to fill the facility during these times? Do you need them to be successful?

Will the restaurant that you mention complement your campground? Will there be an tie-ins such as discount coupons for the restaurant for campers?

Are there other nearby businesses that you could partner with to help promote both businesses?

Definitely plan to employ the services of a web developer and a social media manager. That's the best way to build your brand. A strong, cohesive internet presence is a necessity.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Rover Podder

Definitely plan to employ the services of a web developer and a social media manager. That's the best way to build your brand. A strong, cohesive internet presence is a necessity.

X2 on this as well. This is something our CG doesn't have and it drives me insane.

I typically know what's happening because I'm friends with the events coordinator but many times other seasonals and weekend campers have no idea until they get there on Friday.