Ideal RV space size for new park?

[F5Park]

What is the ideal space size for a new RV park?
Greetings, I am in the design stage of building an RV park on 5 acres in Northern CA. With all of the fires in the past couple years there is a tremendous need for RV parks. This project is close to home for me, my inlaws lost everything in the Paradise, CA fire. This area i live in hosts long and short term travelers, RVs and 5th wheels. I'm looking for input to help lay it out. Who better to ask than those who would use it. The dimensions of the park are 245'wide X 775'long
Thank you in advance.

[Dutch_12078]

As an RV'er, I prefer sites sized like this one:



If I were an RV park owner though, I'd prefer site sizing more like this:

[pbeverly]

I always prefer angled. My last this of 2020 I had booked a spot that technically was too small for my TT and I kinda dreaded getting into the site for the whole year before the trip. It ended up being an awesome size site. Not much of an angled site either. The problem with backing in is the obstacles you have to maneuver around. Not everyone is good at that. I actually had a camping neighbor come over and give me kudos after I got the TT in. I think I only had to pull forward once to get it right.

[Foggy]

A couple years ago we put in an addition with 35'x 65' sites and some 35'x 80' pull thru sites. In the planning stage many said the sites were too big. It was surprising to me how full a site got with a camper, slide-out, tent, screen room, room around a fire pit, and one or two vehicles.
There was discussion that the sites must be angled to get into them but If you can go from a 20' wide road to a 20' drive then you should be able to go from a 20' drive into a 35' campsite. We did not angle.
The length of the pull-thru's is nice. Not necessary to move TV or dolly.

[goff1256]

When I am traveling I would like to find a pull through dry camp no hook ups .Maybe overnight ,three days for less money and quiet no generator worth the money better than Walmart

[TUCQUALA]

You'll never please everybody with everything!! Consider utilities placed within the 2/3 front - 1/3 rear so there is a compromise for all the different
RVs out there. LEVEL!! Everybody's happy when leveling is quick and easy. As to the suggestion aboot dump station (or even sites) being sloped toward the sewer fitting, not all RVs have side outlet tanks. AND all tanks are built with a bit of a slope to the outlet for full drainage. Only when the site or road is crowned or sloped severely, will there be the chance of not emptying completely.

I vote for a mix of pull-thrus and back-ins. You could put the pull-thrus oon the outer rim like a passing lane!! Uses more room, but larger personal usage sites. Stagger the back-ins so they don't look at each others stern!!! If you want to "discriminate", make the pull-thrus the premium, larger sites with good privacy as needed. One way only, no center services. Pain in the A**!! Road corners as wide as reasonably possible, if treed, cut back or planted with room to prevent RV damage.

[Diamond_c]

We haven’t been to a lot of cig yet, but of the ones that we’ve been to I’ve noticed that most have the water and electric set in the middle. The electric plug and water hook up on ours is in the rear so we have to pull up to reach. Most of the time that doesn’t leave much room for parking. You might want to take that in mide. Just a thought

[JoeH]

garyemunson wrote:
Put hookups in the center of the "run". This way spaces can be utilized as "buddy" spots where RVs can pull in alternate directions to put door sides together. The one pulling in "backwards" hooks up by pulling utilities under their RV.

Stayed on CG that was set up that way once.... did not like it as you get no privacy from the other person who, in our case, was not a
"camping buddy". While is was a nice CG, we have never gone back due to this weird setup

[SDcampowneroper]

wapiticountry wrote:

garyemunson wrote:
Put hookups in the center of the "run". This way spaces can be utilized as "buddy" spots where RVs can pull in alternate directions to put door sides together. The one pulling in "backwards" hooks up by pulling utilities under their RV.

When you pull a sewer hose under the rv to reach the septic system it is inevitable that you will leave a trail of waste when you pull that hose back out when you disconnect to leave. Plus, when you allow some people to pull in the opposite way to make those buddy sites, someone will want to pull in backwards for some other reason, meaning their door will open into the neighbor's yard. That neighbor who doesn't know that guy generally will not like that. We never, ever allowed rigs to park any direction other than the direction that was intended by the design of the site.

OP, read rhis closely. there is so much more for you to consider that this poster writes of.
As an annotation of your 5 acres, what acreage will be for fresh / waste water, roads, public space, service buildings.Its presumable you do not have city water / sewer at site. What of the surrounding properties? Will they be amenable, or attractive to your probable clientele? What acreage is left to be rvsites?
From the many 5 acre camp in. the nation not more than 30 sites
From my perspective it looks like a long shot to be licensed, more so to be financially worthwhile, eventually a residential trailer park with all the trappings of an landlord vs inn keeper. You could well work this formula in another jurusdiction with near access to highwayw and by ways to attractions.
As one of the retired, past work men do not place your fortunes on that fleeting moment.

[dedmiston]

wapiticountry wrote:

garyemunson wrote:
Put hookups in the center of the "run". This way spaces can be utilized as "buddy" spots where RVs can pull in alternate directions to put door sides together. The one pulling in "backwards" hooks up by pulling utilities under their RV.

When you pull a sewer hose under the rv to reach the septic system it is inevitable that you will leave a trail of waste when you pull that hose back out when you disconnect to leave. Plus, when you allow some people to pull in the opposite way to make those buddy sites, someone will want to pull in backwards for some other reason, meaning their door will open into the neighbor's yard. That neighbor who doesn't know that guy generally will not like that. We never, ever allowed rigs to park any direction other than the direction that was intended by the design of the site.

I never thought about the dump hose. Seems like there should be a way to dump without being sloppy, but I'll never underestimate people's bad habits when it comes to dumping.

I've only tried to go in backwards once, and I still have a bitter taste from it. We had a big rally at a park and paid extra for an empty spot where we could gather for fires and meals, and I wanted to pull in backwards so I could face the mushpot, but one of the hosts came and made me turn around. Our group was paying quite a bit at a mostly empty camp, and it surprised me how inflexible they were. Rules are rules, but we don't camp there anymore.

I didn't stop going there because of their no-backwards rule. They started adding lots of crazy rules and making everyone wear wrist bands the whole time. The final straw was when I went into their store late at night and the two women working inside were screaming because there was a bat in the store. I took one of their clear plastic to-go food containers and scooped the bat off the ceiling and let it go outside. They were so sweet and appreciative at the time, but then the next afternoon they both got really snotty with me over nothing, just out of the blue. I stopped and told them, "You two were sweet as sugar last night when I saved you from the bat. What changed?" They both stopped and apologized and said, "You should have said something." I told them, "I'm telling you now, you shouldn't be so mean to your customers, especially when they haven't done anything wrong, and especially not to the guy who helped you out last night." They were embarrassed and apologized. And then the next day, they treated my wife the same way. What a horrible default setting.

Anyway, I see your point on the dump hose. I don't agree with the rest, but rules are rules.

[wapiticountry]

garyemunson wrote:
Put hookups in the center of the "run". This way spaces can be utilized as "buddy" spots where RVs can pull in alternate directions to put door sides together. The one pulling in "backwards" hooks up by pulling utilities under their RV.

When you pull a sewer hose under the rv to reach the septic system it is inevitable that you will leave a trail of waste when you pull that hose back out when you disconnect to leave. Plus, when you allow some people to pull in the opposite way to make those buddy sites, someone will want to pull in backwards for some other reason, meaning their door will open into the neighbor's yard. That neighbor who doesn't know that guy generally will not like that. We never, ever allowed rigs to park any direction other than the direction that was intended by the design of the site.

[wapiticountry]

You also need to remember all the responses here are from people who use their RVs recreationally. Your target market is apparently people who will live in the RV while working at their jobs, rebuilding their homes or just plain trying to scrape by due to lack of affordable housing in the area. Those displaced by the fires will likely have children who will need recreational areas. They will likely have pets that are not RV experienced. They probably will have a lot of personal items salvaged from their homes that will need to be stored. They will not be families enjoying travel, instead there will likely be domestic issues, alcoholism and drug addiction caused by uncertainty and the stresses of rebuilding their lives. Crime might very well become an issue since those salvaged items will not be securely stored inside their previous homes and garages, but instead in makeshift storage containers and under tarps. Once the length of stay passes your state's statutory limit and those guests legally become tenants your options to deal with issues diminish significantly from what your rights were when you were an Innkeeper rather than a landlord. The best use of your time and money would be to travel to either North Dakota or West Texas and visit a couple of the man camps used by oilfield workers. That will show you what you can expect to happen over the next few years.
You said your area is not a destination and not convenient enough to attract overnight travelers. What will be your marketing plan when those who lost their homes settle with insurance and either rebuild or move away? Disaster rebuilds are boom then bust for workers. When the work dries up, they move on, your park cannot. Someone who provides housing for the poor working class and those with no other options used to be called a "Slumlord" in less PC times. By definition, the poor have little money and are likely candidates to become delinquent on rents. You will likely find you become less of a park owner and more of a debt collector, parole officer and domestic violence counselor. It is truly a rare operator of any such housing situation who can keep a lid on problems and run a business that is not awash in problems.

[valhalla360]

garyemunson wrote:
Put hookups in the center of the "run". This way spaces can be utilized as "buddy" spots where RVs can pull in alternate directions to put door sides together. The one pulling in "backwards" hooks up by pulling utilities under their RV.

Before planning on this check with your insurance and local fire marshal.

I've seen many campgrounds that specifically rule out pulling in backwards. The argument is a backwards camper can't be yanked out quickly in the event of a fire...plus that means they are probably driving the tow vehicle across the grass to hook up. (not so much an issue with pull thru sites)

[time2roll]

F5Park wrote:
Thank you, what size spaces?

To maximize utility I recommend different sizes to accommodate different RVs. No sense in having all 70' long and extra wide to accommodate a Truck Camper or Class B van. Possibly some semi walk in tent only sites also.

The shorter sites can be back in and leave some space behind for fire ring etc. Maybe 25'/30' for these. I think most could be 50 to 70' long but you might want a few that will accommodate max length of maybe 80/90'.

It would seem many prefer extra space between the sites especially when you have multiple slides on both sides. If capital is short consider developing every other site to keep the initial cost lower and have tons of space between while you start building your business of regulars. If you are constantly full in 5 years then start developing the rest as infill.

Just my random thoughts if you care to share them with your architect.

[GDS-3950BH]

As soon as the public hearings are announced for the zoning approvals, be prepared for every busy body NIMBY in the jurisdiction to come out of the woodwork against it.