RV Oasis Succors Nature-Thirsty RVers

Posted by RV Pro on Jul 17, 2009

In this economy, few people can afford a vacation home; yet they dream of a summer cabin in the woods or a lakeside cottage to escape to on the weekends. After days of baking in hot, noisy, smoggy, concrete-wrapped cities, they thirst to immerse themselves and their families in the soothing, cool, green lushness of nature. With the growing popularity of RV resorts, RVers are discovering that they can afford that idyllic vacation home they always dreamed of — despite the economy!

Popping up across America and Canada like an oasis in the desert, RV resorts are growing quickly in popularity. Generally located in pristine wooded areas or along lakes within a short drive of large cities, RV resorts allow families to escape the city while keeping the cost of towing and gas low. RVers purchase a resort site or rent one long-term. While some drive out whenever they get the chance, many resort dwellers park their RVs on their site year-round. When they arrive to relax, everything is set up and ready to go.

At many resorts sites include decks, firepits, storage sheds for recreational equipment, boat docks, even fencing for dogs. At some resorts, you bring your own RV; others feature RV park models with all the amenities. Resorts of this sort are generally upscale with RVs finished and laid out to resemble a community of cedar-shake cottages or log cabins. Artful landscaping and swales provide privacy screening for each lot. Communal amenities often include walking paths, recreation centers, swimming pools and planned events.

Whether you opt to join a designed community or just find a beautiful place to escape to, RV resorts make it possible for you to enjoy the benefits of a vacation home for a tiny fraction of the price.

RV Campsites Getting Luxury Facelift

Posted by RV Pro on Jun 17, 2009

RV campsites are getting the luxury treatment. A host of exciting new amenities is showing up at RV campsites and resorts across America. Perennial standbys — mini golf, pinball machines, swimming pools, fishing ponds and basketball hoops — are still around, but they’re being quickly elbowed aside by hot tubs, athletic courts, fitness centers, laser tag, Wi-Fi connections, electronic game rooms, water parks, elaborate water slides, skate parks and gourmet coffee shops, to name a few.

Your family can still enjoy bingo nights and hayrides, but more RV sites now offer summer camps for kids that include gold panning, dinosaur digs, pottery making, historic re-enactments, horseback riding, boating and much more. For adults, there are wine and cheese tastings, dances, barbecues, stocked fishing lakes and tours of historic sites.

RV camping is attracting a flood of new devotees happy to save money while vacationing, and these former resort dwellers are looking for the same amenities and luxuries they enjoyed at swanky island resorts in happier financial times. But that’s not the only thing spurring campground owners to modernize their properties. An influx of still-active retiring Baby Boomers, plugged-in teens in tow, is embracing the relaxed RV lifestyle, introducing a new generation of travelers to the RV industry. Many campgrounds hope to attract these upscale parents by offering activities to keep the kids – and their parents – occupied and happy.

Their plan seems to be working. RV campsite rentals were up by 3% on Memorial Day weekend and demand is expected to rise over the summer. “A lot of people are camping today instead of other forms of travel,” Bobby Cornwell, director of the Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, told the Palm Beach Post, adding that RV owners are camping more than ever.