August 2009 Newsletter

1. RVParkStore.com Announces First RV Park Boot Camp
2. Will High Gas Prices Destroy The Rv Park Industry?, By Frank Rolfe
3. Opportunity for Additional Income
4. RV Parks and Campgrounds For Sale
5. Comments
6. Featured Listings
7. RV Park and Campground Memberships For Sale
8. RV Park Employment
9. Tell us what you think and send us your articles!

RVParkStore.com Announces the First-Ever RV Park Boot Camp To Be Held Near St. Louis, MO on October 9th, 10th and 11th

RVParkStore.com, the nation's largest website devoted to investing in the RV Park industry, has announced that it will be holding an RV Park Boot Camp on the weekend of October 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

This event will cover all aspects of owning and operating RV parks, including finding, evaluating, negotiating, doing diligence on, purchasing, managing, operating, marketing, financing and selling RV parks. It will look at the full spectrum of RV parks, from 1-star gravel road parks to 5-star parks with pools, clubhouses, miniature golf and live entertainment. This will give attendees a feel for the many different types of RV parks, so they can decide what works for them.

The course is based on classroom instruction and field study - walking around real RV parks and seeing what the business is like in a real world perspective. It is taught by Frank Rolfe and Dave Reynolds, who have owned and operated over $100,000,000 in Mobile Home and RV Parks. There experience is augmented by several expert guests, and many real RV park owners.

Registration for the event can be made on-line at www.RVParkStore.com, or by calling (800) 950-1364.

Although they have retreated from their highs, gasoline prices are still extremely expensive. As a result, there is a general belief that the RV industry, and RV parks along with them, is doomed. Indeed, Fleetwood, the biggest manufacturer of RVs went into bankruptcy, and RV sales decline every year.

Separate the pieces

To analyze the future of the RV industry, you first have to separate the three entirely different business models that make up the industry. Those three different niches are the manufacturers, the dealers, and the park owners. And they all have a different future ahead of them.

Manufacturers' outlook is bleak

If you build RVs, it's looking like you're doomed. Demand is pathetic, as is available financing. Annual production has fallen about 80% since its peak of a few years ago at 400,000 units. And there does not appear to be any hope of sudden, significant good news.

Of course, it is more than the high price of gasoline that has caused this problem. While high gas had been a significant contributor, the severe U.S. recession has also caused the large reduction in demand.

Dealers are in trouble, but have some options

There are not enough new RVs sold to support the U.S. RV dealer network. However, the best dealers will survive on the re-sale market of used RVs, and the occasional sale of new product. As the number of used RVs balloons, the dealers with the most successful sales teams will continue to survive.

In addition, when the economy returns eventually, the reduced number of surviving RV dealers will lead to greater market share and profits.

RV parks fare the best

The RV park business does not rely on new RVs being sold. It is based on how many RVs are one the road, and how many nights they collectively stay in RV parks. Although the enormous decline in new RV sales is not good news, it does not take away the fact that there are approximately 8,000,000 RVs already on the road. So the the real question is how many of those RVs are still travelling?

Although the average RV gets around 5 miles per gallon, and gas is nearing $3 per gallon, it is hardly going to cause RV owners to permanently abandon them in their driveways. Nor will high gas prices alter the total number of vacation days that the RV owner has. Instead, the natural end product will be longer stays in the same RV park, and less driving to and from the destination. In other words, the RVs will hit the road for just as long, they will just travel less mileage.

The winners here are destination RV parks, that have superior activities and attractions that can entertain the RV user for longer periods of time. The losers are RV parks that are nothing more than stopover points for RVs travelling from point A to point B. In fact, the occupancy at some destination RV parks is actually up this year, as the RV owners tend to spend more time at such parks.

Other reasons that high gas prices won't kill RV parks

Most RV owners have higher disposable income than the average American, and can better afford to pay the higher price of gas. Additionally, the true strength in the affordability of RVs has been the overnight cost vs. a hotel, not the actual travel cost from point A to point B. Shorter hops with longer stays is actually proving to be a superior travel value for many of these users.

One other reason that high gas prices won't create the end of RV parks is that RV park owners have been diversifying into rental cabins and primitive camp sites at a rapid pace. As a result, modern RV parks are not just about RVs. There is a mix to the customer base these days - and part of that mix gets 25 miles per gallon instead of 5.

Conclusion

While high gas prices have been bad for the RV industry and the U.S. economy, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. While the future of RV manufacturers and dealers is dire, the RV park industry does not share the same negative traits.

Would you like to make an extra $100 per week at your RV park, and make your customers happy at the same time? Now you can, with one of our "$20 Old Tyme Photo" systems. 

You can provide your guests high-quality old tyme photos, in historical outfits tied to your local attractions, using green-screen technology, for the incredibly low price of $20, which is about 66% less than normal old tyme photo studios. So they're happy. And you have margins of about 85%, so you pocket $17 after expenses. Only one per day would give you over $100 per week in additional income. 

The cost for the turn-key system, including all equipment, costumes and three-day training at our facility near St. Louis, Missouri, costs under $10,000. 

We currently have over 500 RV Parks for sale and the list is growing daily. 

If you are looking to sell your RV Park or Campground you can do so Risk FREE.  Find out more about Selling your RV Park. 

Diane & Dave,

Please post Elk Harbor Lakeside RV Park in Tennessee as SOLD. My Husband & I have used your site twice in 4 years to advertise and sell two rv parks that we have owned over the past 10 years. Your site brings in qualified buyers and that is much appreciated. We are now able to retire with confidence that the new buyers will continue with added success.

Dave & Joyce

Featured Listings:

RV Park For Sale in Missouri Location, Location, Location.   The three most important aspects of real estate.  Now consider that this 120 site RV Park is located in the top ranked tourist destination in the state of Missouri.

Stagger Lee Music Park... 104 acres total with a 30 acre swamp area, which you can ride a canoe up and down the canals and see all kinds of birds and wildlife... 

I really didn't believe your ads that said "Sold in 1 Day" due to vast number of units available on your site, but I woke up the next morning after placing my ad with you to a 7:30 am phone call with a buyer! That has been followed by about 8 interested parties with email questions before being able to write this email to you. Good job!

This section of RVParkStore.com is growing quickly.  Memberships are being listed and sold quickly.  With about 200 memberships currently for sale, this continues to be the prime outlet to buy and sell campground memberships. 

Best of all, when you are selling your membership, we do not charge you up front to do so.  You only pay us if you are successful in finding a buyer from RVParkStore.com. 

Are you searching for good quality employees or looking for a position with an RV Park?  Then be sure to visit our ever growing employment listing sections.

All listings in these sections are FREE!

Check out the Help Wanted Section

Check out the Work Wanted Section

Post your FREE Listing Here

We need your articles - send your articles to perry@rvparkstore.com to be included in upcoming newsletters (this is a great place to promote your company for FREE!).