Understanding the Steps to starting a RV Park

Wondering how to open an RV park? It’s not as simple as grading your site, installing electricity, water, and sewer, and paving a couple of roads. Successful RV parks require the right steps to be taken at the appropriate time. The process can be surprisingly complicated.

Planning Your RV Park

Type – The first step in starting an RV park is determining the property type you want to operate. Are you targeting affluent travelers? If so, a luxury RV resort might be what you want. However, you may prefer a more understated property or an RV campground if you cater to those trying to get closer to nature.

This decision will be complicated by the type of site you have. For instance, if you’re dealing with raw land, you’ll have a blank slate, but your construction costs will be higher. If you already have an operational park and want to upgrade or change it, you’ll have additional factors to consider, but some of your costs may be lower.

Traveler Type – Tied to the type of RV park you want to start, you’ll need to consider the type(s) of traveler you want to attract. Will you cater to affluent travelers? Families? Empty nesters? People looking for adventure?

Many property owners seek to target several types of travelers to maximize profitability. That may require creating a mixed-type park, with some luxury sites, some primitive sites, and some standard sites.

Work with an RV Park Consultant

Work with an RV park consultant like EOB Consulting to minimize time, costs, and headaches. We work with you to conduct an on-site analysis and develop everything from construction plans to your business plan. We can work with you to identify the type of RV destination/experience you want to offer, conduct a competitive analysis, design your park, mitigate challenges like wetlands, prepare a cash flow analysis, and more. Contact us today for more information about how we can help if you plan on starting an RV park.

Secure Funding

With your business plan, it’s time to approach lenders and potential investors (if necessary – you may already have the financing aspect covered). Small business loans, partners, and silent investors can all help.

Get to Know the Rules

Every city, town, county, and state has its own rules and regulations regarding land development and resource use. Get to know those that apply to you.