Class B only RV park, getting ideas.

[kaypsmith]

Please don't think that I'm crazy, but I have just inherited a nice piece of land on the Gulf Coast. My wife has wanted for us to build an RV park for about 15 years now, but we really could not afford to do that because of the price of land at any place that we feel would be attractive to draw fellow RV'rs into.

Here are some specifics on the land, it is 65 feet wide and 460 feet from the coast to the paved road where you enter the land. This is the reason that I feel that a class B or maybe a C- will be the only coaches that will fit.

Please don't be sarcastic, as this is an honest possible business venture that we may be able to finally retire to. Any good ideas on this subject will be appreciated, because Sue doesn't have a clue where to begin, so I volunteered to float this balloon. I will be taking pictures of the piece of land when we go there in May.

[manholt]

Kay.

I guess the first thing's to ask, is there a zoning ordinance in place, where on the coast (what State), infrastructure of area and attractions, and elevation above mean high tide?

We have a friend, widow lady, who did not want a big coach anymore so she got a Casita (14 foot TT) and joined the International Club.  They have rally's all over the US, Canada.  The last one in Texas, was at a Campground in Bellville, that caters to them.  They have 220 drive thru spaces and accommodates 440 Casita's!  They are booked full, thru 2020 currently!!!  The Casita comes in 13' to 17'.

Airstream is another and so is Class B as you mentioned.  There are a lot of different pull behinds in the 12' to 20' range out there!  I have a friend in NC, that own 3 parks, he's only got one major problem right now on a RV Park, outside of Ashville, NC, he's in the middle of a Lawsuit, that was filed on him by Tiny homes!  He's got no objection to them coming in, for up to a year if they want.  Problem is that they don't feel, that they should have to pay for more, than utilities and at max $10 a day for the space!  It's some obscure 100+ year old law, that was not taken off the books, when the last covered wagon came thru!  It's Federal.   It's costing Fred a fortune so far!  That's the con part of your thinking.

[kaypsmith]

Thanks for your reply Carl, the property is located on St. George Island Florida. There is a kayak business right next to the property, but our lot is so narrow that I con not think of any other business that will work on it. It is not enough room for me to hardly back my big ol bus back to the water, and I will need to put a road or roads in to be able to access each site. I need guidance on how to best access the space, and not knowing much about class B and how their owners are able to back up those rigs and place them on the small sites, I'm afraid that the tiny towables will still need much more room to be able to put them in place. There is a state park on the island that I love to go, but I have told too many others about and now I can no longer book there because the booking is done online and the system will not allow more than one year advance to book. I believe that bots have been developed to book just as soon the day that I want is available. I have tried for the last year to book this May, but was not available. There is usually one or two class B's there so I know there will be a few that might be available to use my park if I do develop one. About zoning though, the state park has tried to increase their camping spaces for the last eight years but the city fathers have voted any expansions down so far. The park is about 16 miles long and from 300 ft wide to 700 ft in some places, so there is plenty enough room for them to expand, but the city fathers have said no. Maybe I will have better luck, LOL.

[manholt]

Either that, or it's like Galveston...too many old families, that don't want any more changes, done to their Island !

The families are: Fertitta, Moody, Kempner, Sealy and Mitchell.  Between them, it don't leave much in money and power to rest of us American's!

[wayne77590]

Kay,

Many campgrounds do not cater to "tenters,." Would that be option to start.

Class B's sounds good.

 

[kaypsmith]

Absolutely no tenters, they are usually obnoxious and with the loud music with no soundproofing. I know that my spaces will be rather small, but surely a class B will be able to back in without too much problem. Also the class B owners seem to be more elite, and with a small footprint. My only concern is that I'm planning about 20 sites, with about a $250,000.00 outlay for water, sewer, a paved road all the way back to the water front lot. If there are not enough class B's to keep the park full al least 60% of the time, I will be going in the hole. Oh yes, I will need to install a privacy fence all the way from road frontage to the water, I will need someone that is an airbrush artist to paint a very long mural on the neighbors fence backside and my own as well.

[jleamont]

Hmm.... I got nothing. I'd have to see it. Kay Email me the google earth link, Ive got a few thoughts  

[kaypsmith]

I'll have to wait till after church tomorrow Joe, it's pretty dark down there right now, I only use the live link for Google earth, those obsolete maps are always too far out of date. But you will get the link tomorrow. I always look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[Lenp]

Probably only get 8-10 sites squeezed into that small space and still keep a little space between each camper.  Take a look at Grand Isle State Park, LA with Google Earth.  They have 70+ foot pull threw sites but  you could shorten them considerably and still get some larger rigs and no backing involved.

Friend has a small (140x140) campground that he squeezed nine campers AND his 1600 SqFt house on.  It is tight but it works and we just spent three months there this winter.

Lenp

[kaypsmith]

I am also needing to find out if The B class will need 50 amp service, or is 30 amp sufficient for them?

[kaypsmith]

9 hours ago, lenp said:

Probably only get 8-10 sites squeezed into that small space and still keep a little space between each camper.  Take a look at Grand Isle State Park, LA with Google Earth.  They have 70+ foot pull threw sites but  you could shorten them considerably and still get some larger rigs and no backing involved.

I thought about this also, but to make them pull throughs, will require two roads, minimum of 12 feet each, that's 24 from 65, only leaves 41. I guess that they can be installed at a 45% angle, that would mean a maximum length of about a 38 footer, only problem with that is it still won't be room for a toad. Class B's don't need a toad.

[hermanmullins]

What is not a bad idea would be to have one pedestal serve two coaches. The coaches could be  parked for example one going north and the other going south, drivers to drivers side. Doing this would allow two coaches to have their passengers sides facing each other giving them large patios.

This would also lower the cost of installing the utilities by only having to setup serving two sites.

Oh well that may be why people aren't beating down my door to design RV Parks. My DAIs.

Herman

[elkhartjim]

Are there any known easements, set back lines, etc? Will you be able to connect to public utilities, water, sewer?  IMHO, if you plan to have concrete road(s) and pads, I think you're $250,000 is low.  If using shell or asphalt you may be closer to your budget but then you have the maintenance requirements. 

[ispjs]

On ‎3‎/‎2‎/‎2018 at 10:39 PM, kaypsmith said:

Please don't think that I'm crazy, but I have just inherited a nice piece of land on the Gulf Coast. My wife has wanted for us to build an RV park for about 15 years now, but we really could not afford to do that because of the price of land at any place that we feel would be attractive to draw fellow RV'rs into.

Here are some specifics on the land, it is 65 feet wide and 460 feet from the coast to the paved road where you enter the land. This is the reason that I feel that a class B or maybe a C- will be the only coaches that will fit.

Please don't be sarcastic, as this is an honest possible business venture that we may be able to finally retire to. Any good ideas on this subject will be appreciated, because Sue doesn't have a clue where to begin, so I volunteered to float this balloon. I will be taking pictures of the piece of land when we go there in May.

Very interesting post.  There certainly needs to be more small and large RV parks built all over the country.

We have only been Florida residents for 3 years.  During that time we have only owned (and sold) one piece of property.  However, based on what few things we have learned about Florida is that land and property prices vary.  I realize you are concentrating on developing this piece of property because you inherited it.  However, what would be the possibilities of selling it and obtaining a 10 acre track of land away from the coast, say for example within a couple miles of I-10?  

Example:  we have stayed at the Hitching Post CG, Cottondale FL.  It is probably on about 5 or 6 acres and close to I-10.  The couple that purchased it and developed it always dreamed of owning a CG.  It is nothing fancy and they have done most of the work themselves, gravel and grass.  It has nice utilities and both pull through sites and back in.  

Example:  Azalea Acres RV Park, Robertsdale AL.  It is located a couple miles off of I-10.  It is nothing fancy, just about 3 to 5 acres of grass and gravel.  They have really long pull through sites and stay booked.  

These are just two examples that come to mind of simple CG's in the panhandle area that don't have swimming pools, tennis courts, etc., but are nice to stay at and probably easy to maintain.   I'm sure the land they are sitting on was probably pretty cheap to initially purchase.  Who knows, maybe your inherited property could be sold for enough to purchase 5 acres in another location plus leave you enough for some initial infrastructure.

[kaypsmith]

On ‎3‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 7:12 AM, hermanmullins said:

What is not a bad idea would be to have one pedestal serve two coaches. The coaches could be  parked for example one going north and the other going south, drivers to drivers side. Doing this would allow two coaches to have their passengers sides facing each other giving them large patios.

This would also lower the cost of installing the utilities by only having to setup serving two sites.

These are excellent points Herman, thanks for your input.

[kaypsmith]

On ‎3‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 7:29 AM, elkhartjim said:

Are there any known easements, set back lines, etc? Will you be able to connect to public utilities, water, sewer?

The easement question, I am still waiting for an answer to. Public utilities, yes to all three, but am awaiting a cost estimate for impact fees, I'm told the sewer portion could be astronomical.

[campcop]

As well as the property line offsets on each side, also consider the shore side, most states have substantial offsets from the water for environmental concerns etc. when we built in coastal NC, we had to be over 150 feet from the water’s edge.