Peggy Report post Posted October 19, 2012 FMCA members... Do you visit KOA campgrounds as you travel? I am FMC magazine associate editor Peggy Jordan. I am looking for just a few brief quotes from FMCA members for a story I am writing about KOA's 50th anniversary. Yes, they turned 50 in 2012 - who would think they'd be a year older than FMCA? The story about KOA's 50th anniversary will appear in the December issue of FMC and I need responses as quickly as possible, as I am writing it now. Please email me at pjordan@fmca.com and include - your name(s) - FMCA member number, - and the answer to these questions: What aspects of KOA campgrounds do you enjoy most? Do you have a favorite campground memory that took place at a KOA? What is it? Please send responses to pjordan@fmca.com. Thank you so very much! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bizsmith@yahoo.com Report post Posted October 19, 2012 We use KOA for one night stops. There is usually a pull thru available so we don't need to unhook the toad and the 50 amp power suits our power hog coach. Most times easy in, easy out, level sites. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RVerOnTheMove Report post Posted October 20, 2012 I do KOA when there is no other option. Did you want to hear from me? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted October 20, 2012 I have found that the better run KOAs are the franchises and not company owned. We had a great trip one year that we stayed in three different KOAs in Wyoming. All were very nice and all were very different. Casper, Cody and Rock Springs. We have stayed in WeKeeney, Kansas. Also a realy nice park. My favorite KOA was before we had an RV. We took 18 Boy Scouts to Camp in Arkansas and on the way back we stopped in Hope Springs so the boys could go to Magic Springs Park. We arrived at the Hot Spring KOA about 8:30 PM and took up two RV spots with our Vans. It was after hours and we didn't have the code to the Showers but a nice gentleman gave us the code and all of boys had a hot shower for the first time in a week. The next morning we went to the office to pay for the site. The office manager asked if we were the scouts that slept on the ground, in the vans and under tarps. When we said yes he said that a lot of the RVers had came to the office saying how well mannered the boys were and how quite they were. If he only knew how tired they were he would have understood. We asked how much we owed for the two sites, he asked if $11.00 would be too much. That is my favorite KOA story, with the scouts and not in an RV. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adventures Report post Posted October 20, 2012 We have done KOA for years. Had a 99 Goldwing and pulled a little camper behind it! Always stayed in a KOA campground and they really accommodated us because we had to have flat space and smooth. They let us stay in a pull thru too so we could have power and water because we did use a little heater when cold!! It was very cold one year we ventured to Yellowstone! All the KOA's we stayed at we were very pleased. We are still a member and now we will use it for our motorcoach!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charles10 Report post Posted October 22, 2012 We recently made 45 day run through Midwest, Badlands,Custer to Wisconsin from Texas. KOAs did not come up on the GPS often, did stay at one, a little pricey for someone who just wants to get safely off the road and does not need many facilities.They are great for kids. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peggy Report post Posted October 22, 2012 Thanks to everyone who has written so far. Just a reminder -- If you want to possibly be quoted for the story, please send your comments to to pjordan@fmca.com along with your name and FMCA member number. That way you can stay private, and I can use your info. I cannot use it in this format here at FMCA.com, as it does not provide name or member number. Thanks a bunch, everybody! Peggy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OBS66 Report post Posted October 27, 2012 I am setting in a KOA right now in Mt Pleasant SC waiting out the rain from Sandy. Our first time in this KOA and it has been a joy spacious pull thru site 50amp service southern hospitality. We have been here 5 days and will be pulling out Monday. Our neighbors have been here a month and informed us they visit this location often. We will also return. Of the KOA we have stayed at several over the past few years this one is at the top of the list. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fossfactor Report post Posted October 28, 2012 We koa this summer, they were all very nice except 1 out of 6 weeks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RVerOnTheMove Report post Posted October 28, 2012 There's certainly nothing wrong with a KOA. There are just usually better less expensive choices where we travel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bullwinkleusa Report post Posted February 18, 2013 KOA ......Simply means KEEP ON ADDING. The only thing good about KOA pricing is it cost less than a Root Canal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RTinVa Report post Posted April 22, 2015 Wow! Amazed at the comments regarding cost. I never felt KOAs were that costly. We stay in KOAs as much as possible for the consistency in the amenities. I will do the research however to include looking at the campground from the air with satellite imagery just to be sure it has the right size spacing between sites before I make the reservations. It has been years since I have done anything but local trips on the east coast and I hope to stretch the coach out on longer trips next year once retired. Overall, I have seen KOAs as campgrounds I can count on as clean and friendly. The reviews if current so far have been reliable and accurate regarding both positive and negative and I have stayed at both in a pinch. My family and I will continue staying at KOAs but I also agree that not to expand to other private owned campgrounds would be a mistake. We hope to explore this option more in the future as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted April 22, 2015 Nothing like reviving an old posting! Happy 50th Birthday KOA (3 years late!)... KOA... Slowly I turned, inch by inch, step by step... When we bought our first motor home and were preparing to sell our home we moved into the motor home full time in a KOA, returning to our sticks and bricks home only to clean her out, paint and fix up before the sale. We were at the KOA for several months. It was a nice place not too far from home and we enjoyed the stay. We had their discount card and made a practice of staying at KOA's when they were available. We also stayed at other campgrounds. KOA's are pretty uniform, other parks not so much. We found the prices a notch higher than other parks and over time found that the other parks met our needs for less money. We had one really bad experience with a KOA that pretty much soured us on the entire chain. If you've stayed at KOA you know that they have rules. Lots of rules. More rules than most any other park we have stayed at. Rules keep everything nice and quiet and under control. Nice for families where you want a safe controlled manicured experience. The park which ruined KOA for us was run by two ladies who were hel2 bent on enforcing rules. Unhooking our car which was on a tow dolly and fitting everything on our site I put the tow dolly aside on the grass. It was going to be there just until I could get the car out of the street and then would be stored under the rear of the motor home. It hadn't been there a minute when we were told in no uncertain terms that we could not put the tow dolly on the grass. Later, Louise was using the internet. They had a timer and you got ten minutes. When the timer went off they came over and unplugged your from the wall outlet! No one was waiting, your time was up. We had a name for these two ladies (a WWII reference, think total control) and we still laugh about them. They were total control freaks. And that is what many of those rules KOA has are about, control. I prefer to live with less control, more freedom. So now we'll stay at a KOA if it is the only reasonable choice. If something else is available, we'll go elsewhere. I can't remember the last time we stayed at KOA. We are in campgrounds for over 100 days each summer and when we were full time it was more like 300 days a year. A footnote. The park mentioned above was sold and became independently owned. We stayed in it under independent management years later. The park was definitely different. Unfortunately, the last time we went by the place it was an abandoned campground. All the buildings were there but the park was closed, overgrown in weeds. I guess the moral of the story is that you can have your porridge too hot or too cold. What we're looking for is the porridge that is just right (for us). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlandon13399 Report post Posted April 22, 2015 Sitting in Lazy Days KOA at this moment. We stay at KOA's a lot. The management is friendly and helpful. The cost may be a bit higher but the overall amenities make up for it. I can't understand why we need to email you when you could just use these posts??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obedb Report post Posted May 1, 2015 We have had good luck at the majority of KOA stays. A few have been disappointing, but when I am trying to cover some ground (hard run) the KOA directory comes out. Byron Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
