Designing an RV Park can be a complex endeavor, requiring careful consideration of various factors from site selection to amenities. At Nadi Design, we specialize in RV park design, drawing upon our team's passion for outdoor experiences and decades of development expertise to guide you through the process. Starting an RV park development can include long lists of ordinances, permitting processes, and choices regarding site development, RV park layout, circulation flow, and amenity offerings. Rest assured though, with the right guidance, you can create an RV park that becomes a repeat destination for RV owners.
Understanding the RV Lifestyle
The demographics of RV owners have evolved significantly in recent years, with new generations embracing the adventure of traveling in RVs. Studies show that RV owners are often looking for key amenities to enhance their stay. Community activities as well as high-quality open space can offer a lot in terms of amenities that will bring interested RV owners into your park.
Site Selection
When selecting a site for your RV park development, you want to ensure you are choosing a site that not only works for the development type but also is enticing enough for potential RV owners. That could mean proximity to a major landmark or town, or a remote location that allows people to access nature and other nearby amenities.
Our firm often participates early in the process, helping with feasibility studies, site and market evaluations, and other support to help make sure that you are investing in a property that will continue to work for you. We’ll help you identify the strengths and weaknesses in your location including the site characteristics, infrastructure availability, regulatory and zoning considerations, and accessibility. We are also able to visit the site with you before preparing an overall analysis of the site.
Layout Planning
Engaging professionals early on will ensure you are getting the most out of your site by laying out plans that not only maximize the quantity of sites but also the quality. By working with the natural landscape, we try to preserve natural vegetation while also prioritizing the circulation flow of both RVs and people. Centralized communal areas enhance the community aspect of many parks, and providing those alongside buffered private areas of individual sites adds to the overall experience.
Amenities and Services
Amenities can help make an RV park stand out from the competition, when someone is choosing a spot to stay they’ll be looking for an RV park that meets their specific wants and needs.
Designing the park with amenities such as clubhouses, playgrounds, comfort stations, and active recreation opportunities such as sports fields, courts, and trails can set you apart from the competition. This can often be incorporated within the overall park development but the site-specific amenities can also help in attracting RV owners. These could include planted buffers providing privacy between sites, paved patio areas, easy RV circulation as well as easily accessed sewer, electric, and water hookups.
Sustainability Practices
At Nadi Design we prioritize sustainability in our design; we work with you to ensure the impacts to the sites are minimized and streamlined whenever possible. As an RV park developer, you can incorporate several green design principles from the site selection, habitat preservations, water conservations, sustainable waste management systems, and even energy-efficient utilities.
Safety and Accessibility
The layout of the RV park doesn’t just apply to how many RVs you can fit on your site. We work with local ordinances and our recommended best practices to help design a park that adheres to safety standards, accessibility, and appropriate clearances.
Accessibility is key when making sure your RV park is the best option for everyone. We work with your site grading and access to bring you options that are ADA-compliant and increase the accessibility for all users.
Technology Integration
The role of technology in modern RV parks is key to its success. Wi-Fi access is an increasingly popular amenity and the quality and reliability of that Wi-Fi are going to be important to your guests. Being able to stay connected has been shown to influence the length of stay significantly since it allows people to work remotely from the park.
In addition to on-site offerings, the evolving demographics are bringing a change in booking systems. Offering online booking systems as well as digital site management options will increase the audience that will view and book sites within your RV park.
Case Studies
Our design of Coachland RV Park is a great example of how location can be a big factor in site selection. The RV park is located near Lake Tahoe, the Northstar Ski Resort, and many other attractions that heavily influence the site's users. The emphasis on the layout was influenced by two main factors, the first focusing on a family-friendly environment. The goal is to offer many amenities that would attract a wide range of visitors. The second factor was accommodation for newer big rigs. Pull-through sites offered easy maneuverability for larger RVs and the inclusion of sewer, electric, and water hookups offered many options for visitors to enhance their comfort.
Coachland offers many amenities to its clientele. In addition to a wide range of built amenities, it has also incorporated easy online booking systems and onsite environmental practices including recycling programs and energy-efficient elements where possible. Understanding the target demographic and approaching the design to attract those RV owners really makes this design stand out.
Our design of the Three Ponies RV Park is another example of how location is key. In the Three Ponies project, the RV park is integrated within a larger world-class resort plan. One of the key factors in this design was capacity as the park itself is a high travel destination. We were involved early on, helping with site selection and feasibility right to the final design. Our focus throughout was combining the need for over 1000 accommodations while still providing a variety of amenities options. The goal here was to create a world-class RV park that suited the atmosphere of the Three Ponies theme park.
The success of the Three Ponies RV Park really showcases how important it is to allow for thorough planning and consultation throughout the development process. Having experienced professionals engaging early on and conducting comprehensive site analysis ensures that the project meets both functional and aesthetic objectives.
Both of these projects are just a snapshot of some awe-inspiring projects we have had the pleasure of working on over the decades and show only some of the valuable lessons we have learned along the way.
Future Trends
As the demographics of RV owners evolve, the trends around what RV owners want in an RV park change too. More and more people are using camping and glamping as ways to experience new or unique experiences with the most popular trip types including observing natural events (meteor showers, eclipses, animal migrations) as well as visiting small towns and seeking out food tourism.
People are willing to travel more than the average traveler to engage in these specific experiences and in many cases will spend more as well. Being accommodating to these types of travelers and events could include offering diverse accommodation options. However, trends also show that providing high-end amenities including food service and providing park access to people with disabilities are all components of the RV parks of the future.
Conclusion
Whether you’re starting with a blank slate or transforming an existing site, connect with our expert team of RV Park Designers to start a conversation about how we can work together to realize your vision for a destination-worthy RV park!
