According to the RVIA (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association), there are an estimated 12,000 RV-related businesses in the United States. These generate a combined revenue of $37.5 billion every year. These RV parks are just a part of the campsite business that exists in the U.S.
Campsite franchises can be a great investment for people that want to have a good side income, especially RV parks. But if you want to build or own a campsite business, you need to keep a few things in mind before you can do it successfully.
Location Matters
The location of your campground is one of the most important things. It doesn’t have to be a tropical resort or situated perfectly on a lake, but the natural beauty of the landscape can be an important factor to consider. It has to be something that drives people to you.
This can mean clearing some areas and encouraging others to grow, to give that rustic and wild look to the terrain, encouraging its natural beauty. If you’re near water, that’s a large bonus.
Infrastructure
You’re going to have to get power and water to all the locations that need them and negotiate with local agencies like the Environmental Protection and county officials to make sure what you’re doing is allowed. You might have to move power lines underground, re-route water lines, gas lines, and even build roads.
You might even have to get septic tanks installed, which can be expensive. And you haven’t even gotten to the largest part of the expenses yet.
Lodging
You might have to purchase more land to build cabins, bathrooms, showers, all the complexes you’ll need to get the facility off the ground. You’ll then have to hire builders or build them yourself, with materials paid for out of pocket. It can add up quickly, especially if you’re building a large amount of housing at once.
You’ll have to handle contractor bids, negotiating and designing, and being in charge of all the progress and decisions.
But this can all pay off to a nice, continuously earning, investment that can be passed along the family for generations. Millions of campers go to campgrounds every year, which means there are a lot of potential customers to lure to your campsite business.
You just have to be ready to put a lot of time in.
If you have any questions about building or buying a campsite franchise, contact us. We’ll be glad to answer any questions and offer our assistance.