55 and older RV parks/resorts

[gfmucci]

It seems that more and more resorts and rv parks are going to 55 and older. Some are even 60 and older! Looking for opinions on this trend?

This is a great idea for several reasons:

1. People love choices. This offers a choice.
2. The 55/60 and over demographic has never been larger.
3. Such place can be marketed as either a minimal amenity 55+ and be a bit cheaper than average, or
4. It can be marketed as a campground version of The Villages with tons of amenities and charge a fortune.
5. It's a way to create and address a market niche.
6. It is likely to be easier to manage. Yes, there are inconsiderate elderly. But it is likely to be 1 in 100 versus 20 in 100 of today's young.

A note a few folks on this thread who are intolerant and critical of options - and the concept of age-limited campgrounds. Again, it's great we have choices.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Add to this topic.
The reason there is a ham radio community is their ability to self govern.

 

[AuntieDodo]

We were not supposed to be required to play police. But being on the front line, we were to "suggest" rules be followed by campers that were not. Most people used to comply once given the "suggestion" prior to COVID. Very seldom did we have to call for a back up. The park we hosted was 100% reserve only. One had to "click" that rules had been read and understood before the reservation could be confirmed. During COVID, it seemed that most just clicked "read" and completed the order. The biggest problems were overloading a site. Max 6 people per site, Max 1 sleeping unit and 2 vehicles per site so long as they fit was the rule. If campers did not comply to our "suggestions" then we would provide them with a hard copy of the rules. If that didn't work, then we would call for a Ranger to assist. Most times there were just not enough Rangers to go around as other camp host were dealing with the same crap. We did have to play the heavy on occasion. Our final straw was a site that had 5 sleeping units set up on and around the pad so there was no room for vehicles. Vehicles were parked randomly in the surrounding forest (vehicles and sleeping units must fit inside the designated camp site space). We counted 18 people on site but there were more. The person registered to the site gave me such a blast when I told her she needed to read the rules and get things sorted. Sadly, no Ranger was available to assist so I was told be be the heavy and get things sorted. I went back to the site and was then threatened by the crowd. "I was ruining their first camping experience!" said they. I replied that I was trying to protect everyone else's camping experience, the campsite and surrounding area that they were destroying. It didn't work. Mr. Ranger came the next morning but by then we had had enough. There were complaints from neighbors next the their site that we could not deal with so we were done.

Darrell

Can’t say I blame you. I would have done the same and never looked back.

 

[bpaikman]

This is a great idea for several reasons:

1. People love choices. This offers a choice.
2. The 55/60 and over demographic has never been larger.
3. Such place can be marketed as either a minimal amenity 55+ and be a bit cheaper than average, or
4. It can be marketed as a campground version of The Villages with tons of amenities and charge a fortune.
5. It's a way to create and address a market niche.
6. It is likely to be easier to manage. Yes, there are inconsiderate elderly. But it is likely to be 1 in 100 versus 20 in 100 of today's young.

A note a few folks on this thread who are intolerant and critical of options - and the concept of age-limited campgrounds. Again, it's great we have choices.

make that 40 in 100 of today's young on #6 and I agree with the rest.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Gotta love the free market. If there is a market for a business model it will get filled. Apparently in certain areas there is a market for age restricted parks.

We have been confronted with wandering children where the police were called, flashing lights etc., in the middle of the night (Slept Through it all), loaded drinkers making a racket, and screaming young couples (worried about them killing each other and stray bullets) over our travels.
We just move on.
Our travel style is to not stay anywhere for too long. A week in a single spot is a long time for us. Even on a fire road at the North Rim during hunting season was OK. We were there a week, other than early morning pickups racing past, a quiet spot.

Granted if your campground is "The Spot" for your holiday, this would be an issue.

 

[gfmucci]

make that 40 in 100 of today's young on #6 and I agree with the rest.

I agree that I likely grossly underestimated. I was being kind-ish.

 

[MFJ]

I can't recall any campsite like that in my region, at least not at the sites we normally visit. Frankly even if I was old enough to stay I'm not sure I'd want to. I've been on plenty of cruises that were more family oriented (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, etc.) and I gotta say, I'll take the younger crowd over the older one any day. The thing is kids can be loud and rambunctious, but older people are more rude and petty. Same with at work too. I normally have very little problem with kids or even younger adults at these places, but I always watch out for grandma in her scooter running over people because they didn't exit the elevator fast enough. That's not to mention one particularly annoying old bat one room below us calling security on us for walking around our balcony at 7 pm. When that didn't work they began to fake calls from security.

So yeah I'm not so certain that 55+ communities are going to be any less annoying or more polite. All that means to me is now you have a crowd that's had many years to perfect their pettiness. I'm talking worse case scenario obviously, not everyone is going to be a jerk. It's just being older doesn't magically make a jerk less of one.

 

[TheLooks]

I will chime in that my Memorial day camping was spoiled by a group of younger(30's/40's) campers with various age kids. We rented a lakefront lot and they rented the interior lots behind us across a road. Not to be deterred, they just came down and set up between us and the lake. I politely complained to the Host on 2 different days and they did not step up. Now, if I had stepped up and a fight ensued, who is in the right? At almost 63, I am quite able. But not about to take on 3 younger men. My buddy camping beside me was recovering from knee replacement just a couple of weeks before. Not gonna help. They acted like the whole campground was just a big park for them and their kids. There was a designated swim/beach area and a fishing area. We were not near it.
Even so, I am exploring being a host as a way to travel.

 

[John&Andrea]

Wow, I hate to hear that. I can see where this situation could get sloppy quick.

 

[bpaikman]

I'm on a campground owners FB forum, so I probably see it more than others. Many are going to adults only as well. The driving force being that children of todays parents are more likely to be a problem, and CC owners are tired of the nonsense.

we've only stayed at one 55-and-older, in Santa Fe New Mexico and It was nice and quiet, but so are most parks we visit. We tend to go by overall ratings and reviews, and avoid certain state parks. I think it's more important to have good facilities (handheld showers are nice, plenty of hooks in bathrooms, adequate privacy and room to dress, attractive campsites, shade, and GOOD internet - how hard would it be to provide decent Internet? And reasonable enforcement of rules.
Actually, we've not been annoyed by kids in RV parks, yet. In restaurants, yes. I wish THEY had 55-an-older rules