WHAT DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU WANT FROM A CARAVAN PARK ?

jules47 · The Happy Helper

WHAT DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU WANT FROM A CARAVAN PARK ?

Landfall · Guru

Great question.

Now from reading the other replies here, may I recommend the following:-

Flat grassed site of a reeasonable size only, basic cost $20p/n or $120p/w

Followinng add ons:=

Pet = $2p/n

Extra person/child $3p/n

Power $5 p/n

Water $2 p/n

Internet $8p/n

Use of toilets =coin in slot

Use of showers = coin in slot evry three minutes.

Use of washing lines included in use of laundry = coin in slot. If you don't use laundry, you cannot use clothes lines.

Rubbish bins = free

Scones only available with Devonshore teas $7.50 per serve

Use of playground = $2 per 5 minutes per child

Any misc. items not covered are charged at a rate of $50p/hour.

Ken biggrin

-- Edited by Landfall on Tuesday 30th of April 2013 03:23:52 PM

tyrekickernot · Newbie

Hi, my wife and I have travelled around Australia in our Motorhome and have stayed in many different caravans parks and free camps, and are now thinking of buying a lifestyle small caravan park in western nsw and are open to suggestions on what people want from a caravan park and would love to hear your comments re this, ie if the charge is say $20 pn with power, what discounts do you think is applicable for a single person.

gordon_adl · Senior Member

Basically just a clean shower & toilet. Hot water.

billeeeeeee · Guru

All I want from a caravan park, is ....to have the choice to stay there or Not.........................no more , no less,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Billeeeeeee

tyrekickernot · Newbie

great thinking Ken

-- Edited by tyrekickernot on Tuesday 30th of April 2013 04:19:55 PM

Kiwi-as · Guru

Yes just a clean ablution block, is all we require. All at a reasomable cost.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Welcome to the forum tyrekickernot.

... clean amenities, powered level site, water, grey-water drain point, easy access to sites (wide driveways), communal kitchen/BBQ, friendly management.

Rip and Rosie · Guru

Gerty Dancer wrote:
Welcome to the forum tyrekickernot.

... clean amenities, powered level site, water, grey-water drain point, easy access to sites (wide driveways), communal kitchen/BBQ, friendly management.

pet friendly

plus- I don't want to pay for stuff I don't want.... like jumping castles etc.

Scotty01 · Senior Member

What a dam good question! Firstly I do not really use a lot of CP's I prefer independant camping. Up until my current forced time off the road I traveled with my dog so was unable to use many CP's.

In high flow tourist areas parks need to be more up grade with facilities to cater to the traveling failies, ie: cabins , swiming pools and playgrounds etc. If they dont supply to the majority of tourists they wont last. In the smaller rural towns where the GM's are more prolific free camps and less equiped CPs are ideal. As for me I look for a clean site with reasonable size sites to accomadate my MH. Good clean amenaties block and a laundry (coin operated) and ofcourse clean. Up to $20 a night would be quite reasonable for a powered sight with water.As for a singles rate, well the difference between a couple and a single is not that great, a single uses the same amount of space, probably the same amount of electricity and maybe a little less water, I know when I do stay in a CP I do my washing and enjoy niice long hot showers so probably use the same amount as a couple. If the std rate is reasonable I have no objection to paying the same amount as a cpl.

I am not a rich person but neither am I dependant on a Gov pension. I feel privilaged to be able to travel Australia in my own time and find beautiful free camps in many areas. I feel embarased to be classed as a grey nomad when I read the winging and demands for high quality FREE sites at the expence of the locals. Nomads do spend quite a bit of money in local areas but most would not spend the amounts that would be required for upkeep and provision of the camp areas. Most towns do have an area that could be opened for camping for a min o'night fee. Showgrounds, sporting grounds etc go unused for most of the week. Even $10 over night fee would not break the bank and would at least help some of the small towns to keep their facilites not only for the GNs but also the locals. If GNs want to have access to these facilities they need to promote keeping it claen and disposing od their own rubbish etc in a civilised way. Back Packers seem to be the biigest offenders and GNs should take note and report uncontrollled BPs to councils etc. We get the blame for a lot of BP damage and mess.

Duh · Guru

tyrekickernot wrote:

Hi, my wife and I have travelled around Australia in our Motorhome and have stayed in many different caravans parks and free camps, and are now thinking of buying a lifestyle small caravan park in western nsw and are open to suggestions on what people want from a caravan park and would love to hear your comments re this, ie if the charge is say $20 pn with power, what discounts do you think is applicable for a single person.

Welcome to the forum TKN. Reasonable size sites, power and water, also none powered sites at cheaper rate but with a common water point not on a site, clean ablutions and washing machines (fee ok), campers kitchen with good applicances and sheltered from the elements preferably with tables.

Good management with restrictions on after hours noise and use of washing machines after hours, after hours contact number for genuine complaints or maintenance problems. Children to be supervised at all times, and not running or riding bikes around and through other peoples sites.

Based on say on the $20 powered sites as a number, $20 for a couple with power, $15 a night for singles, or for none powered sites, Couples $15 a night and singles $10. Although a single uses about the same power as a couple if on power, they use less water for showers and also only use one toilet and shower block rather than two for cleaning, toilet paper etc.

With running costs these days I think the rate of a base of $20 may be a bit low (eg; electricity, water, gas, maintenance, staff, cleaning etc, etc) for a caravan park and would need to be raised to perhaps at least $25-$30 for powered sites for two people and the other figures adjusted based on that.

Although some may not be happy with paying the higher amount if wanting power, a cp has to cover it's costs and being a business try to scrape a profit from it as well after expenses......put yourself in their shoes...

To charge too little also could mean that things could rundown (less cleaning/maintenance, grounds etc) to keep the business afloat. Consider your power/water/gas usage at home for two people, then multiply that for the number of people you will have in a park, it could be a bit daunting. I know these can be claimed once in each year as a business expense, but still have to be paid in the short term and you won't get all of it back.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

I have friends who have recently bought their second CP - this time a small one, which they hope will see them into retirement. I have seen how much work there is to do, and the expenses, so I realise the costs involved, but these people do not overcharge, they offer discounts, just ask (not a member of a chain) - but will honour motoring organisation members, seniors cards etc. They are hard workers, he does all the outside work, as well as cleaning the amenities blocks. They have a couple of women in to clean the cabins, which are occupied constantly by workers, who all go home at weekends, leaving the cabins to be rented out to travellers.

aussietraveller · Guru

confuse confuse Hi David and a warm welcome to the forum where you will find a great bunch of people,

Congratulations on your decision and having the foresight to ask Caravan park users what they really want I believe there is already more than enough of the up market ones $40.00 plus and mid level at $30-40 as for parks at less than $30 I believe we do need more and if you check back through past topics regarding Caravan Parks on this forum and other similar ones you will find that a lot of people agree. wink

There are a number of fantastic caravan parks around the $20.00-$25.00 mark and one of the best that I have stayed in is the Walkerman Caravan Park between Atherton and Mareeba it has it all as for what I generally look for in a Caravan Park I agree with Gerty Dancer, keep it clean, basic services and most of all friendly. let us all know where you finally decide on for your park.

You build a good basic park and they will come

hako · Guru

Don't get me wrong, but I'd say that if you intend to only charge $20 p/n for a site and also give a discount for singles, then I'd suggest your caravan park will be way out in the middle of nowhere.
Reason I say this is based on our recent trips away - we stayed in over 40 parks...no particular ones - just a place to park for the night. This was on trips through inland and coastal NSW. The lowest we paid was $23 at Peak hill and the highest $45 at Tumut....averaged out at a shade over $30 p/n. I should add that our best stay was at Peak Hill - the cheapest and the friendliest.
However, if you do open a park with $20 p/n and it is not west of Woop Woop, then you'll certainly have us as customers.
Good Luck.

Ontos45 · Guru

Rip and Rosie wrote:
Gerty Dancer wrote:
Welcome to the forum tyrekickernot.

... clean amenities, powered level site, water, grey-water drain point, easy access to sites (wide driveways), communal kitchen/BBQ, friendly management.
pet friendly
plus- I don't want to pay for stuff I don't want.... like jumping castles etc.

Hear hear...dog friendly. Advertise in "Traveling with Dogs" magazine etc.

Give entertainers, poets, Country Music singers free site for free entertainment of a night. (Cobb & Co park at Charlerville do this with free fire wood and is never empty)

Just a thought.

Peter

GaryKelly · Guru

I rather like the idea of a weekly discount rate as well as the usual overnight rate. And scones. Don't forget the scones!

gordon_adl · Senior Member

What a fabulous idea. I miss the days of entertainment in cp's.

Ontos45 wrote:

Give entertainers, poets, Country Music singers free site for free entertainment of a night. (Cobb & Co park at Charlerville do this with free fire wood and is never empty)
Just a thought.
Peter

msg · Guru

billeeeeeee wrote:
All I want from a caravan park, is ....to have the choice to stay there or Not.........................no more , no less,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Billeeeeeee

Ditto

billeeeeeee · Guru

GaryKelly wrote:
I rather like the idea of a weekly discount rate as well as the usual overnight rate. And scones. Don't forget the scones!

Gary,!!!1 did you mean just scones,??? or scones and strawberry jam,????? Yumbo,,,,,,,,Billeeeee

bill12 · Guru

The next door neighbor gave me half a dozen scones for a couple of red fish . I'd have to say it was a good swap. I agree with the majority- reasonable prices and clean amenities. Hope you do well. keep in touch. Bill

johnq · Guru

If the 'basic' infrastructure for a site is to be a concrete pad, underground sewage, water and power to site and a small toilet block, I wonder if that can be provided under $50,000 per site. That does not include anything else, such as the cost of the land or meeting other planning requirements and caravan park regulations, which can be onerous. It may include search of Native Title, traditional owner consultations and ongoing payment to traditional owners.

The number of vans and especially 'bagos on the road is increasing. Doubtless GNs are going to be a large sector of the travellers using caravan parks, but the needs of overseas visitors also need to be considered because they are the ones who will be publicising Aussie tourism abroad. Although there will be a lag before the good experiences of younger travellers translates into family travel, or 'mature' travel.

An average of $30 per night for a pad, water and power, but communal toilet and shower facilities and coin laundry is cheap. From the numbers, it wouldn't ensure continuation/sustainability of the established C/P*, and it would deter any further development of the C/P (or opening of new C/Ps).

*how to set aside a reasonable sinking fund for major repairs and maintenance when the C/P barely covers running costs?

BTW, for singles the c'park owner has still been obliged to provide the same land and infrastructure. The possibility of a bit less water and power use is worth what reduction in fee for singles?

How to obtain a reasonable return on the sites? There needs to be lateral thinking because the onerous regulations, approval processes, development costs and operating costs dictate that any c'parks lost to redevelopment are unlikely to be replaced elsewhere. There are better investment alternatives without the seasonal and people problems.

msg · Guru

When you look at a cost /benefit analysis ignoring present value and interest rates and taxes, at $30pn and 50% occupancy the infrastructure cost would be recovered in less than 10 yrs. Not bad in todays financial climate. Would come out far in front on the normal 30 yr loan. Just one way and a very superficial look at it.

KFT · Guru

good onya Ken, great response I like it.

I do however have the opinion that a single person travelling should only be asked to pay 75% of the couples rate less any applicable chain or seniors discounts.

frank

jules47 · The Happy Helper

To Ken's (Landfall) list I would add that no private washing machines to be used in the park - I have seen people wash for about three hours - wash everything i sight, in a caravan park - coz we are paying for it anyway - so why shouldn't we? not a good attitude. I don't have a washing machine - I have my own method of hand washing, or I use a CP laundry (coin in slot).

herbie · Guru

They are a law unto them self c/ van park operators.They charge what ever they like and when ever they like depending on seasons and the ammount of c/ vans passing through the area they are located.I have been to parks where i have payed $30 per night and a few days latter have been speaking to people who have just turned up and they were paying $35 per night.... Only because the other park was full down the road .

brickies · Guru

Now tyrekickernot you may be sorry you ask that question , I see you have been on the road yourself I would set it up to what you feel you would need and you are likely to get the type of travelers you would like happy to have in your park , Has you can see from the post it is very hard to please everyone

tyrekickernot · Newbie

not sorry for asking questions as i am sure it is to hard to please everyone but some points well worth thinking about
thanking everyone for some good ideas
thanking all for their input

Beth54 · Guru

Ontos45 wrote:

Give entertainers, poets, Country Music singers free site for free entertainment of a night. (Cobb & Co park at Charlerville do this with free fire wood and is never empty)