In the supermarket the other day I bought a heap of caravan and camping magazines. One of them had a good article on free camping. In it the author was saying how caravan parks are closing at an alarming rate up and down the east coast.
If this is the case, why is it? From what I'm reading caravaning or "RV'ing" is a booming industry. So this has surprised me somewhat.
I guess it's because developers make them an offer they can't refuse. Often they are prime real estate with water views or close to water that is attractive for permanent living.
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Jenny and Barry
2009 Roma Elegance / 2013 Colorado. Permanent travellers 2011-2015 now just travel for 4-6 mths
Current style and layout CPs will go the way of the video store, if they don't take care of the new profile of RV travellers. Looked at a CP the other day that was established when a 14 foot van was a big one. Several sites are now not assessible to larger vans and MHs. Owners response is to install cabins. The current locations and rising rates and other fixed charges will soon price them out. Annoys the heck out of me that they want $30 or so for me to park my self contained RV overnight.
Iza
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Iza
Semi-permanent state of being Recreationally Outraged as a defence against boredom during lockdown.
Stayed at several parks on Sunshine & Gold Coasts during the 1990s that are now gone. Some were council owned that were closed up and returned for public use (parks & gardens), some were prime bits of real-estate that are now medium rise apartments and others were way too small to accommodate anything other than a small camper trailer and these are now low rise units.
I agree with Iza. Many CPs are re-naming themselves as Cabin Parks or similar names. They don't want RVs that they can only screw over for $30-50 pn but others silly enough to stay in a cabin and still have to use the communal toilets, showers and kitchen for $80-100 pn.
Many have tiny little van sites that you cant reverse into because theres cabins directly opposite and not enough room to turn.
It seems they all think their target market is young couples with kids so lets put in cabins, mini puts, pools, games rooms, tennis courts, bouncy castles or the inflated trampoline. That's great during the school holidays. Us geriatrics are on the road often year round and don't need all these toys and the price that goes with it.
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
...and it was only a few weeks ago I was reading headlines from industry papers saying how many they are selling.......now I am not a businesswoman but if I were reading of high sales of caravans I would not be selling a CP, I would be finding out about the sort of 'vans sold and what sort of facilities they may need.....space, toilets/showers, laundry, fire pits and happy hour spots,....and so on
annie
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Connor - Whippet
Ciaran - Whippet
Annie - after my 2nd cup of coffee I'm almost human! Together we are pawsaroundoz!
Multiple documents & policy papers put out by the CCIA clearly state
1- there are about 2400 locations around Oz that call themselves a 'caravan park' 2- there are about 2000 locations around Oz that have over 40 sites 3- there are about 1600 who are members of their state's CIA organisation
4- one caravan park per month somewhere in Oz closes, mostly due to redevelopment for housing, sometimes for industrial use
Personal disussions with CP people reveal 5- the average annual income from a powered site equals the monthly income from a cabin 6- no caravan park around Oz has been forced to close due to lack of custom due to RVs etc taking their business elsewhere
The ones closing are those in high land value areas. That means beach areas. There are a lot of farm stay parks opening in the country. For example there have been 3 open around Charleville in the last few years and one in town has doubled in size. There is a new one in Cunnamulla. Agnes Water had one close down but then rebuilt and another was opened about 10 years ago. Several have opened around Childers and so it goes on. Add to that the number of showgrounds that have upgraded their facilities and opened to vanners.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
The ones closing are those in high land value areas. That means beach areas. There are a lot of farm stay parks opening in the country. For example there have been 3 open around Charleville in the last few years and one in town has doubled in size. There is a new one in Cunnamulla. Agnes Water had one close down but then rebuilt and another was opened about 10 years ago. Several have opened around Childers and so it goes on. Add to that the number of showgrounds that have upgraded their facilities and opened to vanners.
