When RV season comes to an end, many people struggle with where the best place to store their prized house on wheels. You want to know that it is parked somewhere safe and will be ready to be picked up and driven away on new adventures the following year. Maybe you are looking for an RV parking location while you venture out without the RV. Regardless of what your intentions are, we have four tips and ideas that you can utilize when deciding where to park your RV long term.
Understanding Your Requirements
Before parking your RV somewhere, go through a checklist of things that you feel are important to understand your options and requirements.
- Budget – How much money are you willing to set aside to pay for a place to park your RV while you are on your adventures?
- RV Length and Add-Ons – The size of your RV may dictate where you can actually park it. Some places may have size restrictions that could prevent you from leaving it there. Do your homework ahead of time to know precisely how big of a space you will need.
- Length of Stay – Each day that you leave your RV somewhere is going to cost you money. Determine precisely how long you plan on leaving the RV and if they will include any holidays. Holidays and weekends will undoubtedly add to the pricing of your RV location.
- Amenities Needed for the Stay – When staying somewhere for an extended period of time, you will want to make sure that they have plenty of amenities that will keep you and the whole family busy.
These will all be specific information that you will want to have handy when performing your search for the ideal RV park destination. You will be asked to filter your search with many of the topics we just discussed.
Resources To Find The Right RV Park
It should come as no surprise that the Internet is full of resources to help you find the perfect destinations for your RV. Several sites have been created to help you narrow down your search to find the place that suits you and your family the best. Let’s take a peek at a couple of sites you can utilize to help you complete your search.
Campendium
Campendium is an entirely free resource that can pinpoint you in the right direction anywhere in the United States. You will be provided with a map and possible parking destinations along with many reviews written by previous campers. You will have GPS coordinates for the location that you are interested in, a link to the website where it is located, and photos from that spot. This will give you the ultimate picture of what you can fully expect from parking your RV at that location.
Hip Camp
Hip Camp is another free website that provides close to 300,000 places to park your RV. It expands all the possibilities of where to stay. It covers vineyards, farms, ranches, public parks, and so much more. Reservations can be made right from there website along with all the information you will need about the spot that caught your interest.
Main RV Parking Options
When performing your search for the ideal destination to park your RV, you will notice that it will be narrowed down to three places: campgrounds, RV parks, or free spots. Depending on what your main objectives are will determine which of these three places is right for you. Let’s break down each of the three locations to see if any determining factors can help you make your decision.
Campgrounds
One of the most popular options for RVers is to set up shop in a campground. State park systems are some of the most affordable options for parking your RV. Many of these campgrounds are located in areas that have plenty of attractions in the area.
It is crucial during your search to make sure that they have full hookups and don’t have a maximum stay restriction. These places tend to fill up very quickly, especially around busy seasons, so be sure to lock in your spot well in advance.
RV Parks
As opposed to campgrounds, RV parks are designed to meet all the needs of people who own RVs. Each spot will have at least a partial hookup available, which can allow you to set up shop for an extended period of time. Many amenities such as pools, laundry facilities, wifi, dog parks, hot showers, and general stores tend to be available at RV parks.
As a result of these amenities, you should expect to pay more at an RV park than a campground. Many RV parks will offer discounts for more extended stays, which is great if that’s your plan. There are also RV clubs and memberships available to help get discounted rates at different RV parks.
Check out Passport America, Escapees, and Thousand Trails for many discounted options for your RV. They provide travel resources, campground/RV suggestions, and a unique look at various places you may not have ever considered.
Free Parking Destinations
Lastly, there are many free parking destinations available to people looking to save some money during a long trip across the country. If you see any spots listed as “boondocking” or “drydocking,” you are in luck. Most of those free parking spots will not offer water, electricity, or other essential amenities, but sometimes, you pay for the quality of those amenities. You may be lucky enough, however, to find some places that can set you up with water and electricity. Check out some of these websites to help you find and secure a potential free parking spot: Boondocker’s Welcome, Harvest Hosts, and Free Campsites.
Final Tips
Hopefully, the information provided above will help you begin your journey of understanding how to take advantage of the many opportunities to park your RV for an extended period. To close, I would like to share a few tips with you to help you narrow down your search moving forward.
Take Advantage Of Filtering
When you type in a location, you are going to be inundated with results. This can be very overwhelming and time-consuming. Have an idea of an area you are interested in and then utilize the filter options. This will allow you the opportunity to narrow down your search and give you an idea of the perfect spot to stay.
Check Out The Reviews
People are sincere when it comes to writing a review about their stay. If they took the time to write it, there is probably a reason why. Many times things on the Internet are not always as they seem. You will want to hear firsthand accounts from people who lived and experienced it. See what is said about return policies, the people in charge, and other critical information. Check out photos on Google and even try YouTube to see if anyone posted videos of their stay.
Make That Reservation
Many people like to freewheel it and hope for the best. They enjoy pulling into a park and seeing what’s available. Have a sense of security to know that a site is prepared and waiting for you. It is also advised that you call rather than booking online. There are many cases that it will show the site as being booked online, but when you call, there are spots available.
Conclusion
There is nothing better than spending time with the great outdoors and soaking up all that nature has to offer. Finding the right RV for you and your family is a significant investment that will pay off with unlimited memories. I hope that you found some additional information to help you make a great decision about where to park your RV this year. It is essential to take the time to do your homework ahead of time to land yourself in the ideal spot. Let us know what you think and if you have additional tips that have worked for you. As always, please feel free to share this blog with other RV lovers!