How many acres of land is needed for an RV park? 3? 5? 7? or 20? Here are 5 crucial factors to consider that will help determine the right size for your RV park.
A Recreational Vehicle Park (RV Park) is a capital-intensive business venture, and any entrepreneur that wants to start a Recreational Vehicle Park (RV Park) should be prepared financially.
The major area where you will spend the bulk of your budget is in acquiring a piece of land that is big enough to accommodate a Recreational Vehicle Park.
The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the key factors that will determine the size of land needed to build a Recreational Vehicle Park (RV Park).
It will give you an idea of how much you should budget and perhaps know if you are ready to start a Recreational Vehicle Park or to look for other business ventures to pursue.
The exact number of acres of land needed for an RV park will depend on two very crucial factors. First and foremost, the number of campsites needed to make the RV Park profitable, and the legal permit requirement.
Factors That Determine the Size of Land Needed for RV Park
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Number of RV Parking Lots
The major factor that will determine the size of land needed to build a Recreational Vehicle Park is the number of RV parking lots you need for your Recreational Vehicle Park.
The fact that the major service offering of a Recreational Vehicle Park (RV Park) is to provide a safe and secure facility where owners of recreational vehicles can park and also camp means that the number of customers they plan to accommodate will determine the size of the land they should buy.
Does the Size of Expected Clients’ Vehicles Determine the Size of an RV Park?
Nonetheless, when thinking of a suitable size for your RV Park, consider larger motorhomes and fifth wheels. These RVs can be as long as 40 feet and have multiple slide outs.
You need to have a park with enough room between the campsites to accommodate the length and widths of these coaches. Your prospective clients will want to have enough space for their RVs without feeling like they are on top of each other.
Many RVs are the size of fire trucks, so easy access and maneuvering room is very crucial in the design of your park. Owing to issues like RV size and varying city regulations, it becomes much more complicated to complete a park design while still minimizing environmental impacts to the area.
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The Amenities You Plan to Offer
Another major factor that will determine the size of land needed to build a Recreational Vehicle Park is the amenities you plan to offer in your facility.
Some Recreational Vehicle facilities go beyond just providing a facility where recreational vehicle owners will just park and camp, they also provide other facilities such as electric charging centers, swimming pools, game centers, laundry and washroom facilities, restaurants, accommodations, kitchens, restaurants et al.
With that in mind, it means that the entrepreneur who wants to build a Recreational Vehicle Park (RV Park) facility would have to look for a bigger piece of land that can accommodate the number of amenities they want.
If the entrepreneur plans to only offer the basic services that are expected of a Recreational Vehicle Park, then they will settle for a small piece of land.
Note that a normal RV has water, sewer, electrical, and cable connections located near the rear of the vehicle on the driver’s side. The access into the RV is on the passenger’s side of the vehicle.
Some RVs also have slide-outs that increase the size of the interior space which can create problems for RVs in tight parks. Avoid these problems by addressing RV park needs during the design and also use enough acres of lands to avoid congestion.
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Local Zoning Regulations and Building Codes
The local zoning regulations and building codes are yet another key factors that will determine the size of land that is required to build a Recreational Vehicle facility.
Town planning agencies in most cities usually approve a facility based on certain criteria before park owners can commence building. As a matter of fact, a Recreational Vehicle Park must meet a certain land size before it can secure permission.
It means that, if you want to build a Recreational Vehicle Park, you must be able to secure a piece of land that meets both the local zoning regulations and building codes. That in itself will influence the size of land you are expected to secure before you can start building your Recreational Vehicle Park.
How Many Acres is Required to Get a City Permit?
In the United States, you are expected to have at least 10 sites per acre for your RV Park. Some cities will limit the number of sites within 10-15. Many permit requirements give minimum measurements of how wide and how long each site should be.
Different cities or counties have different minimum requirements that must be met. For example, places like Cañon City, in Colorado, require a minimum of 3 acres of land for RV parks in their city limits. While places like Nye County in Nevada have a 15 acre maximum requirement.
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Your Budget and Financial Capacity
Lastly, another major factor that will influence the size of land you need to build your Recreational Vehicle Park is your budget and financial capacity.
As stated at the beginning of this article, building a Recreational Vehicle Park facility is capital-intensive hence you must have the money to be able to secure the size of land you need.
How Many Acres is Needed for an RV Franchise?
However, if you choose to go down the franchising route with a well established brand, their requirements can be higher. For instance, to franchise with KOA, the minimum acreage is at least 10 acres of land. You will find those franchise requirements exceed normal city legal permit requirements.
How Many Acres Should Be Reserved for Nature and Vegetation?
Most people would prefer their parks not resemble a shopping centre parking lot. Hence, it is advisable you focus more on nature and not on roadways. If possible use curving roads to limit long views of asphalt which will also help keep traffic at slower safe speeds.
When designing your RV Park, it is very pertinent that you preserve as much vegetation as possible and use it as a buffer between parks and facilities.
Try to keep the service utilities within the roadway or pedestrian corridors. Although these plans and concepts are not always attainable, it is advisable you strive to achieve them.
In Conclusion,
Getting the right size of land for your Recreational Vehicle Park facility is an important factor that you should not joke with. With the right size of land, you will be able to come up with a design for the Recreational Vehicle facility that will meet your overall business goals, vision, and mission.