Yuma has a great season thanks to baby boomer RVers and Canadians

YumaSun.com reports that seasonal visitors to Yuma, Arizona reflect a changing RV market.

Recreational vehicle park managers had a good season driven by younger RVers, many from the first wave of retiring baby boomers.

Visitors from Canada arrived in larger numbers thanks to stronger Canadian currency offering more purchasing power.

The new generation of RVers are looking for more upscale RV parks, equipped with Internet access, putting greens, on-site spas, and fitness trainers.

Source: YumaSun.com

New RV park is designed to be Earth friendly

A new RV park in Tehama County, California does more than get RVers close to nature, it will strive to protect the environment.

RedbluffDailyNews.com reports on the 174-site Durango RV Resort that opens this May.

The "green" RV park is designed to conserve water and heat, use composting and recycling to dispose of waste, with buildings designed to conserve energy. Even the pool will use biodegradable chemicals.

Source: RedBluffDailyNews.com

KOA's Come Camp & Care With Us Weekend 2008

Kampgrounds of America recently announced the Come Camp and Care With Us Weekend to be held May 9-10, 2008. A list of participating camp grounds can be found on the KOA site.

According to Kampgrounds of America...

Kampgrounds of America's popular Come Camp and Care With Us Weekend will be held the weekend of May 9-10, 2008. Campers staying as paid guests on Friday, May 9, at participating KOAs will receive a free night of camping at that campground on Saturday, May 10.

Since 2004, KOA has offered campers throughout North America a free night of camping each May at participating KOA campgrounds. In 2007, the event was expanded to a weekend event, offering a free Saturday of camping for those who stay as paid guests at participating campgrounds on Friday.

The event is intended to expose more people to the joys of camping by offering them a free night, as well as to encourage campers to both begin camping earlier in the spring season, and to consider KOA campgrounds close to home. Expanding to a weekend event allows KOA campground owners to plan more fun activities for campers to enjoy.

For 2008, the event will again serve as a major fundraiser for KOA Care Camps for children with cancer. The 35 camps, located throughout North America, offer children with cancer and their siblings a chance to experience summer camp in a safe environment while continuing with their medically supervised treatments.

"Come Camp and Care With Us Weekend has grown to become one of the highlights of our camping year," said KOA President and Chief Operating Officer Shane Ott. "Pairing it with a great charity like KOA Care Camps for children with cancer just seemed natural, because we knew our campers would love to help these special kids experience great camping, too."

In 2007, camper donations helped raise more than $225,000 for KOA Care Camps during the Come Camp and Care With Us Weekend event.

Source: Kampgrounds of America

Affinity Group and Digital Rez team up to provide "Campground Operating System"

Affinity Group, Inc., a leading industry source for RV and outdoor enthusiasts, recently announced it has formed a strategic alliance with Digital Rez International Inc., the world's leading provider of campground and RV park management and reservation software.

The two companies are extending AGI's RVTripsetter brand to the 3000 camping resorts that DRI currently serves in this worldwide market space. AGI will provide a total "Campground Operating System" coupling the internet to resorts' front desk management systems while providing easy access to AGI's extensive camping member and subscriber base.

Digital Rez will be re-branding its mainstream camping software systems over to the RVTripsetter brand and releasing the RVTripsetter product to all of its individual RV and camping resorts in the first quarter of 2008. In addition they will be gearing their support and development staff to provide additional innovations to its online reservation systems, property management networks and credit card processing services for resort operations worldwide.

Source: DigitalRez.com

Strong "loonie" has Canadian RVers heading for Florida

RV driving "snowbirds" are flocking to Florida, seeking refuge from winter weather.

HeraldTribune.com reports more of those RVs arriving in Florida are sporting the Canadian flag.

The Canadian Dollar (nickednamed the "Loonie") has increased in value, giving RVers from up north more for their money.

Florida RV parks are seeing a boom from their Canadian vistors, who are staying longer and spending more money thanks to their new purchasing power.

Source: HeraldTribune.com

Drive-In movies at The Hi-Way Haven RV Park

This is an overhead view of the Hi-Way Haven RV Park, located in Sutherlin, Oregon and featuring an on-site drive-in movie screen.


The screen dates back to when the site was the Cloverleaf Drive-In, which was converted into an RV park in 1986. Movies returned the to the screen in 2006 when investor Jim Remley bought the park and installed a digital projector.

Read more about the Hi-Way Haven RV Park at www.hiwayhaven.com

Winter Texans start returning home

The Browsville Herald features a story on the departure of Winter Texans from an RV park.

Winter Texans are RVers from all over the US and Canada who flock to Texas as their refuge from frigid winter temperatures. Many Texas RV parks cater to Winter Texans by offering activities and meals.

As weather warms up, the Winter Texans return home...till next year.

Are you a Winter Texan? Do you have a favorite RV park in Texas where you wait out the winter? Leave a comment and tell us your story.

Luxury RV parks attract a new kind of RVer

RV Trade Digest features a story on how RV parks are going upscale and adapting to changes in the RV market.

With the average age of an RV owner dropping from 60 to 48, RV parks are finding ways to cater to new customers.

A new breed of five star RV park is emerging, with amenities including waterfront views, golf courses, swimming pools, and tennis courts. Sites at RV parks are also getting bigger to accommodate larger RVs.