RVers Fight High Fuel Costs By Staying At Local Campgrounds

RVers are determined to go camping and not let fuel costs dampen their vacation plans. Campgrounds and RV parks are finding that RVers are keeping gas expenses low by staying at local parks rather that traveling out of state.

MLive.com reports that Michigan-area campground owners are still expecting business to be up this year from 2007. The Frankenmuth Jellystone Park Camp-Resort booked the majority of their sites, but mostly to local customers.

To make camping cheaper for RVers, some parks offer storage for campers, allowing RV owners to return for more vacation time without spending gas money hauling their RV back and forth from home.

Source: MLive.com

Recreational Vehicle storage condominiums offer storage solution

No matter how sleek or expensive your RV is, you probably have neighbors who don't want to look at it. RV storage has become a hot issue in some cities, with angry debates over where and how RV owners can park their vehicles.

The Eucalyptus at Beaumont could offer a solution to the problem, offering RV owners a chance to own their own storage space. These are not ordinary storage space facilities you would store the junk you can't fit in your attic anymore. From the renderings below, the lounge area alone looks as luxurious as the interiors of RVs stored there.

According to Eucalyptus at Beaumont...

Recreational Vehicle storage condominiums offer a solution to the growing problem of RV storage and parking. Many cities throughout California are passing regulations prohibiting the parking of large RV's on city streets. High land costs make new RV storage facilities financially unfeasible.

The recreational vehicle market is rapidly expanding, while the availability of storage is shrinking. That equals higher storage prices.

Eucalyptus at Beaumont, A Private Storage Community is the brain child of owner/developer Ted Deits. "Up until now, the only alternative to RV storage was to rent a space. Now, we are offering fully enclosed garage type storage designed specifically for the storage of recreational vehicles that are owned, not rented," said Deits. "Storage rental rates have risen
so high, it now makes perfect economic sense to purchase your storage," he
continued.

Eucalyptus at Beaumont will offer 112 enclosed garage-style storage with all units designed to house even the largest RV, built on 4.5 acres of land.

The first sales phase of 30 units was released in October of 2006, and sold out in 2 days. Phase 2 with 48 units was released on July 9th, 2007, to a waiting list of over 900 people. "That phase took about three weeks to sell out," Deits said.


"When we executed this idea 2 years ago, we felt only the well-heeled would be buyers," Deits continued. "As it turns out, the regular Joe's are snapping these up. All but 1 of these units has been sold to people on average 70 miles away. 10 were sold to Hawaii residents and one in Australia. Several buyers have purchased multiple units. With unit prices starting in the mid-fifties, it competes well with the rental market." Ownership is the same as traditional residential condominiums. There is no underlying land lease.

A 2700-sq.-ft. clubhouse with a big screen TV, showers, LEED compatible interiors, and numerous RV specific amenities also complement the project.

"Our design from the start was to provide an upscale, safe, easily
accessible RV storage alternative. Push one button on your provided remote control, and the security gates opens and the burglar alarm in your unit is disabled. Push the second button and the door to your unit opens and the lights are turned on for you. Isle widths are a comfortable 71 feet wide for easy turning. What could be easier?" said Deits.

Source: Eucalyptus at Beaumont

RV storage controversy in Antioch, California

The Antioch Press in Antioch, California reports on the controversy over rules concerning the storage and parking of RVs and boats.

The City Council had proposed citations to RV and Boat owners who leave their vehicles in sight for over 30 days at a time. City codes prohibit such storage, but were rarely enforced.

When the city council planned a "clean sweep" of such violations, RV and Boat owners expressed their opposition because of the financial burden of off-site storage.

What is the solution? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.

Are RVs welcome in the big city?

While campgrounds and parks are popular spots to visit, some RVers prefer city destinations.

BlogTo.com reports on concerns in the city of Toronto, Canada and the lack of RV space for urban campers.

A City Councilor in Toronto says that Toronto is missing out on RVers as tourists because it is too difficult to park. While stores like WalMart let RVers park in their lots overnight, downtown areas are not so accommodating.

Have you used your RV as a place to stay while visiting a big city? How hard is it to find a place to park downtown with an RV? Leave a comment and share your story.