I NEED HELP!!!

[dpf]

Okay ladies…especially those of you who made the Alaska trip a couple years ago and stayed at a number of city RV parks…I need a little help. I remember you stayed at several small city parks on your trip. Our city is doing some renovating at the city park and DH works for the city. I made the suggestion that they should consider putting in a couple of pads for RVs and a dump station. The city council thought it was a great idea but my DH suggested they ask me for ideas…so guess who has turned into the “go to person” for suggestions for this project.

At this point they are planning to put in 3-4 concrete pads with a sewer hook-up. They aren’t sure about a water hook up at every pad but think probably two so people can fill their tanks, what should be the maximum distance from a pad for a faucet? There will be a comfort station. They want the sites to be big and small rig friendly so I have told DH to tell them they need both 30 and 50 amp electrical hook-ups. It’s evident that hook-ups should be on the driver side of the rig, but should they be to the back of the pad or more toward the center? (remember that we always dry camp) What am I asking for is any physical consideration for pad. You full-timer ladies are the experts on this! The park is within walking distance to a grocery store, meat locker, post office, hardware store, steak house/bar, gas station, two beauty shops and a library with wifi.

Also what were some of the rules of those city campground as far as how long you were allowed to stay, the cost per night, etc. Where did you find out about the campground…meaning what websites informed you about them? Open to any and all suggestions. PLEASE!!

This does not mean that Camp Cihak is closing! We will still be available with free water and a 30 amp hook-up and laundry facilties…but you’ll be able to dump at the park!

[MelissaD]

I've had hookups (water, power and sewer) at the driver's rear of the pad and at the midway point. Either work just fine. From a 5er perspective many have a rear power cord (mines in the middle of the back) and a connections panel (water hookups, sewer valves and cable TV) forward of the wheels and main slide on the driver's side. Most people probably carry 20' or so of water hose. The power cord is the most expensive, especially the 50 amp cord, so it is probably the most limiting. Because of the low temps (21 Wednesday morning) we've had the last couple of days, we have been using the fresh water tank and the pump but normally we prefer the "city connection".

A pad wider than the 96" OR 102" of the camper would allow for a patio area.

Our local city campground is Johnny Appleseed in Fort Wayne, IN http://www.fortwayneparks.org/index.php?option=com_content&id=28:johnny-appleseed-campground&Itemid=45) might give you some ideas. They have a "honey wagon" service and water pillars that can service several camp sites so you need some hose. I've used it but I prefer having full hookups and a water post at my site not 2 or 3 over. But $18 is a deal and it's 2 miles from my house if I need to have easy access to my camper. I normally store the camper 70 miles away were normally camp.

[VickieP]

A pad wider than the 96" OR 102" of the camper would allow for a patio area.

And would also make it handicap accessible! Just sayin'.

[snowball]

Haven't utilized the city park campgrounds but compared to the county one that we have stayed at all that sounds good
there water was at one end of the campground so you had to come full or fill up the dump station was the same way not at each site...think we had electricity. There the limit was 14 days although you could if not busy increase that or move to another site...
Sheila

[Deeann]

I never want to stay anywhere unless I have a full hookup. A dump station is a real pain in the neck. It requires securing everything in your rig, hooking your truck to you camper, then heading to the dump station, dumping and flushing, put the hose up, drive back to your site, then back the trailer into your space again (maybe without a spotter). If I can't have it all, forget it.

Nice wide, LEVEL concrete pads are very nice. And they should be handicap accessible; or at least have one or two sites that are.

I don't want to share a water hookup but it can be done. I just don't want to be in the shower if someone sharing my tap turns on their washing machine.

30 amp, 50 amp and a regular 15 amp outlet will be required.

SHADE, SHADE, AND MORE SHADE. Did I mention I like shade? But some people don't want to be under a tree. So that's a toss up. I really like shade.

Some space between sites. I don't like to be crammed in right next to someone. Too confining and too noisy. And you can't get a breeze when you're tightly packed. Plus, you have no view of any kind.

A place to walk dogs maybe.

A place to park your toad if you have one.

I'd limit the time to camp there to 5 days. No loud music, no boom boxes, etc. All dogs on a leash. Quiet time from 9pm to 9am. Pick up after your dog. No fireworks. And enforce the rules!

You'll need trash cans in the area. Wide sweeping turns for the bigger rigs, and no low hanging limbs over the roads or sites. No low slung electric cables either.

It can cost a lot to put in an rv park. But it's there forever.

[Deeann]

And the power pole should be along the side of the pad, between the center and the rear of the pad, but not behind the pad (too far away. Ask me how I know this). And if the pole is behind the pad and not to the side, someone will back into it for darn sure. Most people will park at the rear of the site so that they have room for their toad, so as long as the pole is to the back portion of the site they should be okay.

And everyone loves a pull through site!

I guess I'm kind of wanting the sun, the moon and the stars, huh? lol

[Bethers]

I stay at a lot of city cg's. Very few have had full hookups. You could even consider dry camping there with a dump station with fresh water. I look for low prices at these. I'll be staying at two on my way north, at least so far that's my intentions. if you put electric to the sites, that's just a bonus for a city park. Of course if you want too charge more, then you need to offer more. Concrete pads at a city cg is getting fancy and not something I expect. I'll be hitting the two I intend to stop at next week. I'll take pictures if you'd like. I've never been to either of these two. Both do have hookups. I usually look at city park cg's to be more rustic and green. Sisters, OR had one that's fairly large. You might want to look up their website. It's been a few years, but I believe they only have dry camping.

[rvgrammy1953]

Having the hookups centered on the driver's side works for most folks....those that have attended PA GTGs at Ferryboat CG will tell you that having all hookups on the same side makes it nice....(what a pain there with the electric on 1 side and the water on the other... )....sewer at side is nice, but can live with just a dump station....(honey wagon is a nice thought, if the park offers longer stay option of 2 weeks or more.) we travel with a sewage tote (blue boy) to avoid the un-hooking, driving to dump station, then hooking back up....length of stay....2 weeks to 30 days...if there are less than 10 sites....NO HOMESTEADERS..... Now, to avoid all these issues, just put in Full hookups with a small laundry station would do it.... and keep the tree population down so that the satellite users can get their signals....Pricing: no sewage - $12 - $15 Sewage - $18 - $20 per night...

Just my 2 cents....

[dayspring39]

When my aunt Anna had her 103rd birthday party I could not find a reasonable park to stay in... one of my cousins said maybe I could stay at the city park... long story short... they had I believe 4 sites with electric and two water hook ups so you could put a splitter on and both have water... there was a dump site not where you park... the electric was on the driver side back a ways... they know some cannot back up so good and don't want to continually have repairs... there is a yearly 10 day limit... the fee is $10 per night inclusive payable at the city office... I was there three nights there was only one other camper they were gone when I got home from the party...

I think it is such a great idea and a good will thing for the cities...

thats all from
me and my shadow

[Aggiemom]

How about a day trip? There are nice RV sites in Lennox (Westerman Park) and Brookings (Sexauer Park). I also found municipal parks in Armour, Marion, Freeman, Scotland, Yankton, and Corsica, which are all fairly close to you, I believe. Perhaps you could take a tour of some of them. Have fun on your project and kudos to you for doing it. Check out freecampgrounds.com.

[Liz]

Consider sites with just electric hookup and a dump station that also has potable fresh water fill. That would be more economical I think, and more in line with city cgs I have stayed in. Info about most of them came from Allstays RV ap, and Campwhere Ap. Price varied from free, donation, or a nominal fee less than $15. Hookups on the drives side about midway would work for most.

[dpf]

Thanks for the input...keep the ideas coming. You have to remember we're talking about a town with about 600 people but we're right on HWY 50 which is a alternate route to the Black Hills for those people who do not like to travel Interstates. One of my major worries is the length of a stay. Up to this point many people with bigger rigs who came to visit family in the summer had to boondock in the school parking lot and those people and tourists are who I would like to see this cg cater to. What I don't want is for it to become a permanent summer hangout for road construction crews or as Lori said "homesteaders" and I believe that would be a major concern for the residents who live around the park and for people whose children play in the park. I've been on the city council so I'm trying to look at this from all angles. So on the other hand I can see people saying if we're going to build this it should be utilized as much as possible and if they want to park there all summer that's okay. Personally I can see that becoming a problem. The park is right in the center of town and covers just about an entire block and has a very nice playground for the kids. It is often very busy in the late afternoon and early evening. There are also two picnic shelters but they aren't heavily used...an occasional church picnic, family or class reunion. So noise shouldn't be an extreme problem. There is a laundromat in town so I doubt that would even be a consideration. I haven't been in it for years so I can't comment on it. Just keep the suggestions coming! Thanks.

Thanks for the suggestion on checking out other city campgrounds. I know that Tyndall and Bonesteel also have city campgrounds. When the boys were little they had a two day baseball tournament in Tyndall and we knew we would have a lot of down time between games. So we pulled the TT to the campground for the two days so we had a cool place to hang out between games. Think it was like $3.00 a night at that time.

[avalen]

well lets see, you don't want to encourage homesteading so I'd say put in a dump station and a water fill in the park, but put in electric
at the sights. The cement pads I've seen are for the patio area with a real nice gravel roadbed stuff for the parking of the rig. (its what I
have here) My driveway (car parking area) is the same gravel stuff.
I've only ever seen one dump station that I ever paid attention to when I drove the casino bus and that one was a big square grate that
you drove over and when the dump valve was over the grate you stopped and pulled the valve. I don't know if this is how all of them
work, but I thought that was pretty nifty and then there was a water hose to rinse. I would recommend the hose for fill water would be
somewhat separate and away from the dump station so as not to get any contamination issues going on.
Thats all I got

[MelissaD]

Consider sites with just electric hookup and a dump station that also has potable fresh water fill.

Since many people are use to full hookups after a couple of days they'll need water or to dump and be willing to move on. Personally after 4 days I need to dump or be visited by the honey wagon. After 2 days I need to refill my fresh water tank (40 gal) if showering in camper. We are not dry campers.

This would have a natural tendency to limit stays.

[Gentleladybear]

One of the city parks I remember the driveway was wide and you parked at the curb, with electric and water. you parralelled parked and hooked up. In Marysville, Kansas, we had electric, could share water. But no specific pads, you just parked around the circle where you could. So, if there is electric, water and a dump station that is absolutely great. It was nice to have a place like this that was quite inexpensive.