Blowhole at the waterfront of Xcaret Park near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Toluca on December 24th!

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

What's important to you?

Just curious what it is that makes for a great campground?

As campground managers, we know what we like and we try to implement those things into the park that we're running. But our ideas are ours alone, and we know that we don't always think like your typical RVer!

Here are the three most important things that we like when staying at a campground....

Clean washrooms. 

And not only clean, but modern. We think there's no reason a washroom at a campground should be in any less condition than the one you have in your home. Tiled floors, tiled showers, and toilets that flush every time!

Tidy landscaping.

Everybody likes to see flowers and greenery and neatly trimmed lawns. Presentation is everything!

A smiling face and happy disposition.

There is nothing worse than dealing with someone who is grumpy all the time. Fortunately, when people arrive here at the park, they're usually in a good mood because they're camping! And a smile and laugh is usually infectious so it makes everyone happy. But if the person I'm dealing with is a grump, it doesn't leave a very good first impression.

And we can imagine that everybody likes those things. But maybe there are other things that are important to people.

So we just thought we would ask for your ideas!

While you're thinking about that, we'll show you our Amazon.com deal of the day!




We want one of these! Boy, we have a list now of Amazon shopping that we have to do next time we're in the states! Reading the reviews on this simple plunger type hand wash system sure gives you the impression that it works really well. And you get a bit of exercise at the same time!

20 comments:

  1. I want a good electrical connection if there are hook ups. And managers who enforce the rules when it comes to noise. We're not real fussy. Not into "resorts" or anything like that. Just want a pretty level spot that's safe.

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    1. Good point about the noise enforcement. I have no problem enforcing the noise rules, provided I know that someone is making noise. Sometimes, that means that if there's a problem, someone has to tell me about it and often I don't hear about it until the morning and by that time it's too late.

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  2. We have had that very same washing machine for a couple of years. It does an excellent job and we could not do without it. The easiest way to use it is in your RV shower with a large bucket (we bought the large blue one at Walmart) because you can get better leverage that way.

    It's funny that we already have so many of the items you display each day. I wonder if that means we have gotten close to buying Amazan out!?!

    P.S. Hope you received credit for the camera we bought and that will be delivered today.

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    1. Thanks for the tip about using it in your RV shower...great idea! And yes Evelyn, I did see a camera purchase go through within the last couple of days, so thanks for that!

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  3. The RV Washing Machine is a good example where it pays to look at the "More Buying Choices" box on the Amazon page. Click on the small "7 new" link in that box. Note that the "cheap" $18.90 choice actually requires a $35 purchase to get free shipping. But the $14.95 choice plus $6 shipping does not, plus it costs just $2 more, so essentially you're paying just $2 for shipping---and you don't have to buy something you might not really need.

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    1. Great tip, thanks again Dugg! I am learning more every day about Amazon. I wish we had the same variety and pricing up here in Canada.

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  4. Good to hear a recommendation on the little washing machine although we have never had to do anything outside of a laundramat in 4 years. As for campgrounds, what I wanted as a long time tenter is a bit different than what I want as an RVer. Both included level sites, nice spacing and vegetation between sites and rules that were enforced especially quiet hours. For the RV I want a good strong electrical hook up that doesn't give me either too low or too high voltage complaints from my Progressive Industries protection. Good water pressure is nice too.

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    1. Totally agree with you Sherry on all your points but it seems hard to find all these points in one park.

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  5. A smiling face and happy disposition really make a campground.
    Anything else we can live with

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    1. Yep, needed to have friendly staff, for sure!

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  6. We've been in some campgrounds that people own a lot of the lots and are very run down. That is definitely a downer.Easy access to the sites is nice. We enjoy it when there are group activities. We also like good TV reception or cable. Some shade is good, but we have been in some places where the trees needed trimming to even get your rig in the site.

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    1. We have been to a few of those too, although I don't think the campers owned the lots but we long term campers, definitely and eyesore.

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  7. Went camping last month at Golden Ears in BC and firewood was $9.00 a bundle! I would like to see affordable firewood.

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    1. We've camped at Golden Ears before, in a tent and only for one night. Looks like a nice campground, wished we had more time to have explored it though. $9 isn't bad providing it's lots of wood but too many places only give you a small bundle for that price. The wood here is $7 but you great a big garbage can full.

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  8. I'd like to see more RV parks have really good wifi. Having wifi that's only available in one spot; or having such a slow connection that it's not worth it to try are real downers. I travel alone and keep in touch by posting on my blog and sending emails. Wifi is not new any more and RV parks should make it available to their guests - FREE - or, if not, reasonably priced.

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    1. That is a pet peeve with Kevin, if they advertise "free" wifi or even just wifi it had better be good and you had better be able to get it from every campsite. In today's day and age there should be no reason not to have it that way.

      Having said that if you can't get wifi decently then don't advertise that you have it. At our campground we don't advertise it because we can't supply it. We are too far from civilization and the cell signal here is dicey. Some areas of the campground you can get it and some you can't, but we have no control over the cell signal reception.

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  9. My favourite thing in a campground is being able to wash your RV. Even if it is for a small fee. The bugs on the front of the RV just drive me crazy.

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    1. Kevin has learned how to wash ours with just a bucket of water. It will sometimes take him a few days to get the whole thing done but it is a way of getting around having to pay a fee or at places where there isn't an abundance of water at hand. Mind you, he can't do the roof that way.

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  10. Agree with your comments but as a motorhomer having a level site and one that is easy to drive on to is good, and one without branches and things to avoid like rocks helps !
    . Also we like a good distance between ours and the next site and a nice view (a water view is a bonus).

    The washing machine you mention is something people in England used years ago and called a posser, I suspect they would be much cheaper to buy if you searched that rather than a purpose made one and the originals are metal and less likely to break.

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    1. Yes those are good qualities but generally once you start getting into that you also start to pay too much money. Would be great to find places like that while boondocking but I think it is more difficult.

      We will definitely check out a posser before we end up buying something like this, thanks for the idea.

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