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Growing Trend in 2021: Own your Campsite!

| Updated Jun 20, 2023

Have you heard about the fast-growing trend to own your own campsite? It's another result of the huge boom in RV and camper sales.

People fed up with crowded campgrounds and the increasing difficulty of getting a campsite reservation are plunking down lots of cash and are buying property so they can be sure of having a place to camp.

RV developments are being built all across the country to tap into what is becoming a pretty lucrative market.

Here's a video we just did of just one such own your campsite development that we toured in rural Tennessee.

UPDATE: Because there has been so much interest in this story, we asked a representative of the company marketing this property to come on our weekly RV Podcast and to provide more details… here's a blog post with that interview. And while you're there and listening to the podcast, please consider adding us to your favorite podcast app. Our RV Podcast comes out every Wednesday! https://rvlifestyle.com/owning-your-rv-campsite/

Own your campsite RV developments are booming

With millions of new RVers now competing for prime campsites, even established RV parks and resorts that have long rented seasonal lots are reporting massive new interest, with many booked for the next two to three years.

High-end luxury parks in high-demand tourist areas that also offer ownership packages say they have never seen such interest from RVers interested in buying and owning their own lots.

The one we just toured, offered by a company called Tennessee Land and Lakes and called The Landings, isn't selling RV spots in typical lot-sized packages. They're selling prime lakefront property divided into 1/3 acre parcels – 60 ft. x 320 ft.

They start at $59,900. These are way bigger than the size of RV lots typically sold in the more traditional RV resorts and parks.

The river is right out your front door

Growing Trend in 2021: Own your Campsite! 1
The Landings own your campsite development is right on the shoreline of the Tennessee River, which is so big it's known as Kentucky Lake.

The choicest parcels are right on the shoreline the Tennessee River.

One bit of confusion.

Many of the locals call it Kentucky Lake. But it's really the Tennessee River.

It is a major waterway that starts in Kentucky – hence its Kentucky Lake name – and winds 245 square miles through Kentucky and most of Middle Tennessee. It’s so big and so wide that it resembles a lake in many parts because it forms a reservoir made by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1944 when they damned up the Tennessee River.

The development is in Perry County, near Linden, TN (population 900), a very rural area not far from the Natchez Trace. It's about midway between Nashville to the east and Memphis to the west via I-40, which is a 20 minute drive from the property.

What other costs are involved in an own your campsite property?

Once you buy your property, most owners still have more expenses.

A concrete pad, utilities (water, electricity, sewer), and the hookups start at about $8,000.

If you want a floating dock, and a 40-foot bridge up and over the riverbank to the water, you can add about $18,000.

And if you want a big covered roof over the pad to park your RV under, figure another $10,000 minimum.

There is some good financial news. Property taxes for your land are only about $300 a year. And if you make Tennessee your permanent domicile – which many full-time RVers do – there is no state income tax.

There is a maintenance fee for the roads and the gate at $500 a year. But there is no HOA. You can pretty much do whatever you want with your property.

Owners get fenced, secure parking for their boats, golf carts, trailers, or their RVs if they don't want to leave them unattended on the riverbank during the late winter months when the river sometimes floods.

Why own your campsite?

Growing Trend in 2021: Own your Campsite! 2
This is the big draw of this own your campsite development

On the warm morning in early May that I visited. I spotted recent retiree Henry DeKock and his wife, Pat, working on their property, getting ready to install a dock for his 22-foot pontoon boat.

The DeKocks are full-time RVers and plan to spend winters in Florida or other warm Gulf coast states and summers and falls on their new lakefront RV property. The skeleton of the roof he's erecting was taking shape over the new concrete pad where they'll park their Class A motorhome.

“We came down a year ago just to look,” DeKock told me. “I fell in love with it and bought it the same day. I'm a retired truck driver. I've got 50 years of trucking under my belt. I've seen this whole country. Now it's time to relax and enjoy life. We plan to spend a lot of time right here.”

Growing Trend in 2021: Own your Campsite! 3
The roof/pavilion that will shade the DeKock's motorhome is taking shape

The roof/pavilion he is building is 44 x 60 feet, way more than his motorhome needs,

“Thant's because I have three kids and they all have RVs and there's plenty of room for them to come visit and park their RVs right next to ours.”

Next door, I met another couple. John and Katherine Campbell from Owensboro, KY. They were relaxing in lawn chairs with their dog, Jasper, under the shade of their completed roof right next to the river and a half dozen steps away from their Forest River Sunseeker Class C motorhome.

Growing Trend in 2021: Own your Campsite! 4
John and Katherine Campbell's own your campsite spot has great views

“It's just beautiful here, simply beautiful,” said Katherine. “It's peaceful and so quiet. There's lots of wildlife.”

The Campbells plan to spend spring and fall at their site. They'll keep their sticks and bricks home in Kentucky. But because it's just a four-hour drive from their riverfront property, they expect to make lots of weekend visits, too.

“We never have to worry about getting a reservation,” said John.

“When we want to come, we come,” said Katherine. “It's just so nice.”

Most of the work on the site is done, though they do plan to put in a patio before summer.

Growing Trend in 2021: Own your Campsite! 5
John and Katherine Campbell, with Jasper.

Some own your campsite owners are renting them out

Just down the street was a double lot site that had two hookups, one labeled Camp A, the other Camp B.

Neighbors told me it was owned by a California couple who purchased it as an investment.

“I'm not sure they even own an RV,” said one man. “But they rent both sites out as sort of an RV version of Air BnB. And they seem to do pretty well.”

That's because it is getting increasingly hard to buy an RV, with some manufacturers taking as long as two years to build and deliver a new model. While there are a lot of RV rental companies out there, with campgrounds so full it becomes a major challenge trying to find a vacancy.

So a place that rents out full hookup spots in a beautiful location is finding a ready market.

The own your campsite trend keeps growing

Growing Trend in 2021: Own your Campsite! 6
This is is a drone image I took showing all the riverfront property awaiting buyers in The Landings

The company behind the Landings says they have had such success with the own your campsite Landings development in Tennessee that they are looking at other such projects in Alabama and Nevada.

But there are other flavors of own your campsite properties being offered.

If you want to see what they are like, CLICK TO READ THIS STORY on a super deluxe Class A resort that offers own your own campsites. The basic lot at the Naples Motorcoach Resort starts at $99,000, but the best locations cost $150,000! They may be even more since the time we visited.

Below is a photo we took. That's the Class B van we were in at the time on the right. They let us stay two nights, even though B vans were not allowed. We were media so they made an exception.

Growing Trend in 2021: Own your Campsite! 7
Our Class B parked at the Naples Motorcoach Resort, where you can own your own campsite starting at $99,000, going up to $150,000!

That was pretty pricey for our taste but we wanted to experience another flavor of the own your own campsite development that something a little more egalitarian and didn't discriminate against Class B and C motorhomes.

So we headed to the Silver Sands RV Resort in the center of Florida just 1/4 of a mile from the shores of Lake Okeechobee. This resort caters to short-term renters, seasonal renters, and own your own campsite buyers.

Lot ownership starts at $55,000 and runs to $80,000, depending on size and location. We thought they were pretty close together.

Here's a photo.

Growing Trend in 2021: Own your Campsite! 8
Residents can landscape their own lots at Silver Palms. Lots start at $55,000

Or, if you want to see the article we wrote about this park, CLICK HERE to learn what it's like at this sort of development.

Similar own your own RV resorts and developments are all across the country and, as we said, more are being opened every day because of the demand.

It's going to be a continuing trend as RV sales keep growing, campgrounds get more crowded and boondocking spots keep closing down because of overuse. (See my recent article “2021 Camping Crisis: They're Shutting Down Boondocking.”)

Bonus: Sick of Crowded Campgrounds? Try this!

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Mike Wendland

Published on 2021-05-29

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

20 Responses to “Growing Trend in 2021: Own your Campsite!”

September 28, 2023at7:03 am, Robert Riley said:

thank you. robert.

May 26, 2022at5:30 pm, What You Need To Know About Owning Your RV Campsite [2022] | RV Lifestyle said:

[…] had so much interest in our initial story and video on owning your RV campsite and many people have asked for more info. So, on the RV […]

April 26, 2022at11:23 am, James Grant said:

LOCATIONS AND COST ?

April 28, 2022at1:50 pm, Team RV Lifestyle said:

Prices and location vary per place – ballpark prices are in the story, as are links. Thanks, Team RV Lifestyle

March 29, 2022at1:51 pm, Art Reyes said:

My wife and I are interested in buying a own your own campsite sometime in the future but we plan on buying a pull behind camper.are there places for those in that area?

April 01, 2022at9:07 am, Team RV Lifestyle said:

Hi Art – Mike and Jen purchased land and then everything else they need to install. (Gravel road, septic, etc.) Best to talk to the developer about individual questions, but in general, they purchased land and had to start everything from scratch. Hope that helps. Team RV Lifestyle

January 15, 2022at10:58 am, Anita Cline said:

You mentioned flooding. Are all lots subject to that? I thought the water level was controlled. I’m very interested in purchasing but the flooding concerns me.

December 25, 2021at9:44 pm, Melanie Moultrie said:

Are all of the RV sites located in Tennessee? We are looking ing the state of Georgia.

October 27, 2021at2:22 pm, Crabby Bill said:

Why would anyone overpay in a development like this instead of just buying some cheap land and putting in their own hookups? This look more for people that want a cottage, not the traveling lifestyle of RVing!

June 09, 2021at10:10 am, Ryan said:

It’s very exciting to see these and other developments coming online as options for other RVers. We have put together a directory of RV properties available for sale or rent all across the country at landdocker.com. There are some in more traditional park settings as well as some on several acres of land that are suitable for RV camping.

June 02, 2021at1:46 pm, What You Need To Know About Owning Your RV Campsite [2021] - 2boomersandababy said:

[…] had so much interest in our initial story and video on owning your RV campsite last week. So many people have asked for more info so on […]

June 01, 2021at12:40 am, Paul said:

Flying in tomorrow and looking at The Landings on Tennesse Saturday

June 01, 2021at12:38 pm, Rory Sena said:

Hello Paul, Please report back your findings, please. We are owner-members of an RV resort/club in So. Cal and really like the fact that we can go anytime and get away and not worry about making a reservation, and it’s an hour and a half from home.

May 30, 2021at2:45 pm, Wayne Saller said:

A lot of money for a small space. Better to boon dock in the southwest. Little or no cost ant best of all, lots of space.

May 30, 2021at11:50 am, Julie Duthler said:

The flood plain pictures are rather disturbing. People building concrete pads and large carports on a sandbar with a line of rip rap piled on the current shoreline? I’m guessing this is allowed because RVs are supposed to be movable, and nothing really permanent is being built. Enjoy it while you have it!

May 29, 2021at5:44 pm, Jim Sadey said:

Packing List? Where is it, none has been sent to me? Please send one as I’m a newbe at this and sure would like to have the list as it would help me a lot! Thanks

May 29, 2021at11:00 am, Mike Wendland said:

Thanks. This is just one development amidst many others (with more being planned). It is unique because of the size of the lots. If you look at the other two places we mention that we have visited (at the end of the article), you’ll see that it indeed can get quite packed together. If you know of other such RV developments around the country that we should visit, let us know!

January 28, 2023at10:32 am, Frank Christensen said:

Landdocker.com is not in existence. server could not locate. Any other lists of rv lots for ownership in the country? thank you

January 28, 2023at10:59 am, Team RV Lifestyle said:

Frank – Not sure which site you are referring to – the three places Mike included here have links that are working (though since it has been almost 2 years some are sold out). Not seeing which link/development you are having difficulty accessing. Team RV Lifestyle

May 29, 2021at8:50 am, Art said:

The own your own campsite article was fascinating. But …it was a little unsettling that the “end result” of the places selling the property was to have an area where the “campsites” were right up close to each other so that when developement was complete, it would resemble more a “mobile home” subdivision. The idea of your own campsite has much appeal but part of the appeal is the ability to get away – at least a little distance – from the glut of homes and the noises of a huge community.
We love to travel in our Chevy van outfitted with a lot of the conveniences of a home away from home. But, because it’s NOT a motorized RV, we’ve found ourselves discriminated against because we don’t have EVERYTHING that others might consider to be essential, such as a built in sink, for example. And while my wife and I are very respectful of others, we can’t be a part of such things like boon-docking sites that won’t let us in because of what we lack. And I see the “own your own campsite” movement as another indicator of being discriminated against, even though it’s supposedly “your own” property. We already own our home in a subdivision in East TN but if we’re going to go to a “campsite property” that we own, we don’t want to duplicated the idea of lot after lot after lot of RVs.
Nevertheless, the post was interesting to read and we enjoyed your work in putting it together.

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