77 Must-Have RV Resort Amenities & RV Park Deal Breakers

Renovating or building an RV park? Here’s what real RVers say are must-have RV resort amenities for them to book and deal-breakers that turn them away…

A husband and wife team in our RV Lifestyle Facebook group is developing RV parks and asked our community of RVers what they look for (and avoid) in an RV resort.

They posted: 

“Question: my husband and I are developing RV parks and want to know what you like and don't like about RV parks. Also what is the one thing that is a deal breaker for you? Thanks in advance for your input.”

They certainly came to the right place with their question because the post got more than 1,000 comments! Our RV Lifestyle Facebook group is filled with new to veteran RVers, and weekenders to full-timers, so they got an excellent range of responses.

There’s so much to cover that I’m going to list out as many must-haves and deal-breakers as possible. Hopefully, this will become a good resource for RV park builders and renovators. Then we can all benefit from the most valuable improvements!

UPDATE: We've had another Facebook post fill with comments on this same topic. Skim through it's 500 comments.

So, if you know anyone planning to build or renovate an RV park, share this link with them.

Recommended & Must-Have RV Park Amenities

Over 1,000 comments is a lot to sort through, but there was a lot of overlap with recommendations. I’ve compiled as many as I can as the most popular recommendations and must-have RV park amenities.

I start off with the TOP 5 recommendations that were mentioned far more than any other. Then, I proceed in no particular order…

1. #1 More space between campsites (was recommended most!)
2. #2 Level campsites 
3. #3 Some privacy between sites (i.e., shrubs)
4. #4 Shade trees (or at least shade)
5. #5 Pet-friendly
6. Pool and adult-only hot tub
7. Campsites that can accommodate bigger RVs
8. Clean bathrooms and laundry room
9. Card-operated laundry machines (Bonus if connected to app notifications)
10. Campground activities for all ages (i.e., bingo, ice cream socials, etc.)
11. Local recommendations for things to do, restaurants, etc.
12. Pet “check on” service when they have to be left behind (“would pay extra for”)
13. Extended concrete pad for under awning
14. More space between campsites (yes, I’m including this again)
15. Dog park
16. Stable Wifi
17. Full hookups
18. Dog campsites separate from no-dog campsites
19. Adult-only campsites separate from family campsites (“would pay extra”)
20. Garbage pick-up
21. More pull-through spots
22. Fire pit
23. Picnic table
24. Trash can
25. Pond, lake, lazy river, or splash park (some kind of water amenity)
26. Vegetation between campsites
27. Sewer at campsites
28. Space, space, space between campsites (really, this was mentioned A LOT!)
29. Clear signage
30. Trimmed trees (mentioned often)
31. On-site snack and treat options
32. Small camp store for necessities (& ice cream!)
33. Paved campsites
34. Enforced adult hours at pool and hot tub
35. Neighbor’s sewer not near outdoor living areas of campsite (mentioned often)
36. Wide roads
37. Cheaper, no hook-up, one-night parking for people passing through (popular recommendation)
38. Disability/accessible areas & campsites
39. Dog washing station
40. Fishing pond or lake
41. Pleasant employees
42. Fenced-in playground or play area for kids
43. Doggie daycare
44. Good water pressure
45. Cable TV
46. 30 & 50 amp power connections
47. On-site dumping
48. Nice lounge chairs at pool
49. Kid-free and pet-free zones
50. More space between campsites! (Yes, it’s THAT important to RVers!)

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Mike and Jennifer's Summer T-Shirts for your next adventure

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Deal Breakers / Nuisances

You’ll see a little overlap between the must-haves RV resort amenities and deal breakers, but RVers were adamant about these issues on both sides. So, I think it’s only fair to them to mention them again to emphasize how important it is to have or not have.

1. Campsites too close together (yes, I’m starting this list the same way)
2. Uneven campsites
3. Uninforced campground rules
4. Uninforced quiet hours
5. Unmaintained campsites
6. Dirty bathroom
7. Dirty laundry facilities
8. Overpriced (i.e., Campsites that cost more than hotels)
9. No privacy between sites
10. Parking lots disguised as RV parks
11. No shade
12. Full-time residents
13. Deep puddles and low branches
14. No pest control (i.e., huge hornets nests and fire ant infestations)
15. Unmaintained gravel or roads
16. Sewer connection sits more than a few inches above the ground
17. 10-year rule
18. Rude, uncaring, untrained employees
19. Sewer next to neighbor’s picnic area (yes, worth mentioning on this list, too)
20. Young teens and kids driving golf carts
21. Political flags
22. Too close to freeway or highway

RV Parks to Replicate

A few RV Lifestyle members kindly mentioned amazing parks they have visited that they recommend replicating. They either excel at offering the best RV resort amenities or have perfect layouts.

Having a template to work from is certainly helpful. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel when you can replicate it.

1. Fort Wilderness in Orlando, FL
2. Camp Fimfo in Waco, TX
3. West Glacier KOA in West Glacier, MT
4. Carolina Pines in Conway, SC
5. Centennial RV Park in Montrose, CO (recommended for park layout)
6. Crescent Bar Recreation Area in WA (recommended for access & layout)
7. Manistique Lakeshore Campground in Manistique, MI (“perfect space between sites,” recommended twice)
8. Apple Valley Farm Motorcoach Resort (“gorgeous paving and landscaping with trees between!”)

Your Must-Have RV Resort Amenities

If this list doesn’t include your must-have RV resort amenities (or your deal breakers), please comment below. We’d appreciate your input, as I’m sure any RV developer or renovator reading this would, too.

Discussing RV resort amenities is just one example of informative, insightful, and even entertaining posts we see in our Facebook group. If you’d like to join the conversations, please join our RV Lifestyle Facebook group.

Want Campground Recommendations?

The surest way to discover a great campground is to ask a fellow RVer. That’s why we include campground recommendations in all of our RV travel guides. These are places that Jennifer and I have stayed in along our favorite road trips.

So, be sure to check out our collection of RV Adventure guides with complete itineraries. We cover everything from places to stay to things to do, and lots in between!

Prefer Boondocking?

If you care less about RV resort amenities and more about privacy, then boondocking is probably for you. It’s actually Jennifer and my preferred way to travel. 

We love boondocking so much that we’ve written a complete guide for people considering boondocking or just starting out. With over 10 years of boondocking experience, we have plenty of helpful insights to share!

Want to learn how to boondock?

We created a PRINT version of our most popular guide to help you with the most common boondocking problems. We get a ton of questions from our subscribers about how to get started boondocking that range from where to go and wild animals to water conservation to what equipment to use and more. 

Throw off the shackles of traditional RV Parks and campgrounds, stop paying high fees every night that you spend in your RV, and experience the boundless amounts of nature while boondocking!

You’re done with the noisy RV parks, the 3.5 feet of room you have squished in between two other RVs, and other people’s kids running through your campsite?

You’ve ditched the hookups, the concrete blocks and have replaced them with self-leveling and Navy showers?

This is the book for you.

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