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Post by johnr on May 15, 2017 9:33:55 GMT -5
We were at Evergreen this past weekend and I'm not sure how I feel about something. We've been going there since they opened and our wagon-master normally makes reservations for the group a year or two out because the group always goes there the same weekends every year. When we got there Friday they told us that we had to put a deposit down for our sites for 2019. Not 2018... 2019. They'll be holding almost $200 for over 2 years, and that's just for my RV.
I want to post more thoughts and feelings, but I'd like to hear from others and see if my reaction is appropriate.
Thanks!
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Post by jetzen on May 15, 2017 10:13:11 GMT -5
They are actually holding money or going to charge you credit card?? Normally they will take your credit card info and just hold it, and 2 years out sound funny. I wonder if they have had some sort of a problem with groups in the past, maybe trying to discourage group camping, maybe the campground is cash strapped??? I would try to find out more info. Maybe someone from Hartville RV might know the answer. I talked to Jeff Pastore last week about the rally, he seems to have a handle on what's going on at local campgrounds.
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Post by johnr on May 16, 2017 6:42:09 GMT -5
They actually charged my credit card.
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Post by Chuck on May 20, 2017 11:10:59 GMT -5
johnr I know our Good Sam camping group is finding out more and more that many of the camp grounds do not want groups any more. Our group always ask for a club house, the club house must not have steps so this limits some camp grounds .... Our Wagon master in most case's has to put a deposit with most camp grounds the year before, minimum of 10 campers to get the club house. The our group pays the fee and then we pay the group back on each of the camp outs, every camp out you are charged an extra $10 to keep the kitty solvent for paying ahead for the group ... This year the group has had to move at least once from one camp group to another because they demanded we have 30 campers to get the club house, they had signed a contract the year before but the camp grounds were sold to someone else and they would not honor the contract ... I think it sort of fishy myself that they want 2 years ahead, sounds like they are short on cash flow an need the extra to keep their heads above water ... We had a local tour bus company that started asking for payment of trips six to eight months in advance, we taking thousands of dollars per trip, they had not done this in past, only asking for payment a month ahead of the trip ... Next thing everyone new they went under, no refunds on any trips, people lost every dime they had invested in trips, we are talking well over 100K ... So it make you wonder when people start asking for money way ahead of time is there something going on, are they reaping the cash flow before they either sell of go under Ugh  Just my thought  Safe Travels & Don't forget about the Kz Rally this Summer Chuck |
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Post by johnr on May 22, 2017 7:13:35 GMT -5
If they're cash strapped now, what's going to happen in 2018 when all these people show up having already paid for half of their stay? That doesn't sound like a good business model.
I'm also concerned that in 2018 they'll jack up their rates so high that we'll decide not to go there and "forfeit" our deposit. Free money. I made sure they gave me a printout of what their rates will be, but there's no guarantee on it.
Our big group is somewhere around 14 RVs and we all only get together twice a year anymore. Schedules just aren't as flexible as they used to be for everyone. Places are definitely not as accommodating as they were a few years ago. I guess all it takes is for a few families to cancel on any given outing and the campground loses that income. If you book 14 sites and only 7 show up for whatever reason, that's 7 empty sites. If the campground turned away other business because of the group, I can see where they'd be angry. On any other trip during the summer, we'll splinter off and get anywhere between 3 and 6 RVs.
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Post by vagov on May 22, 2017 11:12:51 GMT -5
I hold a rally every year with another camping forum, some in the group do also, some tend to go to the same campground , but I like to move around as I usually draw in New members form different areas willing to travel. Some rally. Draw 5 sites, where others get 45 sites. 2 years ago I held a rally in a private campground in north east PA, I had to reserve a large block of sites and a hefty deposit down, turned out weather wasn't the greatest that weekend and half the sites cancelled, after some back and forth. With campground they did give me my money back for unreserved sites, but hesitate to do so. Doing this for 4 years now, I find it easier to hold rallys in state parks now. Most in PA can be reserved 11 months out, and 6 in Ohio. We usually vote on a location, and date. Then people make there own reservation, if they cancel, pay the small fee and move on... Not telling you how to run yours. But this seems a lot less stressful. For me. Hope this helps. John
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Post by Chuck on May 22, 2017 13:02:24 GMT -5
Our Group camps 10 months out of the year, all of the camp-outs are during the week, anywhere from 3 to 4
days depending on location and time of the year.
We have a limit of 20 members in the club and you must attend 3 camp-outs before you are voted into the
club. If you do not go to 4 camp-outs during the year for no reason (vacations, sickness etc is not counted
against you)then you are voted out.
Most camp-outs we get at least 10 sometime more but the most I've seen is 15. But our members average age
is late 70es early eighties, my wife and I at 68 and I at 71 our youngsters compared to some of them.
Chuck
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