Selecting Your RV Location

Selecting a place to call home while you are on the road with the RV is a very personal choice.  Everyone has their own criteria.  Some want the cheapest, some want all the bells and whistles with no regard to cost, and others a combination of the two depending on the length of stay and attractions.  We tend to fall into the last category (except we do not visit the top dollar locations at $100+/day, i.e, it is cheaper to visit Key West in a cruise ship than stay there in your RV). 

If  it is just overnight, we want the cheapest (but safe).  If it is two or three nights to visit a specific attraction, a place nearest the attraction is in order—the cost will depend on where we are.  For example, if we want to stay ‘in’ a national park (usually without full hook-ups), the price generally is low.  If we are staying in Daytona Beach during a NASCAR race or bike week, the price will be very high.   When we want to “sit a spell” for a month or more, we find most monthly rates are reduced; and we can get more amenities for our money.  (Plus, we are not driving as much which helps tremendously with fuel costs.)  Since we are staying for a while, we want our site to have plenty of room (large, clean concrete pad for table/BBQ/lounge chairs and space between RVs), quiet at night, and lots of activities both onsite and off.  Even with the monthly discount, this type of spot can be a little pricey.  We can put up with cramped for a night or two, but a long-term stay with full-hook-ups, plenty of elbow room, and consideration for the fun factor justifies a higher price (for us).

Right now, we have put down roots (albeit shallow ones) for a month and a half at the The Great Outdoors RV and Golf Resort in central Florida (Atlantic side).  They have swimming pools, hiking trails (next to a wildlife preserve), nice golf course, two onsite restaurants, lots of planned activities (entertainment brought in, exercise classes, and educational classes).  We are within 14 miles of the Kennedy Space Center, the beach, and Daytona Beach is less than an hour away.  And yes, we now have tickets to the Daytona 500 race scheduled for February 26.  I would say that is a real big fun factor.

Every one has a different criteria for their temporary RV home, but this is what works for us.