RV Park Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

RV Park Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your RV Park business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their RV Parks.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your RV Park business plan.

Executive Summary

 

Business Overview

Custer’s Best RV Park is a new RV park located in Custer, South Dakota. The company is founded by Charles Carter, an RV park and campground manager who has over ten years of experience working in the RV Park industry. Charles began his career working as a campground attendant and worked his way up to a management position in an RV park and campground near a busy national park. Now that Charles has garnered a positive reputation for exceptional customer service, management, and budgeting skills, he is ready to venture out and establish his own RV park business – Custer’s Best RV Park. Charles is confident that his ability to find and retain highly effective RV park staff, optimize the budget, and build positive customer relationships will quickly garner demand from RVers looking for the best RV park in South Dakota. Charles plans on recruiting a team of experienced and motivated professionals to help manage the day to day complexities of running an RV park – customer service, marketing, leasing and rent collection, budgeting and financial reporting, and cleaning and maintenance.

Custer’s Best RV Park will provide a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for RVers with an extensive list of amenities and services to go along with each rental. Custer’s Best will accommodate both short-term vacationers looking for a convenient spot near Custer’s Park and people seeking a full-time RV living space. Custer’s Best RV Park will be the ultimate choice in Custer for RVers while being the best-priced RV park in town.

 

Product Offering

The following are the amenities that Custer’s Best RV Park will provide:

  • Full-hookup service (electricity, water, sewer, WiFi)
  • Clubhouse with full kitchen, fitness room, showers, laundry, library, and game room
  • Camp store (food, beverages, toiletries, emergency kits, cleaning supplies, games, etc.)
  • Swimming pool
  • Children’s playground
  • Campground and picnic area
  • Guided tours of Custer Park and surrounding areas

 

Customer Focus

Custer’s Best RV Park will target all campers, tourists, vacationers, seasonal RVers, and full-time RVers looking for the most fun and convenient spot near Custer Park, South Dakota. No matter the customer, Custer’s Best RV Park will deliver the best amenities, services, and all-around welcoming environment.

 

Management Team

Custer’s Best RV Park will be owned and operated by Charles Carter. He has recruited an experienced marketer, Sally Smith, to be his marketing director and handle all aspects of advertising, marketing, and promotions for the RV park.

Charles Carter is a graduate of the University of South Dakota with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He has been working at a local RV park and campground for over a decade, beginning as a campground attendant and working his way up to campground manager. Charles’s organizational, problem solving, and communication skills have garnered him a reputation for being an effective manager.

Sally Smith has a Masters degree in Marketing from the University of South Dakota. Charles relies strongly on Sally’s sales and marketing expertise to promote the business and attract new customers. Sally has worked on multiple marketing campaigns for other recreation, campground, and RV Park businesses and will play an essential role in Custer’s Best RV Park management team.

 

Success Factors

Custer’s Best RV Park will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

  • Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly qualified team of campground attendants available 24/7 to lead activities and tours, answer questions and provide information on the area, and perform cleanup and maintenance services when needed.
  • Comprehensive list of amenities available to ensure campers feel welcome with all the conveniences of home.
  • Custer’s Best RV Park offers the best pricing around. Their pricing structure is the most cost effective compared to the competition.


Financial Highlights

Custer’s Best RV Park is seeking $220,000 in debt financing to launch its RV park business. The funding will be dedicated towards purchasing the land and building out the facilities. Funding will also be dedicated towards three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, utilities, and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

  • Purchase of the land: $90,000
  • Build-out of the RV Park, campground, store, and clubhouse:  $100,000
  • Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, utilities): $110,000
  • Marketing costs: $10,000
  • Working capital: $10,000

The following graph below outlines the pro forma financial projections for Custer’s Best RV Park.

 

 

Company Overview

 

Who is Custer’s Best RV Park?

Custer’s Best RV Park is a newly established full-hookup RV park and campground in Custer, South Dakota. Custer State Park, a 71,000 acre expanse of spectacular terrain packed with recreational activities such as hiking, mountain biking, and wildlife tours. Custer’s Best RV Park will provide the most amenities for the price, making it the first choice for campers in the area. Custer’s Best will provide a comprehensive list of amenities and services to suit both short-term vacationers and full-time RVers. Their full-service approach includes a comprehensive set of property oversight, maintenance, guided tours, as well as a clubhouse with laundry facilities, fitness center, showers, kitchen, and game room for campers to enjoy.

Custer’s Best RV Park will be able to manage camper onboarding, site maintenance, guided tours, leasing and rent collection for long-term campers, and campground activities. The team of professionals are highly qualified and experienced in RV park and campground management. Custer’s Best RV Park makes RV life convenient and enjoyable for its campers.


Custer’s Best RV Park History

Custer’s Best is owned and operated by Charles Carter, a former campground manager who has a Business Administration degree from the University of South Dakota. Charles has worked for an RV park and campground near a busy national park for over ten years. Charles’s tenure with the RV park and campground has given him the skills and knowledge required to start his own company. Charles has worked hard to grow a large network of industry professionals and RV enthusiasts ready to help promote the business to their friends and families.

Since incorporation, Custer’s Best RV Park has achieved the following milestones:

  • Registered Custer’s Best RV Park, LLC to transact business in the state of South Dakota.
  • Has a land contract in place to purchase the property from the current owner.
  • Reached out to numerous contacts to include RV park attendants, managers, and RV enthusiasts to spread the word about the upcoming RV park in Custer.
  • Began recruiting a staff of campground attendants, maintenance technicians, and security personnel to work at Custer’s Best RV Park.

 

Custer’s Best RV Park Services

The following are the amenities that Custer’s Best RV Park will provide:

  • Full hookups (electricity, water, sewer, WiFi)
  • Clubhouse with full kitchen, fitness room, showers, laundry, library, and game room
  • Camp store (food, beverages, toiletries, emergency kits, cleaning supplies, games, etc.)
  • Swimming pool
  • Children’s playground
  • Campground and picnic area
  • Guided tours of Custer Park and surrounding areas

 

Industry Analysis

The U.S. Campground and RV Parks industry is an estimated $6.2B market. Camping is a popular recreation activity in the United States, with approximately 41M Americans participating in this recreation activity each year. According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association there are approximately 30M RV enthusiasts, including RV renters, across the country, creating a niche market with an enthusiastic target audience. The RV industry continues to post increasing sales numbers year over year. According to Dun & Bradstreet, there are  over 4,000 RV parks across the nation, with combined annual revenue of $2.8B.

The U.S. RV Parks and Campground industry demand drivers include personal income and tourist travel. The industry is highly fragmented with 50 of the largest companies accounting for only around 30% of all industry revenue. Most RV park operators are privately held, single-location enterprises.

Profitability depends heavily on the occupancy rate and the effectiveness of the marketing campaign. RV park operators can gain a competitive advantage by offering diverse site offerings and amenities or by operating in desirable locations.


Customer Analysis

Demographic Profile of Target Market

Custer’s Best RV Park will target all campers, tourists, vacationers, and full-time RVers looking for the most fun and convenient spot near Custer Park, South Dakota. No matter the customer, Custer’s Best RV Park will deliver the best amenities, services, and all-around welcoming environment.

The precise demographics for Custer, South Dakota are:

TotalPercent
    Total population590,157100%
        Male284,87348.30%
        Female305,28451.70%
        Under 5 years41,7497.10%
        5 to 9 years43,5097.40%
        10 to 14 years41,3247.00%
        15 to 19 years43,3017.30%
        20 to 24 years48,1198.20%
        25 to 34 years106,40718.00%
        35 to 44 years73,78812.50%
        45 to 54 years64,66911.00%
        55 to 59 years35,1095.90%
        60 to 64 years27,9954.70%
        65 to 74 years39,5396.70%
        75 to 84 years17,3942.90%
        85 years and over7,2541.20%
Total housing units260,024100%

 

Customer Segmentation

Custer’s Best will primarily target the following customer profiles:

  • In-state campers/vacationers looking for a place to stay near Custer State Park.
  • Out-of-state tourists/vacationers looking for a place to stay near Custer State Park.
  • RV enthusiasts/people looking for a semi-permanent/permanent residence for their RV.
  • Seasonal RVers/people looking for a place to stay in Custer, South Dakota on a seasonal basis.


Competitive Analysis

Direct and Indirect Competitors

Custer’s Best RV Park will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Kuster Kamps RV Park

Kuster Kamps RV Park provides full-hookup RV rentals. Located in Custer, the Kuster Kamps RV Park is able to provide a convenient location for campers headed to Custer State Park. Their list of services include full-hookup accommodations including utilities, water, sewer, and internet, a picnic area and campground, and a swimming pool.

Kuster Kamps’ promise is to deliver excellent customer service, amenities, and maintenance of the RV park and campground. The team of experienced RV park management professionals assures the park is run smoothly, freeing the campers to enjoy their stay.

SD RV Park

SD RV Park is an Custer-based RV park that provides outstanding RV rental accommodations for campers. SD RV Park provides comprehensive services and amenities including full-hookup rental space, a communal kitchen and laundry, and campground activities scheduled throughout the week in peak seasons. The owners of SD RV Park are RV park and campground management professionals so they understand how an RV park should be operated, maintained, and marketed. Campers can depend on their 24/7 staff availability for any maintenance issues that come up. By choosing SD RV Park, RVers can rest assured they will have a relaxing vacation.

RecVe’s Park & Campground

RecVe’s Park & Campground is a trusted Custer RV park and campground that provides superior service to RV enthusiasts looking for both short-and-long-term rental space. They are able to provide a one-stop shop for campers in the Custer State Park recreation area. RecVe’s Park & Campground offers full-hookup rental spaces, a camp market, and guided tours. RecVe’s is the premium choice for full-time RVers with exceptional customer service and round the clock maintenance available.


Competitive Advantage

Custer’s Best RV Park will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

  • Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly qualified team of camp attendants onsite 24/7 to provide visitor information, emergency maintenance, and security.
  • Comprehensive menu of services and amenities that provides campers with the greatest flexibility and most options as compared to the competition.
  • Custer’s Best RV Park offers the best pricing around. Their pricing structure is the most cost effective compared to the competition.

 

Marketing Plan

Brand & Value Proposition

Custer’s Best RV Park will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

  • Highly-qualified team of skilled campground attendants that provide a comprehensive set of services (guided tours, campground activities, maintenance, cleanup, and round the clock security).
  • Unbeatable pricing to its customers – Custer’s Best RV Park offers tiered pricing packages as well as a la carte options to give campers the flexibility to pay for what they need, and skip what they don’t.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Custer’s Best RV Park is as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Charles Carter has built up an extensive list of contacts over the years by providing exceptional RV park management and customer service. Many of these contacts have communicated to Charles that they kept renewing their contracts because they were happy with the service he was providing. Once Charles advised them he was leaving to open his own RV park, they signed commitments to follow him to the new park and help spread the word of Custer’s Best RV Park.

Professional Associations and Networking

Custer’s Best RV Park will become a member of professional associations such as the South Dakota Campground Owners Association and the National Association of RV Parks & Campground (ARVC). They will focus their networking efforts on expanding their customer network.

Print Advertising

Custer’s Best RV Park will invest in professionally designed print ads to display in programs or flyers at industry networking events and in local newspapers and magazines.

Website/SEO Marketing

Custer’s Best RV Park will utilize their in-house marketing director that designed their print ads to also design their website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all their services and amenities that Custer’s Best is able to provide. The marketing director will also manage Custer’s Best’s website presence with SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “Custer RV park” or “RV park near me”, Custer’s Best RV Park will be listed at the top of the search results.

Social Media Marketing

The marketing director will manage all of Custer’s Best RV Park’s social media marketing efforts including maintaining an active presence on various social media platforms and working with brand ambassadors and influencers to promote the RV park on their social media channels.

Pricing

The pricing of Custer’s Best RV Park will be moderate with more flexibility in pricing packages than their competitors so customers feel they receive value when purchasing their services.


Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Custer’s Best RV Park.

Operation Functions:

  • Charles Carter will be the Owner and Campground Manager. He will oversee all staff and manage customer relations. Charles has spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
  • Sally Smith – Marketing Director who will execute on all marketing efforts for Custer’s Best.
  • Jill Miller – Staff Accountant will provide all client accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.
  • Marty Johnson – Maintenance Director who will provide all maintenance for the RV park.
  • Joe Williams – Head Camp Attendant who will supervise all seasonal and hourly camp attendants for the RV park.


Milestones:

Custer’s Best RV Park will have the following milestones complete in the next six months.

7/1/2022 – Finalize contract to purchase the land.

7/15/2022 – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts.

8/1/2022 – Begin build-out of Custer’s Best RV Park.

8/15/2022 – Begin marketing campaign and networking at industry events.

8/22/2022 – Finalize rental contracts with first customers.

9/1/2022 – Custer’s Best RV Park opens for business.

 

Management Team

Custer’s Best RV Park will be owned and operated by Charles Carter. He has recruited an experienced marketer, Sally Smith, to be his marketing director and handle all aspects of advertising, marketing, and promotions for the RV park.

Charles Carter is a graduate of the University of South Dakota with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He has been working at a local RV park and campground for over a decade, beginning as a campground attendant and working his way up to campground manager. Charles’s organizational, problem solving, and communication skills have garnered him a reputation for being an effective manager.

Sally Smith has a Masters degree in Marketing from the University of South Dakota. Charles relies strongly on Sally’s sales and marketing expertise to promote the business and attract new customers. Sally has worked on multiple marketing campaigns for other recreation, campground, and RV Park businesses and will play an essential role in Custer’s Best RV Park management team.


Financial Plan

Key Revenue & Costs

The revenue drivers for Custer’s Best RV Park are the RV park rental fees they will charge to the campers for renting a space. Custer’s Best will offer multiple pricing options to accommodate short-term and long-term rentals. Additional fees for RV park services and amenities will be charged on a per-use basis. Alternatively, customers may pay for a per-stay or a per-season pass to secure access to all amenities.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff the RV park. The expenses will be the payroll cost, utilities, supplies, and marketing materials.

 

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Custer’s Best RV Park is seeking $220,000 in debt financing to launch its RV park business. The funding will be dedicated towards purchasing the land and building out the facilities. Funding will also be dedicated towards three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, utilities, and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

  • Purchase of the land: $90,000
  • Build-out of the RV Park, campground, store, and clubhouse: $100,000
  • Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, utilities): $110,000
  • Marketing costs: $10,000
  • Working capital: $10,000


Key Assumptions

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

  • Number of occupied rentals per day: 10
  • Average fees per month: $40,000
  • Average expenses per year: $330,000

 

Financial Projections

Income Statement
FY 1FY 2FY 3FY 4FY 5
Revenues
Total Revenues$360,000$793,728$875,006$964,606$1,063,382
Expenses & Costs
Cost of goods sold$64,800$142,871$157,501$173,629$191,409
Lease$50,000$51,250$52,531$53,845$55,191
Marketing$10,000$8,000$8,000$8,000$8,000
Salaries$157,015$214,030$235,968$247,766$260,155
Initial expenditure$10,000$0$0$0$0
Total Expenses & Costs$291,815$416,151$454,000$483,240$514,754
EBITDA$68,185 $377,577 $421,005 $481,366 $548,628
Depreciation$27,160$27,160 $27,160 $27,160 $27,160
EBIT$41,025 $350,417 $393,845$454,206$521,468
Interest$23,462$20,529 $17,596 $14,664 $11,731
PRETAX INCOME$17,563 $329,888 $376,249 $439,543 $509,737
Net Operating Loss$0$0$0$0$0
Use of Net Operating Loss$0$0$0$0$0
Taxable Income$17,563$329,888$376,249$439,543$509,737
Income Tax Expense$6,147$115,461$131,687$153,840$178,408
NET INCOME$11,416 $214,427 $244,562 $285,703 $331,329
Balance Sheet
FY 1FY 2FY 3FY 4FY 5
ASSETS
Cash$154,257$348,760$573,195$838,550$1,149,286
Accounts receivable$0$0$0$0$0
Inventory$30,000$33,072$36,459$40,192$44,308
Total Current Assets$184,257$381,832$609,654$878,742$1,193,594
Fixed assets$180,950$180,950$180,950$180,950$180,950
Depreciation$27,160$54,320$81,480$108,640 $135,800
Net fixed assets$153,790 $126,630 $99,470 $72,310 $45,150
TOTAL ASSETS$338,047$508,462$709,124$951,052$1,238,744
LIABILITIES & EQUITY
Debt$315,831$270,713$225,594$180,475 $135,356
Accounts payable$10,800$11,906$13,125$14,469 $15,951
Total Liability$326,631 $282,618 $238,719 $194,944 $151,307
Share Capital$0$0$0$0$0
Retained earnings$11,416 $225,843 $470,405 $756,108$1,087,437
Total Equity$11,416$225,843$470,405$756,108$1,087,437
TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY$338,047$508,462$709,124$951,052$1,238,744
Cash Flow Statement
FY 1FY 2FY 3FY 4FY 5
CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS
Net Income (Loss)$11,416 $214,427 $244,562 $285,703$331,329
Change in working capital($19,200)($1,966)($2,167)($2,389)($2,634)
Depreciation$27,160 $27,160 $27,160 $27,160 $27,160
Net Cash Flow from Operations$19,376 $239,621 $269,554 $310,473 $355,855
CASH FLOW FROM INVESTMENTS
Investment($180,950)$0$0$0$0
Net Cash Flow from Investments($180,950)$0$0$0$0
CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING
Cash from equity$0$0$0$0$0
Cash from debt$315,831 ($45,119)($45,119)($45,119)($45,119)
Net Cash Flow from Financing$315,831 ($45,119)($45,119)($45,119)($45,119)
Net Cash Flow$154,257$194,502 $224,436 $265,355$310,736
Cash at Beginning of Period$0$154,257$348,760$573,195$838,550
Cash at End of Period$154,257$348,760$573,195$838,550$1,149,286

RV Park Business Plan FAQs

An RV Park business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your RV park. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your RV park business plan using our RV Park Business Plan Template here.

There are a number of different kinds of trucking companies, some examples include: Traditional RV Parks and Glamping Resorts.

RV parks are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding. This is true for an RV Park business plan or business plan for campground.

Starting a RV park business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A RV Park Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed RV park business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your RV park business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your RV park business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your RV Park Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your RV park business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your RV park business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary RV Park Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your RV park business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your RV park business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising.

Learn more about how to start a successful RV park business:

You can download our free RV Park business plan template PDF here. This is an RV Park business plan template you can use in PDF format.