Go Dogs
South of Pittsburgh, PA
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KOA changes
I don't know how this will affect folks. KOA has announced that they will classify their CG by, Journey, Holiday, and Resort designations.
They will have different amenities, (and costs) to 'better serve' customers. The Journey CG are designed for people that will only stay one night, and on up the ladder. I think the biggest problem is the people that only want to stay for one night but the nearest KOA has been listed as a 'resort'. Will you have to pay $$$? I also wonder if the Journey, (overnight) CG will be a glorified WalMart parking lot?
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Tango, AE7UI
Taylorsville, UT
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Joined: 09/19/2011
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Go Dogs,
I also wonder about the new fee schedule.
We stay at the KOA in Ely, NV and it is certainly not near any freeway so we wonder what the new "rating" will be.
It will be interesting to see the final version.
Bill
2007 Tango 2660RKS Fifth Wheel, 2006 Chevy D/A 3500 with service body,
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Matt_Colie
Southeast Michigan
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We have been to a KOA that might (just barely) qualified as a "Journey" and it was still no kind of good value....
We'll just have to wait and see and keep our Walmart Camping Plan valid.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie
A sailor, his bride and their black dog going to see some dry places that have Geocaches in a coach made the year we married.
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NCWriter
North Carolina
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I think that would be a positive change. I don't like to pay for the pool, kids facilities, activities that we never use on an overnight stop - so tend to avoid KOAs due to their higher prices than comparable places nearby.
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Road Runners
Tampa Bay, Florida
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We always fount that KOA was big bucks. We don't use them in our travels unless it is absolutely the only Campground on the route we are taking.
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trailertraveler
On the Road
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Joined: 05/24/2008
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Most KOAs are privately owned. It does not really sound like KOA is planning on building a lot if any new campgrounds. However, they do have parks join and drop out of the system.
From the news release: "...About 15 to 20 percent of current KOA campgrounds will be designed (I think they meant designated) as Journey facilities...KOA Holiday campgrounds will comprise 75 to 80 percent of KOA's current franchises...It is estimated than 5 percent of current KOA campgrounds will fall into the stringent resort category..."
KOA franchises that set their own pricing based on the local market and their operating and overhead including the franchise fees which I think are a contributing factor to their generally higher price. These categories may help website users determine the general level of amenities available from the main search/reservation page without having to go to/read the individual park's pages. It may help avoid disappointed customers expecting all KOA's to provide the same services and amenities.
Safe travels!
Trailertraveler
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sowego
northwestern corner of the Nebraska panhandle
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Joined: 03/14/2006
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It will indeed be interesting to see what all this means. In our region there aren't enough KOAs close together to allow a traveler to decide what type they may want to stay at. Most of us try to plan ahead but there are the big "what ifs", like if you are on the road all day, need to stop and the only campground is one of the higher end ones, with no other campgrounds in sight...I dare say more folks may end up at Wal*Mart! I'd think it would be better if KOA based the rate on how long someone stayed whether all the fancy stuff was there or not.
I agree that most KOAs have more one or two nighters than they said therefore I can see lots of rate hikes coming.
We don't use KOA if we can help it. After chatting with a few of the franchaise owners...they are in a tough spot. KOA takes most of the fee leaving the owner/frachaisee with hardly enough to keep the place open. A hard job I'd not want to take on!
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downtheroad
Pacific Northwest
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Even if the "changes" made them free, we might use them because there would probably be "add on" fees to the "free" charges.
"If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane."
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Dutch_12078
Great Sacandaga Lake, NY
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sowego wrote:
We don't use KOA if we can help it. After chatting with a few of the franchaise owners...they are in a tough spot. KOA takes most of the fee leaving the owner/frachaisee with hardly enough to keep the place open. A hard job I'd not want to take on!
Bull... The CG owners know exactly what KOA will get when they sign on: 10% of the registration fees.
"Ongoing franchise fees include an 8 percent royalty, and a 2 percent advertising fee used for marketing programs which add to the recognition and success of KOA Kampgrounds. KOA franchise fees are based solely on site registration revenue. No fees are paid on store sales, propane, food service, etc."
Own a KOA
Dutch
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Go Dogs
South of Pittsburgh, PA
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That's how any franchise works. If the KOA franchise owners didn't know what they were getting, they never should have signed on,
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