By Mechiel Kopaska
The podcast currently has 61 episodes available.
Well folks it’s come down to this, go after my dream and find that RV Park or continue with the Fearless Innovator Podcast. Unfortunately, I am choosing to go after my dream. That doesn’t mean it’s the end of me or the Fearless Innovator podcast, it just means that I will be focusing most of my time towards that RV Park.
For the past 2.5 years, I have been educating myself on RV parks and I’ve met the most amazing people on this journey. The best part is I have assembled all my team members that I need to now go and implement everything I’ve learned.
The team members I have assembled have been taken back by the knowledge that I have about this industry. I have visited and connected with at least 20 RV park owners and each time, I would write a discovery document. That discovery document would then lead to a decision of Go or No Go. Most of them were No Go’s and there were some maybes. I would thoroughly do my homework on each of them to ensure I was making the best decision. I’ve searched in multiple states including, AL, TX, GA, and TN and of course Florida.
The outdoor hospitality expo in Daytona Beach was extremely helpful and the networking with like minds was an ego boost.
I want to thank all of my listeners for your continued support. Hopefully, the next time you hear from me, it will be that I’ve reached my dreams.
Take care,
I’m Mechiel Kopaska from the Fearless Innovator Podcast, catch me later.
I like to visit with my short-term rental guests, but only those that want to chat. When they learn that we live in our RV in the barn that’s on premise, they start asking a lot of questions, like so you moved out of your 4-bedroom house with a pool and traded it in for an RV? You should see their faces when I say yes, I’ve house hacked my own house and I get to meet great people like you.
Their immediate response has been, oh, I can’t do that. I’m not sure exactly what they are afraid of, but what I’ve learned is that ALOT of people are hesitant to give RV’ing a try. I think they just need a little inspiration to go out on a limb and give it a shot! I’m going to share with you the 10 best reasons I think you should choose RV’ing over flying in a plane.
1). RVing is a journey, not a destination!
I believe traveling in an RV is more about the journey. Sure, you’ll have to plan more days for your journey, but isn’t that more fun than the hassle of driving to the airport, parking, getting to your plane, waiting, getting on the plane, landing at a layover city, waiting for 2 hours, or running to meet your next plane, getting on another plane, and then arriving at your destination?
It's so impersonal. If you’re like me, when I traveled by plane, I was so focused on why I was flying that I just didn’t want to talk to anyone. I had more the attitude of, just leave me alone so I can read my book to come down off of a nasty work week I just had. In an RV you can experience everything the road has to offer. Stop when you see something like Mammoth Caverns in KY. It gives you the freedom to take adventures. When the pilot of the plane announces, “and to the right side of the plane you’ll see the Grand Canyon”. It’s not like you can say, “Hey, pilot, can we make a pit stop here?” No, he takes you to your destination and drops you off.
2). No standing in lines at TSA. TSA can be intimidating to a lot of people, after all you don’t want to be caught bringing a drink in or forgetting to take your pocket knife out of your pocket. RVing, you can carry whatever drinks you want and bring an arsenal as long as you’re in compliance with the states you’re travelling through. All you need is a driver’s license to drive whatever vehicle you’re licensed to drive while on your trip. You don’t have to have to wait on someone else’s opinion of your flight status.
3). No bags to lose!
That’s right you won’t lose your bags because you’ve brought everything including the kitchen sink with you and it’s either packed in a storage bin or you’ve hung your clothes up in the closet. Now, if you forgot something, that’s on you!
4). No masks, no more unfamiliar people!
You’ve got the best seat in the house, the driver seat! No more overcrowded uncomfortable seating! No more sitting next to someone you don’t know, and you don’t have to wear a mask! They say you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family. So, I wouldn’t choose to take your uncle if you don’t like him, but certainly take everyone you do like on your journey. In an RV, you don’t have to pay for any extra seating, just pick a seat in the truck or ride in style in a Class A and let the kids play board games while you’re driving down the road!
5). Prepare your own meals and eat healthier
I don’t know if you’ve noticed lately but the airlines are no longer preparing meals for us anymore. Now, we get pretzels or a cookie – of which neither are healthy and then you can select your favorite unhealthy soda. Instead, in your RV, you come prepared and gathered one week’s groceries and you’ve made meals ahead of time so you can spend more time enjoying your journey rather than cooking the whole time, except for when it’s time to make the smores over an open fire!
6). Who needs a rental car?
You finally get off the plane and now your intent on locating the rental car area. Once you weave through the airport terminal, you now have to wait for the rental car shuttle to escort you a couple of miles outside the airport to rent your car. Stand in yet another line and wait to fill out your paperwork and opt to use your personal insurance before getting assigned to a car. Once that’s done, you now head out to the parking lot to find your car, mind you, you are carrying and dragging all your bags with you. Guess what? If you’re in an RV, you don’t need a rental car! You either have a tow vehicle with you pulling your RV or you’re in your Class A and possibly towing your own personal vehicle and your laptop and other personal items are all on board with you. They never leave your sight! No baggage fees, no rental car fees!
7). Your RV is your bed!
Scrap the hotel, you have a hotel on wheels, and you get to sleep in your own bed, eat your own meals. Nobody is waking you up from next door with all kinds of wicked sounds, unless of course you brought your kids with you on your journey! But that’s a welcome sound because you know their excited because they are camping and its summertime!
8). You can’t get cancelled!
I don’t know if you’ve been watching the news lately, but flights are either getting cancelled or there are major delays lately due to numerous reasons. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been stuck in cities overnight because of flight cancellations due to weather or mechanical issues. The worst part is if it’s not a mechanical issue you’ll get stuck paying for overnight hotel costs! In an RV, if you encounter bad weather – PULL over and ride the storm out. You can’t get cancelled because you’re in the driver’s seat and get to make your own choices of how long you drive, where you drive and when you drive. I’ve even got the heck out of Florida escaping in my RV dodging an the impending hurricane Erma.
9). Fear of flying
Even John Madden one the nation’s best-known football broadcasters and coach of the Oakland Raiders had a fear of flying. He suffered from claustrophobia while in flight but needed the ability to get from city to city quickly with his rigid football broadcasting schedule. What did he do? He customized his own “Maddencruiser” or a Greyhound bus with high ceilings because he was tall, larger shower and a huge bed. How do I know this?
I know this because I used to work for Greyhound in Des Moines back in the 80’s and they brought his bus to our office so everyone could tour it. I even have a picture of me and one of his drivers in front of the bus, but we were disappointed, John wasn’t there that day. He would have multiple Greyhound drivers on board, so they could continue traveling when one driver’s time was up. Everything is possible with an RV. There are even people converting school buses into RV’s!
10) Costs
Today, with inflation on the rise airline flight prices are going up but so are fuel costs. The largest cost you’ll encounter with an RV will be the fuel costs, but I’d like to think that since you’re bringing your own food that perhaps you bought in bulk at Costco or Sam’s Club that your overall costs are lower. The best advice I’d give you is plan your trip right down to the number of miles you’ll be travelling, plan your stops and determine what your costs may be ahead of time, so there are no surprises.
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast, thank you for listening and I hope you found this information helpful.
It’s national go RVing or camping month and in this episode, we’re going to play a little game of did you know? While I was attending the RV Park Conference two weeks ago, I learned some very interesting facts about camping. Some of these facts for those of you on the fence about camping, you may just find that you’re going to suffer from FOMO – you know Fear of missing out syndrome? But for the rest of you, you’re planning your next camping trip!
Did you know that in 2021 there were 93.8 million active campers in the US? The population of the United States is 332 million. It’s time to entice the remaining 238 million that camping is the new way to travel this summer, for work or extended stays!
56.9 million of those campers camped at least 1-time last year.
9.1 million were first time campers.
Covid most definitely had an impact on those numbers as we tried to distance ourselves and escape back to nature.
Who’s camping?
Back when my mom and dad would come to Florida for the winter, the demographic was easy to identify as you drove through any park. They were all retirees or baby boomers! Today, it’s a combination of Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z. They are all finding their own way to afford this new lifestyle.
The new camper is likely to include a majority of non-white’s including 22% of black campers.
It may be hard to believe but millennials are digging this too, and yet they maintain their style by going glamping. For those not familiar with the word glamping it’s a combination of Glamourous meets camping – glamping.
What does that look like? Think of an insulated teepee with fluffy bedding and an AC unit also known as Yurts. Treehouses are quite popular too! You have to say they are quite creative!
Did you know?
That 56% of campers prefer tent camping? This one blew my mind! I thought for sure it would have been RV’ing but let’s face it, we all started out tent camping and graduated our way up to an RV as our desire for finer things were enhanced by our age and level of income. Tent camping is running in first place over the last 3 years!
54% are millennials?
54% are non-white campers?
And to say nothing good came out of Covid would be an understatement.
Did you know that 21.5 million people will be camping over the 4th of July holiday, and if you haven’t made your reservations yet, you may be too late!
Why are people camping?
Like I mentioned above, it may have been caused out of a need for security and safety after the Covid pandemic. Campers also agree that it helps with emotional well-being, helps to escape the day-to-day grind and relieves stress and it improves relationships with your family or friends, or they just want to sit around a campfire. Sign me up for that one any day! I get lost just looking at the dancing flames.
In 2022 they are predicting 61.3 million camping households in the US.
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast, thank you for listening and I hope you found this information helpful.
WOW! For those of you who own an RV Park, or want to own and RV Park, like me, attending an RV Park Conference will put your whole body into a tailspin!
The shear amount of knowledge in every session was well worth the money we spent to attend. In this episode I’m going to share with you several guest experience takeaways I learned from the Florida and Alabama 2022 Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo that was held in Daytona Beach.
This conference wasn’t really a conference where your everyday RV traveler would go, it was more in alignment with RV park owners with existing parks or if you’re looking to develop your own park. This conference was loaded with new ideas and upgrade options!
I’m mainly going to focus on how technology is being used in the RV industry and because you already know I have a technical background and this stuff is just plain exciting, and it makes my heart jump out of my chest.
When I first decided that I wanted an RV Park my goal has always been to focus on the best of use of technology so I could lower the number of employees or overhead and capitalize on the profits.
I have visited a lot of parks especially here in Florida and no one that I could tell was using technology to their advantage. One of the things, that truly drives me crazy is when you pull into a park after hours, it’s dark and you start looking for the guy on the golf cart, because he’s going to take you to your spot. It drives me crazy because I feel sorry for the sucker that had to make sure he was at the gate at the exact time you arrive just so he can show you to your spot. I’m pretty sure he’d rather be at home with his wife than tending the gate until midnight and I’m pretty sure the owner doesn’t want to have to pay for that kind of service either.
Now, I know not all parks have the guy at the gate, so they leave you an envelope that has your site number on it and now you’re left to drive around in the dark trying to spot that itty bitty, barely visible site number with hardly any well-lit roadways to help you find your way.
Wouldn’t it be cool, if there was a way, to notify the guest upon arrival, where your site is and a directional map that told you how to get there? Well, there is!
When you arrive to your site at midnight and you begin your regimen of setting up your RV, you notice that there’s no water coming out of the spicket. UGH! What do you do? You know you’ll be good over night so it’s no big deal, but tomorrow you’ll need water because you’ll need to take a shower after your long day of travelling yesterday.
Your first gut reaction is I’ll walk over to the office tomorrow morning when they open at 9am to let them know we have no water.
What if I told you, you could place a service request from your phone and when the maintenance crew arrives to work tomorrow at 7am, they are already working on your situation before you even get out of bed! Yes, they have it!
Ok, so here’s another one. You leave bright and early to go run errands and get groceries and you’ve been gone all day and when you return home to your RV, you notice a sticky note on your camper door. The note reads, for anyone that would like to play pickleball today, there’s a tournament that starts at 1pm and will go to 5 pm.
You realize that you’ve missed the tournament and pickle ball is your favorite sport and you are immediately defeated.
Wouldn’t it be cool to get announcements much quicker and easier than a sticky note on your window? Yes, they have it!
Ok, so it’s laundry day. You gather up all your laundry, soap and the quarters you’ve been collecting in a zip lock baggie and set foot to walk about 300 paces over to the laundry facilities and when you arrive all the washers and dryers are full and instead of waiting for a washer to become available, you carry your laundry back to your camper and try again later. If you’re like me that whole scenario just made my back hurt!
Later arrives and you head out, only this time without your laundry and you notice a washer is available, so you rush home, grab the laundry and rush back only to realize someone beat you to it again.
Don’t tell me this has never happened to you because I know it has, it’s happened to me several times. When it finally opens up, you place your items in the laundry and go back to the camper after setting your timer for 45 minutes. You walk back over in 45 minutes and then place your wet clothes in the dryer and set another timer for 15 minutes and walk back home.
What if there was a way to know a washer or dryer was available without walking to the facility? What if you no longer have to collect and use quarters? What if the washer sent you a message letting you know that there are 3 minutes remaining in the wash cycle? Yes, it’s all available now!
In Episode 56 – Elon Musk is helping the RV Industry – you learned that you can now carry your own internet service with you in your RV for a low cost of $135.00 a month. With technology on board there are no more limits to where you can travel. If your favorite park is out in the boonies UT and it may be a while before their park is wired for sound, you can be streaming under the stars!
Jump aboard the technology train because it’s coming and it’s coming fast.
One question that’s probably lingering in your head is, ok, Mechiel now that you told me about all of these new fantastic technology features, where do I find parks that have this technology.
Great question! Here’s a general rule. If the “park” was created or existed 50 years ago and they’ve not done any upgrades – you won’t find them there. You will, however, find them at new “Resorts” or parks that are upgrading to resorts. Notice the terminology? We no longer use the word park when talking about RV resorts. Today, it is the upscale resorts or RV Communities that have the updated technology.
While I was at the conference, I met several park owners that were changing their mindset around adopting the new technology but it’s true not all parks today have this technology, but I will promise you this. My resort or community will have the latest and greatest technology.
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast, thank you for listening and I hope you found this information helpful.
Starlink
One of the challenges I’ve faced when traveling and working out of my RV is getting high speed internet service. It’s estimated that over 1 million people are living in their RV’s Full time. For those that work out of their RV’s it’s challenging to first off get a reservation and secondly to find a park that has fast fiber service.
Let’s look at this another way, most RV’s today may come with 3-4 TV’s and most parks offer cable connections and I’m sure I speak for others, but cable just isn’t working these days. At best you’ll get old cable channels that offer old TV stations from back in the 70’s. Our society is much hungrier for internet TV these days where you can login to your App of Choice like Hulu, Netflix or Pandora.
How can we get that kind of service if the park we’re in doesn’t offer fiber? Well up until now, you could use your own portable Dish Network satellite which did lessen the pain, but it still wasn’t great. There were a couple of other options, but none of them offered the speed you need.
In my RV alone, I have 3 TV’s, 2 phones, my desktop computer and a laptop. At most, I have 7 connected devices and that’s just one RV, take 7 the number of RVs in one park, let’s just say 100 RV’s at best. That’s 700 connected devices at one time. How can you get excellent high-speed internet while traveling?
Insert Elon Musk. It seems everywhere you turn these days, you’re hearing about Elon Musk and how he’s changing the world in a good way.
If you don’t know, Elon Musk is a South African entrepreneur known for founding PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX. He became a multi-millionaire in his late 20’s and today he is the richest man on Earth surpassing Jeff Bezos.
Musk became more famous in May 2012 when SpaceX launched a rocket carrying the first commercial vehicle to the International Space Station.
In March of 2018 SpaceX received permission to launch a fleet of satellites into the low orbit around the Earth for the purpose of providing internet service. He named the satellite network – Starlink. He intended to “deploy the world’s most advanced broadband internet service and make it more accessible in rural areas where the current service is not available, too expensive to have or just unreliable.
It's hard to say how many satellites have been released above our skies but I know that he’s gotten permission to launch 12,500 though 30,000 are planned right now.
Right now, if you live in a remote area that’s never had internet service or you just want the service to replace what you’re currently using, you can order the Residential service. However, because his service is so popular and he’s still recovering from the Covid delays, you can expect to order Starlink now with a future delivery date. I have ordered the residential Starlink and it was expected to delivery in late 2021, but I’m still waiting. I also believe that because I’m in a heavily populated area that my delivery will be late because Elon is smart and he’s going after the remote area’s first. I know this because a friend of mine ordered his way after me and he’s been using his service out in the boonies for several months and I’m still waiting. The really cool aspect of this is that this residential service can have up to 128 connections!
The hardware cost is $599 and it’s $110 a month for the service, which is way less than I pay now and the service is expected to be a lot better than what I have now. I want to use this service for my short-term rentals and I’m really excited to try it out, but I have to be bit more patient until mine arrives!
I checked back the other day, and now Elon is offering Business Service which gives you more broadband service than the residential service. This means that any RV Park that currently does not have service can now get service! The hardware cost $2500 and the service is $500 a month. I’ll leave the link in my notes so you can check your service address.
I’ve saved the best for last! Elon now has service for RV’s! Basically, you’ll need to check to see if service is available at your home base. If it is, you can place an order and from what I understand the unit will ship right away. It’s an easy setup. Place it in your RV and when you get to your destination, you setup the unit with a clear direct path to the sky, start up the service and start using it. As you travel you can stop and start service wherever you want, but you cannot use the service while driving.
Here's another helpful hint, go join the FB Group call Starlink for RV’ers and other mobile users to learn about individual experiences. So far, I have not read anything that would deter me from buying it now. The only reason I have not is because I’m not traveling right now in my RV otherwise I’d be on board.
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast, thank you for listening and I hope you found this information helpful.
Starlink
Last year, when I went rogue and went home to Iowa for 3 months in my RV, there were several things I had to do to prepare for the length of time I would be gone. I had short term rentals that I personally managed and I had other real estate dealings that needed my attention while I was gone
I hope to one day, be a true nomad and out on the road in my RV full time. But how am I going to do that?
Going to Iowa for a short time, while it still required lots of planning, it was relatively easy for me to make that decision. I was already living in my RV, I just needed to transplant myself and continue working in another location. It was also easy for me because I had a homebase that I could return to as I wasn’t quite ready to call myself a minimalist.
But what about those of you that have sold everything and now your only home is where you park your RV? I’ve known several of my friends who have done just that! However, before you back yourself into a corner, here are 7 things to consider before becoming a nomad.
What state are you going to file your income taxes? You no longer have an address.
Where is your truck and camper registered and insured? You no longer have an address!
What state is your driver’s license in? What if it expires while you’re out traveling around the US? Where do you get it renewed? You no longer have an address!
If you’re a registered voter, where will you now vote? You no longer have an address!
What about health insurance? Can I get treated in another state? You no longer have an address!
Where will you get your mail? You no longer have an address!
Where will my Social Security check be deposited? You no longer have an address?
To avoid all those questions, you’ll need a domicile. What’s a domicile? The short answer is it’s a State that you consider your permanent home. You could also consider that it’s the state you do all of your business out of. The government requires that you have a domicile. Let’s not confuse this with your residence. A residence is where you’re at for the moment.
My mom and dad’s domicile was their home in Iowa, but in the winter their winter residence was Florida.
What if I’ve sold everything and I can’t call my state home anymore? You may consider asking a friend or family member to use their address, but now they will have to manage your life so to speak by retrieving your mail and helping you conduct your life.
You could do what I did, and house hack your personal residency and make it a short-term rental? That’s probably a tough pill to swallow for most because you either move everything out of your house or allow strangers to be in your home when you’re not.
What if I don’t want to use a friend or family member? Then you may consider researching the best states to live in as a full time RV’er.
The 3 best states are Florida, South Dakota, and Texas.
All 3 states are income tax-free which means you’ll save a ton a money right there, they will accept mail-forwarding addresses, these states generally have lower vehicle registrations, insurance options and don’t pay taxes on personal property, like your RV.
Basically, it depends on your situation so you can pick any state you want, but just know you do have options. There are also other states like Alaska, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming that have no state income tax.
To establish a domicile in Florida here are a few of the steps
For me, because I already live in a desired location, selling my home is not an option but I’m still afforded the opportunity to be a nomad when I want and you can too, you just need to plan ahead!
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast, thank you for listening and I hope you found this information helpful.
I know when I quit my J.O.B to become a full time Real Estate investor, I did several things to improve the bottom line. 1) cut up credit cards 2). Reviewed every expense I had and called all utilities, other expenses and insurance company looking to cut expense but not reduce the coverage, 3). Paid off all old debts 4). Traded my time for cashflow.
Hi, I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast and it’s no different in an RV Park, I’ll share 4 ways you can improve your bottom line.
This episode will be directed mostly towards RV parks that have the room to make enhancements, been a business a while and are looking for opportunities for more growth.
1). Marketing is at the top of the list. If you do not have a shiny light highlighting your park, you won’t get visitors. I know of a park in Northern Florida right now that does not believe in doing any marketing. They prefer word of mouth. Let’s face it word of mouth works but it doesn’t promote rapid growth, more of a steady stream of growth and it certainly won’t help in the summer months in Florida. This park also banks on the fact that it is strategically place, hoping that passersby will just drop in.
We discussed the online marketing strategies in Episode 50 – Marketing Is NOT My Thing. I think honestly, most people just fear marketing because they don’t understand it and you’d be right. That’s why you hire a team to do your marketing for you. Then the fear becomes the cost, well the cost is covered because you’ll be able to increase your visibility online, then you’ll increase your occupancy. If you increase occupancy, you increase your bottom line. It all goes hand in hand.
But if I meet a person that has enthusiasm, maybe he has a uniform on, that tells me he works there, and he waves at me and maybe smiles, I’m going to stop and talk to them. This draws me in. Now, I can ask questions and more than likely I’ll plan to stay because their customer service just promoted their park! The longer they make me happy, the longer I’ll stay!
2) Increase Revenue
So many mom-and-pop parks are afraid to increase their rents because they don’t want to lose their current customer base. Well, you’re missing out on the potential customer base you could have. All you have to do is a little research to determine what other parks in your area are charging. Trust me, your current customer base may be coming to your park because of the amenities, or it may because they know all the neighbors and they really enjoy their neighbors. Trust me, if you raise the rent, they will gripe but I’m pretty sure you’ll gain new customers and you may lose a few here in there, but your park will be flourishing.
3). Cut Expenses. You should plan on reviewing your expenses at least every 6 months to 1 year. Let’s face it, costs are going up and its best you stay on top of what’s going out the door. As costs go up, the market becomes more competitive. So that insurance policy that was great last year has now raised its rates over 20% with less coverage. Then it’s time to start price shopping an insurance policy to fit your needs, often times you can find a reasonable policy for the same coverage, but you will have to put in the time and research to find it.
4). Hire people to do the work more efficiently. Let’s say my strength is answering the phones, well you wouldn’t want me doing your books. So, when you hire people, make sure to ask them what their strengths are and only assign them to roles that fit their skillset. I wouldn’t hire an accountant to cut the grass. When you hire the right people, it’s likely they will enjoy their work and do their best work more efficiently. At the same time, let’s say it’s your slow winter season and now you only need one person to take care of yard maintenance, so you let one person go and treat them as a seasonal person.
Make sure that the roles for each team member are laid out so each team member understands their roles vs other roles on the team. Sometimes there are gray lines between roles, so be sure to spell out their boundaries.
All of these are strategic moves that an outside manager of the park or resort would manage, and they all improve your bottom line. It sounds like a lot to think about but if you have all your team members strategically placed on your team, I’m confident it will improve the bottom line.
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast, I hope you found this information helpful.
In Episode 50 – Marketing is NOT my thing, I mentioned that I had learned that the RV space I’m playing in is called Outdoor Hospitality. I had never heard anyone refer to it as that before. Because I’d never heard it, I did what most curious minds do, I “Googled it”.
Hi, I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast and today I’m going to share with you what I learned about the Outdoor Hospitality Industry.
Wow! A whole new world opens up when you know the right keywords to search on. This journey in RV Parks is sounding very familiar to the journey I took in Real Estate Investing. I first started out on my own and before you know it, I found out where everyone with like minds was hanging out. This is no different, I just had to keep digging! They say to surround yourself with those smarter than you! I’ve found them!
This episode is going to be a bit shorter, but I wanted to get this information out to those that own parks because you could be like me and didn’t even know this existed! I feel comfortable saying that perhaps the mom-and-pop parks may not know about this while the larger parks should know about it.
Just like in my IT days we would go to Microsoft events to learn about all the latest and greatest upgrades to products, new features being added and to surround ourselves with the experts in the field. The vendor room was where the rubber met the road. We’d learn about all the new integrated products coming out and how they integrated with our Microsoft products. The best part was the networking!
Networking for me was key because when I quit my J.O.B, I leaned on my network to bring me work and it did, until I was ready to quit that!
Well, if you own an RV Resort or you’re thinking about owning one, I’ve found the conference for you and it’s right here in sunny Florida on the beach, yes, Daytona Beach!
In all my travelling around looking at RV Parks, no one ever mentioned that there was an RV Park and Campground Conference & Expo June 6-8 in Daytona Beach, FL. I guess I wasn’t talking to the right people!
I took one look at the website, which is well put together, I might add, and I looked at the Vendor list and the agenda for the 3 days and I mentioned it to Kurt, the next day we cleared our calendars and booked us a site at Daytona’s Endless Summer Campground near the event on Daytona Beach. We live in our RV so it’s just as easy as hooking up, loading my cats and we’re out of here!
I know 3 of the vendors so I’ll definitely be stopping by their booths!
I will post the agenda in my notes below because there’s just too much to mention.
We did learn that they will have breakout sessions, so Kurt and I are going to divide and concur and then discuss later what we learned.
I thought my days of attending conferences was over, but this conference has got me really excited. I’ve already connected with the some of the Staff Members and one of the Board of Directors who just happens to be in my back yard. I drove through her park a couple of weekends ago. Small world!
I’m excited about meeting people and learning everything I can and surrounding myself with Smart RV Park owners! One day I’ll grow up to be one!
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast, I hope to see you at the conference!
Florida and Alabama RVCA 2022
AGENDA
Monday, June 6th
1:00 – 5:00 pm
Conference Registration – Bill France Foyer
(Registration will also be open on Tuesday Morning from 8-10 am)
5:00 – 7:00 pm
Welcome Reception – Ocean Terrace – Open to all paid attendees and exhibitors
Tuesday, June 7th
Breakfast on your own
8:00 – 10:00 am
Conference Registration
10:00 – 11:45 am
Welcome & Opening Session: Lead with Certainty – Managing People Not Promises – Creating
a Culture of Ownership, Strengthening Communications, and Improving Team Performance –
Presented by Motivational Keynote Speaker, Eric Papp
12:00 – 1:30 pm
Lunch, Annual Meeting, and Special Guest Speakers
1:30 – 2:30 pm
General Session – Legislative Review, Governmental Affairs, and Legal Updates. Important legal changes that impact your business and our industry – Marc Dunbar and David Eastman
2:30 – 3:30 pm
General Session – Industry Challenges, Opportunities, and Trends – Industry Panel, group discussion, and Q&A. Topics: FL & AL Insurance Update, RV Tech/Campground Program, Industry Partnerships
3:45 – 4:45 pm
Breakout 1: The EVs are coming – Is your RV Park ready for the future? Technical tips on how to prepare and profit from Electrical Charging – by Heidi Doyle, Utility Supply Group
3:45 – 4:45 pm
Breakout 2: What you need to include in your Park Policies, Rules & Regulations – Best practices and standards for protecting your park while providing a great guest experience – Panel and Q&A
5:00 – 7:30 pm
Reception, Auction & Appreciation Dinner: Grand Ballroom
Wednesday, June 8th
8:30 – 11:30 am
Exhibitor Set-up in the Grand Ballroom
8:00 – 9:15 am
Cracker-Barrel Breakfast – Topics: How to Get Started in this industry, Construction and Developing Do’s and Don’ts, Working with your local government for approval, and more
8:00 – 9:15 am
Cracker-Barrel Breakfast – Topics: Park Operational Issues, ADA, Taxes, Guest Ejections, Best Practices, Common Problems and Solutions
9:30 – 10:30 am
Breakout 3: Emergency Preparedness – Natural Storms, Man Made Disasters, Dangerous Situations, Sewage Spills, Power Outages and more – How to customize a plan for your staff and your guests – Presented by Patrick Hardy, Hytropy
9:30 – 10:30 am
Breakout 4: Is your RV Park maximizing it’s earnings potential? How to make changes to your RV Park to attract different (new) guests and increase your profits. The pros and cons of long-term vs. short-term guests and rentals, and how your park “type” affects operational costs and revenue potential. Discover what’s best for you and your campground – Panel Discussion and Q&A
10:45 – 11:45 am
Breakout 5: Mitigating Risks and Lowering your Insurance Costs – Irene Jones, Marshal & Sterling
10:45 – 11:45 am
Breakout 6: Employee Labor Law and Employee/Employer Legal Issues – Department of Labor
1200 – 5:00 pm
SUPPLIER EXPO and LUNCH: Grand Ballroom
5:15 – 6:00 pm
Wrap-up Group Session: One last gathering to recap the conference, discuss newfound valuable tips, network with others, and have all your questions answered.
So, you’ve gone out and upgraded your fifth wheel pull behind to a Class A Motorcoach. There are several things to consider when you upgrade or for that matter change from a tow vehicle and an RV pull behind to what they call diesel pushers.
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast and today discuss several challenges and advantages of owning a Class A motorhome.
Here are some of the disadvantages of owning a Class A Motorhome
Advantages of Owning a Class A Motorhome:
Ok, now that you know some of the down sides to owning a Class A motorhome, there are some really great advantages too!
Comfortable as a couch on the road – Unlike the tow vehicle and tow behind RV where the ride is seriously bumpy and clunky, Class A's offer superior riding comfort, you don’t have the discomfort of a bumpy road, it’s as comfy as a couch!
Roomy Interior – Class A motorhomes can be as long as 45 ft and when the three slides are opened, you’ll extend to up to 14’ wide giving you an extra 400 square feet of additional living space. Most are equipped with a King size bed, a lot of closet space in the living area and the storage space below is enough to store plenty of clothing and supplies. The kitchen will have upgraded granite features with a full-sized refrigerator. Outside the kitchen will be a full-sized bathroom with a larger shower. In the hallway, you’ll be equipped with a washer and dryer! This makes it a perfect full-time home! You have everything you need.
Luxury at its Finest - Most Class A motorhomes are well constructed with the highest grade of cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, tile flooring, and riding comfort. Sitting in the captains’ chair reminds me a flight cockpit!
You want a sandwich? – No problem! “Hey honey, can you make me a sandwich, our next pit stop is another 2 hours away and I’m hungry.” The passenger while in transit has the ability to get out of the passenger’s chair, step up into the kitchen and make you sandwich all while traveling down the road. Now, if the driver needs to tinkle, well, you’d better stop somewhere for that one!
Where do I put my motorcycle or golf cart? You’re in luck! They make class A’s that have storage underneath your King Bed. It’s enough space for 1 motorcycle or 1 golf cart! I’m not ready to quit riding my own bike, so I’d be more interested in towing our bikes with a small vehicle. Guess what? They also make a 2-story elevated open trailers! You put the bikes on top and your small car below on the first level. There’s an answer for everything!
Automatic Systems – You’ve just arrived at your resort and it’s time to setup. Easy peasy! All your leveling systems are automatic with the touch of a button! No more running around the coach and manually lowering your levelers. You paid big bucks for this rig, so it should be automated! I know when I got my first RV, I had to take a 3-hour training course to understand all the button and gadgets, understanding this rig will take loads of practice!
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast, I hope you found this information helpful!
Spacecraft MFG
Facebook Group – Upscale RV Resorts
Upscale RV Resorts Website
Good Sam Club Perks
In Episode 47 we talked about the differences between Destination and Overnight parks, well there’s one more thing you need to consider when you’re doing your search. Too make it even more complicated but to ensure you have the best experience, you also need to know what type of park you’re searching for! I’d first start with what type of equipment will you be bringing on your trip?
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast and today we’re going to discuss the differences between Campgrounds, RV Parks, and RV Resorts!
If you have a car, a tent, and a camp stove, you should consider the Campground. I know growing up as kids every park was considered a campground because Recreational Vehicles (RV’s) weren’t really a thing yet, and everyone loved camping in tents back then. A lot of the mom-and-pop campgrounds still exist but they are doing upgrades to keep up with today’s standards.
Campground
According to Webster, this is an area or place (such as a field or grove) used for a camp, for camping, or for a camp meeting. There are no defined sites.
In today’s terms that means that basically any type of camping is allowed. Tent camping, car camping or you may park your self-contained RV but be careful of low hanging trees! They may also offer cabins or today even Tiny Homes.
Campgrounds don’t have the amenities beyond providing a space to park, walkways to general store, public bathrooms, showers, and maybe electrical hookups. You may find picnic tables or campfire rings and a BBQ grill. I know when we were kids, mom and dad would take us to a campground on Sunday mornings just to cook breakfast over an open fire. The kids were left to find their own entertainment, because there was nothing to do there but create your own fun.
These campgrounds have no frills and it’s the least expensive option. I know of several campgrounds that even today just charge $10.00 a night to camp.
One word of caution, because Campgrounds are very reasonably priced it’s very attractive to the younger crowds and typically, they are not so quiet during the quiet hours especially if there’s a college nearby.
RV park
A recreational vehicle park or caravan park is a place where people with recreational vehicles can stay overnight, or longer, in allotted spaces known as "sites".
The RV Park is a bit more structured and will offer more amenities. However, RV Parks may also contain park models, tiny Homes and spaces for RV’s, laundry, and showers.
You will notice that the RV park will now start to offer 30amp, 50amp electric with water and sewer hook-ups. The sites themselves are probably either made of grass or offer some type of gravel. You may find that the sites aren’t as roomy as you need for the tow vehicle and the RV. You may find a picnic table and a fire ring.
Depending on whether this is a destination or overnight park the rates will fluctuate but the rates should be very reasonable for short term or lengthy stays.
RV Resorts
What’s in a name, right? A resort implies this is the top of the line! Staying at a resort will cost you more money but they have the amenities to back it up!
If it says Resort, you can expect amenities including laundry facilities, a clubhouse with a pool, pickleball courts, fitness centers, eateries, dog parks, etc.
But wait, guess what? There are 2 types of Resorts! Upscale RV Resorts and Luxury RV Resorts and in that order
Upscale RV Resorts
Resorts that are the nicest available in a particular area that appeal to vacationers and short-term renters looking for an upscale resort near a major attraction, like a national park or beach.
Now we have requirements!
Requirements Include:
It is not required that Upscale resorts be class A only.
Luxury RV Resorts
Upper-Tier Resorts that typically cater to seasonal renters or owners who come to the resort because the resort is a destination itself. Luxury resorts typically have more social interaction and activities.
There you have it! Are you as confused as I am? There’s a lot to consider when booking your next short vacation or extended stay somewhere.
I think the best way to determine which category you fit in, is first pick your style. If you like tent camping, then go to a Campground and/or look for RV Parks that allow tent camping.
If you have a pull behind camper or caravan, or Fifth Wheel Toy Hauler try out the RV Parks/Resorts.
If drive a motorcoach that’s less than a Class A, you’ll enjoy the Upscale Resorts.
If you drive a Class A Motorcoach that’s up to 45 ft, you’ll enjoy the Luxury RV Resort.
Just keep in mind, that when you move up the scale the daily rates also increase due to the amenities the parks offer.
Let’s face it there’s a flavor out there for everyone’s taste. The best advice I can give is before you book, go to their website, and do your research first.
As a sidenote: When I get my park, I’m going to hang out in the Upscale RV Resort area. Why? I believe that the industry today needs more parks in this space due to the increased sizes of the RV’s being manufactured.
I’m Mechiel Kopaska of the Fearless Innovator Podcast, I hope you enjoyed this episode.
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