City park campground is nice, but showing its age

For campers who will appreciate access to 1.5 miles of Atlantic beaches with ample parking, boating and fishing in a 40 acre fresh-water lake, a camp store, spacious heavily shaded campsites with full modern hookups at reasonable rates, this campground is worthy of consideration especially for families with children. With almost 450 acres, numerous shelters, picnic tables and playgrounds and nearly 300 campsites this park fills up quickly on weekends and holidays. Many sites are pull-through and some are so large that they can accommodate a 45-foot-long RV plus pickup truck and a car.

The park has 24-hour gated security and an additional gate to the campsites which requires an entrance code. Satellite reception is largely unavailable because of large, Spanish moss covered shade trees, but a rooftop antenna will pick up the local Jacksonville digital TV stations. No Wi-Fi is provided by the campground, but nearby cellphone towers provide a strong signal for those who can use cell technology for internet access. This campground will neither post nor receive mail or package deliveries for its guests, but the nearby Atlantic Beach post office gave me excellent General Delivery mail service and even accepted and held FedEx and UPS parcels for me at no charge during the month that I stayed at Hanna Park.

My interactions with the campground hosts, security personnel, store and office staff was always pleasant during my stay.

We stayed here in a Class A Motorhome.

Sketchy neighborhood, sparse amenities

If you are looking for a Florida resort this is not it. My wife and I reserved a full-hookup, satellite-friendly, pull-through site here because this campground was nearest to Tampa General Hospital where I had surgery scheduled. We did get a pull-through site and the water, electric and sewer worked just fine. A large live oak covered with Spanish moss blocked our satellite reception, but we could get the Tampa TV channels with our roof-top antenna. The campground's cable TV service had just two channels and was worthless as was their slow Wi-Fi. Their coin-op laundry worked great and was reasonably priced. John, the manager, did his best to make us feel welcome. Overall, the campground is old, run-down and in a sketchy neighborhood, but we experienced no threats or crime while there for a week. Since our motorhome has its own full bath, we did not use the campground's restroom or shower facilities and cannot comment on them. For a fairly low weekly rate, this campground met our needs but its amenities are sparse.

We stayed here in a Class A Motorhome.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Taking a leisurely trip from Tucson, AZ to Newnan, GA, this seemed to be a good location to make our first stop. Since we are Passport America Life Members, this campground offered us the lowest rate in the area.

The Good: This campground is easily accessible from I-10, we were greeted promptly and courteously upon our arrival. Our pull-through site was reasonably level, all of our hookups worked as they should have and there are some interesting attractions in nearby towns. The campground's encrypted Wi-Fi also worked reasonably well for an additional $1 charge.

The Bad: Having close proximity to the Interstate highway, traffic noise was constant and fairly loud. A location near the rear of the campground would have been quieter. The odor of animal waste permeated the campground and houseflies were present in large numbers. We suspect that came from a huge nearby dairy facility.

The Ugly: This campground has been around for awhile and it shows. It needs some serious cleaning, junk removal, landscaping and maintenance.

In summary the town of Vado, NM is an unincorporated community offering overnight visitors little more than an Interstate highway exit with a couple of truck stops, a diner and this campground. It was adequate for an inexpensive place to stay but nothing more.

We stayed here in a Class A Motorhome.

Tucson's Best RV Park for all ages

Prior to making a reservation, my wife and I visited 8 of the best reviewed RV parks in the Tucson area and were most impressed with this one. After staying here for nearly a month, we have no regrets.

This facility is well-staffed and has the nicest fenced dog park I've ever seen at a campground. There is also a small lake stocked with catfish and turtles. Dog obedience classes are offered free of charge. Handicap ramps ease access to the main building complex even featuring lifts to help wheelchair-bound guests in and out of the heated swimming pool and heated jet-tub. Their modern, clean, well-equipped coin-op laundry and fitness center has never been overcrowded during our stay. Showers and restrooms are cleaned several times daily.

Beverages and food are available in their on-site restaurant and are also served at poolside. Located less than four miles from the Tucson airport and with easy access to I-10, Tucson's many attractions are within an easy drive of this KOA. Two major RV dealerships are within walking distance.

Their 400 shaded and open full hook-up campsites are clean, level and spacious. Each site has a concrete patio with table and chairs. Citrus trees throughout the campground were bearing delicious fruit during our stay. For security, a masonry wall topped with razor wire surrounds the campground. The gated entry controls access after dark. We will stay here again when in Tucson.

We stayed here in a Class A Motorhome.

Your only choice for full hookups in park

For RV owners who wish to camp with full hookups in Grand Canyon Village, Trailer Village RV Park is the only choice. This campground has 84 paved pull-through sites (separated by gravel) of which 80 offer full, modern hookups with 50/30/20 amp electric, water, sewer, cable TV, picnic tables and barbecue grills. The largest sites can accommodate any size RV with ample space to park a towed or towing vehicle.

Check-in is at kiosk between the entrance and exit roads. The staff was professional and accommodating. During our one-week stay, we never had any issues with our electric or water service. There are small trees scattered throughout the campground,but they won’t interfere with satellite TV reception.

There are restrooms but no showers or laundry facilities on site. The laundry and showers are about a 1/2 mile away in a separate location. Showers require eight quarters ($2.00) for eight minutes. Washers and dryers also use quarters. Unlike most other commercial campgrounds in this price range, Trailer Village offers no Wi-Fi for its guests nor does it have a swimming pool, a dog run or recreational facilities aside from what is available elsewhere in this national park. Cellphone service and their data rates are poor. There are, however, excellent paved biking/hiking trails and free shuttle bus service which connects this campground with the well-stocked general store, restaurants and the rest of the park.

We stayed here in a Class A Motorhome.

Spacious, clean, open sites

Of the 153 sites at this campground, only about 12 are available for short-term stays. The rest are rented on a monthly basis, with electricity billed separately. All sites that have full hook-ups are spacious, level, clean, gravel covered and easily accessible via wide, smooth asphalt paved roads. Adjacent RV storage is available.

Each site has a paved patio and privacy/wind-break barrier fence separating it from neighboring sites, but no shade, picnic tables or fire rings. The campground sells propane by the portable tank or gallon. An outside firm will fill propane tanks at the campsites or supply large external tanks for long-term residents.

Their coin-operated laundry has three washers, four dryers and vending machines for sodas, candy and snacks. A community room in the same building offers a library, tables, chairs and free Wi-Fi which can extend to nearby campsites but not throughout the park. Cellphone reception is very good. The business office is open weekdays from 9AM until 3PM.

Most of the long-term guests appear to be retirees, small families, contract workers and those in transition into or out of nearby homes and staying in towable RVs. Since this campground offers no public restrooms or showers, all guests must have their own self-contained facilities. RV exteriors are expected to be clean, well-maintained and uncluttered.

During our long stay, we've found the staff and our neighbors friendly and quiet.

We stayed here in a Class A Motorhome.

Pleased With Our Stay

After visiting at least thirteen campgrounds in the Portland, Lake Oswego, Wilsonville area, we chose this one and we're happy with our choice.

All sites, which are mostly pull-through, are concrete paved, spacious, level and clean, separated by a strip of grass with full connections, but no picnic tables. Roads are asphalt paved throughout and are easy to maneuver with big rigs. Attractive landscaping and flowers throughout greatly add to this campground's appearance.

We found their Wi-Fi to be reliable and secure all over the park, but they also have a "modem room" where a hard-wired Internet connection is available. The campground's attractive store stocks basic needs which are priced reasonably. A shopping center is just three blocks away.

The campground's community center/lounge is one of the most attractive that I've seen anywhere. Other amenities include a modern indoor heated swimming pool and spa, clean restrooms and showers, workout gym and a modern coin-op laundry. Near enough to Interstate 5 to be easily accessible, this campground is far enough away to minimize traffic noise. Pet-friendly and no-pet areas give campers a choice.

Our encounters with the campground staff and fellow campers were unfailingly pleasant throughout our stays. Its popularity may require an advanced reservation to secure a site. They were sold out every night we stayed there in June and July.

We stayed here in a Class A Motorhome.

Right on the river

In an area where commercial campgrounds are booked solid during July and charge between $50 and $70 per night, this campground is a bargain if you don't need public toilets, showers or laundry. We had a spacious, quiet, satellite-friendly, pull-through site with 30-amp electric and water for $20/night. Riverfront sites are $25. Maximum stay allowed was 10 nights. No reservations are accepted. There are pull-in sites overlooking the river and back-in sites at the rear of the campground. Pull-through sites are in the middle. Upon arrival, grab an empty site and pay the campground host with cash, MasterCard or VISA.

Several other restaurants and McDonald's are within a short walking distance. The entrance/exit gate is locked at 10:00 pm and unlocked at 5:00 am. A dump station is available just off the campground's exit road. If all you need are the basics and can arrive early enough to grab a campsite before they're all gone, this is a low-cost place to get a good night's sleep and possibly enjoy some river recreation.

We stayed here in a Class A Motorhome.

Convenient & Well-Run but Noisy

Run by Marty and Maryjo Stanek, this campground offers spacious back-in and pull-through, level full-hookup sites and decent Wi-Fi. Both shaded and satellite-friendly open sites are available as is a spacious unfenced dog-walking area. Arriving campers are escorted to their sites which is especially helpful for first-timers. There is no cable TV, but several HD TV channels are available via a rooftop antenna. Propane is for sale here by the gallon.

When I called several days in advance to book a site, I was both surprised and delighted to have someone answer the phone at 8 PM. Later when I needed to change my reservation to arrive a day earlier, my request could not have been handled more courteously.

This campground is convenient to I-90, Wal-Mart, restaurants and downtown but its close proximity to the Interstate highway and train tracks means that both combine to make this a noisy location. We slept well and enjoyed our stay, but if traffic and train whistles keep you awake, you might want to give it some consideration.

Another local campground wanted to charge me extra for my wife, my dog and my car in tow, which I found a total turn-off. The rates here were reasonable, owners were friendly and accommodating, all hookups worked flawlessly, so we will stay here again if we return to Bozeman.

We stayed here in a Class A Motorhome.

Modern - Clean - Well-run

From my perspective, this campground offers every convenience and amenity that I could reasonably expect outside an expensive resort. Located on Wyoming state Highway 16 connecting Interstate-90 to the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The sites are level, spacious and well-maintained, yet are remarkably quiet, especially those in the rear. There is a dedicated left-turn lane on the highway that helps make turning into the campground's entrance from the westbound direction trouble-free.

Upon our arrival, we found ample space to park our motorhome with car in tow to enjoy a prompt and efficient check-in by a courteous, efficient staff. We filled our propane tank at their big-rig accessible facility and were then escorted to the satellite-friendly pull-through site that we had requested. Roads through the campground are easy to maneuver and free from potholes and overhanging tree limbs.

Each site is was level, covered with clean gravel, surrounded by well-manicured lawns and were free from mud and debris even after a heavy rainstorm. Hookups were conveniently located and worked flawlessly. I was particularly impressed that this campground's Wi-Fi actually works, is simple to use and is reasonably fast.

Bathrooms and showers are clean and modern. Practically new washers and industrial-type coin-operated dryers expedited our laundry experience. Numerous nearby dining choices are available if desired.

We stayed here in a Class A Motorhome.

Re: Warranty for Second-Hand Motorhome

That price for a warranty seems awfully high. When I bought a one-year-old 35-foot Itasca Sunova 33C motorhome in 2012 I also paid for a five-year Good Sam Camping World warranty that worked out to be about $44/month. It covers everything in my coach but the furniture. Thus far, I would have paid more to have the repairs done than I've paid for the extended warranty and there are no surprises. I've had two expensive hydraulic jacks, a hot water heater check valve and a step retraction assembly replaced and repairs done to my fresh water tank to stop it from dumping its contents. The shop has also made adjustments to the electronically controlled shades that would have been costly without such coverage.

Re: Which RV Type is Most Fuel Efficient?

Motorhomes build on the Mercedes diesel Sprinter chassis are by far the most fuel efficient, but the initial cost of those coaches is dramatically higher, which may erase a lot of the economics of higher fuel mileage. Class B and Class C coaches are both available with a Sprinter chassis. A same-size gasser Class C that sells for about $60,000 would cost about twice as much if built on the Mercedes chassis. Will your friend drive enough to save $60,000 in fuel with twice the mileage but twice the initial cost? Only your friend can answer that question. My calculations are that your break-even point is about 133,333 miles not considering the difference in maintenance costs of diesel engine vs gasoline engine, the higher cost of diesel fuel and that a Mercedes will hold its value better.

Re: Pop Up Air Conditioner Question

A modern, efficient Dometic Commercial-Grade rooftop Air Conditioner - 13,500 BTU will consume about 300 watts when running but more to start.

Re: Surge Protector and Extension Cords

A generator producing 3500 watts at 120 volts will have a current flow of about 30 amperes, which requires a #10 wire extension cord as long as it doesn't exceed 30 feet. Longer extension cords under full load can lead to some voltage drop, so #8 wire would be a better choice for longer runs. Regarding surge protection, that depends upon what kind of generator you're using and the sensitivity of the devices that you're running from it. Inverter generators produce a smooth current and voltage output. Other kinds of generators are not so smooth, so it would probably be safer to buy an RV surge protector such as the one offered by Camping World:
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/portable-surge-guards-with-lcd-display-30-amp/58464
If you're at a campground with an electric hookup that same surge protector can protect your popup from any surges that their electrical system may have.

Re: Surge Protector and Extension Cords

A generator producing 3500 watts at 120 volts will have a current flow of about 30 amperes, which requires a #10 wire extension cord as long as it doesn't exceed 30 feet. Longer extension cords under full load can lead to some voltage drop, so #8 wire would be a better choice for longer runs. Regarding surge protection, that depends upon what kind of generator you're using and the sensitivity of the devices that you're running from it. Inverter generators produce a smooth current and voltage output. Other kinds of generators are not so smooth, so it would probably be safer to buy an RV surge protector such as the one offered by Camping World:
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/portable-surge-guards-with-lcd-display-30-amp/58464
If you're at a campground with an electric hookup that same surge protector can protect your popup from any surges that their electrical system may have.