home_school_dad
Woodleaf, NC
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Joined: 07/20/2004
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I have often wondered about KOA being "family friendly". When I check their rates, most want $3-$7 per night extra per child. Sorry, but my small children do not add significant costs to the campground. By the time I add in the extra fees, KOA would cost my family a lot more than the local competition. Family Friendly does sound good in advertising though...
8 kids (5 still traveling)
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ratherBcampin
The nice one from Nice, Ca 95464
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Joined: 01/12/2004
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First of all let me say that I'm not trying to disregard what you are saying and I hope your son is feeling better!
However, I worked in a campground for 4 years. The first 2 years I was there, we did not charge a "day use" fee and as long as guests parked their rigs in the day use area, everything was fine!
BUT, once we started charging a day use fee after the 12:00 p.m. check out, we heard EVERY excuse imaginable!....From fever to diarrhea to a flat tire and no spare to my husband just ran to the gas station down the road........All while some family members were swimming and using beach space that could have been used for paying day users....
After a while, we caught on.......But not until after someone saw the guy with a "flat tire and no spare" pull out an air compressor and fill his tire.......Also, the woman who said her husband just went to the gas station down the road was "caught" by security 4 HRS later trying to walk out the side gate with her husband and 3 kids....He'd parked the motorhome on the shoulder of the highway....
So whether it is a KOA, a state park, or any other campground, the owners/managers have probably heard it ALL!....It's true, a few bad apples ruin the whole bunch!
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If you can't stand behind our troops.....Then stand in FRONT of them!
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MichDoc
Michigan
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Joined: 01/02/2006
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whistlebritches wrote:I know that some KOA's are not very good, but we did stay recently at one in Wapakoneta, OH that was really nice and the people who own it were also very nice. I would recommend it highly. They had a lovely pool, nice clean sites, free wi-fi and cable tv. I believe it cost us $27/night. We did have 10% off coupon.
I agree about this one. Not only is it, by far, the NICEST KOA I've ever seen, it is really the ONLY nice KOA I've seen. The rest are mediocre or worse, and WAY overpriced. And the owners here really know how to treat their customers.
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JUrban
Delaware
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Joined: 06/28/2004
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I stopped using KOA a few years ago due to their increasing rates and general overall deterioration of their facilities and attitudes. I'll never say never, but a wide spot in the road is more appealing to us than a KOA.
I doubt they'll learn, but they won't have my $$$$ while they do. They were a great idea that they'll milk until bankruptcy. I have neither the time nor the inclination to search out the few locations that are worth their charge.
John
2008 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40' QSP
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ratherBcampin
The nice one from Nice, Ca 95464
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home_school_dad wrote:I have often wondered about KOA being "family friendly". When I check their rates, most want $3-$7 per night extra per child. Sorry, but my small children do not add significant costs to the campground. By the time I add in the extra fees, KOA would cost my family a lot more than the local competition. Family Friendly does sound good in advertising though... The extra $$$ per person over 2 people is NOT exclusive to KOA!....Unless you stay in a state, federal, or COE campground, it is pretty much the norm!
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summutt2002
Over here......no, over there!
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Joined: 02/08/2002
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Every time I see this KOA bashing, I have to slip in the fact that we use several of the KOAs in Colorado, Utah, and Nevada...and every one has been friendly, clean, clean restroom/showers, spacious, pet friendly, etc. No complaints from us. They gave me the membership with my Allstate RoadHelp ERS. One of the Utah KOAs allows me to store my rig in a partial hookup site for the winter months, $25 a month, right next site to a live-in Deputy Sheriff who watches over things. There may be a few more bad apples in KOAs barrel than normal, but those of you who have NEVER AGAIN in your mindset are missing out. JMHO.
Great wife, 3.1 dogs and no money..LIFE IS GOOD
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Sportsman2505qss
Winter Springs, Fl USA
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Joined: 05/03/2002
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We also had a bad time with a KOA in Georgia. My husband had back trouble and we only had the trailer 3 weeks and were coming home from Bear's Den. Stop at a Georgia Welcome center to find a place to stay for the night as we couldn't make it where we were supposed to stay. The Georgia Welcome center was very nice but there was no place that had a site but this KOA. We wanted full hookups and they said they had one available. We went there and signed in. Paid 4.00 extra for each of our girls and the dog was free. Went to hookup the sewer and it was broken. I went back to her at the front desk and said the sewer was broken and she said oh yes they were digging it out. I said I paid for full hookups and could we move. She said there are no other available sites. I said I saw about 20 that no one was on. Said either we stay where we are or leave. I then ask her to discount the site. She got real rude and said we could leave if we didn't like it. She knew we couldn't leave knowing the situation. She also said that dogs had to use the dog run. So I was taking my 10 pound dog to the dog run and she came out screaming at me to pick him up and carry him there. I said what about dogs that weigh 100 pounds, do the owners carry them. This lady watched every move we made and made our one night stay just awful. We have only stayed at one KOA since.
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Horsedoc
Dixie --- N. Georgia
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Joined: 09/30/2002
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Very well put. We quit using KOA a few years ago after an experience with a KOA employee in Cherokee, NC. Complaint to KOA headquarters and one to the owner of the CG resulted in me being offered a pancake breakfast the "next time you stay with us". NOT gonna happen!!
The only way we will ever stay at another KOA, corporate or otherwise is if there is absolutely no others within a hundred miles and/or the temperatures in hell go below 32 degrees.
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joanne0012
Boston, MA
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Joined: 02/01/2005
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OK, I'm going to play the "Devil's Advocate" here. You told the KOA staff that your kid was sick and had to stay in bed, yet you asked for only a one-hour extension of the checkout time. Was he going to recover during that hour? As noted above, the KOA staff hear excuses and requests all the time, and yours wasn't especially plausible.
"I will give you 15 minutes after 11:00, and after that you will have to pay an extra $10.00 to stay any longer only until one". This is an offer (albeit crudely put) to let you stay two hours past the regular checkout time, for their stated rate of $10. This is the campground's posted policy. If the staff let you stay an extra hour for free, then they have to let everybody stay an extra hour for free.
Joanne
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Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
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Joined: 07/22/2007
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You folks makes one consider just stopping at Wal-Mart from the get go. Once I did have to change spots due to a gen set mounted on the side of a toy hauler that was next to our bedroom window and I did not even have to ask permission to change spots.
While camp grounds can be run by people with an edge I have to say I would not well with the free loaders types as mentioned by some in this thread that stay at CG's. I am just not sure CG's even at high fews are raking in the dough.
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