VE3ESN
Ontario, Canada
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Joined: 03/08/2002
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We recently spent three nights and four days at Inverhuron Provincial Park on Lake Huron, north of Kincardine. This is a beautiful park with large, private sites, and the biking/hiking trails are very nice.
However, there is one aspect of this park and other Ontario Provincial Parks that is annoying. According to a park employee, each power post costs $700.00. These yellow posts are of very high quality, and service two campsites. The posts are located in the brush between sites, which requires the use of a very long cord, (sometimes 100 feet) and it also means that every other site will have the power post on the wrong side of your RV. The cord therefore will lie across your campsite. Furthermore, the posts can be in areas where poison ivy is present, so be aware!
We've camped a lot in US state parks and in Ontario conservation areas, and have observed that each site has its own power post. These posts are placed close to your RV's power connection, are much simpler units and usually consist of a wooden post with a weatherproof power box (breakers, 120 VAC duplex outlet, and a RV-type outlet). I'm sure that the total cost for each post would be no more than $100.00. I'm aware that the labour costs for installation of Ontario Park's posts would probably be lower, because of their proximity to the road, but I believe that the considerably lower cost of less elaborate posts for each site would more than offset the $700 cost.
Any comments?
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kottfam6wi
South Central Wisconsin
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I am an electrical contractor and I will tell you those power posts are not cheap. 700 for a higher quality one is not unreasonable, and that does not even count cost of labor and extra wire to install them. Many areas do NOT allow you to make your own power posts for RV parks. They want pre made panel so they know they are up to code and engineered properly not just slapped together.
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Jack_Diane_Freedom
Lindsay Ont, and Gulf Coast Florida
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We use Ontario Provincial Parks quite a bit and really do not see this as an issue. I always carry 2 30 amp extra cords as well as the cord coming out of the trailer and have never had a problem. I also like that the breaker is right on the box plus each has a 15 amp receptacle. I usually run a separate 15 amp extension cord from the 15 amp plug to the outside panel of my fridge and plug in the fridge to separate it from the rest of the 30 amp just to give a little bumper to my amp useage.
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relaxin
Fenwick, Ontario
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I am also an Electrical contractor, those posts are actually around 1,100 to 1,200 each by time the power is on to them, not including the transformer and distribution panel that feeds them, the cost of wire is astronomical, what the conservation areas do is borderline substandard, as with most there is no breaker at the plug (for your convienience), a few I have been at have a W/P breaker box, but not all. Ontario parks does this to go beyond the minimums, for wiring they are easier in that they have a set of terminals in the lower portion which allows for one heavy cable to string a bunch together instead of several small wires in which you stand a greater chance of voltage drop if your far from the distribution point. The only things I can recomend is to make the investment into at least 2 cords 50 foot each, and if you see poison ivy growing up around the post to notify the park office and I am sure they will trim it back for access to the post.
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You can't take the Fisherman out of this Camper
Ontario, Canada
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Like "Jack_Dianne_Freedom" I too have extra power cords that let me get to the post with no problems. It can be a long reach sometimes.. in the bushes.. but I have yet to see one that someone has run into and broken (which I have done in another park myself) 
So it should significantly reduce maintenance costs!
What I really like is that (unlike many other parks) there is no meter to read OR pay for.. you can use as much or as little power as you like and you never need to pay for it separately!
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moe f
ON.
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We recently camped at Inverhuron and we too liked the park.
As for the long distances to the power post, we carry a second cord which was all that was required. The campground obviously recognizes that fact as well as there is a sign posted on the camp office window, as well as an ad in the park newspaper, you can get a power cord on loan from the park office, with a deposit of course.
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pegdiver
New Jersey
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We have camped at many Provincial Parks like that. Plus there are a few in the USA too. We have extra cords and have been known to park in wierd ways to reach the post. No big deal - you just do what you have to do for camping in a nice area.
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cachingcampers
Niagara Region,Ontario
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I have been in MANY state parks and CA's with UNSAFE power connections and huge voltage drops. I had one plug spit sparks out at me!!!!! and the breaker that controlled it was loose and sparking as well.
I'll take the Ontario Park deluxe model for whatever price it is if it means I will get to enjoy my trip in my camp chair not the hospital!
BTW...if you need to use 100 feet of cord so does your neighbour and that means your neighbour is 200 feet away. For the one time price of 35 bucks on sale, I'd buy the extra cord just for this fact alone.
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VE3ESN
Ontario, Canada
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OK guys, you've convinced me.....
In my OP, I said the these power posts (Ontario Parks call them "pedestals") are of very high quality, and from what has been posted, it looks like they're worth the cost.
So thanks for all your comments, and may we all continue to enjoy our Ontario Parks 
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