What’s Next for the RV Park Industry in 2027?
The summer weekends book themselves. Everything else is the question.
Shoulder seasons, monthly guests, remote workers, and younger campers who have never heard of your park. That’s where an RV park finds growth in 2027, and this page shows an owner or manager how to go after it.
Campground and RV park owners are part of the 1,000+ small businesses Dr. Paul Borosky, Business Consultant, has helped.
Talk to Dr. PaulCall or text (321) 948-9588.
Last Updated: November 2026
How This Guide Works
Quick read? Doctor Owl’s answer is above, and each trend is one click away in the list below. Want the story? Commander Colt, a horse who runs Forest Trails & Tours in Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School Series, tries to fix slow months with more hours of his own. His story follows the first trend.
ADR, RevPAS, cap rate: need a quick definition? The RV Park glossary explains each term.
Which RV Park Trends Should You Plan Around in 2027?
Eight of them, with moves an owner or park manager can start before the next season.
How Do RV Parks Fill the Slow Months?
RoverPass projects national RV park occupancy around 65 to 67% for 2026, with the gap between peak and off-season shrinking.
If your shoulder months still look empty, that’s money left at the gate.
- Count empty site nights by month.
- Create one offer for your slowest month, like a weeknight rate or a club rally.
- Market it to past guests first. They already know you.
From the Fabled Forest
How Would Commander Colt Use These RV Park Trends?
Doctor Owl is the wise old owl the forest’s owners call when they’re out of ideas and energy. Commander Colt, a horse who is also the forest’s mayor, runs Forest Trails & Tours and the campsites along the trail. Summer was packed. October through March, half the sites sat empty, and Colt was working longer hours than ever.
“Just a bit more horsepower,” Colt said. Doctor Owl wanted to know one thing: fire or foundation? Empty winter sites weren’t costing extra. They were money never earned. That made it a foundation. They built it with Dr. Paul’s Organize-Plan-Grow™ Strategy.
- Organize. Greta, the goose who runs the booking board, counted empty site nights by month. Winter had the most.
- Plan. They set aside 10 sites for monthly guests from November to March, at a lower monthly rate.
- Grow. Greta sent the offer to every guest who had stayed more than three nights.
Illustration only: 10 monthly sites at $600 a month for five months brings in $30,000 that used to be zero.
Greta’s board now shows winter sites booked months ahead, and Colt finally stopped working the gate himself on Sundays.
Illustration only: 10 sites at $600 a month, November to March.
Who Are the New RV Campers?
RoverPass reports more first-time and younger campers alongside retirees.
Younger guests book on phones, read reviews, and want good Wi-Fi.
- Make online booking work in under two minutes.
- Put Wi-Fi speed and pet rules on your website.
- Ask first-timers how they found you, and do more of that.
Should More Sites Go to Monthly and Snowbird Guests?
Research and Markets notes remote workers and retirees are driving longer stays.
Monthly guests pay less per night but pay every month, and they book early.
- Decide how many sites to hold for weekends and how many for monthly guests.
- Treat snowbirds like residents. Invite them back before they leave.
- Write a simple monthly-stay agreement with clear rules.
Read more: Offering monthly stays →
Which Park Upgrades Pay for Themselves?
IBISWorld points to glamping, cabins, and premium amenities as a growing part of the market.
A new amenity only makes sense if it raises your rates or fills more nights.
- Estimate how much more per night the upgrade would earn.
- Divide the cost by that number. That’s how many nights it takes to pay off.
- Start small, like a few glamping tents, before pouring concrete.
Are Existing RV Parks Worth More Now?
New parks are slow and expensive to approve and build, which limits supply.
Limited supply protects existing parks and makes good ones worth more to buyers.
- Keep clean books. Buyers and lenders want three years of them.
- Know your occupancy and revenue by month.
- If you’re buying, compare the price to what it costs to build new.
How Should an RV Park Set Its Rates?
More parks use online booking with rates that change by season, weekend, and demand.
One flat rate all year leaves money on the table in summer and empty sites in winter.
- Set at least three rates: peak, shoulder, and off-season.
- Raise holiday weekend rates first.
- Review rates every quarter, not once a year.
Do Reviews Really Make or Break an RV Park?
Guests compare parks online before they book, and reviews are often the deciding factor.
One review about a dirty bathhouse can cost more bookings than a month of ads brings in.
- Check bathhouses on a set schedule and log it.
- Ask happy guests for a review before they leave.
- Answer every bad review politely, and fix what it points out.
How Do You Run an RV Park Without Running Yourself Down?
Parks are open around the clock. Many owners try to cover all of it themselves.
An owner who never rests makes worse decisions and misses what’s slipping.
- Write down the jobs only you do. Hand off one this month.
- Set office hours and an after-hours number that isn’t your cell.
- Put one manager in charge of the daily checklist.
Buying or building a park? Start with the numbers in an RV park business plan template.
Real World Help From Dr. Paul
Where Should an RV Park Owner or Manager Start?
- Find the cost or complaint hurting you now. That’s your fire.
- Pick one growth source: the slow months, monthly guests, or an upgrade. That’s your foundation.
- Write both into your 2027 plan, with numbers.
Need help with the plan? Dr. Paul visits parks in person, and works on Zoom when that fits better. See consulting for park owners.
Where Is Your Park Leaving Money at the Gate?
Book a free 15-minute call with Dr. Paul. Bring your occupancy by month if you track it. Buying or building a park? Bring the deal you’re looking at. You leave knowing your first move, and what more help would cost if you want it.
Or call or text (321) 948-9588.
What Do Park Owners Ask About 2027?
Is owning an RV park still a good business in 2027?
Demand is steady and new supply is limited, which helps existing parks. The parks that do best fill the slow months and keep reviews strong.
Should I take monthly guests?
Usually some, yes. Monthly guests smooth out the slow months. Decide how many sites to hold for them so you don’t lose your best weekend nights.
Does this help a park manager, too?
Yes. Rates, reviews, the booking process, and the site mix are things a manager can track every week and bring to the owner.
About the Author
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, is a business consultant and author who helps park owners and other small business owners plan by the numbers instead of by gut feel.
Sources
- RoverPass, RV park industry statistics (2026).
- Research and Markets, RV park industry report (2026).
- IBISWorld, Campgrounds and RV Parks in the US (2026).