Should Your RV Park Offer Monthly Stays in 2027?
A monthly guest pays less per night than a weekend guest. They also pay every month, book early, and don’t need a site cleaned every two days.
Long stays are the fastest-growing kind of booking on at least one big reservation platform. This page helps an RV park owner or manager decide whether monthly sites fit.
Park owners weighing a change like this are the kind of client Dr. Paul Borosky, Business Consultant, has helped 1,000+ times across industries.
Talk to Dr. PaulCall or text (321) 948-9588.
Last Updated: November 2026
Real World Help From Dr. Paul
How This Guide Works
Short on time? Doctor Owl’s answer and the 3 steps below. Want to see it play out? In Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School Series, Commander Colt gets a request from a family of beavers who want to stay all winter, and he isn’t sure what to charge. The numbers follow.
- Figure out what one site earns per month at your nightly rate in the slow season.
- Set a monthly rate that beats what that site really earns, not what it earns on a full July weekend.
- Write a one-page monthly stay agreement with rules, deposit, and notice to leave.
What Should Colt Charge the Beavers for Winter?
A beaver family asked Commander Colt if they could keep their camper at his site from November through March. Colt’s first thought was his summer rate times 30. The beavers laughed.
Doctor Owl asked, “Fire or foundation?” Five months of steady money on a site that usually sat empty was a foundation decision. They used Dr. Paul’s Organize-Plan-Grow™ Strategy.
- Organize. Greta checked what that site had earned the last two winters. Almost nothing, a few weekends at most.
- Plan. Colt set a monthly rate well below summer prices but far above zero, with a deposit and a written agreement.
- Grow. He offered the same deal on four more back-row sites, the ones nightly guests skip.
The beavers stayed all winter, paid on the first of every month, and fixed Colt’s fence for fun.
How Fast Are Long Stays Growing?
RoverPass’s 2026 report found long-term stays of 28 or more nights rose 19.1% in 2025, a record. Short stays fell 3.2% at the same time.
Long stays are still a small slice. On RoverPass, stays of 28 nights or more were 6% of bookings in 2025, up from 5%. Stays of 8 to 27 nights grew from 7% to 9%.
RoverPass platform data. Source: RoverPass 2026 Outdoor Hospitality Report.
What Does the Shift Toward Longer Stays Mean for You?
A monthly site turns a slow-season hole into steady income. It also locks that site up, so it’s not there for a big holiday weekend.
The right answer is usually a mix. A few monthly sites in the back, nightly sites up front, and a clear rule for which is which.
How Do You Add Monthly Sites the Right Way?
- Start small. Three to five sites, not half the park.
- Use your least-wanted sites. Back rows and sites without a view.
- Set the rate from real numbers. What the site actually earns now, by month.
- Put it in writing. Rules, deposit, payment date, and notice to leave.
- Check your local rules. Some areas treat long stays differently. Ask before you advertise.
What Does a Monthly Site Earn Compared to an Empty One?
Illustration only. Round numbers, not a real company.
Say a back-row site books about 6 nights a month in winter at $50. That’s $300 a month. A monthly guest at $550 a month brings in $250 more, every month, with one check-in instead of six.
Illustration only: 6 nights x $50 vs. a $550 monthly rate.
Model the mix in the RV park business plan template, then read the right mix of nightly and monthly sites.
Not Sure How Many Monthly Sites to Offer?
Bring a year of site-by-site bookings to a free 15-minute call with Dr. Paul. You’ll leave with a starting number and a rate to test.
Or call or text (321) 948-9588.
What Do Park Owners Ask About Monthly Stays?
Do monthly guests hurt my park’s feel?
They can if there are no rules. Clear standards for upkeep and noise keep the park looking like a park.
Should monthly guests pay for electric?
Many parks meter electric on monthly sites. It’s fairer and protects your margin.
What deposit should I ask for?
Enough to cover a month and any damage. Put it in the agreement.
About the Author
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, helps RV park owners decide which guests to build around.