What’s the Right Mix of Nightly and Monthly Sites for Your RV Park?
Fill every site with monthly guests and you’re a landlord. Keep every site nightly and you’re chasing bookings every weekend. Most parks belong somewhere in between.
In early 2026, short-stay bookings slipped while long stays kept growing. This page helps an RV park owner or manager find the split that fits the park.
Dr. Paul Borosky, Business Consultant, has helped more than 1,000 small businesses balance steady income against higher-margin sales.
Talk to Dr. PaulCall or text (321) 948-9588.
Last Updated: November 2026
Real World Help From Dr. Paul
Small Business Education
Which costs a monthly guest really saves you.
Read the fixed and variable costs lessonHow This Guide Works
Want the short answer? Doctor Owl’s box and the 3 steps below. Want to watch it worked out? Commander Colt in Dr. Paul’s Fabled Forest Business School Series tries to make every site a monthly site after one great winter. The numbers follow his story.
- List every site and what it earned last year, month by month.
- Mark your top 20% of sites by revenue. Those stay nightly.
- Pick a few of your lowest earners to test as monthly sites.
Why Didn’t Colt Turn Every Site Monthly?
After a great winter with monthly guests, Commander Colt wanted to make every campsite monthly. No more weekend rushes. No more turnover.
Doctor Owl asked, “Fire or foundation?” This wasn’t urgent. It was a big decision about the park’s future, a foundation. They walked it through Dr. Paul’s Organize-Plan-Grow™ Strategy.
- Organize. Greta listed every site and what it earned each month. The creekside sites made the most on summer weekends, far more than any monthly rate.
- Plan. Colt kept the creekside sites nightly and moved eight back-row sites to monthly.
- Grow. Greta checks the split every spring and fall. If monthly demand grows, a few more back-row sites switch.
Colt still has weekend rushes. But only at the sites that pay for them.
Are Short Stays Slowing Down?
Campspot’s 2026 mid-year report found median same-store site nights fell 1.2% from January through May 2026, and transient bookings fell 2.2%. Glamping resorts grew 10.9%.
RoverPass saw a similar shift for 2025: long stays of 28 nights or more rose 19.1% while short stays fell 3.2%.
Campspot platform data. Source: Campspot 2026 Mid-Year Industry Report.
What Does That Mean for How You Split Your Sites?
If short stays are softening and long stays are growing, a few more monthly sites may protect your income. But your best sites can still earn more per night from short stays.
The mistake is picking one and forgetting about it. The split should move as your bookings move.
How Do You Find the Right Split?
- Know what every site earns. By month, not just for the year.
- Protect your best sites. Waterfront, pull-through, or full hookup sites usually earn most per night.
- Move the low earners first. Back rows and odd-shaped sites make good monthly sites.
- Write the rule down. Which sites can go monthly, and which never do.
- Review it twice a year. Spring and fall are natural times to adjust.
What Does a Smarter Split Look Like?
Illustration only. Round numbers, not a real company.
Say your 10 lowest-earning sites bring in $4,000 each a year from nightly guests. Switch them to monthly at $500 a month, filled 10 months a year, and each one earns $5,000. That’s $10,000 more a year, and fewer turnovers to clean.
Illustration only: $4,000 per site nightly vs. $500 a month for 10 months.
Run both versions in the RV park business plan template. Then see the full picture on offering monthly stays.
Want Help Splitting Your Sites?
Bring last year’s site-by-site revenue to a free 15-minute call with Dr. Paul. You’ll leave with a starting split to test.
Or call or text (321) 948-9588.
What Do Owners Ask About Site Mix?
How many monthly sites is too many?
When you start turning away high-paying weekend guests from your best sites, you’ve gone too far.
Can a site switch back to nightly?
Yes, if your agreements give you notice periods. Plan for that before you sign anyone.
Does site mix affect what my park is worth?
Often, yes. Buyers look at how steady and how high your income is. See our page on buying or building a park.
Where Should You Go Next?
About the Author
Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, helps RV park owners decide where each site earns the most.