Texas Campgrounds, RV Parks and Discount Camping

CROWLEY, Texas, Oct. 13, 2009 – Not all of the retirees from up north who spend the winter at RV parks and campgrounds in Texas will be staying in motorhomes, travel trailers or fifth wheels.
Many of them will be staying in “park models,” 400-square foot, cottage-like accommodations that are increasingly being used as part-time winter retreats in campgrounds and RV parks and resorts in Texas and across the Sunbelt.
“Park models and cottages make a lot of sense for Winter Texans who spend the entire season at a single park where they have friends or family nearby,” said Brian Schaeffer, executive director and CEO of the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO).
Park models also can be an economical choice for RV owners who really enjoy the life style, but find it more cost effective to leave their rig at home than spend the money in gas or diesel driving their rig across the country, merely to leave it parked at one location for most of the winter.
“Not everybody understands that park model rentals are an option that’s
available to them,” said Ken Butschek, managing partner and co-owner of La Hacienda RV Resort in Austin, which has 15 park models. “I already have 8 of my 15 park models rented this winter by Winter Texans,” he said, adding the remainder will be available to accommodate additional Winter Texans or other travelers.
Still relatively unknown to most consumers, recreational park trailers or “park models” are 400-square foot movable resort cottages that are designed exclusively for part-time recreational use. Typically upscale in appearance, they often include hardwood floors, bay windows and lofts as well as cherry, oak or maple cabinetry.
And because park models are technically classified as recreational vehicles, they can be set up in campgrounds and RV parks and used as weekend retreats or seasonal vacation dwellings. That’s precisely what’s happening at many RV resorts across the country, many of which are continuing to invest in park models as rental units.
Hill Country RV Resort in New Braunfels, for example, plans to purchase another 10 park models this month, boosting its total number of park model rentals to 20, said Bryan Kastleman, who manages the park on behalf of an investment group.
Many parks also lease campsites to people who own their own park models, while other parks act as park model dealers and sell the units to consumers as a package deal with a campsite they either lease or purchase.
Butschek of La Hacienda RV Resort recently opted to make some of his RV sites available to people who own their own park model. 
Other private park operators in Texas, including Don Temple of Guadalupe River RV Resort in Kerrville, have both park model rentals and cottages available for sale. The resort, located on a site overlooking the Guadalupe River, sells park models made by Texas-based, Athens Park Homes for under $60,000.
Based in Crowley, the Texas Association of Campground Owners represents more than 400 private campgrounds and RV resorts. For help locating industry sources, statistics and other information about camping trends in Texas, please contact Brian Schaeffer at (817) 307-0129 or visit TexasCampgrounds.com and TexasCabinRentals.net. Contact information for the parks referenced in this release is provided below:

• Guadalupe River RV Resort, Kerrville, Don Temple, (830) 367-5676 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Hill Country RV Resort, New Braunfels, Bryan Kastleman, (512) 750-2714 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• La Hacienda RV Resort in Austin, Ken Butschek, (512) 266-8001 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it