It seems every time a campground owner turns around, a camper is asking them for their time. Whether it is advice on which tank deodorizer to buy or why my hot water heater won’t light. The campground owner is always ready to help. Most times it is as easy as “Try this…” or “Maybe this will help…”. But often, it requires the campground owner to go to the site to diagnose the issue to which there may be a fee for the diagnoses. Then there is the labor to fix it. The problem is; the camper forgets that the owner’s time has a value to it. So often, they are surprised when they get a bill for the initial diagnoses or are taken aback to the cost of labor for the repair itself. Here at Triple R Ill spend a few minutes to help someone for nothing. But if the job is way bigger than thought, or the quick few minutes doesn't help, its time for a work order.
Campground owners will go out of their way to help the camper, Seasonal or Transit. The campground owner enjoys talking with their customers and helping them. But at what cost? Where do you draw the line? Should the campground owner’s time be free? After all you did pay to camp there, so why should you be charged?
There are several reasons why campgrounds charge for their time.
- Often the campground owner will have to take a vehicle to the site to help diagnose and fix the problem. With that vehicle, there is the cost of the vehicle, gas, vehicle insurance, tools and diagnostic instruments. All of these items cost the campground owner money to purchase. Some of the tools and diagnostic instruments are very expensive.
- Next, there is the repair part itself. This part was purchased sometime in the past, at the campgrounds expense, and put in to inventory. The cost to carry that inventory is expensive.
- Also, there are shipping charges involved with getting the inventory into the store.
- Then there is the owners time to do the repair
- Think of this, what if the campground owner could be going to fix a broke water pipe and you stop him to ask for help. There is a huge cost to his time then. That campground repair gets more costly by the second.
- Last, there is the campground owner’s knowledge. Quite often they have been to some type of trade school to learn everything they can regarding RV’s. Or have a HV/AC degree or have been to an RV manufacturer’s class regarding their RV’s.
By using the services the campground provides, the seasonal and transit camper are quite often saving money.
- If you call an RV dealership and schedule your service with them, you have the cost of getting your camper to and from the dealership and a loss of camping time while they get you in their schedule. Not to mention your Labor cost at most dealership range from $100 to $150 per hour.
- If you can’t get your camper to the dealership, there is a service call charge for them to come to your camper. This cost ranges from $150 to $175. Remember, this is on top of their hourly rate.
- For the transit camper, there is the convenience to have it done quickly and easily while you are camping.
- If you are a seasonal camper, there is the convenience and peace of mind to know that your repair will be complete when you get back to your campsite the next weekend.
Campground owners don’t charge you to be mean, they charge you so they can stay in business and continue to offer YOU, the camper, a better camping experience week in week out every year.
Often they use these extra funds to upgrade the facilities or add new attractions. These funds also help to reduce yearly increases to the seasonal or transit camper.
So, the next time the campground owner tells you there is a fee to do an estimate or a charge to do something for your camper, remember, these costs will be recouped by you every time you camp at that campground!
