On 6/24/2019 at 9:23 PM, solo318 said:

Some of my fondest camping memories as a child were in the KOA at Cherokee N.C. We were in Gatlinburg last week and decided to drive over and check it out. This cannot possibly be the same campground. Did the KOA franchise move? Did they do a complete remodel? I was not disappointed by hte current campground, It just isn't what I remember. I even shoed a map to my Dad and he doesn't remember the campground being there either. So now I'm wondering what happened to the old one. Do any of you guys remeber the KOA from the 80s?

Any input would be welcomed. Seems trivial I know, But it's bugging me.

Amazing how a question about one particular KOA campground turns into a lets bash KOA fest.

  On 7/1/2019 at 8:32 AM, kb0zke said:

Some people say KOA stands for "Keep On Adding" as it seems that there is an additional fee for almost everything that we might want, and no deductions for the things we don't want.

The "Keep on Adding" phrase has been around for decades. I think this is a hold over from the pre-internet days. The KOA Directory would list a range of prices for each campground with no real explanation that tent sites with no amenities were the lowest price and each added amenity increased the price for that site and that the price for the site was the price for the site no matter what you chose to use. RVers would pull in thinking that they would get the lowest price for any site they wanted only to find out that there was no electric/water at the tent sites, they would not fit in the tent sites, all the water/electric sites were taken, etc. The catchy slur phrase was born, caught on and has been repeated ever since.

This phrase comes up on just about every discussion about KOA. Many RV Parks have sites at various prices based on various combinations of amenities/services. No hookup (tent) sites, water/electric only, full hookup, backin, pull through, etc. All at  different prices. Even many Passport America Parks charge more for a 50amp site, cable TV, Wifi, etc., if they have more than one type of site. Very few parks charge for only what you use. The price for the site is the price for the site whether you want or plan to use all of the amenities.  If you look at the KOA website, the prices for the various types of sites are clearly shown. They often do have more choices than many RV parks/campgrounds. Now if you just drive in, there is no guarantee that the cheapest type of site will be available, or that your rig will fit in it.

Edited July 1 by trailertraveler

I don't think all KOA parks are bad and/or overpriced.  We got burned by the one in Charleston/Mt Pleasant SC, but we are using the Cheyenne KOA for a second time in a few weeks.  It has large sites, well kept, and friendly.  Now I still think it is a little overpriced at just under $60 a night for grass and gravel, but you are not packed on top of each other.

Based on our travel experience I could never be a "frequent" user of KOA's in general like Doc.  I just think with a little research you could usually find a better, higher quality, cheaper camping experience in the same area. 

So can we stop BASHING a COMPANY that is looking to MAKE MONEY. and revert back to the original question?

Was the KOA in Cherokee NC in it's current location, or somewhere else? It was really a simple question, yet not a single person posted anything useful to the matter at hand. If I was looking for an argument I would have posted in the "politics" section

  On 7/1/2019 at 11:13 PM, solo318 said:

 

If I was looking for an argument I would have posted in the "politics" section

I don't think there is a "politics" section.

  On 7/1/2019 at 11:13 PM, solo318 said:

Was the KOA in Cherokee NC in it's current location, or somewhere else? It was really a simple question, yet not a single person posted anything useful to the matter at hand. 

While I have no knowledge of that particular KOA, I can tell you that parks dropout and join the KOA system on a regular basis. They are mostly all franchises so are sold like any private business.

As we travel the country, we have been to a number of former KOAs. The building style is one give away. Some still have the yellow and black signs. Older directories and sometimes even Google Maps may still list them as a KOA. We also encounter existing parks that have joined the KOA system since our last visit. I don't know if KOA has any policy about how close their franchises can be, but if they do, one dropping out of the system would create an opportunity for another nearby park to join.

Edited July 2 by trailertraveler

  On 7/1/2019 at 10:16 PM, trailertraveler said:

The "Keep on Adding" phrase has been around for decades. I think this is a hold over from the pre-internet days. The KOA Directory would list a range of prices for each campground with no real explanation that tent sites with no amenities were the lowest price and each added amenity increased the price for that site and that the price for the site was the price for the site no matter what you chose to use

I believe Joe Peterson was the first to use that phrase. Part of the KOA overhead that doesn't apply to other campground owners is KOA franchisees pay KOA Inc. a $30k franchise fee up front, then $1500 a year plus 10% of their ongoing registration fees (site fees), placing them at a competitive disadvantage to others who keep 100% of their generated revenue.

Although I have no way of knowing, I suspect the "site registration" percentage in the past may have only applied to the basic site rate, encouraging the franchisees to price things like electric-water-sewer, pool passes, etc. separately so they were exempt from the KOA percentage.  And thus justifying the "Keep On Adding" branding when customers found themselves nickeled and dimed over stuff that they assumed should have been included in the site rent.

https://ownakoa.com/build-a-koa/requirements/

Edited July 2 by Lou Schneider

  On 7/2/2019 at 11:33 PM, Lou Schneider said:

I believe Joe Peterson was the first to use that phrase.

I think that Lou is correct about that history as there were some very serious conflicts between the KOA folks and Joe & the Escapees RV Club back in the 1980's. Eventually things died away into history.  There is little or none of that anamosity today. 

Edited July 3 by Kirk W